186
Third in command
“So- even when the sun sets again-.”
A soft prayer sound heard from afar.
“Ugh···.”
Imperial Knight Jarn watched Full Harta fall slowly.
He knew that Full Harta had feelings for him. He was particularly vocal and rough around the edges when he was around.
He was a green boy who considered ignorance to be manly.
The full Haruta that had been there was lying forward with its neck strangely bent.
I couldn’t figure out what was happening, but the aura suddenly stopped, Full Harta fell, and the knights of the temple were fighting while raising their voices.
Jarn’s reason was cut off.
“Full Harta-!! How dare you pigeons!!”
The sword she swung plunged deep into the shoulder of the Temple Knight. The red blood that spurted out painted Jarn’s face.
“Swinging a sword! Are you crazy!!”
The knight of the temple shouted and swung his greatsword.
Jarn drew his sword with a frown. Hot red blood once again painted Jarn’s face.
The excitement subsided as he was covered in blood. His lost sense of reason returned. Jarn couldn’t even fathom the consequences of what he had just done.
But the situation has already occurred.
From now on, there was no need for words.
‘Temple Knight… It was said to weaken the aura, but this isn’t weakening, it’s sealing.’
Jarn, covered in red blood, became calmer. Her body felt heavy as if it had absorbed water without her aura, but she was an imperial knight.
“Ugh.”
The weight of the greatsword made him gasp, but he was not pushed back. Jarn drew his sword while twisting it. The greatsword was slightly out of place. He was inexperienced in one-on-one combat.
“Damn it! Have you forgotten the treaty? You stupid royal dogs!”
The knight in the temple who had been stabbed in the shoulder by Jarn shouted. His excited voice heated up the atmosphere.
The pattern engraved on the breastplate had weight.
If you draw your sword, you should win.
‘The ones who attacked first are the ones who made the agreement-.’
Two swords with imperial emblems jutted out from Jarn’s side. The knight of the temple swung his greatsword at them, but Jarn’s sword followed suit, slowing him down.
The imperial knight’s sword struck the temple knight’s armor. Knock knock. The armor was so strong that it was thinly sliced. The temple knight shook violently.
It was an obvious gap. Jarn pushed the head of the Templar Knight, opening the gap between his helmet and his breastplate. Without hesitation, he thrust his sword into the fully exposed nape of his neck.
The surging red blood painted the falling snowflakes. Other knights of the temple stepped forward to block him.
Even a tenacious knight of the Temple had no chance of survival after being stabbed in the neck.
The Templar Knights simply swung their weapons, calling out to their gods and the Imperial Knights calling out to their emperors.
‘This is just an article.’
Jarn raised the corners of his lips and twisted his sword. An unpleasant resistance and the sound of his breathing being relieved spread out.
The Knight of the Temple swung his greatsword, which was clad in light. Jarn crossed his swords in return, but was outstripped by the lack of Aura.
When I got close to their light, my body got heavier. It was quite difficult to deal with him without Aura.
Jarn bit her lip and twisted her shoulder. Her right arm rose into the air with a sharp pain.
She stifled a scream as she stepped back. Another imperial knight took her place. The knight who had cut off Jarn’s right arm fell backwards, impaled on his sword.
This side can’t handle auras, but the other side isn’t very used to one-on-one combat.
His swordsmanship was also low. He seemed to fight better than a regular knight, but he was not at the level of an imperial knight.
In contrast to this side, which had no hesitation, the religious group seemed cautious.
It couldn’t be otherwise. The imperial emblem was engraved on this breastplate.
‘What on earth were they thinking when they attacked?’
Jarn, who had become calm, stared straight ahead and muttered.
Due to various conditions overlapping, the imperial knights without Aura were somewhat pushed back.
“You guys swung first! You brought this upon yourself!”
A blood-covered knight shouted in a loud voice. His voice was firm, but trembled slightly.
It seemed as if they had realized once again that the person they were aiming their swords at was an ‘Imperial’ knight.
Jarn raised the corners of his mouth. How dare he say that… No, the downfall of the sect that murdered the imperial knights was a foregone conclusion.
The knights of the temple, their eyes sharp, exchanged glances. They nodded.
The light grew more intense. It seemed as if a decision had been made. It seemed as if they were not going to leave behind any witnesses.
Those idiots, there’s no way the royal family didn’t know.
“You brought this upon yourself.”
The hard-faced knight of the temple swung his greatsword.
‘If only you had come…’
Jarn bit his lip as he watched the approaching greatsword. However, Jarn did not give up and raised his sword.
At that moment, an aura formed around Jarn’s sword.
The strength that had disappeared was restored. Jarn gritted his teeth and raised his aura even further. A refreshing feeling spread through his entire body, as if he had drunk water when he was thirsty.
A brilliant blue light cut through the pure white light.
“Hey, fake.”
Jarn stared at the man with the greatsword cut in half and grumbled.
The man with a bewildered expression took out the mace from his waistband.
Jarn’s shadow stretched forward in the blue light that was streaming from behind.
Although he was confused by the blood he had shed, Jarn smiled instead.
“Your crime is treason.”
Jarn ran forward and swung his sword in a long stroke.
An aura of blue light drew a line.
“Even in the dark, I will light the way ahead!”
At that moment, the knights of the temple suddenly raised their voices.
The white light became brighter than before. Jarn stumbled for a moment, feeling even more helpless than before.
‘You were just letting that cheeky bastard…’
The size of the aura rapidly decreased.
Although weak, the aura was still there.
Jarn stabbed his sword at the particularly short knight of the temple.
The guy tried to block it with his greatsword, but what was shimmering on the greatsword wasn’t an aura, it was light.
A greatsword that splits in two at once.
The bastard’s bewildered face seemed to be visible through the helmet.
Jarn took another step forward and swung his sword in a big swing. The aura became smaller, but there was no way to stop the one whose greatsword had been cut.
At that moment, something jumped between them.
Boom. Jarn’s sword stopped with a heavy sound.
‘The sword was pressed down from above.’
He was a guy who knew how to deal with Auror. Jarn bit his lip as he almost dropped his sword in shock.
“Joanna-!!”
The knight of the temple screamed.
The one called Joanna was a black-haired woman wearing the armor of an inquisitor. The woman continued to attack, wielding a greatsword with ease.
Jarn tried to receive him somehow, but his opponent was too clever.
The woman named Joanna glared at Jarn with a somewhat angry expression.
“There was even a pigeon that knew how to handle a sword.”
Jarn clicked his tongue slightly at the greatsword aimed at his neck.
***
“What is going on?”
Berman nodded at Kel’s muttering.
The Knights of the Temple and the Knights of the Imperial Court were suddenly engaged in a bloody fight.
“···Why are you doing that in someone else’s castle?”
Brick grumbled, shuddering slightly. Everyone else had similar expressions.
If they were fighting like that in the square, they, as security guards, should have stepped in and intervened.
‘How do you stop that?’
The problem was that those who were causing this mayhem were of extremely high status.
There was no way that they, mere border guards, could stop the imperial knights and the knights of the temple.
All they did was guard the perimeter as if they were doing something and evacuate the residents.
I had no idea what that fight would bring later.
Guards and soldiers were gathering here and there every moment.
Whether it was a checkpoint, a patrol, or a holiday, they were all gathered in a hurry, armed.
“Hey, Captain Aaron? You still haven’t found him?”
Berman turned his head to the question he heard from the side. It was Germun, the leader of Group 3. Behind him, he saw Group 3 men with worried expressions on their faces.
It was a question I had been receiving for a while. Where on earth is Aaron? Starting with the captain, each team leader, and even the inner soldiers, they continued to search for Aaron.
“I haven’t found it yet.”
Berman shook his head. The entire Cassidy had already been searched. Aaron was nowhere to be found.
“Germun! Why are you here! The main gate!”
The armed captain shouted.
“I told you all to come because the Imperial Knights and the Knights of the Holy War are fighting inside.”
“But what are you going to do if those guys who are checking the main gate come here! Go back quickly!”
Germun nodded, his head stinging at the captain’s shout.
The usually unattractive leader was louder in this situation, so I had no choice but to follow him.
“You guys are useless anyway! Everyone, go back! You! Strengthen the security around the back door! Group 6, check the inner wall!”
The captain pointed out each of the men around him and sent them to their respective work places.
Berman was surprised that the captain knew what each group was responsible for. He thought he was just listening to the report, but he seemed to have listened to everything.
“How can someone who is checking the area escape? Tsk tsk, you idiots.”
The captain clicked his tongue loudly as he watched them return to their seats.
“···What do we do now?”
Berman asked with a small sigh of relief as he saw the captain regain his position. He was even more surprised because he had never thought the captain would be this strong.
“They’re imperial knights and knights of the Holy War. What can we do? If we interfere, even Cassidy will be involved. We should just watch them for a while and then go in and pretend to sort things out once the situation calms down.”
‘The captain is always useless, but at odd times he becomes useful.’
The captain’s answer was unusually calm and reasonable.
That was right. With those big guys fighting, what could the border guards do? It would have been different if Captain Aaron had been there, though…
Berman looked at the captain with renewed eyes.
Although his face wasn’t very attractive because he had gained a lot of weight, he strangely felt like he had aged. His maturity was visible between the fat.
“They will come to their senses soon. Even the knights of the royal family cannot risk war with the sect.”
“Hey, but they’re the royal family, so what’s the problem?”
Kel, who had come over before I knew it, offered me some jerky and started teasing me.
“That’s a compromise… No, anyway, it’ll be over soon.”
The captain took a breath and put the jerky in his mouth. He clearly didn’t chew it even once, but his throat tightened.
“Pretend…”
Kel muttered openly. He must have heard it clearly, but the captain held his weight and stared straight ahead.
‘The captain······is he handsome?’
Berman shuddered at the sudden thought.
The captain is so dependable… He seemed tired from going out early after hearing the news that Team Leader Aaron had disappeared.
As the captain had said, the somewhat sluggish situation continued for a while. Berman and Kel then looked at the captain with wide eyes.
The captain shrugged his shoulders and boasted. The atmosphere was truly entering a lull, just as the captain had said.
“Now let’s start talking slowly.”
The captain stood up, fiddling with the sword at his waist that looked like it had never been drawn before.
At that moment-.
“Doom to the Empire!!!”
The Frederick Guild guys ran out shouting strange slogans.
The situation changed dramatically again.
Things have changed drastically.
“······Were those rebels?”
Someone’s small muttering sounded like a scream.
The guards who were trying to follow the captain stopped.
The captain looked back. His round face and wide eyes, as if he was very surprised. The captain looked pitiful.
“Where’s Captain Aaron! Aaron! Quickly, find Aaron! You little punks!! Run! You go to the inner castle!”
The captain waved his hands and screamed.
His distinctive, fleshy voice filled the surroundings.
‘Then that’s right······.’
Berman clicked his tongue and ran away.
Suddenly, I looked up at the altar and saw the Abbot of Brighton still reciting the prayer.
Judging by his closed eyes, he seemed so absorbed that he couldn’t hear his surroundings.
Berman shook his head and ran again.
***
“···Didn’t you say you were going to Cassidy?”
“Even if you go, you have to prepare.”
I answered the five elders’ blunt questions lightly.
I glanced at him and saw that his face was strangely wrinkled.
The guy who said he was running away earlier seemed like he wanted to go back right away when he heard he was going to Cassidy.
“Are you worried a lot?”
“at all.”
The guy quickly responded to my muttering. Contrary to my firm answer, his eyebrows were furrowed.
‘That’s why those with straight eyes···.’
I clicked my tongue at him.
At times like this, I had to stay calm. Excitement was a poison that only served to soothe the pain.
I explained the situation to the idiot who couldn’t figure it out.
“Since they came looking for me anyway, nothing will happen right away. I already took care of the guys outside.”
Even though a dozen Imperial Knights and the sect’s men came, they won’t cause trouble until they find me. I might escape.
I crouched down in a puddle of water I had just discovered and cracked the ice with my fist. The water was so cool it made me snap out of my thoughts.
I buried my face in the puddle and wiped it clean. I couldn’t go to someone’s house covered in blood like this.
“···What are you doing?”
“I’m washing my face.”
As expected of an ignorant person, he didn’t even know how to wash his face. That’s why I couldn’t communicate with that ignorant medieval guy.
“You call that washing your face······. Use this.”
The fifth eldest brother frowned and held something out.
It was a square object, and it looked like something I had seen before. I took it in and examined it.
“It’s called soap. If you use it, blood can be easily wiped off. To use it, rub it with your hands······.”
He explained how to use it in detail, as if he were teaching it to a monkey.
‘Oh, it was soap.’
I clicked my tongue at the guy who was just pretending to be soap.
‘What kind of soap is this?’
It felt damp and greasy, more like a lump of oil than soap, but it still had a nice scent.
Soap was a luxury item that cost a fortune, so it was rare to find someone carrying it around, but there were quite a few.
I rubbed my face with the soap I had not seen in a long time. I rubbed it until it foamed up and my face became smooth.
“No, don’t just use it like that… Phew….”
The five elders muttered something, but it was easy to ignore.
After finishing it and rinsing it with ice water, my face became completely clear.
I washed my hair while I was at it. The soap that was the size of my fist shrank to the size of a finger.
When he was handed over to the five eldest sons, the sight of his distorted face was quite pleasing.
“Okay. I have more.”
“Then how many more should I give you?”
When I held out my palm to the guy who pretended to measure everything to the end, his face distorted.
At that, I clicked my tongue and took a cloth out of my pocket to wipe away the moisture. When I wiped away the damp blood, I felt refreshed, as if I had been reborn.
“First of all, why did you come?”
He gave one more bar of soap and asked the five rich men with glum faces.
Fourth, I had some idea.
He was so vehemently opposed to the undertaking that he seemed to be trying to use the religious order’s forces to capture me, who was at the center of it, and foil it.
The first one could have felt similar to the fourth one, but it was surprising that I visited it in person.
“···I don’t know.”
The man who opened his mouth for a moment answered.
“Is it a boast to not know?”
When I asked him that question, the guy’s face immediately distorted.
As expected, he was a guy who had a knack for teasing.
After cleaning my armor, I headed to the cabin.
The area around the cabin was clean, as if the snow had been recently cleared.
I took a deep breath for a moment to consider whether this was the right choice.
‘It might be dangerous for Bossine too, but if you explain it as chewy······.’
I nodded my head, recalling the swordsman Daiso whose gaze had changed in the ‘Chewy Chewy Imperial Knight’ last time.
Swordsman Daiso was strong. I don’t know if he could take on a dozen imperial knights, but he was definitely the strongest I knew.
It was the best card you could use against a knight. Of course, it had the fatal flaw of not being able to leash him.
The first one may have just come to reminisce about his time in the palace, but it was the guy’s fault for not making an appointment in advance.
The sudden visit was not welcome to me, who was expecting the worst.
As I approached the cabin door, the five elders stepped back and hid. They seemed very shy.
I knocked on the door. I heard footsteps from inside. Judging by the steady and light strides, it was Kensul Daiso.
The door opened and what came out was, as I expected, a swordsmanship Daiso. However, its appearance was somewhat strange.
“I hope you are enjoying the holy day.”
The swordsman Daiso was wearing a ridiculous hat. He even had a short cloak that was clearly a child’s over his shoulders.
A large old man with such an appearance looked like he had escaped from a mental hospital.
It was exactly like the way Ted treated me last year. Even the tip of my nose was painted red with blood.
He openly laughed at him, but the swordsman Daiso had a blank expression as if nothing had happened.
Surprisingly, he seemed to like costumes.
“Who are you?! Is it Aaron?! Aaron!”
At that moment, Ted’s excited voice was heard from inside.
Kensul Daiso stepped forward and closed the door. The warmth that had been emanating through the crack in the door disappeared.
The swordsman Daiso stepped forward without saying anything. Looking in that direction, it seemed like he thought I had come for training.
“Oh, I came today for something else.”
The swordsman Daiso looked back.
The sight of Ted’s touch was comical, but his eyes were still cold and mad.
He was a truly noisy old man.
I glanced at the door. Orange light was leaking out through the crack in the door.
I don’t want to interrupt Ted’s holy day, but it’s time to learn that life doesn’t always go as planned.
“Cathedral’s fresh and chewy···.”
At that moment, the five eldest sons suddenly stepped forward.
But the guy’s expression was strange. Unlike his usual innocent face, his face was full of tears.
A variety of emotions were mixed across his face like I had never seen before.
The man approached with a slightly hesitant gait and slowly knelt down in front of the old man.
He looked more like an apologetic prisoner than a knight.
After a moment of silence, the guy opened his trembling lips.
“Master···.”
I hurriedly looked for a swordsmanship tool at the sudden request.
Unlike the five elders who were sobbing because they couldn’t control their emotions, Sword Master Daiso still had an indifferent expression on his face.
However, the eyes fluttered slightly.
It was quite an expression for the expressionless swordsman Daiso.
It didn’t seem like the five eldest sons had misjudged the man, or that the swordsman Daiso had forgotten him due to dementia.
‘Master? I thought you learned swordsmanship…’
It was an unexpected and unexpected relationship.
I looked at the two and thought about how this situation would unfold and how I should use it.
The fifth eldest son was still sobbing, and the old man looked down at him indifferently. It seemed like he would continue to do so all day if left alone.
I counted to five seconds in my head to enjoy the encounter before opening my mouth.
“Do you two know each other?”
First, I looked towards the swordsmanship Daiso and asked about the senior citizen preference.
In response to my question, Kenshu Daiso simply stared at me. His eyes showed no emotion.
He turned his gaze to the five eldest sons.
“Do you know this old man?”
At my question, the five elders who had been sobbing until just now opened their eyes. As if swear words were spilling out of their mouths, the one who took a deep breath opened his mouth.
“He is truly the third eldest son.”
I turned my gaze to the sword master at the sound of his proud voice.
‘This old man with dementia is the third eldest son? Why?’
The eyes of the swordsman Daiso, whose gaze met mine, narrowed.
My mind became complicated because of the unexpected development of the morning drama.
Judging from the five elders’ intense reactions, it didn’t seem like a lie.
Moreover, before, the fifth eldest son spoke as if he knew the third eldest son well.
‘If Sword Master Daiso is the third eldest son…’
I quickly assessed the situation and slowly opened my mouth.
“dad?”
For the first time, the face of the swordsman Daiso distorted greatly.
‘It’s definitely a stretch to call him dad.’
I nodded in response to the strong reaction and corrected my words.
“grandfather?”
Looking at the face of the swordsman Daiso becoming even more wrinkled, it seemed that this was not the right answer either.
The third eldest son was more picky than I thought.
***
‘If this much time has passed, what could Nova have done?’
Pulpouts looked at Marshal Balhar Khan sitting across from him and pressed his temples.
Marshal Balhar Khan didn’t answer anything and just stared out the window.
However, that doesn’t mean there was no information.
‘Seeing as he’s waiting without making any moves, he either trusts the royal knights or is confident that his name will be effective. The fact that he mentioned Aaron’s name before Vivian’s means that he put more weight on that-.’
Fullfoot’s head turned violently.
Knock knock. As his thoughts deepened, his headache grew, but Pulpouts continued to think.
Why did the Imperial Knights suddenly take interest in Aaron? Pulpouts looked back on the variables that had recently arisen.
‘···It must have something to do with the collapsed palace.’
Doubt turned into certainty.
Pulpouts closed his eyes tightly.
As one question is resolved, another arises.
‘······But why are you showing such a friendly attitude?’
It was an attitude of leisure that was not befitting of someone who had come to meet the man who had destroyed the palace.
‘There’s more to this…’
Perhaps because he was faced with an unprecedented crisis, Pulpouts’ head turned faster than usual.
‘···The fact that he asked Aaron to give his name means that he knows to some extent the power that Aaron possesses. Otherwise, it would have been sufficient to order the royal knights not to harm Aaron.’
Fullfoot glanced towards the guild leader.
The guild leader looked more relaxed than before, but he was glancing sideways at Marshal Balhar Khan.
In that subtle tension, Pulpouts felt like the meat he had just eaten was being added to his food.
I kept racking my brain, but there were no more clues.
Ultimately, it was a question that would be resolved only after Aaron and Vivian came here.
However, it was not easy to deal with any situation that arose.
No, to begin with, I didn’t have the ability to deal with twelve imperial knights and my enemy.
If it’s the only way-.
‘······They say the Knights of the Church have come too, but I wish the two of them would fight each other coolly. Then people would be interested.’
Pulpouts muttered softly, then laughed at my foolish imagination.
Even if you were cornered, how could you imagine such an absurd thing?
‘Why do you want the rebels to join and cause trouble, you idiot?’
My daughter was in danger, and I muttered in disappointment at my own inability.
Just then, the door opened and a woman came in calmly.
It was Razbet in the intelligence agency.
‘···Why a maid’s uniform?’
However, Fullfoot wasn’t stupid enough to question it.
Pulpouts quickly emptied his cup when he saw Razbeth holding the pitcher. The strong wine was giving off heat.
Razbet, who had filled Pulpout’s glass, stepped back again.
Pulpouts stared at the small piece of paper that had fallen next to the glass.
Pulpouts, who had spread the paper with his fingernails, covered his mouth with both hands.
[Currently in the square, the rebels and the knights of the temple have joined forces and are fighting the imperial knights.]
“Kkeuieek-.”
Pulpouts couldn’t hold it in any longer and screamed.
