episode_0019

The gate was not high enough to jump over, compared to the average person’s height.

While it was possible to climb over with a ladder, it was better to break down the door than to face the guards on top.

The thieves who naturally thought they could sneak in were few, and most of the chaos happened around the gate.

The hunters tried their best to shoot arrows, but it was difficult to be effective in the darkness, and one could not expect exceptional skills in such a rural area.

Unfortunately, the occupation of a knight did not have many long-range attack options. Maybe if they could dash through them.

So, throwing stones to restrain them was the best they could do.

“Arrows! Watch out for arrows, raise your shields!”

“I know, I know! Just try to find something valuable inside. Just smash it open!”

“I told you to watch out for arrows… What? A rock?”

Stone throwing was a fundamental combat method that could be considered the essence of human history.

It had a long history, even establishing itself as a folk game called ‘seokjeon’, and surviving for so long meant that it had proven its effectiveness through numerous practical uses.

Those who wanted to criticize it might question its effectiveness, but if it wasn’t effective, wouldn’t the size of the stones be larger?

But what was more helpful was the priest. He clearly demonstrated that he was a clergyman responsible for a village frequently exposed to external threats.

Pages from the unfolded Bible were torn and scattered, with prayers softly flowing from his lips, and the light spreading brighter.

Like the morning mist, the faintly sparkling light soon gathered into small orbs.

From a distance, it might have looked like stars falling to the ground, but having faced it on the battlefield, I knew well of its gruesome effectiveness.

With a gesture from the priest, a beam of light emerged nearby. Unlike arrows, it could change its path in real-time and pierced through a thief’s head.

At first, the thieves stood still with wide eyes, not understanding the situation, and it was only after a second thief fell that the group started to panic.

“What? A magician? We didn’t hear about a magician being here!”

“Can we win this?!”

“Don’t be nervous. How many priests can there be in such a rural area, and how strong could they be- ack!”

Magic was mysterious and beautiful, but it seemed like this was more fitting.

Acknowledging reality and abandoning greed, filling personal fantasies with relics seemed like a sufficient conclusion.

If the priest had spent over ten years delving into theology and magic, I had spent over ten years rolling on battlefields.

Even if it was a thin feather, turning it into a weapon as soon as it was in hand was the way of a knight.

Of course, the appearance was far from that of a knight, but with the village’s limited weapon supply, there was no choice but to throw it.

Still, with effort, some could be knocked down by throwing stones.

For a while, they could hold out in this manner.

Those climbing over the wall were cut down, while the others were dealt with by arrows or magic.

But nothing in this world lasts forever. Human stamina was limited, and the door made of simple wood was no exception.

There were fewer allies than enemies, with only one priest as a magician, so it was inevitable.

Since there was no clock, I turned my gaze towards the sky.

The horizon was gradually brightening. The sun had not yet risen, but unlike before, the surroundings were clearly visible even without torches.

Outside the gate, there were many fallen thieves on the ground, but there were even more standing.

The support troops might not arrive anytime soon, but it was clear that there was still a long way to go.

The most intense area was undoubtedly the gate. The guards defending it were panting heavily as they shouted.

“Can we hold out any longer?”

“It’s getting tough! We have too many injured and not enough people to guard the gate!”

“It’s not… not yet…!”

Not only were the guards desperately blocking the gate in a precarious state, but the gate itself was also not in good condition.

Thieves were using a wooden pillar that seemed to have been torn from a house outside the city walls to ram against the gate. With each impact, the gate creaked and weakly shook.

I slowly sensed that the time had come.

“We should get ready to leave.”

Upon hearing that, the priest glanced at me once, nodding as if understanding what I was thinking.

Indeed, it was clear what a knight should do in such a situation.

The priest reached out towards his sword. A faint blue light emanated from his fingertips and seeped into the blade, reminiscent of the blessing I had received from Priest Piffin before.

Even after the priest withdrew his hand, a faint blue light remained on the sword.

“I express my gratitude for offering your hand willingly. The Lord will watch over your struggle.”

“Let’s survive.”

Although I said that, I didn’t feel like I was going to die.

If I were to fall to mere bandits, I would have to relinquish my knighthood.

I descended from the wall and took hold of Sancho’s reins.

The noise around me was loud, and there was constant commotion, but I didn’t flee.

“Sir Knight?”

“Prepare to open the gate.”

“But there are still many enemies outside!”

“They’re going to break through soon anyway, aren’t they?”

The guard who spoke to me reluctantly nodded.

The connection was distorted, and half of it was falling apart, revealing the thieves beyond. I put on the helmet that I had kept aside to avoid obstructing my vision.

It would be foolish to abandon the advantage of the defensive position.

The existence of the city walls was a means to defend against enemies several times the size of a handful of defenders.

So I waited until the last moment when I could take advantage of that.

During that time, I had been poking and throwing rocks from above to deter them, but if the thieves weren’t going to retreat from that alone, they wouldn’t have come this far just to plunder.

It was fortunate that they didn’t attack more fiercely than expected, aiming to take back what they had lost.

The presence of the walls was also an obstacle to the knight’s major advantage. It was ambiguous to call it a bottleneck, but it was clear that it hindered the knight’s mobility and the power that came from their speed.

Above all, it was a blow to my pride. What did those petty foot soldiers think, making me hide behind the wall and cower in fear?

This was not the way knights fought.

“There shouldn’t be a problem with opening it, right?”

“That’s correct. But the problem isn’t opening it, it’s that it’s about to collapse!”

In my younger days, I could have lived in safety and comfort in a church. I wouldn’t have needed to risk my life on the battlefield.

Yet, there was a reason why I sought out a knight passing through the town and begged him to train me, even going so far as to bow my head and ask to be taken as a squire.

Of course, it was definitely not to hide behind the wall occasionally and sneak around for the sake of hiding.

If I did that, my career would be over, and I would be lucky if I didn’t receive any accusations of being a coward.

I picked up an unclaimed spear and mounted Sancho.

“Alright, then get ready.”

“Are you planning to open the gate?”

“If the gate won’t hold out for long anyway, we might as well use it as a last resort to surprise our opponents.”

Knights and poets alike had sung countless tales of the honorable and brave deeds of knights under the name of chivalry.

Wasn’t I the one who, upon hearing those stories, had left the church in my youth, eager to become a part of that legacy?

Living in this world, there were many exaggerations in their stories, and one could realize that knights were basically thugs.

However, there was one proposition that never changed.

The fact that they defeated heretics, barbarians, and thieves was as real as it could get.

Knights on the battlefield were undoubtedly the strongest shield and spear protecting the people, not just in cities or towns.

They ruled this era as the tanks of their time, but criticism was not absent.

This was the number one worry that plagued the minds of field commanders.

The criticism was that knights did not have any organic connection with other knights, and were only good at charging into battle without understanding anything else.

I hate to say this, but knights were all very stubborn and wouldn’t listen to anyone but their lord.

I have no intention of denying this criticism. It’s not wrong.

In fact, I don’t listen to the words of those weaker than me and charge ahead.

Even if I try to adjust to them, if others don’t follow, it all falls apart.

But on the other hand, even with all these penalties.

Just that fact alone meant that knights stood at the peak of power.

“Open up!”

“Yes!”

In a world without guns and gunpowder on the battlefield.

Who else could claim that spot if not the knights?