Ch.170Chapter 170

Contrary to the elevated atmosphere, the knights entered the territory with calm movements.

The Knight Commander had given such orders.

While the Knight Commander and the Warrior Priest had experienced this before, the Vice Commander and the other knights had not.

Rushing in with only confidence in dangerous places was bound to lead to major accidents.

Especially in a situation like now, when essentially all the knights of the empire were gathered in one place, they needed to be even more cautious.

“Keep a close watch on the movement of the blizzard!”

The Knight Commander shouted to the knights who had begun entering the territory.

The column led by the Vice Commander entered the territory, and as soon as they encountered the blizzard, they shouted:

“Commander! The blizzard’s direction is rapidly concentrating toward our position!”

The meaning of those words was simple.

It meant that the hypothesis the Saint had told them was proving correct.

The Outer Gods created by the Giant race were powerful enough to maintain human form, but the Outer Gods created by the Princess, who was half-human and half-god, didn’t possess that level of power.

But ironically because of that, they could be used as a trump card to block all humans entering the territory.

Upon hearing the Vice Commander’s report, the Knight Commander’s expression showed both relief and regret.

“You were right, Tanthyn. Even those blizzards were fragments of an Outer God. Without these protective gear provided by the Princess, this operation would have been impossible from the start.”

“Conversely, that means we can overcome it now, when everything is in optimal condition.”

I offered some mild comfort, though he probably wasn’t truly depressed.

It seemed to have some effect, as the Knight Commander nodded and returned to his solemn expression.

“Yes, now we just need to move forward.”

As I watched the long line still entering the territory, I decided to reconsider what I needed to do.

#

Vice Commander Marenne, who was the first to enter the territory, couldn’t help but frown as the blizzard rushed toward them.

So this is what he meant by watching the blizzard’s movements carefully.

The thought that even these protective gears were something the Princess had strained herself to provide, considering this situation, made the Vice Commander’s eyes squeeze shut involuntarily.

Wasn’t it Tanthyn who had obtained this information too?

The snow froze instantly upon touching the surface of their protective gear, and if not for him, the entire imperial knighthood might have been annihilated.

“Until the end…”

“Vice Commander! The protective gear is freezing over!”

“…Does it restrict movement?”

“It doesn’t seem to.”

“Then we move forward. These are protective gears from the Forge’s armory. As long as there’s no direct physical damage, there should be no problem with our activities.”

Unlike herself, Marenne sighed as she saw the knights panicking when their protective gear froze over.

The protective gear was only meant to protect the inside; it couldn’t remain completely undamaged on the outside.

Challenging the unknown always instilled fear in people.

The meaning was clear: if I, as the team leader, show confusion here, the other knights’ morale will crumble as well.

With that thought, Marenne calmly moved forward.

The sound of ice cracking and expanding on the protective gear could be heard.

The sounds of knights’ fear could be heard.

The pressure and stress, incomparable to any Outer God they had faced before, approached as terror.

“Hold your nerve! As long as you’re wearing the protective gear the Princess provided at great cost, nothing will happen unless you deliberately take it off!”

“Understood!”

Marenne’s words, thrown out to change the atmosphere, gave strength to the knights.

The firmly secured protective gear wouldn’t come off regardless of any mistake, unless deliberately removed.

Moreover, ironically, the freezing of the protective gear eliminated even the extreme probability of it coming off.

Having barely regained their mental stability, Marenne’s team quietly moved forward and could confirm something.

“…Huh.”

Marenne felt her breath catch for a moment, but quickly concealed her reaction.

When Marenne suddenly stopped, the knights were puzzled, but soon refocused as they saw her turn to look at them.

“I’ve found a missing person.”

“What should we do?”

“Leave them for now. If knights lose strength in the rescue process, the chances of being defeated by the Mountain Giant increase. Then the rescue would be pointless.”

“Yes, understood.”

Despite saying this, Marenne approached a frozen human figure.

Stroking the frozen head of someone whose face was contorted in pain, Marenne smiled sadly.

According to the Knight Commander, this knight’s senses were still active, bound in a state unable to move.

The gaze of someone experiencing indescribable, terrible pain while looking at her made Marenne acutely feel how terrifying it must have been when this first happened.

“You’ve done well. Wait just a little longer. I’ll rescue you.”

This was a knight who had maintained high spirits with the Warrior Priest, lightening the bleak atmosphere of the knighthood.

Past trauma of not being able to prevent this seemed to resurface, but remembering Tanthyn who had saved her, Marenne gritted her teeth and stood up.

“We continue forward!”

“Understood!”

The streets were unnaturally quiet.

It was so smooth that Marenne wondered if things could really end this easily, with no interference.

Feeling uneasy about this, Marenne soon learned through a knight’s message that her instinct was correct.

“Vice Commander! There’s been an attack by Candle forces at the territory entrance!”

Were these the ones they hadn’t completely dealt with before?

The Vice Commander gritted her teeth.

“We’ll go back to support!”

“Vice Commander! On the territory wall!”

The Vice Commander, who was thinking of quickly defeating the Candles and returning, looked at the territory wall upon hearing a knight’s cry.

“When it rains, it pours.”

What was coming down the wall was a horde of Outer Gods, so terrifying in their numbers that one couldn’t help but find them dreadful.

The scale was about twice that of when The Advisor had attacked.

Apparently, the Mountain Giant’s fall would harm more than just the Candles.

“Knights!”

“Yes!”

“Do not fear!”

Seeing the knights shrink back at the overwhelming numbers, the Vice Commander shouted.

“The moment has come to prove your chivalry. The moment has come to show them that you have properly completed your rigorous training! The enemy is not a Greater Outer God. Unlike with The Advisor, they aren’t even human! You have no reason to fear!”

The Vice Commander raised her greatsword.

Despite the blizzard that should have faded its color, the Vice Commander’s sword shone brightly enough to help the knights maintain their resolve.

“This is the final battlefield! Only those willing to die will survive! And I, Marenne Bustian, will ensure that no one dies!”

“Understood!”

“Knights! Advance! Show them what we’re made of!”

“Aaaaaaah!”

Despite the grotesquely formed Outer Gods swarming toward them, the knights charged forward, emitting brilliant light.

And as the Vice Commander’s greatsword, after she leapt high in the center, struck the ground, it created a vast shockwave that knocked away some of the Outer Gods.

“Charge!!!!”

The prelude to the final battle had begun.

#

“Damn it, we can’t get support because Outer Gods are attacking from inside.”

The Knight Commander gritted his teeth.

The situation unfolding before his eyes was the reason.

“Did you think we’d just let you bring down that giant woman?! Die right here!”

The bandit leader who had fled before had returned with a new group.

The knights reacted immediately so there were no casualties, but this was causing delays.

This wasn’t good.

The longer this took, the more disadvantageous it would be for us.

“This won’t do. Everyone, get up!”

The Knight Commander called out to us.

The Huntsman, the Princess, and even Asti.

As everyone stood up, the Knight Commander gestured with his chin for us to follow him, and started running forward.

Did he mean to infiltrate at least us, the most important ones?

This seemed like the best option for now.

“Princess, please get on my back!”

“Y-yes!”

After carrying the Princess on my back, I ran forward quickly.

An ordinary human couldn’t have done this, but the Princess was half Outer God.

Her body could recover over time even if parts were cut by a blade.

Even in the midst of fierce fighting with the knights, the bandits recognized us and changed their trajectory.

“It’s Raedan Tanthyn! He especially must not be allowed inside!”

“Stop them!”

The bandits, shaking off the knights’ attacks, all rushed toward us at once.

“Damn it!”

The Huntsman cursed as he raised his double-barrel shotgun, but the distance was too close to respond effectively.

I was about to draw my sword, prepared to throw the Princess to the ground if necessary.

Clang!

The crisp sound of metal striking metal was almost deafening.

The Knight Commander had single-handedly blocked the strikes of numerous bandits, and turned his head to signal us.

“Go, hurry!”

“Commander!”

“No time to hesitate!”

As if to reassure us, the Knight Commander smiled.

“Make the finale spectacular. I’ll be watching how your chivalry shines until the end.”

This was none other than the Knight Commander.

A being who could not reach death by any means.

I nodded and ran ahead.

The Huntsman and Asti briefly looked back and forth between me and the Knight Commander, but eventually started running after me.

The distance to the Princess.

About 300km.