Ch.293EP.63 – A Knight’s Valor Contains No Recklessness (4)

– [“A ‘knight’ is one who changes the tide of battle alone.”]

This was a saying passed down only in the southern regions.

Originally, among the expressions describing knights, there exists the phrase “one with the strength of a thousand men,” one with the valor to face a thousand alone.

Of course, no knight truly possesses the strength to face a thousand, but there are knights who can fulfill the role of at least a hundred men.

-[Champion].

This was a title given to knights who represented their domain and claimed victory in thirty duels, and even among such Champions, separating the genuine ones would likely require staying up all night.

However, I can say with certainty that the presence of a Champion was something that could control the tide of battle.

Typically, when territorial wars occurred, it would not be an exaggeration to say that the soldiers’ morale was determined by the presence or absence of a Champion.

It was the power of reputation, and undoubtedly the result of the presence created by a knight who had claimed victory in more than thirty duels.

…In that sense, Modred does not care about the existence of Champions.

No, of course this doesn’t mean they disrespect knights.

After all, isn’t Ganok Douglas de Modred, the leader they respect, Modred’s proud Champion?

Yet the reason they don’t revere Champions is because they’ve realized something after fighting over a thousand defensive battles.

– Individual strength has its limits.

This is because they’ve personally learned that no matter how strong a knight is, numbers prevail, and even a knight’s strength pales before the power of a systematic army.

Especially with Modred’s forces armed with the latest cutting-edge weapons, five soldiers operating systematic tactics and firepower could easily defeat one or two knights.

Additionally, no matter how high one’s reputation, it doesn’t affect monsters.

Perhaps five years ago, they might have felt respect and fear toward renowned knights, but currently, at least in Modred, there was no one who feared famous knights or Champions.

– No matter how great a knight may be, if it’s a battlefield, we will win.

Because their fangs have been honed to pierce the neck of the Great Archfiend.

…But.

“So it really exists…”

Someone’s incomprehensible murmur.

Yet strangely, people understood what that murmur meant.

KWAAANG!

Small-grade monsters swept away again by launched boulders.

PUHK!

Medium and large-grade monsters with their heads or chests pierced by arrows or spears.

“B-bring more arrows!”

“Make more spears!”

“…Were spears always this powerful?”

One strike, one kill.

Every time he moved his arms or legs, dozens of monsters were swept away, and at some point, a single person slaughtered over 3,000 monsters in 10 minutes, causing the remaining monsters to hesitate in their steps.

[[…]]

It was fear instilled by the overwhelming presence of a single knight, and even though they were monsters, it was undeniably a case showing they had a will to survive.

Just as dozens of ruffians might become docile when faced with a gun barrel, the 100,000 monsters hesitated after witnessing the mass slaughter that occurred in ten minutes.

Due to the fear that if they moved, they might become the next target.

Truly—.

“A presence that overwhelms ten thousand.”

Maninjichuk.

A figure that seemed to compress the strength of not a thousand, but 10,000.

“Who knew we had such reliable support.”

A moment of renewed realization about why a Champion’s existence has an absolute impact on soldiers’ morale.

Warriors who couldn’t contain the welling excitement in their hearts expressed their emotions through action.

“How long are we going to just watch! Help the ‘Champion’!!”

[[WAAAAH!!]]

With morale that could pierce the sky, they unleashed gunfire and flames without hesitation.

With the heat from their hearts.

* * *

If there’s one fortunate aspect when facing a monster army, it’s that a monster army is ultimately nothing more than a disorganized rabble.

Why else would monsters be called evil species?

They fundamentally lack cooperation or command structure, and their basic framework is a food chain of eating and being eaten.

The only monsters with some level of cooperation and command structure were those with child-like intelligence such as goblins and trolls, so if there were 200,000 goblins or trolls alone, they might have approached as a more dangerous army.

However, since these were monsters of different types and grades gathered together, this was just a pseudo-army with large numbers.

The problem was…

[GRRRRRR!]

[BURRRK?]

…there were too many of them.

Enough to induce claustrophobia beyond mere disgust.

Frogmen, monsters known as amphibian humans, crossed the swamp and gradually approached the fortress, while ghouls, undead-type monsters, sprinted through areas full of poisonous plants and traps, approaching the fortress regardless of their flesh falling off or bodies being torn apart.

Each time.

“Fire!”

“Don’t spare the fire bombs! Throw them!”

KWAAANG!

KWANG!

Fire bombs with power no less than grenades fell, causing monsters to explode, but as many as exploded, monsters continued to replenish, and some monsters showed grotesque scenes of eating their own kind to recover or regenerate their bodies.

Even more horrifying.

WUDUDUDUK!

“G-Giant Frogman!”

“Damn! D-did it evolve?!”

Many cases occurred where monsters grew by consuming their own kind or higher-grade monsters, instantly evolving from juvenile to adult.

What was once small-grade suddenly became medium-grade or large-grade, and the jumping power of a large-grade Frogman…

HWOOK!

Was enough to leap over a thousand meters in a single bound.

This meant it could crash directly into the fortress, and furthermore, there was a risk it might even leap far beyond the fortress.

It was a crisis situation, but…

SEOGUK!

“How dare a mere monster covet our fortress.”

A Frogman was cut in half and collapsed.

“Don’t think you can break through us.”

[[WEEEEEEEE!]]

A terrifying ghostly wail swept through the monsters once.

Those who had made contracts with spirits, Modred’s guardian deities with iron-wall defense named the White Ghost Shield Knights, surrounded the fortress while riding ghost horses.

“Don’t let a single one cross this wall!”

[[WEEEEEE!]]

As if answering the command, a chilling ghostly wail swept through the surroundings again, and the White Ghosts led by Ganok wore helmets shaped like ghosts, while their ghost horses responded by spewing ghostly fire.

Spectral iron armor, ghost horses, and mediums who could use them.

As long as these three elements were present, Modred’s knights could maintain absolute superiority against physical attacks.

However,

JJEOJEOJEOJUK!

[GRRRRRK!]

These monsters were the very beings that would shamelessly overturn such absolute superiority.

“Damn it, if you’re a monster, just stick to physical attacks.”

“Frost Ghouls, heh, they said meeting one was rarer than meeting a yeti…”

“It’s not that they’re rare. Everyone who meets them freezes to death, so they’re just rumored to be rare.”

A minute ago, Frogmen were evolving, and now even Ghouls were evolving into ice-frost spewing Ghouls.

Frost Ghouls, mere Ghouls that could handle freezing power, were making people frown, when…

HWARARUK!

“Giant Ghouls!”

“G-Ghouls that breathe fire? Were there such types?”

“There are now… starting today.”

This was why monster armies were frightening.

Even if they were disorganized, even if they had no cooperation, they continued to grow.

Not fearing death was common, and they grew and changed by eating each other.

That’s why there’s no end to monster types.

Even if they’re weak now, even if they’re small, you can’t predict how high they might rise.

But…

‘This… growth is too fast.’

Even though monsters grow bizarrely fast, such abnormal growth is rare.

No matter how evil the species, living beings are still living beings.

They should grow over time, but as if for the sake of growth…

“Could it be they’re consuming their life force?”

Are they forcibly evolving by using up their life force?

A knight who reached this conclusion tried urgently to report it to the elder knight, but.

“Enough. I already know.”

“What?”

“…You vile insect, now you’re resorting to all sorts of tricks.”

The elder knight glared at something ahead with an ominous gaze.

What was he looking at?

There was no need to ask such a foolish question.

There was only “one being” that their leader, the former head of the family and Modred’s strongest knight, would express such hatred and resentment toward.

“How long will you keep watching like a thief! If you dare call yourself a god, show yourself proudly, you pest!!”

HWOOOOK!

A resounding voice that seemed impossible to come from such a small frame.

Although it couldn’t compare to the lion’s roar displayed by a certain knight, its intensity carried a powerful weight no less than a lion’s roar.

And the shout of a powerful spiritual force wielder exerted a mysterious power by itself,

JJEOJUK!

…forcibly manifesting ‘it’ into the world.

[You’ve aged so much. It’s truly pitiful. Such a beautiful man now reduced to this state. That’s why I told you, become my vessel. Then you wouldn’t have had to age so unsightly, why were you so stubborn—.]

…Suddenly, a chilling noise five times worse than nails on a chalkboard invaded people’s ears.

Just hearing the voice made their ears hurt, and some even experienced the illusion of snakes crawling up their backs.

[And calling me an insect, didn’t I tell you to call me by this name?]

It grumbled with slight dissatisfaction.

Wondering why they called it that despite being taught its name.

[-Inanna. That’s my name.]