Ch.302EP.63 – A Knight’s Valor Contains No Recklessness (13)

“…Is this a dream?”

A dazed murmur echoed softly through the barracks of Modred.

It came from the youngest soldier, who was relatively young compared to others. Normally, senior soldiers would have scolded him to snap out of it.

“…Is this an illusion?”

But they were just as unable to regain their senses.

If anything, they were even more dumbfounded.

That’s how unbelievable the scene unfolding before their eyes was.

“R-reinforcements have arrived…?”

One of the reasons Modred had maintained an isolated environment for the past 300 years was the concern that the Great Archfiend might break its seal and escape. But another reason was that whenever they tried to cooperate with outsiders, “ominous events” would occur.

Territories that requested help would suddenly suffer from plagues or territorial wars, among various other ominous phenomena.

If this had happened only once or twice, it could have been dismissed as coincidence, but when it happens more than dozens of times, it can no longer be considered mere chance.

The decisive incident occurred five years ago when they requested help from the royal family, and a war with Britain suddenly broke out. At that time, Modred was reminded once again that they must never request help from outsiders.

Whether it was the Great Archfiend’s curse or scheme, it was clear that the Great Archfiend intended to isolate them.

That’s why Modred had lived without even considering “reinforcements” or “outside help.”

Because even if they hoped for such things, they knew it wouldn’t happen anyway.

So when the knights from outside first came to help them, they felt nothing but distrust.

They couldn’t believe that outside help had arrived.

But now…

“H-how many are there…”

“Four hundred knights…?”

They could see elite knights mounted on warhorses.

A total of 440.

Some might say that’s not even five hundred, so how much help could they be? But mounted knights from prestigious orders each boasted the power of a hundred men.

And now, those over there weren’t just any prestigious knights.

None other than…

“Knights from the great houses have come…”

Knights from noble houses equal to Modred, or perhaps even far surpassing Modred in power.

Knights who possessed the strength of a thousand men, not just a hundred.

“Silver… Lion…?”

…Though some of the knights looked like they might be worth ten men at most, not a thousand.

Nevertheless, they were undoubtedly reinforcements.

The most reliable kind!

While they were watching the reinforcements with disbelieving eyes, suddenly knights in black armor broke away from the formation.

Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud!!

Black horses about twice the size of other warhorses stomped the ground with all their might.

They say the northern breed of Friesian is more valiant, superior, and hardier than other Friesians, even stronger than most magical beasts. Proving this true, the black horses didn’t stop their charge even against hundreds of thousands of magical beasts.

As if they wouldn’t stop until their riders, their partners, achieved what they wanted.

And the knights riding these northern Friesians, which were more difficult and ferocious than ordinary black horses, emitted an even more terrifying and massive aura than their mounts, suddenly holding lances.

Enormous lances that seemed too large to properly wield.

Kuguugugung!

The charging horde of magical beasts and the charging group of black knights.

In reality, considering the sheer numbers and the overwhelming size and charging power of the ant-like magical beasts, it seemed inevitable that they would crush the black horses and knights.

People wanted to cry out for them to stop, but…

Kwaaaang!!

Before they could intervene, the two forces had already collided.

Whoooosh…!

A massive shockwave from the impact of the two groups spread in concentric circles, sweeping across the area.

“Urgh!”

“This is insane…!”

The impact was so intense that they could barely see what was happening, and the Modred soldiers, already at their physical limits, staggered or fell over repeatedly from the shockwave.

But they hurriedly got up and looked ahead with worried eyes.

Concerned that the reinforcements might have been defeated…

Thud-thud-thud!

“Huh?”

…But making their concerns seem foolish, what they saw next was flesh scattering in all directions.

Of course, it wasn’t the flesh of the knights.

What was raining down from the sky was none other than,

“M-magical beasts…?”

“…How many did they kill?”

Magical beasts.

At least a thousand magical beasts had been torn to pieces and scattered into the air from just one collision.

Yet, as if not satisfied with this…

“Increase speed! Are you satisfied with just this level of battle?!”

With a bold cry from a man at the front, the knights in black armor advanced even more aggressively.

They charged, charged again, and broke through, piercing and crushing the magical beasts.

As fierce and steadfast as the northern blizzard winds.

Only then did they remember who these people were.

“…The strongest knights of the North.”

The knights with the strongest military power, admired by all knights across the continent, not just the kingdom.

The warriors of Lionel who never retreated even an inch against the numerous hardy immigrant tribes, mysterious races, magical beasts, and giants in the North, subjugating all these beings and becoming objects of both fear and admiration.

The [Black Iron Lion Knights], the legends of the North were none other than them.

“Huh…”

An admiring tremor involuntarily escaped their lips.

They had heard about their legends to the point of exhaustion, but this was the first time they had seen them in the South, meaning it was also the first time they had confirmed their existence with their own eyes.

Therefore, they dared to declare.

That legendary reputation…

“It was actually understated…”

If anything, it was understated, certainly not exaggerated, and even now they were being underestimated.

That’s how powerful and destructive their valor and majesty were,

Kwaaang!!

It was intense and devastating.

The sight of the number of magical beasts decreasing in real time as they proved their reputation was almost surreal.

Then.

Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud!!

Once again, knights breaking away from the formation appeared.

They were knights wearing lightweight armor with a blue-green tint, different from the Black Iron Lions in their thick black armor, and they were riding horses with navy blue fur.

Even at a glance, these were extraordinary horses, with an intimidating presence comparable to the northern black horses.

Without a doubt, these were crossbred horses descended from “fairy horses” that could walk or run on water and would only follow houses blessed by fairies.

And as far as they knew, only one order of knights could ride fairy horse crossbreeds, which meant…

Slash! Slash-slash!!!

…that a festival of blood was about to begin.

Unlike the black knights who caused magical beasts to scatter noisily, these knights with swift and silent movements instantly bisected the magical beasts.

[[Grrrrrr!!]

Tens of thousands of magical beasts, sensing the death of their comrades, rushed at the blue-green knights like waves surging after an ebb tide.

It resembled a tsunami-like wave, but the blue-green knights calmly observed this.

Then soon.

Whoooosh!

They became a gale.

A gale of blades.

Chwaaaak!

The magical beasts surging like a tsunami were dismembered on the spot.

Just as even the most intense tsunami would dissipate upon meeting a turbulent current, the magical beasts that encountered the blade gale collapsed as they were thoroughly sliced apart.

If the Black Iron Lions boasted the majesty of tanks, these knights were literally grinders.

Cold-bladed grinders that pulverized everything, be it falling rocks or tsunamis.

“……”

Their majesty was beyond even a hollow laugh.

But at the same time, they understood.

Because they knew who these people were.

The knights mentioned by Ganok, Modred’s pride and hero.

– The strongest knights in the South in this era would be the Guardians of the Lake.

The greatest military force in the South, monitoring the continent’s largest river, crushing the magical beasts, pirates, and water bandits living in the river, and mercilessly slaughtering countless invaders from the eastern and western continents.

The Guardians of the Lake, knights chosen by Galahad.

“So they are the Blue-Green Unicorns.”

The [Blue-Green Unicorn Knights].

The finest knights of the South displayed military power worthy of their reputation, quickly slaughtering the magical beasts.

As if they wouldn’t allow themselves to be outdone by the northerners.

Sure enough.

“Don’t lose to those water-dwellers! The pride of the North doesn’t allow us to lose to such weak ones!”

“If you’re slower than those ice-dwellers, don’t even think about using the name Galahad anywhere! It’s shameful…!!”

They were truly competing.

Even though they should be joining forces to fight, even though this was practically a war…

Yet the reason no one could criticize this was…

“…Why are they so strong?”

Because they were strong.

Too strong.

They were slaughtering and pulverizing magical beasts to such an extent that no complaints could be uttered.

That’s why no criticism could emerge.

The sight of just two orders of knights, a total of one hundred and forty knights, fighting on equal terms with 600,000 magical beasts was hard to believe even with one’s own eyes.

“That is…”

Is this the power of those called the strongest in the North and the finest in the South?

…It was a murmur of awe that spontaneously came from someone’s lips, and they nodded in strong agreement with those words.

Because it was strength beyond reproach.

* * *

“…Hehe, what a spectacle.”

Ganok was so dumbfounded that he couldn’t help but laugh in admiration.

Even in the midst of a fierce battle with a hybrid that might be a Death Knight or a Chimera, he couldn’t stop laughing.

That’s how incomprehensible the “miracle” happening now was.

‘What kind of magic did that young knight use?’

Is he truly a magician?

Ganok was inwardly muttering this admiration, which would have been a great insult had the knight heard it. Perhaps realizing that Ganok’s mind was elsewhere?

Clang!

The Chimera Knight exerted explosive, monstrous strength and swung its spear.

Carelessness is death!

The strike of the Chimera, combining the skill of a knight who had reached considerable heights in life despite having fallen, and the power granted by the Great Archfiend, exerted enough force to shake the earth.

The desire to struggle for life by killing this old knight was palpable, and the White Ghost was terrified.

“Commander!!”

The cry of a White Ghost who judged that the commander was in danger.

However…

“-It’s fine. It seems some reliable young people have come.”

Kaang!!

Swoong-!

Ganok spoke with a carefree laugh, as if proving that he hadn’t been distracted for nothing.

“Whew, this old body is tired, so would you mind taking over?”

Ganok asked the giant who had caught the spear blade with his bare hands right in front of him, and the spearman who had cleanly severed the Chimera’s neck.

Could he take it easy now?

To this question.

“A still-vigorous warrior complaining too much, ahahaha!”

“Lord Ganok. You have indeed aged. In your youth, you would have disposed of such vermin in no time.”

Came impertinent responses.

However, Ganok didn’t find them impertinent; he just let out a hearty laugh.

He disliked careless impudence, but he welcomed brave and kind impudence.

Clang!!

Clang.

The Chimeras, enraged by the death of their comrade, rushed at the two intruders who had suddenly intervened.

How dare they attack without knowing who they were facing!

The Chimera Knights, who prided themselves as the Great Archfiend’s masterpieces, comparable to the Celestial Bull or Ninshubur, thus…!

Kwajik!!

─Were instantly defeated by the two knights.

Chwaaaak!

Pathetically so.

“…Young people these days are truly remarkable.”

Watching this, Ganok clicked his tongue.

From the young knight slaughtering 30,000 high-ranking magical beasts over there, to the two young knights slaughtering Chimeras here…

‘Are such young people common these days?’

It was Ganok’s amusing misunderstanding, experiencing a generational gap in a different sense.