Ch.310EP.66 – A Night of Knights and Campfire (1)

“…….”

Silence fell over the battlefield.

It was only natural.

‘What did I just witness?’

‘A demon? No, demons aren’t the issue here… Was that the descent of a saint?’

‘……’

Who could possibly maintain their composure after witnessing such a scene?

Even horses and other animals, and even the monsters themselves, were maintaining silence. Who could possibly move?

It seemed like the kind of reaction people might have when witnessing the descent of a legendary saint for the first time.

However….

“What are you all doing?”

“C-Commander?”

“When did the battle end?”

“Pardon…?”

“The battle isn’t over yet. If those monsters escape to the surface, dozens of cities will fall that very day! Pull yourselves together and attack! It’s not over yet!”

“!!!”

The veteran knight’s experienced charisma instantly snapped them out of their daze, triggering a chain reaction that awakened not only the Modred knights but those of other orders as well.

Indeed, it wasn’t over yet.

Although half of the monsters had vanished, there were still over 300,000 remaining.

And the consequences if those creatures escaped to the surface were obvious.

“Sweep away the monsters!”

“Don’t let a single one escape!!”

Thud-thud-thud-thud!!

Once again, the knights charged vigorously against the dazed monster army.

Some might call it cowardly, but…

“It’s fine to be underhanded against evil creatures!”

It was common sense that knights’ code of honor didn’t apply to monsters.

Slash!

The monsters had their eyes gouged and noses cut—no, their heads were being severed. They regained their senses amid the smell of blood and continued their bloody battle against the knights.

However, even as the battle continued…

Rustle.

“…It certainly does steal one’s attention.”

Ganok let out a hollow laugh as he looked at the flower petals falling across the sky.

Truly,

“What an impressive young man, ho ho.”

The old knight realized that his initial statement about facing the archfiend alone hadn’t been a joke at all.

…He had proven it directly, so how could one not believe it?

‘I wonder where this young man came from. I’m truly envious.’

“—I don’t know who’s eyeing what. I spared his life, so others shouldn’t be…! Tsk.”

Was she sensitive to those coveting what was hers?

On the wall stood a princess, glaring at the old knight with half-opened eyes.

Isis, she tapped her fingers in displeasure.

At that moment,

“You say strange things, Your Highness. He doesn’t belong to you.”

“Hmph, finders keepers.”

“My goodness, you haven’t changed at all. Such greed…”

“Marquis, do you wish to quarrel with me?”

“How could I possibly, haha.”

“……”

“I’m merely suggesting that your treatment of him seems rather harsh compared to your interest in him. Please don’t misunderstand, Your Highness.”

“…Your words sound nice, but you’re just teasing me, Marquis.”

“I don’t understand what you mean by ‘teasing,’ Your Highness.”

“……”

Isis’s fine brows furrowed at the playful remarks of the red-haired middle-aged man.

She really didn’t like him.

“Jeminia, you’re still as mischievous as ever. You used to tease Isis like that when you were younger too.”

“Haha! It’s been a while since we’ve met, Prince.”

“…That’s an outdated title.”

“Oh my, I apologize. Duke.”

“…You’re still as mischievous as ever.”

The young-looking man was none other than someone who casually spoke Isis’s name.

Despite her being the heir to a nation, and the youngest among those gathered here.

However, no one took issue with this.

Not only was his status significant, but he was someone even the current king couldn’t treat disrespectfully.

Even Isis seemed to acknowledge this, as she merely glanced at him sideways without expressing displeasure at his remarks.

“…Uncle, what brings you to take my side?”

Isis asked Blake, the Duke of Galahad, who continued to look straight ahead as he answered.

“You used to call me ‘brother’ in the old days, and now you don’t anymore?”

A crooked answer.

“Hmph, take up your complaints about titles with our hopelessly tangled family tree, Uncle. And I never called you ‘brother’ even as a child—that would have been awkward.”

“…You have a good memory.”

“And you seem to have dementia already.”

“Hmm, yes, your bad manners remain unchanged.”

The two antagonistic relatives might have appeared like teenagers or twenty-somethings having a petty argument, but considering they were royalty with dragon blood that maintained their youth even past 100 years of age, and were actually among the elders, it was quite an unseemly sight.

Perhaps this was the nature of their relationship as cousins, regardless of age.

But whether they fought or not,

“What a shame. I should have brought him to the North when we first met.”

There was someone still lost in admiration, gazing at the lotus flowers.

Magnus, the Grand Duke of Lionel, the great ruler of the North, felt deep regret as he looked at the flowers that had bloomed.

If he had taken that man with him then, perhaps he could have seen those flowers blooming in the North rather than the South.

However, such remarks…

“Nonsense!”

“What nonsense you speak.”

…provoked fierce reactions from the two royals, and Magnus glanced at them briefly before saying,

“Hmm, you two really do have similarities, as expected of blood relatives.”

“…Stop saying nauseating things, Grand Duke.”

“Are you looking for a fight, Magnus?”

His provocative comment started another argument.

One might question whether these were truly conversations between some of the top five powers in the South, but Jeminia merely shrugged as if accustomed to it.

After all, when the great nobles gathered for meetings, they typically started with arguments and continued fighting until the end.

“I wonder what will become of our country with this behavior. Don’t you agree, Count Iliad?”

“Hmm, weren’t you the one who started the provocation first, Marquis?”

Iliad, who had maintained silence throughout the power struggle, responded with a bitter smile.

“Haha! But at least I know when to stop and withdraw.”

“My mother said you were quite the prankster, Marquis Jeminia, and now I understand why.”

“Is there anyone here who isn’t childish in the Sword Count’s eyes? I’m rather glad there’s someone who can still treat me like a child, heh heh.”

“…More importantly, shouldn’t we be joining them?”

Iliad asked, changing the subject rather than continuing the banter.

As if suggesting it would be more appropriate for them to participate in the battle as well.

It was a reasonable question.

It felt uncomfortable to just occupy space while leaving the fighting entirely to the knights.

“Haha, though I’d love to join, this is the knights’ stage, isn’t it? Well, if something like that demon from earlier appeared, it might be worth stepping in, but it ended without any need for me or those others to intervene. Makes me wonder if we’re excessive forces here. Rather feels like we came for nothing.”

“……”

“Still…”

“?”

“We got to see something ‘quite magnificent,’ so perhaps there was some benefit?”

“…I agree.”

Iliad smiled, understanding what Jeminia meant by “quite magnificent.”

Yes, they had witnessed something magnificent, no, something extraordinary!

‘Mother, I’m glad I came here despite the risks.’

He had come with the sole intention of helping his benefactor, but it had been well worth the risk.

He would have gladly paid an admission fee.

‘Mother, it seems my benefactor is even more extraordinary than I thought.’

Squeeze…

Iliad suddenly felt regretful that his status was that of a family head rather than a knight.

If that weren’t the case,

‘I could have fought alongside them there…’

Iliad glanced at the kingdom’s highest authorities who were arguing.

Perhaps, by his estimation, they were fighting not just because of their poor relationship…

‘But also out of frustration at not being able to join that stage.’

A thrilling stage where one could feel alive, where honor, courage, valor, and justice breathed.

Iliad cautiously guessed that their inability to join that stage was what made them even more sullen.

* * *

“…That rascal, showing off another strange talent.”

“I agree, truly remarkable!”

“…I never expressed admiration.”

“Kuhehe, let’s say you did.”

“……”

“Besides, he casually does such things yet sometimes grumbles about me being a genius—it sounds like mockery, haha!”

“…For once, I find myself agreeing with you. …How unpleasant.”

“Oh?”

Lac and Maximus engaged in light conversation as they watched the battlefield gradually coming to an end.

Although 300,000 monsters remained, they no longer posed a significant threat as they wandered aimlessly without command structure.

Even for a demon, the disappearance of the main force behind this monster wave meant exactly that.

…And,

“Honestly, I’m disappointed. To think that an ancient great warrior would abandon everything just because his master died.”

“……”

“Don’t you want to avenge your master?”

“…Revenge.”

Maximus deliberately provoked the fallen ancient warrior.

Ninshubur, having witnessed Inanna’s destruction, had lost his will to fight and appeared to have reached his limit at the hands of Lac and Maximus.

But Maximus knew.

A warrior of that caliber would have the strength to overcome even his limits.

Maximus wanted to see it!

How powerful would an ancient champion be if he exploded with all his remaining strength?

…However,

“What meaning would that have…”

Whoosh-

“You!”

Maximus widened his eyes.

Roots had suddenly sprouted from Ninshubur’s body.

Like the fine roots of a tree…

Crack.

The roots, initially fine, gradually thickened and lengthened, taking root in the ground. He was gradually forgetting his human form and becoming a tree.

“……”

Lac and Maximus watched the scene speechlessly as Ninshubur, who had passed the same judgment on himself as his master, muttered:

“With this, my body and soul will remain in this land forever as nutrients.”

This was the beginning of a torture with no end in sight.

Having his life force forcibly drained while his soul remained trapped inside an immobile tree, seeing nothing but endless darkness.

The same fate as Inanna, or perhaps an even harsher punishment self-imposed.

“…What a foolish choice.”

Lac’s red eyes penetrated Ninshubur’s decision and frowned.

As if wondering why he wouldn’t choose to die at the hands of one of them instead of making such a choice.

“…When my master met such a fate, how could I alone meet an honorable end? It is only right that I impose upon myself a punishment more miserable, more painful than my master’s.”

It was an answer without a hint of hesitation, and they wore expressions of incomprehension.

As if wondering why that demon felt obligated to uphold such principles.

Had he read their thoughts?

“Even so, that person was… my master…”

Ninshubur, gazing at his master who had become a lotus flower with a bright smile, disappeared completely, even his head, and what remained in that place was…

Thud…

Just a single ash tree.

“……”

“…An unpleasant ending.”

Maximus grumbled.

Wondering what the point was of leaving like that.

But Lac shook his head in disagreement.

“He was nothing but an evil being, without question. No sympathy is necessary, however…”

Thud.

“His loyalty is worthy of recognition.”

Lac’s spear caused one of the flower petals floating in the sky to fall beside the tree.

A petal that had bloomed using his master as nutrients.

“Isn’t that cruel?”

“Cruel? This madman would rather rejoice.”

The two knights turned away from the ash tree.

To lend a hand in quickly ending this tiresome battle…

After that, it took three more hours to completely eliminate the last monster, even with the additional participation of ‘three’ knights.