Chapter 92
“…Does that even make sense? Four knights were assassinated in the barracks? And you only discovered it just now?”
Rogério’s face contorted heavily.
For the past few days, it felt like nothing was going right, as if cursed.
It was maddening enough that the commander and 30 knights had gone missing, and that the reconnaissance knights sent out had all died, but now four knights sleeping soundly in the main camp had passed away during the night.
“Th… There’s a rumor spreading among the soldiers about Gullveig’s curse, and the soldiers’ morale is in shambles.”
“Are there really fools who believe such nonsense?”
“…Dismissing it as nonsense is hard when half of our knights have died or disappeared within a few days.”
“…”
Rogério let out a groan.
As his subordinate said, truly half the knights had lost their lives within a week.
“What on earth is happening.”
Rogério shot up from his seat and went to examine the bodies of the knights who died during the night.
“Ugh…!”
A groan escaped his lips upon seeing the knights’ bodies.
‘They died without being able to put up any real resistance.’
The body with its throat pierced by a dagger was one thing, but the other three bodies clearly meant they had responded with weapons, yet died without even making a sound.
If they had been soldiers, they might have at least screamed, but being knights, trying to fight with weapons was their mistake.
The opponent was skilled enough to kill one high-level Expert knight and three mid-level Expert knights without allowing any resistance.
“This is driving me crazy.”
A Superior-grade knight on the verge of becoming a Master at the very least.
Perhaps Commander Joaquin also died at the hands of the assassin who struck last night.
If so, there was a high probability the culprit was a true Master.
Though it was a large number to call 'mere', the remaining 50 knights didn't feel like that many.
The opponent might even be a Master.
‘Why in a remote place like this!’
That was the point he couldn't understand the most.
Why was such a monster in Schwerin?
Why was such a knight helping those pagans?
Rogério shook his increasingly complicated head and tried to get the camp’s atmosphere under control.
However, no matter how much time passed, it was still impossible to understand the situation unfolding.
***
Thanks to Marquis Baltimo’s army, which was expected to attack the very next day, not attacking, Sergei gained another day and stood behind Karl, who was once again looking ahead from the castle wall.
“Where did you go last night?”
“I went for a night stroll.”
“…Is the reason they can’t attack perhaps because of you, Sir Karl?”
“…”
At Karl’s lack of response, Sergei’s expression became complicated as he looked ahead.
“When will they come?”
“They will attack tonight. They won’t be able to delay any longer.”
“Isn’t their force overwhelming?”
“Of course, it is.”
“Then why can’t they delay?”
Karl’s expression was strange as he looked at the curious Sergei.
“You know how the world views you all, don’t you?”
“…”
“Children of the witch, those who offer human sacrifices, perform dark rituals, and cast terrible curses. That’s how the world sees you.”
“…”
“It’s not criticism, just that others believe that. And that’s helping right now.”
“…?”
“Do you know how many of their knights have died here?”
“Well… just the ones Sir Karl cut down must be 30….”
“44, the number of knights who died by my hand. They said 100 came, so about half are dead.”
“Umm…”
Only then did Sergei understand the unfolding situation.
In a small domain possessing merely 5 knights, a staggering 44 knights from Marquis Baltimo’s boasted Red Knights had died.
Including the commander himself.
To them, this place must be the very definition of unknown terror.
Unaware of Karl’s existence, they didn't even know why their commander and comrades had died.
“So last night, I broke their morale a bit. So their fear would grow larger and they’d collapse on their own.”
“…”
Whatever happened, it seemed clear Karl had gone to their main camp last night.
And it was also clear that because of that, they couldn’t easily advance.
“Since things have turned out this way. I should try properly imitating an Apostle of Gullveig. Do you happen to have any gloomy, dark clothes that look like something an Apostle of Gullveig would wear?”
“…Why do you think an Apostle of Gullveig would wear gloomy clothes?”
“Didn’t I tell you, others think so.”
Thus, that day, the clothes of an Apostle of Gullveig appeared in the domain.
It was an exceedingly deep, dark black robe, and pulling the hood up made even the face hard to see.
And inside, a skull-shaped mask was worn.
Then, it looked exactly like a devil worshipper.
“Satisfying.”
Karl looked at his reflection in the mirror and smiled contentedly.
There was no need to mention that Karl was here.
They were being killed here by devil worshippers and Apostles of Gullveig.
A short while later.
Night fell, and the enemy army’s movements were observed.
Around 55 knights and 300 soldiers were still an overwhelming force.
However.
“Why do they all look like that?”
Contrary to everyone’s expectations, their eyes had dark circles underneath, and their faces were filled with something akin to fear.
They looked like people who hadn't slept properly, trembling with some kind of dread.
It was a completely different sight from what the Schwerin domain residents, who were preparing to face the enemy ready for death, had expected.
“Maybe we can survive?”
The Schwerin domain residents, who had been gripped by fear, unlike Baltimo’s soldiers, paradoxically began to hold onto hope.
They looked at a man whose face was covered by a black robe and a skull mask.
It might look ridiculous to them, but for some reason, the enemy was definitely afraid of that one person.
They thought they could survive if they were with Karl.
While the domain residents on the wall prepared for battle in their respective positions, Marquis Baltimo’s army, which had felt quite distant, had approached close to the walls before they knew it.
“Archers, ready!”
At Sergei’s command, the soldiers standing on the wall nocked their arrows in unison.
Simultaneously, all the domain residents participating in the battle picked up prepared items, from boiling water pots to stones.
When Marquis Baltimo’s soldiers approached to about 150m, Sergei’s order to fire was given.
The moment the arrows filling the sky announced the start of the siege, Marquis Baltimo’s knights, running at their forefront, began to step on ladders and leap onto the wall.
Although their numbers had decreased significantly, there were still a whopping 55 knights.
It was overwhelming military power capable of clearing out a small domain like this in an instant.
The knights suppressed their fear and bravely leaped onto the wall.
Commander Joaquin and their comrades died because they were picked off individually.
They suppressed their fear with the thought that there must have been some trickery.
But just then, dozens of crescent-shaped golden aura blades flew crazily towards the group of 10 who leaped up after stepping on the end of the last ladder.
“Uh!?”
That short, final scream was the last testament left by the ten knights who had leaped up vigorously.
Chwaaaak!
Parts of their torsos flew off in the sky, or their bodies were split in half.
Soon, the armored bodies of the knights fell below the castle wall.
Kuuung!
Since they were fully armored, the impact of their fall was considerable.
One soldier was even crushed under a corpse, breaking his neck and dying instantly.
And that terrifying scene stopped the charging Marquis Baltimo army.
Simultaneously, the figure wearing a black robe and a skull mask climbed onto the wall.
Marquis Baltimo’s army, which had been rushing towards the castle, hesitated and retreated, then at some point began to flee in the opposite direction.
“It’s Gullveig’s curse! They finally summoned a devil! It’s a devil! A devil has appeared!”
At someone’s scream-like shout, fear wrapped around the surroundings like an epidemic, and many began to flee.
Thanks to the lower-level commanders’ good encouragement, about 250 managed to maintain formation, but losing over 50 soldiers before even properly fighting was a huge loss.
“Hold the line! Those who flee, I will cut down with my own hands!”
Rogério shouted.
However, he too couldn’t easily step forward.
He wasn’t enough of an idiot to lead the charge after witnessing 10 members die from a single slash.
‘I’ve seen that aura before….’
He had seen such a brilliant golden aura somewhere before.
‘Back then, on that cliff…’
He recalled the desperate struggle of a man on the cliff where Marquis Baltimo and numerous troops had converged.
The aura blooming from his sword back then resembled that person’s aura.
Although, the aura of the masked figure felt several times more brilliant than Karl’s aura he had seen in front of the cliff.
‘An aura of light like that belongs to an Apostle of Gullveig? Are they really Apostles of Gullveig?’
Actually, that didn’t matter.
Marquis Baltimo was the type of man who would have turned them into Apostles of Gullveig and killed them even if they were Essus’ most faithful devotees.
“…Vice-Commander, what should we do?”
“We retreat one step for now. Their momentum is also formidable.”
“Yes… I will withdraw the troops.”
Now that their momentum was broken anyway, pushing forward recklessly and getting everyone killed was foolish.
They had to change the plan.
Besides, the number of remaining knights was only 45.
If they carelessly climbed the wall in this state and got their heads taken off by the skull mask again, they would have no more chances.
***
“The enemy is retreating!”
The soldiers on the wall shouted loudly as they watched the enemy forces withdraw after a brief engagement.
It was a powerful shout of hope, as if the fear that had dominated them until now was lifted in an instant.
“…Thank you truly! Sir Karl!”
“Let’s talk after it’s all over. The enemy hasn’t given up yet.”
Sergei nodded at Karl’s words.
“In the next attack, they’ll probably move all the knights at once. This time it might be a night raid. Of course, they’ll all die by my hand, but even I don’t know how much damage will occur in the process.”
“…Just helping us this much is a debt I can never repay in my lifetime. If our sacrifice is needed, we will endure it too.”
Seeing him light up his eyes fiercely, Karl nodded.
Karl’s gaze, standing expressionlessly and looking forward, drifted towards the backs of the Red Knights disappearing beyond the plain as the sun set.
“No, there might be a simpler way. It would be better for me to go out and strike.”
“Sir Karl…!? What do you mean! That’s a suicidal act! Won’t you get tired too if you fight, Sir Karl? What will you do about the knights and hundreds of soldiers!”
“If I cut down a few knights and withdraw, they’ll follow. If they don’t come, it means I’ve reduced the number of knights, so that’s good too.”
“…”
“Why are you going this far?”
“That boy over there, earlier.”
“What about that boy?”
“His name is Igor. He said he really wants to live. His deceased mother left a will, he said. Asking him to live happily for her share too. So he can’t die.”
“…”
The Lord fell silent.
“That friend over there. His name is Boris. He says he’ll take care of the woman whose cheek was cut by the Red Knights’ sword for the rest of his life, but to protect the woman who lost her entire family and even had her mouth torn, that friend needs to live too.”
“How do you know all that….”
“Come to think of it, the time I’ve spent here is already a month and ten days. It’s been comfortable during that time. Thanks to them. They were good people. Probably because you protected them well. So I intend to watch over this place once. Not by anyone else’s will, but this time, by my own will.”
Sergei didn’t understand what Karl was talking about.
Hadn't he always been a savior who sacrificed and fought for others?
Why was he saying such things then?
“And, it was delicious.”
“…?”
“Your traditional food is truly delicious. It’s cuisine that shouldn’t be forgotten.”
“What does that…?”
When Sergei asked about the incomprehensible words, Karl had already leaped down from the castle wall.
“…”
But he would return safely.
Sergei absolutely believed in Karl’s return, as if he were truly a fanatic.
And he urged the people to put all their effort into defense preparations again.
Karl, melting into the darkness, had already reached the enemy’s main camp before long.