◈ 040. [STAGE 2] What I can’t understand
Charles Cross has only killed something all his life.
The city he was born in was a fortress against monsters.
Even before he grew up, he followed his father to the front line and became an adult while receiving the blood of monsters trying to cross the castle wall.
Even when his father died and he inherited the position of Marquis. Even when he became the lord of the city at a young age.
He killed monsters every day.
Actually, that was enough. Killing monsters was the only thing he did best and could understand.
Kill the enemy who wants to kill you first.
The world was so simple and clear.
‘Hello lord!’
That was until the woman came to the city.
‘What are you going to sell in this city?’
‘It’s a flower, my lord.’
A woman merchant who asked for permission to open a store in the city.
Marquess Cross, in front of her, was dumbfounded.
‘This is the monster front. All we need here are swords, spears, arrows, and cannonballs. What good are flowers? Besides, I lose quickly.’
‘Because it’s useless! People need flowers, my lord.’
‘… ?’
‘This ephemerality that quickly fades is the reason why flowers are so beautiful!’
I couldn’t understand.
So at first I was suspicious of her. I thought it was an enemy spy.
Marquis Cross visited her shop every day, full of flowers and grass. It was to find evidence that she was a spy.
Every time he visited, she smiled and told me about the flowers.
He explained the language of flowers and taught about scents and colors.
The Marquis of Cross learned to distinguish the colors and scents of flowers and to memorize all the types of flowers.
But I still couldn’t quite understand why it was beautiful.
1 year later. Charles Cross proposed to her.
She accepted the marriage proposal.
***
Dag dag dag dag dag dag-!
The Margrave of Cross rode his horse, clad in armor, equipped with a spear and shield, and was charging toward the city walls.
short-lived horse.
Alone and without any escort.
“What are you doing… It is.”
Riding on a rotten horse, wearing poorly maintained, rusty armor, carrying a large shield and lance that did not suit his skinny body.
In that state, a thousand still rushes alone towards the remaining rats.
It’s not Don Quixote running towards the windmill.
“What are you doing? Then die-!”
As if he couldn’t hear my shouts, Marquis Cross came running without slowing down.
“Aaaaaaa-!”
A hoarse roar escaped from behind the old man’s helmet.
The rats that were eagerly crossing over or digging under the wall looked back one by one.
The behavior of monsters is simple, as explained dozens of times.
– Kill the nearest human.
Kirik!
Kiriririk!
As the Marquis got closer, the rats showed their hostility with red eyes.
However, Cross Marquee rushes without slowing down.
Toquaaak-!
He pierced the middle of the rat group by plunging his ruthless lance charge down.
And in that state,
“Look at me! You worm-like rats-!”
I used wide-area provocation, which can be said to be the signature job skill of the shield knights.
I don’t know the exact figure of how high his provocation skill level is, having been trained on the frontlines all his life.
The scene where a group of rats close to 1,000 who were looking at the castle wall turned around all at once… … It was so eerie and unreal.
“… .”
I opened my mouth and looked at the Marquess Cross.
what?
What are you doing?
Then, the eyes of Marquis Cross and I met.
In the shadow of the helmet his deep, decrepit green eyes gleamed dimly.
I tried hard to read his intentions, but I couldn’t guess at all.
Kirik!
Kiriririk-!
In the next moment, a wave of rats poured down towards the Marquis of Cross.
***
Years have passed since their marriage.
Even as the lord’s wife, she still planted flowers and tended trees.
A sprout sprouts from the seed, and a small, fragile stem rises in the summer sun.
Flowers bloom, bear fruit, fall foliage, and—
a daughter is born.
‘Look honey.’
My wife, who had just given birth to a child, showed a clot of blood on her breast with a pale face.
‘I’m your daughter.’
It was also the day the monsters invaded.
Charles Cross, who hurriedly returned without even thinking of washing away the blood and dust, carefully picked up the small lump of blood.
the child was asleep
The child was so small and fragile that it seemed like it would break with just a little force.
‘Evangeline.’
My wife quietly whispered the child’s name.
‘Isn’t it as pretty as my daughter’s name?’
‘… .’
Charles Cross could not answer because he did not know.
Still he didn’t understand.
The feeble warmth that such a small and fragile thing seemed to be extinguished. Why do you make your chest tight like this?
When the monsters were caught and killed on the front line just a moment ago, there was nothing they wouldn’t know.
nothing now… … I couldn’t understand.
***
“Quickly regroup! hurry!”
I hastily delivered the order.
All the rats that had infiltrated on and inside the wall were able to be cleaned up. This was because there was no follow-up history.
All the rats were driven out of the walls. To the Marquess of Cross, who stood there alone.
“Don’t use cannons or ballistas! Marqueebacks can get involved. Only with a crossbow or a bow, aim for the rats on the outskirts and shoot them!”
“yes!”
The archers settled down and started shooting the rats one by one.
“Lily! What about the flamethrower artifact?”
“I can write!”
“Burn anyone within range!”
I shouted at Lucas on the first floor while the activated artifact cooked the rats near the wall.
“Lucas!”
“Please!”
“Lead all the soldiers capable of hand-to-hand combat and go out of the gates! We have to rescue the Marquis.”
“No, Your Highness. It is not a rescue.”
Lucas, who pressed down his helmet, let his blue eyes shine.
“It’s a composition where we hit the rats from behind. It can be done in one go. I will annihilate them and return with the Marquis.”
“… please don’t As fast as possible.”
“yep!”
Koo-Gu Palace-
The castle gate opened, and Lucas mounted his horse and raised his sword.
“let’s go! Kill them and save the Marquis!”
Wow-!
The soldiers shouted in unison and poured out.
The old soldiers, who were once private soldiers under the Marquis, were running at the forefront.
‘Don’t be late!’
I clenched my fists tightly.
‘Please don’t be late!’
***
“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaa!”
Marshal Cross shouted.
With each swing of the huge cavalry spear in his hand, dozens of rats rolled across the floor, spilling blood.
And the rats, several times more than that, bit his whole body.
Even though it was rusted, the armor he wore was of the highest grade. The body’s skills were also biased towards strengthening defense.
Nevertheless, the damage accumulated steadily.
Despite the pain gnawing through his body, the Marquis continued to shout and brandish his cavalry spear.
‘I don’t know.’
Marquess Cross could not understand himself why he was doing this.
Why did he choose the city again after deciding to meet his wife next to him?
Bewitched by something in this hateful city… … Are you fighting again?
‘I can’t quite understand.’
Even at this age, the world was still full of unknowns.
The transience of flowers, the warmth of life, and the beauty of the world.
even your own mind.
I had struggled all my life to understand, but the Marquis never knew.
… But there is one thing I know very well.
“Ah ah ah ah-!”
daughter flowers.
Those fragile and fleeting things – to protect them from these monsters.
And that what he does best is killing monsters.
“Behind the wall my daughter lives.”
so fight
“There is a world in which my daughter lives.”
Because they only know how to fight, even if they think they are foolish, they have no choice but to live like this.
“Not one guy can go, not one guy… !”
The Marquis roared again. To get at least one more monster off the wall somehow.
Dozens, maybe hundreds of rats attacked the Marquis all at once.
Unable to hold on, the Marquess rolled backwards.
The helmet was covered in the blood of the monsters, making it impossible to see.
There was no more strength in his senile arms. My two legs, which had already crossed their limits, could not budge.
“Big… !”
Know.
No matter how much you cultivate an orchard by yourself.
No matter how many monsters you kill here.
that those days won’t come back.
The deceased wife, the departed daughter, and the lost happiness are all irreversible.
“Aaaaaaaaa!”
But the man, who knew no other way to live except fight, got up and swung his spear again.
And that was it.
That moment when he raised his body, swung his spear, and raised his shield forward.
pop.
Something broke inside the cross barracks.
There was no feeling in the whole body that had been eaten up through the armor. Pain beyond the threshold was no longer transmitted to the brain.
My vision was dark.
The Marquis intuited his end.
‘Even one more… … !’
In order to take the last companion along the way, Margrave Cross stood with his teeth gritting.
… .
… .
… But it’s quiet.
No more rats attacked him.
The Marquis was puzzled.
Why don’t the monsters attack themselves?
Maybe he’s already dead?
“Cross Marquee.”
Then a clear voice was heard.
It was the voice of a young knight who followed the new lord.
“You have defeated all the monsters. The battle is over.”
“… .”
“now… You can rest.”
At that, the cavalry spear clinging to his hand rolled down to the floor.
Then Marquis Cross fell forward like a puppet with a string cut off.
