Chapter. 21. Into the Storm (4)
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“I am Milo and this is Lord Gaulton.”
“….kyung? “You guys?”
“This group has been informally ordained! “Isn’t that so, Lord Geulton?”
“It is Baaz! Bye!”
“Oh, I understand. Mr. Geulton, please keep your mouth shut. “I heard that Tarimus reduces swelling in just 10 minutes.”
“Yes…”
The two robbers we met by chance did not back down from their claim that they were knights.
“Now then, Mr. Milo. What are all the things we talked about earlier? What did the Knights and the Warlord do?”
“Well… to explain everything, we have to go back a bit. How much do you know about the history of the Western Empire? Uh…”
“Hyde.”
“Yes, Mr. Hyde. thank you.”
“History…”
It seemed like the story would be a bit long, but since we were on our way to Wuthering Heights, I thought it would be good to hear it from the beginning.
Western Empire. I think I read about the history of the land, formerly known as the Baltin Empire, in a book when I was young.
“It waged war against the Magical Empire in the Golden Age, and as an empire with tradition and history, it fought against magic engineering weapons with outstanding knightly magic power… and that it played a significant role in the story of the Saint of Light?”
“You don’t even know the history of an old empire across the sea! “As expected, you are very knowledgeable!”
Clap clap clap!
“As you said, the empire has a long history, so there are many families with a long history. Among them, the knight family was like the pillars of the empire, as Mr. Hyde said. “Until the two great imperial wars.”
“Until then… Do you mean that the knights betrayed themselves during the imperial wars?”
In response to my question, Milo looked around and lowered his voice as if he was telling a secret.
“It wasn’t just a betrayal, they were the starting point of a war between two great empires! “Nearly 30% of the empire’s knight families broke their oath of loyalty and sided with Teldrat, the Magic Empire!”
what?
“The knight… broke his loyalty? “Is that possible?”
If a noble betrayed the emperor, that would of course happen. Aristocrats are like that, right?
If the Minister of Military Affairs of an old family empire or the family in control of military power betrayed it, it is not incomprehensible. Because the human mind is inherently changeable.
However, I heard that it is almost impossible for a knight to break his oath of loyalty.
“Oath of allegiance. Isn’t that connected to the knight’s aura? “That is the core ideology of chivalry.”
“Yes.”
article. The name used to refer to the Aurunites of the past, and refers to those who, after suffering and persevering with themselves, achieved the myth of self and gave off the Aura, a symbol of perfect ‘independence’.
But is it easy for a person to perfectly define themselves? Do I know what will happen in the future and fix my current state?
This anxiety and vacillation became a huge obstacle for the knights to grow into Oranites, and in that regard, the group ideology called ‘Chivalry’ was created to help Oranites grow.
A firm belief that we will not lose this standard even if times and circumstances change. The ideology of ‘chivalry’, which has been passed down from generation to generation along with the empire’s long history, was one of the biggest ideological pillars that allowed the empire to have so many Oranites, and it was an excellent weapon that prevented the knights, who were also walking weapons, from using their power carelessly. It also acted as an inhibitor.
….anyway! It is said that chivalry is the most important ideological framework for mass production of Oranites. What is important is that in this chivalry, ‘loyalty to the monarch’ is considered the most important thing.
“What was that?”
“‘Today you have become an unbreakable sword. Do not cut down innocent people easily. Turn your back only on those who are weak and need to be protected. Just as the sword you hold looks only at your enemies, let only one ruler hold the sword called you. The moment this oath is broken, you will also be broken.’ “This is the full text of the knight’s oath.”
“…Have you really been ordained?”
“Didn’t I tell you so!”
weird. If you compare the article I’m talking about with this guy, there’s a big difference.
Anyway, the conclusion is that the Oath of Chivalry was a key element in establishing the Auror Knights of that era. Breaking chivalry and betraying the emperor means that 30% of the imperial knight families betrayed the emperor even as they lost their Aurors.
“….why?”
“Isn’t this the result of the goddamn magic engineering changing the world, causing the honor of knights to fall to the ground and even be treated with contempt? The era of magic engineering, which others call the golden age, was a time when knights were treated as idiots and a nuisance.”
Milo said with a huff as if he had experienced something like that.
A time when Emperor Gainax, the great god-emperor who founded the Empire of Trees, passed away and Empress Lucilla ruled the empire.
The three immature sons, each with their own forces, were competing to take the throne of the emperor. The old empress said she would hand over the throne to the most outstanding of the three.
“The knights, according to their long-standing tradition, did not participate in the struggle for the throne. “I cannot break my oath of loyalty, so when the emperor is chosen, I will offer myself my sword.”
“The three princes must have needed people who would take their side instead of knights who would not take their side.”
“yes. So, it is said that he used big money and power as bait to attract magic engineers to his power. Of course, not to mention wizards.”
A time so peaceful that it is called the golden age.
Peace meant that the knights were deprived of the opportunity to enhance the power and honor they had honed, and as a result, for the nobles, knights were reduced to nothing more than a nuisance that paid a lot of money and was stubborn about such topics. There was.
In such a situation, a new pool of people called magic engineers arose, and as they enriched their territory and family with all kinds of new inventions, they naturally became partial to magic engineers.
In this climate, the atmosphere began to accelerate as all three princes who were fighting for the throne were said to be placing importance on magic engineers and wizards.
At some point, it became common for knights to be short on bonuses that came in every month, and merchants and magical engineering workshops that they had never seen before were set up in the territory they had been given.
The culture of disdain for knights soon spread beyond the walls of noble families and throughout the empire, and children began to regard knights as strong fools and wizards and magic engineers as smart and clever idols.
All that is left for the knight is to pioneer new unexplored territory in the northern or southern polar regions and die lonely in a place no one knows about.
In the end, the growing dissatisfaction of the knight family exploded. He trained himself until he died to become a knight, but the only thing he could come back to was being treated like an idiot and a job in a place where he could only be seen as a dead person, so he couldn’t stand it.
“At a time when the conflict between the Teldrat Empire and the Western Empire was at its peak due to the leakage of magical engineering technology, resource diplomacy, and the issue of the Principality of Roderick, Teldrat radicals persuaded three of the five margraves on the empire’s border to belong to the Teldrat Empire. He declared, and war broke out. They lost their aurors and became ordinary swordsmen, but in return, they regained the magic empire’s endless gold and silver treasures, high status, and the treatment they deserved, and became pilots of magic golems based on their outstanding physical abilities.”
Wow!
“This is the old story of the empire. “This is all the knowledge you need to understand what I said.”
“Wow….”
“I knew the story, but hearing it from an imperial knight was a new experience.”
“Idiot speaks well. “If he had only swung his sword half as long as his tongue, he would have been a better robber.”
Clap clap clap!
This time there was applause from our side.
This is not just an empty remark, this guy would have been quite a great knight even if he had used a sword half as long as his tongue. How can you tell the boring story of an old empire in such a lively way?
“Hehehe. The knight who was appointed absolutely! “Thanks to you telling me so hard to forget, I know everything about the Western Empire.”
Milton, with a swollen face, says he likes being praised.
Anyway, from the answer to the question I asked earlier, I thought I knew why this guy was talking about the history of the empire.
“A group of knights divided into two. That means the descendants of the knight family that remained loyal to the Western Empire until the end and the knight family that betrayed and joined Teldrat, right?”
“yep! That’s correct. Just because the war ends without a winner does not mean that the resentment of those who survived disappears. The current Western Empire is divided into two great noble families: the Aderwald family, the center of the treacherous knight family, and the Supreme Court Glenn family, the center of the imperial faction. “If Mute had not gained prominence, it would not be surprising if these two great families had started an extended war that was already a draw.”
“…It’s quite a pain. “It is not a conflict between fortress cities and fortress cities, but a conflict between city alliances under the great nobles.”
“In addition, a total of three major groups are active in the Western Empire, including Mute, who has become powerful enough to buffer the friction between the two forces.”
“Mutra… roughly how many dungeons is average?”
“Three.”
“I’m going crazy.”
“Recently, the Warlord’s forces are also slowly gaining ground. “I don’t know the details, but it is a rumor that a kind of religious idea is spreading through soul magicians who are obsessed with him, that all mankind in the world will be unified and saved by the ‘Perfect One.’”
“Okay, look at me! Even in Wind Hall, there is an old man standing there shouting that he should become one and be saved by the Completer Warlord!”
“I’m going crazy.”
I wonder why Teldrat is still at the level of a city-state, but the Western Empire has already formed a grand union at the national level.
There are three. Mutation Blood Mutant Fragments of the Queen that Mutlords Usually Have Mutation Blood Monsters are monsters that have three fragments on average.
A mute rod with three Queen’s Fragments would not have the defense power of a large city, but would simply be wiped out. Since there were such people everywhere in the Western Empire, they naturally united. If the person in front of you is swept away, it’s obvious who will be next, so support and receive support. Naturally, a large-scale alliance is formed centered around noble families with great power.
In this way, a total of three groups are in sharp conflict, including the conflict between the two great nobles, the loyalist Glenn family of the Aderbalt family, who were traitors to the empire, and the extremely strong Mutlord.
This means that the new power, Warlord, has penetrated the gap.
In the Western Empire, where strength clashes with strength, something other than strength.
‘I thought he was just an ignorant, strong maniac, but he turns out to be smarter than I thought.’
From what I heard, it seemed like Warlord was seen as a kind of unified religious and ideological leader among his followers. Centering on the occupied old Rodrik region, I occupied the Teldrat region, which was still divided into city-states, by force. Meanwhile, the Western Empire region, which had already strengthened its power through national alliances, was vulnerable to future attacks due to ideological and religious infiltration. It seems like they are preparing a .
If this goes according to plan, I really thought it wouldn’t be an empty dream for that crazy Warlord to unite the fragmented continent.
『….I have work to do. That’s all.』
Even now, his extremely sunken eyes and cracked voice were clear. When looking at the actions of the Warlord and the words and actions of his followers so far. The moment the world fell into his hands, the monstrous Shard Knight might truly absorb all living humanity. A being that moves with only eyes on the destruction of the world.
“There is no such thing as a demon lord.”
“There are already quite a few people who call me that. Here too, we hear news about what happened to Lord Roderick. There are quite a few people who call the Warlord a devil or a being of destruction.”
“Oh my. “Then, after chasing the devil all my life, am I considered a hero?”
“yes?”
“….never mind. Anyway, I think I answered almost everything I asked.”
“yep! I would like to add that it was because of that conflict that the teachings of knights were passed down to even people in my neighborhood. As different knight families faced each other, the more people who learned the swordsmanship of that family, the greater its influence. Of course, the more articles there are, the easier it is to resist Mute’s attacks. So the knight’s vision, which in the past was not shared outside of the family, is now widely available to the public. A knight from the Glenn family comes to our Wind Hall and gives us lessons regularly.”
“I see. “I was somewhat immature, but it seemed like I had learned properly.” As
we
walked and chatted for a while, our group and the robber driver found themselves facing a rocky hill.
“We’re all here. “Now, if you just go over that hill, it’s Stormy Hill.”
“Good work.”
“Uh… then you’ll save us?”
“…?”
For some reason, Milo and Gaulton are shaking their eyebrows and desperately trying to give an awkward smile.
“Uh… I don’t think I ever said I was going to kill you? Go. “I heard you well.”
“Don’t lie about that! “If we just turn around and leave like this, it’s obvious that they’ll shoot us dead with that magic engineering gun!”
“….I?”
“yes! We’re not stupid either! “Teachers… aren’t you spies sent by the Warlord to the Western Empire?”
“Milo! If you say that, we will die without any hesitation-”
“If you just turn around and leave, you will die! The Warlord’s men don’t leave anyone alive!”
ah. I thought he was a bit too cooperative.
“Is this because I’m the Warlord’s henchman?”
“We are experts at robbery too! I’m keeping my ears open for news about foreigners! A foreigner who brought a magic engine and parts, which are the easiest to convert into immediate funds for activities, in an old-fashioned handcar! As soon as you arrive, you head to Wuthering Heights, the greatest battleground in the Imperial War and regularly visited by Knight Glengar. He even tells a local resident he meets by chance to ‘Blow up everything in the Western Empire!’ Anyone can see that he is a spy to spy on the progress in the Western Empire!”
Uh… um… I see. From what I heard, it seems like he must be a real spy.
dump!
“Please just save me. We talk about the wonders and chivalry among ourselves, but in reality, all we do is attend the training of the driver who visits once a week! Anyone who takes that training is bound to receive the Glenn family’s informal oath, but in reality, as you saw, they are just neighborhood thugs!”
“Ah, it is Mahaji Ages to no one! Just like that! Until then! “Even more!”
Milo and Geulten were on their knees and begging. Sincere cooperation was probably an effort to somehow avoid being silenced by local informants or something like that.
‘There’s no way the big city’s guards couldn’t have thought of what these idiots did.’
The guards bought all the engines and parts we brought, including the metal framework used to build the handcar, at a low price and then released us.
‘Most people in the city were normally wary of outsiders. It’s a natural reaction in the Western Empire, where hatred of magical engineering is deeply rooted. But everyone in the pub treated us without hesitation.’
Even if you are not as sure as these fools, you can easily suspect him of being a spy. What if they didn’t just release him, but intentionally let him go to monitor his future actions?
‘….I just made it up.’
The city’s only bar and lodging for outsiders. You thought we would definitely stop by.
The tediously long interrogation time would have been enough time to plant someone in the tavern, whether it be a guard or a driver, to monitor us and extract information.
“Hyde. “Is something wrong?”
“uh? ah. “I think the people higher up in Wind Hall have similar thoughts as these idiots.”
“…A nobleman from Wind Hall?”
“yes. Maybe they’re waiting for us to do something special or something suspicious. “It looks like it has a tail.”
“I don’t really feel the body odor of a follower.”
“That means it was attached that tightly.”
As I pretended to have a chat, I felt the presence of an Auror, as faint as an ant’s eye socket. As expected from the Western Empire, which was famous for its knights and wizards, the level of the pursuers was not average. Not only is it not enough to be an Oranite, but it also seems to have been properly covered with invisibility and presence removal magic…
“Wow, shouldn’t I explain then? “If you are hated by the nobles, you will die.”
“If I explain, will you listen? “You’ve already been fluttering like a parrot in the security interrogation room for half a day?”
“Wow….”
If you’re lucky and everything goes well… you’ll be released after being imprisoned for about half a year.
The situation in the Western Empire was more severe than expected. Due to the mute issue, there is a conflict between cities united at the national level, and the Warlord forces are digging in between them. Even if I were the Lord of Wind Hall, there was no reason for me to take the risk of letting our party go because they were so suspicious.
“This must be a slightly dangerous path, right?”
“Dangerous… road?”
I nodded with a wink at the voice of Tarimus whispering quietly.
My goal right now is to gain the strength to face the Warlord I will definitely meet again. I wasn’t sure yet what it was about me, but it was clear that I had to stop it. Since he has declared that he will devour the world, I am certain that I will die if I leave him alone.
‘The Warlord is the enemy.’
‘Even in the Western Empire, Warlord is referred to as the Demon King Baldalin’s Destruction, and his power is seen as the axis of evil.’
‘I was labeled as the Warlord’s henchman.’
‘How do I get through this situation?’
.
.
.
.
.
“You can do it. “Screw it.”
“….what?”
“yes?”
After much deliberation, Isena and Tarimus expressed their excitement at the conclusion reached at the same time.
“Even if I explain, they will never listen, so let’s just figure it out properly. ‘Wow, they found out our identities! ‘That’s amazing!’ You like this kind of thing, right? “Nobles.”
“No, why should we admit it when even denying it vehemently is not enough? “That’s not even true!”
“I don’t want to die in a place like this! At least if you die while fighting the Warlord, the enemy of your brothers, you die. This is a dog’s death…!”
“I also have a dream to return to the forest of my hometown! You can’t be held in the hands of human nobles for decades in a place like this!
“You’re hasty. Haven’t you seen a play or something? Among the kids who usually play the role of ‘evil forces agent,’ there are some good roles.”
“Uh… a play?”
“okay. “Warlord is the Demon King?”
There is something that knights really like, and that is stories of bards and theater companies. They are a race that loves to tell sagas.
Among such stories, the theme that is not left out is the story of the absolute evil devil king and knight…
Is there a role that always appears in such stories?
“Double agent. Righteous people who betrayed humanity, but came to their senses after seeing the devil’s evil deeds and returned to humanity’s side. “I’m going to roughly go to that position, right?”
They say they won’t believe him anyway even if he’s not a spy, so that’s it.
However, it is true that he is a spy, but he becomes a spy who returned to the embrace of humanity after seeing the evil deeds of the Demon Lord, or Warlord.
‘For the Western Empire, the Warlord is an unknown being that has only been told about by a very small number of survivors.’
‘On the other hand, I’ve fought with him and I know everything about what he looks like, what he wants, who he moves with, and what he’s been through. The amount of information about Warlord is overwhelmingly superior to anyone else in the Western Empire. I can easily disguise myself as someone close to him. ‘Because information about the enemy forces’ leaders is of indescribable value.’
The guy has formed an army. A proper army capable of employing delicate strategies, rather than a group that rushes in ignorantly. You can never defeat him alone.
Due to the disaster in the Rodrik region, the warlord’s vigilance has reached its peak. If the two great nobles of the Western Empire do not conflict…
‘The tip of the sword of the empire, called the land of magic and knights, can stand against the Warlord.’
Available. As a force to stand against its forces and stand against destruction.
“From what I heard, it seems possible….”
“Of course, in most plays, Black, the gloomy double agent, usually meets a tragic ending.”
“Look!”
“Hehehe! “I can’t see any other way than that in the first place, so what should I do?”
I smiled at Tarimus, who was getting angry, and waved my hand at the two robber knights kneeling at a distance.
“Eh… well. “They were idiots who were smarter than I thought.”
“She was also a spy for Warlord….”
“Are you letting me live?”
“….okay. for now.”
I lowered my voice as much as possible, but enough so that a distant observer could hear half of it and make an inference.
“Instead, you two go back to the Wind Hall Guard immediately and tell me what I have to say.”
“What are you saying…”
“There are things that guards and the like shouldn’t hear, so prepare a place with fewer ears to hear.”
Well, this should be enough. Even the shit I accidentally stepped on was put to good use.
“Go.”
“Yes old!”
Milo and Geulton started running with blue faces.
“I threw out the bait, so it will take some time until everything is ready from the other side. In the meantime, let’s just go sightseeing!”
“I want to get out of here now…”
“Isena? I understand that feeling, but… If we fall out now, we’ll be ‘good double agents’, and you’ll end up being ‘true agents of the devil who split off to complete the Warlord’s orders on his own.’ “Are you okay?”
“Why…!”
Tuk-tuk.
Seeing Isena, the prisoner, looking quite despaired, I sympathized with her and gave her a pat on the shoulder.
“Relax. “The moment we reached the coast of the Western Empire after a drift that no one could believe, we were destined to be treated as spies.”
“I… I can’t believe it would end up like this…”
“Most things in the world don’t go as planned. Let’s go the route where we can live like this. huh? “With us.”
“Ahhhh….”
“Isn’t this all fate? “From the moment we came out of that place, we were a community with a shared destiny!”
In despair, Isena’s green scales trembled and she made a sound like a pitiful pit viper. What can I do? I want to find another way, but my feet are on fire right now.
The group’s steps toward Wuthering Heights looked heavy, like prisoners being dragged to death row.
Except me.
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