Book 10: Chapter 1

On a very sunny, and usually peaceful day, they appeared.

A mixed army composed of Goblins, Beastia……and then various people of all ages and gender.

Although their races and ages were scattered, what they wore were splendid uniform armaments that sparkled in steel blue.

If their visors were to be put down, whether they were Goblin or Human, one would be unable to differentiate them from their outward appearance, and they could only be seen as a splendid 「Chivalric Order」.

Having appeared close to the city gate of the Canal Kingdom’s capital city of Elarc, they glared at the Elarc Defense Chivalric Order that was deployed as if waiting for them.

The civil war, which had originated from the fact that the Third Princess Celis had divulged her father the King’s evil deeds, had finally reached its finale.

Having drawn the conclusion that Celis’s overthrowing of her father the King and her reign over the capital city Elarc was all a scheme to usurp the throne, the one who touted justice and opposed her was the First Princess Narika.

The story of how the Second Princess Eltrinde appeared in the vice capital of Kashnart, which that Narika had made into her base, and defeated the Royal Court Magician Mazenda, who had cozied up to Narika and manipulated the civil war in the background, had already reached Elarc as well.

And then, after the fight in Kashnart, a report saying that although Narika had suddenly disappeared, she reorganized her army and was planning a counterattack had also been brought to them from the Zadark Kingdom but──

「……So it’s just as the information from the Zadark Kingdom said huh. I thought that it was a joke when I heard it but……」

「But, a group that looks like a mishmash like that……No, it’s actually a mishmash, isn’t it. Doesn’t that mean that Narika-sama is also considerably driven into a corner?」

Even the whispers of the knights of Elarc’s Defense Chivalric Order could be said to be only natural.

The knights trained everyday in order to protect Elarc, and their tempered bodies had turned into a part of their confidence. It was due to that that they were confident that there was no way they would lose to an ordinary person even if they had splendid armaments.

For that reason, there was complacency on the faces of every member of the Elarc Defense Chivalric Order.

When a knight that had an especially splendid appearance stepped forward from within the mixed army, the suspicion of 「Is the one leading them not Narika-sama?」 and the understanding of 「I thought that it wasn’t like Narika-sama」 had filled the chests of the Elarc Defense knights.

Princess Narika was very prideful, and she was a person that worried over reputation and apeparances more than anyone else. Also, going from the fact that she ostracized Princess Celis who had a pronounced inheritance of Beastman blood, they knew that she was an advocate of discrimination.

For that Princess Narika to lead a mixed army that looked like a mishmash like this, it really was unbelievable.

The 「splendid knight」 that came forward, when he raised his visor, he expressed a smile brimming with confidence on his handsome face, and made an announcement with a clear voice.

「Listen, you fools that sided with the traitor that pollutes the royal castle!」

With this one line, anger that had the thought 「How about we shoot that guy」 had welled up within the Elarc Defense knights.

Certainly, Princess Celis and Princess Narika were opposing each other, but both of them were royalty and people who should be shown respect and affection.

Speaking ill of that Princess Celis by calling her a 「traitor that pollutes the royal castle」 was what was foolish, and extremely disrespectful.

To the very end, this fight was a fight where they were crashing palanquins at each other as they said 「the royalty we have over here is more suitable than the royalty you are putting up over there」, and to speak ill of Princess Narika and Princess Celis as being 「a traitor」 was only allowed by fellow royalty.

That is why they had spoken ill of each other with expressions like 「our princess is the one who has the God of Light Raidolg-sama’s divine protection」 or 「that princess’s army is despicable」.

In other words, that knight’s announcement disqualified him as a knight from his first words.

Despite that, that knight showed absolutely no sign of minding it, and instead continued with an exalted face.

「Look! At the ones gathered before Narika-sama’s authority! At the majestic figures of those that would become the sword and shield of that Person who is the personification of the God of Light Raidolg-sama’s will! Today, you all will be put to death under the vivid will of light!」

「……What a terrible oath. There ain’t any etiquette or anything’.」

One of the Elarc Defense knights shook his head in a way that said he couldn’t watch this anymore.

To express that sort of speech before even naming himself was a breach of etiquette. If he had received education as a knight, that was something that absolutely mustn’t be done.

The fact that he had committed that error meant that the opponent was a greenhorn just like how he looked, and wasn’t that great of a person. To have someone like that carry out something like that in the first speech, they ended up having the unjust suspicion that “are they really lacking in people”.

If they remembered correctly, in the report from the Zadark Kingdom, it said that Princess Eltrinde had made the vice-capital surrender but……the excellent personnel couldn’t have all disappeared there.

In that case, it could be thought that that guy was Princess Narika’s favorite but……

While the Elarc Defense knights were thinking that sort of thing, the 「splendid knight」’s speech heated up.

「……Therefore, if even a fragment of a person’s heart still exists in any of you who have been dyed in a beastly stench, you should surrender and show proof of your loyalty! If you do it now, you will be saved from death, and you will be able to come under the legitimate flag in order to atone for that sin!」

「Shut up!」

The one who cut off that speech that seemed like it would have no end with a loud voice was the commander of the Elarc Defence Chivalric Order.

Fundamentally, letting the opponent’s speech go uninterrupted was part of a knight’s manners, but on top of not naming himself, being made to endlessly listen to a rude speech like this was unbearable.

In this chance, messengers had been sent to every gate and the royal castle long ago, and it was more than enough even as a way of stalling.

In that case, stopping this ill-mannered speech was the minimum amount of mercy.

「Y, you told me to shut up……!」

「To overlook things if you are ill-mannered, impolite, and a youngster, forgiving that is the duty of a senior figure. However, I will not allow any more than this! You are the one who should listen. My name is Jepard! The commander of the Elarc Defense Chivalric Order, Jepard Dernick! If you insist on being the legitimate ones, demonstrate it not with nonsense, but with your actions! I do not know if a youngster that has yet to introduce himself has the courage to perform that though!」

Hearing their roaring laughter, the 「splendid knight」 warped his face in anger, and shouted as if spitting out.

「Gu……Kuh! I am Serge Karkinos! With this Soul Sword Gargover that was gifted from a messenger of Raidolg-sama, I shall teach you what true justice is!」

「Go ahead and try it if you can! Heavy knight unit, take position! Magic unit, prepare your chants! Absolutely do not let them in!」

「Don’t underestimate me, you old fogie! All forces, charge! Teach ‘em a lesson!」

Following the commands of those two, the two armies started moving.

On the Elarc Defense Chivalric Order side, the heavy knights that wore sturdy-looking full body armor readied their shields and spears in the front line, and the magic unit and the archery unit were lined up behind them.

The Elarc city gate that was broken in the last fight was still not repaired, and it was for that reason that they could only line up the knights and defend like this. But even so, as long as they had a physical defense and the magic unit that handled the magic defense, that momentary defensive power would surpass even the city gate. 

「Fire! Heavy knight unit, don’t break formation! Absolutely do not let that bunch through!」

Countless arrows and magic was fired.

The Serge army, which would have probably normally flinched from that, did not stop walking, stepped on the corpses of their collapsed companions, and continued their march towards Elarc.

That eeriness was certainly strange, and Serge who was commanding them raised a loud laughter sounding like he had gone mad.

「Haha……Hahaha! How wonderful! It’s wonderful, isn’t it! A peerless army that doesn’t fear even death! As long as I have these guys, my commands will exhibit the maximum effect!」

「It would seem that you are satisfied.」

The one who suddenly appeared and called out to Serge from behind, was the Royal Court Magician Mazenda who should have been killed by Eltrinde. Beside her, there was also the figure of a high class woman who wore armor that was even more splendid than Serge’s.

In response to Mazenda who expressed a smile, Serge raised his voice while having an exalted expression.

「Yeah, yeah! I’m satisfied! I am slightly dissatisfied over how some low birth fellows with bad appearances are mixed in, but if I have this, I can offer victory up to Narika-sama! Isn’t that right, Narika-sama!」

The high class woman that stood next to Mazenda──Narika glanced at the mixed army, snorted, and answered.

「Yes, it truly is a repulsive fight. Like this, they should be unable to hold out with the subordinates of that Celis who pretends to be a good girl.」

Hearing Narika’s words that sounded like they were spat out, Serge groaned and raised a voice that sounded like he was going to cry.

We’re advancing, and winning.

And yet, why isn’t Narika acknowledging me?

As Serge was filled with that sort of feeling, Narika looked at him with eyes as if she were looking at trash.

「I will acknowledge you, Serge. A charge that has no tactics whatsoever like this, I am sure that not even they would think that there was a hidden part to this.」

「Ha? Hidden?」

「Yes, yes. I have properly prepared it. It should be about time that things started at the back gate as well.」

Together with that Mazenda’s words, it was right when warning bells and angry roars could be heard from the opposite side of where Serge’s group was──from Elarc’s back gate.

「Wha, what was that!?」

「It was the sound of the back gate plan having started, Serge-sama. Yes, everything is going as you commanded.」

「I, I see! That’s right! Mazenda, nicely done!」

Narika had heard about it from Mazenda on the way there, but the strategy this time wasn’t just a frontal charge, but the performance of a simultaneous attack from the back gate through multiple forces.

That should have been successfully executed through the 「traitor」 that Mazenda planted in the back gate’s Defence Chivalric Order.

That surprise attack, which was reported to Narika as being 「Serge’s strategy」, seemed to have been something that Mazenda planned from beginning to end but……well, it went just as expected.

Serge was a clown that was manipulated by Mazenda.

Both of them seemed to be holding something in their true motives, but it wouldn’t be a problem to dispose of all of them once this fight was over.

Maybe they were here without knowing that Narika’s expectations, or maybe they were sneering since it was something that they could do upon knowing that.

Mazenda, who was expressing a smile that could go along with either one, muttered while sounding like she was truly having fun.

「Before long, the back gate will be opened, and the stage of the fight will move to the streets of Elarc. Once that happens……Kuku」

Exactly as Mazenda said, the back gate was opened with almost no fighting for it due to the traitor.

Having received news that things had broken out into street warfare, even the main gate defense chivalric order had no choice but to retreat from the front, and decided to withdraw to the second defense location.

Like this, Elarc’s fight had transformed into an intense……and harsh fight.