291 244. The Knights Commander decides,

Two weeks ago.

"... how long am I... going to be on active duty,?

Clark, the deputy captain, threw abruptly at me as I finished the exercise that day and hung out of my jacket.

I came to the Knights Chief's office to file a report for each squad that day. It's a chat. Arranged the report on my desk and Clark sat down on my chair looking used to it as it was.

"Oh, Alan asked me this morning.

Everything seems to have been the subject of drinking at the knights last night, Clark continued ridiculously throbbing.

"At last, are you old enough to worry about old age?

Goddamn it, I would say back from me to Clark biting off the laugh, "You and I must be a lot different, too," but in contrast, he just laughed happily, "Oh, am I a good old man, too?"

"In due course, at this stage, is the next Knights Commander a column, or something like Alan?

"Before that, if you succeed me, you'll be the deputy commander, Clark.

No, I'm just fine with the second hand, and Clark waved straight at me. Sure, he told me his other hand was a dustpan since he was captain of the knighthood.

"Well, I said you'd be on active duty for another twenty years.

"Then you'll be working for another twenty years.

With his cheeks on his cheeks and laughing at me, Clark turns only his eyes strongly and says it out of me as well.

"Either is fine. I've come this far, I'll stick with you till the end.

Reply to Clark, who smiles and says back without hesitation that any life would seem to be fun with you, sighs small instead. If you look through one report at a time, the name of the deputy captain of the eighth squad accidentally caught my eye. I close my eyes to the point where the holes are so empty in a report I should have been accustomed to seeing.

"... you want to go for a drink again tonight?

Apparently Clark, who sensed what part of me I was looking at, asks me with an invincible laugh. Its mouth was pulling up more pleasantly than its eyes.

"... no, good. I drank enough last night.

Close the report once so as to deceive me, and I begin to look through the beginning of the first sheet again.

Last night, Clark went to his usual tavern after the exercise because his son, Arthur, was officially promoted. Me and Clark drank a lot, and when we realized it, we accidentally revealed the night at the tavern.

"Arthur is growing splendidly.... Looking forward to seeing how far you're going.

I honestly meditated my eyes and nodded at those words spoken loosely. Arthur, the youngest and enlisted in the Knights Squad, was no longer up and down to the deputy captain.

"What do we do? If Arthur goes up to the Knights Commander like this.

"... Arthur, as the Knights Commander, has not yet.

That's a tough boulder, Clark chuckles as he throats. I guess you've been asking after you figured out I'd answer that.

"... at least not yet. To the column, to Alan,... to Arthur.

I still can't think of getting off the knight. Whether it's five years or ten or twenty years if it's going to come true, I hope to remain a knight for as long as this body can fight. … yes, for example.

"If I ever quit the knight within twenty years of now, when the knight who crosses me appears, or when I suffer such a severe illness that I cannot go out into battle. Or..."

I guess so, and one last look at Clark laughing at me. I, and Clark himself, would end up thinking the same.

"It's only time to die.

……

... Why do you remember now?

In a hazy consciousness, think.

When the blast and blast finally subsided and the tinnitus was gone, I finally woke up from my shield while I could stand in the nitrous smoke.

If I called to see if the other knights were safe, I got a reply for everyone. But some voices are close to groaning. After all, the other knights couldn't cover it with their shields alone.

The bomb was dropped from an unknown position, just like the first time. I managed to defend myself with a shield, but this time it was impossible to defend myself completely because it was a bombing in all directions, not from one side.

"The enemy is now pulling, too. From those who can rise now, climb to the cliff."

I order you to stick your voice up with your dry throat. None of the enemy troops that have been stoned have moved. Now you won't have to worry about being sniped by the smoke.

I ordered him to retreat before the bombing, but he still said the blast and blast shock had scattered them all. I have no problem, but there are some seriously injured. If we get that unidentified bombing again, it could be the dead this time.

Those beside the seriously wounded lend a hand and run from those who can move to the allied camp.

From those who were able to pull to the side of the cliff, the Knights on the cliff drooped quickly, lifting the seriously wounded with special abilities, and rescuing them to the cliff. Pulling up with special abilities takes a little while, but is much faster than climbing a seriously injured person on his own who can't climb on his own. The rescue itself proceeds well, but still less than half of those who have followed it. Most of them were still dragging their bodies or lending their hands to those who could not move by the time of the allied camp, and weighing their feet. I myself held one knight who was thus injured in the leg, lending a shoulder to one, and my leg was delayed by the cliff.

"Behind the Cavaliers."

Eric's screaming from the cliff and almost at the same time a good number of killings behind me were unleashed on my back.

... Apparently, he's finally here to attack for real.

More armed soldiers were coming down than before. Perhaps that is the enemy army's main unit. Soldiers with guns and swords descend this far.

Again, I also wonder if we should let the Knights down, but reconsider immediately. The number of people is different this way and beyond. No matter how much the enemy forces throw down, there are a number of soldiers who can shoot from the cliff, but this one is only overwhelmingly disadvantaged.

If you deliberately lower the number of people on the cliff to an unfavourable cliff, that can be total annihilation.

He also throws away his shield and rushes out to the allied camp with the knights held beside him. At the same time, he roughs up his voice so that he can hurry up to the other knights.

"Come on up. The enemy is getting there."

Even though our Knights start sniping at enemy soldiers under the cliff for our backup, the numbers are overwhelmingly different. Furthermore, the armor seemed to be bounced off unless it was using something of good quality, shooting of special abilities, or targeting gaps in the armor.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.

An enemy soldier roars and approaches the wounded knight or the knight who lends them a hand at an incomparable speed.

"Knight Commander! Put us down, please." "Please, first..." The knight I hold speaks up. There's no way I can ditch an ally knight. Besides, I don't think I can escape this fierce chase by myself. The other knights in retreat also decided it was impossible to escape, stopped their feet and ran out to me and wrapped themselves around.

He stood forward trying to shelter me and the seriously wounded of the Knights, and put up a sword to intercept the enemy soldiers. Even from the cliffs, the knights do not change their cover fire, disabling the enemy soldiers who are coming to us, but even if the first soldier falls, the next soldier will remain on his feet.

Most of the knights who missed evacuation were handy or seriously wounded. Probably intact is about me in this.

Then what if I don't come forward?

Rest the knights you held behind your back, just like the other seriously wounded. Groaning, putting them up voicing to me to flee, slapping the shoulders of the knights who lay their swords to shelter us even more, and coming forward.

"Knight Commander! We'll stop this place. Please just run away from the Knights."

We'll take care of this.

"Put down your handy men, and what will you do if I escape unharmed?

Get out in front of your men. Set up a sword and look at the enemy a few more meters away. Among the knights who can move, those who can fight with special abilities and guns are ordered to be guarded and covered.

"Assuming this is where I die, I would rather die defending my men and fighting the enemy to the end than die abandoning my men and turning their backs.

That's the knight. And when I told him, no more words were returned by my men. Instead he stepped forward to line me up and set up that sword.

Enemy soldiers approaching. They roar, they raise their anger, they step on us and they attack us like giant creatures. The hegemony was tremendous, vibrating our armor with that voice as we approached.

And when he stomped on the ground to be trampled upon, the imminent mass finally opened his mouth and peeled his fangs at us.

To the soldier who swung up the sword in front of him, he flashed down sideways first before I could be swung down. Still, it doesn't matter. A soldier behind him waved his sword, took it in the left hand of slashing deactivation, bounced it, and in the meantime another knight slashed the soldier down with his sword. More soldiers storming with horses rush ahead and greet them, tearing down their throats before they are trampled.

More chatter, and look back at the metal sounds you hear from inside the anger. If you look, multiple gunshots were pointed at us. I or anyone who can move can avoid it. But that muzzle was not directed at us, but at our rear-facing, immobile men. One of the knights who can move pops up and tries to protect them with a shield, but a shield is not enough to protect everyone from bullets in one range. I've already thrown away my shield. Other knights noticed, held a hurry shield, tried to run but it was already too late. I don't have a shield, if I can, I can put my strength into my legs. Multiple triggers were pulled to the knights protected by only one shield.

"Shit, shit, shit."

From the air, a flash of silver slashed and tore the enemy soldiers apart.