Chapter 23 : Ambush and Promotion (3)

Chapter 23: Ambush and Promotion (3)
Allen knew.

Far in the distance, a lone cavalryman was galloping this way.

But that was all.

One man could not possibly do anything to them, and judging by the arms he carried from afar, he did not look like a knight.

Allen thought he was just some free citizen with a bit of money, charging in without knowing he was leaping to his death in the hope of making a name for himself.

At least, that was what he thought until he faced the spear that came slicing toward him from far away.

–Thwack–!

Riding the horse’s acceleration, the spear flew through the air and struck a knight.

With a brutal sound, the knight’s shield split and his body rocked hard, but that was all.

–Neigh!

–Whoa, easy.

The knight’s horse screamed at the shock, then calmed.

The knight who had been struck was unscathed. At the instant of impact, he had angled his shield to absorb and deflect the blow.

In exchange, the shield broke and his body nearly toppled back, but he had taken no serious damage.

He was, in short, a monster.

“You bastard…”

And that monster was glaring at Shatien with eyes full of fury. The killing intent in them burned so hot they seemed to blaze.

–Gulp.

Shatien swallowed.

He had thrown the spear as his sharpened sense urged him to, yet the result was not what it usually was.

‘Which means…’

that knight’s skill was on a level that not even his mysterious power could compensate for.

‘Hmmm, perhaps I made a mistake coming here?’

Those eyes were so enraged that the man looked ready to kill him no matter what.

Shatien sighed to himself.

‘Damn it!’

What got into him to taunt a monstrous knight like that? Of course, he came this far and it was too late to turn back.

He had never learned proper swordsmanship and was surely inferior, but if Count Bellua died or was captured here, it would be a catastrophe.

‘I have to buy time, somehow.’

Glancing behind, Shatien made up his mind.

In the distance, Count Bellua’s knights and the Black Raven Mercenary Company under Captain Mordo were racing in.

If he dragged things out until then, he might live.

“Cha-hya!”

With that thought, Shatien spurred his horse again.

Because of the earlier attack, the fighting on both sides had lapsed into a brief lull.

“I would like to hear your name, brave knight! Who are you!”

As Shatien drew close, Count Bellua called out.

“Your Excellency! I am no knight. I am Shatien, a mercenary under Captain Mordo, you granted me a reward last time.”

“What?”

Count Bellua looked quite surprised at that, then gave a faint smile.

“Shatien… yes. The mercenary fellow from then. You are rather bold. You knew this was a death ground when you came, did you not?”

“…On the battlefield, every place can be a death ground, right? If a man flees because he fears death, how can he claim the right to hold a blade.”

Shatien answered steadily.

Perhaps the words pleased him, because Count Bellua nodded and spoke.

“A good answer. You are quite brave and honorable. It seems a waste to do mere mercenary work.”

–Shing!

With that, he drew his longsword.

The old fashioned, sturdy blade flashed in the newly risen sun.

“If you live through this, I will remember your name.”

“It is an honor, Your Excellency.”

At his even tone, Shatien gave a brief grin and drew his own sword.

Perhaps it was polite flattery, but to be remembered at all was something.

–Waaaaaaah!

“Seize Count Bellua!”

The rough shouts came closer and closer.

They would collide any moment.

Shatien gripped his hilt, tense to the core.

“Hey… Do you know why knights, and nobles, are said to bear honorable blue blood?”

A question all of a sudden?

Was it not simply because they inherited those seats and were born in that station?

Shatien tilted his head.

“…I have never thought about it. My apologies, Your Excellency.”

“Hehe. No. It is natural not to know. Yes, that is so.”

Count Bellua nodded and raised his sword.

“Watch closely, Shatien.”

And with these words,

“why knights are called honorable blue blood. It may be a path that will be given to you as well.”

–Clack!

–Neigh.

Count Bellua urged his horse toward the onrushing knights of the Holy Empire.

Without a moment’s hesitation.

–??!!!

Shatien’s eyes went wide.

‘W-What?’

If Count Bellua is captured, everything would end. And surely he knew that.

Yet he charged in despite all that? To the imperial army at that?

Alone?

“Y-Your Excellency!”

“Damn it! Protect His Excellency!”

Only then did Count Bellua’s knights cry out in alarm.

They rushed forward with the soldiers, meaning to come up on either side of him before it was too late.

Shatien also dashed after them at once.

“Your Excellency, Your Excellency! You are too far in front alone. Even now, it’s not too late for you to fall back and retreat…!”

The knights shouted, loud and desperate.

But what came back was,

“I—!”

a thunderous roar.

“I am none other than! Count Bellua, Bellua the Lion Lord!”

–Slaaash!

–Crash, thud.

Riding foremost, Count Bellua swung his blade.

“Graaagh!”

“Gak!”

In an instant, two Imperial knights in the front rank fell.

–Clang, clang-clang, clang!

Two more came on and traded a few quick blows, then like their comrades before them, they flung blood and collapsed as cold corpses.

“H-Hmm…”

Watching from behind, Shatien felt an inexpressible emotion surge like fire, and elation stirred.

That they could win. No.

The thought that they had to win filled his head, to the point that even the fear of death did not rise.

‘Now I get it.’

He understood why so many followed Count Bellua. And why he would find such tremendous success in the future.

He was one who inspired.

Always, he acted in a way that let him claim he bore honorable blue blood.

The fame he won was not something born of chance or miracle.

A hundred times, a thousand, Count Bellua would taste this renown and victory again, so long as he stood at the very front.

“Uoooooh!”

“For honor!”

“Follow His Excellency! Prove our strength, our honor, our blue blood!”

It was not only Shatien who was moved.

The few knights Count Bellua had, and the soldiers as well, charged toward their lord, greatly heartened.

“Cut down the Emperor’s dogs!”

“Exterminate the insolent rebels!”

The knights collided.

–Crunch, crack!

Armor smashed against armor in a furious crash.

Swords rang the same.

Sparks flew everywhere, and with every flash of light, bright red blood sprayed up.

–Ching! Chachang! Ching!

Even outnumbered, Count Bellua’s knights were not being pushed back.

With the conviction that they would protect their lord, they showed superhuman strength.

In concert with Count Bellua’s movements, it created an enormous synergy that seemed to overwhelm the enemy instead.

‘Good. Then I will too!’

Not to be outdone, Shatien swung his sword.

In a fight of this level, the rough, haphazard blade work he had used until now was useless.

–Ziiiiiinngg.

He drew on the aid of that mysterious power as much as possible.

–Whooosh!

–Clang!

He worked hard to wield one fragment of knightly swordplay he had stolen with his gift in the past.

An attack like an owl snatching prey in the dark.

It was unstable, but its speed and force were sure.

–Thump!

Shatien’s stroke cut in sharp and slammed into a knight’s abdomen.

The armor stopped it, but the shock went straight through.

“Khak! This crazy bastard…!”

The knight before him staggered with a scream edged shout.

Even so, his stance with the sword in guard was solid, as if he could block no matter where Shatien struck.

‘Ugh!’

It was a maddeningly thorough foundation. Because of it, Shatien could not land a follow up.

Instead, he fell into danger himself.

–Clang!

–Clang!

The Imperial knight, recovered from the blow before he knew it, slashed at Shatien with razor quick cuts.

–Ziiiing!

–Riiiing!

Each stroke was so deadly that his mysterious power kept warning him. Without it, he would have been on the ground at once.

“You rat of a bastard!”

Perhaps because he was nettled, the Imperial knight grew heated and swung again in rapid succession.

But that was not sound judgment. Once you lost your cool, your posture grew bold, and bold posture meant many openings.

–Vwoooom.

He lifted his blade big for an instant, and bared a fatal gap.

At once, a knight of Count Bellua’s who fought alongside them struck that opening from the side.

“Bastard! How foolish of you.”

“G-Gugh.”

–Shluk, shluk, shluk.

Clutching his throat, the Imperial knight toppled face first.

“Huff, huff. Thank you, sir knight.”

“Don’t mention it. I only did what I should.”

At Shatien’s words, the knight answered flatly.

‘Fighting a knight head on is out of the question for sure.’

Even that first clean hit would not have worked if the knight had not shown an opening while dealing with Count Bellua’s man.

“Fall back! It seems you cannot handle this with your skill.”

“U-Understood.”

“Better to form up with those soldiers and hold the rear of His Excellency’s line. You are more than capable of that at least.”

It was the sort of thing to hurt one’s pride, but pride was a luxury on the battlefield.

Shatien nodded at once and headed for the fiercest part of the fighting, then joined the soldiers.

If you were lacking, you joined forces to stand against the foe.

They fought on like that for a time.

–Dugugugugugu.

The earth began to tremble, and with it a thick cloud of dust.

“Which side is it!”

At someone’s shout, all eyes fixed that way.

Whichever side arrived first would decide the outcome.

Thankfully,

“Save His Excellency!”

“Drive out the Imperial Army!”

They were allies.

Count Bellua’s enraged knights and the Black Raven Mercenary Company under Captain Mordo had arrived.

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