Chapter 69 : Dawn of War (2)
Dawn of War (2)
Gregory wondered how Walter had ended up poisoned and why the response had been so delayed.
"Well..."
Certainly, for a knight of Walter's high standing, it was only natural to have a physician at his side. Even if he did, however, it was hard to understand why neither the illness nor its symptoms had been properly identified.
At first, Gregory simply thought that someone in the upper echelons of the Radiant Order was displeased with Walter. He guessed that someone might have resorted to ruthless means to remove Walter in order to expand their own influence.
If that were the case, then Walter would have been a thorn in that person's side. Parsei, too, likely could not disobey orders from above and thus delayed Walter's treatment.
Moreover, it was a convincing premise for why Parsei had put the knight order exam ahead of Walter's treatment.
'Hmmm... I suppose I really should bring it up?'
Walter had said that this had all happened because Parsei cared for Gregory, but he had not explained clearly how he himself had ended up poisoned.
Just as Gregory, having made up his mind, was about to carefully ask, a voice was heard from outside the door.
"Commander, are you there? We've come from the Radiant Order."
Walter looked at Gregory and whispered softly.
"If it's not urgent, let's talk about it another time."
Regrettably, Gregory could no longer inquire about the details. The fact that someone had come directly from the Radiant Order meant it was a critical matter—and in such circumstances, it was clear Walter was hiding something, so digging deeper was unwise.
Needlessly prying and provoking resentment would not have been a good choice. In the end, the fortunate result was that Walter's condition improved and he fully recovered.
He decided, for now, that it was more important to receive their waiting visitor. Once Gregory nodded, Walter raised his voice toward the door.
"Come in!"
A slender regular soldier carefully opened the door and entered, delivering a message to Walter with due respect.
"This is a telegram delivered directly from the Radiant Order."
"Thank you. You're dismissed."
The regular soldier handed over the telegram and hurried off as soon as Walter dismissed him.
As he read the message, Walter's face began to contort.
"It seems... the war has already begun."
Hearing Walter's words, Gregory immediately sensed that grim reality had arrived. According to him, it meant that regular soldiers were already on the move.
There was no more time to hesitate—if they responded incorrectly, there was no telling what irrevocable disaster might occur.
"What should we do?"
Gregory cautiously asked, watching Walter's expression. Walter headed briskly out of the reception room, speaking as he went.
"We have to muster the knight order. Follow me."
***
A few minutes later, according to Walter's instructions, all members of the Dawn Knight Order gathered in one place.
Amelia and Leonics, brimming with excitement, showed off their muscular physiques.
"Finally, we get to do something. Maybe a sparring match?"
"Things are about to get fun. So what's this all about?"
Walter wore a grave expression. Kylas, noticing those who hadn't picked up on the atmosphere, scolded them.
"Read the room. Clearly, something serious is going on...."
Gregory's comrades, on the other hand, tensed up upon seeing Walter's serious demeanor. They'd just recruited new knight order members; for there to be an important announcement now, it was only natural to be anxious.
Some even feared that they might have to retake the selection exam from the start, or that a re-examination might be cancelled altogether.
Then, in that heavy silence, Walter began his significant announcement.
"From here on, war will begin. Steel yourselves."
Everyone's faces turned rigid with shock, and for a moment, only stillness and the sound of wind filled the air.
"S-surely I misheard?"
Alessandro, stiff with tension, looked at Gregory. Gregory, knowing the gravity of the situation, deliberately avoided meeting his gaze.
Nevertheless, Alessandro pressed him, unable to let it go.
"Gregory... Tell me it isn't true. I definitely misheard, right?"
This time, too, Gregory did not reply. The overwhelming sense of oppression from the word 'war' made it all too real: now, it wouldn't be surprising for anyone to die, anytime, anywhere.
And the fact that Walter, the commander of the Dawn Knight Order under the Radiant Order, had spoken those words directly only instilled greater fear in everyone.
In due course, Gregory's comrades realized from his reaction that this really was happening, that it was reality. Clearly, Gregory had gone after Walter with something to discuss.
Given his personality, his silence meant he had already accepted the situation and come to terms with why all this was happening.
His quietness, if anything, was even more frightening to his comrades.
"I understand what all of you are feeling better than anyone. But if you let fear rule you here, you won't be able to display your true strength in battle. Recall the mission of a swordsman—and the pride of the Dawn Knight Order."
Walter made every effort to boost their sharply lowered morale, but it was no easy feat.
Alessandro's legs gave out, and he collapsed to his knees, groaning.
"We're—we're not going to die, are we?"
Gregory understood how his comrades felt. No matter how much the Dawn Knight Order had grown stronger, no matter how much everyone had clearly improved—
The world was filled with skilled swordsmen, and facing life-and-death matters without fear would actually have been stranger.
In such situations, it was necessary to have at least one source of mental support. So Kylas, sensing the mood, began functioning as their deputy-commander.
"He speaks the truth. All of you, pull yourselves together! There's nothing more disgraceful for a swordsman than dying in terror or dying without even drawing your sword. Don't let all your hard work go to waste."
Ernest was also scared, but the first thing he did was look after his comrades. It was a moment that revealed the leadership lurking within him.
He wanted, more than anything, to rally his comrades and overcome this crisis.
"Is everyone alright?"
Elisabeth gripped her spear expressionlessly. She wasn't exactly fearless, but she saw war as a chance to sharpen her real battle instincts and prove the results of her hard training.
Adrian and Alessandro were deeply afraid of war, but hearing Walter and Kylas's words, they steeled themselves.
Brea, who had stayed silent the entire time, tried to appear calm as everyone else found their resolve.
"Hmph, what's there to be scared of? We just have to win, right? As long as we win."
Gregory couldn't guarantee everyone's survival, but he was determined to do whatever it took to protect his comrades.
"Yeah. If you assume you can't win, nothing will work out. So get your heads straight. We can do this."
Gregory was beginning to grasp a way to claim victory in the coming war. In his previous life, the Blandi Kingdom and the Arme Kingdom had fiercely battled back and forth.
Arme had a stronger defense than offense, making it difficult to mount a counterattack.
For that reason, it was common to use the knight order exam to fill missing ranks, then train and send those personnel to defensive positions in the rear.
That was why, until Gregory came of age, the frontline never collapsed.
But this time was different. With the Dawn Knight Order present, there was plenty of potential for a counterattack.
'Whew... Time to steel myself.'
Gregory was just as tense as the others. He may have lived on the battlefield in his previous life, but this was the first war since coming into this body.
If he encountered a powerful opponent right away, even Gregory might struggle.
At that moment, bells began to toll in the distance.
"Enemy attack!! Enemy attack!"
Strategic point: Lumiere. For the Blandi Kingdom to invade here, they had to pass through the forest. Even if their sight was obscured, the tolling bell meant the front line had already been breached.
'Wait, are they attacking Lumiere directly? Something feels off...'
It was suspicious that they would launch an assault here first. Lumiere was indeed a key point and supplied plenty of food, making it an obvious target—
However, the Blandi Kingdom certainly knew the Dawn Knight Order was stationed here recently.
For them to aim straight at this spot meant the Blandi Kingdom was prepared for all-out battle—which also implied that simultaneous invasions were likely underway at various other locations.
'This is bad...'
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