Chapter 275 : Chapter 275
Chapter 275 : Pink Cloud Assembly #3
-7- The Next Generation
"Waaah!"
The sharp cry of a newborn wailing toward the world echoed out.
Everyone waiting anxiously outside the barracks widened their eyes.
"Ohhh!"
Soon, the men crowded tightly in front of the barracks entrance.
They were Ellen, Tiaro, McRay, Kendrick, and Clyde, who had just shouldered the weight of the name 'father.'
Grip!
The four men each firmly grabbed Clyde's shoulders and arms.
As their gazes locked, they nodded simultaneously as if by prior agreement.
It was a silent cheer and blessing that only men could share.
"It is a healthy baby boy."
The elderly woman who came out of the barracks handed the swaddled baby to Clyde.
Clyde's entire body trembled finely.
Holding the entire universe in his arms, it was only natural for him to feel a deep thrill.
Soon, he slowly turned around to formally announce the birth of Clyde II to the crowd, entrusted the baby to Ellen, and entered the barracks.
No matter what, Bonnie came first.
"Damn it, I'm so envious it brings tears to my eyes."
Kendrick muttered in a bitter voice. As a fellow man, at least at this moment, he could not shake the feeling that he had been completely defeated by Clyde.
"Ugh."
Meanwhile, Ellen, who had accepted and was holding the baby in his arms in a daze, was completely frozen.
Fearing that the child in his arms might break at the slightest movement, he could not even breathe properly.
"Damn it, to think it'd be a boy. I only thought of a bunch of girls' names."
Tiaro muttered. McRay glared at him as if he were pathetic.
"Don't lay a curse on Hugin."
"Why is it Hugin just because you say so?"
"Because that's what we decided."
"Crazy bastard."
While the two bickered......
The corners of Kendrick's lips tugged up slightly. A gentle smile spread as if the child's warmth had just been transmitted to him.
"Hugin...... It's a good name."
Just as a peaceful atmosphere lingered,
a presence was heard from below the hill.
Armed soldiers were showing themselves, leading numerous wagons and carts. It was a substantial scale, so much so that the end of the procession could not be seen even from afar.
"They managed to make it all the way here."
"It's all thanks to us paving the way so well."
McRay and Tiaro each blurted out a word. Kendrick also wore an expression that showed what was bound to come had arrived.
Ellen carefully entrusted the child to the woman standing behind him. Then, leading the three men, he went to greet the soldiers coming up the hill.
Before long, the distance between the four people and the procession narrowed—
"Hey, you went through a lot of trouble to get here!"
Ellen, who had stopped, spoke with both hands on his hips.
"……."
The knight standing at the front of the crowd raised a hand. It was a gesture to stop the following procession.
The knight, dismounting his horse, approached Ellen. Two soldiers immediately followed behind him.
"……."
The knight carefully scanned Ellen, Tiaro, and McRay standing across from him in order. Then, his gaze lingered on Kendrick.
"It has been a long time, Kendrick."
Kendrick shrugged his shoulders.
"When I first saw you, you practically reeked of a greenhorn. Now you look like a proper man, Sir Joel."
"……I do not see Clyde."
"The fellow just became a father a moment ago. Cut him some slack. Since Sir Joel was coming all this way in person, that doting couple stubbornly tagged along."
Since the Ludglen expedition, through the Conwell civil war, they had spent a long time settling the aftermath of the war together with them.
To Joel, the couple Bonnie and Clyde were grateful people who filled the empty space left by Eugene.
"Sir Knight, I guess we don't even exist to your eyes?"
It was Tiaro. Joel's eyes sank at once.
"Now that all the work's done, we're strangers, is that it? The blood we spilled for Her Highness to ascend to that position isn't a small amount either. You haven't forgotten, have you?"
Joel was someone who would flare up just from someone putting the Queen's name into a crude mouth.
As Joel took a step closer to Tiaro, this time McRay casually added a word.
"They say once the hunt is over, the hounds are boiled first. That's exactly how it is. This is why a person needs to be educated. The way the world turns is perfectly clear to see."
The atmosphere gradually cooled down.
Just as Kendrick sighed and was about to mediate, Ellen stepped forward first.
"Hey, Sir Joel. Think about it carefully. Honestly, don't we have more days left to live than Kendrick or Clyde?"
There was a bone in Ellen's words. For now, there were still many overlapping figures between the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult and the Kingdom, and all of them were tightly entangled in firm connections with both Bihen and Adeline.
But as generations change and time passes, that link is bound to grow loose.
"Let's get along well. Since we're people who'll see each other for a long, tedious time."
"……."
Their first meeting was not very pleasant from the start.
To those who had first stepped outside Brakenport according to Bihen's command, Joel had enforced strict etiquette, and there was no way that command would sound agreeable to those who grew up in lawless zones.
Originally, a wild beast could not be leashed.
Moreover, being peers, Joel and Ellen inevitably could not help but feel a competitive spirit toward each other.
The very fact that they had mastered Destreza and the Sail Sword Art, respectively influenced by Bihen, was perhaps like a kind of inescapable revelation.
***
-8- In Enemy Lines
Deep night.
The main camp of the Imperial Capital army, assembled to suppress the rebellion of Duke Bolton, was submerged in an orderly silence.
'……Huu.'
Hidden in the darkness, Lucian's eyes trembled finely.
The military formation unfolded before his eyes was of a different caliber from the ragtag armies he had seen until now. The intervals between torches, the strides of the sentries, and even the distance between military tents were precise and meticulous, as if measured with a ruler.
'It feels suffocating.'
Truly, there was no gap. The gazes of the guards did not waver for even a single moment, and the footsteps of the soldiers who periodically rotated shifts maintained a goosebump-inducing, constant tempo.
The path toward the main headquarters further inside, where the commander Noser stayed, was no different from a forest of layered blades.
'S-Should I just give up even now?'
Yet, it was not as if he had entered alone. His comrades had also hidden themselves within the camp through different routes.
Once Lucian signaled his success in assassinating Noser, they would set fires everywhere and stir up a commotion to distract the enemy's attention.
Taking advantage of that pandemonium, breaking through a needlehole-like escape route, and having even a single person return alive.
That was the best operation the Second Son Mercenary Band could devise.
Gulp.
Lucian swallowed hard. In any case, what was certain was that a full-scale war with an army like this was out of the question. Discussing the chances of winning from the start was a foolish matter.
Rustle—
Lucian stepped forward, selecting only the darkness untouched by moonlight.
As if he were part of the shadow, there was neither sound nor presence.
Step.
Finally, he reached the targeted spot. He had infiltrated deep into Noser's quarters, breaking through the strict security network.
'It's done.'
Lucian's gaze sank coldly, heading toward the bed placed in front. Beneath a faint lamp, the silhouette of a bulging blanket was visible.
Schwing—
He drew a dagger from his breast. Its silvery flesh gleamed chillingly in the darkness.
'Don't resent me. Because it's war.'
SQUELCH—!
'……!'
It was the exact moment he realized the tip of his blade felt empty.
Flare—!
In an instant, the surroundings brightened.
Lucian's head snapped back.
Before he knew it, soldiers were surrounding the spacious quarters in a circle.
Next to a young-faced mage who brightened the inside like broad daylight with magic, a man stood before Lucian with his hands behind his back, as if he were their leader.
"Are you surprised?"
"H-How—?!"
"Fufu, what do you mean?"
The smirking man was none other than Henry. He strolled around leisurely with his hands behind his back as was his habit.
"How do you think the rumor that Duke Bolton attempted to seek asylum in the Empire entered your captain's ears?"
"……!"
The expressions of the astonished Lucian and Henry, who twisted the corners of his mouth, crossed.
Henry continued speaking.
"Because you guys keep blowing hot air into his side, Duke Bolton is holding out like that without knowing his place. So, if only the Second Son Mercenary Band cleanly disappears, the fight will end shortly without either side needing to shed any more blood. Isn't that right?"
Henry chuckled. Just as Lucian's pupils shook, unable to find direction—
Jayden revealed himself from behind Henry and Ayan.
He was alone, without anyone's escort. It was because they must not draw unnecessary attention in order to keep the Second Son Mercenary Band members who had infiltrated the camp pinned down.
Jayden approached and stood facing Lucian.
"Surrender."
"……!"
"Her Highness cherishes talented individuals. Even if you are an enemy, she is not someone who ruthlessly takes lives."
Jayden slowly extended his hand. Lucian flinched, instinctively taking a step back.
"Now, cease your foolish stubbornness. If you lay down your sword here, you will be given an opportunity to live a new life."
Lucian's pupils shook violently. His trembling gaze busily scanned the area.
The old knight standing blankly in front of him somehow felt intimidating by his mere presence.
He was a massive wall itself that one dared not covet.
'Damn it!'
Just before fear completely swallowed his last remaining reason,
Lucian entrusted his body to instinct.
Swish—!
Lucian's figure rushed past Jayden's side. The dagger, which grazed and cut the old knight's arm, drew an arc toward the next target.
His target was the mage standing behind Jayden, Ayan.
Snatch—!
It was in an instant. Lucian snatched the nape of Ayan's neck and held the dagger tightly against it.
'I-If I stir up more of a commotion here, my comrades will be in danger instead!'
Taking a hostage and escaping here is the best option right now.
'If there's no signal, it'll be considered a failure.'
Then his comrades would each escape this place on their own. In the mercenary world, tight loyalty is a luxury. Everything comes after one's life is attached.
"Don't come any closer!"
Lucian backed away, using Ayan as a shield. He screamed with bloodshot eyes at the soldiers closing the encirclement.
"Put out the light, hurry!"
Lucian barked into Ayan's ear.
Soon, as if it were a lie, all the light inside the tent vanished.
***
-9- Pink Cloud Assembly
The northernmost tip of the Kingdom, the Demonic Realm Wintermire, which was called the endless winter.
Inside that vast white hell, the Heavenly Mountain was situated like a lie.
The biting wind that howled as if to swallow the entire world helplessly died down as it hit the walls of the massive mountain range.
Inside that area, surrounded like a fortress by peaks that had endured eons of time, air mixed with the fresh scent of earth lingered instead of a cold, fishy blizzard.
It was the land submerged in the abyss of oblivion, Partizan.
Bizarrely, the further one stepped inside this place, the more blurred the boundaries of the seasons became.
While spring flowers were in full bloom in a certain valley, the deep green of summer coexisted beyond the ridge, and next to it, maple trees swaying in the autumn wind.
Like a paradise arranged by God for the believers who lost their hometown, clear rivers and fertile land stretched endlessly, waiting for a new master.
The vitality of people was painted over the primordial silence.
The sound of axing to cultivate the forest, the dull hammer sounds building shelters, the creaking of carts carrying massive timber, and the loud voices of men working in unison blended together, awakening the morning of paradise.
Under the banner of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, the throb of pioneering flowed along the echoes of the mountain range.
"Lu-Lucian, please rethink this. This is a suicidal act. It's crazier than facing the Imperial Capital army alone."
Ayan wiped away cold sweat, unable to sit still.
It was already the fourth day of traveling together.
Although they had come near via a Spatial Transfer Gate, unable to overcome Lucian's threats, finding the exact path in this vast Heavenly Mountain was close to impossible.
And above all—
"To face Sir Bihen one-on-one...... There are numerous deaths in the world, but that's definitively the absolute worst choice."
Ayan's voice trembled.
Instead of answering, Lucian stared blankly at Ayan with bloodshot eyes from not sleeping properly for several days and nights.
After a long silence, a cracked voice leaked out.
"……To save my comrades, this is the only path."
He had heard on the way. That all members of the Second Son Mercenary Band who raided the main camp were captured alive.
"The Queen is the Iron Monarch, isn't she? It's obvious she'll kill everyone as an example."
"Her Highness is absolutely not someone who would do that! That's a truly nonsensical misunderstanding—"
"Stop. Stop it, Ayan."
Lucian cut him off firmly. He adjusted his grip on the dagger in his breast.
"This is the only method. Me defeating Bihen and demanding the release of my comrades in exchange. If we prove that we merely moved after receiving money and had no intention of rebellion, there'll be plenty of room for consideration. Because that's originally what mercenaries are."
Although he blurted it out like a set answer—
underlying it was a self-suggestion trying to deceive himself.
"Do you really want to clash with the Kingdom's Finest Sword that much?"
Lucian flinched in surprise. His head slowly turned to the side.
"A-Ayan?"
"……I really don't know. I'll probably never understand in my entire life. People like you."
Ayan's gaze landed on Lucian's face. Overlap with it, the afterimage of Bihen, whom he had first faced in the lair of the Crimson Flame Cult, appeared.
A swordsman who ultimately pushes himself into the flames even at the moment death is right before his nose.
That ineffable, strange ecstasy rippling deep within those eyes.
That was the exact reason why Ayan had been unable to readily approach Bihen until now.
'A soul dyed only in the color of violence.'
No matter how good the intention is, or how much one exerts effort for goodwill—
and no matter how innocent a face one wears......
on their flip side, something that surpasses common survival instinct lurks.
"……Even if you defeat Sir Bihen, do you truly believe that's the path for your comrades? Once you break him, with what face will you beg Her Highness for mercy? Rather, for the crime of harming her most precious person, you and your comrades will all be unable to escape capital punishment."
"Uh, th-that's......"
Lucian's mouth trembled. He was at a loss for words.
Whoosh—!
Suddenly, the wind blew. It was a warm wind that pleasantly tickled the skin.
Lucian and Ayan lifted their heads simultaneously, forgetting even the fierce exchange they had been sharing just moments ago.
"Wow—"
"Th-The sky is......"
The mouths of the two young men, who had not yet shed their boyishness, gaped open at the same time.
The sky was entirely pink.
Whether it was the twilight of paradise or a bizarre weather phenomenon unique to this place was unknown, but the world was entirely dyed in unrealistic hues.
"A sky like this, it's my first time seeing it......"
Lucian muttered blankly. Ayan also forgot to even reply to anything and merely blinked his eyes.
Whooooo—
A single leaf carried by the wind flew across Ayan's field of vision.
Ayan shifted his gaze, following its trace as if possessed.
At its end, a man was alone.
He was merely sitting on a low rock, quietly taking in the world turning pink with his eyes.
As if he were a still life painting itself.
Or as though he were a part of nature that had originally existed in that spot.
Quietly—
"S-Sir Bihen......"
Ayan could not help but be surprised. It was a question whether he was truly the Bihen Benkou he used to know.
Neither the light of fresh blood that wrapped around Bihen's soul nor that perilous madness that surged as if it would swallow his ego at any moment was anywhere to be found.
"Revere the Queen, and protect her country."
It echoed in the pink wind.
The voice was boundlessly peaceful.
"Always and everywhere, stand against injustice and evil to become a champion of justice and goodwill."
Before long, he was right in front of their eyes.
A state of nothingness where both killing intent and combative spirit had vanished.
"Live for honor and glory."
Before that overwhelming tranquility—
The dagger held in Lucian's hand fell powerlessly to the ground.
"Foolish swordsman, this is exactly chivalry."
Bihen smiled quietly.
"It is truly the path a swordsman must walk."
《The Knight Who Protects the Weak》 End
The Knight Who Protects the Weak