Chapter 159 : Chapter 159
Chapter 159
Kaa— Kaa— Kaa—!
Hwiiiiing—!
In an environment where Seria's crows and the cold wind of the early dawn mingled.
Leonardo, standing on the platform, looked out at his army.
The army gathered at the training ground, about to march out.
The atmosphere they exuded was truly strange.
‘The atmosphere is quite different from the ‘war on crime’.’
Compared to the war on crime, the eyes of the knights and soldiers were certainly more alive. It seemed they had all gained confidence in their skills through arduous training.
But even so, at this point, just before a ‘real war,’ they were clearly nervous.
Although no one said it out loud, a sense of worry about their families was also strangely palpable.
‘It’s just like what was in the <Future Diary>.’
Thinking, I took another step forward on the platform.
‘I hope my speech can relieve that worry.’
I calmly opened my mouth. It was more comfortable than the very first time I had given a speech in front of the army.
Seeing this, perhaps I too had grown a lot as a king.
***
「“Soldiers.”」
The King's voice, spreading across the training ground through amplification magic.
At that voice, the knights and soldiers straightened their necks a little more and looked at the King.
The king whom the army respected, the people loved, and the kingdom was proud of.
His speech was being heard not only by the army on the training ground but also by all the servants inside the royal castle.
「“I am truly grateful to all of you. For doing your best not only in the arduous training that takes place every day but also in the various other kingdom projects and labor, without anyone expressing dissatisfaction.”」
—….
「“And I thank you again. For gathering here to stop the enemies of this kingdom and to crush them. For gathering here for the little freedom and peace that we have cultivated and created.”」
Leonardo took a brief breath and continued his speech as he walked a few steps across the platform.
「“You probably have many questions about the upcoming war with the monster army. You all know your respective roles from what the knights or senior soldiers have told you, but there must be many other things you are curious about. ‘Can we really win?’, ‘Is there a better strategy than ours?’, ‘Can I survive?’”」
—….
「“As your king, I have a duty to answer any of your questions. It is the responsibility of a king. But I am sorry to say that I cannot answer all of your questions. Because, like you, I do not know much about this war.”」
At the King's words, the knights and soldiers bowed their heads slightly. Without anyone ordering them to, or giving a signal.
The reason the knights and soldiers acted so unconsciously was simple.
Because even the king they believed in and followed had said that he did not know much about this war.
But then.
「“However, there are three things that I know for certain.”」
Leonardo had come to the edge of the platform, closest to the knights and soldiers, and spoke.
As before, but now with even more resolute power in his voice.
「“The first thing I know is our absolute victory. This war is a war where victory is already promised. How can I be so sure of this? It is because my army—you—are strong. My calculations and senses, which have not been wrong a single time since I was the Crown Prince until I became king! They are telling me that we will unconditionally win this war!”」
—…!
「“The second thing I know is that I will fight with all my might in this war. I will be the one to enter the dangerous places before any other knight or soldier and take on such roles. And I will not leave anyone behind me on the battlefield. I will fight before you, and I will fight with you until the end. As a single soldier named ‘Nar,’ and as a single king named ‘Leonardo’!”」
Tak—!
Leonardo picked up the crown that was on the desk on the platform.
He placed the crown on his head and spoke.
「“The duty and role I have been given in this war. And to signify that I will keep the promise I just made to you, I will go to the battlefield wearing this crown. So watch! That your king still remains on the battlefield. With that, believe. That we will absolutely be victorious!”」
—…!
This time, Leonardo showed the army a bundle of documents that was on the desk—documents with a stone placed on them to prevent them from blowing away in the wind—and continued his speech.
「“This document is a budget proposal. For those who don't know what a budget proposal is, to put it simply, a budget proposal is a promise of ‘how the kingdom will use its taxes.’ In other words, it is the basis for how I, the King, will use my money.”」
—….
「“The largest item in this budget proposal. It is ‘support for the families of knights and soldiers who died on the battlefield’.”」
‘Support for the families of knights and soldiers who died on the battlefield.’
At those words, the knights and soldiers murmured. Of course, no one spoke out loud. In this solemn atmosphere, in front of the King, there were no such foolish and rude people in the Plank Kingdom's army.
Nevertheless, the knights and soldiers murmured. Of course, it was not a murmur of a bad meaning.
They were just curious. What the ‘support for the families of knights and soldiers who died on the battlefield’ that the King mentioned was.
As if saying it was the King's responsibility to answer such questions, Leonardo began to answer.
「“The content of this budget proposal is simple. If you die on the battlefield, the kingdom will take responsibility for your family for the next 20 years. Your elderly parents, your widowed wife, your rabbit-like children, whoever they may be, they may not live in wealth, but I will ensure that they at least do not skip meals.”」
—…!
「“That's not all. Your children will be given benefits when they enlist in the kingdom's army. If they accumulate merits and are recognized for their abilities, I will let them take the knight's examination. If they do not want to become soldiers, I will let them learn skills at the kingdom's various workshops. If they want to learn to write and become officials, I will also do my best to one day make that dream come true.”」
—….
「“The meaning of this promise is one. That just because you have died, your family will not be immediately thrown out onto the streets! But that if they work hard, I will make it possible for them to dream of a better life and future!”」
For the kingdom to take responsibility for their families even if they died.
For the knights and soldiers, especially for the soldiers, there was no greater encouragement than this.
For those who had already decided to offer their lives for their great king.
What more could they fear when their only burden of heart, their families, was taken care of?
Of course, it was best to survive and return to their families, but even if they couldn't, their families had hope.
「“If you protect this kingdom, I will protect your families.”」
—….
「“So let us protect this kingdom together. That is the way to protect your families.”」
The speech was over. The eyes of the knights and soldiers were already shining sharper and clearer than ever before.
The early dawn breaks. The darkness is driven away, and the sunlight shines on the tip of Hagen's sword, and on Leonardo, like a spotlight.
It is a sunlight that seems to promise victory.
Under that sunlight, Hagen, standing below the platform, drew his sword and held it high.
Hagen was currently serving as the temporary commander of the ‘Royal Guard Knight Order’ gathered at the training ground.
Chaeng-!
“Death to the enemy!”
—Death!
“Victory to the motherland!”
—Victory!
“Peace to our families!”
—Peace!
Lastly.
“Honor to the King!”
—Honor!
After the knights and soldiers filling the training ground shouted in truly one voice.
They looked at the King again. They were waiting for the King's words, or actions.
In response to their expectations, the King drew his sword.
Even that simple action, not because of his appearance but because he was a ‘great king,’ made him look like a true hero to everyone.
The King, Leonardo, looked at his army and raised his sword high.
「“March out!”」
—Waaaaaaaaaah!!!
At that roar, the entire royal capital shook in the early morning.
Though everyone in the royal capital was already awake.
***
The southern fortress of the Monster Mountains.
A silence flows through the fortress at the northern end of the Misty Port territory.
The early morning, where the wind from the sea and the air flowing from the mountains combine to create a mist.
Just as the knights and soldiers defending the fortress could not know their own future, the view obscured by the mist was so thick that one could not see an inch ahead.
The old general, Jereuth, looking towards the Monster Mountains from the center of the fortress, thought.
‘His Majesty… must have set out by now.’
The southern fortress, which Peralta had predicted would be the most intense battlefield.
Jereuth stood here as the commander defending this fortress—as a single knight.
“Commander, the message has been relayed to all the knights and soldiers. The words that the King said he would take responsibility for their families.”
At the words of the gryphon knight who came with him, Jereuth nodded.
Hmm—.
“What was the reaction?”
“Everyone was very happy. Many were moved beyond that.”
Of course. It couldn't be otherwise.
“And the Demian triplets who went out on reconnaissance have also returned. They say the fog will likely clear completely in about 30 minutes.”
“The enemy's position?”
“They said they couldn't grasp it accurately. Because the fog is much thicker on the Monster Mountains side than what we see from the fortress. However, they said it is certain that the enemy's main force is quite close. They encountered a few enemy scouts and had a small skirmish.”
“I understand.”
At Jereuth's ready nod, the knight asked back a little awkwardly.
“Will you not send out another reconnaissance party?”
“It’s fine. Tell the Demian triplets to quickly change into their armor and go to their respective positions.”
“Ah, yes! I understand.”
The reporting knight turned back. The fog was so thick on top of the fortress that the knight's figure quickly disappeared from view.
Ssk—.
Jereuth took out a note from between his armor.
It was a note on which he had written the things Leonardo had told him before he came to the southern fortress.
Since only Jereuth would see it, the exact dates were not written for security purposes.
—On the day the Royal Guard Knight Order marches out to the Ness Plains, or on a similar day.
On a day with particularly thick fog, the monster army's attack on the southern fortress will begin.
—When the sun begins to rise, the fog will clear quickly, and when the fog is half cleared, the attack will begin.
—For two weeks after the attack begins, do not open the castle gates under any circumstances. If possible, do not reveal the gryphons either.
—Two weeks after the attack begins. From then on, switch from defense to offense and attack the monster army from the south, coming to support the royal capital as quickly as possible.
—You will surely achieve a victory that will be recorded in history. If it is ‘Commander Jereuth.’
Jereuth had already read this note containing Leonardo's orders so many times that he had memorized it.
Nevertheless, he read it again, letter by letter, for peace of mind and conviction.
‘Blindly trusting the predictions of someone who is not here might be the wrong choice… but my king’s orders and advice are different. I must believe.’
While having such thoughts.
Jereuth suddenly thought of his wife.
‘Silvia.’
He hadn't told anyone yet, except for Leonardo. That he had married her.
The wedding ceremony was also very simple, just making love in the forest. Jereuth and Silvia didn't need anything else as long as they had each other.
Kkwak—.
Jereuth gripped the hilt of his sword tightly.
‘I promised never to die, never to get hurt. And never to be defeated.’
Those promises are very difficult to keep in war.
But Jereuth was confident.
‘My king has promised victory. And I have promised my wife that I will not die. Those promises are absolute.’
It was a good thing he had confessed before the war began, just as the King had said.
If he hadn't, he would surely have been unable to fight properly due to regret and worry.
‘…To be precise, Silvia was the one who brought up marriage first. When I was hesitating.’
Heum—.
After thinking for a long time, Jereuth took a deep breath.
Because the time Leonardo had spoken of was gradually approaching.
The ‘time’ when the sun rises and the fog gradually clears.
“Inform the entire army. When the sun rises, the fog will clear quickly. And when the fog clears, the enemy may appear, so be on alert.”
“Yes, I understand!”
A nearby adjutant began to relay the message.
And about 10 minutes after that?
Sssss—.
‘…It’s exactly as His Majesty said. He is truly a remarkable person.’
The fog that had made it impossible to see an inch ahead really began to ‘disappear.’
It was certainly a good thing that the King's words were correct.
But.
‘Then now… does this mean it's beginning in earnest.’
It was then.
Dung— dung— dung— dung— dung—!
Ppariiiiiii—!
Kwaeng— kwaeng— kwaeng— kwaeng— kwaeng—!
From beyond the fog, a sound like a blow to the ears, without a hint of beauty.
A grotesque sound of musical instruments that truly signified the advance of the monster army was heard.
At that sound, the knights and soldiers couldn't help but flinch, and their hands grew sweaty.
Through that grotesque sound of instruments, a thunderous shout, one that had to be acknowledged as strong and heavy even if it came from the enemy, was heard.
—Wipe out the humans!!!!!
—Kraaaaaaaah!
—Chweeeeeeeeeek!
—Kireuk—! Kireuk—! Kireuk!!
—Kkueeeeeeeek!!!
As the fog half-cleared, it filled the gap between them.
The monster army.
In front of the fortress, the definitely wide gorge.