Chapter 129 : The Days Toward the Rostingia Marcher Lordship (13)
Chapter 129: The Days Toward the Rostingia Marcher Lordship (13)
“Forget it! Is this the time to be saying such things!”
Mage Agpiel shouted abruptly, perhaps out of embarrassment.
“Look here, messenger. Are you certain of what you saw?”
“Yes, yes. Sage. The knights of the monastic order are fighting a horde of goblins while singing blessed hymns.”
“Mmm....”
Only then did Mage Agpiel step back and swallow a groan.
Though priests unified by faith often behaved irrationally, he wondered if this wasn't going too far.
“There is no time for that. Since a battle’s broken out, let’s go support them. We can't have them complaining later that we saw them and turned away. Would that be alright? Branch Manager Marhen.”
“Yes. If the situation’s like this, we must move.”
“Thank you. Miles-!”
Shatien, having received permission from Branch Manager Marhen, hurriedly called for Miles.
“Hahahaha Shatien! Just say the word! I’ve prepared the boys so they can all jump out right away.”
“Good! Let’s go at once. Hyah!”
Shatien nodded, immediately spurred his horse, and headed toward the front. There, Count Joberham’s knights were already finished with battle preparations alongside their squires.
“Oh! Sir Shatien!”
“Indeed. I knew you’d come. There’s no way Sir Shatien, who knows honor, would refuse a battle!”
“Hahahaha. Sir! Please stand at the front with us. We ask you to lead the vanguard of our honorable charge!”
“That’s right. Sir!!”
“……?”
Shatien wasn't bothered by the favor they showed him, as he’d heard it throughout the journey, but he was flabbergasted that those elf knights would yield the lead of the charge.
He was so stunned that he wondered if these elf knights were under the influence of a cursed mystery and being forcibly controlled.
However, the eyes of the elf knights, who were smiling brightly, were full of vivid life and as clear as crystal.
“What do you say?”
“Uh.... Hmm. I understand. I’ll stand in the vanguard.”
“Whoo-oo-oo-oo-oo!!”
“Squires! Look. Soon you’ll witness the martial prowess of the honorable knight among knights, Sir Shatien, with your own eyes!”
“Take up your weapons! Warriors of the North! We die here today!”
At the elf knight’s shout, the squires mounted on horses drew their swords in unison and cheered.
“…….”
Shatien was somewhat dumbfounded, of course.
* * *
“Kyoooooooot!”
“For an honorable death-!”
“Today I shall meet a proud death before God! Kyaaaaaat!”
Led by Shatien, the elf knights and their subordinate squires formed ranks and spurred their horses.
Usually, one would approach by reducing speed appropriately until the opponent’s line appeared and then sprint at full power once the enemies’ heads were visible.
However, these brave elf knights didn't even do that.
They were continuously spurring their horses and increasing their speed.
'These crazy bastards? Ah wait, they weren't human. These pointy-ear bastards?!'
Even the squires, who should’ve calmed them down and given advice, had their eyes rolled back and were constantly picking up speed, so Shatien had no other choice.
“Ugh. Fine! Let’s go! Hyah!”
He had to urge his horse along with them.
Of course, the elf knights liked this nonsensical behavior even more.
“Hahahaha!! As expected of Sir Shatien!”
“Kyoooooooot! Increase the speed more! Follow closely and support the rear!”
Though it looked somewhat excessive, the renown of the elf knights was certainly authentic.
-Neigh!
-Thump-thump-thump-thump.
The elf knights standing at the very front with Shatien let out fierce shouts and maintained their momentum without falling behind.
In fact, when he thought about it, it was only natural.
Was a knight not someone who spent decades honing killing techniques and lived with horses to ride them skillfully?
Those who lived with death and desired an honorable passing. They clearly showed why they were knights, and elf knights at that.
-Cruuuunch!
-Crackle!
Before they knew it, they’d leaped over the collapsed wooden fence of the village and entered, crushing the goblin horde that was running wild inside.
-Kyagak! Kyagigagyagagagak!
-Gyack!! Kyagyagyagak!
Goblins were sent flying in heaps by the impact of that immense mass.
The surviving goblins were terrified as they saw the massacre occurring behind them.
Possessing some semblance of intelligence, they hurriedly turned their bodies to try and block the attack from the rear, but the elf knights weren't about to leave them be.
“Kyooooooot!”
“You filthy goblins! Die, die!!”
It was after the charge.
Since they’d entered deep into the broken lines of the opponent, what remained now depended on individual skill.
-Crunch!
-Craaaack!
The elf knights and the squires following behind swung their swords very bravely and precisely.
Even though swinging a sword from horseback was no easy task, it was as natural as breathing for them.
-Kyagak!
-Kyagyagyagyagya!
It wasn't a force that could be stopped by crude weapons or armor made of leather.
With every swing, the heads and torsos of the goblins were split wide open.
Literally, from the goblins' perspective, a disaster had fallen in the middle of the night. However, there was something even more terrifying for the goblins.
“Chah-hah-hat!”
It was Shatien.
He’d been cursing the elf knights for being ignorant just moments ago, but now he was emitting a monstrous momentum and harvesting goblin heads at the very front.
Sometimes with his sword.
-Slice!
-Snip!
At other times, he used the horse to deliver an impact.
-Neighhhh!
-Crackle!
-Bang!
At other times, he skillfully commanded the squires and even drove the enemies.
“Press them from the left! That’s the most vulnerable part of their line!”
“Y-Yes!! Understood! Hyah!”
-Kigigigik! Gyack! Kyagyagyagak!
It was a true disaster for the goblin horde. And when a goblin leader, who appeared to be the commander, stepped forward bravely.
-Whish!
-Crunch!
Shatien had already thrown a crude spear snatched from a goblin like lightning and killed him. Already four such commander goblins had died. There was no way the local goblin units could withstand their attack.
-Kyagyagyagyagyagyagya!
-Kyagyak!
In an instant, the goblin lines began to melt away like cheese exposed to intense heat.
They seemed to endure for a moment, but it was truly only for a moment. Since the commanders who managed them had all died, it was time for their wild instincts to erupt.
“Stop!! We must reorganize the lines. Sirs!”
Shatien shouted toward the knights who were trying to chase the goblins scattering in all directions.
“But they’re still…!”
“That’s right. Sir! We must chase them and eradicate them all like this!”
The elf knights shouted with impatient expressions while looking at the fleeing goblins.
“Warriors. We came here first to support the monastic knights who arrived before us. We don't even know where they are yet.”
“Hmmmmm.”
The elf knights drooped both ears as if they were extremely disappointed. Though they had beautiful faces, seeing grown men, especially those who’d been slaughtering goblins and splattering blood until just now, making such expressions gave Shatien the creeps.
Shatien ignored the sight and ordered the squires.
“If there’re any injured, treat them quickly and reorganize. If there’re any villagers hiding nearby, find them and call them. I must grasp the situation.”
“Understood. Sir Shatien.”
He’d clearly come to support because the monastic knights were said to be fighting, but what he met at the village entrance was a horde of goblins numbering in the hundreds.
Which meant....
'It sounds like they were pushed back by the continuous attacks of the goblins and are isolated somewhere....'
However, no matter how many goblins there were, he wondered if it made sense for knights, and monastic knights with strict discipline at that, to be pushed back.
Wasn't there an obvious difference in strength?
While he was thinking about the strangeness of the situation.
“Sir Shatien! I found one villager who was hiding in a floor storage inside a house. He says he has something to testify.”
The squire luckily brought an old man from the village.
“Oh?”
“I-It’s an honor to meet a noble lord.”
“Now. There’s no need for such excessive manners. So you have something to testify?”
“Yes. Currently, the monastic knights are holding out at the village hall.”
“?”
Shatien was flabbergasted.
“They’re holding out?”
“Yes. I understand they told us to hide because of the repeatedly swarming goblins and then hurriedly retreated there.”
“Huh....”
He simply couldn't understand what was happening. Shatien was only more bewildered by the old man’s words.
'A knight-class force is being pushed back?'
It meant there was some other unusual circumstance rather than just a general event.
Of course, our elf knights didn't seem to think so at all.
“Hmm? Those monastic bastards are always like that.”
“Sir! There’s no need to think deeply! Monastic knights are originally incompetent. They just spend their time inside praying and practicing swordsmanship, so only their swordsmanship looks a bit flashy.”
“That’s right. They’re just softies. Softies! If we perform a lance charge, we can just take care of those goblin bastards. Sir! Your command!”
“Please! A command to charge!!”
The elf knights, who were desperate for battle, shouted while panting. If he didn't speak, they looked ready to charge by themselves at any moment.
Shatien simply couldn't gauge how to handle these madmen.
Shatien looked at the squire beside him with a sigh.
“Go to the main body quickly and call Mage Agpiel. And tell the approaching mercenary unit to hurry and join us.”
“Understood-!”
And then, looking at the elf knights who were still fidgeting, Shatien nodded.
“Fine. Let’s go!”
“Oooh! As expected, the Sir is a great knight! Unlike those cowards.”
“Charge! It is another charge!!!! You slowpokes, prepare quickly. If you can't support Sir Shatien properly, I’ll whip you!”
It was a shout that made his head throb slightly, but what did it matter.
If the worst came to worst, he could just retreat and join the main body.
Thinking so, Shatien shouted once more.
“Charge! Today we save our brothers of the monastic order!”
“Kyooooooot!”
“Chaaaarrrrrge!”
“Let us show those monastic softies what a knight is! Kyooooot!”
* * *
-Rumbleeeee.
Led by Shatien, five elf knights and ten squires began to gallop through the darkness.
It was difficult to see ahead inside the village where a thick darkness’d fallen.
Shatien scanned the surroundings without letting go of the string of tension even while charging on his horse.
'If the monastic knights retreated to hold out, there’s definitely something there.'
If he was careless and thought it was just a goblin horde, it could result in great damage.
Furthermore, the elf knights who came with him weren't of just any status, were they? They were knights serving under Count Joberham.
Since the reputations of their families were illustrious, he might incur resentment if they were injured for no reason.
'Safety should be first, after all.'
While he was running with such thoughts, the village hall brightly lit by torches and the chorus of hymns sung by the monastic knights struck his ears from a bit of a distance.
-♩♪~♫ ~♫♪♪
It seemed they hadn’t gone down yet.
Shatien brightened.
But at the same time.
“……??!”
“?!?!?!?!?”
Shatien and the elf knights nearly lost their grip on the reins for a moment.
“My God!”
“Is God trying to grant me an honorable death today?”
“Ancestors. My father who passed away before me! Today I shall write a tremendous achievement and go to your side.”
Through the light of the torches lit by the monastic knights, an incredible number of goblins were visible.
Furthermore.
-Grrrrrrr!
-Rooooaaar!
Accompanied by grotesque giants almost as tall as a man, massive goblins that couldn't be seen as mere goblins.