Chapter 217
It Was Empty, But It Was Full (3)
“Whosever heard of wishing for death?”
“I have no intention of dying here! How did I get here?!”
The nobles were all shouting in terror.
“What are you doing?! Go ahead and open the way for us!”
They pointed their swords at their soldiers, but these men were already locked in battle. There was nothing more they could do.
“All into battle! We cannot afford to care about this!”
The knights and soldiers could not afford to give any attention to their noble lords as they battled against the Imperial Army.
“Oh, I was stupid! I told the king I would value my freedom, and look where I am now!”
“Why are my troops, who should be in the rear, on the front lines, facing the Imperial Army?”
The nobles only then realized the truth of their situation and burst into cries of resentment. But by then, their troops had already been tricked into being deployed in front of the palace knights and the royal soldiers.
“Was it meant to be like this from the beginning?” one of the nobles asked the king with a despairing face. The palace knights became enraged by the tone of the nobles, who did not show even the least bit of respect toward the king of their country. The nobles had been shouting curses at the king over his willingness to let them die; they now shut their mouths as one.
However, it was impossible for that which was said to be unsaid, no matter what.
The palace knights were not about to let the nobles get away with forgetting to respect the king.
“Ouch!” The nobles screamed as they were beaten with the flats of blades, and they rolled to the ground. They had been reluctant to get dirt on their leather boots while wading across the mess of the battlefield; the nobles now quickly became mud-covered.
Not one of them complained about this because their biggest problem now wasn’t the fact that their clothes were getting dirty. The palace knights were beating the nobles with strong blows.
“That’s enough. Stop.”
If the king hadn’t spoken up at the right time, the nobles would truly have been beaten to death. They now stepped before the king, expressing their repentance and begging him for mercy. The king just stared at them – with the eyes of a man who watched a cow that would soon be slaughtered.
Then the king suddenly turned to the commander of the palace knights and said, “They seem to be having trouble serving their stupid monarch. How can I express my feelings of sorrow, and my gratitude at their excellent loyalty, in words?”
The king spoke in a friendly tone as if conversing with an old friend.
“But at this moment, instead of thanking these nobles for their loyalty, I’m going to ask you something, Nogisa. It will probably not be easy for you to accept, but you’re a knowledgeable man. Even though I know how hard this will be for you – I will still ask it.”
Nogisa had a bad feeling as he heard the king speak.
“My request comes in the form of a father’s desire for a competent knight to be at his son’s side. My request comes from the hopes and heart of a monarch who does not wish precious talent to pass away needlessly.”
The king spoke on, without giving Nogisa the chance to answer.
“Right now, I want you to take the surviving palace knights and troops from the battlefield. Then, join the Templars and get to the fleet. Do not leave even one soldier behind. Lead them so that they can safely return to their families. And…”
The king stopped talking, suddenly sighing.”
“That child… Ian must understand.”
A complex emotion arose in the eyes of the king as he stopped talking.
It seemed to be regret in some way, and in other moments, it was as if he was proud. And in a certain light, it seemed to be both feelings at once. Nogisa watched the shifting expression of the king and ordered the palace knights, “All of you, simultaneously gather the remaining troops and leave the battlefield.”
The palace knights affirmed the orders of their aged commander without hesitation.
“Hurry,” Nogisa urged the knights.
‘chuck~’
The palace knights brought their legs together and beat their chests with their fists.
“All glory to your Majesty the King. All luck to the champion of Leonberg.”
Their salute may have been short and crude, but the respect contained therein was real. After the palace knights had expressed their courtesy, they began leading the escape from the battlefield at once. Yet, some of the knights did not follow them and now took off their helmets.
All of them were old knights; all of them had gray hair.
“Now only the sludge remains.”
“Ech! I’m still a lively young buck. It’ll take thirty imperial knights to bring me down.”
“You want to bet? Let’s see who takes more of them, me or you.”
“Not a bad offer. You got a deal.”
The old knights spoke light-hearted words that did not match their weary faces. They didn’t seem to be embarrassed by their actions. The whole process was as natural as flowing water – as if they had talked about it in advance.
“While everyone is retreating, these knights will spread out and let our soldiers escape with their lives. These knights were birthed from tough seeds, your Majesty, so some of these old dogs may yet survive and leave the battlefield. Perhaps some of them will be forced to surrender to the Empire – either way, someone has to stay behind and force the imperials to at least crap their armor before gaining their victory,” the commander of the palace knights explained, in an embarrassed tone, why the old knights would not be fleeing the battle.
“Have I not told you that Ian needs an excellent knight like you!” the king shouted, only then snapping awake from his vacant state and taking a step toward Nogisa.
“I am grateful, from the depth of my heart, that your Majesty values me so, but there are already many excellent knights at his Highness the Crown Prince’s side. So, if a few old knights disappear, will it really leave a mark?”
And Nogisa wasn’t just saying that – there were many outstanding knights in the service of the multi-talented prince. And not only were they skilled with the sword, but they were also thoughtful and resolute when it came to dealing with others. There was no shortage of knights in Leonberg who encompassed the skills needed to serve a regent.
Bale Balahard had identified the Crown Prince’s talent and had even been embarrassed by the fact that he had once decided not to take Prince Adrian on as his disciple.
The eldest son of the Eli family had been frowned upon in the past but proved himself, having hidden his family’s swordsmanship, once called the greatest knight family of Leonberg.
There were the knights of Balahard from the north. Even if they had not been able to reach completion, their swords and spirits had been honed against the orcs, forging them into a class of warriors that were rare in the world. Nogisa told all of this to the king.
“Besides, your Majesty, if you’re worried about my successor, there is someone who is good enough. His skill with the sword has not yet reached the level of those knights I had just mentioned, but given his sincerity and talent, I assure you that sooner or later, he will also gain the title of champion.”
The old knight then trembled, asking that, since there were so many excellent knights by the prince’s side, if it would be okay for him to remain beside the person he had originally served.
“You’ve already decided on it,” the king said with a resigned face.
The king reminded himself of the nature of Nogisa, who would never turn back once he made up his mind.
“As your Majesty has already determined your will, so too have I. However, I am a narrow-minded old man without the great will your Majesty holds in your heart. All I did was to make up my mind to stay beside the person I served and be his knight to the end.”
The king clucked his tongue as he heard Nogisa’s words.
“It’s a sad sight. I can’t break through your stubbornness, so I’ll be remembered as a reckless king who jumped into the fire and led valuable knights to their doom.”
“I will also be remembered as a foolish knight who could not properly support his master, so there is comfort in that, your Majesty.”
The king laughed as he heard the old knight’s joke.
“A stupid king and a foolish knight…” The king repeated these same words over and over again as if he very much liked the sound of them.
In the meantime, the battle was approaching its end. The nobles’ enlisted soldiers had fiercely blocked the Imperial Army; few of them now remained. The nobles took notice of this and started to step back.
“Where are you going?”
White-haired palace knights blocked off these nobles.
“Although all of our bodies are old, we will stop you. You nobles seem to be heading the wrong way.”
“Wouldn’t it be better to die fiercely while fighting your enemies rather than die in disgrace under friendly swords?” the king asked as his fingers stroked his bowstring.
“Since I came to the Empire, my bow has become one with my hands. If I shoot forty arrows from the distance that you stand from me, only one of those arrows will miss, while all the others will pierce in between your eyebrows. If you are willing to test my skill, then run away or kneel before the enemy.”
The king’s tone was calm, but the words he spoke were a clear threat. The nobles became panicked; they had the Imperial Army in front of them, and the king and his palace knights at their backs.
No word better suited the nobles’ positions than ‘dilemma.’
‘Shh~’
Nogisa had been watching quietly this entire time; and now he gave a significant glance at the nobles. The white-haired knights saw his glance and suddenly started to prod the nobles’ backs with the tips of their swords.
“Ahhh!”
The nobles screamed as if they were all being killed on the spot.
“Oh. I didn’t know these blokes weren’t wearing armor.”
“Swords and arrows have no eyes, so it doesn’t matter if armor is heavy and hot.”
The palace knights spoke casually as they again stabbed the tips of their swords at the nobles’ backs, and those backs quickly became bloody.
“Fight. Die and become food for Leonberg. Some of the giant trees that will absorb your nutrients will be your own children,” the king said coldly, and the nobles still screamed. They seemed to have no intention of drawing the swords buckled at their waists.
‘chuck~’
And at that moment, the imperial army had taken care of all the enlisted soldiers and surrounded the remaining Leonbergians, pointing their spears and swords at them.
“King of Leonberg now surrender!” an imperial knight shouted in poor Leonbergian as he stepped forward, recommending surrender. The king didn’t respond to him. Instead, he silently knocked an arrow and aimed it at the imperial knights, who lifted their shields.
‘Pot~’
The king suddenly turned his head back, and the arrowhead he had aimed at the knights now found another target.
‘Woodantang~’
A nobleman who was running toward the imperial army with his hands raised rolled to the ground mid-run as the arrow pierced into his back. The other nobles flinched, and their feet grew heavy at once. The king looked at them with a cold face and then again drew back his bowstring.
And without a single moment’s hesitation, he aimed at the imperial knights and released the arrow.
‘Weedge~’
The arrow flew through the air and pierced into an imperial knight’s flesh.
“…!” an imperial knight said something, but the king paid it no heed as he fired another arrow.
“…!”
The imperial knights shouted angrily as arrows pierced flesh or bounced from shields. It was then that the imperial troops who had held back after encircling the Leonbergians began to advance, their swords and spears at the ready.
And there was a battle – the nobles who had tried to survive until the end faced the imperial knights first.
“Agh! Save me! Nooo!”
“If you spare me, I am willing to pay a huge ransom- Kraahnge!”
Without even thinking of drawing their swords, without a modicum of pride, the nobles suffered deaths that were not worthy of the lowliest soldier. Next came the palace knights.
“It was an honor to serve Your Majesty!”
“I will go ahead and wait! I will atone for the sins that I have lived with all my life there!”
“Long live the Leonberger family!”
The old knights had been stabbed and cut by swords and spears dozens of times, yet did not let go of their swords to the end as they fell one by one, not one of them surviving. All who remained was the king and the commander of the palace knights.
“Do you want to change your mind, even now?” the king asked.
“It’s too late,” answered Nogisa, and dozens of imperial knights let their sword auras blaze.
“Stay behind me,” Nogisa asked the king, and sliced his sword out in a silver trajectory, and many imperial knights fell to the ground, spewing blood.
However, one hand cannot block ten hands, and Nogisa soon became a bloodied man.
“I am Schmilde Stuttgart! I am a champion of Leonberg and his Majesty’s knight!” Nogisa shouted as he ripped off his hanging breastplate and pauldrons and fixed his sword again.
At that time, three knights with intense energy emerged from the rear of the Imperial Army.
They were paladins. The paladins drew their swords, and Nogisa extended his blade, welcoming them.
The old knight did not step back as the paladins met him; he fought on without hesitation.
When Nogisa showed no signs of retreating, the imperial paladins shouted something while they fanned out. They raised their energy, and only then did Nogisa start stepping back.
In that instant, ten of the Empire’s knights stepped forward. Realizing their intentions, the old knight swung his sword desperately while facing the paladins, but they persisted in holding him away from the king. The sword strikes of Nogisa became a dizzying flurry, and his wounds sharply increased.
Tears in the fabric of his flesh weren’t what was important now, though. Nogisa met the paladins’ swords while his eyes tracked the king.
King Lionel let loose an arrow, and one of the imperial knights died as the missile pierced through the eye slit of his helm. The remaining nine knights avoided the king’s arrows, however, and managed to reach his position. The king abandoned his bow and drew his sword.
“I am the King of the Leonberg Kingdom!” the king shouted as he vigorously swung his blade.
The imperial knights batted his sword away with ease and started poking their own blades at the king, toying with him, having a joke. The king quickly became bloody.
‘Qaup~’
A knight’s sword pierced into the king’s shoulder. The king reached out and grabbed the blade, and the imperial knight snorted as he started pulling his sword out. The king did not let go of the blade, however. The embarrassed imperial knight then gripped his sword with both hands, and it was at that moment that the king raised his own sword and rushed at the knight.
The imperial knight’s sword had been halfway out of the king’s shoulder; it now stuck back in deeply. The king’s sword sliced into the knight’s throat.
‘Dump~’
The imperial knight grabbed his neck as it spouted blood, and he fell to the ground, kneeling.
“…!”
Until then, knights had stabbed their swords at the king without sincerity, as if they were making the king dance; they now spewed their anger.
“Sire!” Nogisa shouted as he saw sword auras bloom on the edges of the knights’ swords. The paladins struck at Nogisa, and instead of blocking their fatal blows, Nogisa managed to dodge back. He hit the ground running, heading to where his king was.
The strikes of the paladins’ had sliced across Nogisa’s back and had torn into his flanks. Nevertheless, the old man barged into the imperial knights surrounding the king, striking out with his sword. He only managed to cut down three of them, however.
Four swords had pierced into the king’s body – through his shoulder, thigh, stomach, and side.
The king vomited dark blood yet lifted his sword and slid it into a knight’s neck. The other imperial knights twisted their swords viciously, and when they pulled them out, the king’s wounds bloomed open like bloody flowers in an instant.
And even then, the king rushed at the imperial knights.
“Gluchk- Me, I am the King of Leonberg!” the king exclaimed as he retched blood. Another knight fell to his sword, and Nogisa cut down all the remaining knights.
‘Sqwaak~’
An eerie sound broke into Nogisa’s ears, then. He widened his eyes as he looked at the king. A cold blade protruded from the center of the king’s chest. And behind the king stood a traitor noble of Leonberg.
“I was supposed to die? I struggled to make it look ugly, and it was easy to go down… Sire.”
The king turned around, looking at the man behind him.
“The only arrow shot at me today was yours, and it brushed past my vitals.”
When the king saw the owner of the voice, he lamented, moaned.
The aristocrat had been lying flat in a pile of corpses before he had suddenly stabbed his sword into the king’s back, and he now openly ridiculed the monarch.
Then the noble suddenly looked at the imperial army and cried out, “I’ll take the king’s head and come to you! Don’t hurt me!”
However, before the man could even pull out the sword that had pierced through the king’s body, Nogisa arrived.
“Now, wait-”
The nobleman’s head was separated from his neck, and he was unable to finish his excuse.
“Sire!”
Nogisa closed the short distance between himself and the king, helping the monarch to steady himself.
“I should rather be glad… their swords were aimed at me, and not my son.”
The king’s laughter did not fit the situation, and his laughter quickly became a bloody cough.
‘Hwaaa~’
The king’s body had collapsed.
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