Chapter 897 - Resolve
Dawn broke. Cypress laughed, and Krang laughed too.
It was laughter imbued with absurdity rather than joy.
"Those bastards were hiding that intentionally, right?"
"It seems so."
"Is the South naturally this insidious?"
"When it comes to being insidious, they are the best on the continent."
From the direction the Naurillia army faced, the front and left were a cliff and a precipice, respectively.
The opponent detoured and lined up on the right side of the direction the Naurillia army faced.
It seemed they chose flat ground intending to fight properly.
Matching Lihin-Stetten's movement, Naurillia also turned the army's head as if welcoming them.
One side is a cliff, the opposite is ground full of rocks.
It couldn't be called good terrain for cavalry to run.
Therefore, both armies didn't operate cavalry separately.
Instead, Lihin-Stetten brought elephants, a few knights already sliced them last night, but they couldn't just get drunk on yesterday's victory.
They had to spend a night full of vigilance.
Reason?
The initiative of the fight was still held by Lihin-Stetten.
Their numbers are greater and they have more hidden things.
Therefore, allies had to wait and counter.
"They say the best defense is offense, but that's not a saying applicable now."
Words of Squire Aurelia, Cypress's granddaughter.
What was needed most urgently in the current situation was time.
Time for the noble armies to join and at least fill up the numbers.
'If we fight like this, we lose.'
It's not a number that can be stopped just because a person named Madman Fel drew a line on the ground with a stick and said they would die if they crossed it like before.
If Cypress and everyone else said they would do what that madman did, would the enemy knight order just watch?
'Knights are stopped by knights.'
The basic premise of battle.
If the premise is not kept, only one-sided slaughter or surrender awaits.
'If the main unit's battle is lost while knights are fighting.'
It affects the knights' morale.
Even if it's a very small part, due to that small part, someone dies and someone lives.
Also, someone achieves what they want and someone fails.
The main unit stepping up to fight is not helping the knights' fight but hindering it.
To prevent that, Aurelia agonized over the best move.
The conclusion reached like that was that what is needed now is enduring.
Like that, the next day after a night passed, when dawn broke and it became time when distinguishing each other from afar wasn't difficult.
She couldn't laugh like Krang or her grandfather.
Her expression hardened.
The situation rushed towards the worst.
"All look like knights. Is that correct?"
Her eyes for seeing were exceptional since she was young.
Her insight was so, and her sense for grasping the opponent's level was also excellent.
Thanks to being born in a family revering martial power including her grandfather since childhood.
Of course, talent also played a part.
In her eyes like that, those people, the black lumps standing in front, all looked like knights.
Even while asking, Aurelia couldn't take her eyes off the heavily armed unit lined up in a row.
She reflexively counted the numbers.
Scanning once from left to right.
It didn't take that long.
No need to.
Since it's not in the hundreds.
'Forty knights.'
Total forty.
If they are all knights, it's become clear who the strongest on the continent is.
"Correct."
Ingis's answer.
Confirmation of knights threw her into a pit of despair.
Allied knight orders must block forty knights.
Only when this premise is established does something called a battle even start.
If even a single one of them falls among allies, can it be handled?
'A finished fight.'
Heart gets pushed back even before starting.
The interesting thing is that Aurelia also resembled her grandfather.
Her grandfather is Cypress of the Crimson Cloak Knights.
Possessed aliases like 'One who accomplishes anything', 'One who manages somehow'.
'Premised on blocking.'
Someone blocks.
Whoever that may be.
The King and grandfather laugh.
Laughing at absurdity?
There is such an aspect, but whatever it was, spirit that they wouldn't retreat here was also imbued.
Then what she had to do was also clear.
Even if fallen into a pit, crawling up again is enough.
She did so.
Spoke towards the adjutant.
"Convey that there is no retreat. The tactic is desperate fight. Even if we all die here, they cannot cross this place."
Should one say it fits perfectly with the spirit of the Southern front originally.
"We!"
"Protect!"
Since it's like the unit's slogan.
"Will block."
Ingis said without hiding expectation.
Whether he steps up himself or another steps up, this level of crisis isn't the first time.
The history of the knight order speaks with blood that soaked that cloak.
And the bright red cloak they draped was an object soaked and soaked again in blood countless times.
Forty knights wearing jet-black masks without even eye holes took a step forward while lined up in a row.
Cheok.
How well their hands and feet matched, it seemed they devoted their heart and soul to drill training for about a few years.
Putting left foot one step forward, left hand on waist, and right hand hanging down.
All movements were identical.
Acting as if they became forty pairs of twins.
It was a gait showing traces of enduring time of perseverance through training and discipline.
Although their steps don't shake the ground like elephants, the momentum was more than that.
The allied commander watching that gulped naturally.
Someone pokes their head out from among the knight order wearing black armor.
It was a Frog.
Both cheeks are greyish instead of white and there is no hair.
The sleek skin and the breastplate added near the heart were black.
The nickname attached thanks to the breastplate is the Master of the Black 'It'.
[Sam here, Insted of heart it's 'it' because frogs don't like to hear the word heart, as you all know by now.]
Also, a person who would sell even gods to win and a possessor of madness relieving desire through victory and slaughter.
"Hey, Cypress bastard. What will you do now?"
Frog's croak.
While the voice rang like thunder, the pronunciation was clear so the meaning was conveyed clearly.
Everyone on the battlefield heard that voice.
Some were intimidated, some slapped their own cheeks.
Some gritted their molars, and extremely few watched with a nonchalant attitude.
The voice even fell to the cliff and returned becoming an echo.
Raeeee-
"A Frog you know?"
Krang asked.
Momentarily his heart tingled.
As soon as he saw, the violence that entity possessed was felt.
That Frog would crush someone's head and crumble all ribs laughing if things go wrong.
Purely intuition, but it looked so.
"A guy with deep ill-fated connection."
Sir Lien's answer.
He came out of nowhere.
Cypress still had a face with a faint smile.
"Your Majesty. Please cover your ears for a moment."
Words spoken by him laughing like that.
"Understood."
Krang didn't ask back and quietly covered his ears following those words.
Cypress inhaled breath.
Chest expanded.
If he wore plate armor on the breastplate, the joints would have loosened.
Since he wore a gambeson and leather armor instead of iron plates, it only stretched as if to tear.
Seeing it didn't tear in the end, materials with excellent elasticity were used.
Reaching the level of a knight, one might show talent similar to a Frog's croak.
He shouted mixing Will into the inhaled breath.
"Frog-who-is-scared-and-cannot-even-challenge-alone!"
Although Krang covered his ears, his whole body trembled.
At this level, it seemed possible to kill a person with voice.
Didn't it feel like lungs shrinking and heart tightening.
"Good vocal cords."
Opening mouth to speak, ears feel muffled.
Couldn't hear his own voice well.
Sir Lien blocked the front, if he didn't, eardrums seemed likely to burst.
"I don't accept provocations. Bastard!"
From far away, the Frog received those words.
In a way, it sounded like a very friendly conversation.
Isn't it a conversation likely to be shared by close friends meeting after a long time.
"I Know. Just tried it."
Cypress also answered with appropriate volume.
Speaking of the beginning of these two, one would have to go to the days when Cypress didn't have any alias attached.
One must also speak of the moment leaving a long scar on his chest, and must discuss the moment surviving against five knights.
A truly deep connection.
Because that Frog existed, Cypress made constant efforts to reach the present, and that was the same for the Frog too.
Two who met as enemies and ran stimulating each other.
"Doesn't seem like that's all either, my feeling says so."
Lien said checking his armament.
It was words directed at the forty knights.
He tightened the gauntlets, greaves, elbow guards, etc. attached to his hands.
It was clearly specially made armament.
Meaning an object imbued even with magical attainments.
Tightening and pulling the clasp inside the forearm without using strings, it's armor sticking to the body as if wearing clothes.
Looking closely at the pulling, strings made of metal were seen instead of leather strings.
Equipment imbued with amazing technology.
Krang checked his voice a few times Ah-ah- and looked forward again.
'Forty knights.'
Words Enkrid said sometime came to mind.
"Not all knights are the same."
Enkrid when saying those words was excited, expectant, and looked happy.
Just as a born climber is happy meeting a new mountain, he was happy knowing becoming a knight wasn't the end.
The friend discussed the level of knights.
Then if one becomes a knight with such extraordinary level, can one deal with forty knights alone?
Unknown.
In battle, Krang is an immature King.
Actually, he thinks he is immature even in the field of politics himself.
Because he is immature in everything like that, he trusted others.
Trusted those helping him and standing by his side.
Trust was Krang's sharpest sword and thickest shield.
"Sir."
The King calls.
"Please speak."
Cypress answered.
"Will you block them?"
"Of course."
There was no meaning implied in this short question and answer.
Literally as is.
Krang spoke and turned his gaze around.
The Madmen Knights killed elephants and blocked the vanguard yesterday.
That prestige faded as soon as dawn broke.
To fade the meaning of such an achievement in just one night.
'Great Emperor, you must be an amazing human too.'
Those who had that achievement stolen also examined the enemy's movements from one side as soon as dawn broke.
Krang's gaze briefly touched them and stopped.
Is it enough if they all join?
Even if not an expert in battle, he knew one thing.
That is not all of the enemy.
Forty knights might be the real vanguard they prepared.
Then who blocks the knights remaining behind that?
Krang didn't sweat cold sweat.
Rather than trembling hands and feet facing a crisis, he just ruminated on what he had to do.
Now is not the time for him to step up.
Then he just waits for the time quietly.
"Shall the two of us do this together?"
Lien asked.
Cypress shook his head.
He also knows.
Those forty are not the end but the start.
The Great Emperor's intention shown as soon as dawn broke was vivid.
His voice is heard.
Although a bit personal, Cypress saw that voice as another's, not the Great Emperor's.
Meaning he heard the voice of the Frog Beharli possessing a nasty temper.
"What will you really do? If you drain strength here, you die by me later."
Cypress laughed.
Kuk-kuk laughter came out naturally.
Anyway, a guy rolling petty tricks incessantly for a Frog.
Crazy Frog drunk on victory and slaughter.
He grasped his weapon and took a step forward.
Pararak, the red cloak covered his back then fluttered riding the wind.
The cloak forged from the fur of a Sun Beast bounces off most spells and conveys warmth to the body of the one wearing it.
Receiving the warmth of the cloak with Will, he changed it to heat and warmed his body.
Thanks to that, there was no need to warm up separately.
Appropriate heat relaxes muscles and would change into a weapon exerting strength as much as needed at the necessary moment.
Since a knight's body becomes a weapon immediately.
He drew the sword as is and aimed forward.
His weapon was a single longsword.
Naturally an inscribed weapon.
The name of the sword is Resolve.
In other words, determination.
Cypress opened his mouth walking forward alone.
"I will block alone. Everyone just watch. I swear on my Will now to block them alone."
Accomplishing anything, managing somehow.
What is the meaning contained in these two?
Resolve.
Cypress's real alias was the Knight of Resolve.
***
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