Chapter 287
Chapter 287
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: EP.62 – What Reason Does a Knight Have to Fight? (9)
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What if a giant white ant, weighing well over 60kg and charging at 50km/h, appeared right in front of you?
And what if there were a whopping 30,000 of these giant white ants, each with heads packed full of serrated teeth reminiscent of a shark?
Normally, one might think...
'Time to hightail it out of here.'
These things already had tough exoskeletons, and with average speeds of 50km/h—up to 70km/h at max—they'd shred any human body made of flesh and blood the moment they collided.
Even sturdy castle walls wouldn't hold up against a charge from those monsters.
They were a legion that could wipe out an entire city in less than half a day. Some might tremble in fear, even getting dizzy from it...
"The numbers look decent today."
"The locust swarm last time was scarier."
"When a million of them poured in, I really thought the world was ending."
"Quit exaggerating. Back in my youth, a swarm of three billion locusts flew over the kingdom, you whelps!"
"Nah, you're lying, sir."
"I swear it's true!"
Not a trace of fear showed on the faces of the soldiers—no, the warriors.
Their expressions held only relaxed smiles and eyes laced with just the right amount of tension.
Heroes of reversal.
That title naturally came to mind from the aura emanating from Modred's warriors, and the man leading them raised a tattered old flag that had seen better days.
A white flag emblazoned with a black shield and a ghostly face—it served as the beacon for all the warriors today, held firmly in the Border Count's hand.
"Aim!"
Clank!
Guns, cannons, and massive cannons of unusual design were aimed at the onrushing horde of monsters with a harsh metallic clatter.
Even as the monsters drew rapidly closer, the raised flag gave no signal.
As if telling them to wait just a bit longer.
Rumble rumble rumble!!!
The pressure and momentum from the approaching monster horde pressed down on their bodies, the ground shaking as wind mixed with dust blew in.
As the tension and pressure mounted with their approach.
"—Fire!!!"
Swoosh!
The flag swung down vigorously.
Boom...!
No sooner had the flag swung than guns and cannons belched fire, and the massive cannon of unusual design
Whoosh!
—unleashed [Flames].
Kaboom!!
In an instant, the blazing inferno engulfed the frontmost monsters and swept through those behind them.
Bullets and cannonballs struck precisely in their wake, and while the cannons reloaded, archers loosed arrows without pause.
Crack! Crunch!
Already weakened by flames, cannon fire, and bullets, the monsters were pierced through the head by hundreds of arrows and dropped dead on the spot.
Of course, some monsters even shrugged off arrows and gunfire.
Whoosh!
[!!?]
The monstrous flames, reminiscent of 'Greek Fire,' clung to their bodies with horrifying tenacity, leaving countless monsters burning alive within the blaze.
However, even this barrage had its limits.
Crunch!
Overcoming all those trials, the monsters finally broke through the palisade and charged.
But...
Slash!
"Where do these monsters get off?"
Since when had they been there?
The White Ghosts below the palisade unleashed a murderous aura as they carved through the monsters.
Bam!
Kaboom!
[??]
The monsters lunging at the knights were forced into panic as well.
Charging like cannonballs, they ended up self-destructing from their own momentum, while the knights remained utterly unscathed.
"You think you can pierce our defenses!!"
The knights mocked the monsters.
The White Ghosts' armor wasn't just grotesquely designed for show.
It boasted not only solid defense but also tremendous repulsion against physical attacks.
Yes, just like the traits of ghost-type monsters replicated perfectly.
Thus, no matter how fast or tough the monsters were, it meant nothing to the White Ghosts.
Their armor served as the ultimate shield and bludgeon.
"In your next life, never target Modred again."
Crunch!
"—Those guys are really fired up today."
"?"
"Ah, I mean it in a good way. Just the other day, they were fighting like soulless puppets out of obligation, but now they're going at it with real vigor. Probably got a boost from the letter you sent. Though because of that, they're all wasting stamina a bit recklessly."
"That's what you meant."
Sure enough, they were fighting with an oddly exaggerated flair.
...Like they were putting on a bit of a show?
Ah, but the situation itself wasn't theater.
Even if the soldiers and knights fought insanely well and the monsters died pathetically, from the monsters' perspective, it was maddening.
These monsters weren't weak.
Just...
'The problem is how seasoned and refined their combat is.'
Like veteran farmers harvesting their crops.
It was a one-sided slaughter. How many repeated battles did it take to reach this level of proficiency?
In monster fights, at least, no troops fought better than these.
'Did they develop their weapons themselves?'
One particularly impressive thing was the 'quality' of their weapons.
'Must've advanced their armaments from all the fighting.'
Lee Han had some experience in wars himself.
He'd seen plenty of siege weapons and knew full well how underwhelming guns and cannons usually were.
Yet right now, their firepower clearly surpassed the royal army's.
Especially...
'How'd they even make something like that?'
A weapon spewing fire...
And it wasn't ordinary fire.
Like napalm, the flames clung persistently, and the toxic substances further weakened the monsters.
"I can feel some pretty potent poison... You okay with that?"
"No worries if you're a knight. The [Soul Iron] armor repels most toxins and curses."
"Oh."
"The Soul Iron armor embodies all of Modred's essence, so this much is par for the course. Ah, but don't get too close yourself. You might get poisoned."
"No need to worry. I can digest even the fiercest venom."
"...?"
"This level? Barely a tickle."
"I-is that so? Fascinating. I thought only that guy had poison resistance like that..."
Kaboom!!!
As if he'd heard himself mentioned, he timely asserted his presence.
"Huuuuh!!"
Asking who was pulling off the biggest feats in this battle would be pointless, but if it was about who was delivering 'massive' contributions, one could confidently say it was that man.
Crunch!
"Aaah!!"
Felix.
His burly frame looked even more massive in plate armor, and every swing of the enormous flail in his hands demonstrated what overwhelming, downright violent power looked like.
Monsters fell wherever the flail passed, and even when dozens charged, each swing crushed two or three into pulp. Truly the visage of a butcher.
And moreover...
"Uwaaaah!"
"Vice Captain! You can't charge in alone like that!"
"Felix! That madman, again...!?"
The more monster blood he saw, the fiercer he grew, charging headlong into the oncoming horde like a maniac.
It bordered on suicidal, but neither Lee Han nor Garon seemed overly concerned.
And for good reason.
Crunch crunch!
It was obvious the ones getting pulverized were the charging monsters, not Felix.
In under five minutes, he'd smashed over 300, and now he sought new foes, relentlessly lunging at more monsters.
Modred's mad dog.
That moniker surely stemmed from this tenacity and ferocity.
"That guy's got poison resistance, fine, but doesn't the fire burn hot?"
"He's Modred blood through and through. With the 'Guardian Spirit' on him, he can move in hellfire for about ten minutes. Ah, that's a secret, by the way. If he knew about the Guardian Spirit, he'd throw a fit trying to rip it off."
"...Tough job."
"...It's depressing that I can't even deny it."
Garon soon stamped his foot and donned his helmet.
"Wait here a sec. Gonna go help that fool out."
"Go ahead."
"Heh, no 'be careful' or anything?"
"This isn't my battlefield. It's yours."
"......"
Garon's eyes widened at the unexpected reply.
It wasn't callous.
Rather...
"A fine answer!"
It brimmed with respect rather than pity, which pleased him.
Garon grinned and headed to the front lines.
Utterly delighted.
Bam!
"...He could get married in a cage at this rate."
As he marveled—not quite a compliment—at the old knight leaping from the 8th-floor palisade, Lee Han sensed someone approaching and stepped aside obligingly.
"Here to check on your dad?"
"Don't be ridiculous. Father's Modred's strongest knight. Even I can't beat him yet."
"Then why's the commander gracing us here?"
"With Father in the fray, the battle's as good as over. So, came to finish that question from earlier."
"Now, of all times?"
"Time must be used efficiently."
Hiss.
Cain Border Count. With familiar motions, he lit his herbal cigarette and took a drag.
"Hoo..."
"I'm not a smoker."
"Sorry about that. But no worries—it's made from medicinal herbs."
"Something ailing you?"
"I'd prefer if it were my body hurting."
"?"
"Yeah, if I had to name an ache, it'd be my heart. Sounds weird, I know."
"......"
It was a peculiar scene.
Monsters still burned up front, knights and soldiers slaying them.
It was a resounding victory, the kind to swell any commander's pride, yet the Border Count showed no emotion.
If anything, he seemed to be fighting this battle out of duty.
Then,
"How much do you know?"
"?"
"About us. How much?"
The Border Count fixed him with a sharp glare.
The languid demeanor from moments ago vanished, replaced by an overwhelming presence like a beast stretching after a nap.
Even depleted, a beast was a beast—that seemed to be Cain's true nature.
"How much, you say..."
Lee Han met the gaze without flinching, his expression nonchalant.
He could guess the intent behind the question.
'Testing me?'
Understandably suspicious. Wondering why he was here.
Nobles' paranoia, perhaps, but Lee Han didn't find it odd.
Not suspecting would be the weird part.
So Lee Han
"Hm, not that much..."
—opted for a 'perfectly honest' answer.
"There's a [Great Evil Spirit] sealed here, and because of a curse it cast long ago, everyone in Wales is doomed to die, right?"
"......"
"And you all fight nonstop in this annex to delay the Great Evil Spirit's curse, but it's like pouring water into a broken dam."
"......"
"Why the stare?"
"...N-no, ...you just know too damn much."
"?"
"Ahem."
Even when the other party knew their secrets too well, the questioner couldn't help feeling awkward.