Chapter 168
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 168
Chapter Title: Awakening (7)
Something whose existence they were not even aware of.
Something they had never even imagined.
The world called such things the unknown.
For the cadets of the Cradle, the Apocalypse was exactly that.
A world where honor and glory had vanished, where tradition and conviction were nothing more than hollow wordplay.
An age where everything they knew had turned to ash.
A horrifying world that the cadets, who had been educated in chivalry since childhood, could not dare to imagine.
Thus, to the cadets, this ominous book of prophecy was the unknown itself.
When they first saw the Apocalypse, the cadets couldn't collect their wits.
Simply learning of the possibility that such a world could exist was enough to make them lose sleep at night, and the more faint-hearted among them even suffered from nightmares.
But the terrible shock diluted with the passage of time.
Recently, there was hardly anyone who even spoke of the Apocalypse.
Just as the cadets had finally managed to escape the nightmare.
“Knights are the suckers of this age…?”
A post appeared on Starstream’s anonymous message board.
“What kind of madman would post something like this in the Cradle…”
Who on earth would write such a vulgar post in the nest of those who dream of becoming knights? Everyone, without exception, checked the post.
『The age of knights has passed. The saying, ‘Only a knight can face a knight,’ will become an outdated relic of the past…….』
The moment they read the opening, the cadets knew.
There was only one madman who would write in such a style.
The madman who had so brazenly written of the thousand-year empire’s fall.
The author of the Apocalypse was the only one.
“Let’s see what kind of absurd nonsense he’s spouting this time.”
The cadets scoffed.
It wasn't the first time; it was already the second.
Being shocked by a terrible world filled with all sorts of calamities and natural disasters was something that only needed to happen once.
They believed they wouldn't be as shaken as before.
How arrogant they were.
It didn't take long for them to realize their thinking was wrong.
But by then, it was already too late.
By the time they came to their senses, they had already read more than half of the post.
Now, they couldn't just pretend they hadn't seen it and close it.
The lingering feeling was far too great for that.
The sequel to the Apocalypse was subtly different, though it seemed similar to the last.
If the first Apocalypse dealt with the fall of the empire and the rise and fall of great houses, the second described the hardships knights would face in an age that had been reduced to ashes.
The former spoke of the world’s transformation and the resulting shift in ideas; the latter spoke of specific methods.
Of course, the previous Apocalypse had also touched upon how the coming wars would change and what trials knights would consequently endure.
Even so, it had only been a general overview.
For instance, it went something like this:
Isolate knights by using their code of chivalry, then defeat them one by one with various weapons created to counter them.
The mere realization that the chivalry they held as dear as their own lives could become a weakness, and that they could lose their lives so meaninglessly to the spears and swords in the hands of common soldiers, had been enough to give the cadets nightmares.
And now, that nightmare had returned to them once more.
In a more concrete form.
『The specially crafted iron armor of knights can truly be called a fortress wall. The moniker ‘moving fortress’ also stems from that immense defensive power. But everyone must know. Even an impregnable fortress is bound to fall one day; there is no castle or fortress in this world that cannot be conquered. In other words, siege weapons that neutralize castles and fortresses could at any time become the natural enemy of the knight…….』
Among the methods were relatively realistic ones, like using ballistae and catapults, which were already in active use.
『The arquebus, developed by the dwarves and finally in human hands, is the most effective way to deal with a knight’s heavy armor…….』
『The moment it is covered in the powder called quicklime, the knight's vaunted iron armor becomes nothing more than a heavy, sturdy coffin…….』
『With a composite bow made of various materials and a longbow made from a single special type of wood, well-trained archers can, with just these two, halt a knight's advance and even go further…….』
There were also methods that utilized weapons they had never even heard of.
“What in the world is a bronze tube that spits fire, and how can it tear through a knight’s heavy armor?”
“Stone powder that boils when it touches water. There’s no way such a terrible thing exists in this world.”
“An arrow that even a knight’s eyes cannot follow, and an arrow that can pierce even a thick shield. If not one, but several are used at once, it would be difficult to block.”
There were too many to list.
A black liquid containing flames that could incinerate a knight, armor and all.
A deformed crossbow that could easily pierce iron armor even in the hands of a novice archer.
Smoke canisters that obscured vision and hindered breathing.
Projectile weapons that launched connected nets or chains.
And numerous other anti-knight-specific weapons.
It was horrifying.
The existence of weapons that seemed to have been created by the entire world conspiring to slaughter knights felt malicious.
But the truly terrifying thing wasn't some mere weapon.
『The behavior patterns of knights, bound by their code of chivalry, are extremely simple and, as such, easy to predict.』
『Without much preparation, it is possible to guide or control the movements of knights as intended.』
It was the way these malicious weapons were employed.
“There’s a limit to being treated like a fool.”
“The author of the Apocalypse thinks knights are idiots.”
The cadets desperately tried to deny it.
But the author of the Apocalypse had already predicted the reaction of the cadets who would read this.
『Undermine the opponent's cause. Knights will never participate in a fight without a just cause, so you can eliminate the enemy's knight forces without swinging a single sword.』
『By exploiting the knights' habit of valuing their reputation as much as their lives, it is not so difficult to sow discord among them and make them fight each other…….』
『With a minor provocation, you can control the timing of a knight's entry into battle…….』
『The easiest way to remove knights from the battlefield is through decoy tactics…….』
『If you can make the knights consider the battle dishonorable…….』
The text was filled with ways to exploit the habits of knights.
『Simply scattering filth on the battlefield can limit the knights' advance. The noble knights would never wish for the disgrace of being known as the knight who rolled in a field of filth to follow their name.』
『If there are two or more knights on the enemy's side and their skill levels are similar, praise one and belittle the other. The slighted knight will draw his sword to prove his skill. Even if the opponent is an ally.』
The writings, supplemented with examples for easy understanding, were closer to cheap tricks than tactics.
“Hmm.”
The cadets each asked themselves.
How many knights would not fall for such ploys, which were too crude to even be called tricks?
The answer was set from the beginning.
They would fall for it, even knowing what was happening.
“Truly vicious.”
“These dirty methods… we can just overcome them with our swords.”
Nevertheless, they believed that even if they were swayed here and there, they would ultimately be victorious.
It was just a slightly roundabout way.
It would only be a little more troublesome.
That, too, was a delusion.
What was written in the Apocalypse was not limited to simple deception.
Deception was merely a means to break a knight's fighting spirit; the methods for dealing with those broken-spirited knights were described afterward.
The cadets gritted their teeth, frantically reading through the Apocalypse.
『In the midst of these changes, what a knight needs to survive is…….』
So focused were they that they failed to notice.
That this ominous book of prophecy, which had gathered all sorts of terrible possibilities…
That the author of the Apocalypse, who had struck down the chivalry and convictions they held as dear as their lives by calling them weaknesses…
『The easiest way to neutralize all anti-knight tactics and anti-knight-specific weapons is to not lose the initiative, and the fight for initiative begins with the choice of battlefield.』
…had at some point begun to talk about the survival of knights.
By the time they realized that fact, only the final sentence of the Apocalypse remained.
『I pray that all who read this will survive the terrible war that is soon to come.』
* * *
“This time, they’ll catch me for sure.”
Watching the view and comment counts silently rise, I let out a sigh.
Even I had to admit, it was very likely I would be identified as the culprit.
Hadn't I conspicuously hunted the large-types on the 13th Front?
Anyone with a keen eye who was at the scene could easily connect the way the large-types were slaughtered with the Apocalypse.
If you just replaced "large-type" with "knight," it was a perfect match for the tactics in the Apocalypse.
Besides that, there was plenty of circumstantial evidence linking me to the Apocalypse.
The timing of the two posts was suspicious, and the group combat training I had led could also serve as evidence connecting me to the book.
On top of that, the Vice Director was already keeping an eye on me due to my deal with Jamal Rudiger.
It would be stranger to hope my identity wouldn't be revealed.
I didn't know for sure, but soon enough, people would start pointing to me as the author of the Apocalypse.
Perhaps I would even suffer considerable hardship because of it.
And yet, I…
“It was something I had to do.”
I had no regrets.
I already knew.
In the world to come, there would be no place for low-ranking knights.
Even 4-star knights would be on shaky ground.
Knights of a lower rank would be the first to be swept away by the changes.
And the majority of the Cradle’s graduates were at exactly that level.
With the exception of Bern, Amelia, Lian, and Hummel, this year’s Silver Eagle class wouldn't be much different.
I didn't want that.
I wanted them to stand firm and survive the coming tribulations.
And through that, I hoped they would lead the change.
Of course, just reading a silly piece of writing wouldn't guarantee their survival.
Still, if I could save even one more of them, that was enough.
Though I would have to accept a slight disruption to my own plans.
“Yeah. I can just slip away first.”
It seemed I would have to move up my departure date.
This time, there was nothing that would provoke the Imperial Family, but I didn't think they would just stand by.
They were probably already in a foul mood since Jamal Rudiger, whom they had dispatched as an imperial inspector, was returning without any results.
I planned to leave the Cradle before any trouble started.
When would be a good time?
It was a no-brainer.
“Today, or tomorrow at the latest.”
Why drag it out?
Especially since I was done with everything here.
“Well then, shall I get a move on?”
I was going to see the Vice Director.
He would be able to move up my departure date.
And I could collect my reward at the same time.
“Heave-ho.”
I packed my things.
Nom nom.
I also packed the Mandragora, which I hadn't been able to care for while I was down in the lower world.
I shoved and strapped all my personal belongings, including Barisada and Baegya, into my backpack.
“Check ‘send anonymously’.”
Just before leaving the room for the last time, I operated my terminal.
“This is my last gift, kids.”
I sent a note to all the kids of the Silver Eagle class.
Then I left the room.
“This is really the end.”
Leaving the dormitory, I felt a wave of new emotions.
The Cradle of Stars.
The empire's finest academy, which turned anyone into a knight upon completion.
Even here, I had failed to become a knight.
“Useless thoughts, useless thoughts.”
I chuckled and shook my head.
The flood of miscellaneous thoughts vanished.
“Goodbyes should be clean.”
My connection with the Cradle ended here.
I had no intention of clinging to a finished relationship.
“Ah…?”
But it seemed I was the only one who thought so.