Chapter 33
Chapter 33
The young girl's gaze trembled as she looked at her master.
And the emotion within those eyes was far from relief.
In simple terms, it could be summarized as:
What on earth are you doing here, old man?
Of course, Sera respected Sir Raccoon deeply.
Eccentric as he might be, he was more dependable than anyone else.
A man who had worked in the same place for over eighty years.
A winner who had married an elf renowned for her beauty.
A former commander of a royal knight order, even if the kingdom itself had fallen.
And on top of that, he possessed a quiet humanity, always looking after others without making a show of it.
How could she not admire him?
Under normal circumstances, his appearance would have felt like salvation.
But not now.
The enemy invading Bellark wasn't a force that a single individual could face alone.
Run away.
Or fight and perish.
Those were the only two options, and defeat was guaranteed in either case.
And if that was true, then the former was obviously the wiser and more efficient choice.
'He's seen more battles than anyone... so why?'
Her confusion only deepened.
Why was he here instead of preparing to flee with his lord?
'Has senility finally caught up with him at the worst possible time?'
Even his question—What are you doing?—made no sense to her.
The answer seemed obvious.
Someone needed to buy time.
Someone needed to draw attention away.
The invaders weren't fools. Without distractions, they would immediately notice the lord's escape.
And sacrificing only the militia wasn't right.
In other words, after living here as a dependent guest for twelve years, she intended to at least repay part of that debt.
"You think I've gone senile again, don't you?"
"..."
He was exactly right.
But there was no way she could admit that aloud.
Still, unlike usual, Sera didn't avert her eyes.
Instead, she glared straight at him.
She had no desire to argue with her master.
The situation was simply too urgent for jokes.
"Y-you need to run."
"Who does?"
"You... and Eden... Lord Eden."
"Hah. Did you eat something strange?"
His reaction was complete incomprehension.
The enemy beyond the walls wasn't exactly hidden from sight.
"Eh...?"
Sera could only stare blankly.
Maybe her master was the one who'd eaten something strange.
In this world, several hundred soldiers was no small force.
Considering Bellark's pitiful defenses, even Sir Raccoon couldn't afford to remain this calm.
"I saw you making a fool of yourself from beyond the gate. If only you'd act your age more often."
Yet instead of discussing escape, the old knight continued his usual pointless lectures.
Shing!
Without the slightest concern, he rummaged through the armory and picked up a massive lance and a claymore.
Both weapons were far too magnificent for a tiny frontier territory.
They were undoubtedly gifts from the previous lord back when Sir Raccoon had commanded the kingdom's knights.
"At my age, seeing through your thoughts is hardly difficult."
"...!"
Sera's eyes widened.
Her master wasn't dismissing the situation.
He understood it perfectly.
And he had still come here.
"Tsk. Children trying to act like adults only make themselves look ridiculous."
"Ah!"
With a casual shove, as though brushing away an insect, he sent Sera stumbling onto her backside.
The message was clear.
Stay out of it, weakling.
'Don't tell me... he plans to face them all himself...?'
Looking back on everything she knew about him, it was entirely possible.
This stubborn old man was the sort of knight who lived and died for honor.
His unwavering sense of chivalry was admirable.
But sometimes it was also a flaw.
People that honest and upright never knew how to prioritize themselves.
He would never sacrifice villagers or disciples to save his own life.
And laying down his life for his lord was something he'd consider perfectly natural.
"M-master!"
The moment she grasped his resolve, Sera scrambled back to her feet.
How was she supposed to convince him?
No matter how old he was, watching him throw his life away felt unbearable.
"My fellow squires are still children. The militia could at least pretend to resist before surrendering..."
She tried desperately to persuade him.
There was no need for pointless bloodshed.
"Child, you really do take me for a fool."
But Sir Raccoon ignored her entirely.
"Bandits who came to steal an entire silver mine won't be showing anyone mercy."
He was right.
Her argument was nonsense born of desperation.
"...W-what about your wife? You promised to spend your retirement together. You have children too."
"Oh, now you're dragging my family into this?"
"But..."
Even considering their relationship, her words had crossed a line.
He was a noble.
She was a commoner.
The only reason they shared a bond resembling grandfather and granddaughter was because Sir Raccoon himself was unusually easygoing.
"Impudent little thing."
Yet Sera couldn't help herself.
She knew he had once been a great knight.
She believed every tale of his former glory.
But his age was already...
'He's almost one hundred years old...'
Was it really right for her and the others to hide behind someone so elderly?
She honestly didn't know.
She had never seen him truly fight.
Only brief demonstrations for his students.
Nothing that revealed the power of a champion.
And because of that, she couldn't imagine him defeating hundreds of enemies.
She wasn't even sure he could defeat the monstrous giant leading them.
Unlike her, he had people waiting for him.
Family who loved him.
Which made his behavior all the more infuriating.
< Darling, we'll have so many places to visit together from now on! >
The bright smile of Lady Lucester, who looked forward to her retirement with her husband, wouldn't leave Sera's mind.
And there was something else bothering her too.
Every time Sir Raccoon scolded her, he called her a child.
As if being young somehow invalidated everything she felt.
Even though, in front of this man, someone in their sixties or seventies would still seem like a child.
"...What's wrong with being young?"
Grinding her teeth, Sera glared at him.
Perhaps for the first time in her life.
"This isn't pretending to be an adult."
Were her emotions running wild?
Before she realized it, tears had begun gathering at the corners of her eyes.
She hadn't felt this helpless since the day Eden lost his eye.
Perhaps it was the fear of losing someone precious again.
The fear of becoming powerless once more.
"Wanting to protect someone important—!"
But there was no reason to feel ashamed of that.
Whether she had once been a man.
Whether she was mature beyond her years.
They had still spent twelve years together.
"Even children can feel that..."
She wasn't wrong.
The sincerity in her small voice echoed through the wall path.
And for a moment, the old knight fell silent.
If anything, he looked more surprised than she did.
Placing a hand on her shoulder, he slowly opened his mouth.
"Little one."
Then, wearing the gentlest smile she had ever seen from him, he patted her head.
The child who usually hid everything was trembling with fear.
Perhaps he'd been too insensitive.
"You've managed to surprise me."
For once, his voice carried genuine praise.
He seemed pleased by her boldness.
Whenever Sera was honest with her feelings, Sir Raccoon was always unexpectedly kind.
"..."
A strange feeling washed over her.
As she looked at his unfamiliar smile.
As the cold steel gauntlet stroked her hair.
"Where exactly do you think you're going?"
Why did she suddenly feel so reassured?
"And where do you think we're supposed to flee?"
It was a bizarre sensation.
The enemy was almost upon them.
Yet somehow, she no longer felt afraid.
"This is Bellark land."
"And it is your home."
"Those people are nothing more than unwelcome guests."
The reason wasn't far away at all.
"It is they who should leave."
"Not us."
The black lion emblazoned upon his dark armor.
The countless glorious banners hanging behind him.
And above them all, his blue eyes blazing like living fire.
"So stand back and watch quietly."
Every symbol of Bellark's forgotten glory seemed gathered around him.
"Watch what it means..."
"To be a knight."
For they were the proof that Bellark's former greatness had once been real.