The Village Defense Battle
It had been dark when I crossed the bridge, but I didn't need any torches. Even when I reached the middle of the bridge, the clouds still blocked my view completely. The smoke must have been thick enough to turn the air into full-blown clouds. The clouds hung so low they brushed my boots, yet they didn't hide everything ahead. As I crossed the middle, the lights on the far side finally came into view. "Look there, on the opposite side." I pointed at the lights and spoke to Delphina. "Malon is still waiting over there!" "Yes. Any moment now. Be careful and follow me." Crossing the swaying bridge without a single light made Delphina and Lotte nervous. I was pointing at the lights to keep their courage up. So they summoned strength and pushed forward across the bridge. When we reached the far end, Malon wasn't alone. Chief Goetz was waiting with him. The moment they saw us, Goetz asked with a surprised expression. "Are you late? I was worried, so I waited. You didn't come back in the middle, did you? Did you really go all the way to the herb field on the other side?" Worried as they were, Delphina and Lotte sat down the instant we arrived and slumped over. I took over the explanation for them. "You two knew about the secret passage behind the herb field, right? A secret passage?" Goetz and Malon looked like they had never heard of it before. Their eyes widened in shock. I told them everything that had happened at the herb field. "There was a gap between the rocks behind the herb field wide enough for a person to slip through..." I spoke slowly, describing the duel, the explosion of the tunnel, and how I had to flee through the choking dust. Malon shook his head, clearly confused. "I have no idea what this is about. Knights and soldiers from Polska? What?" Chief Goetz, however, seemed lost in thought. "Do you have any thoughts on this?" "It might have nothing to do with it, but..." The chief started speaking without full certainty. "The Polska County is on the western side of our village. The count is old and bedridden with illness. His eldest son was set to inherit, but recently rumors have spread that the second son is trying to start a rebellion." "Are you suggesting the people supporting this rebellion?" "Of course there's no proof, but without a rebellion there'd be no reason for the knights of Polska to come here." "Hmm..." If the chief's words were true, it made sense why the knights and soldiers had been hiding quietly. Ion and the chief fell silent, but the hunter Malon cautiously opened his mouth. "I..." "Speak freely." Malon looked at the bridge. "I heard that long ago, before our village even existed, the entire area was part of the Polska Count's estate. The secret passage you mentioned... I believe it was made back then." "In any case, it seems certain that the Polska estate is involved." Thinking of it as a secret place made long ago by the old lord of the estate only made sense. No matter what, the village had been pulled into the conflict of the Polska estate. While we quietly listened and rested, Delphina suddenly stood up. "Even before we crossed the bridge, I said this. If the rebels are still hiding here, they might attack the village! We have to prepare!" Everyone nodded in agreement. The background situation was clear enough by now, and the safety of the village came first. "Yes. We should head back to the village and prepare defenses." I placed a hand on Delphina's shoulder and gave her the order. "Delphina, as soon as you reach the village, take Yan and head straight for the Polska estate." "Polska? Me?" "Yes. Meet the estate's warden, warn him, and if possible, bring reinforcements." "Me? If the chief goes..." Goetz shook his head. "I can't ride a horse." "Then what about the hunter?" "A hunter trying to meet the estate's warden is nearly impossible." "Oh..." The villagers and even mountain hunters meeting the estate's managers to talk about the rebels was difficult. Especially with time running out, it was almost impossible. But Delphina looked at me, believing a knight could easily make contact. "Then why can't our knight go?" "If soldiers and knights attack together from here, it would be best if the knight handles it." Delphina was skilled as a mercenary, but she wasn't experienced enough in battles to face knights. She knew this herself and her shoulders drooped. "You... really mean I'm the only one?" "When you head down to the estate, if the rebels attack, you can dodge or fight your way through. You're the only one with the agility to ride well and fight when enemies block the path." "I see..." The group covered the campfire with dirt to make sure it was out and hurried back toward the village. LT__div style="text-align:centerpadding:30px 0margin:20px 0">
As soon as we reached the village, Delphina rode off to the Polska estate on Yan while the villagers and I worked together to build wooden barricades. Bamboo was ideal for quick work, but it was scarce in central regions. Since it was still early morning, we selected straight logs from what the village had on hand and cut them down. During this time, I walked around checking the parts of the fence that needed repairs. A fence alone couldn't stop enemies, but a poor one was no better than leaving the gate open. I also found spots where pits could be dug at the base. We didn't have time to build traps or ditches, but digging pits would slow the enemies down. The basics of battle are to make the enemy uncomfortable and your own side comfortable. Placing a barrier like a fence in front of the defense makes this possible because you can choose the exact path the enemy will take. If you create traps or obstacles along the entry point, the defenders gain a clear advantage. This is why defense is said to be better than offense. The moment the sun rose, every villager joined us. We finished the barricades, repaired and reinforced the fence, and dug pits right in front of the entrance. For three days, the villagers worked tirelessly in preparation, with no strange occurrences. Hoping the rebels might simply pass by without attacking, we watched the soldiers climbing the hillside. They wore helmets shaped like overturned cauldrons and carried spears and swords, marching in formation. Two knights on horseback followed behind, directing the men. The moment I spotted them from the watchtower, Chief Goetz beside me spoke with a gloomy face. "It's... the rebel army." "It looks like about a hundred soldiers." When fighting estate wars, the count would call up around three hundred men. Add hired mercenaries, and in worse cases, even serfs would be brought in, making up to a thousand. Having only a hundred soldiers meant the rebels were right on the verge of open rebellion. The knights leading the rebel soldiers spotted the barricades and pits in front of the village and had their men form up. One knight rode forward. "I'll go out. When I do, close the gate behind me." "Alone? That's dangerous!" "It's fine. I just want to talk lightly and come back." "Be careful." I nodded and smiled, then climbed down from the watchtower and walked out beyond the fence. The knight also stopped his horse when he saw me. The knight looked to be in his mid-thirties. "Are you the free knight who defeated Adnan?" "That's right. And you?" "I am! Knut Goeben of Polska!" "Ion Rise of Bergen, free knight." "Are you their representative?" "No, I'm here on a commission. The representative is the village chief over there." I pointed at Chief Goetz on the watchtower, and Knut shouted to the villagers hiding behind the fence with weapons drawn. "As leader of the village and its people, I have a proposal! Surrender!" The rebels' offer to surrender clearly surprised them. "Surrender and we'll spare you! If you wish, you'll have the chance to become citizens of Count Samuel von Polska's estate before long!" The man named Samuel must be the second son of the count trying to start a rebellion. He was standing behind the soldiers. His armor looked shinier and more luxurious than Knut's. "You can stay quietly in your village! For the next two weeks, two weeks of silence, and you'll still have your life and live under the protection of Count Samuel!" The words sounded almost sweet. Stay silent for two weeks and you'll be spared if the rebellion succeeds. But if it fails, everyone who helped will die. Sweet words always hide poison. Chief Goetz thought for a moment, then leaned out from the watchtower and replied. "We pay taxes to the estate of Bedel! We want peace! Please leave our village alone!" Knut shook his head with a truly regretful expression. "How unfortunate that such an innocent choice would reject the count's generous offer!" He pointed at the soldiers standing in line with spears raised. "You will all die at the tip of these spears!" Just as he turned to leave, I raised my hand and stopped him. "Wait! I have something to say!" "What?" "Let's fight! If you defeat me, I'll take responsibility and convince the villagers to follow your wishes! If I win, you can simply withdraw!" Knut looked at the knights behind him. They slowly brought their horses forward. "No, no. That won't do." The knight introduced by Knut spoke next. "My lord is Count Samuel von Polska!" "Ion." I nodded without introducing myself and continued. "I am Ion." "You won't introduce yourself? That's arrogant." Samuel seemed not to notice his own rudeness. "Yes, Sir Ion. There's no reason for my knight to fight you. Why choose such a path with so many troops available?" "If I and the villagers resist, the losses will be greater than you think. Are you sure you want to risk it?" "Hahaha, Sir Ion. My knight is only Knut, and you have only these hundred soldiers. Most of them are just waiting here. Even if you cause some losses, more troops are on the way, so there's nothing to fear." Whether Samuel's words were sincere or boastful, I didn't want to confirm. "Even so, having more soldiers and knights is better, isn't it?" "More is indeed better. Then what about this?" "Speak." Samuel smiled slyly. "If the two of you duel and Sir Knut wins, fight for me." "Excuse me? I'm a free knight..." "Not that you must swear loyalty, but to fight as my sword. Don't chase after honor. Just swing the blade as I command. How's my proposal? If you accept, I'll allow the duel." Samuel's words were chilling. If you lose, I'll use you like a murderer in a pointless fight. But if you win... you can win. I nodded. "Sounds good." 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Power surge activated. Strength doubles when defeating enemies. Dragon Slayer title grants enhanced senses and extreme temperature resistance.
After I accepted the duel, Samuel ordered his soldiers back to create space. While they prepared, Chief Goetz approached me. "Sir Ion. Are you sure?" "It's fine. More importantly..." "Speak." I lowered my voice. "Don't be careless while I fight. Watch closely. If I defeat Knut, that bastard Samuel won't hold back his soldiers." "Excuse me? We already agreed to that!" "People who start rebellions to kill their own brothers won't keep promises. They won't even challenge you to a pointless duel. The moment I get weak, they'll attack. So if it looks like I'm about to be attacked, we'll all..." I raised a hand to stop him. "No, don't do that. Keep the defense perfect. I'll handle it myself. If the gate opens by mistake, you'll be attacked all at once. Never open it." "Yes... understood." The chief nodded and retreated back inside the village, closing the gate. From my perspective, Samuel seemed the type to order an attack the moment Knut looked like he would lose. Other rebels might have tried to persuade others or used lies, but you couldn't gather people by saying they'd fight as your sword. Whether Samuel thought he was honest or not, it wasn't honest. It was simply overlooking surroundings and lacking wisdom. I walked into the open space between the fence and the rebel soldiers and stood there. A moment later, Knut dismounted and walked forward to face me. Samuel remained on horseback, standing slightly behind his troops, ready to give attack orders at any time. Knut slowly drew his longsword. "Adnan was like a brother to me." "I only knocked him down. I didn't kill him. The tunnel explosion killed him." I also drew my sword and replied, but Knut chuckled. "If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have been swept away by the explosion." "Then if I hadn't searched that place, I wouldn't have found this spot either. Blame your lord instead of me." Enraged, Knut stepped forward and shouted. "You bastard! You talk too much!" As he moved, he swung his sword from below to above. Kaang! He changed direction after the blade met my sword. Knut caught the altered blade with his gauntlet and swung it. Whoosh! I bent my waist to dodge, and the blade grazed my nose and passed by. Then I straightened and thrust forward, but Knut still held the blade and blocked with a swinging motion. Clang! The hilt and tip collided. Knut twisted his sword and caught it in cross-guard, pulling it away. "..." If anyone else had been there, they would have lost the sword easily, but I didn't even flinch. Instead, I spun the sword caught in the cross-guard and struck it away. Ting! The sword slipped from Knut's gauntlet and stuck into the ground. Knut rolled back to dodge the follow-up, but I didn't press the attack. I gave him time to retrieve his sword. I could have killed him with this strike, but I didn't. The villagers and soldiers were watching, so I needed a decisive victory. Knut ground his teeth while rolling in the dirt-covered ground and pulled the sword from the soil. "You'll regret giving me that chance!" "If you're grateful, just say thank you!" "I-I made a mistake!" "Got it. Come at me!" The grateful Knut charged again and swung his sword down hard from above. I met it with my own sword. 'As you wish! If you want power, I'll end it with power!'