The Darkness Weighs Heavy
The battle in the workshop had dragged on for days, tedious yet unrelenting. Only when the sun finally set did the enemy’s assault finally draw to a close.
The soldiers who had somehow endured another day let out a collective sigh of relief.
The knights who had been standing guard remained, but the rest of the forces were allowed to rest.
Devin, meanwhile, slipped away unseen to meet with Diego in private.
“How skilled are the knights of the Second Order?” he asked.
“You’ve seen them with us, haven’t you?” Diego replied with a hint of amusement.
“I know their abilities, but not their levels. How skilled are we truly talking about?” Devin pressed.
“The best in the kingdom,” Diego answered bluntly.
“That’s not enough. If we drop a knight company into the enemy lines, how many of them will make it back alive?” Devin asked.
“Half, perhaps?” Diego suggested.
Diego’s reply was phrased as a question, but it was clear he had already weighed the odds.
“Then it’s better we don’t do it,” Devin said coolly.
“Hmph. You think it’s too dangerous?” Diego asked, intrigued.
“Isn’t sneaking into the enemy lines dangerous enough on its own?” Devin shot back.
“Is what you’re asking us to do similar to what we’ve done before?” Diego inquired.
“If it’s similar, then I’d say it is,” Devin confirmed.
“Then we should clarify something. You’re saying a ninety-nine percent survival rate?” Devin pressed.
“That would mean even the princess wouldn’t scold us. After all, we’re not dropping them straight into the middle of the enemy lines.” Diego’s answer satisfied Devin.
Devin sat tapping his fan against his palm, lost in thought.
The outcome of the war would not be decided by a single knight, yet the value of even a knight of the Second Order was immense.
Weighing the risks against the potential rewards, Devin finally unfurled his fan.
“Here is what you must do.”
***
The figures cloaked in black and shadows slipped away through the small side gate of the castle.
These were none other than the Second Order knights, disguised as assassins or thieves.
Their movements were silent and swift, blades wrapped in mud to reduce reflection, their goal the destruction of the enemy’s siege weapons.
The knights were already buzzing with excitement. Several had already drawn their swords.
“Calm yourselves,” Diego warned.
For such a perilous mission, cold reason was required to minimize losses. The fiercely proud Diego managed to settle his subordinates.
The most agitated of all was Nael.
He had spent too long sidelined in Roire because of his injuries. This operation would let him make up for lost time.
Diego watched him with concern.
‘Should I tell him to withdraw now? Nael would never listen.’
Fortunately, Ethan, the one knight who could rein Nael in, was stationed beside Chastan, making it awkward to intervene.
Chastan would surely lose control once the fighting truly began. Someone needed to stay close.
“Remember my words. Our goal is not to fight the enemy. We will destroy the siege weapons and withdraw. Understood?” Diego reminded them.
Devin had given the order, yet Jeanne had repeatedly emphasized how precious their lives were.
Diego passed the message on.
The knights exchanged glances and nodded.
They had infiltrated the enemy camp.
Technically, they had reached the hill where the balista and trebuchet were mounted, but it was far safer than attempting to sneak through the crowded enemy lines.
That was why Devin had entrusted the task to the Second Order.
The knights struck down the sentries below the hill and clashed with the guards above.
“Ugh!” “Gah!”
The defenders of the siege engines fell helplessly before the knights who had approached like shadows.
The target was right in front of them.
The thick cord of the balista was tougher than any sword could cut. A saw would be more effective.
Yet every knight here possessed aura. Aura, which emerged beyond a certain threshold, amplified a sword’s power.
Streams of light burst from their blades, severing the balista’s cord. The trebuchet’s supports were shattered as well.
In the time it took, soldiers on the hill noticed the commotion and began to surround the area.
The knights of the Second Order left behind whatever remained and fled swiftly.
Survival came first. Destroying one more balista was not worth the risk of encirclement. It was not only foolish but also not what Devin had demanded.
One knight stayed behind to guard their rear while fighting.
It was Nael.
Nael was strikingly handsome, yet he was the problem child of the Second Order.
His interests, not discipline, came first. Excitement and impulsiveness were simply his way of life.
Nobles saw him as nothing more than a noble-born troublemaker.
Nael accepted the label without complaint. The eldest brother had taken all the family’s expectations, so he had decided to shine as the family’s infamous delinquent.
Thus he became a dual-wielding knight. The two blades moved like a dance that perfectly mirrored his restless soul.
Nael kept the enemy’s gaze fixed on himself so his comrades could escape. A knight from Rotinzel approached.
Bad luck, or perhaps good fortune from Nael’s perspective.
Nael drew both swords and clashed their tips. A challenge.
The Rotinzel knight immediately drew his own blade and charged.
Nael grinned and swung his swords.
His left arm still ached slightly, but he could move.
The blades met.
Nael’s dual swords were more than enough to keep the opponent off balance.
His long golden hair whipped in the wind.
Finally, the sword in his right hand sliced cleanly through the knight’s neck.
“Kyahaaa!”
A scream as the knight fell.
But time had been wasted.
Once the enemy was down, the Second Order had already withdrawn, leaving Nael alone amid the enemy ranks.
“Ha. Good. Dying fighting the enemy is far better than being dumped somewhere stupid.”
Nael scanned the surroundings, searching for the next target to drag into the afterlife with him.
He leaped into the soldiers and swung both swords.
The blades spun like a whirlwind, carving out a trail of corpses.
Nael felt his strength fading.
‘How much longer can I keep this up?’
A knight, not just a common soldier, approached. Nael tightened his grip.
He would take one more with him.
Suddenly, a horse burst toward him through the darkness.
A jet-black stallion reared, its silhouette blending into the night.
A figure in a child’s outfit reached down.
Nael seized the hand and stepped into the stirrup, swinging himself onto the saddle with ease.
“……Your Highness?”
Only then did he realize who had come to save him.
“It’s Captain. I’ll take the reins. You stay safe.”
Arrows, spears, and blades flew from all directions.
Jeanne gripped the reins with one hand and parried with the sword in the other.
Nael braced his thighs and swung his dual blades with only his legs and waist.
Aura enhanced the blades, giving him a wide range.
Jeanne remembered Nael’s swordsmanship from their last meeting and could not help but admire it again.
“Dual blades suit an aggressive fighter, but they seem better for defense.”
“That’s why I’m good at it.”
“Why are there so many people around me who don’t know the word ‘humble’?” Jeanne clicked her tongue.
The Second Order was, after all, a gathering of knights obsessed with combat. Self-confidence was natural.
“Huh?”
Nael sensed something fast approaching and slashed at it with his blade.
He nearly missed. The weapon was no larger than a fingernail yet carried tremendous force.
“What the—?!” Nael shouted in shock.
“The enemy’s new weapon. Didn’t it arrive last time we mobilized?” Jeanne asked.
“……” Nael was silent.
When the knight demonstration was held in Roire, he had been too busy practicing his swordsmanship to care.
He had been excluded from the special unit, so this was his first time encountering firearms.
Ignoring basic military strategy by not knowing the enemy and not knowing himself was unforgivable.
“You’re exhausted, but pour every last drop of aura into blocking. The horse will be in trouble if it gets hit.”
The night was dark, but Jeanne remembered Nael’s aura color: a burning red.
“How did you know I’d be here?” Nael asked.
“I knew you would be here if it were you.” Jeanne replied.
Regress had changed everything.
In the past, the Second Order had not gone on surprise raids but had openly encircled the enemy. Nael had nearly died in that operation.
Jeanne had never considered that Nael might have died in such a situation.
But Devin, who acted first and reported later, had sent the Second Order on a mission. Jeanne had mounted the horse without hesitation.
Fate was a complicated, unknowable thing. Because of her regression, many things had changed. Whether the future would be different again, no one could say.
The worst possible outcome would be someone who was supposed to die from her regression actually surviving.
“I don’t know you well, Your Highness, but you speak as if you know me very well,” Nael said.
“I don’t know any knights in the Second Order. If you make me repeat myself once more, I’ll have you expelled from the Order.” Jeanne replied.
“My title comes from His Highness. No matter how much you’re a princess, it can’t be taken away.” Nael protested.
“Then I’ll send you to the First Order.” Jeanne said flatly.
Nael’s face froze.
The First Order’s first lieutenant was his brother.
“Hah. Fine. Then I’d rather die here.” Nael said bitterly.
Being under his brother’s thumb was worse than death. The strict, formal atmosphere of the First Order was even more unbearable.
Nael had been parrying attacks with his sword in silence when the thought struck him.
‘Does she even know I hate the First Order?’
How far did Jeanne actually know him? Nael could not guess.
Her skill with the reins was excellent.
The distance between them and the pursuing enemy grew.
Jeanne continued their earlier conversation.
“You hate your brother so much?”
That brother again. Wherever Nael went, it was always about his brother. Most people approached him hoping to curry favor with the elder.
“It’s none of your business whether I like him or not,” Nael replied rudely.
“I think I can guess your feelings. Loving someone only because they share blood is a form of torture.” Jeanne said.
Clang! Nael deflected the incoming arrow with his blade and moved his waist to study Jeanne’s expression.
He recognized the bitter look on her face. It was the same one his young self had worn whenever their parents compared him to his brother in public.
Perhaps Jeanne understood his heart better than anyone.
“Well, it’s fine. I’m living like a normal person now, but if you ever need it, I can introduce you to my brother.” Nael said.
“I need you more than your brother.” Jeanne replied.
It was the first time anyone had said anything like that to him.
The remark made Nael feel strangely embarrassed. He swung his blade more vigorously than necessary.
Ileang Castle was growing closer.