Phantom Knights
The situation here is beyond my ability to assist. Should you require my help with any other matter, do not hesitate to seek me out.
Heinz, the vice-bishop, confirmed the state of affairs and promptly departed.
It was a wise decision. Heinz possessed no talent for physical combat; far from being helpful in a fight, he would more likely become a hindrance.
In contrast, the elderly knight Walter remained at Elbridge’s side.
“My skills may not match yours… but perhaps I can still be of some small assistance. Wouldn’t you agree?”
The following day.
Sonia gathered Elbridge’s party together and spread out a map.
“This is the lord’s castle.”
Elbridge had assumed Sonia’s map would be a crude sketch drawn from memory.
Yet the map before her was remarkably precise. It was even crafted on high-quality vellum.
“Where did you get this map?”
“I took it from the guard post, so you can trust it. Anyway, that’s the lord’s castle… and the areas shaded with charcoal are the ones we’ve already explored. We can move through there without running into the phantom knights.”
What she called “exploration” had in truth been little more than looting empty houses. After all, everyone except Elbridge’s party and Sonia had gathered here for plunder.
In any case, the region Sonia and the others had cleared covered roughly one-third of the territory.
“And this is the inner wall.”
Unlike the Riverford barony, the Dickens viscounty possessed a rather impressive inner wall. Its scale was large enough to be clearly visible from outside the fief.
However, the inner wall posed no real obstacle to Elbridge’s group. As long as there were even a few handholds or footholds, they could easily scale it.
Elbridge pointed at the two large circles drawn on the map.
“What are these circles?”
“The patrol routes of the phantom knights.”
Unexpectedly, the phantom knights had assigned sectors.
This information must have cost quite a few lives.
Yet Elbridge felt no particular pity.
These people had come chasing dreams of striking it rich. They should have been prepared to shoulder the corresponding risks.
Elbridge stared quietly at the map.
However, he was not a genius capable of memorizing an unfamiliar map at a glance.
Sonia, noticing his intent, nudged him with her elbow.
“No need to strain yourself. I’ll handle guiding us.”
“That’s a relief. Sonia, if you know anything about the phantom knights, please tell me.”
“You’ve already faced them, so you know… they’re spiritual bodies. Inside those suits of armor there’s no flesh and blood—only black smoke. If you get wrapped in that smoke, your body begins to rot. I could give you a more technical explanation… but I doubt you’d want that, right?”
Elbridge nodded and slowly clenched and unclenched his right hand.
The numb, tingling sensation still lingered vividly in his memory.
“Setting aside the fact that they’re spiritual entities, the phantom knights are quite skilled. Ah, that’s not my own assessment—it’s what the mercenaries said. Quite a few mercenaries came to loot the fief, you see. One phantom knight could easily handle four or five mercenaries. Even when I cast enchantment magic on their weapons, the result was the same.”
“…You almost sound proud of the phantom knights’ abilities.”
When Marcus pointed it out, Sonia gave an awkward laugh.
“Those phantom knights… I think they were the knights who served under my father. The shape of their armor looked familiar.”
“Hmm.”
“It feels a bit awkward saying this myself, but the knights of our fief were the most skilled in the region.”
Elbridge glanced at Walter. The old knight nodded.
“The knights of the Dickens viscounty were indeed renowned. Viscount Dickens himself was a diligent knight, so his subordinates could hardly afford to grow lazy.”
Sonia smiled with satisfaction at Walter’s evaluation. It was hardly an occasion for joy, yet she seemed pleased.
Perhaps Walter’s words had stirred memories of better times.
“In any case, there should be five phantom knights. If my father is included, then six.”
Elbridge corrected her.
“No. There will be one fewer than you think.”
“Why?”
“I encountered your father and his knights in the Riverford barony. One of them died while hunting a demonic beast.”
“Is that so…? I’m not sure whether I should be happy or sad about that… Anyway, let’s assume there are four phantom knights. We’ve only confirmed the patrol routes of two of them. The other two remain unknown. That’s why we haven’t been able to enter the inner wall.”
“Any other threats?”
“We couldn’t confirm any.”
Sonia said this, then looked at Elbridge’s party with her large eyes.
“But it seems the time has come to settle this matter.”
Walter asked in a worried voice.
“Miss Sonia, is there really a need to rush like this?”
“The priest from the Golden Platter Order has already left. Once he reports back to his order, the situation will definitely change. And there’s no way those changes will be in my favor.”
Her judgment was accurate.
However, speaking coldly, neither Elbridge nor Marcus had much concern for Sonia’s safety.
Since they had already become acquainted, they hoped she would survive, but they were not prepared to risk themselves especially for her well-being.
Sonia continued.
“…And from my experience, no matter how carefully we move, accidents always happen. That many casualties inevitably follow. This time will be no different. I want to enter the lord’s castle in a single push while we have as much fighting strength as possible.”
Rombel and Walter, however, were favorably disposed toward Sonia.
Rombel voiced his agreement.
“She knows a thing or two. When hunting a beast, you finish it in one strike. Leave a wounded beast half-alive and it only grows more cunning when it returns.”
“Our arrival at this moment must also be divine providence. In my view, it would be best not to miss this opportunity.”
Having gained the two men’s approval, Sonia turned to Elbridge and Marcus.
“We move tomorrow night. No objections?”
The following night, Elbridge’s party and Sonia set out for the Dickens viscounty.
Marcus asked,
“By the way, why move at night? Wouldn’t phantom knights be even stronger at night…?”
“Marcus. Don’t you remember how the phantom knight came running when it saw the lantern last time? Even phantom knights have poor night vision.”
Sonia answered crisply. Marcus, however, grumbled a little.
“That’s all well and good, but your tone’s gotten pretty short. I thought you said you didn’t want to be treated like a noble lady…”
Sonia feigned surprise.
“What? I thought we were about the same age, so I spoke comfortably. Marcus, you must be older than you look, huh?”
It was obviously empty flattery that anyone could see through.
Yet Marcus seemed pleased even by such empty words.
“Well, if that’s the reason, I suppose I can’t complain…”
“Good. I’ll be counting on you from now on, Marcus. This is all assuming I don’t end up on the pyre, of course.”
If there was ever a noble who would have been better off born a commoner, it was surely Sonia.
Elbridge listened to their banter for a moment, then glanced behind him.
A large group of people followed the party. They called themselves the Crows.
The gaze of a middle-aged man met Elbridge’s.
He appeared to be in his mid-to-late thirties—roughly the same age as Marcus.
The man spoke to Elbridge.
“Name’s Bart. You’re Elbridge, right?”
“That’s correct.”
“Looks like having us tag along makes you uncomfortable.”
“To be honest, yes.”
Bart shrugged.
“Can’t be helped on our end either. This might be our last chance.”
“It will be that dangerous.”
“We’re not doing this because we don’t know the danger. We’re doing it to survive.”
Bart pointed north.
“My hometown’s a small city up that way. Last winter, demonic beasts swept through and turned it into ruins. In the chaos, my wife and son died. Only my daughter and I survived.”
“I see.”
Elbridge’s reply was calm.
Bart continued his story without expecting any strong reaction. People who were weary and struggling often liked to share their tales with others.
“I left my daughter with relatives in Soleneon for now. Their circumstances aren’t great, but they said they could take her for a month or two.”
“Why didn’t you stay in Soleneon with her, Mister Bart?”
“I wanted to. But the situation isn’t good. As you know, villages and cities are being dismantled or collapsing everywhere these days. All sorts of drifters are flooding into Soleneon, but there’s nowhere to live and no work to be found. Even day labor spots are so scarce you can’t get one.”
On the surface it was a depressing story. Yet Bart’s voice brimmed with hope.
“But if I can make a big score here, everything changes. I’m a brewer, you see. If I can get the money to start brewing beer again and three months’ living expenses, I can make a brilliant comeback in Soleneon.”
Several more people approached and shared their own stories.
A tanner, a silversmith, a dyer… Most had circumstances similar to Bart’s. They also shared the same refusal to give in and their gaze fixed on hope.
These were not people who had come simply to make a quick fortune and live in idleness.
They were people who simply needed one more chance to stand up again. Elbridge inwardly rebuked himself for his hasty judgment. It was foolish to lightly measure another person’s life.
“I hope you all return safely.”
“We may not be much help, but we won’t hold you back.”
That was far more trustworthy than empty promises of being helpful.
Elbridge took a deep breath. The party was now entering the Dickens viscounty.
He offered a small prayer.
“My Goddess.”
It was a prayer born of worry that the Goddess of the Rusty Shield might have truly succeeded in swapping day and night.
Fortunately, his concern proved groundless.
Speak, Elbridge.
“I merely wished to offer a prayer of gratitude to my Goddess.”
Worry not. Your Goddess shall watch over you even in the darkest of moments…
She had wrapped the fact that day and night had been swapped in such a plausible manner.
It was fine for now, but in the long term it was not a good phenomenon. The Goddess of Spring Rain and Moss, or the God of Sunshower who watched over Marcus, would surely maintain normal daily rhythms.
“Shh.”
Sonia stopped walking and hid behind a dark building. The Crows, seemingly accustomed to this, also halted their movements.
Sonia pointed at the avenue about thirty paces away and spoke in a hushed voice.
“A phantom knight will pass along that road. We move after it’s gone.”
“When does it pass?”
“I don’t know exactly. But once it passes, it doesn’t come back for quite a while.”
That was the extent of Sonia’s explanation.
A night so dark that even moonlight was faint. A silence heavier than the darkness settled over them.
The people covered their mouths and noses with their hands, afraid the phantom knight might hear even the sound of their breathing.
How long had they waited? From far away came the sound of hooves.
Clip-clop. Clip-clop. Clip-clop.
The sound roused Elbridge from his slightly dazed thoughts.
Is hiding here and waiting really the right move?
They had identified the patrol routes of two phantom knights.
Even assuming there were four in total, that still left two whose routes were unknown.
Could they truly slip past the gaze of those two unknown sentries, enter the inner wall, and reach the lord’s castle?
It’s not certain.
Elbridge’s objective was to confirm Viscount Dickens’ condition, retrieve any demonic cores that had not yet been released, and reseal them.
Could he resolve the matter with Viscount Dickens quietly and peacefully?
Sonia, his daughter, is with us… but the chances are low.
If the viscount were in his right mind, he would not be lingering alone in an empty fief.
Moreover, his subordinates had all become phantom knights. The probability that Viscount Dickens remained in a normal state was low.
When lives are on the line, one must assume the worst. Hoping for luck is something you do only when you have no other choice.
Therefore, he had to assume a fight with Viscount Dickens.
And if they fought the viscount, what were the odds the phantom knights would intervene?
High.
Leaving the phantom knights behind was not a prudent act to avoid battle—it was more likely a foolish act that would leave future trouble behind.
When there is a chance to eliminate even one, it must be done first.
Having reached a swift decision, Elbridge looked at Rombel. Rombel noticed his gaze.
The sound of hooves drew steadily closer. Clip-clop. Clip-clop. Clip-clop.
Rombel spoke.
“We should clean it up, right?”
Elbridge nodded. That was enough conversation.
Rombel gripped the massive axe on his back.
Marcus wore an expression that said he had expected as much. Sonia and the Crows, however, reacted differently.
Their eyes widened in shock. They lowered their voices to frantic whispers.
“What are you trying to do right now…!”
“If you don’t step back, you’ll get hurt.”
Rombel used his short frame as the axis and began spinning the enormous axe in wide circles. The people shrank back, afraid of being sliced by the blade.
Whoosh. Whoosh. Whoosh—
The somewhat comical motion gradually gained speed until the sound of air being cut could faintly be heard.
Clip-clop. Clip-clop. Clip-clop.
The moment the phantom knight appeared through the gap between buildings—
Rombel released the axe.
The massive weapon flew through the air faster than a sling bullet and more accurately than an arrow from a master archer.
And then.
Crack.
With a small sound, it sliced simultaneously through the phantom knight’s waist and the phantom horse’s neck.
Almost at the same instant, Elbridge’s powerful arms shot out from the alley.
One.
The phantom knight vanished into the darkness of the alley.