Chapter 229: This Is Where It Really Begins (1)
Chapter 229: This Is Where It Really Begins (1)
A monster stampede had broken out in the Schneider territory.
This was something neither Patrick nor the Sages of the Tower of Truth—reputed to be the wisest beings on the continent—had ever anticipated.
The Galloping Death had left a message through a survivor.
‘Humans who have violated the taboo. Pay the price with your lives.’
When they first heard those words, everyone assumed the Galloping Death’s target was the Pioneer City, Ava.
It was only logical. After all, it was the Pioneer City that had encroached upon the Great Forest and invaded its territory.
But that logic only applied if one viewed the opponent as a mere beast.
The Galloping Death was a being possessed of enough intelligence to leave a message through a survivor to convey its intent.
If that were the case…
With that level of reasoning, it was more than capable of identifying the true source of the problem.
The Schneider territory.
Having set its sights there, the Galloping Death dispatched its familiars toward the estate.
They had been caught completely off guard.
* * *
At the estate’s outer wall.
Soldiers were moving busily, hauling rocks and weaponry.
“Sir, where should we take these?”
“To the northern wall! We have enough here.”
“Yes, sir!”
Oliver—the man now known as Knight A—stood atop the wall, looking down toward the Great Forest as he gritted his teeth.
“Those damn bastards… Let them come.”
As far as Oliver knew, the last time a monster stampede had struck the Schneider territory was long before he was even born.
Back then, the Schneider family had lost its lord.
The lord at the time had died, and the territory only survived because the young heir and a portion of the residents managed a narrow retreat.
The heir who survived that day was none other than Baron Antol Schneider, Patrick’s grandfather.
In other words, the Schneider territory was a place that had already been ruined by a monster stampede once before.
‘It won’t happen again.’
It went without saying, but the current Schneider territory was on a completely different level of strength compared to back then.
They had powerful knights.
The Orc warriors were their allies.
And with the Elves joining them, they also had mages and magic swordsmen dispatched from the Tower of Truth.
Even though ninety percent of their total military power was currently concentrated in the Pioneer City, the remaining ten percent was still far stronger than anything they had possessed in the past.
Furthermore, they had high, sturdy walls and siege defense equipment capable of halting the advance of most large-scale monsters.
‘It’s okay. We can do this. We can do this.’
As Oliver was reassuring himself, someone spoke to him.
“Sir A, what is the situation?”
“My Lord.”
The one who had come personally to ask for a status report was Baron Schneider.
Unlike his usual self, he was wearing old armor with a sword strapped to his waist.
“My Lord, this is dangerous.”
“Which is exactly why I must be here.”
“My Lord…”
“This is my duty as the head of House Schneider.”
Baron Schneider spoke with a firm resolve, wiping away his usual good-natured expression. His momentum was so determined that even Oliver, who had reached the 4-Star level, flinched for a moment.
“What is our current remaining strength in the estate?”
“Well… we have 500 soldiers and 10 knights. There are also 100 Orc warriors led by Lord Turanta and 20 members of the Elven warrior unit staying here. Oh, and ten mages and twenty magic swordsmen from the Tower of Truth are also stationed with us.”
“The strength is sufficient.”
The soldiers were recent recruits, but the men of the Schneider territory had always been hardy.
Furthermore, the knights acting as instructors had trained them as ruthlessly as Patrick had once trained the knights themselves. As a result, they had become quite robust in a short amount of time.
Even if they were recruits, they wouldn't fall behind the regular armies of other territories.
Then there was the knight order, where every member had achieved at least the 4-Star level.
There was Turanta and his fierce Orc warriors.
The Elven warrior unit was also a formidable force.
“If it’s the Elven warrior unit, that must include an Elven Knight.”
“Yes, that is correct. At least one person with that ring needs to be present.”
“I see…”
An Elven Knight was a force roughly equivalent to a 7-Star human knight.
Add to that ten mages and twenty magic swordsmen.
In truth, with this much power, they had a fighting chance.
“Gather them all immediately. Hurry.”
“Yes, sir. Understood.”
At Baron Schneider’s command, Oliver moved quickly and soon brought the representatives of each faction together.
Normally, Baron Schneider would have started with pleasantries and engaged in calm conversation.
But things were different now.
“As you all know, a monster stampede has begun. If its path is toward this city, we must stand and fight.”
The gathered leaders were taken aback by Baron Schneider’s sudden bluntness.
‘What’s this?’
‘Was he always this kind of person?’
Regardless of their confusion, Baron Schneider continued at his own pace.
“Those who are willing to lend their strength, please stay. For those who are not, please lead the refugees and move west.”
“To the west? Where in the west?”
“There is no specific destination. If a stampede or a national disaster-grade monster approaches, we simply head west. That is the law of survival in the East.”
At those words, Lawrence, who stood beside Baron Schneider, took on a somber expression.
‘Right. That’s how it’s always been. That’s how it was.’
The East had survived that way.
They fought and fought fiercely to survive, but when a calamity they couldn't possibly resist struck, this was always what they did.
They sent the family heirs and the youth of the territory to the west, while those who remained stayed to defend their home.
To fight and win?
No. It was to buy time, to increase the survival rate of the children fleeing west by even a fraction.
At the cost of their own lives…
‘That was the East.’
Ever since Patrick had stepped into the spotlight, everyone had lost their sense of that reality, but the East had always been such a land.
A desperate land of survival where blood and death were daily occurrences.
And standing before them now was the head of House Schneider, a family that had defended this land of survival for generations.
“There is no time. Even if you leave the territory, as long as you lead the refugees well, no one will blame you. Please make your decision right now.”
The others were flustered by Baron Schneider’s words. Neither Kilios, the King of the Elves, nor the Seven Sages were here.
In such an emergency, the only person with the weight to make a unilateral decision was…
“The Red Rock Tribe will stay.”
There was one.
Turanta, the chieftain of the Red Rock Tribe.
Though he had allowed his son, Tutan, to lead the younger warriors and gain independence, he was still the chieftain of the Red Rock Tribe. And…
“I made a promise to a great warrior. That I would be a neighbor to the Schneider territory.”
“Lord Turanta.”
“Orcs do not abandon their neighbors. We are warriors. We will fight until we die.”
“Thank you.”
Baron Schneider bowed his head in gratitude to Turanta.
Though they were of different races, the two had lived side-by-side for the past few years.
The Orcs protected the humans, and the humans accepted the Orcs as friendly neighbors.
Nowhere else on the continent could you find a place where humans and Orcs got drunk together and sang with their arms around each other’s shoulders except for the Schneider territory. And…
“Our Elven warriors will also stay.”
The Elven Knight attending as the representative of the Elves spoke.
His name was Faeorn.
An Elven Knight like Elione, he was a warrior capable of summoning two high-level spirits.
Naturally, he had received a vine ring from Patrick.
In truth, it would have been very difficult if he had left.
With Patrick gone, he was currently the strongest individual force they had. However…
“Are you sure? You might die.”
At Baron Schneider’s question, Faeorn replied.
“Our race would have perished anyway if not for Lord Patrick.”
“……”
“Elves are not a race that forgets a debt. We will gladly shed blood for the sake of our clan’s benefactor.”
“I thank the Elven people for their kindness.”
And listening to this conversation, the members of the Tower of Truth…
“Are you saying only we should pull out of this?”
“But we don’t even know the scale of the stampede…”
“We are also allies of the Schneider territory. And the Great Forest development is a project officially conducted by the Tower of Truth. Have you forgotten?”
“Mmm…”
It seemed a conflict of opinion had arisen between the mages, who wanted to retreat, and the magic swordsmen, who wanted to fight.
Baron Schneider spoke to the two groups.
“It would also be problematic if everyone stayed here. Someone needs to lead and protect the refugees heading west.”
“Then I shall do that.”
Seeing the mage answer so quickly, a magic swordsman looked at him with disdain and let out a sigh.
Then, he turned to Baron Schneider.
“We don’t need our entire force to escort the refugees. I will sort out those among our group who will stay and those who will leave.”
The Tower of Truth.
A partial participation?
That was roughly how it was decided.
‘Good. It’s possible.’
Baron Schneider clenched his fists.
Countless ancestors of the Schneider family had faced stampedes or similar crises.
But in this moment, there had almost never been a case where they were as prepared as he was now.
Even the first Baron Schneider, said to be a valiant knight, and the knight order he led likely weren't stronger than the Schneider territory at this very moment.
Of course, the scale of the stampede was unknown.
Perhaps even with this strength, the situation would be despairing. However…
‘This is my duty.’
A family that had never once abandoned or failed to protect its territory through centuries of hardship.
He could not discard that pride in his generation.
* * *
The residents of the territory moved quickly under Baron Schneider’s orders.
When the evacuation order was issued, the people were initially bewildered.
“Wait, isn't it safer inside the walls?”
“Exactly. Why are they telling us to just head west?”
“This doesn't seem right…”
They hesitated.
It was difficult to blindly follow an order to head west without even being given time to pack their belongings. However…
“Pack your things and get out now!”
“But Father…”
“Don't 'Father' me, just go! Take your wife and the kids and get out this instant!”
The long-time residents of the Schneider territory.
The elders, especially those who had lived long lives, quickly urged their children and joined their families into the refugee procession.
And as for themselves…
“My Lord, I will help as well.”
“Give me something to do, anything.”
“I’ll be better than nothing.”
Seeing them climb the walls in rusted and clumsy armor, Baron Schneider nodded heavily.
“Yes. You too are men of the Schneider territory.”
Social status didn't matter.
In moments like this, the men who lived on this land all made the same decision and acted accordingly.
Baron Schneider held his sword upright in a knight’s salute and said, “It is an honor to stand with you. Please follow the instructions of the soldiers from the rear.”
“Yes, My Lord.”
“We will do our best.”
“I’m going to kill every last one of those monsters.”
Where did these old men, who had been living off the care of their children as their strength faded, find such energy?
They were stationed along the walls, radiating a heat that rivaled that of the young men.
And a short while later.
The western gate of the wall opened, and the refugees departed through it.
“There aren't as many as I thought.”
“Many wished to stay.”
“I see…”
Baron Schneider murmured.
If he were to follow the ironclad rule of the territory, he should have forcibly relocated every single resident.
But no matter how much he hardened his heart, he wasn't cold enough to do that.
Besides, there was no time to persuade them one by one.
Instead, he looked at the person at the very front of the departing refugees.
The beautiful woman leading the way.
The woman he loved most in the world.
‘Ava…’
Once he handed over the lordship to his son, he had wanted to grow old quietly with her.
That was the final wish he had for his life.
But just as he was the Lord of the Schneider territory, Ava also had her role as the Lord’s wife.
To lead the refugees to safety and return after everything was over to rebuild this foundation.
That was the duty of the mistress of House Schneider.
Baron Schneider squeezed his eyes shut. Then, looking at Lawrence beside him, he said, “I would feel much more at ease if you were by my wife’s side.”
“Ho ho ho. Her Ladyship is someone who will do just fine without me.”
“……”
“And you seem to have forgotten, but I was once called the greatest knight of House Schneider.”
“Yes. You were.”
Before retiring due to injuries sustained from a monster, Lawrence had been a 3-Star knight and the proud captain of the Schneider knight order.
He was also the master who had taught Baron Schneider how to use a sword.
Lawrence smiled, holding a longsword instead of his cane.
“Just you watch. I can still easily handle about ten goblins.”
“I’ll be counting on you.”
With that, all preparations were complete.
It was a short window of less than half a day, but Baron Schneider had handled everything he needed to do as a Lord.
And now…
“Kwoooooooh!”
“Graaaargh…”
The roars of monsters, accompanied by the sounds of destruction and crashing, were drawing closer.
“Time to welcome our guests.”
The moment of battle had arrived.