The Sweltering Heat, Part 4
The Duke knew that in any endeavor, the foundation was everything. Just as his absolute status as the kingdom's sole Duke had risen from the foundation of past "achievements" long ago, he knew that to become the new king and to crush the kingdom's forces, he needed a foundation of equal magnitude. Furthermore, he understood that to lay that foundation, yet another foundation had to be built beneath it.
Just as one must first condition the body to become a knight, then forge the mind, and only then pick up the sword and shield to hone one's technique; only then don the armor to master movement, and only then coordinate the sword, armor, and shield together—and only after reaching that peak, begin to care for a horse.
If one wishes to build something, they must lay a single foundation and use it as a stepping stone for the next. A human being is a tower—a tower built over a lifetime. And if one wishes to build a high and magnificent tower, they must lay the foundation with absolute thoroughness.
The Duke unleashed the full weight of the foundation he had built over his life. His command. His eye and instinct for reading the battlefield. His personal martial prowess. The prowess of the Sky Knights. The prowess of the other knight orders under the ducal house. The capability of his soldiers. And the various foreign weapons and armaments smuggled in, having secretly allied with multiple noble families long ago to deceive the kingdom's watchful eyes.
Arrows rained down, clattering against his helmet, but they failed to pierce his armor and deflected harmlessly. His mount was no different. To a knight, a horse was an extension of their own body, the legs that carried them across the battlefield, and a weapon of devastating power.
'The reason a knight order is classified as a tactical weapon rather than a mere branch of the military is not because of the individual knight's skill. It is the power of the horse. Ninety percent of their strength comes from the beast they ride; the knight is merely the remaining ten percent that guides it.'
Only with a horse can one traverse the battlefield at terrifying speeds. Only with a horse can one weaponize that speed and weight to shatter the enemy's defenses head-on. The reason knights are called the flowers of the battlefield is not because of some superficial elegance. A knight order is "the weapon a commander can trust most." That is why they are deployed most often, and why they claim the most glorious victories. That is how they became the flowers of the battlefield.
If a more reliable and powerful weapon ever appeared, the knights would be stripped of their title. But that day was not today. And so, the Sky Knights—arguably the strongest order in the kingdom's history—charged through the battlefield like demons.
Enemy soldiers were trampled beneath their hooves, spraying blood and flesh that dyed the Sky Knights crimson. Men were pulverized at the tips of their lances, the scattering blood painting them red once more. Words like "breaching" or "breaking through" did not do it justice. This was a literal meat grinder.
What made them truly terrifying was their ability to wheel and turn at will. At a subtle signal from the Duke, the entire order would decelerate in perfect unison and pivot. Normally, cavalry required a long, straight run to build up devastating momentum, but the moment the Sky Knights completed their turn, they accelerated to top speed in an instant, unleashing their full destructive force once more.
In other words, to stop them, one had to strike the exact moment they finished turning—just as the horses dug their hooves in to build speed. Once cavalry gained momentum and fury, they were unstoppable. Thus, the Sky Knights became an invincible engine of destruction, tearing the battlefield apart.
Though they had only appeared on the battlefield three times, the enemy was already gripped by terror, whispering a name for them: the "War Breakers." A moniker born from the sheer horror of seeing all conventional military wisdom shattered before them, leaving them to be ruthlessly slaughtered. True to their name, the Sky Knights were once again crushing the enemy forces, leading their allies, and tearing the war to pieces.
But...
'The enemy's movements are strange.'
It felt as though they were preparing something. Preparing? What?
'A new weapon?'
No.
'This entire area is a battlefield! Naturally, I have scouts stationed everywhere. I received no reports of any new weapons arriving at that fortress.'
Then was it a weapon that had been prepared beforehand?
'No, that's not it either!'
The Duke twisted his lance, skewering and bursting the head of a fleeing soldier as he continued his train of thought. Before long, allied infantry rushed into the vacuum left by the Sky Knights, wheeling siege towers toward the fortress walls. The enemy desperately defended, firing fire arrows and cannons, but they could not stop the siege towers that had already reached the ramparts.
The moment the towers slammed against the stone, elite soldiers waiting in the upper platforms surged onto the walls, slaughtering the defenders. They seized the enemy cannons, eliminated the archers, and targeted the commanders to paralyze the enemy's chain of command.
'...I see no significant resistance against the soldiers who scaled the walls.'
Yet, reports were coming in. Several soldiers signaled with flags, relaying information: a new knight order was deploying.
'A knight order? What knight order?'
Immediately, a chill ran down the Duke's spine. It was pure instinct. Considering his knowledge and the laws of the kingdom, it made absolutely no sense, but his sharp tactical intuition bypassed all logic to reach a single conclusion.
'The fortress where Jordy is stationed! A knight order only now preparing to deploy!'
There was only one answer.
'The Royal Knights!'
The absolute strongest force in the kingdom.
'They sent the Royal Knights just for the Prince's campaign?!'
The Royal Knights were the final wall defending the kingdom. They were knights sworn to protect the royal capital. Consequently, no member of the Royal Knights was permitted to step foot outside the capital. Not even the King had the authority to order them to do so.
Yes, so logically speaking, there was no way the Royal Knights could be here, so far from the capital. It was impossible!
'But they are here! It is the Royal Knights! I'm sure of it!!'
If there was anything prepared to stop the Sky Knights, it could only be them.
Just as the Duke foreboded, the fortress gates ground open, and the Royal Knights emerged.
"The... the Royal Knights."
"Is it really them?"
"To think they would leave the capital!"
The soldiers wavered. Morale plummeted. Clad in brilliant gold-plated armor and riding mounts draped in golden barding, the Royal Knights possessed an overwhelming majesty.
Their target, naturally, was the Sky Knights led by the Duke. The Duke also rallied his men, setting his sights on the Royal Knights.
'Amusing.'
He was surprised, but this was also a golden opportunity.
"Let us test whether the order I forged is truly the strongest against you."
Besides, it promised to be entertaining. Hiding a sinister smile beneath his helmet, the Duke charged toward the Royal Knights. The Royal Knights spurred their mounts forward in kind, and moments later, the two legendary orders collided.
Splat!
Wet mud slammed hard against a stone tower, splattering in all directions. Standing nearby, Monia flinched and recoiled.
"Ow!"
"Huh? What's wrong?"
"My eye! It got in my eye! Ahhh! My eye!"
"That's why I told you not to stand so close."
"Who would have thought you'd just hurl mud like that! Apologize first!"
"Fair enough. My bad. Here, let me see."
Chester carefully examined Monia's eye and began pouring water from his canteen.
"I'm going to pour some water, so keep blinking."
"Water in my eye?! That hurts!"
"It's fine. We need to wash out the dirt. You don't want any permanent damage, do you?"
"Permanent damage? Eek, blindness!"
Terrified of going blind, Monia blinked furiously as Chester poured the water. Once the brief commotion settled, Monia went back to watching Chester work. He had suddenly gone to the river, gathered a massive pile of stones, and was now stacking them into a tower.
"What are you doing?"
"Building a kiln."
"A kiln?"
"Yeah. You know what a bread oven is? In larger villages, they build a communal kiln so everyone can share it."
The villagers would pool their money to build the kiln, gather firewood together, and use it at designated times. It saved money and reduced the labor of maintaining individual ovens, while the kiln itself became a gathering place for the villagers to socialize and strengthen community bonds. It was the same concept as everyone bringing their laundry to the river to wash together.
"..."
Despite his explanation, Monia looked utterly clueless.
"Do you bake bread in a... kiln?"
"...You can bake cakes and cookies in it, too."
Monia, who had been completely uninterested, suddenly had a change in her eyes the moment cakes and cookies were mentioned.
"Cakes! Cookies! If we build this kiln, can we eat those?!"
"Uh, no. We don't have the ingredients."
"But still! If we had them, we could make them, right?!"
"I... guess? If we had the ingredients."
"Wow!"
Monia's eyes sparkled brilliantly.
'Cake!'
They shone.
'Cake!'
Had her eyes ever shone this brightly since they arrived on this deserted island?
'Cake! Cake! Cake, cake, cake, cake!!!'
Monia scooped up a massive handful of mud and began slathering it onto the stone tower.
"What are you doing! Move faster! You're slacking off!"
She even shrieked at Chester, completely bossing him around.
"Look at this brat's mouth."
Scooping up a bit of mud, Chester tossed it at Monia. She stared blankly at the mud splattered on her shoulder.
"..."
"..."
Then, she threw the mud in her hand right back at him.
"Take that!"
"Oh, is that how it's going to be?"
Of course, she was instantly overpowered by Chester, who proceeded to smear mud all over her.
"Take this! And this!"
"Ah! Wait! Kyaah! Ahahaha! No! Stop tickling my sides!"
"Who do you think you're messing with?"
"Ahahahahaha! Hmph, I'll get my revenge! You've been ignoring me this whole time!"