Chapter 263: Ignition (5)
Chapter 263: Ignition (5)
Translation: Godtl
Sanders led the Shroud Knights toward the southern Barrier. Of course, it was the location Frondier had assigned.
'......Huu.'
Sanders let out a silent sigh and briefly glanced behind him.
......The Shroud Knights.
They were indisputably the strongest knight order in the Empire, boasting the greatest recognition, prestige, and achievements.
But these titles were not for the Shroud of today.
The glory of the past—when they stood at the forefront against the Monsters, fearlessly beheading their enemies.
All praise directed at the Shroud remained in the past.
Yet the Empire's citizens didn't know.
Just how much the current Shroud had changed from the Shroud of that era.
"Haah, what a mess. A sudden war, of all things."
"The good days are long gone."
Their voices, whispering complaints among themselves.
The sense of duty to protect the Empire had already grown faint in them.
—Now the knight order is too busy hiding in the capital. The glory that once made even the Monsters of the Outside tremble has long since faded.
Sanders had once said this to Ludwig. The Shroud Knights had become old hounds from tigers.
The Empire had provided safety and privileges for the Shroud, who had distinguished themselves in the Monster War.
Their relocation to the capital, keeping them close to the imperial family, was one such privilege.
But it was, without a doubt, a clear failure.
Too much time had passed since the Monster War. So much so that Sanders, who had been a rookie in the Shroud Knights back then, was now their commander.
Sanders was one of the very few for whom the war's experiences had become the foundation for growth. Most had been left with severe trauma and stress disorders, struggling to maintain even a semblance of normal life.
People grow through suffering—but only if they have the will to grow.
The veterans who had experienced the war had long since retired, and Sanders' peers were either those who had been too terrified by the war and abandoned knighthood early or those who schemed left and right to avoid being sent to the Barrier.
As for the knights who joined afterward, most were only there to indulge in the Shroud's sweet rewards, and the majority had learned the same tricks from their seniors. The future looked bleak.
'It's not that the knights lack skill. But their real combat experience is overwhelmingly insufficient.'
The Shroud Knights are selected through fierce competition. It's only natural, given they're called the Empire's strongest knight order. But when that so-called strongest knight order idles in the safest place in the Empire, problems pile up.
Would they really be able to keep their morale upon seeing the Monsters charging toward the Barrier? Especially when the numbers would be far greater than any previous assault.
"Commander, Commander."
"......Ah."
Sanders snapped out of his thoughts at the soft voice beside him.
An unfamiliar face—far too young and far too beautiful—was clouded with concern.
"Are you alright? You don't look well."
"......I'm fine."
Sanders replied in an intentionally cold tone.
'......This child must be the Ines one.'
Elodie de Ines Richae. She was the one assigned alongside Sanders.
As a student of Constelle, she naturally hadn't attended the meeting, so Sanders only got to see her face for the first time upon arriving at the Barrier.
"You seem to be doing well."
Just as Sanders said, Elodie's face showed no such worry.
While knights far older than her were cowering in fear behind them, the expression of this child, who carried the heavy burden of the Ines name, was instead composed. She wore a smile, but not one of carelessness; her posture was relaxed, yet not lax.
'......A child so young.'
A girl the exact same age as Frondier. When Sanders had seen Frondier in Tyburn, he'd felt like leaving a child by the riverside, but this was even worse. He wanted to put her in a carriage and send her home immediately.
Despite his feelings, Sanders didn't soften his stern gaze toward Elodie.
"Make sure you're fully prepared. No one here will save you. If you keep grinning like a fool and get caught in their claws, even your corpse won't be found."
Harsh words for a child, but they were the truth. Sanders knew well the lingering childishness that remained like seeds in children of her age.
The complacent belief that, in a crisis, someone would appear like their parents to save them—that was lodged in children's hearts, regardless of strength or weakness.
Sanders always worried about this and treated children her age strictly. It had been the same with Frondier, and now it was no different.
"I feel reassured now."
Then, Elodie spoke in a quiet voice.
"The knights behind us don't seem ready yet."
"......!"
"But the Commander is fully prepared."
Sanders' eyes widened at Elodie's words. This girl had not only mastered self-control but was already assessing the entire situation around her.
"I've always wondered why the Shroud, hailed as the Empire's strongest knight order, never headed to Tyburn or Yeranhes."
"......You."
Elodie glanced back slightly.
Several knights who met her gaze were staring at her blankly, utterly entranced by her appearance. Others were whispering among themselves, snickering as they shamelessly eyed her body.
"Just as I heard. No—even worse."
Elodie's eyes grew colder. Though her expression barely changed, the Shroud knights instinctively tensed, gripping their weapons.
She turned forward again, calming her gaze.
Almost inaudibly, she muttered under her breath.
"I heard they were toothless tigers, but they're just mangy dogs with rotting gums."
For a moment, Sanders debated whether to reprimand her. But her words were so faint that even he, with his sharp hearing, barely caught them. Reacting to something so trivial wouldn't be wise.
Besides, he couldn't help but agree with her sentiment.
"Commander."
Elodie turned back to Sanders and asked.
"I heard that in Tyburn, Frondier boosted the knights' morale."
"......Ah."
"How did Frondier do it?"
At her question, Sanders recalled.
The knights in Tyburn had been in poor shape—not in the same way as here, but worn down by constant battles and countless deaths. Their spirits had been frayed beyond measure.
Frondier had undoubtedly played a major role in lifting their morale.
As for how he did it...
"......I only heard this from the knights at the time, so I can't say for certain."
"Mm."
"He made a bet."
"A bet?"
"The knights were joking crudely about who would die next, and Frondier wagered that 'no one would die.'"
Elodie blinked at that, then nodded as she pieced it together.
"......And in the end, no one died."
"That's right."
After hearing Sanders' words, Elodie tilted her head slightly. A sigh, tinged with something like annoyance, escaped her lips.
"......A bet, huh? Not bad."
For some reason, a chill ran down Sanders' spine at her murmur.
Sensing the layers of emotion in her gaze, he hesitantly spoke.
"......By any chance, do you know where Frondier is right now—"
"I do."
Elodie answered as if reading his thoughts.
"He's heading to Manggot."
"......Where did you hear that?"
"Directly from Frondier himself."
When Elodie had heard those words from Frondier...
She had felt sorrow, anger, and yet, somewhere deep down, a reluctant acceptance.
She had expected it, too. Everyone knew where Frondier would go in this situation—what move would be most effective.
"Are you worried about Frondier?"
"......I know Frondier is strong. But just because he's less in the enemy's sight doesn't mean he can completely evade their surveillance."
Elodie didn't know much about Manggot. Or who stood at its peak.
But if someone had prepared this thoroughly—someone willing to overturn the Empire—they were surely the cautious type.
She couldn't tell whether they were underestimating Frondier as he hoped or if they were fully alert. That uncertainty made her uneasy.
Just then—
"Report!"
A soldier came running in a hurry. Sanders' expression instantly darkened.
"A report? There's no reason for one now. It's not even the scheduled time."
"I—It's urgent! That's why I rushed!"
The soldier panted as he spoke.
Sanders fell silent. A report arriving just before the war began—a sense of foreboding washed over him.
"Then speak quickly. If there's trouble, we must act immediately."
"N-No! It's not trouble! It's good news, actually!"
"Good news?"
"Well, whether it's good or not... it was hard to believe at first."
The soldier fumbled over his words strangely. Sanders tilted his head in confusion.
The soldier reporting was someone Sanders knew well—someone usually unshaken in such situations.
"The eastern 'Krasmier' Barrier—!"
The moment the Barrier was mentioned, Sanders tensed sharply, and Elodie's pupils widened beside him.
"—has been restored!"
"......What?"
Unable to comprehend the soldier's sudden words, Sanders reflexively repeated them.
"Restored? What are you talking about?"
"To be precise, it wasn't rebuilt—it returned to its original state. That is, it reverted to how the barrier looked in the past."
Hearing this, Sanders's mouth fell open. Without realizing it, he exclaimed:
"Restored!"
"Y-yes! The barrier has been restored!"
Sanders's memory naturally recalled Tyburn's Barrier. He had personally witnessed the sight of that crumbling barrier rewinding itself to full restoration. And he knew exactly who had done it.
'...Wait a minute.'
Sanders had attended an imperial council meeting days earlier. There, he'd seen Frondier, sensed his suspicious behavior, and even heard of his plans.
Frondier had devised a scheme to secretly infiltrate Manggot's stronghold by exploiting how he drew less attention than other famous figures.
If Sanders's guess was right, Frondier was likely sneaking toward Manggot even now.
But.
'...Krasmier is the exact opposite.'
News of the barrier's restoration came from a location completely opposite to Manggot's position. Yet it was impossible that Frondier had gone to Krasmier—had he done so, reports would have already arrived.
Though unspoken to all, the war against Manggot hinged most critically on Frondier's current location and how far he'd progressed toward Manggot.
In short: Frondier wasn't at Krasmier, yet a 'Restoration' had occurred there.
'Then who the hell repaired the barrier—'
"...Ah!"
It was Elodie who made the sound.
The moment she heard the report, Elodie immediately knew who had performed the Restoration. May. Only May could replicate Frondier's skill.
But the intent behind it wasn't immediately clear. May wouldn't have moved on her own—Frondier must have given the order.
Though barrier restoration was an important matter, it seemed like an excessive waste for May to spend time on such a place.
Moreover, Krasmier suffered fewer monster incursions compared to northern regions like Tyburn or Yeranhes. Surely there were more critical locations.
'Unless—'
A fleeting thought crossed her mind.
Only Elodie, who knew of May's existence, could decipher Frondier's intentions.
"Yes, that's it!"
Elodie's eyes gleamed.
"Whether the enemy is vigilant or not—"
Without needing to agonize over either possibility,
Frondier intended to manufacture their complacency himself.
Frondier's skill, 'Restore.'
Though the truth remained unclear, rumors of Frondier restoring Tyburn's Barrier had spread far and wide.
In reality, Tyburn's Barrier now stood as steadfast as in its past glory.
Naturally, Selena—who had witnessed it firsthand back then—knew this. And so did Manggot.
"Reporting."
A report reached Belphegor.
"The Empire's barriers are being restored in sequence, starting from the east toward the southeast, then the south."
Adela, the woman who had delivered the first report at the round table, spoke to Belphegor.
Belphegor asked:
"So you're saying the restorations are proceeding clockwise?"
"Judging by the order of movement, it's almost certain."
"Hmm."
Belphegor's hand rose to his chin.
As he appeared deep in thought, Adela added:
"It must be Frondier's doing."
"..."
"Just as you anticipated, Lord Belphegor, Frondier has pulled another bizarre stunt."
Belphegor remained silent at Adela's words.
Frondier had stayed within Belphegor's sight all along. Even if others disregarded him, Belphegor alone had kept Frondier in mind like an irritating ant at the corner of his vision.
And now, he had finally moved—choosing the unexpectedly novel method of barrier restoration.
Belphegor agreed with Adela's assessment over 90%.
But the remaining 10%...
The fact that the restorations had begun in Krasmier—directly opposite Manggot's position—nagged at him.
"Adela."
"Yes."
"Go witness the barrier restoration process firsthand."
"...Pardon?"
"Confirm whether Frondier is truly there."
In his long demonic life, Belphegor had never heard of a skill like 'Restore.' It must be Frondier's unique ability.
But if the skill could operate over far greater distances than expected, the possibility that Frondier was somewhere entirely different couldn't be dismissed.
"M-my lord, that's overthinking it."
"Are you refusing my order?"
"N-no! Not at all! It's just—wouldn't my strength be better spent aiding Manggot in breaching the barriers...?"
Belphegor's languid gaze settled on Adela. She instantly averted her eyes and bowed her head.
"Adela."
"...Yes."
"Prioritize the command I give you now. Nothing takes precedence over this."
"..."
"If Frondier is there, that alone will suffice. Just confirm his presence. I shall reward you handsomely."
"...Is that truly your will?"
"Of course."
At this, Adela gave a deep nod.
As she turned to leave, Belphegor called out to her retreating figure once more.
"Do not be detected."
"Yes."