Chapter 38

The scene devolved into chaos all of a sudden. There were a few people who were taken aback, and a few others who went completely white. Some of the people there were visibly shaken and appeared to be at a loss for words, possibly thinking there had been a mistake. “A hundred monsters on their way to the city where people lived?” They couldn’t believe their ears.

It was understandable that they were agitated. Normally, only about ten monsters would gather at once, but now a hundred of them were marching towards the city. Then, a calm voice echoed through the commotion.

” Excuse me, messenger. I have a question. Do we know which city the monsters are targeting, Menonu or Wazlow? And if they were to reach either city, how many days would it take?” The voice belonged to Commander Gazelle, who stood tall and composed, without a hint of unease. He posed his questions matter-of-factly.

After witnessing Gazelle’s unwavering attitude, the messenger regained their composure. Despite his heavy breathing, the messenger managed to answer Gazelle’s questions. “W-We’re still not sure. No one knows if they’re headed for Menonu or Wazlow, and it’s possible that they’re actually trying to get to both cities.”

“Hmm…”

“If they’re aiming for Menonu City, they will arrive by noon tomorrow. If it’s Wazlow they’re aiming for, City, it will be in two days.”

The monsters on the road were on their way to Menonu City and Wazlow City, two important fortress cities located east in the Ritzheim Magic Kingdom. Menonu City grew herbs commercially for use in potions, while Wazlow City acted as a crossroads for trade with neighbouring countries. The road connecting both cities forked in one location. As a result, it was unclear whether the monsters were heading to one of the cities or both.

“Oh, by noon tomorrow?”

“If the knights are dispatched from the capital, they can depart for Wazlow City today and arrive the next day. However, regarding Menonu City…”

“Such a… W-What should we do?” The people’s lament spread like ripples.

Menonu City was a large city with a population of tens of thousands of people. No one wanted to contemplate the potential destruction if the group of monsters had been split in two and were now heading towards Menonu City.

“Excuse me, may I suggest something? Can you entrust the dispatch to Menonu City to our Yellow-winged knights” At that moment, Ortolan, the Yellow-winged order’s commander, made a solemn declaration.

Before him were the king’s confidants and ministers. Next to them, the king, who was scheduled to attend the joint conference, was staring down at the Yellow–winged’s commander.

Then, the middle-aged man, the king’s aide, whispered something to him, “Maccione, the Yellow-winged Order’s commander. If your order is dispatched, will they arrive at Menonu City by noon tomorrow?”

“More than half of our order’s members are beastmen. As everyone knows, the stamina of beastmen is superior to that of humans. Also, we will keep the horses running by giving them potions. If we keep running without rest, we should arrive by noon.”

“I see.”

“Also, we will focus solely on defense. We will avoid combat with monsters as much as possible and wait for other knight orders to arrive before engaging in a full-scale battle. If so, we should be able to protect the citizens of Menonu City until the end.”

“…”

After a brief moment of thought, the aide turned to His Majesty and gave a small nod. When His Majesty saw this, he nodded slowly and took a step forward. The eight-colored wings emblem on His Majesty’s mantle glinted faintly in the window light.

“Maccione, what a great conviction. Then I shall give you one order.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

“Return alive to Ritzheim, both you and your subordinates. I am counting on you to take care of the people of Menonu City.”

“Thank you for your gracious words. I humbly accept this mission!”

Ortolan of the Yellow-winged knights was filled with pride as he heard His Majesty’s words. His usual arrogant and haughty demeanor seemed to have vanished.

“Well then, the Yellow-winged knights will lead the reinforcements to Menonu City. Also, the Black-winged knights will go as well, can you do it, Listini? Commander of Black-winged knights?” The male ministers and aides, having heard the king, looked at Gazelle and at us as members of his group and exchanged glances.

“Yes, Your Majesty! We, the Black-winged knights, will protect the people in battle. You can count on us anytime.”

“Very well said! The Yellow-winged knights will then leave in two hours. The Black-winged knights will leave as soon as they are ready, and the Green-winged knights will travel to Menonu City as well…”

“Wait, Minister!”

As soon as the person who spoke was identified, everyone was surprised. The speaker was a young man with silver hair that shimmered in the light and ice-blue eyes, Lord Leon of the White-winged knights. In truth, I was also surprised. It was very rare for him to interrupt someone.

“Lord Leon, Commander of the White-winged knights?”

“Could you entrust the dispatch to Wazlow City to us, the White-winged knights instead?”

“What?”

“Wazlow City is not only home to our citizens, but also to merchants from neighboring countries. I think it would be appropriate to send the Green Wing Knights, who are in charge of monster subjugation in that region, to Wazlow City to aid in the city’s evacuation and safety.”

“Hmm…” The minister thought deeply about Lord Leon’s words as he traced his chin with his thumb.

Lord Leon continued to speak, “We don’t know where the monster horde is going, but it’s possible that after attacking Menonu City, they’ll make their way to Wazlow City. If the merchants of Wazlow City are unable to evacuate in time and suffer damage, the potions’ current advantage may be jeopardised.”

Worried looks were passed between the minister, his subordinates, and the king. Of course, the outcome of this battle was uncertain, and they couldn’t guarantee that everyone would survive. Lord Leon’s White-winged knights were made up of noble sons. If anything happened to them…

“From the moment we, as knights, pledged our swords to the country, we have been prepared,” Lord Leon said with a firm voice that dispelled such thoughts.

Everyone in the room couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief when they heard the proud voice. The king, too, looked intently at Lord Leon before nodding slowly and firmly, still gazing at him calmly. “I see. Then I only have one thing to say. Lord Leon de Dorme, leader of the White-winged knights, go to Menonu City with the Black-winged knights, scatter the monsters that threaten the people’s peace, and return victorious!”

“Yes, Your Majesty! I humbly receive your command!”

Following the discussion, it was decided that the Yellow Wing Knights, Black-winged Knights, and White-winged Knights would be sent to Menonu City, while the Green-winged Knights and Red-winged Knights would be sent to Wazlo City.

Tomorrow, the Black-winged and White-winged knights will depart before dawn. Because this is an emergency, we must quickly prepare our equipment. Due to the seriousness of the situation, even Commander Gazelle has adopted a serious expression.

“…A horde of over a hundred monsters. It’s become quite serious, Takumi.”

“…”

“Takumi?”

“Oh, sorry. I was lost in thought for a moment.”

As I peered into Takumi’s face upon hearing his response, I was greatly surprised. Takumi, who had always been calm and collected, even when spoken to by Lord Leon earlier, seemed to have turned pale.

“Are you okay, Takumi? Oh, no, I’m sorry. Of course, you’re not okay. With a horde of over a hundred monsters attacking the city… It’s only natural that everyone feels anxious about what will happen from now on.”

“…Yeah, that’s right.”

Perhaps he was too concerned about the people of Menonu City, which caused him to remain silent. I placed my palm gently on his back. “But, sine we are here, we can definitely protect the citizens of Menonu City. Let’s trust Commander Gazelle, and fight to the end.”

“…I see.”

However, Takumi’s face remained dark.

But that can’t be helped. He’s an incredibly kind person. …Takumi has been avoiding social interaction since he arrived in the capital. Even on days off, he doesn’t go out much and spends most of his time in the barracks or his room. If Gazelle or Iris ask him to go out, he’ll go with them, but he rarely goes out with other members after training.

I heard that he refuses invitations to go to the tavern or the brothel. Perhaps it’s because of his unique appearance with his black hair and black eyes. Although no one has said it clearly, he seems to have been with slave traders in the past. Those who had captured Takumi by illegal means are probably still desperately searching for him. He probably doesn’t want to involve others in his situation.

I was worried about him, so the other day, Gazelle and I took Takumi to a clothing store in the castle town and forcefully gave him civilian clothes. I was surprised when Iris happened to visit the store, but he must have been worried about him too. But still, Takumi’s reclusive lifestyle remained the same.

Whenever I see him like that, I remember the words he whispered to me with tears in his eyes. “I’m…glad I met everyone in the Black-winged knights in this world. If I hadn’t met Gazelle and Felix back then, I don’t think I could have survived. There’s no one in this world who is my family, lover, or friend… That’s why I don’t want to rely on you two, but I don’t want you to hate me either.”

…There’s no way Gazelle or I would ever hate you, no matter what happens. In fact, we have expressed our love and passion for him countless times. However, even after hearing that, this young man still answers, “I don’t want to be hated.” It’s so touching and endearing. But at the same time, it was too painful to think about his loneliness that made him say that. Furthermore, I was frustrated by my own powerlessness in failing to melt his icy heart.

So, with a dark expression on my face, I looked down at Takumi and repeated my words. I wanted to relieve his worries, as he is the kindest and surprisingly pure person.  “Takumi, please rest assured. I swear to protect the citizens of Menonu City with this sword. And I will do the same for your life. I will definitely protect you.”

“……!”

Takumi’s face was filled with fear as I spoke. He snatched my arm and leaned in, almost as if clinging to me. “I’ll be fine, Felix. I’ll be fine, so please, please survive whatever happens.”

“Of course, yes. Let us make a promise to each other that we will return to the capital alive.”

“…Yeah, let’s do that. Let’s definitely return to Ritzheim.”

I nodded solemnly and stroked his trembling hand to reassure him. Takumi’s fear and concern, however, remained visible on his face. In pain, he furrowed his brows and twisted his face.

If only.

If only I had talked to Takumi more at this time. If I had, I might have been able to change the outcome.

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