Eltigre was the northernmost city in the kingdom’s territory. Beyond it, there was no settlement, only the kingdom’s army barracks that were constantly at war with the barbarians. Eltigre was a strategic base that supported them.
Living with the threat of the barbarians’ invasion looming over their heads was a frightening thing, but surprisingly, the residents of Eltigre had a high level of life satisfaction.
That was because they felt relieved that the soldiers, who were disciplined and trained, were protecting them, and they believed that the crude barbarians would never break through the defensive line.
But that was no longer the case.
The northern expedition had failed, and the news that the defensive line, which had been their sturdy fence for decades, had collapsed, had started to spread.
And a few days ago, when hundreds of retreating soldiers arrived in the city, the rumor became reality.
The people were engulfed by anxiety that their heads would soon be chopped off, and some of them, unable to overcome their fear, secretly fled the city at night.
The lord of Eltigre did not forgive the cowards who left the castle without permission, and he prevented the people’s exodus with his threats, but that only made the people’s anxiety grow.
As they passed through the gate of Eltigre, Kyle said.
“Even the passing dogs look depressed.”
“What can they do? They heard that the army that had been protecting them had lost, and if they smile brightly, they’re insane.”
Colin, who answered him, turned his head and looked at Ruon.
“What are we going to do now?”
“We need to rest for a while.”
“That sounds good.”
The group headed straight for the inn. Soon, they found a large wooden building and entered it without hesitation.
The inn, which had a paradoxical name of ‘Hot North Wind’, looked neat and tidy inside, as if it was a new building.
The owner, who approached the group with a sly smile, enthusiastically told them the history of the inn, which they did not ask for.
In summary, the inn, which had originally been a modest one-story building, had gradually expanded its size and successfully completed the expansion, becoming the largest three-story inn in the city.
“Do so many outsiders come to this city?”
“Not outsiders, but soldiers who visit here on vacation. They come in droves, from a dozen to several dozens at a time…”
The innkeeper’s expression looked somewhat bitter as he said that, so Kyle did not ask any more questions.
The group, who had not washed or eaten properly on their way here, gave the owner a generous amount of money, and then melted their bodies with hot water and filled their hungry stomachs with warm food.
“It’s really delicious, isn’t it? I can see how they raised the building.”
“I know, right? Even considering how hungry we were, this is really amazing.”
As Colin chewed on the meat stuck in his teeth, Kyle nodded his head in agreement.
He turned his head and looked at Ruon, who was slurping the soup like water.
“Ruon.”
“What?”
“I’ve been thinking, even if we manage to get into the north with the three of us, how are we going to find Amela?”
Ruon did not have a clear solution either, so there was a moment of silence.
Then he said.
“If she attacked the kingdom’s army because of the oath, she’ll probably show up in the next battle.”
Kyle sighed deeply and said.
“That’s the best we can hope for right now.”
“Yeah.”
Ruon answered briefly, his expression as calm as ever, but in fact, he was considering the worst-case scenario.
Unlike Kyle, who was focused on finding Amela, he thought that what happened after the meeting was more important.
If the power of the oath was beyond his and Kyle’s abilities, and if she tried to kill them in that situation, he could not just sit there and take it.
He hoped that would not happen, and he was drinking his beer, when he met eyes with a man who was sitting at a table diagonally across from him.
What does he want?
He felt annoyed by the man’s blatant gaze, and he furrowed his brows slightly. Then the man got up and walked slowly toward the table where the group was sitting.
Kyle and Colin, who were sitting with their backs to him, also turned their heads following Ruon’s gaze.
“Do you have something to say to us?”
By the time Colin asked, the man had already come close to the group and nodded his head.
“Yes, I do.”
He answered, but his eyes were fixed on Ruon, and they did not seem to move away.
Ruon looked at his eyes, which had a strange heat in them, and said.
“What? Do you want to fight? Or do you want a knife?”
“Don’t joke. Challenging the warrior who killed the great demon, that’s not courage, that’s madness. And I pride myself on being good at discerning situations.”
The man smiled faintly, and sat down on an empty chair as if it was natural, when Ruon did not say anything back.
“I was wondering if it was really you, and it was. It’s an honor to meet you.”
“Who are you?”
The man raised his right hand to his left chest and answered.
“My name is Wayne, a knight who swore loyalty to Lord Kemar of Eltigre.”
He finished his formal introduction and added.
“I overheard your conversation by accident. I recognized the names you called each other. You looked similar to the heroes who killed the great demon. So I gathered some courage and approached you.”
He was obviously staring at them.
Ruon thought so and opened his mouth.
“What do you want from us?”
Colin interrupted.
“It’s obvious. He wants to get acquainted with you two. What was your name? Wayne? How about we have a drink together if I’m right?”
Wayne smiled weakly at that. His blond hair swayed.
“Of course, I would love to be friends with the heroes, but that’s not why I came here.”
He glanced around and lowered his voice.
“Can you introduce me to the lord?”
Ruon narrowed his eyes and asked.
“Why do you want to see the lord?”
Wayne, the knight, looked around the noisy inn with a grim expression. The people who were drinking seemed happy, but he knew better than anyone that they were trying to shake off their anxiety with a sip of alcohol.
“I won’t beat around the bush. The situation in El Tigre is like a candle in the storm. I need your help.”
He said he wouldn’t beat around the bush, but he was already vague. He seemed to be conscious of the people around him.
But it was obvious what the storm he was talking about was. The barbarians.
“I can’t promise you anything with my authority. But the lord is different. If you talk to him, you’ll surely get a good result for both of you.”
He finished his speech and looked at them with a slightly anxious face.
Meeting the lord. Ruon thought for a moment and made up his mind. If the city was in danger, they would be involved anyway. It was obvious.
He nodded and said.
“Lead the way.”
***
The three of them arrived at a large mansion and followed Wayne to the lord’s room.
What was surprising was that the people they met on the way bowed politely to Wayne, who was leading them. It would have been understandable if they were soldiers, but some of them looked like knights.
Kyle noticed that too and nudged Ruon and Colin’s elbows alternately and whispered.
“He’s not an ordinary knight, is he?”
They reached a large door at the end of the long corridor. The guard who was guarding it opened the door without a word and stepped aside.
The scene beyond the door was bleak.
There were no splendid frames or ornaments, let alone a carpet. The room was surrounded by dull gray bricks.
It was lucky that there were a few windows, otherwise they would have thought it was a cell for prisoners, not the lord’s room.
Then the middle-aged man who was looking out the window with his back turned slowly turned his head.
The lord, Kemar, said.
“Welcome. You’re the honored guests. Yes.”
The lord seemed to have been informed beforehand, as he guessed who they were.
He scanned them with a sharp gaze and then scolded Wayne.
“You were supposed to rest, but you brought trouble on your own.”
“How can I rest when you can’t sleep, my lord? I’m your guardian knight.”
Oh, he was a guardian knight.
That’s why everyone was so formal to him. He was the knight who protected the lord.
Kemar shook his head as if he couldn’t help it and sighed.
“You probably expected it, but I’ll explain it again. The barbarians’ army has appeared nearby. I’m not sure if it’s their main force, but they have enough numbers to call it an army.”
He skipped the unnecessary introduction and explained the current situation. Ruon asked him.
“So you’re saying that the royal army suffered a near-annihilation? Even if the defense line collapsed, there should be a lot of survivors. How come the enemies arrived faster than them?”
The lord’s eyes widened and then returned to normal.
“You have a sharp mind. You’re not just a strong hero.”
He sighed weakly and opened his mouth.
“Three hundred soldiers have evacuated here. But as you said, they’re a drop in the bucket compared to the survivors. You know what that means.”
He didn’t seem to want an answer, so they kept quiet.
As expected, the lord added.
“They ran away. They knew that El Tigre was next after the defense line. So they retreated to a faraway city. And it’s true. Most of the surviving soldiers are in Briten. They’re planning a counterattack there.”
Britten was a city about ten days south of El Tigre. Colin, who had volunteered there with his siblings, shuddered silently.
Then Kyle said.
“Do you really think you can stop the barbarians’ attack here? You’ll all die.”
But the lord didn’t look scared at all.
“If my eyes haven’t failed me, you’re Kyle, right? You’re right, your words are not wrong. We’ll only die if we stay here.”
He clenched his teeth so hard that the muscles on his jaw bulged. He slowly opened his mouth.
“But I can’t just abandon the castle and run away. I’m the lord of El Tigre. I have a duty to protect the land that my ancestors have guarded.”
Ruon frowned.
The lord’s words could be nicely wrapped up as faith, but in this situation, they were nothing but stubbornness.
The king who started the war had gone mad with power, and the retreating soldiers had fled to the north under the pretext of reorganization. There seemed to be no hope for El Tigre.
Fortunately, Kamar was more of a person who suited the word faith than stubbornness.
“I’ve poured all the connections and gold I’ve accumulated so far and requested support from various places. If they arrive on time, the situation will improve a lot.”
Faced with a fairly realistic alternative, Ruon suppressed the refusal that rose to his throat and asked.
“Where is that?”
The lord answered with hopeful eyes.
“Literally, various places, but the most hopeful place to try is the Grand Cathedral of Ganak.”
“Where?”
At the unexpected words, Ruon and Kyle’s expressions hardened at the same time.
Pwoo-
The sound of a horn blowing from afar was heard.
