Chapter 64 – Selfishness

A low, rumbling baritone voice. The scratched plate armor and chipped weapons seemed to speak of their extensive combat experience instead. In Veloc’s eyes, they were a knight order. The style of the armor and the crest engraved on the iron plates were identical. An eagle.

“Where have I seen that before?” As he pondered, Adel, who was beside him, stepped forward instead.

“We are the surviving expedition. Who might you be?”

“Survived in this demon realm? By what means…”

The knight did not reveal his identity even after hearing Adel’s words. He seemed to be on guard, and he also seemed to dismiss them. He rolled his eyes inside the helmet, checking the faces of the group. Except for a few, they had almost no military discipline and looked like defeated soldiers. How on earth did these people survive?

At that moment, someone popped out from behind. In their urgency, they even bumped into the shoulders of Veloc and Adel. As she frowned, a middle-aged noble who had managed to survive spoke in a state of high excitement.

“The Dawn Knights! Isn’t that Duke Georg’s sword? Is he here? D-do you recognize me? I am Baron Pigo!”

“Baron Pigo? One of the Duke’s vassals?”

The knight tilted his head, seemingly not knowing who the middle-aged man was. At that, the Baron’s face flushed crimson. He had gone through the trouble of bringing his life and soldiers to join the Duke’s banner, only to be ignored even by the local knights. Whether the two of them fought or not, Veloc was listening to the surrounding conversation.

– The Dawn Knights… Aren’t they those human butchers who slaughter people whenever a war breaks out?

– It’s not just people. I heard they also hunt down monsters hiding in the dark.

– Aren’t they the finest warriors in the kingdom, second only to the King’s Royal Guard?

‘Oh, they’re quite the impressive bunch. Well, that makes sense. That’s why they were able to hunt that monster.’ As Veloc admired them while looking at the collapsed giant, Cara, who was beside him, muttered.

“Don’t they look like the knights we ran into near the gates before entering the royal palace? The ones who ignored us back then. They turned out to be bigger deals than I thought.”

“Hmm.”

Veloc organized the situation. The knight order before him was the swords of a grand lord. Seeing them gathered in one place meant that a proper chain of command existed. That also meant that the grand lord was nearby… Perhaps the scattered allied forces were gathered here. As Veloc slightly anticipated this, the Baron’s voice grew louder.

“I-I did my best. Even after entering this death zone, I fought with all my might to find the Duke. Do you know what kind of effort I put in to lead this expedition here? Let me audience the Duke! I have every right to be treated with respect.”

“What is that pig talking about? Who led whom?”

As Cara watched Baron Pigo with a hollow laugh, the knights sitting on the giant’s corpse slowly gathered around the expedition. As their armor gleamed orange, it was like torches approaching.

A knight whispered. Soon, the whisper spread to the surroundings, causing them to nod to each other. They did not look at the Baron who was passionately speaking. They looked at the giant who was a head taller than them—the knight wearing the strange crested armor. As their gazes converged, Veloc also looked at them. ‘What are you looking at?’ As the black knight tilted his head, a knight spoke hesitatingly.

“A… Are you the Gate Breaker?”

“Do you know me?”

“Hmm… You seem to have forgotten already. Then again, our first meeting wasn’t all that pleasant.”

Veloc’s eyes stared intently at him. He was a man wearing a splendid breastplate decorated with red feathers. Veloc felt like he remembered him, but not quite. The man spoke.

“I am Garan. I serve as the advisor of the Dawn Knights. I was also the one who greeted you at the gates back then.”

‘Ah, that guy.’

“I see. What is it? Has your misunderstanding about us cleared up a bit?”

Garan took off his helmet. The bearded middle-aged knight’s face glowed red. He lifted his gauntlet, wiped the sweat running down his face, and bowed deeply to Veloc.

“Cleared up? I would like to apologize for my rudeness back then. I didn’t know my eyes were so rotten that I couldn’t recognize a true knight.”

He laughed heartily and shook his head. Soon, he glanced at Baron Pigo with a look of contempt. No matter how he thought about it, the only reason this ragtag group could have survived must have been due to the martial prowess of the man before him. The Baron shut his mouth tightly as his point was hit, and Garan looked at Veloc again with an amiable smile. He spoke.

“This doesn’t seem like a good place to talk, but would you follow us for now? The Duke is also looking forward to meeting you.”

Veloc glanced at the group. Adel looked secretly proud when those proud knights bowed, while Isabel was just smiling. Only Cara nodded and whispered.

“Seeing how politely they’re acting, I think they might make some kind of proposal. It could be an invitation to join them. You’re a great knight, after all. Even if you refuse, it’s right to follow them for now. We need to hear how many of the allied forces survived and what the surrounding situation they saw is like.”

It was advice fitting for a mage. ‘You’re the best.’

“Fine.”

As Veloc nodded silently, Garan shouted to the surrounding knights.

“We are returning! Everyone, do not let your guard down!”

“Yes, sir!”

#

The Duke’s military camp was located on the boundary between the ruined village, the burning village, and the skull mountains. Seeing the clever positioning and the walls surrounding the perimeter, the group clicked their tongues. They had dismantled rotten wooden shacks to build fences and set up torches. It felt like looking at a fortress. ‘They built this in just a few days? They are quite capable.’ Leaving Veloc’s admiration behind, the group entered the fortress. Here and there, soldiers and knights holding spears on guard, as well as members of the order, could be seen. The scattered allied forces were also residing here.

“Sir Alex!”

“Dar! You’re alive!”

“Bishop! Oh, my God!”

The expedition members who followed the group disappeared one by one to find their acquaintances. Or they decided it was safe behind the walls and slipped away on their own. In the end, only Veloc’s group and Garan, the knight guiding them, remained. Veloc smirked. The flimsy bond of risking their lives to fight together had snapped right here. Of course, he didn’t feel regret. He just felt relieved. As they walked, Garan spoke.

“When the Greater Demon’s magic was activated, where did you fall?”

“It was a cemetery. Then we passed through a forest and came through the ruined village.”

When Veloc replied, Garan’s eyes widened. He seemed a bit surprised.

“You also went through quite a lot of trouble. It was the same for us. We fell on some frozen ground…”

Garan’s story went roughly like this. Besides the three areas Veloc had inspected, various other zones existed in this land. Thousands of allied soldiers fell in different places, and eventually, after going through their own hardships, they gathered here. Of course, his boast—not quite a boast—included that the efforts of his master, Duke Georg, played a big role. Veloc asked something else instead of chiming in about the ruler.

“Then are the people gathered here the entirety of the survivors?”

Garan’s expression darkened slightly. He glanced around. The expedition force, which had once exceeded ten thousand, had now shrunk to less than half. He spoke.

“As far as I know, yes. It’s embarrassing to say this, but except for our knight order, the bishops, and the high-ranking paladins, morale is at rock bottom.”

“It seems that is not the only problem.”

Garan smile bitterly. Just as he said, the situation was more serious. It wasn’t just a mental issue; the supply of weapons and food was also a problem. It felt like sailing across a vast ocean in a boat full of holes. However, the middle-aged commander did not complain further. His role was simply to bring them here. He spoke.

“Would you like to meet His Grace the Duke first? Ah, I would appreciate it if your companions could wait here.”

Nobles who had some proposal or scheme often suggested a private meeting. Veloc wondered what the Duke would say and parted the tent flap.

An old noble with white hair and beard sat comfortably in a rocking chair. He leaned his arms on the table and stared at Veloc. Just by that, Veloc could feel the power of the old man before him. To set up a tent, a desk, and a table in a barren wasteland where nothing existed, the soldiers who dragged them here must have suffered quite a bit. ‘He seems strangely relaxed. Does he have some trump card?’ As Veloc felt suspicious, the Duke spoke.

“Ah, the hero who broke the gate has arrived. Nice to meet you.”

Duke Georg—the commander of the Dawn Knights, a war noble governing the borderlands adjacent to Highland, the land of the northern barbarians, and one of the ringleaders of this rebellion—spoke.

“A hero. That’s a luxurious nickname.”

When Veloc replied indifferently, Georg smirked.

“Well, by my standards, anyone who breaks a gate with a single strike of a sword is indeed a hero. Or a monster. Truly… it was a feat hard to believe even after seeing it with my own eyes. How did you do it? Was it an artifact?”

The armor was indeed an artifact. Since he was under no obligation to answer, Veloc shrugged.

“I just swung it and it broke.”

Georg did not probe deeply either. He simply stroked his beard and praised Veloc once more.

“I have traversed many battlefields and met countless knights, warriors, and mages. Among them, there were several who possessed great secrets. However, I have never seen anyone like you.”

“Did you call me here just to flatter me?”

Georg rummaged through the drawer. Soon, he took out a pipe and put it in his mouth.

“Of course not. I am currently cornered. I set out with the determination to take the King’s head and sit on the throne, but instead, I’ve just been killing monsters. My loyal soldiers and knights, my blades tempered in battles against the northern barbarians, are dying in vain. It’s a huge loss. It can be seen as an unprofitable business. Why? Because those peasants outside the palace won’t know of our efforts! Heavens! If I had known the inside of the palace was such a cursed place, I would have never come here. I would have waited for a better opportunity instead!”

Georg ranted and raved, playing all the parts himself. However, despite his words, his tone did not sound desperate, just like during their first meeting. He sounded more like a merchant than a warrior. Perhaps because he was a general leading a massive number of people, he thought of soldiers and knights as a game of numbers. Or perhaps he was confident he could save himself. Yes, a grand noble would have a lot of money, so he must have something. But that was none of his business. Veloc spoke.

“Get to the point.”

“Ah, my apologies. My rambling was long. You could say it’s a habit I’ve picked up—the vanity of a noble. There are protocols and etiquette, aren’t there? To open up a conversation.”

As Veloc’s eyes narrowed, Georg cleared his throat. Soon, he struck a flint and took a puff of his pipe.

“I highly evaluate your tireless valor and skill. Especially in a wartime situation like this, that martial prowess shines even brighter. That is why I ask. By any chance, do you have someone you serve?”

‘This again.’ Veloc felt like he had been getting popular lately. He shook his head.

“No.”

Through the wispy smoke he blew out, Georg’s eyes and the smile on his lips grew slightly larger. He spoke.

“Then, do you have any thoughts of joining my knight order?”

“The order you lead?”

Georg nodded.

“Though it’s embarrassing to say it myself, I pride myself on being the strongest in the kingdom, second only to the King’s Royal Guard. Each individual is a warrior worth a hundred, possessing special secrets. I plan to lead them to drag down that Demon King. If that happens? Each knight will receive a fief. No, depending on their performance, they might even receive two. Of course, immense honor will also follow. What do you think?”

His tone was full of confidence. Well, if it was the kingdom’s finest knight order, he had every right to be. However, Veloc smirked.

“Is that all you have to say?”

“Could it be… a refusal?”

“I have my own goal, you see.”

He could have easily obtained a few fiefs if he had wanted to. It was the same in Roben, and in the Serpent Lord’s Fief. Though the process might have been a bit annoying, he was fully capable of doing so. Of course, he did not spit out words that sounded like a young man’s bluff. He simply replied flatly, as his goal was not to live in comfort in this land.

“Hah, is that so? Then let me ask one more thing.”

“What is it?”

Georg’s eyes gleamed dangerously.

“Ah, it’s nothing major. I was just wondering if you had any interest in the throne.”

‘What kind of bullshit is this?’ As Veloc was taken aback, Georg sat back leisurely in his chair. Then, pointing the ring on his hand toward Veloc, he tapped the table and spoke.

“Occasionally, there are friends like that. Friends who cannot handle their own power and knowledge and dream dreams they cannot bear. I have several in my camp right now. Some wandering knights and mages. Yes, and the members of the order are the same. Those people plan to kill the King and take his place, turning this kingdom into a land ruled by the church. I suspect you might have such rebellious thoughts. A knight who breaks a gate with a single stroke of a sword is quite threatening, after all.”

Veloc did not reply. Something else was bothering him right now. Thinking he had hit the mark, Georg’s voice grew sharper.

“Only those who do not know the agony of a ruler can dream such dreams. What would happen if someone without a support base ascends to the throne? All the nobles in the country would immediately doubt their legitimacy and swarm like jackals. In the end, this country will collapse like a sandcastle on the beach. Do you understand what I mean? So, instead of having vain thoughts, under my…”

Veloc cut off the Duke.

“They’re here.”

“Hmm? What is?”

“Prepare for battle. The footsteps are loud, and they sound like giants.”

“What? No, you…”

Leaving only those words, Veloc walked out. Along with the familiar moonlight, the damp darkness welcomed him. The torch planted next to the tent also swayed upright, reminding him of the surrounding silence. However, he could tell. His transcendent senses, which went beyond human limits, were warning him. The ground was thumping. The burning timber was also snapping and crackling. Monsters were coming. Quite a lot of them.

Veloc smiled bitterly. They had gathered in one place, but he wondered how many of these humans, each harboring different intentions, would survive. It would be a relief if they didn’t stab each other with the daggers in their hands. Three women approached him.

Looking at the colorful hair—black, red, and blonde—he thought: ‘As expected, in this damn world, the only ones I can trust are my companions.’