Knights' Elegy
My name is――――.
Well, names aren't really that important.
I'm just an ordinary knight stationed at Graniph Fortress.
I'm a man in his thirties, worn out and lacking the sharpness I used to have.
Why did I become a knight?
Just because.
It was a dream from childhood, or maybe not.
Of course, there was also the option of becoming an adventurer, considering that my sword skills were decent and I was undefeated in my hometown.
In fact, by that time, my childhood friend was already active as an adventurer, and I received offers to join various parties, including those who heard rumors from acquaintances.
However, I didn't quite fit the adventurer lifestyle.
Even if you're told that you can do whatever you want and go wherever you please, I prefer to stay in one place, put down roots, live, and work.
Also, it's easier for me to take instructions from others rather than think and act on my own.
Living in a group isn't exactly unpleasant for me.
Fortunately, I have enough social skills to get along with others.
Strict discipline?
Not a problem at all.
I don't break rules that are set for me, and I’ve never had any issues with being criticized by others.
Being a knight suits me.
That's the only reason why I became a knight.
Unlike other knights who are fervent about the Empire, my motives are far from pure.
But somehow, having served as a knight at Graniph Fortress for many years, I was eventually recommended to be the squad leader.
…It really doesn’t suit me at all.
Being a squad leader sounds impressive, but managing subordinates brings its own set of difficulties.
Those guys, especially the younger ones, often talk back to me, and while they're fine in battle, they show no inclination to listen to me otherwise.
However, I can understand their feelings.
This is a remote area even within the Empire’s territory.
It's underdeveloped for an imperial domain, with important facilities limited to the imperial family's private hot springs, and while there are nearby towns, there’s no large city like the capital.
Though it's said to be a place for training and healing, the number of visiting royalty is few, and they usually bring their own royal guards.
The knights assigned to our fortress rarely get a chance to serve.
Even so, the enemies we face are usually just monsters that wander out of the forest or the occasional intruders who trespass into the woods.
Even that happens only a few times a year.
Even the top fighters at Graniph Fortress might be called upon for deep-level investigations, but such requests are rare.
Given that I became a knight only to be assigned here, it’s not surprising that some might feel resentful, thinking they’ve been relegated to a lesser position.
Personally, I don’t mind.
The work is basically the same everywhere, and the simpler the tasks, the easier they are for me.
Still, that doesn’t mean I can accept it easily.
Even if I scold them harshly, they’ll respond with well-reasoned arguments.
Are all young people like this?
Is it a generational thing? Every time they speak, it’s complaints about things being "boring" or "inefficient," and it’s really annoying.
…Seriously.
And yet, their abilities are annoyingly high.
Just when I think they’ve finished their work faster than expected, they take breaks on their own.
And if they get caught, I’m the one who gets blamed.
So, I spend my days frustrated and struggling to figure out how to deal with my younger subordinates’ attitudes.
Today should have been just another ordinary day.
One of those everyday routines.
But… today, I, and we, were in a deathtrap.
"Wait! Don’t go that way! Simon! Stop――――"
I shout, knowing my voice won’t reach them.
"Ahhh!!!"
"Simon! Simon! Hey! Damn it! That guy!"
"Ah, my leg!"
"Captain! There’s no way we can defeat all these monsters! They keep coming――――"
Bartz, the youngest member of my squad and a cat beastman, reports with a panicked face.
Usually arrogant and quick to talk back whenever he sees me, this young man was now completely lost and frantic.
It was that serious.
But.
"I know! But we can’t just leave Simon suffering over there!"
I charged forward recklessly with my sword in hand.
A Black Garm was pinning down Simon, who was groaning in pain, while two more Black Garms were intimidating the area.
These creatures, which usually don’t group together, had gathered to attack. This was an abnormal situation.
But right now――――that doesn’t matter!
Get those filthy paws off my subordinate!
"――――!"
With a flash.
I sliced through the front legs of the Black Garm holding Simon down with the sword I gripped tightly. It was a shallow wound, but that was enough.
"Gaah!?"
"Ha!"
With another swing.
Despite the sharp pain, the beast tried to bite me. I crouched to dodge and slashed upwards, cutting through its throat.
Now, to finish this.
The two remaining Black Garms, disoriented by the sudden death of their comrade, instinctively slashed at me with their sharp claws.
"――――Ha!"
I used my magically enhanced physical abilities to cut through their claws and sever their flesh. Then, I quickly moved into their range and took off their heads.
That’s it. Still, damn it, I've definitely lost my edge.
In the past, I could have defeated these enemies with a single strike.
"Bartz!"
"Huh?"
What are you standing there staring for?
I managed to buy some time to rescue Simon before the next monster arrives. Stop freezing and come on!
"You and Yan work together to get the injured Simon to the medical room!"
"But… Captain… there are still monsters…"
"Forget about them and just take him there! Move quickly!"
"Y-Yes! Th-thank you, Captain…"
"What? Is there something else?"
"Ah, thank you. I didn’t know the Captain was this strong――――"
"Ugh, stop with the extra talk and just go already! Damn it, Simon’s going to hold a grudge. …Now, go!"
"Yes!!"
Damn it.
It was still manageable at first.
The monsters in the Forest of Seals are powerful.
However, if we're dealing with the surface-level monsters, we're somewhat accustomed to fighting them.
We should have been able to hold our ground.
But gradually, the situation began to change.
It was a wave.
Amidst the surface-level monsters, the deep-level ones began to appear, and soon they mixed together, pushing towards Graniph Fortress like a wave.
The trees in the forest have been cut down to provide a clear view from the forest to the fortress, creating a plain with low-growing plants.
A deep moat surrounds the fortress to block the monsters' advance, and there are ballistae on the walls for large creatures.
But even that wasn't enough.
The number of monsters pouring in was overwhelmingly greater than we could deal with.
Angry shouts from fellow knights echoed everywhere.
"A Gigant Boa! Watch out for its charge! Its fangs strike from below. Keep your shield low!"
"That blood-stained, dark club… It's a Dread Troll! This is bad!"
"An Armored Owlbear!? It’s a deep-level monster! Why is it here!? No… could it be the Evil Dragon's doing?"
――――How long, how long will this continue!?
"Ugh… Fall back for now! We'll switch with the reserves!"
We were exhausted.
Yet, the wave of monsters showed no sign of abating.
Another knight fell.
A fatal wound… He was hit in the heart and couldn’t move anymore.
Again.
A knight lay there, his stomach ripped open, arms severed.
His face was unrecognizable.
A knight who had lost everything in the raging tide.
Again… this time it was a mutual kill.
Both had dealt fatal wounds to each other, dying while still entangled.
Death began to overflow.
Death that I didn’t want to see.
At that moment.
"――――Waterfall"
"…What is this?"
Countless large beads of water fell upon a group of monsters.
It was as if they were being struck from above, causing a shockwave through the monsters.
"Single-stream Waterfall”
A single stream of water from far above pierced through the stopped Gigant Boa’s skull.
“Two-stream Waterfalls"
Next, water streams from the left and right closed in like massive arms.
Crushed.
The Gigant Boa and multiple monsters in the area were smashed by the converging waterfalls.
That magic is…
"Commander Bardner…"
Mackerin Bardner, the “Knight of the Rapid Falls.”
He wore custom-made, heavily armored blue knight armor. In his hands were a massive shield that covered his entire body and a large axe with a curved blade.
He is the highest-ranking officer of Graniph Fortress and a veteran knight with experience serving as a personal guard to the Emperor.
"Knights! You fought well! From here on, I will join the battle! Let’s push these monsters back together!!"
"””Ohhhーーーーーー!!”””
The appearance of the seasoned veteran briefly turned the tide of battle.
Many of the surface and deep-level monsters had been defeated. Although skirmishes still occurred here and there, the overall conflict was beginning to die down.
Even so, the visible casualties were numerous.
There were countless injuries.
…Some members of my squad had also become casualties.
Yet… it wasn’t over.
It wasn’t finished.
The creature had appeared.
"Gyaaaaaaaa!!!!"
"Damn… that accursed Dragon… Roaring uselessly…"
The evil dragon approached the boundary between the Forest of Seals and the plains.
Even though it was several hundred meters away, its roar felt as though it could rupture eardrums.
What was worse was…
"Damn it, is that really a Tamed Beast?"
The evil dragon wore a conspicuous collar around its impossibly thick neck.
Though it was barely recognizable, it was undoubtedly a— Tamed Beast collar.
To control and use such a monster?
This is no joke.
"Hey, Eclipse Dragon. Enough with the intimidation. Stop for a moment."
Moreover, there were three mysterious figures not mentioned in the reports.
A man with a suspicious smile, riding a disgusting giant centipede.
Next to him was a woman dressed in gaudy, eye-searing colors, completely out of place in the forest, and a taciturn man in ragged clothes.
I could feel a cold sweat running down my spine.
Among them, the most formidable was… the man in the ragged robe.
"Persistent, aren't you? Old knight. You’ve already figured out that attacks don’t affect the Eclipse Dragon, right? How about you give up already?"
"…………"
"Ahaha, struggling desperately when it’s already hopeless. Isn’t it fun? There’s no need to protect such a small fortress, is there? Just give up already?"
"…………"
The suspicious man and the garish woman mocked the commander, who looked so battered that it was a wonder he was still standing.
The once magnificent knight armor was now covered in mud and blood, with parts missing.
Blood flowed from his forehead, his left arm, which should have supported the large shield, hung limply, and the shield itself was nowhere to be seen.
The commander had exhausted most of his strength fighting the deep-level monsters.
Then the evil dragon appeared.
To block the breath attack unleashed on the first strike, the commander had poured all his energy into it.
He had no choice but to use his strength to protect us.
Even so, it wasn’t completely prevented.
He was clearly battered and bruised.
It was obvious even from a distance that he was standing only through sheer willpower.
No one could go to his aid.
The deep-level monsters, further incited by the appearance of the evil dragon, were rampaging even more.
The fortress was half-destroyed by the breath attack, and the number of knights still standing was less than half, no, even less than a third compared to the beginning.
As for me… I’ve messed up too.
"Ba… Barts! Use the potion now!"
"Barts, I’m fine. Erin is in worse shape. Use the remaining emergency potion on him."
"But… there’s only one left!"
"I don’t want to hear 'but.' Just follow the order for once."
I forced my immobile body to shout out.
I advised the young knight, whose cheeky face was smeared with tears and blood, to prioritize someone else over me.
Because.
You like Erin, don’t you?
Use the potion on the woman you love, not on this old man.
I watched as Barts, shaking off his tears and resolving himself, went toward Erin.
But then a monster blocked his path.
Had it wandered out of the forest?
At a time like this?
It was a Raging Ogre.
A brutal humanoid monster nearly three meters tall.
A monster whose strength changes with its anger, making it a troublesome foe depending on the situation.
Normally, Barts in peak condition could barely manage to defeat such an opponent.
But after depleting his strength in the previous battles, it was a harsh opponent for him.
Someone!
Isn’t there anyone!?
I’m just a mediocre, uninspiring knight.
I’m not well-liked by my subordinates, and if asked whether I’m a distinguished knight, I couldn’t say it with pride!
But!
But this is different!
Barts desperately tried to avoid the Raging Ogre’s attacks.
But his movements lacked precision.
Hey, God!
You’re watching, right?
Don’t you care about this hellish scene?
There’s no way young lives should be lost here!
It’s not just Barts.
Many lives on the battlefield are in danger right now.
The deep-level monsters are still active.
Everyone is fighting.
They’re burning their lives to protect others.
God, if you’re watching this, say something!
Tell us that there’s still hope for them!
"Barts…"
The Raging Ogre’s massive arm came crashing down on the staggering Barts.
I tried to muster what little strength I had left to move my blood-soaked limbs.
"———Let’s go, Vanitas! Align with me!"
"Ah, Double Grasp."
"Huh…?"
Whoever responded to that voice, whether it was from far away or startlingly close, I couldn’t tell now.
But it was undoubtedly a voice of salvation.
"Catastrophic Dragonbone Breath."
“Ultimate Grip Cannon Impact."
In my fading consciousness, I witnessed it.
An overwhelming power that cleared the monsters threatening the knights.