Murmur, murmur.
The soldiers spoke in hushed whispers as they watched Callavan pass by.
A coward who'd fled the battlefield.
A thief who later barged in and usurped command.
There were many different stories floating around, but the hottest among the soldiers was only one.
"Master Callius…"
He planned to kill Callavan.
Such rumours were spreading all over the place.
At a time when the Orcs might attack the very next moment, would the army's discipline not be shaken by such a mischievous rumour?
It was the commander's duty to strengthen the failing discipline by quashing such rumours right away.
But –
Callavan didn't do that.
"Master Callavan. Shouldn't you take action? If not, you have to at least teach that bastard a lesson…"
One of the Knights following Callavan advised, but he didn't care.
"He's playing a trick. If we get thoughtlessly tangled up, things will flow in just the direction he wants."
"Oh, I see."
Despite his words, Callavan was not without worries.
Who knew if that fucking bastard would suddenly go into a frenzy and attack him in his sleep or something?
If only he disappeared, Callius would become the next Patriarch.
And he would even have more authenticity than Callavan himself!
"You have a bad complexion."
"Oh, I couldn't sleep, so I was doing paperwork until morning. I'm just a bit tired."
To put it bluntly, Callavan's face didn't look very good.
Dark circles around the eyes almost reaching his chin, bloodshot eyes, flaky skin and even cracked lips.
"But we can't just stand still. If he really wants to kill Master Callavan…"
"Of course, I don't want to leave it alone. That's why I stayed up all night."
"Then…"
"I decided to form a separate wing."
Callius would be set up as the captain of a unit that moved independently of the main army.
"The Orcs can't stay forever encamped in front of Jevarsch. The most important problem would be food."
Although they were procuring food by hunting and gathering in the nearby forest, there was a limit to it.
Of course, the same went for the besieged inside Jevarsch, but the Orcs would need more food than humans. They'd also need to feed the beasts that accompanied them.
In any case, they had to procure supplies, so it would be of great help to the humans if a separate unit were to be set up to intercept or interfere with that.
Of course –
There was a limit to the number of soldiers that could be moved out of the castle right now, and the headcount had to be small enough to avoid the Orcs' notice.
The Knights of Callius were the perfect answer.
"It’s a mishmash of people who don’t even deserve to be called Knights, but being a general means you have to be able to use what you have."
It's good if they are successful. It's better if they fail.
You wouldn't have to see that thorn at your side ever again, and best of all, it'd even be legally justified.
‘He's a pretty annoying obstacle on my road to revenge on Elburton.'
Annihilate the Orcs as soon as possible.
Take the opportunity to kill Elburton who's already ill, and become the master of Jevarsch.
This plan had been in the works for a long time.
He couldn't let such great preparations be spoiled just because of one crazy idiot.
"Gather the Knights."
The war had just begun.
Behind the temporary barracks.
Callius was spending time with Emily.
Kaang! Chaeeng!
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"Yeah, good job."
Ignoring the summons, he had been training alone. Events flowed naturally towards having a match with Emily, who'd appeared with Lucen in her hands.
"Like this?"
"Right."
Kaang!
The sound of sparks erupted.
‘It's been two weeks since I pierced her divine blood.'
For such a short duration, she'd made quite good progress on the amount of divine power she could handle.
Moreover, the technique of operation as well as her idea of condensing it were also going in a not bad direction.
It was hard to believe that she was only a ten-years-old girl. Emily was indeed a genius of the sword.
She was already at a level of skill that would not be easily defeated by any other Knights.
As she accepted and internalized the practical experience and advice that Bernard and Callius imparted to her, one or two words at a time, she was already creating her own swordsmanship, with sharpness and softness coexisting.
Of course, that swordsmanship still had to be polished further, but it was self-evident that she would become a great Knight in the near future.
"Haa, hoo, how is it?"
"Useful."
However, contrary to what she thought –
Callius' words were monotonous.
Even just a single word of praise –
Was difficult to get, for some reason.
Wouldn't she get a big head if complimented too much?
So Calius was being careful with his every word, because he had a lot of concerns about her getting hurt on the battlefield.
Because of this, the words he uttered were short and concise, enough to colour the eyes that had twinkled in anticipation dim with disappointment.
"Thank you… for your guidance."
"I don't need it."
"Still, I want to thank you."
Callius' nose twitched.
The frigid atmosphere of a duel somehow warmed up in an instant.
A cosiness that felt very awkward.
"What's that hanging around your neck?"
"This is made from the horn of the beast I caught last time. Isn't it cool? I'll blow it when the war starts. It's pretty loud and amazing. Want to hear it?"
"…"
I don't know what to say to Emily's face, who's proudly caressing her prize.
I wonder why the traits of a maniac don't activate.
In the end, Emily is also a Jervain.
‘Still, maybe it's because I don't want to show my daughter my foolish side.'
I really don't know…
That was then –
Somebody's footsteps were caught in Callius' ears.
"What's going on, old man?"
It was Bernard.
"Why did you disobey the summons?"
"I didn't want to go."
"Yeah, and thanks to that, you and your Knights are now ordered to move as a separate unit."
Callius' lips twisted as if he'd known in advance.
"That's what I'd been hoping for."
"Crazy. Do you want to die? Don't you know that disobeying orders in wartime is a death sentence?"
"I know."
"Then why did you do this despite knowing that?"
"Because he won't be able to kill me anyway."
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"… Your head's messed up."
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Callavan couldn't do it.
Even if he tried to enforce discipline like that, if Callius started making a riot, he'd only lose more face for nothing.
Anyway, Callavan couldn't do anything about Callius, who had a honoured bloodline.
No matter how renowned a fool Callius might have been, he was still of Elburton's bloodline, and the Son of God who had returned from the Order.
"What do I have to do?"
"Look for yourself."
Whirlik.
Tas.
The gray eyes pored over the parchment quickly.
Emily, curious as well, asked.
The order that was written on the parchment.
"He's asking me to take their supplies."
"Uh… isn’t that a good thing?"
Even if her talent for swords was excellent, she was still a child in this aspect.
"It's a good thing. Good enough to die for."
What does siege warfare mean?
It means being isolated.
An Orc army is encamped in front of the castle gate, and you never know when the war might start.
To get out of the castle, avoiding their eyes, and to destroy or grab their supplies?
It's no different than telling you to just go out and die.
It's good if you succeed, and it's good if you fail.
"When the gates open for a moment and a surprise attack is launched from our side, the detached corps will draw their attention and advance north."
It was an order to become a bait and to distract the enemy.
It sounded like ordering him to die, but Callius didn't care.
It was what he had hoped for in the first place.
In Jevarsch, the characteristic of a maniac kept rising within him, making it difficult to control.
It was more convenient to go out and act separately.
If something goes wrong, it'd be fine to die.
After all, the war had begun.
‘Because the time has come to finish the quest slowly.'
Callius crumpled up the parchment and grabbed the hilt around his waist.
To raise the quest rewards to S rank, more special conditions were required.
‘That Great Orc Warrior.'
His battle with Kel'tuk was not over yet.
If they meet this time.
Only then would the fight with him be put to an end.
"Are you going with?"
"I can't. I have a separate mission."
"As expected."
There was no way Callavan would leave a Paladin as powerful as Bernard alone.
The showdown would be three days later.
Callius was already waiting for that moment.
Three days later.
Callius spoke calmly to the Knights who looked at him.
"Those who want to live, stay. Those who want to die with me, follow."
That's all.
Callius headed towards the closed gate.
But his Knights followed behind, without hesitation.
"You are blessed. Isn't it?"
"That's right. As a maniac."
Callavan strode to the side of Callius, who was at the forefront, and looked the Knights arrayed behind him.
After these long and short skirmishes, the wandering aspirants of the White Forest had become full-fledged Knights.
True Knights with boundless faith and loyalty, to Callius.
Callavan looked at those knights with a smirk and twisted his lips.
Yeah, they're going to die anyway.
There's no need to think more.
"Open the gates."
"Open the gates!"
"Opening!"
Chwaaaak!
The soldiers turned the pulley, and the iron gate began to open with a trembling groan.
In front of it was a green sea, waiting.
Callius drew his sword without hesitation. The same went for Callavan.
"You said you were going to kill me, but you're going to die soon."
"Only time will tell."
Are you forgetting your own situation?
How can you be so calm despite knowing what kind of mission you've been given?
Callavan bit his lips.
Ppuuuuuu –!
A horn made from a unicorn sang with a loud and magnificent clarion call.
A trumpet announcing Callius' departure.
"That's a good sound."
"Is it? It's Emily's horn."
"Emily?"
He still looked bright, despite facing a battlefield where death awaited.
A young girl caught Callavan's eye, who had been wondering who Emily was.
He saw her, holding a horn in her hands.
"Are you still alive?"
He'd thought her ripped apart on the Wheel by now.
"Look forward to it. Callavan."
"What do you mean?"
Callius, marching out of the gate, spat at him.
"The day I come back here again."
That day –
"Will be the day your head falls off."
Gulp. Unknowingly, Callavan swallowed with a parched throat. But then he smiled.
"You must fight fiercely. You're still Jervain's blood, so I'd like to give you a sword funeral. I just don't know if your corpse will be intact."
It was funny to hear him being sarcastic.
Callius spoke, looking at him with an expressionless face.
"Survive to the end, Callavan. So I can chop your head off."
Tas!
Blood was pouring down in front of Callius as his red cloak fluttered in the wind.
The colour of the blood was green.
Fountains of blood splattering from the Orcs in his path.
After a long time –
In front of Callius, who had heavily diverted his way while being pursued by the Orcs –
A giant Great Warrior stood, blocking his path.
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