Chapter 41

"Those bastards, even if they're fighting well, it's just a fluke."

Despite the enemies' stronger resistance than expected, Count Catina didn't lose his composure.

No. In fact, it was just a facade of composure, as internally, Count Catina incessantly cursed the incompetent mercenaries.

These useless fools! How much silver have you lot gobbled up!

Anyone who has played strategy simulation games would understand.

It's human nature to curse when the unit you paid good money for isn't pulling its weight.

Fortunately, Count Catina's feelings were incapable of influencing the distant battle in the slightest.

What can you do just because you feel bad?

Count Catina was neither a commander nor a warrior.

He was merely the financier and boss.

The performance of the players wouldn't drop just because the boss was in a bad mood.

Going there and causing a scene with his inability to fight could negatively impact the battle. But with Sir Diketo guarding him, such insanity was unlikely to happen.

Thus, Count Catina decided not to get angry at all.

It was a wise decision.

Getting angry every time the fact that the mercenaries he hired for a good amount of money turned out to be a ragtag bunch could lead to losing his temper completely.

"..."

Unlike Count Catina, who was forcefully suppressing his anger, Sir Diketo watched the battlefield with a seriousness unmatched by anyone else.

His demeanor exuded the seasoned calm only an experienced knight could.

Ian and Lucy had lost interest long ago.

Initially, it was fascinating, but the melee became so chaotic that it was hard to tell what was happening.

They merely guessed that their side was winning, simply because they had more numbers.

"How does it look, Sir?"

Seeing Sir Diketo's serious expression, Ian asked the aged knight.

"...The Black Knight."

"What?"

"That knight in black armor... surely he must be from the eastern lands of Baekguk."

The Black Knight?

Ian scanned the battlefield again.

Indeed, there was a knight in notably black armor.

Sir Diketo seemed to have been watching this knight.

"Wow. What's that?"

Ian, who noticed the Black Knight belatedly, watched the knight's combat as if mesmerized.

And for good reason, as the Black Knight's prowess was apparent even to Ian, who was ignorant of warfare.

The Black Knight moved swiftly, sweeping away the surrounding soldiers with his sword.

Count Catina's knights charged at him, but they couldn't last more than a dozen exchanges before surrendering.

As Ian and Sir Diketo paid attention, Lucy and Count Catina also began to watch the Black Knight.

And they were all astonished.

"This knight, he fights too well?"

Graham's army showed just as much combat power as expected.

They fought well enough, but still, they were no match against sheer numbers.

As evidence, the soldiers on the left and right flanks were gradually being surrounded and defeated.

However, the center, where the Black Knight was making his stand, was not the case.

"It looks like he's almost broken through the center by himself?"

"...It does seem so."

Ian had learned about combat through creative works.

It means he knows nothing.

If Ian had a gaming app or something, he might have learned something from all the war games he had watched and enjoyed, but Ian was just... an engineering student who loved to giggle in front of the computer.

But, even to someone like Ian, the situation on the battlefield seemed strange.

Yes.

Strange was the most appropriate word.

How could the center be slowly retreating while the left and right flanks were gaining ground?

These were things Ian had never seen in his knowledge of war (war stories).

A hot wind blew.

The hot, stuffy wind of the battlefield blew through Ian's black hair.

Clearly, this was the heat of the battlefield.

Ian, fixing his disheveled hair, asked Sir Diketo a question.

"What happens if the center is breached?"

"..."

Around them, there was silence, not even the sound of insects.

Only distant, desperate screams were the only noise.

The sound of life extinguishing.

The last gasp that death itself exhales.

Places just a sprint away were already turning into hellish roads.

This was a medieval battlefield.

"Next... it's our turn."

Lucy's face turned pale.

It wasn't just Lucy.

The Count's guards.

The few troops left to assist the Count also began to feel fear, smelling the scent of death coming from afar.

"If the center retreats... the enemies will not chase the fleeing troops but will directly rush towards His Excellency the Count."

"That's likely, yes."

A clear truth that even Ian could understand.

What they wanted was the Count.

Catching the Count would solve everything, as if rubbing a magic lamp.

"These... incompetent fools!"

The Count finally burst out in anger.

His noble anger was charismatic, heavy, and had the power to nauseate those around.

However...

Unfortunately, this was a battlefield.

A place ruled by force, not charisma.

"Fight! Cowards! Idiots! Fight, I say! Did you come all this way to be killed like dogs by mere enemies! You fools of the world!"

"Your Excellency! Stay calm!"

Ian felt a slight chill as he looked into the Count's fiercely gleaming eyes.

This man... has he lost his mind?

The Count, consumed by rage, shouted loudly.

"Sir Diketo! You join the battle! Go and defeat that vile Black Knight from the east!"

"Yes, Your Excellency!"

Upon receiving the Count's order, Sir Diketo immediately drew his sword.

Though he had been relegated to guarding the Count due to being overshadowed by younger knights, Sir Diketo had no complaints until now.

He had served Count Catina since his youth.

The Count had taken in a knight errant with nowhere to go and had cherished and deployed him.

Unlike other contract knights, he was a faithful vassal, virtually one with the Catina family.

Now that Count Catina had given a direct order, Sir Diketo was prepared to follow it, no matter what that order was.

"Mercenaries! Follow me! His Excellency the Count expects your valor!"

As Sir Diketo mounted his horse, Ian couldn't stand by and burst out.

"Sir! What are you planning to do!"

"By the command of His Excellency the Count, I will stop the enemies."

"Alone? Against those madmen charging down like that?"

Sir Diketo calmly replied.

"I have been called by His Excellency, and I must act according to the knight's oath."

Act? He must act?

Ian looked around calmly.

The center had gone beyond showing signs of collapse and was steadily moving to the next stage.

Meaning...

It was already completely destroyed.

"Save meee!"

"This, this monster! Get away from this battlefield... Argh!"

"Run away! Just run!"

"Go to the Count! We won't chase!"

Though defeated, most of the mercenaries who ran away managed to save their lives.

The reason was... they threw the Count as bait!

The mercenaries knew too well.

Between their own lives, worth just a kill count of one, and the Count's body, on which the entire outcome depended, which was far more valuable.

Numerous enemies.

And those enemies, with their morale sky-high, were rushing towards the Count's formation.

Mouth dry, heart pounding madly.

Ian thought.

...Are we supposed to stop that?

Just because the Count gave the order?!

"Sir Diketo!"

Ian clung close to Sir Diketo and said.

Unlike the sleazy knights, no better than gangsters, Sir Diketo was a person of character who knew the duty of a knight.

Even during marches, he often became Ian's conversation partner.

He didn't freak out at Ian's magic, shouting, "That bastard is casting spells! Hang him!"

But why should such a knight...

Clean up the mess some idiot made!

Especially with a mission as crazy as a suicide attempt!

"Let's retreat with the Count!"

"If His Excellency retreats, what about the other soldiers?"

"What are you looking for other soldiers for! If you have eyes, look! Our center, the knights, those damn bastards have screwed everything up!"

"You! Do you not understand what retreat means!"

Ian shouted.

"I know! Even as a wizard, I understand that much! It means running away after losing! That we're fleeing! But look! Sir Diketo! Do we...

Look like we're winning!"

"..."

Sir Diketo stubbornly shut his mouth.

Really, for the first time in a long while.

No, since he had arrived in this world...

Ian felt genuine anger.

He had never imagined the situation would get this twisted.

The knights? As annoying as they were, Ian wasn't about to step in and deal with them personally.

Ian was neither a servant of the Count nor a servant of Baron Talian.

This was someone else's war.

That's why he had stayed out of it.

No, to begin with, there wasn't even a situation that suggested things would get tangled up.

With a numerical advantage of two to one, how could anyone think they would lose!

Victory was expected, and [sharing the spoils] was just being generous.

But...

That victory, which was supposed to be guaranteed, was screwed up by the knights...

"Sir Diketo!"

Then, a knight of the Count came running from afar.

Seeing him, Ian was once again dumbfounded.

There, aren't you supposed to be a knight stationed in the center of our army?

Then why the f*ck are you in front of me right now?

"I'm ashamed to say we've lost! Beware of that knight in black armor! He's a monster!"

...The answer was simple.

He was a knight fleeing in defeat.

"You're more shameless than a shameless bug. If you reincarnate, you'd do well as a politician."

"...? What the f*ck are you babbling about! Insolent brat!"

Surprisingly, the knight didn't understand a word of Ian's muttering.

Because Ian had chosen his words carefully.

However, the knight felt the nuance and thought Ian had uttered a curse in that elegant ancient language used only by wizards.

"If the situation wasn't urgent, I would've cut your tongue out!"

"What? f*ck, are you mad? Go ahead and try! Do it! Right now!"

"Stop! Both of you!"

Sir Diketo shouted.

"Sir Serg! Calm the soldiers and gather them! Time is of the essence!"

"What about Sir Diketo?"

"I have received His Excellency's command. I will defeat that knight in black armor."

As soon as Sir Diketo finished speaking, the knight scoffed at him.

"Ah. I see. Good luck with that."

"Sir Serg. You too should join me!"

"I will retreat with His Excellency the Count."

"!"

"Don't make that face. We must survive to have another chance, right?"

Before Sir Diketo could say anything more, Sir Serg had disappeared.

In other words, he bolted.

Even Ian was impressed by the knight's phenomenal ability to flee.

"Is that even allowed?"

"What do you mean?"

"The responsibility of a defeated knight... No, forget it. We'll talk about it later!"

Anyone familiar with the medieval social hierarchy knows.

Knights are a middle status between commoners and nobles.

It means they can pretty much do as they please, to an extent half that of nobles.

If they haven't completely abandoned the battlefield but fled with the Count... they probably won't be punished.

"Wizard Ian. You too go back and protect His Excellency the Count and Baron Talian."

"But..."

Sir Diketo adjusted his helmet.

He looked every bit the impeccable knight.

"I'll try to buy some time here."

"Sir Diketo."

"What are you doing? Hurry up and move."

Just then, Lucy came to fetch Ian.

"Ian! What are you doing there! The Count has decided to retreat! Hurry up!"

"..."

Sir Diketo and a few of his men mounted their horses and dashed away like an arrow.

Everyone is loyal and willing to sacrifice their lives for the Count.

At that moment.

Wizard Ian threw himself onto the horse.

"Ian?!"

Lucy shouted in surprise.

"Lucy! You go and run away with that rascal Serg or whatever! Ah, sh*t. Saying to go with a rascal doesn't sound right!"

"Ian, you!"

Wizard Ian said.

"I'll retreat with Sir Diketo!"

"What?!"

He impulsively chose to accompany Sir Diketo.

There was no clear reason.

Perhaps, he just didn't want to stand by and watch the death of a knight he had become close to.

But.

Ian was sure.

If they left Sir Diketo to go alone, there was a 100% chance of defeat, but.

If a wizard could apply a bit of [trickery]...

Maybe they could overcome this harsh trial.

Like the wizards in old tales who aided knights.

"Ian!"

Lucy shouted.

She saw.

How serious the look in Wizard Ian's eyes was.

How sincere he was.

She didn't want to let Ian go like this.

It would be a lie to say she wasn't worried.

She wanted to keep him by her side.

But...Ian was nothing to Lucy.

Neither a vassal nor a fiancé.

So, all she could do was wish him luck.

Hopefully, they would meet again safely.

"Forget it! Ian!"

"Yeah! You too! Lucy!"

Ian whispered the language of magic into the horse's ear and sped off like the wind.

"Sir Diketo!"

Seeing Ian join him, Sir Diketo was surprised.

"Ian? Why are you here?"

"Why? When a wizard as heavy as I am offers to help, why do you complain?"

"It's dangerous. I can't guarantee your life!"

"That's not for you to worry about! I'm a wizard! I know a trick or two to save my own skin!"

Amused by Ian's indifferent and irresponsible tone, Sir Diketo laughed.

Even to Sir Diketo, who didn't know Ian well, Ian was extremely eccentric.

Ah! Such a mad mindset!

Truly a competent wizard!

"Of course! As the wizard says, how could I object!"

The knight and the wizard rushed towards their enemies like arrows shot from a bow.

Their target was.

The Black Knight in black armor.