Episode 422: How to live as a wandering knight (1)

Episode 422: How to live as a wandering knight (1)

ground. 'Wakework', a remote village in the southern continent.

This village, which had always been warm and humid and had abundant fruit crops, had been suffering from unprecedented drought and famine in recent decades, even hundreds of years.

There is an extreme drought, the ground is dry and cracked, and the trees and grass are not only drying out, but are burning up.

A huge forest fire broke out, burning mountains and drying up lakes, causing wild and water animals to die in droves.

Damage from monsters was increasing rapidly due to dungeons being opened in various places.

Whiiiiing-

Hot, dry winds carry ash.

It is blowing from the mountain range on the other side, which has been reduced to a pile of charcoal due to a forest fire.

These pungent ash blowing in with the wind sucked up every bit of moisture that was left, further impoverishing people's spirits.

… … and.

There was a traveler crossing that desolate wasteland.

Matte black armor is peeking out from under the tattered black cloak.

A plague doctor's mask with a long stork's beak hung below his waist, and a long object wrapped in bandages was carried on his back.

Clunk-clunk-clunk-

Every time he took a step that seemed arduous, the sound of the joints of the armor clicking together rang out faintly.

Wandering knight. Not even saying anything. This is a group of people that can be seen often, if not commonly, in these difficult times.

The wandering knight in black armor moved with tired steps and arrived at Wakeworks.

He headed straight to the nearest bar, opened the withered wooden door, entered, and sat down in a corner.

The village's food situation was not very good as it suffered from famine, drought, forest fires, and damage from monsters.

This was also reflected in the drinks and snacks served in bars.

Two handfuls of boiled beans on a toothless plate, a glass of soggy beer.

Since it was a bar, it was a boom that you could enjoy at least by paying money.

The wandering knight checked that the mask on his waist was in good condition and quietly drank his beer.

at that time.

Chatting noises began to be heard from the central table of the bar.

Two men who appeared to be vigilantes were having a conversation.

Since ancient times, bars have been a hotbed of rumors, both past and present.

And there are probably quite a few people who sympathize with the fact that men who have nothing to do tend to argue and argue about politics when they get drunk.

"okay. Are you conservative or progressive?"

"I am always on the progressive side. "What about you?"

"H-what are you asking?" "I'm a conservative, a conservative!"

They confront each other with their own opinions on the current situation on the continent.

"Oh, of course the eldest son should be the emperor! Isn't it natural to honor the 1st Crown Prince? Don Quixote, Usher, and Leviathan are doing well!"

"I think His Highness the Second Crown Prince is fine. "I understand the choices of the Baskervilles, the Morgue, the Bourgeois, and the Quo Vadis."

"Ah, so does that mean it was right for them to stage a coup?"

"A coup. It's just a fight to stand in line. Since it is a political fight, it is correct to call it a civil war."

"so. Is it right for the seven families of the country to fight in a civil war in these times? Also, how many decades has it been since the second prince, whom they have elevated to the throne, has not appeared in front of the people of the empire? "I don't even know if I'm a real person anymore!"

"Uh huh - you seem like an irreverent person. Isn't it the same for the 1st Prince's faction to be waging a civil war in these times? Why are you making it the second prince's fault?"

The current situation on the continent was truly complex.

Aside from the massive forest fires spreading throughout the empire, the unprecedented drought, famine, and monster damage, the political world was waging a fierce civil war among themselves.

The seven pillars that support the empire.

Iron-blooded swordsman Baskerville, magic master Morgue, religious hymn Quovadis, chanter Don Quixote, Shingungbi Usher, extremely poisonous hermit Leviathan, and wealthy family Bourgeois.

After the recent death of the emperor, these seven families were in fierce conflict over who should be the next emperor.

The Old Testament faction of Don Quixote, Usher, Leviathan, and Quo Vadis were electing the first prince, Jack Meridew, to the throne.

The New Testament faction of the Baskervilles, the Morgue, the Bourgeois, and the Quo Vadis were elevating the 2nd Prince Ralph to the throne.

Both crown princes are descendants of the first founding emperor, have the power of prophets, and were the recipients of an oracle that said, 'One of them will destroy the world, the other will save the world.'

Therefore, which of the two will ascend to the throne is bound to be a matter of concern to all citizens of the empire.

If the wrong crown prince becomes emperor, the empire will fall.

"Of course the 1st Crown Prince should ascend to the throne! It is only natural that he is the eldest son and has continued to appear in front of the people of the empire over the years, leading by example in everything he does. "Even in our family, the only hope is the eldest son!"

"Haha, is your ruined house the same as the imperial family? And in your family, the second child is much smarter."

"what! "Why are we talking about my house?"

"That's because you talked about your family first. And realistically, I wonder if it would be possible for the 1st Crown Prince to ascend to the throne. The established theory is that now that the Old Testament faction of the Quo Vadis family has virtually collapsed, the trend has tilted towards the second crown prince. Also, I heard that there is a lot of talk about the Don Quixote family and the Usher family within the family."

"what? Are you going to Don Quixote or Usher? why? "Is there any controversy?"

"It's just a rumor rather than a controversy… … There is a rumor that the head of the family is currently sick. From what I heard, he was very seriously ill. "Let's see if it happens today or tomorrow."

"Huh? Spear King Cervantes and Palace Demon Rodrik? Nonsense! So you didn't see those two in action the last time the devil appeared in the ecliptic? I saw it clearly with my own two eyes! They are superhuman! Master! "They are not the kind of people who will succumb to illness or something like that!"

"Well, I also heard it through rumors. Anyway, it's already been a few years since those two people stopped serving in office. From what I heard, it seems that the younger brother of the head of the Don Quixote family is the regent, and the younger sister of the head of the Usher family is the regent."

"Hmm, I heard that too. Well, I heard that the Don Quixote family and the Usher family did not have many members of the main family, so the collateral people also had a hard time. Is that why?"

Although the fight between the two men was superficial, it summarized the situation on the continent well.

Don Quixote, Usher, Leviathan, and Quo Vadis, led by the 1st Prince Jack Meridew.

The Baskervilles, the Morgue, the Bourgeoisie, and the Quo Vadis New Testament faction, led by the 2nd Prince Ralph.

Now that the Quo Vadis Old Testament faction had disappeared, the civil war was intensifying further.

This confrontation, which had originally been going on for a very long time, began to flare up in earnest just a few years ago due to the 'Night Hound' incident.

Justification. The Hound of the Night offered it to the 2nd Prince Pa and went.

The fight took place over whether the Hound of the Night was an evil person, or a righteous person who, although somewhat extreme, had driven out the demons hiding among humans.

As it happened that the three demons among the escorts were all members of the First Crown Prince's faction, the other families protested.

Pedro of the House of Don Quixote, Ithelred of the House of Usher, Isabella of the Baskervilles who accused Thomas of the House of Leviathan of being a demon, Banshee of the House of Morgue, Lovebad of the House of Bourgeois, and Mozgus of the House of Quo Vadis.

Their statements were complete and there was evidence.

'I demand a retrial for the Night Hound.'

However, the claim led by the Morgue Banshee was dismissed.

Don Quixote, Usher, and Leviathan immediately attempted to cut off the story, and even the first prince came forward and denied it.

'Doubting them is like doubting me.'

The first crown prince's unusually hard-line attitude ultimately led to this long civil war.

However, the Second Crown Prince faction did not gain anything from this trial.

The 2nd Crown Prince had not been seen to the point where rumors arose that he had gone missing. As a result, he was able to cover up his lack of influence with a powerful justification.

The Baskervilles, the Morgue, the Bourgeoisie, and the Quo Vadis gathered together under the very basic and ethical platform of rejecting those who were in collusion with the Main, that is, the devil.

Seven families, each rivaling the power of a kingdom, entered into a civil war.

They began to tighten their grip on the entire territory and stopped all trade with the enemy camp.

The civil war was intensifying.

And separately from this, the people of the empire, who were suffering from various natural disasters such as droughts, forest fires, and monster damage, had to suffer even more.

Public sentiment was reaching its worst.

However, in the midst of all this, there was also a rumor that seemed like a ray of hope for the people.

"Okay, let's stop talking about sweet things."

"that's right. "It's a story that only high-ranking people talk about anyway."

"More than that, have you heard that rumor?"

"What rumor?"

"A vigilante group that roams all over the continent."

"We are the vigilante group, aren't we?"

"Hey, this guy! Not sloppy vigilantes like us. "These are charlatans who operate throughout the entire empire."

"What is a charlatan? In this situation. "All of that is nonsense."

"no! listen!"

A hopeful rumor that soothes the hearts of people devastated by various natural disasters.

It was a story about the 'NIGHT WALKERS', a civilian group and vigilante group.

"They travel thousands of kilometers a day to subdue monsters. "They say it's made up of incredibly strong people."

"Does that make sense?"

"No! I heard they showed up and destroyed a horde of monsters when I went to the city across the street! Is that it? They said they would give food, water, and God's blessings if they followed them, so they took the refugees in droves! "I heard that half of the city's population followed suit?"

"what the. If there are such righteous people, why don't they appear in our village? "I feel like I'm going to die because of all the gnolls."

"… … Well, isn't it because there are so few people and the damaged area is so large?"

"Okay, let's say so. "You have to have that kind of hope to survive somehow."

The only force that receives support from the people.

They are the vigilante 'night walkers'.

A group of mysterious people who have gathered together under the slogan, 'The strongest darkness is defeated by the weakest light.'

They traveled all over the continent with somewhat childish nicknames such as 'Saint of the Night', 'Knight of the Night', 'Sniper of the Night', 'Warrior of the Night', 'Wealthy of the Night', and 'Queen of the Night', respectively.

And like the old oral fairy tale 'The Pied Piper', he whispered salvation with sweet words and took countless people to distant places.

People were scared even as they waited for them.

I was hopeful but also wary.

Longing, curiosity, hope, anxiety, caution, fear... … Or, even today, without fail, snorts who say it's just nonsense follow in their footsteps.

Right then.

… bang!

The bar door burst open and a vigilante soldier rushed in.

"attack! It's a raid! "Let's play!"

At the same time, the sound of horns announcing the attack of monsters began to echo throughout the village.

Touuuu-

Even before the sound was heard, the people in the bar started to move.

The two soldiers, who had been bickering about politics just moments before, hurriedly grabbed their swords and spears and ran out, while the bar owner put everything aside and took refuge in the warehouse.

"Everyone, escape to the underground warehouse!"

The people inside the bar followed the bar owner into the passageway on the floor with contemplative expressions, but with fairly familiar movements.

… … .

The tavern suddenly became quiet.

Creak-

It was at that time that the Wandering Knight, who had been sitting like a statue in the corner until now, moved.