Chapter 5: An Incident at the Royal Capital

“The demon country to the north is on the move?!”

There was unrest in Calvania Castle, and Alvin was currently on its middle floor at a table in the military council room. He was facing vassals, Calvania fairy knight captains, and officers of the royal general corps who had urgently convened. They were all in a state of panic over what a messenger soldier had to tell them.

“Yes, sir! In the northern demon kingdom of Dachnesia, a force of around two thousand phantom knights suddenly appeared! They’ve crossed the Death Palace mountains to the north, broken through the border fortifications, and are advancing on the royal capital at an alarming speed! They are expected to reach the capital within three days!” the messenger said, and their report sent the room into an uproar.

“Phantom knights?! The vanguard of cursed soldiers who serve the demon king?!”

“That’s preposterous! I had heard that the Dark Order of Opus had resumed its activities in the old demon country, but I never imagined that they would begin to move into the kingdom of Dachnesia.”

“But why phantom knights now of all times?! Those cursed spirits of dead knights don’t accept the orders of anyone aside from the demon king!”

“Could the rumors be true that a successor to the demon king has really appeared in the demon kingdom?” As everyone became confused and upset, the head of the Ladies of the Lake and acting leader, Isabella, spoke up decisively.

“Everyone, please calm down,” she said firmly. “Finding out the truth behind the demon kingdom and the Order of Opus will be for another time. Right now, our first priority is to deal with this sudden crisis.” She glanced at the minister of war and asked, “What portion of our military can respond immediately to this?”

“Not taking into account the minimal defenses of the royal capital, we have two thousand fairy knights and around ten thousand regular soldiers.”

“With the phantom knights’ strength, normal soldiers without fairy swords are useless. Taking that into consideration, we’ll just barely be able to push them back with all our strength. All members of the Order of the Fairy Knights are requested to prepare for battle immediately,” Isabella said, quickly giving instructions to everyone.

“Looks like we have no choice but to go to war this time. Of course, I’d rather not,” said a large, arrogant-looking middle-aged man who was sitting in a chief seat at the war council. He was Duke Durande, leader of the first group of Calvania fairy knights commonly known as the Red Knights.

“Yes, of course. Considering the fighting ability of phantom knights, the only ones who can compete with them are the fairy knights. The ones at the core of this battle, and the ones bearing the brunt of their assault, will be us,” a bewitching woman in glasses with a self-satisfied expression added. She was Duke Ortol, the captain of the second group of fairy knights commonly known as the Blue Knights.

“So, the ones inevitably shedding blood will be—I mean, it is only natural that we knights, the shields of the kingdom, should bear the pain of the country in its time of crisis,” a blond man of good looks and indeterminate age said as he stroked his hair. He was Duke Anthalo, the captain of the third group of fairy knights, the Green Knights. These three were the current heads of the three major ducal families, who, along with the royal family, were the backbone and guardians of the kingdom of Calvania.

Hearing such words from them at a time like this, Isabella narrowed her eyes at them and said, “What are you trying to say?”

“No, it’s just...we’re being forced to bear so much for this war. So, I think it would only be fair if the royal family would give us some kind of consideration or favorable treatment as a reward in the future,” Duke Anthalo said. The room was immediately abuzz as the three dukes were trying to take advantage of the chaos to further their interests in the kingdom.

“The king is the supreme commander of the Calvania royal army, including the fairy knights. I would believe it’s perfectly natural to deploy troops according to royal decree, don’t you think?” Isabella said.

“Yes, that’s true. Our positions and territory are granted to us and guaranteed by the royal family. It’s perfectly natural that we give our all for the kingdom,” Duke Anthalo said.

“But unfortunately, the current head of the royal family, the king, is absent. Granted, there is a successor,” Duke Ortol said, glancing over at Alvin, who was sitting in the seat of highest position. All Alvin could do was remain silent and take her gaze.

“Also, while you serve in accordance with the ancient pact as the head of the Ladies of the Lake and currently act in national affairs, Lady Isabella...you are merely the king’s representative. In other words, we, the three dukes, have no obligation or duty to respond to your orders of deployment,” Duke Anthalo said.

“That’s right. We are knights loyal to the royal family and his majesty the king,” Duke Ortol added.

“How dare you so shamelessly use sophistry like this? Are you trying to use this national crisis to further your own positions and interests in the kingdom?” Isabella said with a quiet anger.

“No, no it’s not that at all. It’s just...unfair that we’ll be the only ones shedding blood. The king and his vassals should also share in the burden, shouldn’t they?” Duke Anthalo asked.

“You would get to be safe while you make us send out our knights and watch us suffer, right? It wouldn’t make any sense,” Duke Durande said.

“We just want to know how the royal family is going to make it up to us,” Duke Ortol said, and Isabella clenched her fist in frustration. This was the kind of country that Calvania was. The king was indeed the supreme commander of the kingdom’s armed forces, but for some reason, there were no fairy knights the king could directly command. The Royal Fairy Knight Academy of Calvania was strange, in that students from the Durande class, Ortol class, and Anthalo class were usually directly incorporated into Duke Durande’s Red Knights, Duke Ortol’s Blue Knights, and Duke Anthalo’s Greens Knights after graduation. That was why, at the suggestion of Auld, the previous king, Alvin established the Blitze class to form fairy knights that could be commanded directly.

“Hmm, yes. When we’ve overcome this crisis, how about we—”

“So basically...” As Duke Anthalo was about to demand some kind of concession from Isabella, who couldn’t say anything back to him, a young knight who stood like a shadow behind Alvin, raised his voice. “If his majesty, Alvin, sends out his personal knight, then there’s no problem, right? In that case, I’ll go.” It was Sid, a knight who had recently awakened from the thousand-year slumber of death and was under the command of Prince Alvin. He was the legendary Sid the Barbarian, said to be the strongest knight of the legendary age, and the upper echelons of the kingdom were already well aware of his presence. Right now, his words had gained the attention of everyone in the room.

“Sir Sid...Sid the Barbarian is going to participate in this war?”

“Rumor has it he single-handedly defeated a Kirimu in the fairy world.”

“Foolishness! Not even a knight from the legendary era could do that!”

“We don’t even know if he’s a knight from the legendary era in the first place.” Such whispers could be heard among the vassals and military officials in the room.

“Ha ha ha! Nonsense!” Duke Durande slammed his fist down on the table and glared at Sid. “If you go? You fool. What difference could a single knight make?!”

“Unbelievable. You should think about just how much military force we are sending out there before you speak,” Duke Ortol added.

“You alone couldn’t match the strength of two thousand fairy knights,” Duke Anthalo said. The three dukes took turns ridiculing Sid when, finally, he spoke up.

“I’m stronger,” Sid said, completely unfazed.

“What?”

“You couldn’t hear me? I said that even with all two thousand of your personal fairy knights, I’m stronger.” For a moment, there was silence, and then the entire room burst out in laughter.

“Ha ha ha. What foolishness!”

“It appears knights of the legendary age were fond of jokes!”

“Maybe you should call yourself the Clown instead of the Barbarian?!” In the face of all their excitement, Sid simply scratched his cheek, troubled.

“I mean, I was telling the truth, but whatever, I guess.” Shifting gears, Sid then addressed the three dukes and said, “Well, anyway, I’ll fight for the royal family. If I can do better than your knights, how about you cease these scummy negotiations of yours? After all, if we all bleed equally, it ‘makes sense,’ right? I mean, say what you want, but we’re all friends who fight under the same flag to protect the same country. So how about we get along?” Sid said fearlessly. Meanwhile, the dukes, who now sensed he was more than just a mere clown, tightened their expressions.

“Fine,” Duke Anthalo responded quietly. “That is, if you’re not just all talk and actually manage to accomplish that much on the field of battle.”

“Good, so I have your word,” Sid said and then turned to Alvin, who had been watching the proceedings. “Hey, Alvin.”

“S-Sir Sid?”

“The rest is up to you. What are you going to do? I still haven’t sworn my allegiance to you, but I want to help you at least,” Sid said and stared straight at Alvin. “‘A knight speaks only the truth.’ If you order me to, I’ll go and get the kinds of results on the battlefield that will shut up these three annoying dukes. However, if you don’t believe in my strength, and don’t want to embarrass yourself by failing, and don’t want to jeopardize your position in the future, then you should refuse,” Sid said, and Alvin was silent. “So, what will you do?” he asked and stared at Alvin with a wry smile like he was testing her.

For a moment, Alvin shut her eyes and was silent. Then she opened them and declared, “I believe in you! This is a royal decree! Sir Sid, go forth against this invasion by the demon kingdom and satisfy me with your deeds on the battlefield!”

“Hmph. You’re starting to sound a lot like a king, aren’t you? That’s good,” Sid said and grinned at Alvin’s order. With that, the tumultuous and chaotic military conference, filled with various agendas and turbulence, had come to an end.

“So that’s the danger that the capital now finds itself in,” Alvin said, having explained the situation to her classmates. They were all in the remote mansion facing the courtyard on the lower level of Calvania Castle. Having heard Alvin’s story, everyone looked at each other nervously.

“S-So that’s what that was all about,” Christopher said.

“I knew there was a lot of tension in the castle this morning,” Theodore said, and he and Christopher both groaned as sweat appeared on their foreheads. The other students had a similar look on their faces, and they all gulped.

Sid then spoke up to add onto Alvin’s story. “The fairy knights will leave behind a minimal defense in the capital, and all troops will go into battle to intercept the demon kingdom’s army, which is approaching from the north. The squires of the knight’s academy—you guys—will form platoons, with each class’s instructor serving as commander, and provide rear support for the fairy knights defending the royal capital.” Sid slid his gaze to look across at Alvin, who had a somber expression on her face. “However, since I will be going to the front lines as a knight fighting for the royal family, the commander of the Blitze class will be you, Alvin. In the unlikely event that the front line is breached and the enemy forces invade the capital, the fate of your fellow students’ lives will be in your hands. Can you do it?” Sid asked.

“Yes, leave it to me!” Alvin answered, nodding firmly.

“Good answer,” Sid said and nodded in satisfaction as he tousled her hair. Alvin smiled for a brief moment before she got an anxious expression on her face and looked down.

“What’s wrong?” Sid asked.

“I’m just sorry that things turned out like this,” Alvin said, her face full of regret.

“What do you mean?”

“Because of my position and my selfishness, you have to go to the front lines, Sir Sid,” Alvin said to Sid as he stared at her. “To be frank, I’m... The royal family is hated by the three dukes. As a knight under my command, you probably won’t receive any real assistance on the front lines, Sir Sid. I’ve asked Isabella to help you but...” Alvin trailed off as Sid listened in silence. “Of course, I know how strong you are, Sir Sid! And I’m trying to not have doubts. But there’s no telling what can happen on the battlefield, right?!”

“Yeah, you’re right. My memory is hazy, but I remember thinking ‘There’s no way they’ll die in a battle like this,’ and time and again they did. I’ve lost many of my comrades in arms just like that,” Sid said, and his confession sent Alvin into a shocked silence.

“I’m worried. I can’t bear to think about something happening to you, Sir Sid!” Alvin said, and Sid was silent. “I have a bad feeling about this. It’s this terrible feeling like something will happen to you in this battle, and you’ll disappear,” Alvin said, and Sid remained quiet. “If you were to disappear, Sir Sid, I’d just...” Alvin started to say, but she was met with a flick to the head from Sid. “Ow!”

“A commander shouldn’t be airing out their worries in front of their subordinates. Just when I thought you’d grown up and become a bit more like a king, you take another step back,” Sid said but had a gentle expression on his face. “Relax, I’m not going to die in a place like this. Also, I’m not going to let you guys die. It’s just two thousand phantom knights, right? I won’t let a single one get through the front line,” Sid said and gave Alvin a grin as he stared straight at her. “I still have a lot that I want to teach you guys as knights. And I’m not just talking about simple brute strength.”

“S-Sir Sid...”

“That’s why no matter what happens, survive. And if something happens, don’t hesitate to call me. I’ll be there right away and make sure you’re protected. You understand?” Sid said.

Alvin took Sid’s hand and held it to her chest. “I believe in you, and I wish you good luck.”

“You too,” Sid said, and he and Alvin looked at each other with the light of trust in both their eyes.

“Alvin...” Meanwhile, Tenko’s ears drooped, and her shoulders slumped as she looked sadly at the two of them.

Two thousand of the royal army’s troops, with the fairy knights of Calvania as their main force, set out from the royal capital. Their destination was to the north, where a wave of two thousand phantom knights from the demon kingdom were approaching. Based on the speed of their advance, the estimated point of contact would be the Fabome Plains. With cavalry as the main force for both sides, it was expected to be a large-scale battle that would be decided by maneuverability.

With the enemy’s attack, the royal capital of Calvania was thrown into turmoil for the first time in over a decade. At the capital, in preparation for the unlikely event that the front line was overtaken by enemy forces, women and children were given priority and evacuated to Calvania Castle. Those among the senior students of the Fairy Knight Academy with high sword ranks went to the front lines as members of the Order of Fairy Knights. All other students were divided by class into platoons that assisted the royal capital defense corps with security and evacuations in the now tumultuous capital. Among these platoons were Alvin and the other students of Blitze class. Though a member of the royal family, Alvin was still a squire who had not yet been knighted. As such, the orders of the senior knights were absolute, and Alvin was on guard duty while under their direction. During the evacuation, an old woman using a cane approached Alvin.

“P-Prince...”

“What’s wrong, ma’am?”

“I heard... I heard a terrible enemy is coming,” the old lady said.

“Yes. However, the Calvania fairy knights are sending their full force to fight back, so please don’t worry.”

“Oh, I see. I’m sorry, but I’m still afraid. Do you think we will live to see tomorrow?”

“I don’t...” Alvin was at a loss for words and ashamed of being unable to answer her immediately.

“Oh why, why is this happening? If only the old king, lord Auld were here!” Hearing the old lady say Alvin’s father’s name filled her heart with a bitterness that was hard to contain. Of course, the old lady wasn’t saying the old king’s name out of malice. She was just worried, and Alvin knew why this was happening. Alvin was still too inexperienced as a king and had yet to earn the people’s trust. However, Alvin would not be discouraged. She placed her hands on the old woman’s shoulders and spoke to her sincerely.

“Don’t worry, ma’am. The pride of the kingdom, the fairy knights, and I will protect this royal capital and the people who live in it with our lives.”

“Oh, Prince Alvin...”

“So please, just to be safe, please evacuate. It will all be fine,” Alvin said, reassuring her again and again. Alvin then took the old woman’s hand and led her along.

“Phew, it looks like the evacuation is going well so far,” Alvin said and looked around while guarding the main road with the Blitze platoon. On the main road, the anxious citizens trudged along in a long line toward the most heavily guarded location in the capital, Calvania Castle, while they were being protected by the royal capital defense corps. They all had uneasy expressions on their faces, and Alvin worried about riots starting as she watched her surroundings.

“Alvin,” Tenko said as she walked quickly up to Alvin. She was coming back from checking on a dispute between citizens on the opposite side of the street. “How are things over here?”

“No problems here. How about with you, Tenko?”

“No problems.”

“So, how’s your fairy sword? It was broken pretty badly by that Kirimu the other day,” Alvin said, and Tenko partially unsheathed her katana at her hip. Her fairy sword, which had been smashed in two, was now completely repaired without a scratch on it.

“Durga, the Titan blacksmith who works in the castle, repaired it for me in a hurry. I don’t think there will be any problems when I fight with it.”

“So, they finished it in time. That’s good to hear,” Alvin said, smiling with relief. “According to Sir Sid, if we keep burning our Will on a regular basis, our total amount of mana will increase, and our fairy swords will become stronger along with it.”

“Is that right?” Tenko muttered sullenly. Alvin looked around once more. Christopher, Elaine, Lynette, Theodore, and Flora were all assigned to different jobs, but there wasn’t anything particularly urgent. As Alvin was looking over her classmates, Tenko suddenly spoke. “Still, things have gotten pretty crazy, huh, Alvin?”

“You’re right.”

“Still, it’ll probably be totally fine,” Tenko said. She spoke like she was sulking. “The strongest knight of the legendary age is fighting on the front line, after all.”

“Tenko?” Alvin said, as something felt off about her words. They seemed to have a hidden meaning to them.

For a moment, there was an awkward silence between the two of them until, eventually, Tenko spoke up. “Can I talk to you about something?”

“What is it, Tenko?” Alvin said, tilting her head quizzically, and then Tenko began to lecture her.

“Alvin, haven’t you been strangely close to Sir Sid lately?”

“What?! I-I don’t think so!” Alvin said as she raised her voice and blatantly diverted her gaze. Tenko drew close and grabbed Alvin’s hand. “Tenko?” Pulling Alvin’s hand, Tenko led her to a deserted alleyway. Tenko then spoke in a hushed voice so no one around them could hear.

“You understand, right? You’re really a girl. So, if you let him get too close to you and he finds that out, what are you going to do?” Tenko said, and Alvin’s expression tensed up for a reason that Tenko didn’t understand. “Listen. Please don’t ever let your guard down. You can’t let down your guard with him. Sure, he may be incredibly strong, but...that’s it.” She drew close to Alvin and continued to talk angrily. “He’s the legendary Barbarian. He’s the man they call cruel, inhumane, and a disgrace to chivalry. He may be acting like a knight for now, but there is no telling when he’ll show his true nature. If he finds out that you’re a woman, he’ll use that to make you do all kinds of awful things. He’ll demand that you use your body to satisfy his vulgar desires!”

“S-Sir Sid would never do something like that!” Alvin protested, blushing bright red. “Sir Sid isn’t someone who would do that kind of thing! Despite how he looks, he’s more sincere and gentlemanly than anyone!”

“How can you be so sure?”

“U-Um, well...”

“You can’t trust Sir Sid! You absolutely can’t!” Tenko grabbed Alvin’s shoulders and spoke like she was begging. “I’m the one who’s going to protect you! I made a promise! Even if it means giving my life, I’ll do it! I’ll protect you! So don’t let someone like him...”

Alvin couldn’t help but notice her friend’s strange behavior. “Hey, Tenko...what’s the matter?” Alvin gently asked, trying to soothe Tenko. “I can’t blame you for not liking Sir Sid, but it feels like you’re way more upset...or concerned about something else.”

“Th-That’s not...” Alvin’s observation immediately flustered Tenko. Alvin knew that she was right because of the way Tenko’s ears drooped and her tail sagged when she got busted at times like this.

“Hey, Tenko? If there’s something you’re worried about, can you tell me about it?” Alvin calmly asked Tenko. “We’ve been best friends since we were kids, right?”

“A-Alma...” Tenko looked at Alvin as if she were in a daze. She had used Alvin’s real name. It could only be used when it was just them together. However, after a while, Tenko returned to her senses. “No, Alvin. It’s nothing. There’s nothing wrong,” she answered, with her eyes downcast.

“Tenko.” Realizing that her childhood friend had nothing to say to her, Alvin sadly murmured her name.

“Our seniors will be mad if we stay away from our post for too long. Let’s go back,” Tenko said and was about to leave.

However, just then, fog drifted over the area. “What? Fog?” Alvin said. It enveloped the entire capital and quickly became thicker. “That’s strange. Early in the morning is one thing, but for it to be so foggy all of a sudden at this time of day?”

“You’re right. It’s strange.” Alvin and Tenko tilted their heads at this strange, unnatural phenomenon. Suddenly, there was a loud noise. From deep in the back alleys in the southern corner of the royal capital, a strange noise like a heartbeat echoed throughout the capital.

Meanwhile, on the Fabome Plains, north of the royal capital, the two thousand phantom knights who crossed the Death Palace Mountains and the two thousand royal fairy knights who came from the south were glaring at each other. The phantom knights of the demon country rode atop black horses known as phantom steeds, and their crimson eyes shone from inside their hoods. They sought to destroy all living things. They were in the kind of dense, no-frills formation that becomes a single mass as it tramples everything in front of it. When considering the fighting ability of each phantom knight, it wasn’t a strategy to be taken lightly. For even with ten times the number of soldiers, normal troops would be scattered and crushed by such a tactic.

The opposing fairy knights were also mounted on warhorses and acted as cavalry. They were in a V-shaped formation and broken into three parts, with a center and two diagonal lines of troops to envelop the enemy. The center troops would catch the enemy while the others would attempt to encircle and annihilate them from the left and right. On a small hill at the tail end of the kingdom’s army, the captains of the first, second, and third knightly orders were gathered.

“It’s almost time,” Sid said as he squinted his eyes and observed the enemy lines in the distance. He wasn’t riding a horse and was the only knight participating as a foot soldier in the battle.

“Yes, it is. This formation isn’t bad, and it just might work,” Isabella said and nodded. She was next to Sid on horseback as she skillfully held the reins of her steed. Isabella, Alvin’s guardian and the royal family’s political representative, was serving as the supreme commander in the engagement. With her expert command and handling of the troops, she had already created a favorable situation for them in this battle.

“Thank you for all of your hard work, Lady Isabella. However, we’ll do as we please from here on out,” Duke Durande said from behind Isabella as he rode on horseback. “You are a representative of the royal family, after all. We are under no obligation to follow your command.”

“Besides, you’re a civil official. You seem to be good at politics, but I wonder about your skill in military affairs. Don’t you think it would be best to leave it to us?” Duke Ortol said.

“Well, they say that the experts know best. Good day,” Duke Anthalo added.

“You should just do as you wish. That is, if you have a military force to follow you,” Duke Durande said. After the three dukes had their say, they headed to the troops they commanded on their own. After seeing off the three selfish dukes, Isabella let out a sigh.

“Well, well. I wonder why they won’t listen to their commander.” Sid blurted out in disgust as his hands were folded behind his head. “They said all that, but you’re quite the military strategist, aren’t you, Isabella? There are no flaws in your orders.”

“No, I’m just...”

“Ha ha ha. Don’t be so humble. A regular civil official wouldn’t have been able to handle an army’s march and make this formation. Deep down, you’re really a military officer, aren’t you?” Sid said, and Isabella made a wry smile. Sid then let out a sigh as he cast a sideways glance at the backs of the three dukes. “If they all just moved as you commanded, then even knights of this era would probably be able to overwhelm these phantom knights with minimal casualties.”

“For the sake of their reputations and future interests, they probably don’t like the idea of a victory under the command of Isabella, representative of the royal family.”

“Ha ha, I see. That’s so dumb. Though, it is more convenient this way,” Sid said, and with a smile, began to stretch his legs to the left and the right.

“What are you going to do, Sir Sid?”

“Hmm? It’s obvious, isn’t it?” As Sid stretched his legs, he looked back and grinned like a troublemaker at Isabella. “They said we should do as we wish, right? Well, that’s what I’m going to do.”

Finally, the curtain rose on the battle, and the phantom knights began to move. Whipping their phantom steeds, they charged in unison, and the thunderous beating of their horses’ hooves shook the earth. The phantom knights’ dense formation was like a black tsunami that was voraciously consuming everything. In response, the three dukes began to move and intercept them together.

A horn was blown, and a battle cry was raised. Every knight drew their sword, grabbed their horse’s reins, and rode out. The blessing of the fairy sword was also effective on the horse of a knight, so by sending mana from their fairy sword to their horse, the horse gained incredible speed and sturdiness. Without a doubt, this cavalry with fairy swords was one of the strongest types of soldiers in this era. However, their opponents were phantom knights. A phantom knight on a phantom steed possessed terrifying mobility and close-combat skills. If both sides clashed head on, then a fierce battle was guaranteed to ensue. Even the knights hardened their expressions at the thought of the deadly battle that awaited them.

Just as the clash between the two armies was finally approaching, a single knight burst out from the ranks of the royal army. It was Sid, the only knight in the entire army who was on foot. Still, he moved faster than any other knight on horseback. With unbelievable speed, he ran across the plains and left behind the other knights in no time.

“He’s faster than a horse while on foot?!”

“Wh-What the hell?! Wh-What’s with this guy?!” The knights Sid was leaving behind stared wide eyed at his shrinking back.

“All right,” Sid said, completely unconcerned with the knights who he left behind. Eventually, the encroaching phantom knights who seemed to paint the horizon black with their dense formation grew larger in his field of view. It seemed like they noticed him charging alone, and several phantom knights came at Sid with swords drawn, blatantly aiming for him. “Let’s do this!” Sid said, and without slowing down at all, ran straight for the enemy. With a yell, he fiercely swept his right hand, and a gust of wind mercilessly blew away a section of the phantom knights’ front line.

What was happening was unbelievable. In the middle of the battlefield, on the brink of life or death, there was no time to be distracted by anything. The knights of the royal army obviously knew this. Even so, they couldn’t avoid having their attention stolen by the spectacle in front of them. As he gave a fierce yell, Sid fought at the center of it all. After charging in by himself, he was isolated in the depths of the phantom knights. Normally, this would be a dead end—the point when a person’s fate would be sealed. However, Sid was in absolutely no danger. Countless phantom knights came at him from the front, back, left, and right, trying to crush him. Swords and lances stabbed from all directions, trying to tear him apart and skewer him. However, Sid was completely unscathed. Almost as if he could see all around himself at once, he moved his body to the right, stepped to the left, leaped, did a somersault, and continued to dodge everything. Dodging their attacks with a yell, he swung his arms and legs in a raging assault. With his half-opened right hand, he sent the head of a phantom knight approaching from the right flying. With his left fist, he created an enormous hole in the chest of the phantom knight charging from the left. He then jumped, spun his body like a whirlwind, and delivered an axe kick so fierce to a phantom knight behind him that it cut both it and its horse in half. It was like Sid was dancing swiftly in the middle of the battlefield. With every wave of his arms and legs, phantom knights turned to black dust and disappeared. It was no longer a battle at all. It was just a slaughter.

“What is he?!”

“How is he doing all that without a fairy sword?!”

“That’s a knight from the legendary era?!” The royal knights were abuzz, and all they could do was watch Sid’s fierce battle from afar. They shuddered and trembled in awe. As they watched, Sid swung his half-opened left hand horizontally, and as fast as an arrow released from its bow, he cut three charging phantom knights in half all at once. At the same time, he floored two phantom knights attacking from the side with a counter from his right fist. The next moment, still on guard, Sid suddenly disappeared in a haze. Then, with a loud boom in a completely different part of the battlefield, several phantom knights were blown into the sky. There, Sid’s one-sided eradication of the phantom knights started again.

“He moved all the way over there in an instant?!”

“He was so fast I couldn’t even follow him!”

Sid was destroying phantom knights at an alarming pace. Phantom knights were powerful opponents, with each of them having strength no less than that of the kingdom’s fairy knights. Fighting phantom knights required fairy knights to form ranks with their backs to one another in order to provide cover while fighting one on one or, preferably, one versus many. Even then, they rarely took down a single phantom knight with a few sword slashes, and it would sometimes take dozens of strikes to finally destroy one. That’s how strong phantom knights were supposed to be.

Sid yelled as he ran through five phantom knights at breakneck speed, zigzagging like a lightning bolt. He was like a flicker of light, only visible for a moment when his speed dropped ever so slightly while changing directions. When he ran through the five phantom knights, after a brief time lag, they fell to pieces and disappeared all at once.

“You’re joking...”

“Th-This can’t be real.” The knights who were witnessing it were slowly starting to realize something. What Sid said before the battle about being stronger than two thousand fairy knights was true.

“Wh-What are you all doing?! What are you waiting for?!” Duke Durande’s angry voice rang out from behind the backs of the knights. “Why are you all dragging your feet and letting a single knight get the better of you?! Kill them faster! Kill as many as you can!” Duke Durande was desperately trying to maintain his composure, but his face was completely pale. It was obvious that he was at his limit, and his expression showed that he didn’t want to admit the world of difference between the strength of his troops and the knight from the legendary era before his very eyes.

“It can’t be,” Duke Ortol said.

“I had heard rumors, but I didn’t expect...all this,” Duke Anthalo said. While not as shaken as Duke Durande, they both gulped and were unsettled as they calmly watched Sid’s furious battle from the rear of the battlefield. The two thousand phantom knights that were cut in half by Sid’s assault were completely out of sorts and were now nothing more than a disorderly mob. Sid went from one end to the other, picking off and taking care of the phantom knights who had been cut down into smaller groups. By now, it was clear to everyone just who would accomplish the most if the battle went on like this.

Would it be Duke Durande’s red knights? No. Would it be Duke Ortol’s blue knights? No. Would it be Duke Anthalo and his green knights? Absolutely not. It would be the revived legend, Sir Sid the Barbarian.

“Hmm, it looks like this battle’s been decided.” About an hour had passed since the engagement started. Having realized that there were no longer any enemies around him, Sid ceased fighting. Thanks to him breaking apart the ranks of the phantom knights and considerably thinning out their numbers, it created an irreversible advantage for the royal fairy knights. In the vicinity, both friend and foe were mixed up among one another and fiercely engaged in combat, but, in general, the fairy knights had the upper hand. Completely clearing out the rest of the phantom knights would still take time, but as long as nothing happened, the royal army’s victory was assured.

“Well, I’ve contributed enough to this victory, so now those dukes shouldn’t be able to say anything to Alvin.” Satisfied with his accomplishment, Sid turned his back to the battlefield and started to return to camp. However, along with the cacophony of his own heartbeat, Sid’s body suddenly lurched, and he fell to the ground on one hand and one knee. His breathing was ragged, his face twisted in agony, and his body shook uncontrollably. He felt an emptiness like his soul was slipping away from him. A cold sweat covered his whole body, and he turned pale. Eventually, this fit subsided, and he staggered to his feet. “You went and overdid it, you damn idiot,” he groaned to himself and shook his head. He then walked toward the main camp.

“S-Sir Sid!” From the main camp, a single woman came riding a horse at full gallop toward Sid. It was Isabella. “Excuse me for being on horseback! Are you all right, Sir Sid?” Isabella came to his side and pulled on the horse’s reins to turn it around and steady it. “Your face looks pale, and you seem...” Taking notice of Sid’s unnatural appearance, Isabella’s eyes opened wide, and she gasped. “Sir Sid, don’t tell me that you...?!”

“Yo, Isabella. I thinned out their numbers enough to ensure our victory,” Sid said, ignoring her and smiling impishly. “It will still take a while until things settle down, but we’ve won. There’s nothing more for me to do.”

“Th-Thank you for your efforts. You are indeed a knight of the legendary age. I didn’t think you were this strong.”

“It’s no big deal. There were plenty of guys who could do this level of work back in the legendary era. But putting that aside,” Sid said and looked up at Isabella with a hardened expression. “You didn’t come all this way to thank me, did you?” Sensing the unsettling atmosphere that followed Isabella, Sid urged her to talk. “What happened?”

“R-Right. The truth is, I just received word from the capital by messenger pixie.”

“From the capital?”

Isabella, who had turned pale, nodded. “Yes, right now the capital is in grave danger!” Isabella firmly declared.

The deep and mighty roar of a beast echoed throughout the capital. The sound was terrifying, and it shook the air, split the sky, and made the earth tremble. This wild roar was like a volcano erupting or some other violent force of nature. From it came a shock wave greater than a mountain wind that instantly spread out over a great distance like an arrow shot from a massive bow. The impact of the voice shattered and blew away houses that were unfortunate enough to be hit by it directly. The roar transcended logic and shot directly into the souls of all who heard it, instantly shattering their hearts and minds. The cry belonged to a creature who sat pridefully on top of the food chain and whose roar was naturally imbued with a powerful and terrible magic. Among the citizens of the capital hit by the roar’s magic, a third of them instantly fainted, another third collapsed from paralysis or overloaded senses, and the final third found themselves lost in the midst of pure fear and despair. It was so strong that it possibly sent those with a weak mind or body into an eternal slumber. It was both the cry of a tyrannical beast and a form of magic known as the crushing yell or “Stun Slaughter,” and there was only one thing in existence that could do such a thing.

“Wh-What is that?” Alvin said. She had been performing guard duty on higher ground with the others and was now watching in horror from afar. A huge monster with a body like a mountain had suddenly appeared in the southern area of the royal capital. The Kirimu they encountered before didn’t even compare to the overwhelming size of this monster. Despite being so far away from the beast, they could feel its oppressive presence as if they were right next to it. It was so huge it numbed Alvin’s sense of perspective. Just by looking, she could tell that its arms and legs—thick as large trees—were filled with inexplicable, violent power. The scales that covered its entire body were a shiny black. Its jaws were huge, and its red eyes blazed. It was an absolute tyrant that reigned above humans from its place at the very top of the food chain. It was a dragon, the highest class of monster and a physical manifestation of tyranny born from the awe and fear felt toward nature’s rage.

Almost as if to tear at the heavens, the dragon once again opened its jaws to the sky and let out an enormous roar. It was a massive wave of sound that spread throughout the capital, and after a few seconds, the powerful shock wave hit Alvin and the others head-on. The force of it blew Alvin’s body into the air and sent her rolling helplessly.

“Wh-Why?! Why is there a dragon here?!” Alvin said, trembling on her hands and knees as she looked up and stared at the dragon in the distance.

“It looks like it’s finally happening.” Alvin suddenly heard a voice, and it belonged to a figure who appeared at her side. “Éclair’s blessing is so strong in the capital. I really had a hard time tinkering with it.”

“Flora?” Alvin looked up to see the girl from Blitze class who was always so laid back and casual. Even now, she was smiling, looking as carefree as she usually did, staring at the dragon that had appeared in the distance.

“Flora, What are you saying?” Alvin stood up and readied herself against Flora, who seemed somehow different than her usual self.

“Oh my,” Flora said and blinked with surprise at Alvin. “You’re able to stand even after taking the dragon’s Stun Slaughter. Honestly, I’m surprised. You have a really strong Will, don’t you, Prince? You have my praise,” Flora said and clapped her hands. The sharp sound of her out-of-place applause echoed throughout the area. She was as casual as she usually was, but there was clearly something strange about her. There was just a sense that something was wrong.

There was something strange about Flora from the very beginning. Alvin’s—no, everyone’s—perception of Flora was that she was a friend who shared their struggles. Still, somewhere deep down, Alvin had always felt uncomfortable about Flora. However, until now, she wasn’t able to question it because the spell didn’t allow her to question it.

“Flora, you’re...” Now that Alvin’s suspicions toward Flora had reached their peak, she was finally able to think about this discomforting feeling. “Flora, we’re friends...from the same class.” Alvin’s memories fractured like a kaleidoscope, gradually leading her to a single conclusion. “No...you’re... Who are you?” Alvin said, and Flora responded silently with a cold, coy smile. “Blitze class is just the six of us: Tenko, Elaine, Christopher, Lynette, Theodore, and me. It should just be a small class with only six people!”

“Oh, is that right?”

“A student named Flora didn’t exist. Who are you?!” Alvin demanded, and Flora’s shoulder slumped with a sigh. She looked somewhat upset.

“You see, in the past, witches used something called ‘the line between lie and truth.’ It was a type of magic where the user could slip information into the mind of a subject and manipulate their perception of reality. However, I’m not so conceited as to think that I could make such magic work on the mind of a knight from the legendary era. That’s why I cast it on you and your friends before I met the great knight.” It was just as she said. Even if her magic didn’t work on Sid, it would work on Alvin and the others. If they didn’t realize they were being deceived by her magic, then there was no way Sid could see through it all and realize that there never was a student named Flora in the first place.

“What?! You mean you cast the spell on us the day Sir Sid first came to our class?”

“I mean, if I’m being honest, I actually felt like the last few days I spent with you all weren’t so bad, you know?” Flora laughed and darkness swirled around her. It was the kind of darkness that was so thick it swallowed everything, and as shadows gathered around Flora, they began to change her appearance. “In school, we all worked hard toward a single goal, and isn’t that what youth is all about? Despite how this may seem, I didn’t hate it. At the least, I thought we were friends...even if that fake friendship was just a tower in the sand.” As she laughed, the darkness around her changed shape into a pitch-black hood and robe, and the existence that was Flora was overwritten by the ghostly figure of a witch. “Now, allow me to reintroduce myself,” she said, lifting the hem of her robe and giving a courteous bow. “I am the great witch, Flora, head of the Dark Order of Opus, which is dedicated to the dark fairy god. I’m pleased to make your acquaintance...though it might not be for much longer.”

“The Dark Order of Opus?!” Alvin said, jumping back from Flora and drawing her fairy sword. “That dragon is here because of you?!”

“Yes, that’s right,” Flora answered with a chuckle.

“Did you know that this royal city used to be fused between the material world and the fairy world? In other words, this is one of the places that’s closest to the fairy world. So, I took advantage of that.” Paying no heed to Alvin and her drawn sword, Flora turned her back and stared at the dragon in the center of the city. “By using old magic, I connected the physical world and the depths of the fairy world by force with a ‘gate’ and a ‘path’ to summon the dragon here. I have to say, it was quite a lot of work, preparing the ritual while going unnoticed by the Ladies of the Lake.”

“Why did you do that?!” Alvin shouted, as if she was about to slash at Flora.

“I did it to completely destroy the capital, of course,” Flora whispered happily, and her cold words seemed to make the temperature drop by a few degrees.

“Destroy the capital?!”

“Yes, this royal capital that was built by the Holy King Arthur and, especially, that castle. It’s a hindrance to my master’s wishes. So, I’m going to wipe it clean off the map.” Flora stared calmly at Alvin, who broke out in a cold sweat and turned pale. “That’s why I’ve been secretly working on this plan for some time now. I used the phantom knights to create a diversion and dragged the fairy knights out of the castle. Now, with the royal city empty, this dragon I summoned from the depths of the fairy world will reduce it all to ash. Simple and effective, wouldn’t you say?” Flora said with a chuckle.

“What have you done, Flora?! Tayweed!” Burning with anger, Alvin spoke the ancient fairy word for tailwind to her fairy sword and activated the green fairy magic “Gale.” Wrapped in a powerful gust of wind, Alvin moved at high speed and thrusted at Flora.

“Oh my,” Flora said, and all Alvin cut was her shadow. By the time Alvin realized it, Flora was standing on the roof of a nearby building, looking down at Alvin with a relaxed expression. “Oh, don’t worry. I’m not going to do anything to you here. Summoning the dragon with that magical ritual consumed a considerable amount of my mana. It would be a bother to fight you with how tired I am right now.” Flora then said something in the ancient fairy tongue, and a magic circle appeared beneath her feet. The spot slowly filled with shadow, and Flora’s figure began to fade away.

“W-Wait! You’re running away?!”

“Running away? I’m letting you off the hook. You still have value as a backup for that girl.”

“Back up?! What are you talking about?!”

“Well, that’s only if you can survive against the dragon,” Flora said and was finally swallowed up by the darkness and disappeared.

Frustrated, Alvin thrust her sword into the ground and grasped it tightly. However, this wasn’t the time to just sit around upset. Right now, something had to be done about the dragon attacking the royal city. Alvin looked toward the center of the capital, which had become the front line where the huge dragon was rampaging at random, with no regard for anything. With a single blow from its claws or tail, it destroyed every single building around it, and the flames it spewed from its mouth set the surrounding area ablaze, turning it into a burning inferno. The evacuation of the area’s citizens was already complete, but there was no telling how many lives would have been lost if it had been delayed just a little longer.

Meanwhile, the fairy knights of the kingdom of Calvania weren’t content to just stand by and watch as this threat assailed the capital. Those who stayed behind in defense of the royal capital were no longer divided into orders of red, blue, or green. They had rallied together before the dragon, prepared to give their life in the struggle to somehow stop its rampage. They unleashed their superior swordsmanship and all manner of fairy magic. Swords of flame, flying balls of fire, freezing blasts of air, countless spears of ice, blades of wind, poison flowers, and boulders came from every direction in an attempt to subdue the dragon. However, none of them could pierce its tough scales. The dragon was simply annoyed at the knights, as if they were like bothersome insects to it. The dragon then made a mess of them with a huge swipe of its tail—as well as its claws and fangs that were as large as logs. This storm of pure violence was unleashed with a speed and agility that was unbelievable for the dragon’s huge size, and, unable to do anything against it, the knights were simply flung about.

“Sir Sid!” Unconsciously, Alvin stared at the back of her right hand and desperately called Sid’s name. There was no response from the crest at all. Perhaps the fog had temporarily severed Alvin’s connection with Sid. She couldn’t summon him. “It’s only a matter of time before the defense corps is completely wiped out, and when that happens, the citizens living in the royal city will be next!” Just as Alvin spoke those words, the dragon moved its feet and began to charge straight down the main road toward the castle, seemingly unconcerned with the half-destroyed fairy knights.

Whether it was ordered to do so or it was simply on a whim, it was going to attack the castle directly, and it shook the earth with each step as it went. Even for Calvania Castle, if it were to be hit by the dragon’s large body, it wouldn’t stand a chance. Also, there were the people who had taken refuge inside the castle in case of emergency.

“Everyone!” Alvin said as she turned around to look at her classmates. “We may be squires who have yet to be knighted, but we are still the shields that protect this kingdom! Now is the time to show what makes a knight a knight! Let’s go and stop that dragon!” Alvin said, urging on her classmates. They were all silent. Elaine, Christopher, Lynette, and Theodore all just sat there helplessly as if their souls had left their bodies. Of course, it wasn’t just the students of Blitze class. Students from all the other classes who had been standing by were just as helpless and trembling. It was the same even for Tenko, who was in tears and hyperventilating as she held herself, shaking uncontrollably.

“C-Could it be?!” Shocked, Alvin realized what was wrong with everyone. It was the dragon’s Stun Slaughter. Dragons were an absolutely superior species to humans and were like the fury of nature if it had taken shape and materialized. The roar of the dragon had completely shattered the minds of the weak and coated their hearts with pure fear and despair. The dragon’s roar was like a curse. With a single cry, it kept all those who heard it chained down, unable to even think of rising up. Aside from Alvin, all the other students were under the influence of Stun Slaughter’s profound magical power. Their spirits had been broken, and they had lost the will to fight.

“F-Fight that? A-Are you serious?” Tenko said, trembling as she looked up at Alvin with tears in her eyes. “Th-There’s no way we can win. We’d be crushed and eaten, right?” Shocked by Tenko’s words, Alvin squeezed her eyes shut. All of the other students were likely in a similar state of mind as Tenko.

What should I do? What should I do? Alvin thought. Right now, the situation was desperate, and there wasn’t any time to hesitate. Unable to make a decision, Alvin gritted her teeth.

“A-Alvin...let’s run away,” Tenko whispered.

“Tenko?”

“I-I understand that you want to fight to protect the capital because you’re the prince of this country. B-But how do you plan on realistically fighting that thing?!” Tenko yelled, pointing a finger at the dragon that was making its way to the castle. “You can’t win! There’s no way you can win!”

Alvin fell silent.

“You’ll be killed if you fight that thing, Alvin. You’ll die for sure, and I don’t want you to! So, abandon your people and let’s run away tog—” Just as Tenko was about to utter the kind of words that would spell the end for someone as a knight, a sharp sound echoed throughout the area. Alvin slapped Tenko’s cheek as she cowered in an unsightly heap.

“Huh?” Dumbstruck, Tenko pressed her stinging cheek. Meanwhile, Alvin glared at her sternly before her expression changed to a sad smile.

“That’s no good, Tenko. You’ll cease to be a knight if you talk like that.” Alvin said as a startled Tenko opened her eyes.

“I... I was...”

“It’s all right. I understand. I’m sure you didn’t mean what you said. It was just a temporary reaction to the dragon’s magic,” Alvin said, gently admonishing Tenko and putting her hands on Tenko’s shoulders. “But a knight should never say that. You want to become a knight, don’t you? The kind of great knight who would serve a wonderful king like my father, King Auld?”

“I...”

“I’m sure you’ll become a splendid knight one day. So, you shouldn’t say that,” Alvin said and then stood up.

“Alvin, wh-where are you going?”

“I’m going to fight the dragon. Even if everyone else in this country runs away, I can’t. And that’s because I’m its king.” With a determined will, Alvin turned on her heel with no hesitation in her step.

“W-Wait! Please wait!” Tenko cried, still on the ground and reaching for Alvin. “Don’t go! You can’t go! If you do, you’ll die! You’ll be killed!”

“Yes, I’ll probably die in this fight. But if it were my father, he’d surely stay and fight till the end. The main reason I fight is because I want to save this country.” In shocked silence, Tenko’s eyes opened wide at Alvin’s words. “In the end, I love this country. You and everyone else are here. There are many adversities, but I love this country because we can all smile and be together. So, I want to save it...even if it costs me my life. I suppose this is my path to the throne,” Alvin said as she walked with an unwavering step. Then, after leaving with only those words and a flip of her cloak, Alvin bravely charged forward. Drawing mana from her fairy sword, Alvin cloaked her body in wind magic. Accelerated by the tailwind of her fairy magic, Alvin soared through the skies of the royal capital and headed straight for the dragon, running along the roofs of the city’s buildings.

“A-Alvin...Alvin!” Tenko could only cry out as she reached for Alvin’s back.