Chapter 74
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The Male and Female Leads Broke Up - Episode 74
The departure ceremony was held in the Square before the Imperial Palace the next day.
I stood before tens of thousands of knights, clad in armor.
I had put on armor for the first time this morning, and its weight was far more substantial than I had anticipated.
I worried whether I could move in this, but humans were indeed creatures of adaptation.
The longer I wore it, the more accustomed I became to its weight, and now I could move about naturally.
On either side of me stood Cain Maxius and Aiden, both dressed in similar armor.
The two men were certainly taller and broader than I, so the armor did not seem to burden them as heavily as it did me.
I kept my gaze fixed ahead, deliberately avoiding looking at either of them.
And standing directly before me was Crown Prince Ediel, resplendent in ornate armor.
Moments later, the Emperor emerged onto the balcony.
The departing knights and the citizens of the Empire who had come to see them off all cheered for the Emperor and the Empire.
"Long live Emperor Christian Winston Balteus!"
"Long live the Balteus Empire!"
The Emperor turned his gaze upon them and delivered a speech similar to the one he had given at yesterday's banquet, raising the morale of the subjugation force.
The knights around me pledged their resolve alongside one another.
"This time, we'll surely eradicate the monsters once and for all!"
"That's right! Let's show those beasts the true strength and terror of the Empire!"
"I can never forgive those who trample upon my homeland, Balteus!"
"Let's show them what we're made of!"
"Uuuuaaaaaaah!"
Approximately thirty thousand knights gathered in the Square roared with fervor.
The collective sound of so many voices shook the very earth beneath us with tremendous force.
Pwooooo—!
At that same moment, the long, piercing wail of a horn trumpet echoed across the square.
It was the signal to depart.
"Victory alone awaits us! Follow me!"
"Waaaaaaaaah!"
The knights erupted in cheers in response to Crown Prince Ediel's bold rallying cry.
It was the year 426 of the Imperial Calendar—the beginning of the Monster Subjugation Expedition that would become legend.
* * *
It had been days of continuous marching.
The further north we traveled, the colder the air became.
Winter had already begun, and there was no shortage of concerns on multiple fronts.
Yet despite this, the morale of the Monster Subjugation Expedition soared without end.
And for good reason—whenever a war concluded, the knights who participated always received extraordinary rewards.
This year had been one of the most bountiful harvests in the Empire's history.
Without question, everyone agreed that the scale of compensation would be vastly different from previous campaigns.
The knights moved without rest, desperate to reach the Northern Border as quickly as possible.
Only then could they defeat all the monsters and return home that much sooner.
"Ugh, it's getting colder by the day."
The Blue-haired Middle-aged Knight, his beard thick and unkempt, shivered as he spoke.
"That's what I'm saying. They say the North is cold year-round—this is going to be rough."
The Brown-haired Young Knight walking beside him trudged along and responded.
The two had worked together in the Capital Security Force.
They had both volunteered for the Monster Subjugation Expedition, and by chance, ended up in the same unit.
The Empire's capital maintained a relatively mild climate even in winter.
For those who had only ever lived in the capital, this biting cold was utterly unprecedented.
"Still, we have House Heitz on our side, so there's nothing to worry about."
House Heitz, blessed with the power of fire.
It was the perfect ability for weather like this.
"True enough. But this time, it's not the Duke himself—it's the Duke's daughter participating instead. Does she have any experience fighting monsters?"
"I heard she's only twenty-two. How could she? Still, she's the sole heir of House Heitz. We can't doubt her abilities."
"That's fair. I've heard that this time, unusually, all three Duke Families are participating, and many young nobles are following their lead."
"It's a changing of the guard. Time flows on without stopping, after all."
The middle-aged knight spoke with a bitter expression.
The brown-haired knight nodded instead of answering.
"Say, did you know something?"
"Know what?"
"There are three Duke Families in the Empire, aren't there?"
"There are."
"But...."
The man stroked his beard thoughtfully while glancing around.
He was checking whether anyone was eavesdropping on their conversation.
"What are you getting at?"
"Well, you probably don't know since you're young...."
The man paused deliberately and leaned closer to his companion.
"But first, promise me—what you hear today must never be spoken to anyone."
"Understood. I won't say a word. But what could it be that you're being so secretive about?"
The young knight nodded solemnly, his expression grave with commitment.
"Well, the thing is...."
"Yes, please go ahead."
Curious about what could warrant such drawn-out hesitation, anticipation flickered across the young knight's face.
"The Duke's House originally had four—"
"What in the world are you two discussing so intently, huddled together like that?"
"Ah! You startled me!"
Just as I was about to reveal the secret I'd been keeping, another knight from the Capital Security Force who worked alongside us approached.
This knight too bore the marks of age, with white hair scattered throughout his locks.
We'd been whispering at barely a palm's distance when someone suddenly appeared, and the middle-aged knight was so startled he nearly stumbled backward.
"Why are you so shocked?"
"Well, shouldn't you make some noise when you approach someone?"
The middle-aged knight responded with excessive agitation and anger.
"My, aren't you being rather sensitive?"
The knight who'd approached us wore a bewildered expression, seeing him react so harshly over nothing.
"Yes, sensitive! And how! I simply don't appreciate people sneaking up on me like that!"
"Ah, understood, understood. That was my mistake."
"Don't do it again!"
"I apologize."
Though he'd done nothing wrong, the man apologized to smooth over the situation, given how upset the other had become.
It was then that the young knight spoke up.
"So you were saying the Duke's House was originally—"
"What story! I said nothing! It's nothing at all, so ask no further!"
The middle-aged knight waved his hand dismissively and turned his head away sharply.
Having started the conversation himself only to suddenly sulk, the young knight found it so absurd he let out a hollow laugh.
After that, they didn't exchange another word until they arrived at the campsite that day.
* * *
Tomorrow, I would arrive at the Northern Boundary Fortress.
So tonight would be my last evening camping under the open sky.
Throughout this journey, I had scarcely encountered Cain Maxius or Aiden privately, except when we crossed paths in the Crown Prince's presence.
Each of us commanded our own Knight Order, and we traveled separately by family unit, making chance meetings difficult.
Yet there were moments when we stumbled upon one another unexpectedly.
Whenever that happened, both men would attempt to approach me and strike up conversation.
But I deliberately claimed to be busy and slipped away each time.
Now I rested in my private tent within the Campsite.
Upon arrival at the Northern Boundary Fortress tomorrow, I might have to plunge directly into battle.
So I needed to rest properly today, no matter what.
Yet sleep eluded me easily. And this was no recent affliction.
Since what happened with Adela, I had not slept peacefully once, and I had been suffering from prolonged sleep deprivation for quite some time.
'This won't do.'
Rather than lying in bed wasting time, a walk around the Campsite seemed far more worthwhile.
So I rose from my cot and stepped outside the tent.
The night was deep.
Only the torches burning brightly throughout the Campsite made their presence known.
At that moment, a Knight standing watch nearby bowed his head to me.
I gestured for silence and quickly departed the Campsite.
A Small River flowed some distance away from the Campsite.
By the calendar, we had only just entered early winter, but time moved differently here.
This place, cool even in summer, already had its waters frozen solid by the harsh cold.
The bright moon reflected off the frigid water, creating the illusion of two moons in the sky.
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