Chapter 142

Chapter 142

***

There is no courage that doesn't know fear. Because overcoming fear is exactly what courage is, not knowing fear is merely appearing so.

Fear of pain, fear of failure, and fear of death.

It cannot be known what internal state courageous people go through to overcome that fear, but they had one thing in common.

That was exactly an intense desire for a goal. Whether it was momentary or harbored for a long time, the famous sword known as courage was born from the spark called desire.

So if you asked them how they could be so brave, they unanimously responded like this.

That they merely did what they 'naturally' had to do.

Things that others called foolish or crazy were exactly just obstacles to overcome and a process for them.

Thus occasionally, the famous sword known as courage slices through the obstacle of impossibility.

At that exact moment, time stops and is remembered by people forever. An immortal name being left in history, that is.

Rickart had a desire. It wasn't something about greatness like any other monarchs.

It was exactly to stop Vilter's foolish actions, and ultimately to end the war in Adelorn to convey the hope of living again to the people.

If asked why he had to do so, to Rickart it was merely a natural thing so there wasn't exactly a reason.

If he had to find a reason, he merely thought it was repaying the debt of memories of his happy childhood days, pity for the people unable to enjoy that, and the fact that he was able to be loved.

How hot, fiercely, and largely the spark of desire harbored by Rickart would burn, even he himself couldn't know. Since changing from moment to moment was the nature of a spark.

However, the land of Sinatria was entirely high-altitude area except for the coastline. High-altitude areas were exceptionally windy, and specialized in creating intense sparks capable of melting iron.

Just where exactly did this ceaselessly blowing wind originate from. Whether from atop those high mountains, from an unknown place across that sea, or the breath God blew from up high in that sky.

Anyway, it seemed exactly like an ideal place to grow the spark called desire harbored inside a person's chest.

The sun revealed its figure from the horizon far away. The black sky slowly turned deep blue, and although it was the beginning of summer it was still cool in the morning and evening.

The wind blew and the flags symbolizing each knight family fluttered.

Although the men of Sinatria were famous for being brave, perhaps because war was reality, everyone looked exhausted. It looked closer to being mentally exhausted rather than physically exhausted.

A siege battle was ultimately a battle of endurance, but with the bastards called Green Dragon brothers running amok, their morale was in tatters.

Merely holding their positions reluctantly by the King's order, their hearts had long since returned to their hometowns.

Those who had stood guard duty during the past night simply satisfied their hunger and went to sleep, and soldiers waking up in twos and threes looking like beggars lit fires and hung pots.

Food eaten in the field camp was nothing special, just boiling or roasting whatever they could get their hands on. So the taste was different every day.

Rickart and the knights of the Flame Knights did bring separate food to eat, but it wasn't that abundant.

Since they weren't going to be there long anyway so it didn't matter, but when Raimund brought watery porridge with strange chunks floating in a wooden bowl, Rickart shook his head.

"I prefer being slightly hungry before fighting. When my stomach is bloated I feel I become a bit dull. I appreciate the thought."

And then, fully armed, he mounted the red horse. Rickart turned his head and stared at the rising sun and the drawbridge far away.

Raimund and the knights merely sat and ate, blankly watching that sight.

For them it was an opportunity to directly see Rickart's skills, and they thought it would be good since taking down one of the Green Dragon brothers would boost morale.

Then it would also save face for his bluffing in its own way. They thought only exactly up to there.

The Flame Knights didn't know what Rickart was thinking or what he intended to do. For Rickart as well, thinking they would only consider him a bluffer even if he dared to say it, he didn't separately state his plan.

Knowing showing once is better than speaking a hundred times, Rickart took the lance flag of the Flame Knights and stepped out of the encampment.

Since mealtime was a time when all soldiers and knights gathered, he deliberately ran his horse slowly from the right flank to the left flank.

Duguduk. Duguduk. Duguduk. Duguduk.

Under the morning sun, the red silk surcoat and shining golden armor exuded presence. Although they didn't know who Rickart was, the soldiers naturally had their gazes stolen.

Rickart fluttered his blond hair and intentionally focused everyone's attention, then put on the helmet with a stiff red tassel.

Then returning to the center again, like a racehorse and jockey waiting to sort out, he looked at Leonia Citadel. Before long, the citadel's drawbridge came down rumbling like a giant beast crying.

The one who revealed his figure was Tauso's younger brother Tiuso, and because of his green dragon helmet ornament and surcoat, it was hard to distinguish him from his older brother just by outward appearance.

The only difference to distinguish the older and younger brother was that their secondary weapons were a battleaxe and a sword.

It couldn't be known how deep the brothers' affection was, but guarding Leonia Citadel joining forces was contrasted with King Santonio and his younger brother, and the brothers Rickart and Vilter.

However, what could be done. Having met on the battlefield, personal sentiments had no choice but to be folded away. There was no need to deeply know each other's stories either.

Rickart's flashy attire could be seen well even from afar, making Tiuso wonder if the enemies had hired a highly skilled mercenary.

That was no different for King Santonio's soldiers as well, and with a premonition that something unusual was going to happen, they watched the situation without even knowing if food was going up their noses or into their mouths.

Rickart and Tiuso both wore helmets so they couldn't see each other's faces.

However, having met on the battlefield, what words would they say and what did their expressions matter. Only the drawn weapons clearly conveyed each other's intentions, and that was enough.

As Rickart slowly stepped forward first, he far away also stepped forward holding a lance. It wasn't a jousting tournament, and there was no such thing as a referee. If there was a referee, death itself was the referee.

Then someone from the allied camp beat a drum. Thud, thud, beating it in a slow tempo so everyone here could hear; truly mysterious was that hearing the drumbeats seemed to make one's heart elevate in tandem.

Then, as Rickart and his opponent gradually increased speed, the drumbeats' rhythm also quickened.

When they started to properly pick up speed, it was as if a thunderstorm was raging.

Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. Thudududu!

Rumble! Rumble! Rumble! Rumble!

At the vigorous sprinting of the massive warhorses, thick dust clouds settled, and estimating the distance, Rickart and Tiuso slightly lowered their upper bodies and aimed their lances at each other.

However, Rickart, whom he thought had reached top speed, increased his speed even more. Then he stretched out sharply like a red comet, and the opponent lost the timing to strike.

In a jousting duel, what's more important than any other technique was timing. Increasing speed at the appropriate point, appropriate distance, and loading everything onto the tip of the lance with an unwavering posture. So failing to estimate distance and speed was extremely disadvantageous.

As Rickart charged at tremendous speed simultaneously, Tiuso's lance tip wavered. At the moment the thought that something was wrong flashed through his mind, Rickart got abruptly closer beyond his thoughts.

Whooosh!

The huge and heavy warhorses brushed past each other. Tiuso hastily twisted his body and changed direction, avoiding the showdown.

"Whaaaaaaaah!"

As the two people who were charging at each other at tremendous speed brushed past, a loud exclamation burst out regardless of whether they were allies or enemies.

Seeing from afar it seemed a conclusion was reached, but looking closely it seemed not. Everyone just opened their eyes wide, completely absorbed and watching.

Anyway, to avoid the showdown in a duel staking honor. It was impossible. But in the world, who would want to die. It wasn't completely incomprehensible.

Since war was about mobilizing all possible methods, anything could happen, and Rickart wasn't flustered.

He too hastily changed direction and chased Tiuso. Tiuso's posture was ruined and he was completely occupied changing direction hastily and calming his startled horse.

It was too disadvantageous for him to turn around and fight Rickart now, so he merely fled with all his might. Out of nowhere, a chasing and being chased pursuit battle unfolded in front of Leonia Citadel.

At that time, to rescue his younger brother, Tiuso's older brother Tauso hurriedly came out of the fortress. He too was dressed with a green dragon helmet ornament and draped in a green surcoat.

"You bastarrrrrrd!"

As Rickart chased Tiuso closely, Tauso ran over and shouted loudly.

It was an urgent moment. For each of the three people. There wasn't exactly time to judge carefully, and it was a situation where only momentary and intuitive judgment decided victory and defeat, dividing life and death.

Rickart made a judgment. He stopped chasing the younger brother Tiuso and changed reins again. Being such a good horse, its instantaneous acceleration or direction change was unbelievable.

However, unlike Tauso who came running toward Rickart from the start, Rickart didn't have time to properly build up speed. The fleeing Tiuso also realized his older brother came to help and changed direction again.

Then looking from afar, it seemed two green dragons and a red dragon mingled to fight each other. It was a scene strongly ingrained in the minds of all thousands of people watching.

Anyway, the urgent fight continued consecutively. Knowing he was at a disadvantage, as a desperate measure Rickart gripped his lance in a reverse grip and violently threw it towards Tauso.

Whoosh!

The lance loaded with tremendous power stretched out accurately towards Tauso. Tauso was also amazing; despite being difficult to avoid since he was running towards Rickart, without a large motion he slightly lowered his upper body and dodged it.

However, the tip of his lance also deviated from Rickart.

Then Tauso suddenly felt as if time had stopped, and to his eyes, he saw Rickart unexpectedly pull out a sword and hold it flashing above his head.

The golden flames burning along the blade were fluttering long like a flag.

Swish! Thwack!

However, regardless of one's intention, time flows, and Rickart's sword cleft his head including the helmet together with the dragon-shaped helmet ornament.

With his head split open, he continuously dashed forward while dead, his body dangling loosely on the horse.

"Brotheeeeer!"

Tiuso shouted, greatly startled. Soon after, anger surged and he chased closely looking at Rickart's back.

However, Rickart snatched the lance that had missed and stuck in the ground, and twisted his waist backward. Flexibility was one thing, but the strength to fix his body was on an absurd level.

Rickart gripped the lance with both hands and pierced Tiuso who chased him closely in one thrust, like catching a fish in a stream.

Thud!

"Keugh!"

The lance tip of the Flame Knights pierced through his chest and came out his back, and Tiuso fell from his horse rolling violently on the ground.

Thud! Thwack! Flop.

With this, Rickart had killed both the Green Dragon brothers all by himself. Being such a surprising sight, the watching people merely opened their eyes wide and dumbly opened their mouths, unable to even shout cheers.

Watching Rickart's fight from afar, King Santonio's eyes shook. A hero. A hero truly like a dragon.

However, the truly surprising sight started from now. Rickart didn't slow down and ran like a red flash of light towards Leonia Citadel.

Rumble! Rumble! Rumble! Rumble!

Startled enemies hurriedly raised the drawbridge; it was a breathtaking moment. If he failed he would fall straight down the cliff and die as it was.

"It's dangerous!"

Raimund was greatly startled and shouted from afar.

However, neither the red horse nor Rickart, as if they became of one mind and one body, without the slightest doubt, without an inch of hesitation, leaped flashingly.

Then it truly seemed like a red dragon was flying. The people watching from afar definitely felt so.

Hiiiigh-!

The horse's cry echoed resonantly in the quiet battlefield. To the enemies inside the citadel, from their viewing angle Rickart had his back to the sun so it looked like a radiant halo.

"El Ciiiiiid!"

Who it was was unknown, but anyway someone shouted. It was a shout wishing for that cry to reach Rickart and become even a little strength.

Whether that helped or not couldn't be known, but truly breathtakingly, Rickart crossed the slowly rising drawbridge.

Then the thousands of watching people, just as cheers were about to burst out they went back in, and sucked in dry air startled. Because even if he burst into the castle, he would be isolated alone.

Fighting well and what is this doing, what situation is this, they were confused. Naturally, it was a sight never seen before, and an event unfathomable even in imagination so it was even more so.

However, there was no need to worry, as the enemies also received a great shock and were already overwhelmed in momentum.

Rickart burst into the citadel swarming with enemies, raised his sword high and shouted loudly.

"Surrender and you will live, resist and you will die!"

Then, just as the Green Dragon brothers had trampled the allied encampment as they pleased, he himself dashed his horse to wildly ram and trample the blankly standing enemies.

Thwack! Smack! Crunch!

The enemies were terrified out of their wits and rushed about in confusion, and whenever Rickart's sword was swung, fresh blood was scattered.

Rickart swept the surroundings for a bout, then rushed at the one looking like the castellan and severed his neck in an instant. Right after, he lowered his upper body and cut the thick iron chain hoisting the drawbridge in a single stroke.

Clang!

Then the iron chain unwound with a clatter and the drawbridge lowered with a crash.

Due to the consecutive shocking events, the enemies even forgot about winning and losing and fled in a heap. Even though the only places to flee were the lodgings or their own houses inside the citadel anyway.

Rickart skewered the castellan's neck on the lance and came out from the citadel. Having cut the iron chains they couldn't be reattached immediately, and the wide-open castle was practically fallen.

Rickart returned to the allied encampment, and just like during breakfast time, holding the lance skewered with the castellan's head, he ran slowly in front of the encampment, from left to right. For everyone to clearly see.

No need for long explanations, without any words, he merely showed them. What actions I took, and what I accomplished.

Even the sun shining on the whole world seemed to be rising solely for Rickart exactly right now, and thousands of soldiers were overwhelmed by a single person. An individual greater than the whole.

The Leonia Fortress that couldn't be made to fall for 10 years, fell exactly like that in two days since Rickart joined.

With this, an immortal name remained forever in history, in the land of Sinatria, and in the hearts of the people living there.

From Stormhearts of the Empire, Kaldebern family, son of Abellich, El Cid Rickart.