Chapter 165

Chapter 165

***

Rickart followed the Count of Ceska and passed the fortress gate. Passing the fortress gate, Ceska Castle was unexpectedly not far away.

The castle situated on a vertical cliff looked solitary exactly as if abandoned, and because the weather was cloudy it even gave off a dreary atmosphere.

The scale of the castle wasn't that big, but the natural terrain was so rugged that it seemed impossible to drop the castle.

The village was a bit far away, and below the castle was entirely a graveyard. Unknown tombstones spread out widely without end and without order, and perhaps because they weren't managed properly it looked eerie.

It seemed exactly like this would be the sight if the end of the world arrived.

"Are they people sacrificed in this civil war?"

Rickart asked the Count while riding his horse. The Count shook his head.

"No. Compared to this graveyard the ones who died in the civil war cannot even become a small scratch. This graveyard has been here since the unimaginably ancient times, and was here even before my family settled down here. The people of Ceska call this graveyard 'Shabby Valor'."

It meant it was a graveyard so old its origins couldn't even be known. Sill, although confirmation was difficult, there were stories passed down like legends. And the people here believed that legend to be facts.

"Only unknown ones who fought against monsters and died in battle can be buried here. Ones with high reputation like you, Rickart, do not have the qualification to be buried here."

Rickart looked at an old tombstone nearby. On it this phrase was written. 'THOUGH I HAVE NO NAME, MY COURAGE SHALL BE IMMORTAL.'

"That fortress gate is not blocking the direction you came from, but blocking the opposite side."

Rickart looked back at the fortress gate. And turning his head he also looked at the dense forest situated far away to the north.

Adelorn was at the eastern end in the Empire. That meant it also faced the forest of monsters. Passing that forest somewhere was the Eastern Frontier.

If Sinatria was the end of the world, here was also the end of the world.

"Was the duty passed down for generations in the family guarding the fortress gate preparing against monsters?"

"That is so. So we didn't care about the likes of the civil war from the start......"

Before Count Ceska's words could even finish, something like a beast's cry was heard very far away, faintly but clearly.

GUWWOOOOOOOOOOOO!

That was obviously not a wolf's cry, nor a lion's roar. It was an Orc's shout.

"It is obvious. Those bastards smelled it. The smell of division. That human foolishness absolutely pays a price is the providence of God. However no one cares. Except only us."

The Adelorn Kingdom was a country that existed even before the Empire was established. While being the country that established the first knight system, it was also a country that protected the human world from monsters.

Perhaps the Adelorn Kingdom might be a huge military stronghold made by the ancient Empire to defend against monsters.

Although there was no way to know since there were no records, Rickart's strategic perspective vaguely made him think so.

However as a long time passes, humans were bound to forget. The early Kings still supported the Ceska County, but from a certain moment support was cut off, and the County banded tightly together among themselves and was continuing the ancient duty.

They were not royal loyalists. They were people more noble than thought. Seeing as they lived in such a gloomy place, and even though no one recognized them, they never whined even once.

Paolo's insight also had times when it was wrong. Who would even think of it. Carrying on work that no one recognizes or helps with, generation after generation.

Because Ceska Castle was on a sheer cliff, Rickart, Raimund, and Roy left their horses at the stable below and went up.

Although he didn't prepare an appropriate banquet for Rickart, he accommodated them as guests passably. Because Rickart hadn't exactly lived wrongly, and his reputation was tremendous.

Putting everything else aside, 'The one who crossed the Empire', even just that was a massive feat.

Count Ceska served oat porridge, fruit, and ham or something to Rickart and his party.

Because Rickart originally wasn't exactly a gourmet or had a tendency to bluff, he merely ate gratefully. Count Ceska watched that appearance exactly as if observing.

During the meal no conversation was exchanged, and after the meal ended around when mead came out Count Ceska opened his mouth.

"I want to make one thing clear. We cannot support you with troops."

"Understood. I understand. I didn't come hoping for some help either."

"And I cannot pledge loyalty either."

"That doesn't matter either. You, Count, told me right. Whether I can prove it. Yes, what should I prove it with?"

"......But, what are you going to do if I say something impossible?"

"Wouldn't it become self-evident that I was knighted by God only if I accomplish an impossible task?"

"You overflow with confidence. It's understandable. If you have cut the Sultan's neck, struck a King's head, crossed the Empire and even defeated a Prince's army, that is. However, there are also bound to be terrors in the world that you haven't even imagined."

"Are you talking about Orcs?"

Rickart asked exactly as if to say why drag it out. Then Count Ceska quietly looked at Rickart and said.

"If you see it with your own eyes, it will be different from what you heard."

Rickart had seen monsters directly in his previous life. He had the experience of barbarians taming trolls and invading their base, and while retreating he had seen countlessly many comrades getting eaten by Orcs too.

However, since there was no way for Count Ceska to know, he seemed to consider Rickart was showing foolhardiness.

Courage and foolhardiness were different. A person doing what must be done prepared for death, and being prepared for death while deliberately doing things that didn't need to be done were strictly different things.

Rickart merely stated what he knew at the Count's words that it would be different from what he heard.

"Orcs have strictly divided ranks and one alpha male commands several female Orcs. If a male is born as an offspring they raise him until a certain age, but when the time passes they kill him or chase him out of the pack. The offspring either kills the father or wanders around together with brothers. And then they kill the male of another pack and occupy the females there. If they fail it is only death. Because they always fight each other it is safe if you don't unnecessarily step into that territory, but sometimes if a powerful alpha commanding several packs is born they often invade the territory where humans live. This is what I have heard. Is there any part different from the facts?"

As Rickart spoke fluently without blockage, Count Ceska with a sharp impression opened his eyes roundly.

Because Rickart knew the habits of Orcs in detail to the point that there were parts even he didn't know.

"Speak now. What is it that I must prove."

"......Broken Fang. We call him that. There is an exceptionally larger and powerful Orc. He prowls near the territory exactly as if provoking, as if testing, probably aiming for the goats."

"That's probably not it."

"What do you mean?"

"He's aiming not just for goats but humans as well. Those bastards always observe. And smell. Whether they are terrified or not, whether they have weakened or are still strong."

"......"

"Is the proof that I just need to kill that bastard called Broken Fang?"

If a powerful alpha was killed, Orcs were bound to scatter in all directions. The eternal war between males would begin again, and the cycle of father and son killing each other would continue.

That was the method to subjugate Orcs. The one Rickart learned during his previous life. For reference, for Goblins one had to kill the Shaman or Goblin King and destroy their idol.

"......That is so. If you cut off and bring the remaining unbroken fang, I will follow you. I will pledge loyalty if necessary too."

It meant if he killed the Orc named 'Broken Fang', with that he would acknowledge that he received God's selection. God's selection, meaning he had the qualification to become a King too.

However, Rickart was different. He was too different. From the ambitious men Ceska had seen over the meantime.

Rickart shook his head and said.

"No. I merely will lessen the burden you are carrying. I will kill Broken Fang. After that I will actively supply materials to the Ceska County. The work you, and your family have done is truly noble work. When the whole world was merely busy satisfying its own greed, you have done great work. Knowing this, I exactly cannot leave you alone to carry that heavy burden by yourself."

At Rickart's unexpected words, Count Ceska was surprised once again. Had it been said a man dies for the one who recognizes him. Something hot rose from Count Ceska's chest.

He gritted his molars tight, then turned his head.

"I am a little tired from coming in a hurry. I wish to rest for today."

Rickart said. And then standing up from his seat together with his party, guided by a servant they entered the guest room.

As he undid his belt and disarmed, Roy assisted him and asked.

"Have you seen an Orc, Master?"

"Something like that."

"It's probably nothing much right?"

"No. That's not so."

"How many troops should we call?"

Raimund also undid his own armament and asked. Following Rickart's decision, he naturally thought troops were needed to kill a powerful Orc.

"No army is needed. When dealing with Orcs you don't commit a lot of troops. The damage merely grows."

"Then are we getting the help of the people here? We probably aren't reliable to them yet though."

"No help from them either. The three of us will go catch it."

"......You're joking right?"

"Does it seem like a joke?"

Raimund blinked his eyes. He excelled in army organizational structure, tactical operation, and courage on the battlefield, catching something with just three people or things like that he wasn't an expert.

"Roy and Ray just assist me. I'll do the killing."

"It probably won't be that simple of a task......"

"What if it isn't simple? We just have to make it simple."

Ray seemed reluctant but rather Roy encouraged him. Whether doing this not knowing the fearsomeness of the world, or doing it because he trusted Rickart.

Ray wildly stroked Roy's head for no reason.

"This is exactly why I think I took in a good disciple. Yeah, you're right, Roy. If it's not simple we just have to make it simple."

"But if I knew it would be like this I should have brought a few more escort knights."

"Didn't I say? When dealing with monsters like Orcs having many personnel is not a big advantage. It merely becomes more of a hindrance."

"Not that, but you might go wrong by a mere chance. It's better for me or other knights to die, Commander you still have work to do."

"......Don't say such things. I'm not a person who wants to live alone putting someone else forward."

"Because you are like that we follow you, but what's not right is not right. If you go wrong, where are the 6,000 brothers supposed to go now?"

"Go where, here is your final destination. The place to end your lives, that is. You can just live here. Even without me."

"Well."

"I should prepare a mass wedding or something, I'm not exactly a nanny right? I can't take care of you until you die."

The knighthood were ones who lost their way. Rickart led them like a shepherd, but couldn't exactly lead them until they died exactly as he said.

"The will could be continued. Even if you went wrong."

Roy said.

"What?"

"Ending the civil war and bringing peace to Adelorn. That's your will, Master."

Rickart smirked and laughed. He was proud but on the other hand also found it absurd.

"I'm not dying, you brat......"