Chapter 35 : Black Moon (3)
"Does a brother need a reason to come see his younger brother?"
Although his expression and tone were gentle, Helkane's gaze scanning my entire body was never gentle.
"……."
However, the moment he saw Axion settled on my waist, Helkane's expression wavered subtly.
"Surely you won't kick this brother out without giving him a cup of tea?"
But that was only for a moment; Helkane soon approached me with his usual expression.
"Surely not. Please come inside, Brother."
Welcoming Helkane inside the barracks, I poured tea myself and spoke.
"It is a common item, so I do not know if it will suit Brother's taste."
"What does taste matter when you brew it yourself? Thank you."
In fact, Helkane usually rarely touched anything unless it was a top-grade product among top-grade products, but right now, no sign of reluctance could be seen on his face at all.
"I am coming from meeting the commanders of Nefam and Volmada just now. They spoke of you. They say you established great merit?"
"I only did my job."
"To be humble as well. Actually, I had many worries until I left for the capital. But seeing you become this dignified, my mind feels at ease. It is a joyful thing."
It was difficult for me to judge whether Helkane's words were sincere or not.
Actually, there had been no contact point between Helkane and me.
The ones who ignored and bullied me all this time were figures of the Vispon family including Alain, but Helkane's attitude toward me was practically close to total disregard.
"Hein, it is certainly a welcome thing that you show a changed appearance. However, I worry that Father might harbor vain dreams because of you."
"Did you say vain dreams?"
"Yes. I also know well that Father is a very excellent person. But don't you know too? How vain and foolish Father's dream is."
Helkane continued speaking in a consistently calm tone, but I could tell.
Helkane's eyes narrowed subtly when mentioning Father's dream.
"Father wants Reichart to become a pillar that can support Zodiac solely with Reichart's power. But Zodiac is a small nation, and Reichart is even smaller than that. If we repeat antagonism while clinging to the meager power Reichart has, when on earth can we plan for the continent beyond the Zodiac?"
"Please continue speaking."
"We must combine our strength. The capital and Reichart must never be antagonistic. To turn the minds of nobles already hostile to Reichart, Father must take a forward-looking attitude."
Having finished speaking up to this point, Helkane feigned a sigh.
"I am making efforts in my own way to produce results in that direction, but it is not easy at all."
Watching Helkane showing a pitiful smile as if it was truly difficult, I reached a conclusion.
'Sophistry.'
In the end, he was saying to bow down flat to the Noble Alliance, who cared for neither the royal family nor the people, to grow their own rights and interests more.
While swallowing the humiliation decorated with the beautiful name of harmony.
'Reichart bowing down flat while putting down pride and everything. And the one who will gulp down Reichart, which became so easy to swallow, will be you.'
I sighed briefly.
Listening to words with no meaning whatsoever, it felt like a yawn was about to come out.
"Brother, let me ask you one thing."
"Speak."
"Can you say the words you just told me exactly as they are in front of Father too?"
"……."
Helkane could not say anything as if speechless for a moment.
"Since my discernment is narrow, I do not know well how the will Father cherishes and Brother's will are different. But if you show the same spirit you showed me to Father as it is, wouldn't Father also recognize Brother's will?"
"……."
"And if Father and Brother's wills match, I will follow that will."
Silence flowed between the two people, and a smile still lingered on Helkane's face.
Just when the silence filling the space between the two people was gradually adding weight,
"It seems I wasted my time today."
Helkane stood up from his seat as he was.
"Hein, this will not be the last opportunity given to you. Since Mother and I intend to allow you a few more opportunities. But you must not think the opportunity will be eternal."
"Is that so?"
"I look forward to you making a wise choice next time."
"Go safely, Brother, I will not see you out far."
In the place Helkane left, a profound scent resembling him lingered.
Soaked in that scent, I spoke in a low voice.
"I don't know who wasted time."
***
"Now, shoot!"
The vast field was filled with shouts let out by commanders and soldiers, and arrows leaving the strings and magic cut through the air.
"Ugh!"
Dull screams vomited by corpses that became puppets of the evil cult burst out here and there.
"Uhh uhh-"
The power of arrows and magic shot by soldiers and mages lined up in a row was tremendous, and the flesh and bones of corpses hit directly exploded here and there.
But even so, the corpses did not stop their steps.
"Aww uhh- uhh-"
Around the time the distance between the zombies advancing with half-fallen bodies and the archers narrowed to within ten or so meters,
The shield soldiers and heavy infantry lurking behind the archers shouted and charged.
"Advance!"
"Do not let even one return!"
Three different emblems were engraved on the armor of the running soldiers.
Heavy soldiers engraved with emblems symbolizing Zodiac, Nefam, and Volmada ran forward vigorously.
"Hiyah!"
The flesh of corpses hit directly by axes and maces wielded by heavy infantry was crushed like mud as it was.
Although nationality and emblems engraved on armor were different, the heart that could not tolerate the unholy existence in front of their eyes was consistent, so the weapons the soldiers struck out with were all heavy and ruthless.
Screech.
At that moment, the sound of an ominous horn trumpet was heard from the apostles' camp.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
"Uhh uhh uhh uhh---"
Following that, the sound of large footsteps shaking the earth was heard.
What revealed its appearance was a giant strange creature made by tying corpses loosely together.
It ran on four legs but could not be called a beast, and the flesh forming the body was human but it was a strange creature that could not be called human; it vomited gloomy cries and narrowed the distance with the allied forces in an instant.
"ǣƵNJǢǾ!"
From the mouth of the bishop riding on the strange creature's back, Alcala's prayer was flowing out continuously.
As the flow of the prayer became stronger, the energy of pollution surrounding the strange creature became gradually thicker.
"Dodge!"
"Change formation. 3rd row, fall back to the rear!"
Soldiers who witnessed the charge of the pile of corpses wrapping its body in black energy hurriedly dodged, and the formation they had worked hard to organize collapsed in an instant.
"Ughhh!"
Just when the pile of corpses was about to pounce on a group of soldiers who scattered and became prey.
"Hiya!"
With a sharp shout, blue energy struck the pile of corpses as it was.
"Uhh!"
The attacked pile of corpses lost momentum and faltered.
"Haa!"
The young knight who shot out blue energy shouted once again and then began to hack at the guy.
"Krrgh Krrrrgh!"
Although it was a pile of corpses with flesh that looked quite hard at a glance, the Blade Aura emitted by the knight tore the guy's skin mercilessly.
"Kuaagh!"
Eventually, the moment the Blade Aura shot by the knight pierced the flesh of the pile of corpses and made a wind hole in the neck of the apostle controlling the guy, the pile of corpses crumbled like dust as it was.
Along with the end of the giant pile of corpses, today's local battle also gradually concluded.
Woooong.
The young knight firmly raised the sword emitting blue light in the middle of the collapsing pile of corpses.
For a moment, the battlefield was filled with the shouts of soldiers calling out the knight's name.
"Woaaaah! Helkane! Helkane! Helkane!"
"Reichart's Helkane!"
The amazing valor Helkane showed alone was enough to excite the soldiers.
The field was entirely filled with Helkane's name.
But at some moment, the flow of shouts changed.
"Vispon, Vispon, Vispon!"
The shout that started as 'Reichart's Helkane' had the name of 'Vispon' mixed in since then, and after a while, it was plastered entirely with cheers for Vispon.
The rear, slightly away from the heat of the battlefield.
Sitting in the barracks, the expression of 'Helmes' Commander Larmus, listening to the cheers of soldiers chanting 'Vispon', was dark.
"Your expression is not good, Commander, as expected, you seem fatigued."
However, in contrast to him, my expression, sitting opposite and drinking tea, seemed overflowing with leisure.
"Haha, it is not necessarily because I feel fatigued. How can one who calls himself a knight feel fatigue on the battlefield?"
"Hmm, if not fatigue, it seems you do not like the current situation."
"To speak honestly, that is so. Young Master, do you not feel it is unfair?"
"I am sorry, but I do not know what the Commander is talking about."
"Young Master, whoever says what, the ones who made the greatest contribution to making the war situation favorable are the Young Master and the Haken Knight Order. If the Young Master and the knight order hadn't blocked the guys' vanguard in the beginning and taken initial action so swiftly, how could the war situation be favorable like now?"
Eventually, Larmus exploded.
Larmus began to denounce the current situation with a violent tone unlike his usual self.
"Yet to exclude the Young Master like this saying opinions do not match the commander. Isn't this a trick to erase the Young Master and take all the credit for this suppression battle for themselves?"
"Haha, I am fine, so you do not need to feel so unfair."
I patted the excited Larmus.
Usually, Larmus was not a small-minded person clinging to things like credit.
I knew well that the reason he was so excited unlike the usual Larmus was because he cared for me.
But for me, there was no reason to feel unfair, nor reason to be excited at all.
"I heard the war situation is quite favorable. Since we succeeded in advancing to the guys' stronghold now, we will launch a general offensive toward the stronghold sooner or later, right?"
"Probably it will be so, Young Master. Since it is not something good to drag on for long."
Because I knew well that the remaining board was quite large even without being tied to petty local battle credits.
'The war situation is favorable and the enemy is cornered. Dung flies coveting credit will be full of thoughts to stand at the head of the advance and pick the tastiest fruit.'
I nodded.
Now it was time for me to step forward slowly.
"Sir Larmus, actually, the reason I asked to meet Sir was to ask one favor."
"Please speak, Young Master. I will receive Axion's order with all my heart and strength."
Toward me holding the Family Head's sword, Larmus pledged to follow the order with maximum courtesy.
Looking at the infinitely loyal old knight, I spoke in a firm tone.
"Sir Larmus. Avoid standing at the head in the general offensive that will happen soon."