Chapter 251
Knight’s Land (1)
Hansen was still a young man when he became an official ranger.
However, he soon became famous in Winter Castle, with everyone in the vicinity knowing his name. It wasn’t specifically because he was good, nor because of some great achievement.
It was all just because of Hansen’s words.
“If I become a ranger, I’m going to kick Jordan’s ass!”
When asked about his motive for applying, Hansen followed the advice of the soldier he had met in the East. He had done so naively, not knowing what aftermath his statement would have.
“What? Kick Jordan’s ass?”
“I’ll tie him upside down and let his arse stick into the air for three days and three nights!”
Hansen even excitedly shouted words the soldier had not told him to say. He found out the truth shortly thereafter.
The unnamed man Hansen had met in the village was not an ordinary soldier, but a Ranger of Balahard. And no one could overlook the fact that Jordan was one of the best soldiers in the kingdom and a Ranger Captain. In fact, few would deny that the best ranger in Balahard was named Jordan.
And Hansen still remained unaware of how boasting and jibing words were magic spells that pulled men through winter. By the time Hansen realized it, he had already gone through his first harsh season.
“He’s good enough to kick Company Captain Jordan’s ass!”
The instructors now treated Hansen in their own special manner.
“No matter what anyone says, Captain Jordan is the best ranger in this castle! And as this is so, even when a hundred years have passed, you shall never kick Jordan’s ass! Now, at least be prepared to get your own one kicked!”
During the severe training, the instructor never left Hansen’s side.
“Who are you?! Where is that awesome guy who wanted to kick Company Captain Jordan’s naked arse!”
Some rangers had heard the rumor and visited the training ground, volunteering as instructors.
“I told them there are no useful lads lately, and we’ve needed some people to join up for a long time. What does that mean? It means I’ll give you a role if you prove useful.”
Thanks to this, Hansen was able to acquire the basic skills of a ranger in a short time, and his quick appointment to full ranger was unprecedented.
“Congratulations. Finally, you’re getting closer to your dream of stripping off Company Commander Jordan’s clothes and hanging him upside down, proceeding to kick his ass tenaciously for three days and three nights.”
At that time, Hansen was so devastated that he could spare no thought for the ever-fatter rumors that surrounded him. His only comfort lay in the fact that he had escaped from the hellish three months of intensive education.
This comfort was illusory. The real hell only then began. As a ranger, Hansen ascended Winter Castle’s wall for the first time. Upon that wall, Hansen was tested to the brink of death while enduring the incomparably bitter wind and cold. And even while the weather raged, the monsters attacked. There were at first dozens, which quickly became hundreds.
“Fire!”
Hansen fired his crossbow as he aimed at the crowd of monsters. At first, the volleys were enough to hold them back. A hundred or so monsters couldn’t reach the wall as they died in the hail of bolts.
But over time, things changed. The number of monsters gradually increased and quickly became hundreds. Among the beasts were ogres, trolls, and other beings that could not be slain with crossbows alone.
Hansen was completely terrified as he watched the monsters reach the face of the wall and begin pounding on the gates.
“Why don’t we fire the dwarven cannons? You’re not using them, in any case!” Hansen shouted, fearing that the gates would be breached right away.
“Do you know how much iron goes into one cannonball? We shoot these precious things at those big guys over there,” an old ranger replied in a dismayed voice.
“Don’t fear. They can’t penetrate. And even if we don’t use the iron guns, there are many ways to deal with them.”
A terrifying roar broke out just as the ranger stopped talking. Hansen turned his head, pursuing the sound, then he stiffened. Trolls and Ogres were on fire as they roared and ran wildly about.
“This time, the White Night Tower wizards come out first. The lancers will charge if they need to.”
As Hansen stared at it all, the old ranger explained things to him. Only then did Hansen realize that the black-armored lancers had mounted their horses and were ready to charge out.
“Get your mind straight. We have to deal with the monsters that the wizards leave over.”
Once the large monsters pounding at the gates were consumed by magical fire, smaller monsters began scaling the walls. Hansen loaded and fired bolts to the point where his fingers began to bleed.
The events of that day replayed through all of winter.
On some days, the wizards came out, and on others, the black lancers charged out to intercept large monsters. And Hansen had to battle day and night with the monsters that they couldn’t deal with. Hansen fought and fought, with only survival in mind.
“Is it that difficult? Endure. If you die here, you won’t be buried in a special place.”
The elderly rangers around Hansen continued to flap their gums, but the words never reached his ears.
And after all the crazy fighting, winter passed. The hard times in which Hansen had wished for death came to an end.
“Ha. I lived through it,” Hansen said again and again, so happy and grateful was he for being alive. The senior rangers quickly poured icy water over his mood.
“Don’t get cocky, kid. We all die in our time.”
“The walls are crowded right now, but in the past, we had to eat and sleep on the wall. Why? Because we could not change ranks, we always lacked troops.”
“There were no dwarves — there were no iron guns.”
“We couldn’t even dream of the magicians’ aid.”
“Ah, but the monster numbers, after declining last year, have picked up again this year.”
“It’s nothing compared to the past.”
“That’s true.”
Veteran rangers surrounded Hansen and started speaking about the numerous wars that they have fought in Winter Castle. Among the tales was the fairly well-known one of the Warlord’s war. It was the first time Hansen heard about the battle against the dead and the war against the Overlord.
It was all quite surprising and exciting, but that was all it was.
Like all young people in the world, Hansen also dismissed such sagas as the ramblings of old people. The tales did not touch him; they did not speak of things he had experienced in person.
“Compared to our time, the current war is a game for kids.”
These veteran rangers, who had not spoken a word of complaint despite barely surviving the winter, were on the verge of becoming very angry.
They weren’t in a good mood, and it seemed to Hansen that they disparaged the hard work and deadly odds he had faced. If it had been some time ago, Hansen would have remained silent. His temper had become short after battling with monsters, however. Hansen expressed his dissatisfaction with the pretension of the veteran rangers.
“I suffered enough to wish for death.”
The old rangers looked at Hansen and laughed.
“Why’s this pretty guy making so much noise?”
“Doesn’t he look more like a fat cow? I guess he lived without taking a leak from the walls.”
“Yeah, he does sound a bit full of himself.”
“What the hell is-” Hansen demanded as he shook his head, then suddenly stiffened. The eyes of the veterans were like never before.
“At that time, we fought only to live. I endured so much pain that I wanted to die, and then, I wanted nothing.”
“At that time, we died like birds.”
Such short words were heavy indeed, and Hansen dared not open his mouth in argument.
“Well, let’s leave all these melancholy things!” one of the veterans said cheerfully as he clapped his hands. The other rangers also started making loud, happy noises as if they had completely forgotten about the previous conversation.
Only Hansen could not cheer along; he rather looked at them, his mouth closed.
“But why did we come to this guy?” one of the rangers asked after a long time.
“I think we came here to tell him something.”
The rangers tilted their heads as they studied Hansen.
“Ah! Right! You, Hansen! The acting commander is looking for you!”
The old ranger smiled brightly after remembering this.
“Acting commander?”
“Uh-huh. He said he was in a hurry, so go there quickly.”
“When were you told this?”
“In the morning.”
Hansen looked at the sky. The sun had already passed overhead and was declining toward dusk.
“Hah! Why do you only tell me now!”
Once the battle ended, the rangers’ mental screws were loosened, but Hansen knew the acting commander was always quite stern.
“Where do I go!”
“At this time of day, he’ll be in his office.’
In response to the rangers’ carefree responses, Hansen shook his head and set off at a run.
“Ranger Hansen, belonging to the third platoon of Ninth Company, stationed on the north wall! Reporting as ordered!”
Arriving at the office door, Hansen gave a lengthy shout. From inside, he heard a voice that was too heavy to be compared with those of the frivolous rangers.
“Come in.”
Hansen opened the door.
A one-eyed middle-aged man sat at a desk near the door and greeted Hansen with a firm face.
“You’re late.”
Hansen was about to make an excuse, but Quéon Lichtheim, acting commander, spoke first.
“I hear that before you became a ranger, you traveled the kingdom as a peddler? Am I rightly informed on this matter?”
“I didn’t trade all over the kingdom, but I wandered the eastern and central regions for about four years.”
“Have you never been to the West and South?”
“It’s not like I’ve never been there, but I haven’t been everywhere.”
The acting commander gave a happy laugh.
“That is very good.”
Hansen had no idea what unknown impulse had made the firm man smile.
However, the one-eyed knight seemed to have no intention of explaining things to him.
He merely waved his hand and ordered Hansen to go out. It was on the very next day that Hansen discovered what was happening.
“Ranger Hansen. As of the present time, you are no longer a member of the third platoon of the Third Company’s north wall garrison. You are now part of a contingent heading to the central region. It will be a long way’s travel, so be sure to prepare yourself.”
“What must I do?”
“It seems that commander Balahard has requested the dispatch of additional troops. The problem is, all those who know the way well have gone with him. Our company and platoon commanders are unable to leave their posts. The only people who remain to us are the northern villagers, who have never left this land.”
“I’m a guide.”
The knight nodded. Hansen was fascinated and filled with pleasure. It was nice that he now had an opportunity to leave the cold and bleak Winter Castle. There was no reason for him to refuse the role of guide, as long as he could escape from the chatty old rangers.
“When must I be ready?” asked Hansen, and the knight said that the contingent would leave within a week. Hansen was ready to leave the castle immediately.
“Sent off to a cushy mission, huh? I took care of myself all these years without dying. You won’t like it so much without us.”
The veterans could not hide their excitement and jeered at Hansen, seeing if they could get a rise out of him.
“It’s a nice area, what kind of person wouldn’t like it? I never wished to be here,” Hansen replied to the rangers without a sign of weakness.
The rangers muttered, ‘It’s strange’, not understanding Hansen’s complaints. Every one of them was anxious to return to the northern wall. They started talking about things like that, and Hansen knew what they said was not false.
According to his observations, Hansen knew the soldiers of this insane fortress were anxious because they were not in the toughest of situations. It was a bizarre way of thinking Hansen couldn’t understand. It was still nice now, though, as he would soon bid this hellish place goodbye.
It was said that Duke Balahard’s troops had been stationed in the center for half a year. Hansen hoped that he too would be stationed there. Then, he would again be able to meet the Steel Knight. Hansen grinned widely at the thought.
The rangers saw his face and shoved their fingers at him, then turned around.
And the day of departure finally came. Hansen rode between the knights who led the contingent to the central region; he was able to escape Winter Castle.
“I’m sure that, somehow, his Highness will stand out.”
“It speaks of his intuition, which has been strengthened on the battlefield. I say the future is no different for Jordan.”
The chattering of the elder rangers was somewhat lazy as they followed the contingent outside the walls. All Hansen’s unpleasant thoughts disappeared as soon as he saw the scenery of the fortress. It was far more pleasant than the frantic existence Hansen had lived through every day on the wall.
Hansen hummed as he guided the contingent. Just before they crossed the bridge over the Rhinethes River, northern knights met them from the south. Then, after three more days of travel, they finally reached the gateway to the city ruled by Count Brandenburg.
Citizens of the city warmly welcomed the northern forces.
Through the intermittent fragments of words that Hansen heard mixed in between the cheers, he learned that these citizens had escaped slaughter thanks to northern reinforcements in the Warlord’s war. They had not forgotten their gratitude.
“Long live the Balahard Rangers!”
The citizens shouted the names of the rangers far more than that of any knight. Hansen felt strange in response to their cheers. He couldn’t define it exactly, but it was a pretty good feeling. Hansen had been walking along the street with the contingent when he suddenly stopped – before his eyes, a large poster was affixed to the wall.
I say to all those who accumulate mana in their hearts: Do not hesitate to come to me.
Had it not been for the bright, golden symbol at the bottom of the paper, Hansen would never have stopped in front of such a childish phrase.
It was the crest of the roaring gold lion.
Surprisingly, a trick used by third-class mercenaries now made out part of a royal decree. And it wasn’t any royal decree-
If you are a knight, you will be accepted as a member of the newly created Royal Knights or Blood Lion Knights.
-Adrian Leonberger
It was a decree that had been issued by Prince Adrian Leonberger, the Lion of the North, proud son of the Leonberger family, and all his other names. Hansen didn’t know why Adrian Leonberger had issued such a proclamation, but he did reach one conclusion as he listened to the noise around him.
“It’s not only in Leonberg! The news has reached outside the kingdom.”
“They say that users of mana hearts, who have always been treated like dirt, are gathering at a tremendous pace!”
The Crown Prince’s decree had managed to shake the entire world.
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