The weight of the name “Royal Knights” is more immense than one can imagine.
Of course, being the heroes of the continent plays a part in that. However, the true value of the Royal Knights lies in their symbolism as the first united order of knights consisting of all races in the continent’s history.
Before that, the relationships between the races were not very good. You could say it was expected. Even in modern society, there are plenty of people who go crazy just because someone’s skin color is slightly different, right?
Let alone in a place where the races themselves are fundamentally different. Naturally, they wouldn’t get along. The worst of it was that conflicts could escalate to war.
But then the situation took a drastic turn.
The worst enemy that required all races to join forces appeared before them. So, they decided to set aside past grievances. They formed an order with the intent of saving the continent.
That is the Royal Knights.
In other words, the Royal Knights symbolize an alliance where they unite for now, regardless of their past animosities. They even mediated disputes between races in reality.
But what if the Royal Knights were to disappear?
Well, obviously, chaos would ensue. In fact, even the alliance meetings held by representatives of the races had not been convened for years after the Royal Knights’ annihilation in the original story.
They didn’t want to see each other’s faces. However, since skipping the meetings would bring a disadvantage, they forced themselves to attend. But even those meetings came to a halt, leading to a complete lack of communication.
Naturally, the bonds of the alliance began to fray. As a result, more than 80% of the continent’s territory was lost, as depicted in the original.
Fortunately, the barrier of the Holy Kingdom held strong. Without it, the continent would have long been annihilated by the demons, according to descriptions. And all of this was nothing but a snowball effect triggered by the annihilation of the Royal Knights.
“But the start of it was self-destruction caused by political maneuvering?”
[Unfortunately, yes.]
It was said to begin as a minor issue. One that was so trivial it could barely be taken seriously. But it accumulated and turned into a quarrel, eventually leading to the current situation.
“This is absurd.”
[I think so too.]
“So? What should this Uncle do?”
Ah, this is hilarious. I was so flabbergasted that I relaxed my tone. Thankfully, no one seemed to mind due to the serious situation. The man from the crystal spoke up again.
[The only silver lining is that not all members of the Royal Knights have died.]
“So there were survivors?”
[Strictly speaking, it’s true they were annihilated. Out of more than twenty knights, only three survived.]
“Three… Survived in that situation?”
At least that’s sincere. Because in the original, it was stated that not a single one survived. Anyway, even if the Royal Knights are rotten, having them around would still be beneficial.
[That’s why I have a request for Sir Hans.]
“…?! Your Majesty!!!”
“???”
What? Your Majesty? I was shocked because Clarence referred to the man kneeling in the crystal as “Your Majesty.” Your Majesty would mean, are you saying he is the king ruling this nation?
Then have I been speaking casually to the king until now? Cold sweat started to flow down my back. No matter how much time stop I had, as of now, I was just an ordinary person.
I definitely shouldn’t be acting so casually with the king. I hurriedly tried to kneel. However, before I could, my opponent moved first. Soon the king shouted.
[Please lend us your strength, Sir Hans!]
“What do you mean…?”
[The Royal Knights are on the verge of collapse.]
“On the verge of collapse?”
He continued explaining. Although there were only three, at least the Royal Knights had managed to return from that hell. But the problem was their next move.
[One has completely withdrawn from the Royal Knights, and the other two are still quarreling and blaming each other. The future of the continent looks grim.]
“This is insane.”
[Please, could you mediate and guide them, Sir Hans? I am pleading with all my heart, please!!]
“…….”
So, after barely surviving, they’re still fighting amongst themselves? I suddenly thought that it was no surprise the Royal Knights fell to such a tragic end. What a bunch of lunatics.
There was no choice in this matter. Regardless of how things turned out, having the name “Royal Knights” still provided undeniable benefits. Otherwise, we’d plunge into the worst scenario, just like in the original.
In the original game, more than 80% of the continent’s territory was seized by the demons. Honestly, I wouldn’t be confident in surviving in such a hellish situation, no matter how much time stop I had.
With basic abilities falling short, my limit would surely come one day. I nodded. No matter how things turned out, the name “Royal Knights” must continue to exist.
[Indeed, Sir Hans, I had faith in you.]
“But, um…”
[Oh dear, time has flown by. I apologize, but it is time for the alliance meeting. Do not worry; I will prepare in advance.]
Honestly, I thought he was some kind of rapper. After the flood of words came to an end, I finally reacted. But it would have been rude to interrupt him.
What now? What to do? Ahh, I missed my timing completely. I exhaled a sigh. At that moment, Clarence, who had been silently listening, stood up and said.
“Are you ready? I will escort you to the capital.”
“Is that necessary?”
“Yes, it’s fine if I take care of you.”
“…But isn’t a guide necessary?”
Clarence said that due to the circumstances, we had to head to the capital first. I nodded. Even the two available were likely to be irretrievable.
Of course, I doubted myself. I knew they weren’t the types to be swayed by a few words. But I had to give it my best shot. Before this situation took a turn for the worse.
But surely they wouldn’t be suggesting I join the Royal Knights because of this, would they? I briefly thought about it but soon dropped the idea. As I stood now, I had no proven skills.
Of course, I had fought and defeated a demon. But the admission criteria for the Royal Knights required taking down at least a [Blood Demon] class, which was considered above novice demons.
But to think I could join based on defeating just one low-level demon and one monster? That’s ludicrous. It was as if I were gulping down kimchi soup by the bowl.
“But why didn’t they mention that the one contacting me was His Majesty?”
“I told you at the beginning, didn’t I?”
“What did you say?”
“I said I was one of the royal guard serving His Majesty.”
“…….”
So, I was supposed to figure that out on my own?
Is this guy out of his mind?
*
The alliance meeting.
This meeting, attended by the leaders of all races and ranking powers, aimed for the stability and peace of the continent. And, further still, for the harmony between the races.
At least that was the stated reason. But the reality was just a fight over who could gain the most advantage. And right now, the meeting was in complete chaos.
[So I said, didn’t I?! It was an overly reckless expedition!]
[Huh? Now you’re trying to weasel out of it?!]
[You could say it was a reflection of the Royal Knights’ shortcomings.]
[No! It’s the dwarves’ fault for failing to prepare the supplies on time!]
[Oh? I didn’t know our Queen Kanp’s wish was for suicide.]
“…….”
Blaming others was more on the cute side by now. They were denigrating the Royal Knights who fell in battle. They even pinpointed specific enemies to blame.
The reason why they fought so hard was simple. They didn’t want to bear the responsibility for the failure of the Royal Knights expedition. They feared it might bring them disadvantages.
Thus, it wasn’t held face to face; they were meeting through the crystal cube. If they met in person, they wouldn’t be able to shout so loudly.
“It’s not the time to be squabbling now, is it?”
But that also meant that there was an opportunity for the Human King. With a single word, everyone fell silent. Because he had the right to speak.
He was the only one who had opposed the expedition of the Royal Knights until the end. Enduring all the mockery and disadvantages, he had steadfastly maintained his stance. This was the image the king portrayed now.
“Anyway, it’s water under the bridge now. The priority is to devise a strategy to overcome this situation.”
[As if you have a plan or something.]
“I wouldn’t say I have none. Would you like to hear it?”
Everyone fell silent as if on cue. Perhaps they felt humiliated by listening to the words of the Human King, whom they had ignored thus far. The king took the silence as an unspoken agreement and opened his mouth.
“Our top priority is the reconstruction of the Royal Knights. I suppose everyone agrees on this, right?”
[That’s true.]
[Without the Royal Knights, we can’t defeat the demons.]
“In fact, there’s a suitable candidate for this.”
[What do you mean by that?]
This was an opportunity. It was a golden chance to wash away the stigma of being the only race lacking the Royal Knights. However, it was a method with a very high risk.
“A single individual who has slain numerous monsters alone and even defeated the infamous Demoness with a single strike.”
If successful, they could certainly claim advantageous ground. Yet, if they failed, they risked losing even their newly secured position. It was indeed a high-risk, high-reward scenario, all or nothing.
“Moreover, before the expedition, he was the only one who predicted the total annihilation of the Royal Knights.”
However, even in such a situation, the king showed no hesitation. To gain something, one must be prepared to lose. And if the Human King didn’t trust humans, who would?
“I found a new candidate for the commander of the Royal Knights.”
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