You and I didn’t get off to a great start from the first meeting.
Elves hate Dwarves, and Dwarves hate Elves. A symbiotic relationship where they fight whenever they get the chance. Sometimes they made things awkward for their Commander with childish revenge.
Despite that, we didn’t deny being comrades walking the same road. And I firmly believed that there would be glory at the end of that road.
[Ugh… everything’s getting dark… Booom!]
[I don’t want to die! I REALLY don’t want to die!! Thud!]
[Why do we have to die?!]
All of us were renowned heroes, yet our last words were painfully ordinary. The desperate cries of those who didn’t want to die. And the overwhelming despair that easily crushed that desperation.
We had stubbornly set out on a reckless expedition. Yet, none of us opposed the expedition, not wanting to suffer disadvantages. In the end, we paid the price of that foolhardiness dearly.
[I thought the Human King was blinded by jealousy, but it turns out I was the one who couldn’t see.]
[Commander…?!]
[Take this; it’s a scroll I prepared for emergencies. Use it to get out of here right now.]
Her voice was still steady. But her condition was anything but good. Her right arm looked like it was torn apart, and her insides were slightly spilling out from her split abdomen.
[But Commander! If we run away, then you…?!]
[If I’m not here, there won’t be time to use that scroll. Don’t you understand?]
[…….]
[Go. Even if it’s just you, survive and plan for the future. This is my… last request as your Commander.]
The Commander was left alone there. There was no choice. Just as she said, without the Commander, there was no way to even use the scroll. It was a rational decision. I desperately thought that way.
If I didn’t do this…
I felt like I wouldn’t be able to hold on.
Crash. The ground is collapsing. Falling into an endless abyss. I keep plummeting. I still can’t shake off the hell I saw that day. And you must feel the same, right?
[The new Commander of the Royal Knights…?]
[That’s how it turned out. I heard he was the only one who predicted the annihilation of the Royal Knights.]
[…….]
[He must have that kind of insight and strategy. At the very least, he shouldn’t be lacking to become Commander.]
It was a lie. They just needed a scapegoat. Not wanting to shoulder the responsibility of the Royal Knights’ annihilation, they were ignoring the immediate problem, picking a sacrifice instead.
But there was nothing more to be said on that. In the end, we were just defeated soldiers. And the defeated soldiers headed towards the kingdom to meet their new Commander.
They didn’t say a word. Their deceased eyes stopped looking at each other. The pitiful sight of the opponent was no different from their own. They laughed at each other.
[Stupid Dwarf. What’s there to brag about? Ha!]
[I can just picture you crying like a baby. Sigh.]
Words came out, not from sincerity, but from the trauma of that horrifying experience, turning into a sharp blade that stabbed each other. A mix of anger and self-hatred, emotions they couldn’t even identify.
It was certain that they couldn’t accept each other.
No.
They couldn’t accept themselves.
Humans surprisingly have a cunning side. Unable to point that blade at themselves, they redirect it toward those in similar situations. The same went for him. The clashes intensified.
So, let’s at least…
Let’s collide with full power.
Then for just a moment…
We might be able to forget this fear.
How pathetic. Those called heroes, consumed by fear, pointing weapons at each other. Self-destruction, a fitting end for those who lost everything and lost their way.
So…
Raise your swords. Lift your hammers.
Kill. Or be killed.
Look, you can do it, right?
I’m strong enough.
Yeah? Then…
Why didn’t we fight back then?
Why did we just run away?
Because of you. Because of me.
The Commander is dead.
No one could intervene. There was only one person who could stop us. Maybe I wished that person would appear and stop us.
[Alright, that’s enough. This sparring session has gone on long enough.]
[This isn’t a spar! I’m going to finish that damned Dwarf!]
[That’s what I’ve been hoping for!]
Not wanting to admit the Commander’s death. So I thought that if we kept fighting, the Commander might show up to stop us. An expectation that would never be rewarded. That’s what I believed.
At that moment, as if in a lie, our attacks suddenly halted. Not in the way of hitting each other, but gently holding each other’s hands. And the Dwarf’s hammer was crushed underneath my foot. And there, at the center, he stood.
“Pathetic. And you dare call yourselves knights?”
He scolded, as if he could see right through us.
*
Using every audiovisual tool available in a play.
That is what we call direction. Then, my actions now must be close to some kind of direction too. The important thing is to show something. Either way, right now, I must look like I’ve blocked their attack.
No matter how famous the Royal Knights are, if someone suddenly intervenes and blocks their attacks, they can’t help but be flustered. But this would only last for about one or two seconds.
I glanced to the side. I confirmed that the gazes of the Elf and the Dwarf were on me. I immediately let go of the Elf’s hand and pulled my foot off the hammer I had placed on it.
There was no point in sticking around; I would only be overwhelmed by their strength. In the worst case, I might even break something if it went wrong. So, I decided it was enough and released everyone.
Of course, the key point here is my expression. I must not show fear on my face. Even if I bite my tongue and hold it in, I must keep a calm expression.
“Where did you suddenly come from?”
“You blocked our attacks so easily. Could it be…?”
“So you’re the one the Human King spoke of.”
“……”
Good. I succeeded in diverting their attention for now. But it shouldn’t end with such a trivial performance. Rather, this is just the beginning. I looked at them.
Her silvery hair flowed down to her waist like calm moonlight, and her blue eyes, like alabaster skin, carried hostility. It was a quintessential Elf appearance.
But the problem was the Dwarf. As I said before, this game is strictly an adult game. But would players really enjoy having short, bearded old men?
He was about 140cm tall, very small—almost like an elementary school student. Short brown hair barely reached his shoulders, and his pumpkin-like eyes were shining.
In this game, Dwarves are one of two types: loli or shota. I could never do such things to a child. So the breed that served as a substitute was the Dwarf.
Dwarves also have a similar setting to Elves, being half-spirits. They stop changing appearance after a certain age. In other words, they’re legal—in terms of age, at least.
“Looks like you’re better than I thought.”
“Don’t speak with such arrogance. That’s why Elves catch flack.”
“I can’t hear you; you’re too low.”
Kanf!
“I think I need to settle things with you today.”
“……”
The Dwarf retorted to the Elf’s intriguing remarks. They glared at each other again and picked up their weapons. It was quite the sight, but I couldn’t let them fight here.
Because I was still in cooldown.
If they fought again, I, caught in the middle, would undoubtedly get torn apart. But mere words wouldn’t be enough to stop it.
“You both are quite a sight.”
“Are you stepping in now?”
“This is a problem between me and that Kanf.”
“…… Now, I understand a bit.”
Adequate aggro helps me. But I need to keep it light, or their weapons will surely be aimed at me. Since I couldn’t dodge their attacks while stopped in time, if it came down to it, I’d end up dead.
“You don’t have the qualifications to be Royal Knights.”
So, if it gets to that point, I’d surely die. So, I need to scratch just enough for them to feel their pride hurt. Thankfully, my words made them stop fighting and look back at me.
“What does that mean?”
“Look around. What do you see?”
“……”
The knights who had tried to stop them were already either slammed against the walls outside the courtyard or thrown into nearby flower pots. In other words, it was a wreck.
“Your pointless tantrum has dragged innocent knights into this. Am I wrong?”
Good, there’s a reaction. Looks like they’re feeling guilty too? Well, still, they are called heroes, after all. If they caused harm to unrelated others, they should at least feel a bit guilty.
Their guilt was the key to my strategy. The Royal Knights are heroes of the continent. Is it really right to harm others like this? I bring that logic to light.
Of course, they wouldn’t have any excuse to say even if they had a hundred mouths. It’s 100% all their fault. They shouldn’t have anything left to say. At least if they have a conscience. Soon, the Elf spoke up.
“It seems you haven’t brought some random chump. You seem pretty capable…”
“But that doesn’t mean I can acknowledge you.”
Wow. They both seem to agree for once. So what? Do I need skill just to mediate? And I have to earn your acknowledgment? Aah, right. They think they are the famous Royal Knights, huh? Impressive, impressive, you think you own the place.
“If you want us to acknowledge you, then show us your skills.”
“……”
“Until then, we can’t acknowledge you.”
I blinked. Before I knew it, her drawn sword was dangerously close to my neck. I really didn’t even see her draw it. But they expect me to show my skills?
Uh… I didn’t expect this!
My site has received a lot of DMCA notices, lol. From now on, I will update the MTL on https://darkmtl.com/.
The site is fast and lightweight because there are no ads yet. However, the theme is different from Cybor-TL, so take some time to familiarize yourself.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.