"To the fallen! To our beloved comrades, our brothers who lived and died together!" Baron Roman raised his glass at the Fluorite Castle banquet.
"To the fallen!"
"To our comrades!"
"To our brothers!"
The assembled knights and lords, Phantom Beast Knights, and several Great Knights all raised their glasses in response to Baron Roman's toast.
Russell likewise raised his glass and drained the wine in one gulp after the toast.
Although he had not followed the Knight Order into battle, that did not stop him from sharing the sentiment. Over the past half year, the Gloomlight River Valley Knight Order had continually swept through the snowfields, achieving glorious results—but suffering no small number of casualties as well.
A full seven knights had fallen.
For a Knight Order of fewer than three hundred members, the death of every knight was an immense loss.
That was only because Snow Giant Da had learned to pull the rug out from under them and hidden the Snow Demons away. Otherwise, the Knight Order's losses in battle against the Snow Demons would have been even greater.
"Though officially, these knights followed Father and died during the three years of Combat Hard Labor. But I know that if not for hunting more Hail Beads, Father would never have worked so hard that knights had to die."
Russell thought to himself.
If they were merely carrying out Combat Hard Labor, then even if Red Castle sent Wyvern Knights to supervise them, Baron Roman would not have thrown himself into it so wholeheartedly.
He could have taken it easy, made preserving the Knight Order's safety his first priority, and striven for zero casualties.
"Still, after today, there will be enough Hail Beads. The Knight Order can take it easy in battle and minimize casualties over the next two