Return

"We've lost eleven brothers. Only nine of us are left."

He tried to hold back his grief and keep his voice steady, but a hint of sorrow always crept through.

Just moments ago, while pursuing the Barbarians, another knight had fallen in battle.

"Understood. I'll report this to the lord. He'll provide consolation payments to the families of the fallen."

Master closed his eyes, trying not to look at the bodies lying on the ground, and answered.

"Master." Aurelian returned, riding George.

"My lord." Master opened his eyes, and he and Darwin bowed.

"How many of my knights are still alive?"

Aurelian looked apprehensive. He knew the knights who had followed him had suffered heavy losses, but he had to learn to accept it.

War inevitably claimed lives, and it could break out at any moment.

"Nine elite knights survived, my lord. I think..."

Aurelian nodded. He knew what Master wanted to say, and cut him off.

"I'll pay each of the fallen knights' families one hundred Star Coins in compensation."

"What?!"

All the knights gaped in astonishment.

One hundred Star Coins!

How could that be possible? They had never heard of a noble paying so much compensation for a knight killed in battle.

In their eyes, nobles were as stingy as could be. Paying any compensation at all was already a tremendous kindness, and they wouldn't dare ask for more.

Aurelian shook his head, bitterly disappointed in the people at the top of this world.

If these nobles didn't hold a monopoly on absolute force, the commoners would have risen up and crushed them hundreds of times over by now.

"Are you surprised? I believe the knights who died in battle were priceless. Paying this compensation is the only thing I can do for them now."

Aurelian spoke with utmost sincerity. He looked at every knight present. His calm words reached them all and burst in their hearts like a clap of thunder.

What noble would ever say something so astonishing? That a knight's life was priceless.

"But we're only knights who sold ourselves into your service. We're not worth that much, my lord. One hundred Sun Gold Coins would be enough."

Master shook his head and looked up as he spoke.

In his eyes, it was only right for a knight to die in battle for a noble; he wasn't worth that much money. Though he felt conflicted and wanted his men to receive the large sum, the ingrained beliefs of a lifetime made him instinctively refuse it.

"Master, this is my decision. You have no right to stop me."

Aurelian spoke sternly, with the authority of a ruler.

Master fell silent. It was true: he couldn't challenge any of Aurelian's decisions. At most, he could offer suitable advice.

"Enough. As for the knights' bodies, have them carried back. Treat them with respect. The Barbarians' warhorses are fine steeds, so it would be a shame to leave them behind."

"Understood."

Master nodded. Their own warhorses had long since fallen amid the rain of arrows. The ownerless horses would serve as replacements.

Without further delay, Master led the nine surviving knights to gather the warhorses still alive nearby.

Jeanne stepped out of the shadows between the trees. Aurelian had sensed her magical presence and noticed her at once.

Seeing that Aurelian was unharmed, she closed her eyes and let out a breath of relief, her tension finally easing.

"How did it go? Is that arrogant Barbarian dead?"

Aurelian asked eagerly. If circumstances had allowed, he would have gone himself to kill Dark, the one responsible for all this.

"I killed him." Jeanne nodded.

"In that case, let's hurry back to Winter City."

Aurelian looked at the egg hanging from his chest. It had been through life and death with him, but now a puzzled look crossed his face.

Ever since they had escaped the void, the egg had gone completely quiet.

"Could it have run out of magic and died?"

Unable to shake his worry, he wanted to return to Winter City as soon as possible and examine the egg's condition.

Master and the other knights were experienced at calming frightened warhorses. Before long, they had gathered one tall Barbarian Warhorse after another.

They were far bigger than ordinary horses, with blood-red eyes and two bumps on their heads, as though a pair of horns were about to grow.

"What unusual warhorses."

Master and the others each chose a particularly impressive-looking horse and mounted up, then led the herd toward Aurelian.

The horses' hooves were strange: they made not the slightest sound as they ran across the ground.

No wonder the Barbarians had been able to approach in silence, catching them unprepared.

Master and the others marveled at the horses. It seemed they had found a treasure. They wondered what Lord Aurelian would do with them. Their numbers were already too small.

Aurelian had been keeping an eye on Master and the others. He had also noticed the Barbarian Warhorses' unusual traits.

"Interesting."

Aurelian was a little surprised. Born into the royal family, he had seen a great deal, but he couldn't recall anything like these horses.

"These horses could be very useful. They'd be exceptionally effective in battle."

His eyes lit up, though his brow soon furrowed.

Unfortunately, he had no spare men at his side. The only ones still fit to fight were the nine surviving elite knights.

He rubbed his forehead with both hands and set these worries aside for another day.

It seemed that his dream of building a powerful knight corps was still a long way off.

Dozens of sleek, pitch-black Barbarian Warhorses galloped across the vast plains. At the front rode a dozen knights in white armor with blue trim, along with a beautiful maid dressed in black and white.

If anyone unfamiliar with the situation had watched from afar, they would surely have thought the terrifying Barbarians were invading again and that the Star Empire stood on the brink of destruction. They would have been scared out of their wits.

But this vast land was almost entirely uninhabited by humans. It was a lost land of civilization.

They headed south, avoiding areas where magical beasts roamed, and safely reached the road from Frost Town to Winter City.

Hume, the portly magistrate of Winter City, and Will, the old butler, waited outside along the road with a group of servants. Behind them stood dozens of people.

There were elderly people with graying hair, women carrying baskets, and children. They were all family members of the knights under Aurelian's command, and they had followed him to Winter City.

Their faces were full of anxiety as they stared fixedly toward the northern horizon.