"Are you Hainerton? Hainerton of the Gallop Royal Family's direct line?" Upon hearing the man identify himself, Andrew removed his helmet, revealing his golden hair. "I am Andrew Goldmoon Augustus, a descendant of His Majesty. On behalf of Landen Gallop, Lord of Night-Kirin City, I declare that all members of the Human Race in this mine are now free!"
The Golden Knight's loud proclamation received no response. Hainerton remained silent inside his armor, while everyone behind him stared at Andrew with numb, vacant expressions, unable to understand what he meant.
"Free... Night-Kirin City... Lord?" Wearing an old-fashioned helmet, Hainerton felt sweat drenching his body. Just now, he had even thought he was hearing things—that Night-Kirin City had been liberated, and that one of his own relatives had become its lord.
"Young Master, did you hear that? Night-Kirin City really has been liberated! Everything Miss Honnier said was true!" The Intermediate Knight rushed over to support the nearly fainting Hainerton, removed his helmet, and repeated it to him over and over.
Information was extremely scarce inside the mine. Several Beastmen camps encircled the area, and only Honnier could occasionally enter, bringing Hainerton news from the outside world.
A few months ago, Honnier had said that Night-Kirin City had been liberated, but Hainerton had scoffed. "It's been three hundred years. If the Human Empire could really recover Night-Kirin City, they would have done it long ago!"
Behind the Senior Knight, several Knight Apprentices seemed to grasp their situation. Some covered their faces and wept, some cheered with joy, and some came over to help care for Hainerton. Yet the several hundred Mana-Wielders in the mine behind them had no understanding at all of what "liberation" meant.
Before Hainerton, the elven knight watched the expressions of the crowd, and his regard for the