/
A slight tremor ran through the ground.
The group’s frantic footsteps paused.
What’s happening? Kingaitu thought, but said nothing.
“The new king is travelling in that direction. I think I should go.”
“I agree. Any issues with the King’s well-being are an unacceptable threat.”
Hundreds of men, each clad in black full-plate mail, stood behind Kingaitu. Just as Reinhardt had its sentinels, its monarch had his own guard. They had been charged by the first king, Wilhelm, to protect the new king, and were bestowed with the power to do so.
And so the Wilhelm Knights guarded the king.
As high-profile as their principle was, the Knights themselves rarely made themselves known; they followed the king quietly, like his shadow. There were two things that could make them abandon their usual discreteness: one, the king’s life was in jeopardy; two, Reinhardt’s security was in jeopardy.
That meant they were generally forgotten about. There wasn’t much that could harm the king, who was worth more than a legion in and of himself, nor could anything short of an all-out invasion threaten Reinhardt.
“Let’s move, quickly.”
The men’s faces brightened as the Lion King spoke. He may technically no longer be their king, but, under the circumstances and given the fact that it had been less than a day, they could be forgiven.
“Knights six through ten will remain here in case of a further emergency,” Akison, Wilhelm’s first knight, ordered. “—but the rest, follow me.”
“Move!”
The knights sallied out in orderly groups.
The Lion King’s expression hardened and he suddenly dashed forward. “I’m going ahead,” he told them, and then he sped up and vanished from sight.
Akison watched him go and then shouted at the knights.
“Hurry! We need to catch up!”
“These are
” The Lion King arrived first and examined the scene with a tense expression.
Everything was in ruins, no matter where he looked. The trees sported unsightly holes; there was a strange odor that made the tip of his nose tingle; and finally, there was a figure practically bathed in dust.
The Lion King quickly grasped the situation and slowly approached.
“What happened?”
When Joshua remained silent, the Lion King’s expression darkened even further. It was not an issue of his silence. Conflict had broken out right on Reinhardt’s doorstep, and the King was all alone.
“This situation could develop into an international issue. Reinhardt’s status is unique.” The Lion King sighed. “More people will arrive shortly. They won’t be as understanding as I am.”
“I
”
“What?”
“I’ll handle it.”
As the Lion King predicted, the scene was shortly crowded with people.
“What the heck is this?” Kingaitu and the other knights pulled the same face as the Lion King. Their mouths gaped disbelievingly as their eyes wandered over the devastation.
“This is the first time we’ve met, My King,” a harsh-faced man said. “I am Akison Demeter, first of the King’s Knights—”
“My King,” Kingaitu interrupted, “are you hurt?”
Akison’s and the Lion King’s eyebrows shot up.
What is he saying? This man was obsessed with Reinhardt and Reinhardt alone. Why was he so worried about Joshua?
The Wilhelm Knights watched Kingaitu fuss over Joshua doubtfully.
“I was careless. I should have prioritized the king’s safety no matter how distant the danger was—”
“Kingaitu?” Akison’s doubts finally spilled out. “All signs point to the assailant being at least a Master. You understand that the situation has changed, yes? Masters are the faces of their countries! Don’t you understand that you wouldn’t stand a chance? It’s like a battle between a shrimp and a whale,” he hissed into Kingaitu’s ear. “We both know how that ends!”
The true purpose of the Wilhelm Knights came to light.
The lords of Reinhardt came from many origins, but they were always winners of the Master Battle and had ambitions to match. Reinhardt’s neutral status and symbolic significance limited its monarch’s movements, but who wouldn’t try to flex their power?
Thus, the Wilhelm Knights weren’t guardians, they were handlers, responsible for stopping such incidents before they could happen.
“Akison!” Kinaitu snapped. “You heard what the last king said, too.”
Akison flinched. “It’s—”
“How much longer must we be treated as rootless fools?”
The other knight fell silent.
“Fools, wandering marauders, savages, lawless degenerates,” Kingaitu bemoaned, “They call us all these things and more.”
Kingaitu watched Akison chew his lip and took it as a sign to continue.
“Wasn’t that our dream? To make Reinhardt a truly independent nation?”
Akison’s eyes widened.
“The king lit a fire. It’s up to us to use it.” Kingaitu swept his gaze over the other knights. “I gave the king my word. I made an oath. Rather than spending the rest of our lives in the other nations’ shadows, letting them shower us with insulting monikers, let us take a bold step toward change. Honorable Wilhelm Knights, are you satisfied with your lives?”
The Knights’ hands were clenched into fists. Their hearts were roused by the inexplicable power in Kingaitu’s words.
“I’m not.” Kingaitu pounded his fist against his breast, where the Wilhelm crest was emblazoned. “Not as Kingaitu, the King’s watcher, but as Leo de Gran, proud Knight of Wilhelm.” The magic suppressing necklace that hung on the neck of Kingaitu—or rather, Leo de Gran—was thrown to the ground.
A hurricane of momentum rushed out of Leo’s body, startling the Knights. He had never trusted the Lion King enough to show him this. For the first time in twenty years, the full force of an A-Class knight was on display.
“My friend
” Akison’s eyes trembled, but he drew his sword anyway. “May the Knights of Wilhelm always carry Naga’s will!” The knights’ voices rose high into the sky.
Leo took a step forward.
“My Lord, I have a question.”
Joshua watched them with a small smile.
“May we follow you?”
Joshua’s grin widened. “If you so choose.”
“I understand, my lord.” de Grans turned around wearing an ear-to-ear smile. “From now on, the Wilhelm Knights serve the king!”
The other knights drew their swords, following Akison’s lead.
Have I ever felt this? Have I ever dreamed of this?
Reinhardt was a kingdom, not a city on the sidelines. It was time they took the first steps to prove that fact.
“Let our king pass! We march until we reach his destination!”
The wind carried the shouts of more than a hundred men.
Two men faced each other, surrounded in splendor and gold.
The one on the left was one of the most influential men in southern Avalon: the head of Crombell, easily identified by his sleazy eyes and sharply pointed skull.
“You ticked that superhuman, didn’t you?” Marquis Gehor1 tapped the table, making no attempt to hide his uneasiness. “Pendra Castle contacted me just now. Don’t you understand that we need to take the remaining castle all at once, now that we’ve broken their headquarters? If they resort to guerilla warfare, this war will drag on and on. Even worse, what if that dreadful Black Knight shows up again?” Gehor scowled. The reports were unambiguous.
If he lost his seat now—
“Don’t worry.”
“What?”
“I’m never leaving.”
Marquis Gehor took a deep breath. “Why do you say that? Are you going to step down from the Superhumans?”
“Not if I can become a marquis like you after we’re done.” The other man flashed a strange smile. “A marquis of the Empire is better than those Superhumans with nothing but their names, don’t you think?”
The Marquis licked his lips. It was a typical crass, mercenary-like statement. If he, as the leader of a million mercenaries, did it, the other mercenaries would suffer for it. It went without saying that the guild’s reputation would suffer as well.
It’s not my problem at all, but it’s better this way.
He kept that thought to himself.
“Have you come up with anything else?” he asked, straightening up.
“This might be the last time, but I’ll give it a whirl.”
Gehor gave him a bewildered look, which earned him a smirk from the other man.
“I’ll use the Mercenary King’s Order.”
EDN: That’s Marquis Crombell’s first name. ↩