Chapter 54

When I turned around, I could see a group of knights sending their gazes my way.

Every single one of them had a look of displeasure on their face.

I was staring at them for a while, wondering if they wanted to have a staring contest, when Count Dman, who had finished talking to the old man, stood in front of me, blocking the knights' line of sight.

“Do you have something to say to my knights?”

“No, sir. It’s just that they wouldn’t take their eyes off me, so I was looking back at them.”

“Hmm….”

Count Dman rolled his eyes as if in a difficult position and scratched his cheek, then ordered the knights to wait outside the airship.

Only after sending all the knights out did Count Dman let out a deep sigh.

“My apologies. It’s all my fault.”

“What do you mean by that, sir?”

“Because I chose you to be the escort for the lead airship. Did you hear the reason why I chose you as the escort?”

“I heard from the commander. That it was because I am more experienced in dealing with White Hero’s heroes…. That is what I heard.”

“That is also correct. But it’s just the superficial reason. To be precise, I had no choice but to choose you. I suppose I should put it that way.”

“……”

I had never imagined that there would be a hidden intention, so the moment I heard those words, my mind went blank.

The expression on Count Dman’s face as he let out a deep sigh seemed to lack vitality.

Thinking that Count Dman was probably just as conflicted as I was, my somewhat agitated heart calmed down a little.

“May I ask for the reason?”

“First, I want you to know that they are loyal subjects who have protected Ahinlab for a long time. They love Ahinlab that much, and because they are completely loyal to the House of Dman, they are men who feel pride in being knights of Ahinlab.”

“I am aware.”

“Then, to continue the story…. A few days ago. White Hero’s large-scale attack on Ahinlab Fortress began. The scale and force of the enemy were intense, and as reports of defeat came in one after another, a desperate atmosphere spread throughout Ahinlab. That was when the Alliance’s forces reached Ahinlab. Unit 917 was one of them, and it didn’t take long for the rumor that Unit 917 had a soldier who had subdued one of Odin’s named members to spread throughout Ahinlab. Do you know what this means?”

“…I’m not sure.”

“Your existence has planted hope in the people of Ahinlab that they can win. When Unit 917’s airship landed in Ahinlab after a fierce battle, the number of people who gathered around the dock to see you exceeded several hundred.”

“……”

“I believe that if I had chosen someone other than you as the escort, some of the people would have reacted violently. I truly had no other choice.”

Wow, crazy.

I had never thought that far.

Suddenly, my breath caught in my throat.

The burden was insane.

“I haven’t done anything, though.”

“Sometimes, there are people who can bring about a change on the battlefield with their mere existence. And why do you say you’ve done nothing? You thwarted White Hero’s surprise attack and even devised a systematic way to turn it against them.”

“That was….”

“Don’t be modest. You have already done more than your name is worth. You wouldn’t know because you’ve been cooped up in the airship, but if you get the chance, try walking the streets of Ahinlab. Many citizens will recognize you and throw flowers.”

“Hearing that makes me think I should absolutely not go outside the airship.”

At that, Count Dman laughed heartily and patted my shoulder.

It seemed to be a habit that came out when he was in a good mood, but I wished he would fix it.

He was such a large and well-trained man that just being patted lightly made my shoulder ache.

After laughing to his heart's content, Count Dman suddenly let out a great sigh as if he had become a different person.

“Hah…. I am grateful that you have become a beacon of hope for the people of Ahinlab. But to our knights, it must have felt like a rolling stone displacing a fixed one. The people who always sought the glory of the Dman family are now chanting your name. It would be fair to say that their loyalty was expressed in a twisted way.”

“……”

“They’re all childish fellows, probably because they’ve lived their entire lives holding only a sword. Well…. That must be why none of them were afraid to walk into the jaws of death.”

“The jaws of death, you say…?”

“Twenty-seven knights of Ahinlab have expressed their resolve to activate the detonation device of the Mana Bomb and die a heroic death.”

The role of inputting the command for the Mana Bomb.

It was a role where death was virtually guaranteed, and thus, a role that could not be carried out with ordinary resolve.

Either one loved Ahinlab, or the well-being of their motherland, more than their own life.

Or one was filled with a strong hatred, determined to wipe out the White Hero bastards even if it meant sacrificing their own life.

Or for some reason, one’s life had been pushed to the brink.

It was a job only such people could do.

In that sense, the 27 knights deserved to be respected.

But a question arose here.

Count Dman had set aside the 27 knights who had declared their willingness to sacrifice their lives and specifically pointed to his own brother, Sergel.

My head spun.

The person who could give me the answer to my question was right in front of me, so I tried to shape the doubt I was feeling into a question.

However, as if he was already certain what question I would ask, he spoke first.

“A group led by a leader who drives his subordinates to their deaths is bound to collapse someday.”

“……”

There was still a contradiction in his words.

“Do not worry.”

The Count said.

“Whatever the result, I will take full responsibility.”

Bwoooooo.

As his words ended, a horn blew.

It was the sound of the horn announcing the start of the operation.

The Count gazed far away, at the White Hero’s camp, and spoke.

* * *

The lead airship that the three mages would board became Unit 917’s airship.

The small airships owned by the Alliance each had their designated places, so it was inevitable that one had to be chosen from among the ultra-small ones, and ironically, the airship with the best performance among the ultra-small ones was Unit 917’s.

The capacity of Unit 917’s airship was six people.

The three mages, and the escorts, me and Ririsa.

That filled five spots, leaving one empty, which became the seat for Sergel, who had the most crucial role in this operation.

He looked so nervous that it was difficult to even approach him.

“Rian.”

Ririsa came up beside me.

“I’m… so worried.”

“Yeah. You clearly look it.”

Ririsa, hugging her bow tightly, was trembling so much that I wondered if she might collapse.

I could fully understand her feelings.

Among the people currently on board the airship, there were three nobles and one royal.

Excluding the crew, more than half belonged to the privileged class, and being assigned as their escort must have felt like a boulder named responsibility was crushing the shoulders of the already timid Ririsa.

“Ririsa. How much mana did you receive from Selina this time?”

“Unlike you, Rian, I don’t know the exact number…. But Lady Selina said that I might reach Level 2 soon.”

Actually, using the Eye that Seeks Truth would be the most accurate, but with so many people around, it became awkward to recklessly use the Eye that Seeks Truth, which exposed black mana.

More importantly, if Selina had judged it so, it was unlikely to be far off.

“Then you don’t need to worry.”

“Pardon?”

“Because you won’t have to fight an enemy that is beyond your ability to handle.”

I lightly patted Ririsa’s shoulder twice.

It wasn't a conscious action; it just came out without me realizing.

Perhaps the way Count Dman had acted towards me had left a deep impression, and it had come out unconsciously.

A ridiculous situation occurred where I was surprised by my own actions.

And Ririsa, who was staring at me with equally surprised eyes, returned a gentle smile.

“Thank you for the encouragement. It was really hard having to serve in the army just because I was a refugee…. After my younger brother, you are a great source of strength, Rian.”

“Well, I’m glad to hear that.”

“Come to think of it, you were my contemporary, weren’t you, Rian? Our discharge dates must be the same then.”

Ririsa smiled faintly.

Unlike a moment ago, there was no hint of nervousness.

“Rian, by any chance, are you interested in fruit trees?”

“……?”

Perhaps because her tension had eased.

Ririsa’s face, as she said something so random, was just a little flushed.

Rumble!

The engine roared, and the airship began to rise from the ground.

As I watched the ground grow more distant, I shifted my gaze to the surroundings and saw dozens of airships taking off at a similar speed.

A small fleet composed of small and ultra-small airships.

They were slow but steady, beginning to move to their respective positions according to the planned formation.

The airships gathered here had assembled solely to rescue the endangered Ahinlab Fortress; they had not been working together for a long time.

Nor were they highly trained veterans who could understand each other with a single glance.

Just as the players they had to face were beginners, the Alliance soldiers confronting them were also inexperienced in many ways.

Therefore, they needed to practice repeatedly, like artists rehearsing before a performance, but there wasn't even time for that.

For these various reasons, the formation was just for show, and many parts were lacking here and there.

But it wasn’t a problem.

As I said, the opponents were also beginners.

They wouldn't have the experience and momentary wit to exploit such gaps.

Of course, there was no need to leave visible gaps unattended, so I continued to point out the airships that deviated too far from their positions.

“Your Lordship. Airship 441’s position has drifted too far to the outside. If it flies like that, it’s highly likely to be hit by concentrated fire and crash.”

“Understood.”

When I gave my opinion, Count Dman issued orders without a shred of doubt or hesitation, and the feedback was immediately applied to the formation.

After confirming that the positions were more or less set, Count Dman gave the order to depart.

As prearranged, the dozens of airships all began to advance towards the enemy camp at the same speed.

A reaction immediately came from the White Hero’s camp.

Numerous airships took off.

But it was irregular.

Although they were gathered around a medium-sized airship, they weren't receiving detailed instructions, so they were a bit more free.

This freedom sometimes led to a brilliant move that caught the opponent off guard, but for the most part, the inconvenience of the lack of command was more prominent.

After confirming that everyone's gaze was fixed on the enemy camp, I briefly stepped back and used the Eye that Seeks Truth.

Enemy attack! It’s started!

They’re coming. Everyone launch your airships.

The Alliance is attacking!

They’re definitely going to try to use a Mana Bomb. We have to stop them.

Just as I thought.

There were no systematic commands, and the entirety of the information being exchanged was simply that the enemy was coming and they had to be stopped.

And the long-awaited moment arrived.

A powerful energy began to gather in the main cannon of the medium-sized airship.

“You two. Are you ready?”

At the old man’s question, Count Dman and Selina, with grim faces, nodded their heads.