Chapter 51: Beneath the Banner (2)

Receiving the seal from the head of the family was easier than I thought.

Maybe they saw me as a tool to keep the other heads of the Alliance in check.

Well, then I’ll use it however I please.

“No matter what, isn’t the god just too heartless?”

“It’s not about being heartless or not.”

I looked straight into his eyes as I spoke.

“Listen closely. Right now, the most important thing is that this power is the only way to resist Demonic Energy. The Alliance Army must believe in the god and pray.”

“You mean, if we do as you say, we’ll be able to use that power?”

“No, it means the power I possess will become stronger. I’m the one who received the Divine Revelation.”

To be honest, thinking about Mary’s case, that wasn’t entirely true.

She, too, as an Evangelist, could use ‘Radiance’.

“Young master, the Alliance is a gathering of Knights, through and through. There’s no way they’d pray. Depending on some third force is an affront to their pride.”

That had always been the biggest problem up until now.

So I’d been waiting for an opportunity.

“For a Knight to keep his pride as a Knight… then, is the Alliance Army acting like Knights right now?”

“…No.”

“Cowering before Demonic Energy, trembling at the sight of the Undead—do you call that Knightly behavior?”

Leon had nothing to say.

“The very notion that prayer is an act of weakness is fundamentally wrong.”

“What do you want me to do?”

“Become a follower of Hor, the god. And help our Prophets.”

I wondered how he’d respond.

I’d thought up a lot of things to say for this moment, but they all vanished from my mind.

No matter how grand the words, the core was simply that this would benefit the Alliance Army.

To persuade Leon, the commander of the Alliance, this was the best approach.

Soon, he opened his mouth.

“…Interesting. Young master, you must have your own reasons for acting this way.”

What flickered in his eyes was a burning curiosity.

Was he interested in the existence of a god?

Or had my actions themselves sparked his curiosity?

Either way, it wasn’t a bad thing.

“And as you said, young master, I’m just following the orders of the acting full authority.”

“You sure know how to find a way out.”

“Well, I might get a serious scolding from the head of the family later.”

***

It was the third day since the Third Knight Division arrived at Riot Castle.

Aaron took a walk around the castle.

The high castle walls were cracked here and there, and Demonic Energy seeped from the ground like a foul stench.

The days when this place was called the Baren Kingdom’s Second Fortress seemed like a distant memory.

‘So this is where they’ve been fighting…’

Of all things, the Demonic Energy was the worst.

Aaron thought back to when the rift opened in the sky.

How terrifying was the Demonic Energy that poured from that hole?

Though it wasn’t as bad as that disaster, this place was still overwhelmingly disadvantageous for the Alliance Army.

‘No wonder the Alliance’s morale is at rock bottom…’

He looked over each Knight nearby.

Dark circles hung heavily under their eyes, and their expressions were nothing short of gloomy.

At least when they saw Richard von Bartenberg, their faces would lighten up, but as soon as he turned away, they’d sigh deeply as if nothing had changed.

But then, in that dreary Alliance, a new turning point arrived.

“Sir Knight! Have some Love and Peace Rice Balls and cheer up!”

“Oh my, if you’re hurt anywhere, come to me. I’ll wrap you up with bandages full of love and peace!”

The residents of Snowfall, whom Richard had brought, were breathing new life into Riot Castle.

Those ordinary civilians stood out more than anyone.

“Love and peace…”

Even the iron-willed Knights couldn’t use their full strength on this land, yet the civilians always kept bright expressions, as if resisting the Demonic Energy.

No, rather, it seemed as if they were less affected by the Demonic Energy altogether.

“Aaron! Here, Love and Peace Rice Balls! Enjoy!”

A woman approached Aaron, who was standing still, and offered him a rice ball.

Her deep brown hair and innocent eyes.

It was Mary.

“Th-thank you.”

Aaron accepted it out of reflex, then watched Mary quickly disappear into the distance.

Love and peace, huh.

Chomp—

He stuffed the rice ball into his mouth in one bite.

Why did it feel like he sensed young master Richard’s aura from this rice ball?

He’d wondered what the young master was thinking, bringing civilians here.

“So that’s what he meant back then… the Apostle, huh.”

He’d thought the idea had been abandoned, since things had been quiet for a while.

A helpless sigh escaped his lips, but at the same time, he felt oddly cheerful.

Strangely, he didn’t feel any aversion to their actions, unlike before.

Richard’s light.

That alone lingered before his eyes, and whenever it did, his heart would pound.

Could it be that he’d been affected, too?

Just then—

“Love and peace? Ha! What a load of nonsense!”

A sullen voice pierced Aaron’s ears.

He turned his head and saw a young Knight bickering with a middle-aged civilian.

“Oh my! Why are you so upset?”

The middle-aged man picked up the rice ball he’d dropped on the dirt with his hands.

“Hey. Why are there civilians in a place like this? Who brought you?”

“Uh, we came with young master Richard.”

The Knight, who’d been frowning, flinched.

“Young master Richard brought civilians…?”

“Well, anyway, just look over there.”

The middle-aged man smiled warmly and pointed at the castle wall with his finger.

The Knight followed his gaze and saw the Banner.

The Banner of the Alliance Army, to which Richard had bestowed thirty thousand Faith during the battle.

“Ah…”

“How is it? Doesn’t it put your mind at ease? If you’re feeling down, just look at that and let it go.”

The Knight gazed at the Banner in silence.

The middle-aged man took out another rice ball and handed it to him.

“Look at your pale face. You don’t seem to be eating well. Try this. It’s filled with love and peace.”

There was a bright smile, too.

To the Knight’s eyes, only that civilian and the Banner seemed to shine brightly.

“…I’m sorry, sir. I think I lost my senses for a moment.”

“Oh, it’s fine! Anyone’s temper can get sharp in a place like this. That’s why you must always keep love and peace in your heart.”

“What exactly is this love and peace that everyone keeps talking about?”

“It’s the Divine Blessing, and Divine Grace.”

“I see… Um, could I have the rice ball I dropped? I’d like to eat that.”

Aaron, who’d been eavesdropping, turned his head away.

Scenes like this were happening all over Riot Castle.

“…At this rate, I might fall behind.”

A childish, inexplicable sense of urgency thumped in his chest.

***

I sat at the round table, propping up my chin.

Endless, tedious meetings.

“We need to repair the castle walls!”

“The problem is, we don’t have the materials or the time!”

The commanders each raised their voices.

Why was there no progress at all?

As I quietly observed, the head of the Ord Family spoke up.

“How about attacking Polin Castle first? Sitting here on the defensive only leads to one-sided attrition for the Alliance.”

His suggestion was reasonable.

However—

“Rejected.”

I cut him off without hesitation.

“As I’ve said before, the Liches are conducting a major ritual. If you were a Lich, would you leave yourself unguarded? Most likely, the majority of their forces are stationed at Polin Castle. If we make a wrong move, we might not even be able to defend Riot Castle.”

They were performing a ritual akin to tempering.

They weren’t the type to leave an obvious weakness unchecked.

Especially since the essence of a Lich is a magician.

It was far better to strike when their ritual was complete, targeting the opening that would surely appear in that instant.

“Hmm…”

A heavy gloom settled over the faces of the leadership.

I glanced over at Avart.

He was the only one among them who looked halfway decent.

“Avart. What did you tell the Knights of Helga?”

“I reported that Poland Helga had been given an important mission and was away.”

I see.

In truth, the Helga Family had practically collapsed.

Polrand’s only child had died long ago, and there were no suitable heirs left.

Should I just bring them in as my personal soldiers?

“Young master Richard.”

It was the head of the Jackal Family who roused me from my brief distraction.

“Yes, go ahead.”

“What do you think of the current situation…?”

“It’s a mess.”

Maybe my blunt answer caught him off guard.

The head of the Jackal Family’s eyes wavered.

“From the start, the idea of leaving the castle and fighting a field battle is nonsense. Our opponents are Undead.”

Even if a sword is stuck in their bodies, they don’t die, but if even one of our men gets bitten, they become Undead.

A field battle against such foes?

“But defending a castle offers no advantage against the Undead.”

That, at least, could be solved.

If we imbue our arrows with Faith, and pour holy water on those clinging to the walls, we could at least maintain the appearance of a siege.

Even if we can’t neutralize them, we can still hold the fortress.

The problem is, I can’t supply that much Faith.

“Let’s end the meeting here for today. The top priority is to boost the Alliance’s morale.”

“Understood.”

“Especially since Helga has lost its focal point, Avart will need to lead them well.”

“Leave it to me.”

With that, the leadership bowed their heads and filed out.

Now, only Leon and I remained in the meeting room.

I scowled and spoke.

“Sir Leon, you said you’d pray, so why haven’t you? Was that a lie?”

“I did! Didn’t you, young master, lie to me? I prayed every night before bed, but nothing’s changed!”

He shouted in frustration.

No change, huh…

Three days ago, I’d told him that if he prayed to the god, something would change.

At most, he’d feel a surge of energy in his body.

Anyway, if he’d really prayed, I would have noticed.

“You have to pray with sincerity.”

“How am I supposed to be sincere when there’s nothing I want?”

“Pray for the eternal peace of Bartenberg, or beg for your curiosity to be satisfied.”

A prayer that’s just for show won’t cut it.

“This isn’t just for the Alliance, but for everyone’s future.”

“Haa, fine.”

Leon let out a deep sigh.

It must be uncomfortable for him.

To a Knight who believes only in martial strength, suddenly being told to believe in a god—who would accept that easily?

But this war would be a long one.

There would be many chances, and the situation was just right.

That was when it happened.

A sensation of gaining Faith washed over me.

But something about it felt unfamiliar.

‘Confirm.’

Usually, I’d check it all at once the next morning, but this time I felt compelled to look right away.

Soon, a system window popped up before my eyes.

[You have gained 20 Faith from Aaron Meyer’s prayer.]

[Vitality and luck will be bestowed upon the one who offered the prayer.]

“…Huh? What?”

Why did this guy suddenly pray?

Curious about the content of his prayer, I raised my finger and tapped on the system window.

[Listening to Aaron Meyer’s prayer.]

-First of all, I don’t really like you. Don’t get me wrong. Still, among the Knights, I want to be the first to become a follower. Please make me a follower. Ho… Hor…?

“Pfft”

I couldn’t hold back my laughter.