Chapter 900. The Proposal
Beharli hid underground.
If he wanted to, he could stay buried there for three days and nights without issue.
If there is one trait that defines the Frog species, it is their tenacity when they desire something.
Furthermore, they are a race well-suited for hiding in places like the earth.
Did they not possess traits like eating insects as a staple and preferring damp places?
For such a Frog, the underground was perfectly fine to use as another sanctuary.
Of course, they preferred living near ponds the most.
Frog settlements were always by ponds full of water plants.
Anyway, Beharli concealed himself while the Faceless Knights fought, waiting for his moment while everyone focused on Cypress.
'Whose side is luck on?'
Beharli knew the answer to this question.
'On the side of those who make the effort.'
He didn't intervene in the fight.
He didn't get any closer either.
Instead, he wished for two things.
One: Cypress getting tired.
Two: Cypress passing directly above him, even by coincidence.
Right now, those two wishes were about to be fulfilled.
It was after three more of the Faceless Knights had died.
They didn't even attempt to herd Cypress toward Beharli's location.
If they had, Cypress would have noticed long ago.
Thanks to that caution, it took quite a while to reach this point.
'You are one impressive bastard.'
Of course, this meant Cypress had consumed even more stamina and Will, so it was actually better for Beharli.
'Is it a waste to lose the knight order the Great Emperor raised personally?'
No, it wasn't a waste.
At least, that's what he thought.
From the start, this fight would only end when the bastard named Cypress was dead.
Beharli knew that.
It was a belief close to religious faith.
Therefore, he judged that even if all forty of the Great Emperor's painstakingly raised Faceless Knights died, killing just one Cypress would be a net gain.
He wouldn't be able to dodge.
Even Beharli himself couldn't afford to be leisurely against these forty.
Cypress had overexerted himself to reduce their numbers against such a knight order.
It was an achievement made by spilling his own blood.
However, if things continued like this, it would simply add another feat of enduring and winning against forty to his legend.
'Can't let that happen.'
It was a little different from the original plan.
'I intended to strike from behind during the melee.'
The South still had enough reserve power for that.
Forty knights weren't everything.
Just then, Cypress cut another throat and threw his body to the side.
Three spear blades stabbed into the empty space where he had just been.
'Well, this might be better.'
Beharli finished his thoughts and burst out the breath he had been holding.
With the breath, he swirled Will throughout his whole body.
Bbeo-beo-beong!
The rocky ground exploded, scattering stone dust.
It was a moment that defied everyone's expectations.
Anyone would have been startled, but Cypress simply pulled his sword back and blocked the Faceless Knight's spear just as he had been doing.
Kwang!
An explosion followed.
The one who thrust the spear threw his body forward without caring for his own safety.
Because of that, Cypress couldn't deflect the force, and the impact shook his entire body.
Beharli thrust his sword as if throwing it at his nemesis, who was being harassed by allied knights.
Attacks from the Faceless Knights were continuing from the front, back, left, and right.
There was nowhere to dodge.
'Got you.'
The Frog was certain.
***
Enkrid woke up after dreaming this and that while sleeping on Weird Eyes, feeling his body much lighter.
'Fatigue relieved a little?'
Observing and grasping his own body condition was something he had always done since his mercenary days.
Enkrid saw that his body was much better than before falling asleep, but it was hard to call it peak condition.
He had fought immediately after falling from the sky twice, and although neither was a long fight, both were battles of overworking the body and pouring out Will.
It would be strange if his body condition was normal.
'Thank you, Esther.'
Greeting her inwardly, he looked down and saw someone dealing with dozens of knights alone.
Enkrid knew who it was as soon as he saw him.
'Cypress of the Crimson Cloak.'
The knight he once admired was performing a miracle.
He was doing something no different from the miracle of a wizard blocking three thousand soldiers alone.
He had been watching from afar as he approached.
Weird Eyes lowered his altitude.
Should he say their meaning connected without speaking?
Now Weird Eyes knew what his friend would do.
At that moment, Enkrid threw himself off Weird Eyes.
It felt a bit strange.
'Isn't this already the third time?'
Meaning, every time he arrived somewhere since riding Weird Eyes, he threw his body and fell.
Including this time, it was three times.
Paaang!
He spread his cloak to ride the wind and reduce the falling speed.
Simultaneously, he fell onto the head of the one stabbing at the Crimson Cloak's back.
Perhaps sensing Enkrid's approach, the attacker pulled his body back immediately.
Enkrid balanced himself and touched his feet to the ground.
Kwang!
The explosion was natural.
No matter how much he reduced speed, it was a fall from high in the sky.
The rocky ground shattered, turning gravel and stones into powder that became dust, obscuring vision like fog.
Enkrid, looking forward while kneeling on one knee, tracked the opponent beyond the hazy dust cloud with his eyes.
'Next attack?'
There was none.
He judged the opponent would have strength left even after dodging his attack, but the worry was groundless.
The opponent had plenty to dodge besides his sword.
"Where do you think you're going?"
First was Rem.
His axe stole the opponent's spare strength.
An axe swing crushing and blowing away the dust cloud.
Huang!
Dust was pushed to one side along with a roar.
The Frog, caught in the trajectory of that axe swing, jumped backward.
Bbeong—the ground where he stepped exploded.
It was due to kicking off the ground with brute force.
After Rem, Ragna, Fel, and Dunbakel stepped up.
Added to that were Lien and Ingis wearing crimson cloaks.
Before anyone knew it, they all stood by Cypress's side.
Enkrid was in a position sitting right behind Cypress.
The rest stood as if surrounding the two.
"The opponents are forty knights. Not forty-one."
Ingis said.
"He is keeping his vow. This is not a place for a Frog without honor to intervene."
As Lien chimed in.
"Just stepped up because you look like someone I want to punch once."
Rem said, spinning the axe that cut the empty air hwirik in his grip.
"Did anyone say anything?"
Enkrid answered.
Although his knees tingled faintly, the third fall—or drop, or landing—was fine to have leisure with.
Were there not trustworthy people all around him?
As Enkrid stood up, Cypress leaned his back.
Enkrid naturally supported his back with his own.
"You're late."
The guardian deity of Naurillia said.
"Didn't I come quickly?"
"Actually, saying you were fast is correct, but doesn't it feel like one should say you're late at times like this?"
The Kingdom's guardian deity offered a joke.
Glancing behind, torn parts were visible here and there.
Wounds on his cheek, shoulder, and flank were vivid.
He managed to joke well in that state.
"Fiancé, I am here."
Shinar whispered from the side, don't know when she approached.
Enkrid just nodded his head.
"I returned."
Enkrid said.
"We already know that without you having to say it."
Dunbakel answered.
Not a rebuke, but sounded like one.
Enkrid just shrugged his shoulders.
"Seems you didn't lose your way."
The directionally challenged bastard added a worry that wasn't really a worry.
Enkrid smirked.
Anyway, these guys who never change.
"This is really."
The enemy Frog who retreated stuck out his tongue.
The long tongue snatched regret as if snatching a bug.
There were only two people here who knew how to recognize the Frog's expression in detail.
Cypress and Enkrid.
One because he fought so much with the Frog who tried to kill him all his life, and the other knew because he stuck around with a Frog so much.
Of course, observation and interest must accompany this.
The opponent, the Frog, revealed regret.
And that was all.
"Cypress, you survived again. Lucky too. Huh?"
The Frog said.
Cypress caught his breath as if it was difficult.
An exhausted attitude as if he would yield his neck immediately if attacked now.
He spoke with such an attitude.
"Luck is also skill."
This side also knew how to use his tongue.
Indeed, if one survived countless battlefields, even non-existent eloquence would be created.
"What grabs that luck is effort."
The Frog answered.
What was felt in their conversation was the past years, time, and accumulated history.
Like that, the two faced each other.
The Frog didn't seem to have thoughts of fighting anymore.
But no one let their guard down.
Attacking suddenly while acting like that was a Southern knight's specialty.
While bloody gazes were exchanged, Fel opened his mouth.
"Hey, who is the most underhanded guy among you?"
"What?"
"There is a guy like that, right?"
Beharli immediately thought of someone but ignored it since he had no obligation to answer.
"Make sure to tell him. That he will meet my sword."
Random words, but that was also Madman-like.
Enkrid stopped watching quietly and pulled Dunbakel and Shinar back.
It was because of a person approaching from just behind.
A person needing escort approached the center of the battlefield.
Fifteen of the forty enemy knights survived, and as the Frog stood at the center, they looked more threatening than the forty knights just a moment ago.
In front of them, a person draped in a cloak embroidered with a red Sun Beast on a white background stepped forward.
"Is the Great Emperor at peace?"
It was Krang.
The King stood at the very front of the battle line himself.
He showed leisure.
Crossing his arms, he asked after the enemy leader's well-being.
"If possible, I wish he was suffering from a boil on his butt or something, but that wouldn't be the case, right?"
At the words asking after well-being consecutively, the Frog puffed up his cheek once.
What kind of crazy bastard is this again?
A single knight stepping forward alone blocks forty enemies.
Krang recalled the sea he saw in his childhood.
A world of water stretching endlessly.
Although the salty water couldn't be drunk, salt came from that water instead.
Salt coming out of the sea and it being vast were all amazing, but the most impressive among them was the wave.
Seeing the wave covering the harbor on a day when storms raged, Krang knew disaster.
'Something impossible to stop with human hands.'
But right now, in front of the battlefield, one human blocked the waves of blades, violence, and killing intent.
A crimson cloak fluttered on his back, and a sword was held in his hand.
His name was Cypress, the guardian deity of the Kingdom.
"Respect."
Krang spoke unknowingly and watched the fight, which was hard to see properly or even perceive, without taking his eyes off once.
Seeing Enkrid fall from the sky and everyone stepping forward like that, Krang took a step.
"Your Majesty?"
The Captain of the Royal Guard called Krang.
"If those holding swords did their job on the battlefield, it is time for the one fighting with words to do his job."
"Pardon?"
The head of the Royal Guard who came as escort wondered what this meant.
But he couldn't stop his King.
"If your duty is protecting me, protect. I must go to keep my duty."
What is a King's duty?
Nothing is more important than protecting his people.
Knights, army, and soldiers were all Naurillia's people.
Krang walked forward with long strides.
Despite seeing a fight that would chill the liver and make knees tremble for an average person, his knees were firm.
Eyes were upright, attitude consistent, and there was no disarray.
Krang, stepping to the front like that, opened his mouth.
"Tell the Great Emperor. Let's quit useless attrition warfare. I propose a Knight's Duel. Ah, could you convey this too? If he wants to wage all-out war because he is scared, that is also fine."
If translating this into mercenary style, it would be like this.
"If you're scared, just go die."
Although mercenary slang, those wandering battlefields understood easily.
"Hot."
Ragna said.
"Fun."
Rem also added a word.
Ggureuk.
Beharli puffed up his cheek instead of answering.
A habit coming out when lost in thought.
How about rushing and killing the enemy King here?
He seems likely to die even if just throwing a stone at him.
His insight is accurate.
Also, the Frog's excellent eyes recognized that what he was trying to attempt now would fail.
Cypress standing right behind the King, and the guy who tried to cut him while falling from the sky by his side, stood firm.
'Since he has something to trust besides knights, he must have stepped forward.'
He is a Frog with a head that works well.
Meaning he knows how to gauge the situation.
"Could kill you all here, but our King says he will let you off. Say thank you for getting your lives spared, leave one arm behind, and get lost."
Words Rem threw while raising his axe onto his shoulder.
He didn't just throw words, but aimed them at all of them while putting killing intent into his momentum.
Beharli endured quietly, but the remaining guys didn't.
Chang!
Raising their weapons forward.
Amidst that, the noise was due to a guy holding two longswords clashing them.
"Right, right, good spirit. Better if you attack me."
Rem laughed.
"Just cutting everyone down and starting to advance doesn't seem bad either."
Something was definitely boiling in Ragna's heart too.
Who standing here in this spot wouldn't?
One knight achieved an absurd feat, and the King proposed to decide the outcome of the fight hotly carrying that knight's feat on his back.
Furthermore, betting even his own life as a stake on the gamble the knight succeeded in.
"If we lose in the Knight's Duel, I will give my head."
Krang possessed a magic power focusing everyone's attention with a not-so-loud voice.
Although there is no such actual spell, something he was born with grabbed others' gazes quickly.
"Everyone listen!"
Raising his voice after gathering gazes like that.
A heavy voice spread across the battlefield.
"I bet my head on the Knight's Duel! If you are still afraid, withdraw! Do not set foot on this land! Do not point spears and swords at my knights, my army, and my people! If you do not comply."
Flames blaze in the eyes of Krang who cut off his own words.
Something similar to a Knight's Will exists in him too.
Enkrid saw it so.
"I will kill you all."
The Royal Guard who stepped forward as escorts knew it was the moment to argue 'Your Majesty, what do you mean by that', but couldn't.
No, even they couldn't hide the boiling elation and stomped their feet.
Kung.
He wasn't the only one.
Everyone except those standing at the front did so.
Kung-kung.
"Get lost!"
"We!"
"Protect!"
Chants rang behind.
"Naurillia's!"
"Guardian Deity!"
That refers to Cypress, but now it sounded like words directed at Krang simultaneously.
At least those shouting like that now would have such hearts.
An answer returned to that response.
"Interesting."
The Great Emperor stepped forward.
The palanquin carrying him approached the front of the battlefield.
As Enkrid raised his head, the Great Emperor's face was dimly visible.
"I accept."
The Great Emperor answered.
It was the answer to the proposal Krang threw.
***
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