Chapter 420: How to Live as a Wandering Knight (1)
Above Ground. In a remote village in the southern continent, 'Wakewack'.
This village, which had always been warm and humid and had abundant fruit crops, had been suffering from unprecedented drought and famine in recent decades, even hundreds of years.
The drought is so extreme that the ground is parched and cracked, and the trees and grasses are not only dying, but burning to a crisp.
Wildfires of epic proportions have scorched the mountains and dried up the lakes, decimating the wild animals and aquatic species.
Open dungeons everywhere are causing monster damage to explode.
Whiiiiing-
A hot, dry wind carries ash.
It blows from the opposite mountain range, which has been reduced to a pile of charcoal by a forest fire.
These pungent ash blowing in with the wind sucked up every bit of moisture that was left, further impoverishing people's spirits.
...And.
Across the desolate wasteland, a wanderer made his way.
Dull black armor peeked out from beneath a tattered black cloak.
A plague doctor's mask with a long stork's beak hung below his waist, and a long object wrapped in bandages was carried on his back.
cheolkeog- cheolkeodeog-
Every time he took a step that seemed arduous, the sound of the joints of the armor clicking together rang out faintly.
Wandering Knight. Speechless. This is a group of people that can be seen often, if not commonly, in these difficult times.
The black-armored wanderer arrived in Wakewack with weary steps.
He headed straight for the nearest tavern, pushing open the dried-out wooden door and taking a seat in a corner.
Between famine, drought, forest fires, and monster damage, the town's food situation was not good.
It was reflected in the drinks and snacks served at the tavern.
Two handfuls of boiled beans on a bare plate, a glass of steaming beer.
At least it was a tavern, and you got what you paid for.
The Wandering Knight checked the mask strapped to his waist and drank his beer in silence.
Then.
A commotion began to emanate from the tavern's center table.
Two men, apparently vigilantes, were having a conversation.
Since ancient times, taverns have been a hotbed of rumors, both past and present.
And many would agree that a group of men with nothing better to do than get drunk and argue about politics.
"So. Are you conservative or progressive?"
"Well, I'm always a progressive. What about you?"
"W-what are you asking? I am a conservative, a conservative!"
They argue about their views on the current state of affairs on the continent.
"Oh, of course the throne should go to the right man! Isn't it only right that the First Prince be crowned? Don Quixote and Usher and Leviathan are doing a great job!"
"I think the Second Prince is fine, and I can understand the choices of Baskerville, Morg, Bourgeois, and Quovadis."
"Eh- So you're saying they were right to stage a coup?"
"No, it's not a coup, It's just a fight to stand in line. Since it is a political fight, it is correct to call it a civil war."
"So. Is it right for the Seven Families of the Old Country to be fighting a civil war at this time, and the Second Prince they're crowning as Emperor hasn't appeared in front of the people in decades? I don't even know if he exists anymore!"
"Ugh, you're being disrespectful. Isn't it the same for the First Prince's faction to be waging a civil war in these times? Why do you blame it on the Second Prince's faction?"
The current situation on the continent was extremely complicated.
Aside from the massive wildfires spreading across the Empire, and the devastating drought, famine, and monster damage, the political powers were engaged in a fierce civil war among themselves.
The Seven Pillars of the Empire.
Baskerville the Iron Blooded Swordsman, Morg the Mage Sect, Quovadis the Faithful, Don Quixote the Spearmaster, Usher the Archon, Leviathan the Poisonous Cancer, and Bourgeois the Tycoon.
Since the Emperor's death, each of these Seven Families has been in bitter conflict over who should be the next Emperor.
The Old Testament factions Quovadis, Don Quixote, Usher, and Leviathan were in favor of First Prince Jack Meridew as Emperor.
The New Testament faction of Quovadis, Baskerville, Mor, and Bourgeois was supporting the Second Crown Prince, Ralph.
Both crown princes were descended from the founding emperor and possessed the power of prophecy, and were the recipients of an oracle that said, 'One of them will destroy the world, the other will save the world'.
Therefore, who would ascend to the throne would be a matter of concern for all the people of the Empire.
If the wrong crown prince became emperor, the empire would be ruined.
"Of course the first crown prince should ascend to the throne, it is only natural that he is the legitimate eldest son and has continued to appear in front of the people of the empire over the years, leading by example in everything he does. Even in our family, the only hope is for the eldest son!"
"Haha- your ruined family is the same as the Imperial Family? And in your family, the second child is much smarter."
"What! Why are you talking about my family!"
"Because you mentioned your family first, and I'm wondering if it's realistically possible for the First Crown Prince to ascend to the throne. With the old faction of the Quovadis virtually collapsed, it's generally accepted that the tide has turned in favor of the Second Crown Prince, and from what I've heard, Don Quixote and Usher are the most talked about members of the family right now."
"What, Don Quixote and Usher? Why, is there some sort of controversy?"
"It's not so much a controversy as a rumor... that the current head of the family is ill, and I hear it's very serious. It could be today or tomorrow."
"Lord Cervantes the Spear King and Lord Rodrik the Archon? Nonsense! Didn't we see them in action the last time a demon appeared in the Imperial Capital? I saw them with my own two eyes! They're superhumans! They're Masters! They're not going to succumb to illness!"
"Well, I've heard it through the rumors. After all, they've been out of service for years now. From what I've heard, Don Quixote's younger brother is the current regent, and Usher's younger sister is the current regent."
"Hmm, I've heard that, but I've also heard that Don Quixote and Usher don't have many members of their own family, so they rely heavily on people from the outside of the family. Is that why?"
The argument between the two men was superficial, but it summarized the state of affairs on the continent.
1. Don Quixote, Usher, Leviathan, and the Old Testament faction of the Quovadis, led by Prince Jack Meridew.
2. Baskerville, Morg, Bourgeois, and the New Testament faction of Quovadis, led by Prince Ralph.
Now that the Quovadis Old Testament faction was gone, the civil war was intensifying.
This confrontation, which had originally been going on for a very long time, began to flare up in earnest just a few years ago due to the 'Night Hound' incident.
Justification. Night Hound served its purpose to the Second Crown Prince Faction.
The fight was over whether Night Hound was evil or a righteous, if somewhat radical, man who overthrew a demon hiding among humans.
The other Families were outraged by the fact that three of the demons in the convoy happened to be members of the First Crown Prince's faction.
Isabella of Baskerville, Banshee of Morg, Lovebad of Bourgeois, and Mozgus of Quovadis, accused Pedro of Don Quixote, Isolde of Usher, and Thomas of Leviathan of being demons.
Their statements were perfect, and they had proof.
'I demand a retrial for Night Hound.'
But the claims of the Morg Banshee were rejected.
Don Quixote, Usher, and Leviathan immediately attempted to cover their tracks, and suddenly, even the First Prince was up front in denial.
'To doubt them is to doubt me.'
It was the First Crown Prince's unusually hardline stance that ultimately led to this protracted civil war.
But the Second Crown Prince's faction was not without gains from the trial.
The second crown prince, who was rumored to have disappeared, was able to cover his lack of influence with a powerful rationale.
The Baskervilles, Morg, Bourgeois, and Quovadis were united under a very basic, ethical code of rejection of those in league with demons.
Seven families, each rivaling the power of a kingdom, entered the civil war.
They began to tighten their grip on their territories and stopped all trade with the enemy camp.
The civil war was raging.
To add insult to injury, the people were already suffering from drought, wildfires, monster damage, and other natural disasters.
Public sentiment was at an all-time low.
However, there was also a rumor that was a ray of hope for the people.
"Let's stop talking about this."
"That's right, it's all for the high and mighty."
"More than that, have you heard the rumor?"
"What rumor?"
"The vigilantes roaming the continent."
"Aren't we the vigilantes?"
"This guy! not a lowly vigilante like us. I'm talking about Wandering Knights, who operates all over the Empire."
"Wandering Knights? In this day and age, that's just a rumor."
"No! Listen!"
A hopeful rumor that soothes the hearts of people devastated by all kinds of natural disasters.
It was a story about the NIGHT WALKERS, a civilian group of vigilantes.
"They travel thousands of kilometers a day, slaying monsters, and they're supposed to be incredibly powerful."
"Does that make sense?"
"No! I heard they showed up and destroyed a horde of monsters when I went to the city across the street! Is that all? They offered food, water, and God's blessing if they followed them, and they took refugees in droves. Half the city's population followed them."
"If there are such righteous people, why don't they show up in our town? I'm afraid we'll be killed by the gnolls."
"...Well, maybe it's because there are fewer people and the damage area is so large?"
"Yes, let's say it is, because we need that hope to survive."
The only force that has the support of the people.
They are the vigilantes, the Night Walkers.
A group of mysterious figures who have rallied under the slogan, "Even the strongest darkness is beaten back by the weakest light.
They traveled across the continent under the somewhat childish nicknames of "Saint of the Night," "Knight of the Night," "Sniper of the Night," "Warrior of the Night," "Wealthy of the Night," and "Queen of the Night," respectively.
And like the old oral fairy tale 'The Pied Piper,' they whispered salvation with sweet words and took countless people to distant places.
People were scared even as they waited for them.
They were hopeful but wary.
Longing, curiosity, hope, anxiety, vigilance, fear... or just plain snorting at the sound of nothingness, they still follow them today.
And then.
...bang!
The tavern door shattered open and a vigilante soldier rushed in.
"Raid, It's a raid! let's go!"
At the same time, the horns of the monsters' invasion began to echo throughout the village.
Tuuuuuu-
Even before the sound could be heard, the people in the tavern were on their feet.
The two soldiers who had just been arguing over politics quickly grabbed their swords and spears and ran, while the tavern owner put everything aside and took refuge in the cellar.
"Everyone, get to the underground cellar!"
The people in the tavern looked contemplative, but in a very familiar motion, they followed the tavern owner to the passageway below.
....
The tavern was silent in an instant.
ppigeudeog-
It was at that time that the Wandering Knight, who had been sitting like a statue in the corner until now, moved.
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