Surviving as a Knight in a Trash Game

Chapter 9

Throughout the battle, Baron Seymour’s brow remained deeply furrowed.

“…This is dreadful.”

It seemed none of his subordinates heard the baron’s whispered confession. The only one who caught it was Karl, and Seymour’s voice had trembled slightly.

“Let’s go, Sir Karl. I have no choice but to press forward. My entire family is in his hands. And even if that weren’t the case, if I fail in this domain war, Count Calido will not let me live.”

“Let’s go.”

Seymour glanced quietly at Karl, then firmly gripped his sword. For him—someone who would die either way—he could only move forward.

“Seymour of Bolido will lead the charge! Soldiers, follow me!”

Sword drawn, Baron Seymour gave his gallant command and spurred his horse forward. Since the walls had not yet been breached, he dismounted quickly and began climbing a ladder near the fortification.

“Hup!”

Startled by a flying arrow, Seymour flinched—only for Basko, standing nearby, to deflect it midair.

One after another, Bolido’s knights clambered onto the wall. Across from them, Baron Vito stood flanked by three knights, gripping his sword tightly and glaring at them.

“Baron Seymour! Not long ago, you were my neighbor and friend—why are you doing this!?”

At Vito’s question, Seymour lowered his head.

“Baron Vito… there are things one cannot help.”

“Is it because of Count Calido?”

…

His silence was answer enough. Seymour adjusted his grip on his sword and stepped forward.

“I’ve come too far to turn back.”

The knights of Tennesse and Bolido slowly advanced across the narrow battlements toward one another.

“Haa!”

The first to strike was Baron Vito. Despite his middle age, his movements were agile. As Vito’s sword swept in, a Bolido knight quickly raised his blade to block it.

Clang!

Sparks flew as steel met steel. After that single clash, the knights from both sides became entangled, each fighting with all their might.

Though the battle seemed even at first, Bolido had five knights—Tennesse, only three—so it began to tilt in Bolido’s favor.

It was only thanks to Albert’s skill that Tennesse could even hold out under such disparity.

“My lord!”

Then, a blade from a Bolido knight pierced between Baron Vito’s shoulder and chest.

Startled, Albert rushed in to help but left himself open and was wounded as well.

“Gah!”

He twisted at the last second and avoided a fatal injury, but the situation had grown dire.

“My lord! Are you alright!?”

“Albert! Don’t mind me—focus on the fight!”

Even while skewered, Baron Vito gripped the enemy’s sword with his gauntlet-covered hand and buried his own blade into the attacking knight’s neck.

“Come at me! I am Vito of Tennesse!”

Bleeding, he yanked out the embedded sword with his bare hand and glared fiercely.

A few more exchanges followed, and Vito could feel his vision blurring from the blood loss.

Selena…

As the end approached, his daughter’s face drifted into his fading consciousness.

Forgive me… survive, my beloved daughter…

He saw the enemy’s sword swinging for his face.

As he accepted that this would be his final moment, he closed his eyes—

“Urgh…!”

But instead of the blade, a small back appeared in front of him—taking the blow in his place.

“…Damn knights…”

Even with a sword driven into his chest, the boy glared at the knight and spat out his words.

“Andre?”

It was the boy soldier—someone Baron Vito knew well. Despite his age, he had a fierce spirit that made him stand out.

“My lord…”

“Why would you do this!? Stay with me!”

The light in Andre’s eyes began to fade. And just as the knight who had been blocked by the boy raised his sword once more toward Vito—

Clang!

A blade flashed in front of the baron’s neck.

“Pour this on the boy.”

A man who had appeared out of nowhere—saving Vito—tossed him a glass vial.

Without thinking, Vito opened the container and poured its contents onto the boy’s chest. Astonishingly, the bleeding began to stop as though by magic.

It was the sort of medicine even a baron in a rural land might never have seen.

“I was wondering when you’d show yourself, Sir Basko. Or rather… shall I now call you Sir Karl?”

Watching the final moment when Vito’s head was nearly taken, Seymour finally saw Karl move and nodded slightly.

“You knew. Why did you let me keep you close?”

“For this moment.”

…

Karl gave a quiet nod at Seymour’s answer. Seymour had come here intending to die.

“As I asked yesterday—kill me. But spare my men.”

“Isn’t there another way?”

“Who would help me? Since the Emperor’s death, each region’s power has been split among the border margraves, and they act like little emperors themselves. I’ve pledged everything to Calido. Only my death can end this.”

He let his sword fall to the ground and removed his helmet. Then he ordered his knights to retreat.

“This is an order. From this moment on, cease the fighting and focus on tending the wounded.”

Even before he had finished speaking, Seymour’s knights had already withdrawn.

It was a time where there were few true knights left. Even the most basic duty of a vassal knight—loyalty to one’s liege—had become a fading virtue.

Watching it all, Karl tasted bitterness.

Seymour knelt and closed his eyes.

“Do it.”

“Any last words?”

“Save my family. And if the chance ever comes… kill that beast Calido and pour his blood over my grave.”

Opening his eyes and locking gazes with Karl, Seymour spoke his last will. Karl nodded quietly.

Seymour then pulled something from his chest and placed it into Karl’s hand.

“There’s a case in the back pouch of my saddle. Consider this your payment.”

With those words, Seymour took the sword he had laid aside—and ended his own life.

“….”

With Baron Seymour’s suicide, the soldiers of Bolido dropped the weapons they had been clutching.

The clatter of falling arms echoed through the battlefield, and for a brief moment, silence settled over all. Then, Baron Vito slowly walked toward Karl.

"You are…?"

"Karl. A Free Knight."

Even in this strange, quiet stillness, the moment he heard that name, Baron Vito recalled what he had heard not long ago.

"I received a letter from my daughter. She said she met a Free Knight named Karl and was able to safely reach the monastery. Are you the same Sir Karl who saved Selena?"

"So it seems."

"Ah…!"

Without hesitation, Baron Vito bowed deeply.

"Not only did you save my daughter, but now even our domain has been spared. I don’t know how I could ever repay this debt."

"There’s no need to concern yourself with that. The knights Calido sent are no longer a threat. You won’t need to worry about them either."

Even as Vito spoke of repaying the favor, Karl remained silent, only continuing his own thoughts.

"You would have handled it well without me, but… don’t covet Bolido’s land. The Count Calido I know will soon seize control of Bolido’s power base. But as long as you don’t get greedy, Tennesse will be safe during your time. Even he won’t dare claim two neighboring domains at once—he’d draw the attention of the other high lords. Just… if possible, look after Baron Seymour’s family. I ask this as a favor."

"I’ll do exactly as you said."

Karl nodded in response to Vito’s promise, then turned to leave.

"Where are you going?"

"The job’s done. Time for me to go."

"Won’t you at least give us a chance to repay your kindness?"

"If fate wills it, we’ll meet again."

With that, Karl spoke no more. He tapped the ladder a few times with his boot and swiftly descended the castle wall.

Under the setting sun, people’s gazes followed Karl as he descended like a figure from a painting. Among those watching was the young boy, Andre.

"My lord… Is that what a knight is supposed to be?"

"Hmm?"

Baron Vito could see the emotion in the boy’s eyes—passion, admiration.

"Yes. That’s what knights were meant to be. Though few remain who remember or uphold the old code."

"…"

"In the past, a knight was someone who faced enemies without fear, always upheld honor, spoke only truth even at the cost of their life, protected the weak, and stood for justice. That… is what we once called a knight."

"Ah…!"

The image Baron Vito described was the same vow once taken by knights at their anointment. And Andre felt something stir in his heart, something that made it race.

"My lord, can someone like me—a commoner—become a knight?"

"If you try hard enough to die for it… and keep your heart as it is now, then yes. Do you want to become a knight?"

"Yes! I do!"

"You just called knights trash a moment ago, though?"

"…"

Remembering his earlier words, Andre lowered his head in shame.

"Still, it wouldn’t be a bad thing for you to become one. You already have the courage to risk your life to save mine—that’s halfway there. And since I owe you a great debt, I’ll help you become one."

"Ah…!"

Andre bowed his head deeply toward Baron Vito. And Baron Vito, in turn, watched until the knight walking into the sunset, along with his horse, vanished from sight.