Free Web NovelChapter 231: How Vast the World Still Was
A moment later, I realized my body was unharmed.
What stood before me were Fiel and Anton. Fiel had thrown everything he had into catching the halberd to protect me, and Anton had joined in. Overpowered, Fiel had the halberd’s axe blade buried in his shoulder.
Fiel groaned and cried out with every ounce of strength he had left.
"Run, Commander! We’ll hold him!"
"I’ll stop this monster with my life! Please, get to safety!"
"Protect the Commander!"
They were telling me to run so I could survive. The Gale Knights drew their cavalry swords and charged in. Leto sent Fiel and Anton flying with tremendous force, then spun and swung his halberd in a wide arc. frёewebηovel.cѳm
Most of the knights caught in the halberd’s path took the full brunt and went flying. But they didn’t give up, bravely throwing themselves at Leto again and again. My men were ready to lay down their lives to protect me.
No! There was no way I could sacrifice my men and run!
Even if I could give up everything else, I could never give up my men and my family.
"Fiel, let me borrow your longsword!"
I picked up Fiel’s longsword from where he’d fallen and thrust it at the axe blade of Leto’s halberd as it came down to kill one of my knights, deflecting it with the sword tip. Then I swung the pommel at his helmet with everything I had.
Wham!
Leto’s body rocked from the heavy impact, but he shoved me back with the halberd shaft at close range. I caught it with my longsword, but the enormous force pushed me back. This time, though, I didn’t give ground helplessly.
I planted both legs firmly and held my ground with every ounce of strength in my core, refusing to be pushed back any further. I suddenly released the pressure, letting the halberd dip downward, then reversed my grip on the longsword and struck at his helmet.
Smack! Smack! Wham!
Not once, not twice, but three times I hammered the helmet with everything I had. Seeing blood spraying from the gaps in his visor, I was sure I’d landed solid blows. But Leto dropped his halberd and seized me.
He hoisted me up and slammed me hard into the ground.
Guh! The devastating impact knocked the air from my lungs.
Leto seemed to have taken considerable damage himself. He staggered as he picked up his halberd. Then, spinning it in a wide windmill arc, he brought it down to finish me off.
In that moment, what caught my eye was a standard lance bearing the Streit crest, lying on the ground. It was within arm’s reach. I snatched it up and drove it into Leto’s armpit.
Squelch!
This time, the strike went clean through. The sweeping motion had been so wide that it had left an equally wide opening. But even with a lance buried in his armpit, Leto reached down with one hand and snapped the standard lance in half.
Whoosh!
Wham!
The spinning halberd struck me hard in the chest. Hit by the axe blade, I felt as though my body would be split in two as I was sent flying backward. Blood surged from my mouth.
[Using medical service]
Hah, hah. I thought I’d been torn in half. I clutched my chest and checked the state of my armor. Surprisingly, the armor was intact. The Essenbach cavalryman’s armor had been shredded like paper when the halberd hit it.
There was one thing I’d overlooked. My plate armor was a Venetian masterwork that my father-in-law had treasured. It was one of the finest pieces ever crafted by Venice, which had poured its heart and soul into competing with Italy.
It was in an entirely different class from the armor mercenaries wore.
Hilda had brought it as a wedding gift, and it had saved my life. If my body had been split in two before the medical service could kick in, the service would have been useless. Hilda had essentially saved my life.
But what now?
Even with the medical service restoring my body, I couldn’t see any way to win.
But I couldn’t back down.
I raised Fiel’s borrowed longsword again and faced Leto. Leto stared me down for a moment with those terrifying eyes. The crushing pressure of his presence felt like it was bearing down on every nerve.
Suddenly, the Gale Knights surrounded me in a protective ring. Looking around, I realized that the Swiss mercenaries had closed in with sharp pikes, encircling my knights on all sides.
The Euz infantry had finally broken.
They’d held out for as long as they could, but had the operation failed after all?
"Surrender, Sir Knight of Beren."
Someone stepped forward from among the encircling mercenaries. Leto, who had been radiating killing intent and readying to attack, glanced at the mercenary and planted his halberd upright. The mercenary took his place beside Leto and introduced himself at his leisure.
"My name is Gedel, from Zurse. I’m from the same hometown as this fellow here."
"..."
"Oh, is that so? Ah, please understand, this friend of mine is rather shy, so he speaks very softly. In truth, I’m not the one in charge. He is. I’m merely his interpreter."
Were these bastards messing with me right now?
"My friend says he doesn’t want to kill you, Sir Knight. I share that sentiment. You’re the only person who’s ever lasted this long against the strongest mercenary in Switzerland. Wouldn’t it be too great a waste to let you die here? So, please, surrender. We’ll guarantee your treatment as a prisoner."
The smirking mercenary called Gedel was urging me to surrender. Surrender was out of the question, but the Euz forces had already been routed and were fleeing, while our cavalry was desperately fighting on all sides.
And the Gale Knights and I were completely surrounded by the Swiss mercenaries. Looking at the situation coldly, continuing to resist would amount to nothing more than a pointless death.
...But I couldn’t let my men die because of my pride.
The legend of being undefeated was gone, but my men’s lives mattered more.
Raaaaaah!
"The Count of Basel has been captured!"
"We’ve won!"
Then, earth-shaking cheers erupted from every direction. The ones caught off guard were the Basel troops who had been pursuing our fleeing forces. Shaken by the news that the Count of Basel had been captured, they began to run.
The tide had suddenly turned, and our cavalry transformed into avenging demons.
Gedel clicked his tongue as he watched.
"Well, it seems our employer has been captured."
Gedel’s face showed genuine disappointment, but he didn’t seem particularly bothered. When Gedel gave a signal, the spears aimed at us were raised. They were giving up that easily?
"Sir Knight, in accordance with the mercenary treaty, when an employer is rendered unable to fulfill the contract, we have the right to unilaterally terminate it. Therefore, we are not prisoners."
"..."
"My friend says he doesn’t want to fight anymore either. It seems you’ve made quite an impression on him."
These men were giving up their contract awfully easily. Were they really the Swiss mercenaries I knew? The scouter clearly showed them registered under the Swiss cantonal authority. It was so strange that I had to ask.
"Aren’t you the Swiss mercenaries who are supposed to never retreat, even if it means being wiped out on the battlefield?"
"It seems you have some misconceptions about us, Sir Knight. While we do hold to the principle of completing our orders no matter what, we do so only within the bounds of the mercenary treaty."
The mercenary treaty contained a clause stipulating that if an employer died, fell unconscious, or was taken prisoner, the contract would expire or be terminated, and the Swiss mercenaries faithfully adhered to this, Gedel explained.
So, invoking the treaty, they had terminated their contract with the now-captured Count of Basel and were currently free mercenaries, Gedel said. I felt like I was finally learning the true nature of the Swiss mercenaries. free𝑤ebnovel.com
They weren’t men who threw their lives away unconditionally in battle. They simply followed their contract with the employer faithfully. The moment the employer could no longer uphold the contract, they terminated it without hesitation.
But conversely, if the employer could maintain the contract to the very end, they would fulfill it even at the cost of annihilation. That was the spirit of the Swiss mercenaries. And that was precisely why their credibility was so high.
"In accordance with the mercenary treaty, I will treat you as free mercenaries and personally guarantee your safe return home. Is that satisfactory?"
Gedel smiled with satisfaction.
What an insufferable face.
"Thank you, Sir Knight. You truly live up to the renowned name of the Gale Knight."
When Gedel gave a nod, the mercenaries brought over my sword and Mont Blanc. Anton must have been too busy helping me to look after them. In the meantime, these bastards had picked up my sword and my horse as spoils. Damn Swiss.
"I’ve never seen a longsword like this one. It’s a remarkable masterpiece. And this white horse is an extraordinary mount as well. But I’ll return them to you, Sir Knight, since you might just make a fine employer someday."
"Damn, I’m touched to tears."
Gedel handed back my longsword and Mont Blanc as if it were nothing. Thank God I was wearing a helmet. My expression had probably turned murderous right about now.
I could sympathize with Count Épinay, Mont Blanc’s original owner.
Thankfully, my men also got all their horses and weapons back.
It felt like a loss, but we were the victors.
[Gale Knight VII Quest Complete]
[10,000 points, 10 gold coins awarded]
[Item: Courage 200% Boost Scroll (1 day) awarded]
[Executioner of Zurse I Quest Complete]
[20,000 points, 20 gold coins awarded]
[Executioner relationship: 20/100]
The quests were complete, and the rewards that came rolling in were enormous. But I couldn’t feel genuinely happy. Fighting the Executioner of Zurse had driven home just how vast the world still was.
