The Glory of Knights

An age of chaos when calamity surged from all directions.

Through repeated wars, the Knight King suffered fatal wounds and the kingdom was driven to the cliff’s edge.

[We dispatched forces to each region. We can sufficiently prepare even without Your Majesty going!]

The words ‘land of knights’ were now a thing of the past too.

From the moment calamity was born, the special metal vanished without a trace.

No longer able to make ‘artifacts,’ the symbol of knights, the strong continued arduous battles holding weapons that couldn’t be restored.

In a period when destruction and regeneration cycled, human life was driven to a dead-end cliff.

The Knight King had to step forward with his sick body.

His artifact never broke, and only he could slay the absolute evil.

[Even now, soldiers beyond the border endure terrible cold and hunger, offering their lives to protect the kingdom. Yet should we retreat before those who would trample our dignity at the fear of this one wound?]

The Knight King, who sensed his end, tried to burn everything.

[Life and death are always beside us, so to live as ourselves, I will advance valiantly to the last!]

The Knight King led the arduous journey himself, leaving only minimum personnel to guard the capital.

At the sight of the king who staked his life, the people also rallied and resisted to the end.

But the calamity grew stronger day by day and eventually drove Banteras to ruin.

The magnificent and beautiful capital turned to ash in an instant.

In the dizzying hell where life crumbled to death, the Knight King executed his final strike.

He ultimately extinguished the calamity, but the earth was full only of ash and tears.

The spoils exchanged for his life were the nation’s destruction and the hope of humans who would grow in the future.

But the corpses of retainers sprawled everywhere he turned his head kept catching his eye.

[……]

The Knight King’s silence, unable to recover even one retainer’s corpse with his own hands, fell together with his sword.

The mortal world’s appearance he remembered last.

A lingering attachment he had to keep in his heart even after death.

* * *

“…My friend. Are you alright?”

“Hm?”

“You stopped examining the relic and were lost in thought.”

“Something came to mind.”

“Did you perhaps figure out what this relic was used for?”

Pernok slowly examined the pendant.

Though somewhat flawed, the familiar emblem stimulated the Knight King’s memories.

‘Certainly this pendant is the symbol of guard knights who accompanied the Knight King’s final expedition.’

The capital city gate guard knights all had these pendants.

At minimum there would be over 20,000, so it wouldn’t be strange if one was excavated.

“It’s a pendant worn by Banteras’ city gate guard knights. Like a kind of identification.”

Pernok turned the pendant.

“They carved names and affiliations here. Engraved like sculpting so it wouldn’t wash away even in rain, but it’s considerably broken off.”

“Then you believe my words now?”

When Pernok nodded, Kelt asked with eyes desperately wanting something.

“Can I examine the records you have too?”

“Regrettably, I destroyed the handed-down records.”

“No, how could you destroy something so precious…!”

“Because they’re not items to show others carelessly. But I put the records completely in my head. Not just this pendant, but if I directly see the relics you excavated, I can explain their uses.”

“Should I take this to mean you’ll proceed with research together?”

“What’s the purpose of the research?”

“Discovery of records. Restoring extinguished history.”

“Who has ownership of relics obtained in the process?”

“Usually in these cases, whoever led the research distributes them, but since you and I fill what the other lacks, let’s make ownership half and half.”

“I’ll add one more condition.”

“Speak.”

“Hand over relics I want first.”

Kelt tilted his head.

“Do you happen to have something in mind?”

“I discovered an interesting part in the records. If not for that, I wouldn’t have joined hands with you.”

“Hmm…”

“There are no conditions beyond that. I take the needed items, and you reclaim history to solidify your position in the society. It’s a transaction beneficial to both of us, isn’t it?”

Pernok extended his hand first.

Kelt seemed to agonize over ownership but had no particular alternative.

He too had hit a wall, and now gained strong faith in Pernok’s knowledge that accurately classified relics.

He couldn’t refuse a clean transaction.

Kelt grasped Pernok’s hand.

“Fine. Whatever it is, I’ll respect your condition.”

“Then shall we draft a contract?”

Pernok brought two sheets of paper and wrote the content he agreed on with Kelt.

Meticulously examining research progress, sharing of process, and results, the two people signed the contract with satisfaction.

“Do you have a separate research facility?”

“I’ve equipped all necessary infrastructure at my house, so don’t worry! Now, let’s go! I feel like we can find Banteras right away!”

Pernok followed Kelt toward the outskirts of the castle.

* * *

He entered a crude house built with bricks.

Various cases were placed in the neatly organized room.

Among them, several were Banteras relics that stimulated the Knight King’s memories.

“That’s…”

Among them, one relic protruding like an awl caught his eye.

Seeing the solid form maintained despite long years passing, Pernok was certain.

“…Where did you excavate this?”

“There’s a small forest beyond Rezhen Kingdom’s northern border. It came out together with relics from another era. There’s an interesting emblem carved on the back too.”

Kelt pointed to the broken emblem on the relic’s back.

“I’m looking for similar emblem forms but haven’t had results yet. I’m guessing it might be Banteras’ mark.”

Pernok examined part of the emblem and shook his head.

“Do you know what this is used for?”

“Well, looking at the form, wouldn’t it be a pillar or pier component?”

“This is a tactical weapon made by improving siege weapons. Made to deal with giant enemies.”

“But can a consumable be more intact than other relics?”

“It underwent special coating to preserve long. Plus this is an item of Marquis Lyonne’s house, who had insight into weapons even in Banteras.”

“Lyonne?”

“Bastards called demons of the battlefield. This emblem is the symbol representing Marquis Lyonne’s house, warning so mediocre fellows can’t carelessly touch tactical weapons.”

“What on earth are those stone tablet records that you know Banteras in such detail?”

“Information about core noble houses composing Banteras is clearly recorded.”

“Can you tell me too?”

“I’ll explain together while excavating relics. But now we need to trace the tactical weapon’s source first.”

Pernok examined the tactical weapon closely.

This was a specially-made item created to annihilate the calamity at the border during the king’s expedition.

The metal used for this also could no longer be mined, so even quantity was limited.

‘From the place where this relic was excavated, I can estimate the distance to the capital.’

Pernok remembered up to the Knight King’s final moment.

Not only the capital and each noble house’s location but even places where wars broke out, enough to draw everything as pictures.

The key was which relic was excavated from which place.

The rarer its value, the more important role it played in groping toward Banteras’ capital.

‘If I just know the capital’s location, I can find the Knight King’s tomb.’

Pernok turned to Kelt.

“Let’s go to the region where you excavated the tactical weapon. And can you prepare maps?”

“Will a Rezhen Kingdom map do?”

“Kingdom maps and a map including the entire continent.”

“That many?”

“If we do well, we might quickly find the results you want.”

At those words, Kelt’s eyes widened and he shouted urgently.

“W-wait a moment!”

Kelt rushed out somewhere.

Shortly after, he came with huge maps streaming large sweat drops, more than enough to fill his arms.

“Huff huff, I borrowed the continent map from the society and kingdom maps from the historical society!”

“Let’s depart immediately.”

Kelt came out gathering excavation equipment.

After Pernok’s joining, new hypotheses kept emerging, so he burned with enthusiasm more than ever.

As if to liquidate days that had been sluggish until now, Kelt didn’t refuse the arduous road.

* * *

A month sharing knowledge about Banteras with each other.

After the arduous journey, the destination was before their eyes.

In between, Kelt, who’d become comfortable with each other, shouted with an excited voice.

“That’s the place! While looking for relics of Kurtan Kingdom that perished 200 years ago, I discovered Banteras relics together!”

The two people walked to a square pit where excavation traces remained.

“Below Kurtan Kingdom’s relics… Banteras relics were buried in a place roughly 20 meters deeper.”

“Did you excavate alone?”

“Haha, as if. I called several people and worked together.”

“Yet Banteras wasn’t acknowledged.”

“A country not in records. Dismissed as personal delusion not fantasy. I hope meaningful results come out today so I can slap the society’s cheek hard.”

Pernok looked around.

If there’s something that never changes no matter how long the years pass, it’s nature established from the beginning.

It might be somewhat worn down, but once-made terrain like cliffs or forests is maintained long.

Unless the terrain itself is artificially overturned.

“Rezhen Kingdom was terrain bordering many mountains, right?”

“There’s even a mountain range where monsters swarm.”

“Did the mountains in this vicinity exist since before Rezhen Kingdom?”

“Hehe, you joke too much. This mountain stood firmly even when the Rakis Empire was a kingdom.”

“Has the mountain been damaged?”

“There’s a record that this mountain once had a big fire. But though trees might burn and disappear, the mountain couldn’t disappear. Not even a madman would do such a fruitless thing. But why that mountain?”

“I have something to confirm briefly, so examine if there are traces of other relics here.”

Before Kelt could answer, Pernok moved to the highest mountain peak.

A body that drew up Mana Reinforcement lightly sprinted the steep mountain path like a stroll.

A distance that would take half a day broke through in less than an hour.

Pernok climbed the mountain peak and looked down at the distant ground.

‘This is the west. If I set the direction opposite from where calamity surges…’

Marquis Lyonne’s tactical weapon was a method to kill enemies by explosion with propulsion descending from a high point.

One must necessarily occupy high ground and accurately predict the direction enemies surge from.

Based on these conditions, applying the Knight King’s memories, he recalled the highland battle that first repelled the calamity.

‘…Those two points. No, three. Those places are strongpoints Marquis Lyonne would like.’

Pernok headed to the place memories led to.

Simultaneously, he activated one Detection magic series obtained from the Fighting Pit.

This was magic that detected metal substances around until Pernok’s mana ran out.

Circular waves flowed out based on Pernok, grasping up to 20 meters underground.

“…”

The first highland had nothing.

The second was the same.

But arriving at the third, something caught at the precarious boundary the magic allowed.

Pernok immediately struck the ground.

Wham!

An intense shock enough to shake giant trees split the ground.

Pernok quickly withdrew strength.

Hitting with his fist more than that would break the buried object.

‘As expected, this was the place.’

Though a smaller form than what Kelt excavated, this too was Marquis Lyonne’s tactical weapon.

‘From Banteras’ capital Fort Helm to this position, eastward…’

It was the moment Pernok tried to predict the distance to the capital based on memories and relics.

Swish!

Something riding the wind grazed his skin.

When Pernok twisted his body to look, surroundings were glowing with blue powder.

‘Not poison.’

There were no harmful elements.

He guessed it was powder that seemed to want to confirm something.

Simultaneously, sharp things were captured by Pernok’s Detection magic.

Not relics.

Because this wavelength containing killing intent flowed from between trees.

“…”

Pernok put down the tactical weapon and slowly turned his head.

He stared at shadows stretching long behind trees.

“Tsk, you’re not a simple archaeologist.”

The shadow shrank and a blue-haired man walked out from behind a tree.

“If I’d known you were a mage, I would have raised the payment more.”

“Bro, be careful.”

A dwarf-like small man atop the tree glared at Pernok with hardened eyes.

“That bastard’s at minimum level 3.”

“I know. But we have to finish the job. Of all things, we dyed the powder blue, so we must kill him.”

Pernok deployed the Observation Eye.

The blue-haired man possessed level 4 mana, and the dwarf-like man corresponded to high level 3.

Both looked like assassins skilled at erasing presence.

Sure enough, the blue-haired man gripped daggers in both hands.

The dwarf-like man bit a pipe in his mouth.

The appearance of keeping distance while checking looked skilled at dealing with people.

‘Assassins.’

The blue-haired man leaked killing intent.

Narrowing his eyes thinly as if to give fear, he became a threatening shape more or less.

The dwarf-like man was the same.

Just quietly looking down from above gave an inexplicable sense of intimidation.

Mana flowing from them mixed naturally as if matching long and tried to bind Pernok.

‘I don’t know what kind of bunch they are, but.’

They suddenly attacked Pernok who was excavating relics.

He guessed they were related to relics or were those who knew the relic’s identity and coveted it instead.

‘This worked out well, actually.’

To Pernok, it was rather welcome.

The more those who knew information were added, the easier he could excavate the Knight King’s tomb.

Plus they were level 3 and 4 mages.

There was no tonic like this for Pernok, who felt growth was slowing.

“Too bad. That your opponent is me.”

The blue-haired man smirked and aimed his dagger at Pernok’s neck.

“I’ll harvest that expensive head well.”

Pernok smirked.