SHK CH 536 (Patreon)

On the battlefield, war was raging and the soldiers were fighting while organizing the retreat.

History has shown many times that a disorganized retreat was the worst move that any army could take.

But in the best case, a retreat would always end with a great amount of loss as your enemy was unwilling to let you leave.

"Isn't it just about fleeing?"

This was not simply about fleeing. This was a Tactical Withdrawal. A strategic retreat.

"Heh. What a fancy name."

The white knight ignored his friend and companion as he observed the army operation.

In this kind of situation, the guards assuring the retreat had to be powerful enough and skilled enough.

But more than anything — They had to be ready for death.

Like a gecko sacrificing its tail to survive, they were heroes who–

"Sacrificial pawns, you mean."

The white knight sighed. But this time did not bother correcting his companion.

After all…He was right.

"So we are 'it' this time huh."

"Not necessarily so. I do not plan to sacrifice myself. At least not in this situation."

He spoke quietly while ignoring the look of pity, the words of encouragement, the sobs, the screams of agony and rages, and all the emotions that were filling the place as they kept retreating.

Aurora had proposed that the paladin stay with him and help him protect the back but he refused.

"Were you trying to act cool?"

"No. You know having allies would simply be a bother."

"See. Trying to act cool. How many times did you try such a line in front of your mirror?"

White blushed slightly and coughed.

The truth was — Many times.

The small penguin or rather the Emperor Penguin was waddling while wearing a chick suit on the upper part of his body and a monocle laughed out loud.

While White looked up.

What was his name? This was something he had long since forgotten.

From the very moment Camelia saved him from the burning village, he had been dedicated to becoming a knight worthy of her.

His loyalty also might have transformed into a crush. Sadly –

"Your crush was crushed beautifully, should we say?"

"Do you plan to keep rubbing salt on my wounds?"

"Not until you find a new woman."

The penguin looked around,

"Tsk~ Tsk~Tsk. Look at all those females in heat looking at you with tears in their eyes. As a male, the fact that you don't even feel a stir in your loin at this sight makes you a failure."

The knight was speechless, "Man should give all his love to one woman."

"Tsk. Well. You aren't completely wrong. Though I prefer freedom. Hopefully, you will find that woman soon. I want to see what kind of woman can make you fall."

"Speaking of. Do you have mates?"

His friend and companion was from the realm under the control of Asmodeus.

Despite his appearance, he was a very rare ice spirit and this form was nothing more than something Asmodeus supposedly forced some spirit to do once upon a time.

In the end, his friend started liking it and decided to keep the appearance.

"Mates Huh. I did have a few. Though it doesn't matter now."

"How selfish."

"Selfish I am."

White laughed. Speaking of which, he found it quite funny.

He, a knight under Castitas church, ended up with a beast from the divine beast of lust domain while the prince, Blessed of Luxuria, ended up with one from the territory of the Divine beast of Chastity.

They joked until finally, a woman clad in pure white clothes approached her.

Aurora Castitas.

For White, she was an enigma. Someone he could not understand.

She had the appearance and charm of a benevolent woman but he could also feel a certain distance and coldness from her whenever she spoke to people.

This was not something as simple as arrogance.

But something deeper. Something higher.

It was as if she was not looking at people as people. As if even when they talked to her, she was not listening.

It was a weird feeling. But he didn't care.

He was a man who followed his duty. Protecting Camelia was impossible for him. So he would do his best to protect the Holy Daughter and make sure she returned alive and well.

If he had to be cold-blooded. Even the lives of all the soldiers present — his included, were not enough to be worthy of her life.

"Your holiness."

He took a knee, his armor rattling and his sword piercing the ground, his respect was not for Aurora but for the divine authority she represented.

White was not blind. Even though he was not part of the inner circle of the Blessed, he was unlike many believers and could see that the Goddesses may not be truly worthy of respect.

But this did not matter.

He was not a man with grandiose ambitions such as overthrowing the rules of the goddesses.

Rules may be nothing but a game for the Goddesses.

Those rules may limit and constrain the strong, making them feel hate for the goddesses.

But those same rules were what protected the Weaks.

Those rules were the reason the King of Wratharis couldn't simply march and massacre all the army as he wished.

In the same way, the Queen of Lustburg could not simply fly and massacre all soldiers.

A world without rules was nothing but Chaos.

A world filled with Chaos might be heaven for the strong. But it will always be hell for the weak.

"Are you sure you want to fight?"

Looking up at the Holy Daughter, White smiled,

"I await your decree and your grace."

"Very well."

Aurora placed her hands on his head, warmth filled with him.

"May the protection of the goddess be with you. Under the sun of the goddess, you will feel No pain. No Hunger and No Woes. May the light guide you."

White Knight stayed in the same position for a long while even after Aurora Left.

The camp was deserted and the wounded as well as healers had evacuated.

On the horizon, he could see the rear guard fighting for the retreat, shedding blood until the very last.

Never stopping.

Never wavering.

Never retreating.

Those people were sacrificial pawns.

Those people would never be remembered by anyone but their family.

They would become statistics, soon to be forgotten even by the citizens they protected.

Thus was the ugliness of war.

White started walking, but his gait slowed even as the last warrior died while being besieged by three wounded beasts.

They had given their all, dwindling greatly the might of the army he had to face.

"Tell me. Dear friend, Do you still think they are pawns?"

"They are. I still believe they are. But even then —"

"Even then?"

" —- They are worthy of respect."

"Indeed."

He smiled, an army of more than four hundred beast men was rushing at him but all he did was laugh out loud.

He was naught but a poor warrior. He did not have great ideals and had no dream of justice.

But even so —

"Be buried alongside the heroes of Lustburg."

A chilly air flew from his body as he planted his sword once again on the ground.

[Zone: Ice Age]

On that day, a battlefield was changed into a ice Cemetery.