Knights & Magic - Book 8: Chapter 110: Collecting the Enemies of Enemies
That feeling of heavy vibrations permeating the ground herald the arrival of giants. The group of giants walked roughly and, as soon as they reached the room, one opened his mouth, calling out, “The King! Where’s the king!? I have an urgent message for the king…”
The giants’ momentum was rapidly diminishing. The reason being that the giant who was sitting in the back of the room looked rather grim. There, with five eyes, a giant that was outstanding among giants, was The king of the Rubel Clan. He caught the giants’ eyes with his own, leaning sloppily on the chair.
“I’m here. So we’re in a hurry, do you have good news?”
“…… That is…”
The atmosphere of the giant, who was called the king, became stern at once. Anxiety is blown away and power is contained in his eyes. Under intense pressure, the giant, who had been carrying the report, was dismayed by these words.
“Hmm. Did you fail?”
“I don’t have enough eyes! Cretvastia (seems to be what the giants call the bug-type Demon Beast) have fallen and another is approaching.”
The low sound is transmitted to the ear of the giant, who answered listlessly, whether it was an idea. Looking up in amazement, a rare sign was seen from the perspective of a Rubel Clan giant; The king was laughing.
“Kuku, ha-ha… More Cretvastia were knocked down than the warriors that appeared in our sky. If I were to destroy this many beasts, I would lose respect in the eyes of the warriors of my clan. That said, how much have they been hurt?”
The laughter soon fades. The giants were stepping down to the pressure of the rising king.
“There used to be Cretvastia above our heads. Beyond that, our clans would have looked at further prosperity.”
The giant on his left spoke, “The power of our clans has taken no loss. So what is that? Now something new has emerged. Will the sky always be our enemy?”
The king’s gaze is distant, as though he didn’t see the giants nearby. He keeps whispering, as if to ask someone who is far away. “What’s that flying thing, why come here… Is there no answer? It must be something you can’t rely on when it’s important.”
God does not speak silently. There was no blessing. The giants of the clan talked among themselves, but there wasn’t much substance to their words. “One hundred-eyes without blessings. There’s no difference in being an enemy.”
“You’ll have to get rid of it, that is, if we are the true giants.”
Hearing the words of the clan giants, the king’s gaze returns to the present. A foreign object that comes from the sky, whose identity and purpose are unknown. The power that could surpass Crestvatia can be a threat to the Rubel Clan.
“As we once obeyed the Cretvastia, will it be our force or a disaster for us? Do you understand?”
Oberon replied, “Yo.” (>.> Seems senseless, this response.)
The giants’ gaze concentrates on a place almost behind him. There was a huge humanoid wearing the shell of the demon beast. A distorted existence that looks like a giant, though different in its roots. The Giant Modoki, or Mystic Knight, is what it is. A small figure standing on it’s palm caught the king’s gaze.
“On the battlefield, wherein there is the Cretvastia, there is always a poem of destruction. It echoes, but if you turn your fangs against me, I can’t obey.”
“I think so… But, Oberon, if you can’t use it too much, you won’t be needed, will you?”
“In the hope of such a thing, with our Mystic Knight, let’s promise to do more work.”
The giant king’s mouth formed a distorted, mocking smile. Oberon did not seem to care and returned a bow.
“How shall I become a king, even if it’s just over the Kaerreus clan, which I’ve destroyed. If they had closed their eyes, the plague would have passed. If an enemy appears in the sky, even I must open my eyes again.”
The king of giants closed his eyes and muttered. “Allied Clan forces or…”
Of the many large and small giant clans, the largest is the Rubel Clan. It is. In the past, there were a number of powerful clans. The majority of the powerful clans were destroyed in a massive struggle, the ‘Right of the Eyes’. The reason was that the Rubel Clan, who obeyed the Cretvastia, wielded overwhelming power. All that remained were the small clans, akin to a tree within a forest. It was impossible to go against the Rubel clan as things stood. Overturning that premise was why the formation of the allied clans came about in the first place.
Adjusting numbers was important because of the Giants, who decide things by their own practice of asking their sage, then by winning or losing battles. No matter how small they might be individually, together they become a force that cannot be ignored. The king dismissed the concerns of those around him.
“No matter how many small clans gather out of sight, it’s still useless. Just look at what happened the last time.”
“Even so, the enemy is not limited to them.”
“Then I need the next sacrifice…”
The discussion of the pair raised a variety of eyes. For those who were not the Gods of The Hundred Eyes, some elements remained obscured. The consequence of chance wasn’t factored in yet; the die was cast but had not yet stopped. Seeing the uncertainty around him, the king sighed. It was the largest clan and the most powerful power that the Cretvastia had acquired, so what was there to be worried about?
“Is it an unknown flying enemy? Isn’t the timing just right, depending on how you think about it?”
The giants around them turned their eyes to the king. “In the first place, it is futile to be a mere clan. The protection of the hundred eyes is only given to the Rubel Clan, no other should receive it. We shouldn’t have to close our eyes anymore, we just have to level it up.”
Low laughter leaked out. The king walked calmly among the giants, who stopped moving like they were frozen.
“If you don’t remember it at first glance, look at it a second time. If they start to work with the clan union, we will respond.” Eventually he came to stand before another king. He looked at Oberon with his five eyes, he whom governed the goblins.
“I am ready.”
“Until then…”
On the palm of the Mystic Knight, the little king bowed. The king of the Rubel Clan nodded happily and left; The giants followed. The tall giants did not see the expression of the king. No one noticed that he was secretly smiling.
A soft feeling slipped between Addy’s fingers. Anything can be solved if it’s played with, it seemed, as Addy’s fingers ran through Ernesti’s hair. She was suppressing a sigh.
“Oh, it feels good to toy with Eru’s hair…”
“What are you doing?”
A stunned voice was heard by the girl who ran her fingers through the boy’s hair without getting bored. When Addy turned around, she saw a young man standing at the entrance of the room.
“Oh, Mr. Zachariah. I’m just doing this because Eru is sleeping.” (i.e. She’s bored.)
“Huh…”
While resting Eru’s head on her lap, Addy is gently petting him so as not to wake him up.
The young man, who was called Zacharia, started to say something before her strangely pleasing appearance, but wisely decided not to comment. Instead, he remembered his role. “I’m sorry for coming by while he’s resting, but the king told me to call you two.”
“Oh, King Oberon. Eru-kun, come on.” Addy shook Eru’s shoulder. After a while, he slowly began to move.
“When you’re ready, talk to me,” Zacharia said, leaving the room.
Then, Addy made quick preparations. While Eru was waking, she combed her hair and arranged her clothes. After checking everything, she whispered with satisfaction. “Yes, it’s okay. It’s cute today too!”
“Good morning, Addy. I’m not sure what’s okay.”
Once more beside the suspicious Eru, she happily hugged him. Together they left to greet the king of the Goblin Clan.
“Hey, I’ve been waiting for you both,” King Oberon said, raising his hand with a smile.
Eru and Addy had come to the meeting room in the castle. Ernesti arrived at his seat while exchanging greetings with the small king, whom in turn had his hands held behind his back. The king had a slightly apologetic coloring despite his usual smile.
“Even though I was invited here, time passed without me being able to do much of anything. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t worry about it. If there’s a call from the Giants, we can’t afford to deal with it,” Eru replied, sighing.
Taking a deep breath, Oberon responded, “Absolutely true; I’m always following the orders of the Rubel Clan.”
The two spoke quietly, Eru chatting with the king, whom got to the main subject swiftly.
“…… At any rate. It looks like the Rubel Clan is about to make a big move, soon.”
“Is it against another Clan?”
When Eru scratched his head, the king whispered and nodded.
“There is that too, but first of all, it’s about your guys.”
“Ours?”
“The intruder flying in the sky have reappeared.”
“It’s about that!”
The king gently held back when Addy’s hips involuntarily began to lift her off her seat. He had a smile on his face, as if saying that he understood.
“Well, that’s what you think. What’s flying in the sky? No, let’s be honest. A ship is heading to this land. The Rubels are now discussing a response.”
Eru and Adi looked at each other. They exchange smiles with surprise and joy. He suppressed his desire to start moving immediately, and turned to the small king again.
“Thank you for the important information. So, we’re going to pick you up soon.”
“Everyone’s here!”
“No, wait. Just wait a minute.”
The King was in a hurry to stop them. The two, half risen from their seats, sat back down, slowly.
“I don’t know how much I want to do, but there’s things that have to be set up.”
With a small breath, the king leaned forward. “You guys are are planning to join this intruder… No, with our fellow countrymen from the west. That’s fine. But are we to be left behind? Distant kin, that’s so heartless. Even though I told you the information out of kindness, there were also some outrageous stories.”
“That’s right.”
In front of Oberon, who was lamenting on purpose, Addy was unhappy. Eru folded his arms and thought a little.
“I know. We’re not so ungrateful.”
“It’s really reassuring to hear that.”
He probably decided he could continue to talk, so the king leaned back.
“First of all, let me hear a little more. The arrival of your people has forced the Rubel Clan to move. They are concerned that the coalition of clans will be formed again, and that there will be unidentified enemies in their skies. It is said that the enemy rejected the Cretvastia, which went up to intercept, and is still invading the territory of the giants.”
When Eru and Addy heard this, they were once again filled with joy. “Everyone is so strong! It’s not likely they’ll be killed by such a demon beast.”
“Once you bring back the information, Edgar and Di will surely be able do something for you. It’s worth letting everyone go.”
“Yet, thanks to this, the Rubel Clan is in turmoil. No matter how great the clan is, it is inevitable that the giants will be hurt if they collide with each other. However, if even the Demon Beasts remain alive and well, a number of things, such as the Clan Union, won’t matter.”
The existence of the Cretvastia is very important in the strategy of the Rubel clan.
“Therefore, they are determined to wipe out the clans that remain before you are involved any more. It’s the return of a full-blown rebellion, and it’s going to be another big question.”
“…… What do you want to say?”
“No, no, no, no, no, no, no… You can be a trump card that will completely change the power of this forest. It’s absolutely responsible, isn’t it?”
With a little laugh, Oberon looked alternately at the pair, looking happy.
“This fight is our fault.”
“There’s nothing to worry about. You just happened to get lost here. There may be a bit of a mess, but you don’t have to join us.”
“Phrased in such a way…”
Addy glared at him, but the king was rather pleasant and smiling.
“However, the goblin clan… This is a headache for me. Once you get involved in a battle between giants, we won’t amount to much.”
“Does that means trying to take everyone in the village hostage!?”
“No way, that’s a way of thinking… However, I am in the position of the king of the Goblin Clan, even if it is just this. I just have to oversee a large are.”
The king shrugged his shoulders, and Addy fell silent, discontent.
In any case, she also knew that she had no power to resist the goblins involved in the fight. The bigger the battle, the less they could afford to protect them. The decision of the Rubel Clan was not very welcome.
“But, at the same time, I believe this is a good opportunity. The Rubel Clan is going to go directly into battle! If you’re going to hit them hard, this is the only place.”
The goblin clan was trying to break away from the Rubel Clan, but it didn’t want a strike on their home base. However, if the are in the middle of fighting against various clans, they stood a chance. If they aimed for it, that’s was.
“Let’s be specific. What kind of action do you want us to take?”
“Hmm. There are so many things, but the battle is near. First of all, we’ve been ordered to move immediately.”
The king’s smile waned as he stared at Eru. Various speculations were swirling in his mind, and his eyes narrowed.
“I want to make sure that the intruders in the sky are really on your side. I’m going to have you guys move on to do that.”
“All right. I don’t mind talking to everyone. Our objectives are consistent in that the Rubels are the enemy.”
“Soon afterwards, we will struggle with the Rubel Clan. It would be better if we could use the Clan Union, but we don’t know how it works, so let’s leave it for the time being.”
Eru was nodding. It is an unbelievable request for him, who wanted most to join the fleet quickly. There was no problem fighting the Rubel Clan… Though, he had some concerns.
“Certainly my order is not so far behind the Cretsvastia. Still, in a full-scale collision, bleeding can’t be avoided.”
Eru’s gaze was locked to Oberon. The king of the goblins lightly gasped in response to the unexpectedly sharp gaze from the little boy.
“I don’t like the role of shedding blood as a one-sided affair on our part.”
“Haha……… It’s safe. In this battle, the Rubels will never gain the power of the flying Demon Beasts.”
“Eh. Why is that?”
The two both looked surprised. The king took a breath and regained his smile.
“Why are you so confident? Do you know how to follow the Cretsvastia?”
“Fufufu. There’s something we’ve been preparing. That’s why. This is a trump card. I can’t give you the details.”
The king and the knight leader smiled cheerfully. They kept laughing while those nearby kept their distance with subtle expressions.
“Okay, let’s remember those words. To defeat the Rubel Clan together and gain freedom.”
“It’s enough. Let’s expect each other to fight well.”
Thus, quietly in the corner of the forest, the siege network against the Rubel Clan was built.
“Oh, yes. Wait a minute. Zacharia, this way.”
It was Eru, who was going down the room to try and chase the ship immediately. Called by the king, he looks back.
Oberon pointed to Zachariah and said, “If you successfully reach out to your friends, you’ll need a way to communicate with them. Accompany him. If you do that, we’ll give you a hand.”
“How is that?”
“He has a little special skill. Well, it’s going to be clear eventually.”
“I understand your role.”
Zachariah knelt in front of the king, whispered, and was full of spirit to go from the look of him. Eru and Addy looked at each other. “What do you want to do? He’s probably been keeping an eye on us.”
“There are things that you want to know about us, but… You’ll need a liaison eventually, and you’ll come back anyway. This way I won’t worry about it.”
“Thank you!”
After Oberon left, Eru and his companions left the city.
“Well. It’s the same thing as searching for the Levitate Ship, first we have to join the Kaerreus clan.”
“Is it okay to leave the giants alone?”
Zacharaia asked questions, suspiciously. From his point of view, he doesn’t like any giant clan simply because they were giants, even if they weren’t as powerful as the Rubel Clan.
“No, I need them. Ask them to come into contact with the Clan Union and Yara. After all, they are all hostile to the Rubels. To win, we have to use everything we can.”
The accompanying young man was at a loss for a reply and stared at the back of the boy walking in front of him. Intruders in the sky, clan union and the goblins, all forces to defeat the Rubel Clan. This little knight is going to beat them thoroughly. Or he might just be more intense than Oberon. The end of his old compatriots from the west — he felt slightly terrified of his existence.
“…… I think it would be good, if it is also for the future of the Goblin Clan.”
When he shakes his head, he makes a decision. Then, he walked behind the boy and the girl.