Dawn was beginning to break in a pale haze.
Time passed quickly, and before they knew it, two full weeks had gone by since they arrived in Dragonbane.
“···Sir Roan!”
Early in the morning, when Adeline came to the clearing, Roan sheathed his sword.
“Sir Adeline, what is it?”
“There is going to be a battle with Solsgard tomorrow at dawn!”
“Oh, finally!”
Roan brightened.
For the past two weeks, Roan's days had been filled with endless sword practice. Of course, from time to time, he also trained his Squire, Paul, spoke with Baldor, or fought friendly duels with Adeline.
But inside, a growing sense of boredom had been taking root.
‘Perfect! I was starting to get restless anyway···!’
In truth, this battle meant more to Roan than a simple fight.
It was the perfect opportunity to find the answer to a question that had been lingering in his mind for a long time.
‘Will killing a Named Enemy really make a Skillbook drop?’
At the thought that he might finally find the answer, his heart began to beat faster.
“Until now, we of Dragonbane have focused solely on defense. But last night, my lord concluded that we cannot win the war if we continue like this.”
“Ah, so that is why he decided to attack Solsgard tomorrow at dawn?”
“That is correct.”
“Hmm··· A very good decision!”
In truth, Roan did not know much about strategy or tactics.
Still, he trusted the baron's judgment.
He was a lord, after all. Surely he knew more about such things than Roan did.
“Where will we be attacking? And what is the strength of our forces?”
Before entering battle, however, Roan believed he at least needed to know the basic details.
He was a knight, after all. If he did not even know something like this, he would hardly deserve to be called one.
“Tomorrow at dawn, we plan to launch an all-out assault on a castle called ‘Gallard.’ Our forces will number roughly five hundred in total, including infantry and archers.”
“Hmm, five hundred···!”
Roan thought carefully about the number.
For the army of a barony, it was by no means small.
However, when he considered it alongside the words ‘all-out assault,’ the force seemed somewhat insufficient.
Various thoughts flashed through his mind.
Then, one question suddenly occurred to him.
“Have you not hired any mercenaries separately?”
“That is correct.”
“Why not?”
At Roan's question, Adeline hesitated.
“That is···.”
Roan nodded with an expression that suggested he understood.
‘Come to think of it, this territory is incredibly poor.’
Considering Dragonbane's financial situation, it was obvious that they could not afford to hire mercenaries.
Roan frowned.
‘I wonder whether we can manage with five hundred soldiers and two knights.’
Roan suddenly began to worry.
No matter how restless he was, he had no desire to participate in a battle with no chance of victory.
‘No··· I've come this far. I can't back out now. I just have to trust myself!’
More precisely, he trusted [Half-Ogre Strength].
Thanks to his duel with Adeline, he had already realized just how extraordinary the skill was.
As long as he had that skill, he was certain he would be able to perform well in tomorrow's battle.
Roan smiled at Adeline and said,
“Sir Adeline, it will be fine. We can manage perfectly well without mercenaries. More than anything, I trust you.”
“···S-Sir Roan.”
When Roan spoke while giving Adeline's shoulder a light pat, she called his name with a moved expression.
Then she nodded firmly and said,
“Yes! Leave it to me! I will definitely repay your trust!”
Afterward, the two knights and Dragonbane's soldiers devoted themselves to preparing for the coming battle.
They inspected their weapons, discussed tactics, and encouraged one another.
As the sun set and the night deepened, tension and resolve settled into everyone's hearts.
* * *
At last, dawn broke and a new day began.
Roan and Adeline led five hundred soldiers and began marching toward Gallard Castle.
One-third of the soldiers were well-trained members of the standing army, while the remaining two-thirds were hastily gathered conscripts.
Perhaps because of that composition, the army's morale was not particularly high.
Unease and fear spread among the soldiers in hushed whispers.
‘Aren't we all going to die?’
‘I heard there is an incredibly strong knight at Gallard Castle···.’
‘But we···.’
The soldiers secretly glanced toward the front.
Their gazes naturally settled on Adeline.
As Dragonbane's only full-fledged knight, she was a legendary figure who had risen to knighthood despite being born a commoner.
Moreover, her achievements as a woman made her a figure of admiration to many.
Perhaps because of that, most of the soldiers respected her deeply.
But beneath the shadow of war, that respect slowly turned into doubt.
Whenever they looked at Adeline's small frame, the thought crossed their minds.
‘Can she really stand against the enemy's powerful knight?’
Meanwhile, the soldiers' feelings toward Roan were equally complicated.
His powerful physique and sharp gaze certainly made him look like an exceptional knight, but the fact that he did not belong to Dragonbane made them uneasy.
‘Will he really stay on our side and fight to the end?’
Such doubts quietly spread among the soldiers.
Roan keenly sensed the mood.
‘···This is bad.’
Worry deepened in his heart.
With their current morale, even if they successfully launched a surprise attack on Gallard Castle, it would be difficult to achieve much.
‘Right now, these men need a strong knight they can trust beside them. But they don't know whether I'm that kind of knight.’
Roan thought deeply about how to break through the situation.
Then, after a while, an idea occurred to him.
Roan urged his horse forward and approached Adeline.
“Sir Adeline.”
“Yes, Sir Roan.”
“Once we arrive at Gallard Castle, are you planning to attack immediately?”
Adeline shook her head.
“No. That would go against convention. I intend to offer them a chance to surrender first.”
“In that case, while offering surrender, I would also like you to make them another proposal. It is···.”
After hearing Roan's proposal, Adeline's eyes widened in surprise.
“···Sir Roan, are you truly certain about this?”
“I am.”
“But I have heard that man is an exceptionally skilled knight. If something were to go wrong···.”
A shadow of concern crossed Adeline's face.
But Roan smiled gently and eased her worries.
“Do not worry. I will be stronger.”
After saying that, Roan looked to the northwest.
By then, the faint outline of Gallard Castle had begun to appear before their eyes.
* * *
Alfonso Monroy.
He was a loyal vassal of Viscount Hailbran Solsgard and a seasoned knight who had governed Gallard Castle for many years.
Within Gallard Castle and the villages surrounding it, his authority was absolute.
A single word from him was practically law, and his decisions determined the fate of the villagers.
“···What? Those Dragonbane bastards have surrounded my castle?”
Perhaps because of that, when he heard that the enemy had encircled the castle first thing in the morning, he found himself angrier than ever.
As though unable to contain himself, he slammed his hand down on the table.
CRASH!
The objects on top of it tumbled to the floor.
“Gather the troops immediately! I will personally wipe out every last one of those enemies!”
In truth, Alfonso's anger did not stem solely from the fact that his territory was under threat.
What enraged him even more was that his pride—and the reputation he had built over many years—was being challenged.
His eyes were filled with nothing but determination to crush the enemy.
At that moment, one of his loyal Squires, Marshall, rushed into the room.
“M-My lord! You must not! The enemy force looked to number more than five hundred! They seem to have come fully committed!”
At Marshall's urgent voice, Alfonso froze for a moment.
His furious gaze turned toward Marshall.
“Then what would you have me do? Hide inside the castle and do nothing? What would my lord think if he saw me behaving like that! Wait··· Do not tell me you are suggesting that I accept the enemy's offer of surrender!”
At Alfonso's suspicion, Marshall hurriedly continued,
“O-Of course not! I only wanted to say that accepting the enemy's second proposal could benefit us as well!”
“Second proposal?”
“Yes. Some arrogant bastard named Roan has challenged you to a one-on-one duel, my lord! He proposed that rather than having the soldiers shed blood needlessly, whoever wins the duel should take Gallard Castle!”
“···W-What?”
Alfonso's eyes widened in surprise.
Several emotions passed across his face in an instant.
Surprise, anger, and finally··· joy?
A brief silence followed.
Then Alfonso's laughter suddenly filled the room.
“Kh··· Khahahahaha! Are you telling me that this fellow named Roan truly made such a proposal to me? Khahahahaha!”
Alfonso's laughter echoed through the castle.
By then, all traces of anger had vanished from his face, leaving only delight.
Alfonso genuinely could not hold back his laughter.
Alfonso Monroy.
In his younger days, he had enjoyed a certain degree of fame.
How much fame?
Enough that he had once earned the epithet ‘Storm Knight.’
And now, some unknown knight whose name he had never even heard dared to challenge him to a one-on-one duel···!
From Alfonso's point of view, he could hardly help bursting into laughter.
“Well, I have no reason to refuse such an offer! Very well. I accept!”
His heart was filled with confidence in victory.
He admitted that he had put on weight recently and that his stamina was not what it used to be, but he still never neglected his morning training.
His swordsmanship remained sharp, and his experience was richer than ever.
Alfonso's only concern was that Dragonbane might not keep its word.
But he soon dismissed even that worry.
‘Well··· even if they do not, it does not matter. If I take the life of one of their knights, the enemy soldiers' morale will plummet. If that happens, we will be more than capable of overcoming our numerical disadvantage!’
Alfonso's gaze sharpened.
He gave an order in a resolute voice.
“Bring me my armor! Today, I shall become the ‘Storm Knight’ once again!”
Marshall quickly bowed and hurried away to carry out the order.
Left alone in the room, Alfonso looked out the window.
Dragonbane's army could be seen in the distance.
Once again, a smile of absolute confidence in victory spread across his lips.