Chapter 16
Rather than disowning his unfilial son, he sent annual donations to the knightly order Ylfus had joined and sent him new fabrics every season. Tucked into the seams of those fabrics were marriage proposals, which he still hadn’t given up on.
Although, over time, the proportion of unfortunate divorcees in the proposals steadily increased. Regardless, what mattered now was that his father was excessively tender-hearted.
The day Ylfus heard that Sir Lantimos Gracian, now in his forties and approaching fifty, had answered the king’s summons, he removed his paladin armor.
The ever-cheerful Sir Philip, unsurprised, remarked,
“Sir Gracian, does it truly matter what armor you wear or whose banner you fight under? Our worth lies not only in representing the valor of the Holy Order. We are the guardians of God’s great love!”
Sir Philip patted his shoulder, encouraging him in a booming voice,
“Return to your domain and fight for those you love!”
Moved, Ylfus replied with emotion,
“Sir Philip, I’m touched by your love and friendship. May I embrace you and kiss your cheek with this fiery heart?”
Sir Philip chuckled and replied,
“Get lost.”
Thus, Ylfus led Kalasca’s knights to the battlefield.
But the place was horrifying.
That was all there was.
The sacred vow was broken from the very first day.
Love all life, for all life is a child of God…
There was no time to grieve the broken vow. His enemies were utterly ruthless.
Sidney, now the king, had rebelled against his elder brother over succession. He had gathered disloyal rebels and raised a brutal army.
To fight them, the paladins had to erase their sacred vows with their own hands.
Ylfus quickly stopped counting the lives taken by his spear and sword.
Death became a daily occurrence.
He could tear bread with hands covered in blood and flesh and sleep soundly atop piles of corpses.
He marched, invaded, killed, pillaged, occupied, and marched again.
To pacify his soldiers, he allowed inhumane looting. He allied with traitors. He freely mingled with the unjust and the unfaithful.
To survive, he lived through days of drinking poison.
Though he had long since removed his paladin armor, Ylfus, who had always kept God’s teachings in his heart, could no longer call himself a paladin.
He had become a vicious beast, running when told to run, tearing apart when told to tear apart.
And the fate of such a beast was grim.
It was a trap.
Sidney’s knights, who had been feigning retreat to lure them in, suddenly turned and fought back.
At the same time, enemies poured out from all sides, cutting off their retreat.
Ylfus realized this was the end. Yet, he fought to the last.
When he regained consciousness, no one remained beside him—neither enemy nor ally.
He slumped down, leaning against a spear planted into the pile of corpses. Death bloomed all around him, and soon he would join it.
It was then that he heard his mentor, Sir Philip’s voice in the droning wind.
“Fight for those you love…!”
Suddenly, the hazy faces of his parents, blurred ever since he left home, appeared vividly before him.
The long-forgotten scenery of his hometown came back to life.
His friends would not rejoice in his honorable death.
Ylfus’s eyes snapped open.
The pain of his near-dead body surged back, and his vision blurred again. But he gritted his teeth so hard it felt like they might break.
‘I refuse to die as a beast!’
He realized he had to fight once more—for those he loved, to love them fully. He had to fight against the death looming over him.
Leaning against his spear, Ylfus struggled to his feet. His faithful steed approached, snorting.
With his last ounce of strength, he mounted the horse. He plunged into the unfamiliar forest, determined to evade the pursuing enemies.
And there, he met her.
The person of his destiny, whom he had sought his entire life.
The one who brought an end to the countless days spent waiting for something he couldn’t even name.
The one true answer to all the questions that had ever haunted his life.
Cinq.
Cinquerus Gracian.
His wife.
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