Knights & Magic - Volume 8 - Chapter 110

VOL 8 CH 110: COLLECTING THE ENEMIES OF ENEMIES

There was a feeling of heavy vibrations that seemed to permeate through the ground, heralding the arrival of giants. This particular group of giants quickly staggered into a wide chamber and, as soon as they entered, one in particular called out, “Oi! Where’s the king!? I have an urgent message for him.”

The giants’ momentum came to a rapid halt. The reason being a specific giant, who was sitting in the back of the room, looking rather grim. There, with five eyes, the giant that was the most outstanding of all giants, The king of the Rubel Clan sat, leaning sloppily on his throne. He caught the giants’ eyes with his own.

“I’m right here. Obviously. So, I’m in a bit of a hurry, do you have good news?” the king asked, sarcastically.

“Ah… That is…”

The king’s sarcasm vanished as he looked down the messenger, his expression stern. Whatever anxiety he might have felt was blown away, leaving only power in it’s place. Under intense pressure, the giant who had been carrying the report was dismayed by these words.

“So. You failed?”

“I don’t have enough eyes for this! Many Cretvastia have fallen and some thing is approaching our territories.”

Then, a low sound was transmitted to the ears of the messenger, whom answered listlessly. Astonished, the group with the messenger saw a rare sign from the perspective of a Rubel Clan giant; The king was laughing.

“Kuku, ha-ha… So more Cretvastia were taken down than the enemy warriors whom appeared in our sky. If I were to destroy this many beasts, even I would lose respect in the eyes of the warriors of my clan. That said, how bad are their losses?”

The laughter soon faded. The giants were stepping down to the pressure of the rising king.

“The Cretvastia were once above us; Since then, our clan would has looked to our prosperous future.”

The giant on his left spoke, “Our power base hasn’t dropped. So what’s with that? Now, we have a new problem. Will the sky always be filled with our enemies?”

The king’s gaze grew distant and it seemed as though he didn’t see the giants nearby. He was whispering to himself, or perhaps praying to someone far away. “What’s this flying thing? Why come here? … Is there no answer? Of course it’s something you can’t rely on when it’s important.”

God does not speak silently. There was no sudden blessing. The giants of the clan talked among themselves, but there wasn’t much substance to their words. “One hundred-eyes without blessings. That’s the same thing as being an enemy.”

“If we’re truly meant to rule the clans, then you’ll have to get rid of this enemy.”

Hearing the words of the clan giants, the king’s attention returned to the present. A foreign object that comes from the sky, whose identity and purpose are unknown. A power that rivals and possibly even surpasses Cretvastia can only be a threat to the Rubel Clan.

“Once, we were forced to obey the whims of Cretvastia. Now, will it be ours? Or will it be a disaster for us? Do you understand me?”

Oberon spoke up at last, reminding the giants of his presence. “Yo.”

The giants’ gaze moved, now concentrated on a place almost behind him. There, a huge humanoid wearing the shell of the demon beast stood. This was a distorted existence that looked like a giant, though it’s origin was quite different. The Giant Modoki, or Mystic Knight. The small figure that was 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 you.”

“Perhaps that is so… But, Oberon, if you can’t use that too much, you won’t be needed, will you?”

“In the hopes of avoiding such a thing, together with our Mystic Knight, I can promise to do more work.”

The giant king grimaced, then offered a distorted, mocking smile. Oberon did not seem to care, bowing.

“How shall I remain a king, even if it’s just over the Kaerreus clan I’ve destroyed? If they had simply closed their eyes, the plague would have passed. If an enemy appears in the sky, however, then 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 was the Rubel Clan. In the past, there were a number of powerful clans. The majority of these were destroyed in a massive struggle, the ‘Right of the Eyes’. The reason being that the Rubel Clan, who commanded the Cretvastia, wielded overwhelming power. All that remained were the small clans, akin to a single tree within a vast 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 rather than 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 our sight, it’s still useless. Just look at what happened the last time.”

“Even so, the enemy is not limited to just them.”

“Then, I’ll just 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 whom had even acquired the Cretvastia, 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, rather we just have to level it up.”

Low laughter leaked out. The king walked calmly among the giants, whom had 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 their 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 smaller king. No one noticed that he was secretly smiling.

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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 Zachariah, started to say something before her strangely pleased 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,” Zachariah 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.

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“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 intruders, 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 be picked you soon…”

“Everyone’s finally 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 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 your people beat back the Cretvastia, which had gone to intercept them, 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 we bring back details on what’s going on here, Edgar and Di will surely be able do something for you. It’s worth letting us go to them.”

“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 in the conflict. However, if the Demon Beasts remain alive and well, a number of things, such as the Clan Union, won’t make any difference.”

The existence of the Cretvastia is a very important factor in the strategy of the Rubel clan.

“Therefore, they are determined to wipe out the remaining clans before your people can become even more involved. It’s the return of a full-blown rebellion, followed by another big Question.”

“…… What are you trying to say, exactly?”

“You can be the trump card that will completely change the power balance in this forest. That is absolutely responsible, isn’t it?”

With a little laugh, Oberon looked alternately at the pair, looking pleased with himself.

“This fight is our fault.”

“There’s nothing to worry about. You just happened to get lost here. Things may be a bit of a mess, but you don’t have to join us.”

“When you phrase it like that…”

Addy glared at him, but the king was rather pleasant and smiling.

“However, the goblin clan… This is a painful for me, but once you get involved in a battle between giants, we won’t amount to much.”

“Does that mean trying to take everyone in the village hostage!?”

“No way, I can see how you’d think that… However, I am the king of the Goblin Clan, even if it is just a small force. I do have to oversee a large area, though, and even with my Mystic Knight…”

The king shrugged his shoulders, and Addy fell silent, discontent.

In any case, she also knew that she had no power to prevent the goblin clan from becoming 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 time.”

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 Rubels were in the middle of fighting against various clans, the  goblin clan stood a chance. That was, if they seized the moment.

“Let’s be specific. What kind of action do you want us to take?”

“Hmm. There are so many things I wish to say, 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 Cretvastia. Still, in a full-scale collision, bloodshed 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, either.”

“Haha…….. It’s fine In this battle, the Rubels will not have the support 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 command the Cretsvastia?”

“Fufufu. This is 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 these words. We will 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 just one minute. Zachariah, this way.”

It was Eru, who was going back down to the room, wanting to try and chase the ship immediately. Called by the king, he looked back.

Oberon pointed to Zachariah and said, “If you successfully reach out to your friends, you’ll need a way to communicate with us. He’ll be accompanying you. If you do that, we’ll give you a hand.”

“How is that?”

“He has a 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 spying on us.”

Before Eru could respond to Addy’s whisper, the king’s voice cut in again, “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. In order to begin searching for the Levitate Ship, we have to rejoin our friends within the Kaerreus clan.”

“Isn’t it okay to leave the giants out of it?”

Zachariah asked questions, suspiciously. From his point of view, he did not care for any giant clan simply because they were giants. This was true even if they weren’t as powerful as the Rubel Clan.

“No, I need them. I’ll have them make contact with the Clan Union. 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, staring hard at the back of the boy walking in front of him. Intruders in the sky, the clan union, and the goblins; all the forces available to defeat the Rubel Clan. This little knight was going to beat them thoroughly. Or maybe he was just more intense than Oberon. The end of his old compatriots from the west — Zachariah felt slightly terrified of the little commander’s existence.

“…… I think it would be good, as long as it’s for the future of the Goblin Clan.”

When he shook his head, he made a decision. Thus, he walked behind the boy and the girl.