The ground subtly vibrated. The shouts of soldiers positioned heavily at the castle gates and the noises from beyond the walls subsided as the imminent battle drew closer. Fifty Wolf Knights patiently awaited the approaching storm in silence.
“How many?”
Quain, who had been resting his forehead on the spear he had planted on the ground, asked.
“About three hundred.”
The knight who had first scouted and returned reported with a shaky voice.
“It seems they maintain the same force as when they defeated the Dragon Knights. They haven’t suffered any losses on their way here.”
Upon hearing this, Quain silently rose, and Meylumil voiced his concerns beside him.
“I had hoped they’d underestimate us, but it doesn’t seem that way at all.”
“I know why. Someone’s already spilled the beans…”
A knight named Lofin pointed accusatorily at another knight, ‘Irene’, hinting at some disclosure. As everyone turned to look, puzzled, Lofin was already thrown from his horse. Due to the skirmish, the already steep difference in numbers between the two sides (300 to 50) now became 300 to 48.
Watching the bickering pair, Quain couldn’t help but laugh. The tension he felt from becoming a captain melted away.
Mounting his horse with his spear slung over his shoulder, Quain addressed the group.
“How about a speech to commemorate my new position as captain? It’s a historic moment.”
Meylumil, ensuring everyone could hear, spoke up, prompting all eyes to turn expectantly to Quain.
Quain found himself uttering the words he’d kept close to his heart: “I don’t need to be the best, because I have the best friends.”
The building momentum fizzled out instantly.
One of the knights retorted, “What does that even mean? I know you’re not the best, but I am.”
“Well, you’re certainly not.”
“And who asked you?”
The atmosphere quickly descended into bickering.
“No, I mean…”
Quain tried to explain but gave up as the group continued their playful jabs, leaving no room for him to interject.
“Nevermind. It made sense in my head.”
Beyond the Gold Gate, the Excelon Knights, though only numbering three hundred, exuded an aura of a vast, formidable army.
‘It feels like a duel challenge.’
The captain leading the Excelon Knights would surely be aware of the over two-thousand-strong force defending Aranthia. Yet, they had come with only their three hundred knights.
‘We have no choice but to accept this duel.’
Though the Wolf Knights were currently playful, they all grasped the gravity of the impending battle.
‘If we lose here, Aranthia will fall!’
Quain gave no instructions to prepare for a siege at the Gold Gate.
The Gold Gate opened, and the horses of the Wolf Knights slowly advanced. In the distance, the three hundred Excelons awaited the Wolves.
“Our captain had been in position for only half a day, and the one on their side was Welch, who had won countless battles… There’s a difference in troops and a difference in captains. This is serious.”
An older Wolf Knight said sarcastically, as if sensing an imminent defeat.
“Why is he acting like that? Is it a day off for him or something?”
Meylumil threatened with a swing of his spear.
“Those guys defeated all the knight orders of the continent. They see knight orders like ours as nothing. But doesn’t something seem off?”
The elderly knight spoke unyieldingly, with a hint of pessimism.
“It doesn’t look like a lion putting all its effort into catching a rabbit. It’s more like how a lion would face another lion. I don’t know why they rate our knight order so highly, but they’ve given us no gap to penetrate. Whose idea was this?”
Two white wolves that had been bickering in the back quickly rode up beside Quain.
“It wasn’t me,” Lofin panted.
Irine chimed in, “It doesn’t necessarily mean it was my fault.”
Having listened to the two, Quain hesitantly said, “Fine. I’ll take responsibility.”
“What?”
The surrounding Wolves were all taken aback.
After all the Wolves passed through the gate, the gatekeeper holding the banner of Aranthia’s wolf emblem awaited Captain Wolf’s command. Quain gave a slight nod, and the gate was closed again.
“Whatever happens today, I’ll take responsibility.”
Driving his horse forward, Quain shouted to everyone, “Do as you please. It’s all on me.”
“How will you take responsibility?” The older knight interjected once again.
Quain replied with a gentle smile, “Try causing trouble, then you’ll see how I handle it.”
The crowd murmured in response.
“Does he just spout words without thinking?”
“Doesn’t he feel embarrassed?”
Quain’s speech that day in front of the Gold Gate was deemed the most amusing speech by any Captain Wolf. However, the battle that unfolded that day between the Wolf Knights and the Excelon Knights was one of the most remarkable knight battles.
☆ ☆ ☆
‘Captain Welch.’
Quain paused from writing his letter, recalling an event from 9 years ago. At the time, he felt burdened immediately upon becoming captain, but in retrospect, there weren’t any moments he took lightly thereafter.
The hardest thing after becoming Captain was dealing with those Wolf rascals, and after becoming the Guardian Knight, the most challenging was managing Queen Sanadiel. She often acted without considering the consequences if it seemed fun. Quain always had his hands full cleaning up after her.
Now she had canceled a prior appointment to play a card game with Highlord Anadil of the Red Gate. As usual, Quain was left to deal with the aftermath.
‘I’d rather risk my life in battle.’
Quain was pondering over the best greeting for an apology letter when Demar, overseeing the Wolf Knights’ administrative affairs, approached with a disheveled letter envelope.
“Lumil?”
“Yes.”
Demar tilted his head as he spoke, “It’s risky for someone of Meylumil’s stature to send a letter like this without a seal.”
“Probably nothing too important, I guess.”
Quain sat at his desk and opened the letter. After reading the brief content, he laughed out loud.
“Interesting news?”
Demar inquired with curious eyes.
“The same friend who always wasted paper with nonsense sent a proper letter for once. Says his disciples have brought a candidate for Captain of the Wolf Knights.”
As Quain relished the content of the letter, Demar exclaimed in surprise.
“Look at that! Such a letter that should be securely sent…”
He paused to compose himself before asking, “So, the White Wolves found a candidate for captain in Camort? He must be quite skilled. From what I know, the only one recently who became a Wolf Knight without undergoing the test was Sildire.”
Demar quietly counted on his fingers, and his astonishment grew.
“Even if you look back, the only ones with such traits were Loyal and Dunmel! The captain he speaks of bringing in now must be truly exceptional. We should prepare for this in advance. If he’s a candidate for captain, we need to inform the Queen and schedule a council of elders…”
Demar was already deep in thought, planning.
“No, no. Don’t be hasty. The letter mentions him as the captain, not a candidate for captain.”
Quain Gant said, putting down the letter.
“What do you mean?”
“It means he’s already the captain. Probably the White Wolves and Lumil have made the decision.”
Demar was shocked.
“Is that even allowed? Without the Queen’s consent?”
“She might just need a brief meeting.”
Quain dismissed it as if it wasn’t a big deal.
“I’m curious who it is. Among the words Lumil wrote, there’s a sentence that all the White Wolves agree and follow this person. If those stubborn five approved and Lumil sent him, he’d be qualified to be captain without even consulting me.”
“He might be on par with you in skills.”
Demar spoke, fear evident in his voice.
“Lumil barely mentioned the new captain. It seems I should decide for myself. I was already concerned about appointing an official captain, but this is fortunate. Well, the position was too burdensome for Loyal.”
Quain already seemed pleased with the news.
“I’m still worried… If this newcomer declares himself captain, will he be able to command the other Wolves…”
Quain laughed at Demar’s concern.
“You’ve been managing the Wolf Knights for nearly 10 years and you still don’t get it? What do you think the Wolves want in a captain?”
“Skill in swordsmanship like Master? Charisma?”
“If it was that, Sheyden or Loyal would’ve been captain long ago. But they weren’t, right?”
“Then, leadership?”
“Azwin and Gerald are battlefield commanders who surpass both me and Lumil. But they weren’t made captain.”
“Then what?”
Quain Gant spread out his hands as he spoke.
“That’s the tricky part. What do you think I did when I held the captain’s position? To cut to the chase, I did nothing. That’s how I was able to endure the role of captain.”
“I don’t quite understand.”
“If you can understand and act upon that, then you could become Captain Demar Wolf from now on.”
Demar could only open his mouth in surprise, without a retort.
Suddenly, Quain glanced out the window.
“Was a guest expected today?”
Against the backdrop of the green garden and the refreshing fountain, a man stood. Probably because he was engrossed in conversation with Demar, he hadn’t noticed the man, who now seemed to have magically appeared.
The man, dressed in a white robe and holding a curved staff, walked straight towards them. Gardeners and maids bowed deeply in greeting.
Demar, watching the man approach, commented.
“There were no guests scheduled for today.”
“Both of us aren’t the type to forget appointments, right?”
“Even if I forget easily, I wouldn’t forget a guest from ‘Lutia’.”
“If Lutia’s master visits Nadium without notice, it must be a grave matter.”
Quain Gant opened the window and shouted a greeting to the approaching mage.
“Any news from the Sky Mountains, Master Dethain?”
The mage’s intense gaze pierced the distance. Demar, curious about the mage, found himself retreating from the mage’s fierce look.
“We require assistance.”
The mage spoke in a voice that, despite its lack of a beard, felt filled with wisdom. Despite his slow approach, it felt like he had arrived in no time.
“Lutia requires assistance? Of course, we’re always ready to heed the Sky Mountains’ requests.”
Quain stuck his head out of the window. Every step of the mage seemed deliberate and rhythmic, like a prelude to casting a spell.
Finally, as the mage reached the open window, he spoke without hesitation.
“Loan me the White Wolves.”
Quain momentarily closed his mouth. He then whispered softly to Demar.
“Inform the Queen that we have a visitor from Lutia.”
After sending Demar away, Quain turned his face back towards the window.
“Come in, Master Dethain. Though I’ve greeted you from behind this window due to my excitement and urgency, don’t we need to discuss such important matters over a cup of tea?”
“Pardon my rudeness, but there’s no time. We, and Lutia, do not have much time, Master Quain. If conditions are needed to borrow the White Wolves, then I will take the compensation now for the help Lutia provided to Aranthia ten years ago.”
Master Dethain spoke with an uncharacteristic urgency, unlike a mage.
“A compensation between Aranthia and Lutia? That’s not why I offered the tea. If it’s urgent, we can skip formalities. However, there is a problem. There are currently no White Wolves in Nadium.”
The mage, with an almost angry expression, asked, “Then where are they?”
“They had matters in the Kingdom of Camort. However, they seemed to have finished their tasks and are safely on their way back.”
“How long will it take for them to arrive here?”
“About ten days? It could be two weeks, or even a week.”
Quain didn’t expect his disciples to take a direct route back.
‘I hope they didn’t forget they are Wolf Knights during their long journey outside.’
Dethain, looking bewildered, inquired, “That’s quite vague. May I go and fetch them myself?”
“So you mean you’ll meet them in advance and take them straight to Lutia?”
“Please allow it.”
The mage asked almost coercively.
“If it concerns Lutia, cooperation is a given. You may take them. I will explain the urgency to the Queen.”
It seemed genuinely urgent as the mage quickly left through the garden. Quain, resting his hand on the windowsill, gazed at the fluttering hem of the mage’s robe and murmured.
“Ah, I should have mentioned that those guys aren’t the sort to obediently follow orders.”
–TL Notes–
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