The Gold Gate stood imposingly across the field of vision, exuding a tremendous sense of awe. Billy closed his eyes and imagined the battle that had taken place here long ago. He saw himself at the center of the scene he had witnessed with one foot dipped into the River of Death and the imaginings he had conjured before sleep during years in bed.
Billy opened his eyes. He stood before a line of black knights, arrayed after crossing the Bridge of Alaraya. This dream-like situation was not a dream. For a moment, he had become the captain of the Excelon Knights, who had led to glory a decade ago. Yet, Billy was not sure of himself.
‘Am I alive, or am I dreaming?’
The thing that woke him to reality was the excited voice of Suvel.
“So, is our task now to smash the Gold Gate to pieces?”
Billy looked up at the Gold Gate again.
‘It’s the moment I’ve always imagined, but I feel nothing special. Just a slight excitement, a light tension, and an inexplicable emptiness.’
Billy hadn’t come to Aranthia expecting this. He hadn’t raced to the Gold Gate with the criminals who called him captain, expecting this. But it had come to pass.
‘Why do you seek to cross the Gold Gate even from beyond death?’
Black revived the memory but said nothing. The knights who had once been under Welch and now under Billy, the Knights of Death, silently followed Billy’s command, not revealing why they wanted to cross the Gold Gate.
‘Is it that you cannot speak, or will not? Even in the moment you awaken from death, do you adhere to chivalry?’
Billy looked at the knights standing behind him and fell into thought.
At the Gold Gate, they were quickly responding to the sight of over a hundred black knights. If there were soldiers among them who had experienced war, they would likely be quite surprised. However, outwardly, they showed no particular reaction.
“Well, even if our forces are powerful, I wonder if it’s impossible to bring down the Gold Gate itself… Black, what should we do?”
Billy asked calmly for his opinion.
“It wouldn’t be bad to take a brief look back at the defeat of the Gold Gate.”
The silent black knights, who had risen like ghosts, were also slightly excited by this familiar situation. However, Black, as always, showed no change in emotion. The only time he joked around excitedly was when Kassel was by his side. Thinking about this made Billy feel a bit jealous and envious.
“But the defeat we need to reconsider isn’t in the Gold Gate itself, but in the Wolf Knights. There’s absolutely no reason for those who should be dead to rise and kill the living.”
Black said.
‘I thought we were going to conquer the Gold Gate, but it seems not.’
Surprised by the unexpected response, Billy asked again.
“Then what should we do?”
“You give the orders. I’m not the captain.”
Black affirmed his position.
“Then I’ll think about what to do and come back.”
Billy spurred his horse forward.
“Suvel, come with me.”
As Suvel followed, he asked.
“Are you going to declare a proclamation of war?”
“Something like that.”
The two raced towards the gate. Bathed in the morning sunlight from the east, the Gold Gate shone brilliantly. Suvel spoke while riding.
“It’s even more spectacular in the evening. Now it’s just reflecting the sunlight, but in the evening, it emits the light it’s absorbed all day.”
“It would be a sight to see. But I don’t plan to stay here till evening.”
“I already saw enough of it five years ago.”
The two halted their horses in front of the Gold Gate. Soldiers wielding spears looked down from the watchtower above the gate.
“Let the keeper of the Gold Gate come out. I am Billy Matney.”
Soon, one person poked his head out.
“I am Danedor, the keeper of the Gold Gate. What business brings you here with such a hostile demeanor?”
Suvel whispered to Billy upon hearing that name.
“I’ve heard of him. He was quite active in the Wolf Knights in the past. He’s still active in the field.”
“If someone insignificant were guarding such a grand Gold Gate, Black’s knights would be bored.”
Billy coughed briefly and then shouted towards the top of the gate.
“Danedor, I want to make a proposal that you cannot accept. If you do, I will praise your bravery.”
“If you know I can’t accept it, what’s your proposal?”
“Open the gate.”
“Ha!”
Danedor burst into laughter.
“Honestly, if you guys had snuck in one by one without revealing your names, I could have turned a blind eye. It’s the rule of the gate to allow passage without restrictions. But how can I let such a large number pass at once?”
“I am named, but the rest are knights without even a name to hide. Yet, we want to declare ourselves boldly and enter. We have no intention of concealing our passage through the Gold Gate! Let us through!”
“Billy Matney, then at least reveal your identity before we start.”
“Excelon Knights.”
“Then, are the black knights behind you the hundred Excelon Knights who died nine years ago?”
“Exactly. Danedor Wolf, open the gate. This is your last warning.”
Despite the distance, Billy could see how shocked Danedor was. He was rather glad that Danedor was shocked. If someone completely ignorant had heard it, they would have scoffed and dismissed it immediately.
‘Danedor knows that knights risen from the dead exist. There’s no need to ask who.’
Danedor spoke in a strong tone.
“My name is no longer Wolf. However, the duty of the gatekeeper is not to let those pass who should not.”
“Then I’ll force it open.”
Billy spoke with a threatening tone, but when he actually spoke, he was merely informing him in a matter-of-fact way. Danedor, not to be outdone, replied.
“These knights were unable to pass through here even then, and as long as I guard it, they will not pass now.”
“I understand your position, Danedor. But there are those who don’t adhere to common sense. My warning is over. Defend with all your might. Then you’ll understand how much we want to cross the gate.”
Billy turned his horse around and went back to where Black was. Suvel followed quietly and said,
“Danedor is right. We won’t be able to cross that gate. Thinking about it, why did the Wolf Knights bother to open the gate and fight the Excelon Knights? Couldn’t they have just fought from beyond the gate?”
“If they had hidden, the Excelon Knights would have waited, and they would have joined forces with the hundred thousand troops of Lontamon following them.”
Billy explained the tactics of the war he had known for a long time.
“Back then, all gates except the Gold Gate were wide open, a strategy to disperse Lontamon’s forces. I still want to ask why Welch rushed through all the open gates, knowing they were traps, and why he didn’t wait for the main force at the Gold Gate but fought the Wolf Knights with just the Excelon Knights.”
Billy turned his horse next to Black. Black had apparently already heard the conversation between Danedor and Billy and was preparing to advance.
Billy exhaled lightly and touched his abdomen where Jaymer had stabbed him. Just ten minutes earlier, there had been a lingering soreness, but now it had completely disappeared. He couldn’t even remember where he had been stabbed.
Billy didn’t ask the question he wanted to ask but said,
“We have to open the gate.”
“There’s a Wolf Knight among them.”
Black, who could understand any voice at a close distance, must have also heard the ‘curious point’ Billy had just mentioned to Suvel. However, he didn’t respond.
“Danedor. I heard he retired from being a Wolf Knight.”
“Once a Wolf Knight, you’re never really retired. I’ll need three knights. I will open the gate.”
“Once the gate is open, we’ll pass through immediately. Minimize the damage.”
Black immediately raced towards the Gold Gate with three other black knights.
“These guys are already dead, so they can’t die, right? Minimize damage?”
Suvel asked.
“It’s about their side. Killing soldiers of Aranthia ends at the Red Gate. We won’t kill any more innocent people. What Black wants is to pass the Gold Gate and go to the White Gate, not to destroy Aranthia.”
Fortunately, Suvel didn’t ask a question like, ‘Then what exactly does Black want to do at the White Gate?’ Billy wouldn’t have known either. And probably, even if he asked, Black wouldn’t answer.
Black and the other three black knights charged straight for the Gold Gate. What followed was a scene hard to believe. The black horses carrying the black knights leaped with terrifying agility, easily clearing the five-meter high walls.
Without having to see what was happening inside, Billy knew. However, he didn’t want to remain a mere observer to this event.
“Suvel, when the gate opens, signal everyone to rush. Try not to fight, and after passing, don’t look back, just run.”
“What are you planning to do?”
“This horse is the same breed as the one Black is riding, right?”
“What, what?”
Leaving a bewildered Suvel behind, Billy spurred his horse forward.
‘This body feels so good, I feel like I can do anything.’
The horse, running towards the shining white walls of the Gold Gate reflecting the sunlight, was moving uncontrollably fast. It seemed to be following commands blindly, ignoring instinct. Without any commands, it looked ready to crash into the wall at full speed.
“Jump.”
Billy didn’t know how to command properly. He just crouched down and nudged the horse’s belly with his feet, as he would when jumping a small railing. The horse understood the command or simply decided to leap over the obstacle ahead, kicking powerfully off the ground with its hind legs.
Billy took a deep breath and held it.
For a moment, there was a tingling sensation as if his guts were being pulled to the ground. Not only his hair but even his eyelashes fluttered, tickling his eyeballs. He hadn’t looked down, but he knew he was in the air for that brief moment.
The horse just barely reached the top of the wall, hooking its front legs and pulling up the rear with a bounce. The landing wasn’t as harsh as one would expect after such an enormous leap.
There were many soldiers down on the tower. However, as they were moaning and writhing, it seemed none were dead. If Black had decided on a massacre, the place would have been a bloodbath. The other three knights following Black were also using only the handles of their spears to attack.
Billy descended the stairs on horseback. Inside, it was slightly dark, and the ceiling was low. He bent his head down and descended another flight of stairs, emerging in a wide space on the first floor where the gate was closed. Many soldiers were lined up there, attempting to block the four knights, including Black. However, they could not penetrate Black’s extended halberd. The black knights, despite being hit with spears and stabbed with swords, were relentlessly rushing towards the door.
“Don’t back down.”
With a loud roar, a blade as tall as a person fell from above, right over the head of a black knight advancing towards the gate. The helmet of the black knight, split in two, clattered to the ground as the knight fell from his horse.
It was Danedor. He held a heavy sword in one hand and shouted boldly,
“If you are the dead come to life, then I shall kill you again here. The gate cannot be opened.”
As Black, who was dealing with other soldiers, turned his horse around, Billy quickly descended the stairs and stood next to Black.
“I’ll handle this.”
Billy leaped off his horse and drew Lontamon’s treasured sword.
“I am Billy, the captain of this knight order. I wish to face the sword of a retired Wolf.”
Danedor looked at Billy’s face, then tilted his head in confusion.
“Billy Matney. You are different from the others.”
Danedor glanced at Black and the other two knights, also keeping an eye on the black knight he had just brought down with his helmet split.
“I am alive. That’s all.”
Billy replied, though he was doubtful.
‘Can I truly say I am alive?’
The black energy that flowed into his body from Black’s hand at dawn did not seem like a spell of life.
‘Maybe I am dying.’
Danedor shouted,
“Is this Lontamon declaring war on Aranthia again? Or have you come for personal revenge, Billy of Excelon?”
“Neither! I am not here as a knight of Lontamon right now.”
The injured soldiers at the gate moaned, helped away by other soldiers, but the rest did not retreat.
‘The dedication of the gate soldiers, here and at the Red Gate, is not something you see in ordinary guards. The difference in skill between Lontamon’s and Aranthia’s soldiers isn’t big. But it’s in places like this that you can really see the difference.’
Billy thought of the corruption and power within the royal knight order.
Danedor swung his massive sword overhead, then assumed a fighting stance.
“Personal reasons? What are you hesitating for? Come!”
Billy also took a deep breath, relaxing the tense muscles of his body readying to mount his horse. His concentration heightened to a frightening degree. Every movement of Danedor was imprinted in his vision.
Danedor’s sword fell overhead. It was full of openings, but it was such a strong attack that there was no chance to exploit them.
Billy didn’t dodge. Confident that Lontamon’s treasured sword wouldn’t break, even against such a greatsword, and with his current strength, he could block such a heavy sword, Billy forcefully raised his sword to strike. The moment the two blades collided, Billy pushed back the greatsword. Danedor staggered and failed to block Billy’s counterattack, getting slashed across the chest.
Billy’s attack didn’t stop. However, Danedor blocked all of them. Just as Billy was about to finish his attack, the greatsword of Danedor, thought to have been completely spent, grazed Billy’s neck. It was a moment when Billy’s neck could have been cut off if he had recklessly tried to deal a finishing blow. Realizing the retreat was a calculated move, Billy couldn’t approach carelessly.
“If you delay, I may have to kill everyone here.”
Black, mounted on his horse, spoke from behind. Turning around, Billy saw the black knight with the shattered helmet had risen again, and the soldiers watching the scene were either screaming in fear or retreating.
“Even if I fall, I want to finish this myself.”
Billy lifted his sword again, feeling an overwhelming surge of strength flowing through his arm muscles.
It was clear that Danedor was preparing for a massive attack. Billy charged towards Danedor, who swung his sword down from the front. The attack came at a precise timing and angle.
‘If a retired Wolf Knight is this strong, how much stronger are the active Wolves?’
Billy swung his sword horizontally as he charged. For a moment, the surroundings seemed to warp. Billy had passed Danedor, and where Danedor’s sword had swung, Billy was no longer there.
Danedor weakly knelt down.
Meanwhile, one of the black knights rushed toward the gate and rammed into it with his horse. The gate shook violently. The black knight swung his spear broadly, knocking down soldiers guarding the gate and lifting a huge bolt, heavy enough to require three men, with the tip of his spear.
The Gold Gate opened. About a hundred knights, as previously arranged, charged towards the now open Gold Gate.
Billy gestured, and his horse approached him without further command. He grabbed the reins and looked back at Danedor.
From the moment Danedor fell, the guards lost the will to fight. More precisely, from the moment the black knight with the shattered helmet rose again, they realized that fighting was futile.
“Move the injured to the side. The knight order will pass through here soon.”
Billy’s statement was not a command or a threat, but a consideration. However, how the gate soldiers would perceive it was uncertain.
The black knights, passing through the open gate at a terrifying speed, shook the entire gate as if an earthquake had struck. Suvel, having quickly learned to control the black horse, passed by Billy without falling behind the other knights.
“Weren’t you harboring a grudge against the Gold Gate? Why did you spare us?”
Danedor did not beg for his life in humiliation. Even though he was defeated, there was no tone of grievance in his voice. Instead, he almost seemed regretful that Billy used his differently acquired power to defeat him.
“We didn’t come to start a war. Our only aim was to pass through the Gold Gate.”
Billy responded, and Black added from behind,
“It’s not that we don’t have a grudge.”
Danedor’s expression showed that he had some understanding of who Black might be, but he was too afraid to utter his name, only glaring.
“The opening of a gate that should not have opened is enough to end our grudge. So, be grateful Danedor. If the captain had ordered to kill, you would have been killed, but you were spared because he ordered to spare. Your life and death are of no concern to us who have experienced death.”
Black turned his horse and left through the gate with the other black knights. Billy, about to follow, turned his head and said,
“Hurry and notify the White Gate that we are coming. I don’t want to destroy an empty White Gate.”
Danedor glared at Billy with eyes blazing with anger.
Billy said nothing more and left through the gate.
“Raise the beacon of Alaraya.”
Shortly after, Danedor’s loud voice resonated behind him. Billy caught up with the group of black knights ahead.
‘Death being of no concern to you… Does that include me too, Black?’
The Gold Gate had fallen. A gate that had never collapsed since the founding of Aranthia, and a land that had never allowed the entry of foreign invaders, was now stepped upon by the Knights of Death. Yet, Billy felt no joy, only questions lingering in his mind.
‘What lies at the end of this march?’
–TL Notes–
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