“They’re coming! Stand your ground, subjects!”
“OU!”
The goblins cried out in response, but Allen also cried out. It was almost as if he wanted to drown out the cry of the goblins.
“Onwards! Throwing spears!”
The Blue Knights looked like they were flying as they charged straight for the center of the expanding goblin army.
“Throw them!”
As the holy sword was raised up, spears were thrown at the Gaidga Tribe and the southern goblins that were waiting. The throwing spears pierced their shields, rendering them useless, and immediately after, came the spears of the peerless Blue Knights.
The goblins who took their charge head on all flew into the air. Even the Gaidga goblins were no exception. Allen, who led the charge, showed no signs of stopping. As they pierced the center, they rode for the Goblin King.
“Tch. Close the wings! Messenger!”
When Pale realized her mistake, she sent an order through the messenger to surround the Blue Knights, but it was already too late. The Blue Knights had already broken through the frontlines and were now making their way for the Goblin King.
“Your blade won’t reach our king!”
“Protect His Highness!”
Gi Za Zakuend quickly realized the situation and casted a powerful wind magic at the Blue Knights, not caring if his allies got caught in the blast. At the same time, Gi Ga Rax sent half of his cavalry behind the king to protect him.
“We’re going around them!”
When Allen saw that, he steered his cavalry to the left to avoid the Goblin King and leave the battle.
“Give Gi Ga-dono the order to pursue!”
Pale immediately gave out the order, but with Aransain’s formation broken to protect the king, she knew that it was no longer possible to catch up with them.
“…Never mind. He won’t make it. Don’t pursue, but stay alert.”
“…I didn’t think they would be this strong,” the Goblin King said.
“Yes, but it’s only because they managed to read me. I won’t lose next time,” Pale replied.
“There is nothing more annoying than a desperate enemy. If you insist on trying to win without incurring any damages, you might just have the floor ripped out from below you.”
“…”
The Goblin King halted the army’s advance temporarily to give rest to the soldiers and treat the wounded. The goblins rested for two days. Although they were taking their time, they were steadily making their way for Pena. It was around this time that Pale received information from her spies in Pena.
“The enemy commander is the Knight Commander of the Order of the Blue Knights, Allen… It seems they’re planning on constructing fortresses outside their city to hole themselves up in.”
“Very well. We’ve come this far. I might as well accompany them.”
With the Goblin King personally appearing to lead the army, the morale of the entire army shot up and they made their way for Pena. They crushed three small fortresses along the way, and each time, they would face the troubling Blue Knights of Pena head on.
The Blue Knights would appear before them, but then they would suddenly take a sharp turn, run past the goblins, and then throw spears at them from the side. To the goblins, they were like swallows they could not catch.
Though the wars lessened their numbers, the remaining members of the Blue Knights have gotten that much stronger. Their valiant figures roused the people of Pena, and they became a powerful resistance against the goblins. But despite that, they could not stop the goblin army that was equipped with the Kushain siege weapons and led by the Goblin King himself from approaching.
Eventually, all the fortresses around Pena were broken, and the only thing left was the imperial capital itself.
◆◇◆
That day, Allen requested an audience with Queen Raksha. It’s been a while since he last saw her.
“…It’s been a while, Your Highness. It is my great pleasure to be able to see you.”
“…Yes.”
After their cold greeting, silence filled the room. After a short while, Raksha spoke.
“I hear the goblins are terrifying.”
“Ha…”
Allen bowed his head.
“You’re also going to die, aren’t you, Allen?”
Rashka said those words emotionlessly, and Allen bowed his head.
“In order to protect Your Highness and this country, I will offer even my life. This is true not just for me, but for the others as well.”
“…Is that so? You stole the holy sword, and now you’re going to be killed by goblins. What a fitting end for you.”
“…Forgive me, Princess Raksha.”
“It’s a little too late to be saying that now…”
The two stared at each other after that, but the screams from outside broke the silence.
“The goblins have started attacking! Allen-dono! Where is Allen-dono!?”
“I’m going.”
“Yes.”
After Allen left and Raksha was left alone, she felt her eyes getting cloudy. She touched her cheeks with her fingertips.
“How strange… Why are tears…”
He was the weakling who failed to save her beloved Aizas and the coward who abandoned Brandika. That’s who he was.
And yet, for some reason, the tears wouldn’t stop flowing down her eyes.
Before she knew it, her breathing had grown ragged and she was sobbing like a child.
“Why? Why… A-llen.”
Allen.
How long did she call out that name. Like a dam breaking, all the emotions she’d kept until now came pouring out of her chest. That was a name she adored as an older brother. The Allen who always protected her. The Allen who would take her hand and lead her through the black of the night!
The Allen, who for her sake, allowed his body to be turned into tatters and his mind worn away, and yet despite all that, continues to stand in the way of the monsters!!
“Allen… Allen!!”
She ran.
“Don’t go, Allen!”
She frantically opened the thick doors of her throne, and ran down the hallway in search of her beloved Allen. Her long skirt got in her way and sent her tumbling and groaning. But afraid that her beloved Allen might leave her and go somewhere far away, she forced herself to make it to the veranda.
By then, what she saw was the figure of the Blue Knights sortieing under the cheers of the people.
At the head of the order was Allen.
“Allen!”
She strained her throat and cried out as loud as she could. For a moment, he turned to her direction, the holy sword in hand.
“Don’t go!”
Their gazes met, but Allen only gently smiled, then shook his head, and never again turned around.
“No, no… Allen… Noooooo!”
Raksha fell to her knees as she bawled, but her cries were drowned out by the cheers of the people as the Order of the Blue Knights sortied for their last mission.
