<h4>Volume 3, Chapter 225 - The Hero of Pena IV (2/3)</h4>


    “They’reing! 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 toote. The Blue Knights had already broken through the frontlines and were now making their way for the Goblin King.


    “Your de 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 st. 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 enemymander is the Knight Commander of the Order of the Blue Knights, Allen… It seems they’re nning on constructing fortresses outside their city to hole themselves up in.”


    “Very well. We’vee this far. I might as well apany 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 hest 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 toote 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 ck 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 theirst mission.


    Allen could feel that his body has already reached its limits.


    “Sorry, you guys.”


    When they departed, Allen encouraged the remaining Blue Knights for thest time.


    “This is all because of my ipetence. At this rate, this country will fall.”


    These knights who fought harder than anyone to prevent the country from being destroyed quietly listened to Allen’s words.


    “At this rate, the imperial capital of Pena will be run over with goblins. Our beloved people and our family will be left in misery. That’s why, I’m betting.”


    While no one could hear his coughing, Allen tightly held the holy sword in his hands.


    “Give me your lives. We have just one goal. The head of the enemy’s leader!”


    “OU!”


    The Blue Knights replied in high spirits.


    “The enemy has assumed the Crane Wing Formation. 1st and 2nd toon to the left wing. 3rd and 4th toon expand to the right wing. Keep the enemy back.”


    “…Understood!”


    “5th and 6th toon, you will be our spare force. At the same time, you will watch the back. I will take the lead. Any questions?”


    Only silence answered him. Allen nodded.


    “Holy sword, if you are really the guardian sword of this country, then I’ll give you my life. But in exchange, give me the power to protect the princess, the power to protect my precious Raksha!”


    As he raised up the dazzling Holy Sword Guradion, he cried out and called for the charge toward the goblin army.


    “We are the eternal denizens of the great desert!”


    The rest of the Blue Knights cried out after Allen.


    “Her name is noble, and her valor shall reach even the blue skies!”


    Thest war over Pena has begun.


    ◆◆◆


    “The enemy’s goal is the king’s head,” Pale said at the seat of the war council.


    The goblin army had surrounded the Merchant Country of Pena. With their reserve force, they numbered 4,000 all in all.


    “That is the only way for the enemy to grasp victory.”


    There were only 500 soldiers left of the Blue Knights that sortied.


    “In that case, should we hide the king to confuse them?”


    Pale shook her head in response to Gi Za’s words.


    “I fear that would only increase our casualties. It would be best to position the king right in front of the enemy.”


    “You dare use the king as bait!?”


    Gi Za’s sharp re grew even sharper, but Pale only calmly nodded.


    “The enemy is already dead. There’s no reason to take them on properly and incur a lot of losses. And I don’t really know what’s spurring them on so much, but…” Pale turned her gaze to the map below her. Pieces representing the main force, the left wing, the right wing, and the rear piece were all positioned on the map.


    “If we take the Crane Wing Formation, the enemy will surelye for the center. We’ll aim for that.”


    A crafted trap is a deadly thing.


    This was a n where the goblins would set all of their traps to annihte the enemy.


    “What happens when the enemy doesn’t go for our trap and takes a turn?”


    “At that time…”


    Pale moved the piece representing the wing opposite the direction the enemy turned in and attacked the enemy from behind.


    “But just as I’ve mentioned, the enemy will most likely try to break through the center. There’s no better way than this to inflict a fatal damage on a strong enemy. Don’t you think you’ve seen thisposition before?”


    “…Melgion, huh.”


    Pale nodded to the Goblin King’s words.


    “Although we’re the ones attacking this time, my ns won’t fail a second time.”


    The Goblin King nodded and gave orders to the entire army.


    “The enemy is the hero of Pena. A foe worthy of our entire strength. Despite how small their army is inparison to ours, they remain


    courageous and willing to sacrifice their lives for what they believe in. They are not an enemy to be underestimated.”


    The Goblin King closed his eyes once, then when he opened them again, he was full of spirit and could suppress a powerful foe.


    “Don’t look down on them just because they’re a small army. They are true warriors who will fight until the very end. As fellow warriors, let us give them respect by crushing them with all of our strength!”


    “As you will!”


    After the goblins dispersed, the king rode on the Terrifying Carnivorous Horse called Sui and folded his arms.


    “Are youing, heroes of Pena?”


    The Order of the Blue Knights raising up clouds of dust as they made their way out of the opened gates of the imperial capital could be seen even from a distance.


    “If you want to impede my path, then I will stop you!”


    As if unable to suppress the raging soul within, the Goblin King looked at the battlefield.


    ◇◇◇


    The battlefield was held 2km north of the imperial capital of Pena. The goblins had assumed the Crane Wings Formation and the wings were given to Gi Gu Verbena’s Felduk. This was an opportunity Pale gave to him so that he might be able to deal with the army of Pena that he hates so much.


    Positioned in front of the king was the Gaidga Tribe’s Rashka, who was to act as a wall for him. The cavalry of Aransain led by Gi Ga Rax


    was positioned to be the second wall of Felduk in order to intercept the approaching cavalry.


    Other than the imperial guards near the king, which consisted of Gi Be y the One-Armed Goblin and the others, almost everyone else was in the frontlines to deal with the enemy. Felbi’s elven archers and Gi Za Zakuend’s druids were positioned at the back and were waiting for the enemy.


    “Beat them to the punch.”


    “Aim well and hit!”


    At Pale’s signal, Felbi’s archers drew their bows. Following Felbi’s arrow, the arrow of the elves rained on the approaching enemy. Several knights riding at the lead were hit dead on and tumbled to the ground, but the order showed no signs of faltering as Allen continued to lead the charge.