From Rosso-Burns' point of view.




Strange boy. That Yuki-Grossalia.

　On horseback, Rosso-Burns murmured.

'For someone so young, he has excellent magical skills and an accurate assessment of the situation. It's no wonder that His Highness trusts you, Iris. He's a very dependable man, indeed.

　With Yuki-Grossaria, His Highness Iris's troops would be safe.
　Honestly, it seemed so.

"I'm sure it would be a surprise to hear that from my peers. "Lozza is being honest.

　Rosso-Burns chuckles involuntarily.
　Even though his father was a general, Rosso didn't smoothly rise to the position of unit commander either.
　Rather, it's the opposite.
　If anything happened to Lozzo, he would not feel sorry for the general, Damon Barnes, and was often sent to the rear of the unit because of that. This is because Rosso is the only son, and now that his mother is dead, his father will be left alone - that was probably the reason for his concern.

　But Rosso was not happy about it.
　That's why he preferred to go to the front lines.
　Defeating demons and exterminating bandits. After repeating such things, he finally became a troop leader.

　This 'border patrol' was his first job as a troop leader.
　I was a little anxious about leading a large number of subordinates. That's why I went to see Yuki-Grossaria.

I wanted to see what the boy, a bastard child of the "Baroness Grossaria", who had risen to the status of a C-class magician in one fell swoop, and who had pushed his family home to the rank of a countess, looked like. I've heard that he is also the benefactor of His Highness Iris and his father, which led him to become a 'guardian knight'.
　I thought he must be as cold as ice or as ambitious as fire.

　But this was not the case at all.
　When Rosso-Burns first met him...

(...what a calming feeling!)

　I felt as if I'd met an older man with more experience.

(How could it be? This boy is only 15 years old!)

　It's not that Yuki-Grossaria is old.
　Nor is her tone of voice old-fashioned.
　Rather, she is youthful. He doesn't even have a beard on his smooth face.

　And yet, when I'm around him, I feel as if I'm with my father and his friends.
　This is probably because he has been surrounded by his father and his friends since he was born and raised by them. Because many of them had been around Rosso with age and experience.

(To feel the same thing from a fifteen year old boy...who is that? (The boy named Yuki-Grossaria)

　That sense of discomfort has been replaced by a conviction after traveling together to this point.


　Yuki-Grossaria is a born-again hero, he said.
　He is a boy born with the talent to unite his people and lead an army.

　Rosso-Burns, too, has been reading stories of heroes since he was a little boy.
　He knows that there are those who are born with an innate talent and rise to prominence in a short period of time - he knows that there are such people.

　However, Yuki-Grossaria does not seem to be aware of that yet.
　Then it is the role of the elder to protect and nurture it.

(But........it would be best not to tell this to anyone.)

　Rosso-Burns shook his head on his horse.

　Even if he said it, they would think he was delusional (already).
　If someone believed it, this time it would be a problem for Yuki-Grossaria.
　As an elder, I guess I should wait for his talent to grow and blossom - while thinking about that, Lozo-Burns was advancing his horse.

　His troops were advancing toward the fort near the border.
　It's to support the defenders of the fort.
　He had already sent a messenger to the royal capital, so in ten days formal reinforcements would be arriving.
　Until then, you can join the fort's guardians and defend the fort.

　Even if the demons are powerful, as long as we stay in the fort and defend it, we'll hold it until reinforcements arrive.


''Captain!　I can see the demon!


　Suddenly, the soldiers who had been leading the way shouted out.

'Location, towards the fort!　It looks like he's engaged!　The demon ... is ... an orc!
Orcs. Then I could take down the fort's guards... wait!　How can you see it from this distance!

　Rosso-Bars squinted at his horse.
　He could see the fort across the road. Still some distance away.
　Around it, he could definitely see a demon. It was wielding a wooden club.
　It seemed to be fighting something, but I couldn't see the opponent.

　It's impossible.

　The height of an orc is almost the same as a human.
　If it was wielding a club and engaging in close combat, it should be able to see its opponent.
　If you can't see it, then either the orc is fighting an opponent much smaller than a human, or...

Or the orcs are unusually large.

　Rosso-Burns clutched his horse's tread.

'We're going to take down the demons!　Cavalry, follow me. Infantry, get around the demon's flank while we get the enemy's attention!
""Yes, sir!"

　As he listens to the soldiers' replies, Rosso-Burns runs his horse.
　He holds his bow at the ready and releases it as he rides.
　The arrow does not reach the orc. It is still too far away.
　This means that the orcs are huge enough to be visible even at this distance.
　Perhaps it is twice - or even three times as large.

　As I ride my horse, I can see the figure of the one fighting the orcs.
　They are wearing the same armor as Rosso and his friends. They are the guardians of the fort.

'All of you!　Speak up!　Let them know that reinforcements are coming!
""Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh!"

　The soldiers raise their spears and shout.
　The orcs noticed and turned to me.

'It's Lozo-Burns, son of General Damon-Burns!　O deformed demon, I will not allow you to invade our land!

　Rosso-Burns fires another arrow.
　This time it arrives. The arrow hits the orc between the eyes. But it doesn't penetrate.

"Vuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!

　A displeased voice. Both orc eyes catch Lozo-Burns.
　There are five giant orcs. Three of them are coming towards us.

　Lozzo-Burns slows his horse's speed.
　In the meantime, the infantry catches up with him.
　He lowers his stance and goes around the flank of the demons, hiding in the grass next to the street.

'Eliminate the demon. Kake──!

　For the soldiers of the fort, there are two giant orcs. For Rosso-Burns' troops, there are three of them.
　We've succeeded in dividing the enemy.
　If this is the case, we can surround each of them and destroy them.

''Guggyaaaah!

　A demon screams.
　Cavalry from the front. Infantry from the grass on the left and right.
　The soldiers are threatened by the "giant orc" all at once.

"─ ─ We've been trapped. You're trapped, you demons!
Dear Mr. Roscoe Barnes, your plan is sound!

Don't let your guard down!　We still don't know who these guys are!

　While shouting, Rosso-Burns thrusts his spear into the 'giant orc'.

''──It's hard. Is its skin thick enough for the big one?!

　It would probably be thick with flesh and fat.
　Then it would be useless to stab the torso. The spear can't reach the internal organs.

''Ggaaaaah!

　The Orcs swing the club down.
　But it doesn't reach Rosso-Burns. It doesn't even scratch.

　Rosso-Burns looks up at the face of the 'giant orc'.
　Ears more pointed than human. A nose that looks crushed.
　In appearance, it's definitely an orc. But its size is two to three times that of a normal species.

　That's why its muscles are also stronger.

　The huge club cuts through the wind, snatching Rosso-Burns and the soldiers and hitting the ground.
　Each time it does so, the dirt flies up and the horses scream at the loud noise.

''Haha, it ain't gonna hit you!
It's just an orc. And they're just as stubborn as they are big!
'Are the people in the fort struggling with this guy?

No....　Look closely!

　Rosso-Burns pointed to the head of a giant orc.

　Something black was clinging to the orc's head.
　A small creature flying in the sky attracted the attention of the 'giant orc' and blocked its vision.

'That's...a bat. In other words, it's Yuki-Grossaria-dono's errand boy!
"Kiki!

　A bat chirped in reply.

''I didn't expect to be rescued by an ally here!

　As I thought, Yuki-Grossaria is different in rank.
　Thinking that, Roszo-Burns rushes at the 'giant orc'.

''.....Geeeaaaaah!

　A spear pierced the throat of the 'giant orc'.

''Do they have the same weaknesses as normal species? The meat is relatively thin here!''

　Rosso-Burns pulled out his spear.
Blood gushed out of the 'giant orc''s throat.
　The demon fell to the ground, screaming, as it was, thumping.

''An experienced sorcerer──Yukidono's messenger is supporting us!　You won't look disgusting!　We will annihilate all the demons at once!
"'Oh, oh, oh, oh!'

　The soldiers go towards the 'giant orc'.
　Spears, swords, and swords cut through the flesh of the monster.
The bleeding from the giant orc's body is increasing.

　Surrounded by soldiers, the 'Giant Orcs' were in a state of panic and only wielded their clubs.
　Eventually, it ran out of power and the remaining two fell to the ground.

''Thanks for the support!　Yuki-dono's errand boy!
"Kiki?
We'll be joining the fort's guard now. We're going to join the garrison now. We'll take care of the rest. You can tell Yukidono that there is a huge monster here and that we have defeated it. Thank you for your support. And that one day we will pay this debt back.
"Kye?

　The bat was circling above Rosso-Burns' head as if lost.
　After a while, he was convinced and flew off towards the town.

'Good. We will continue to meet up with the fort's defenders. Move on!
""Yes, sir!"

The morale of the soldiers is high after defeating the three "giant orcs".
　They don't show any signs of tiredness as they run towards the fort.

''I'm sorry!　Rosso-Burns which!

The defenders who were fighting the 'giant orc' shouted out.
　They were covered in wounds. Even their armor was broken in places. Some of them could not move.
　We were fighting five giant monsters. It's not unreasonable.
　Rather, with the enemy's identity unknown, Rosso-Burns headed towards the last 'giant orc' while thanking them for defending the fort.

　The battle was over in a few minutes.
　Even though they are huge orcs, there is no room for one more if they are surrounded by a group of them.
　They were pierced by countless spears and the orc fell to the ground, bleeding.

''Thank you for your support. I am Gaston, the custodian of the northern border fort.
My father told me about Gaston. So this demon, this creature...?
We don't know. We don't know who he is, sir.

　Gaston, the captain of the guard, looked down at the corpse of the 'giant orc'.

''Not long ago, we were fighting larger than normal ogres and such. However, even though they are large, they are at most one or two times larger. But this orc...
That's more than twice as much as a normal species.
''I never thought that just being big would make an orc such a powerful enemy...''

　The captain of the fort's guard held his head in his hands.

''Orcs and the like shouldn't even be a problem if you're an adventurer with years of experience. And to think that all of the fort's garrison can barely take out two of them with all of the fort's defenders... I'm sorry to His Majesty the King for giving me this mission.''
'No, I've never fought a demon like this myself. You can't blame me for struggling.

　Rosso-Burns remembered what Yuki had told him.
　He had told him about his own experience fighting the 'Giant Demon'. If the demons Yuki fought or something like this 'giant orc' were to appear one after another...

We'll have to double, if not quadruple, our numbers to keep them off.
Rosso-Burns.
Can you show me the fort?　I'll send an additional letter to King's Landing. Tell them that it's an emergency and ask them to send reinforcements. Perhaps we'll have to build a new fort.
Okay. Come on in.

　When Gaston, the captain of the garrison, tried to lead Rosso-Burns to the fort...



'Captain!　The Knights of the Order have appeared!



　The voice of the fort's defenders echoed.
　Rosso-Burns turned on his horse.

　Close to the border, across the grasslands, the silver horsemen were lined up.
　There were ... maybe ten to twenty of them.

　In the middle of them was an exceptionally large cavalryman.
　They are wearing golden armor.
　It covered their entire bodies and they could not see the people inside at all.
　The armor has a large mane of mane. It seems to go from his helmet to his back to the horse he is riding. This is what the unity of man and horse is all about - Rosso-Burns can't help but murmur to himself. This is because not only the humans, but also the horses were wearing golden horse armor. It's not just the humans, but also the horses, who were covered in golden armor. You can't even tell the color of the horse's skin, let alone whether or not there is really a horse inside.

　What is even more unusual is the knight's weapons.
　He is holding two assault spears (lances), one in each hand.

''That's too heavy, and neither horse nor man should be able to fight for a long time...?''
'No!　Don't go near that thing!

　Gaston, the captain of the guard, shouted.

　In the next moment, the golden knight disappeared from Lozo-Burns' sight.
　The next moment──.


The Kingdom of Riestia, a new force to be reckoned with in the border region.
What...?



　The golden knight had moved in front of Roszo-Burns' eyes.
　It was as if he had slipped through the air, the knight's assault spear (lance) had been thrust against Rosso-Burns' horse.

This is a good thing," he said. Neutralization is recommended.
Who are you?

　Rosso-Burns reflexively thrusts out his spear. He is hit.
　He takes the opportunity to get away from it.
　His heart is ringing like a premature bell (hayagane). The enemy in front of me is dangerous.

"Holy Knight.
What...?
Answers to your questions.

　An emotionless voice comes back. A high-pitched voice. I wonder if it's a woman inside.

"Being holy, I know what is dangerous.
You're the one who's in danger!

　Ta-da!

　Rosso-Burns' spear is caught by the assault spear (lance) of a self-proclaimed holy knight (paladin).
　But it's calculated.
　Lozzo-Burns throws the spear away and draws the long sword from his back. He closes the gap between the two.
　Inside the attack range of the assault spear (lance).

You may not be able to win, but at least let me see your face!
Late.

　The Holy Knight has disappeared.
　Rosso-Burns looks left and right.
　Again. The Holy Knight's horse isn't even moving its legs. It's moving as if it's slipping on the ground.
　Earlier, it was long distance. Now it's going left and right.

"Incapacitation recommended.

　The holy knight who came around the side of Rosso-Burns murmurs.

'What are you doing to my captain!
Protect Senor Rosso!
You must take a group!

Stop!　Stay away from this one!

　Rosso-Burns shouts. But it's too late.


　Gosh.


　There is a heavy sound, and the soldiers roll to the ground.
　The holy knight just waved his two-handed assault spear (lance). With that alone, several soldiers were defeated.

''──Threat Level: E. But there are too many of them. Decrease?
Don't mess with my men!

　Rosso-Burns confronted the Holy Knight again.
　I knew what my opponent was moving. It moves from side to side without a sound - if it was

If you make that assumption...
...softly.

　The Holy Knight jumped, horse by horse.
　Without even an assistant run, he went over Lozo-Burns' head.

"-──Threat level: D+. Elimination. And induce confusion (Yuu)

　From above his head, a lance falls in his hand. The Holy Knight.
　Rosso-Barnes looked up at it with his sword in a swinging position.

(──What is this guy?)

　This is not human movement. A person and horse wearing armor cannot move like this.
　If it were possible, it would be the same quality as that obtained by the Magic Guild...

Holy knight, your confusion is inspiring. Mission accomplished. Clear out.

　A holy knight thrusts out two assault spears...



"...An extremely strong holy knight (paladin). In other words, you're a 'Lord' too?



　The jet-black claw that flew over blew away the two assaulting spears (lances).


It's not a good idea.

　The golden knight changes his trajectory.
　He leaps to the side and retrieves the assault lance that fell to the ground.

This is not going to be...?

　Rosso-Burns suddenly recalls the Black King Rider (Lord) who defeated the "Lord of Beasts" who attacked the remote Torrius territory.
　I remember that the Lord of Beasts defended my country's territory.
　And I also remember the black wings sprouting from the Black King's Horseman.

'Where did it come from!　No, you're helping me!
You're amazing.

　The black armor said in a strangely muffled voice.

''You're too strong to cross that 'King's Rider'. But I think you're being too reckless.
Oh, yeah.
I want you to stay back. We'll take care of that one.

　A king's horse (Lord) with black wings spread out in front of him.
　The figure that floated in the air looked like a vicious demon. However, the figure is now tame.

　Rosso-Burns gathers his subordinates together and moves towards the fort.
　It's not that he's going to run away.
　Just don't get in the way. That's what I had a feeling about.

"──threat level: S. Recognized as most dangerous.

　The holy knight was staring at the black armor that interfered with his mission.
　I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that I'm not the only one.

I'm going to have to say that I'm not going to be able to get rid of it. Attack.
'It's a pain in the ass and you need to leave. Otherwise, you'll have to break it.

　The Black King's Horseman (Lord) speaks up.
　The golden holy knight kicks the ground.


　And then the battle began.