Chapter 76: Among the Corpses

I hurried to assemble the light cavalry upon receiving the Crown Prince’s orders.

But Michael called out from behind, stopping me.

"Brother-in-law! Even if it’s His Highness’s order, are you in your right mind accepting a mission this dangerous?"

"It’s fine, brother-in-law. I have an edge I’m counting on, which is why I accepted."

"Sigh, brother-in-law. Even though I know your skills are excellent, as your brother-in-law—no, as family—I can’t help but worry. Are you planning to make Hilda a widow before you’ve even held the wedding?"

At any other time, Michael would have trusted and supported me, but this mission was extremely dangerous. Leading fifty light cavalrymen to conduct guerrilla operations against Burgundian cavalry who were slaughtering refugees could result in severe casualties. But I accepted it.

Because I had the scouter, which could identify enemy positions first and measure their morale and combat power. If I used it well, I could turn the tables and deliver a nightmare to the enemy instead. But to Michael, who knew nothing of the scouter, it looked as though he was sending family into a death trap. How could I not understand his feelings?

Michael was one of the two people I could rely on without reservation in this world. The other was naturally Hilda. So his concern made me happy—and that happiness gave me even more courage. I wasn’t doing this out of pity for the refugees. I was simply moving forward toward my goal.

"Trust me this time too. I’ve always been a brother-in-law who exceeds your expectations."

"Sigh, that’s true. I suppose I can’t stop you. All I can say is please be careful."

"If you’re that worried, I’ll attach two of my lieutenants to him. They’ll be of some help, at least."

I hadn’t noticed him leave the audience hall, but the cavalry commander suddenly cut in.

Michael frowned at the offer.

"Attaching lieutenants? You’re not planning to have them spy on him, are you?"

"That’s part of it, but they’ll be quite useful for commanding cavalry."

The cavalry commander’s lieutenants would be senior officers of the Beren Lance Cavalry. They weren’t formal knights, but they would have combat records and experience brushing with death far surpassing most knights. I should accept the cavalry commander’s goodwill, but I drew the line at any interference with my command.

"You won’t interfere with my command, correct?"

"I promise on my name I won’t."

"Then I’ll gratefully accept the offer."

"Hehe, much bolder and quicker to decide than Michael. I’ll be watching with interest, Gale Knight."

The cavalry commander passed me by, and Michael glared at his retreating back with an irritated expression. True to his word, the cavalry commander sent me two lieutenants, and I took command of the fifty resting light cavalrymen. Since cavalry typically brought three horses each, they switched to mounts that still had stamina.

The reason I had requested five horses earlier was partly to build vassal cavalry, but also because I needed spare mounts in case Schatten grew tired. The two lieutenants arrived as promised. Perhaps because they were former mercenaries, their faces were lined with scars. They pledged to follow my orders without question.

I also placed August under my command as a lieutenant. As I was checking equipment and about to mount, Fiel came riding toward me. Since he was the Crown Prince’s confidant, I hadn’t considered including him, but he made it clear he was quite put out.

"I’m disappointed, Captain. To think you’d leave without me."

"Aren’t you one of His Highness the Crown Prince’s confidants? I can’t conscript you on my own authority."

"Sir Vermeer and Sir Eisenach are in a position to escort His Highness, but my role is different. So next time, please don’t hesitate to ask me along. We’re men of the Valkyries, aren’t we?"

I grinned back at Fiel’s smiling face. I had confirmed during the last battle that Fiel was a formidable vanguard. His breakthrough power could absolutely shatter the enemy cavalry’s center. He had brought a new lance to replace the one he had broken. With his addition, I now had a total of four lieutenants under my command.

I assigned ten riders to each lieutenant, which allowed me to direct the cavalry far more smoothly by issuing orders through them. Of course, that only worked if they followed my instructions properly and without hesitation. August and Fiel would obey without question, but whether the cavalry commander’s lieutenants and the light cavalrymen would fall in line remained to be seen.

"Sir knight! I want to come too! I know the area!"

"Shouldn’t you get your wounds treated first?"

"I’m fine! Please, use me as a guide!"

The blood-covered messenger who had reported the refugee attack to the Count came running up to me. I refused out of concern for his injuries, but he clung on, insisting he would follow to the end. Since I needed a guide anyway, I allowed him to accompany us for now. He was from a village north of Euz.

Thud thud thud thud!

The fifty light cavalrymen under my command galloped past Euz Castle toward the northern fields. The messenger and I took the lead, with the cavalry following in a wedge formation behind us. From their perspective, riding under a rookie commander must have been nerve-racking, but I was confident their opinion would change before long. After riding hard for a stretch, we arrived at the scene.

"Oh, no!"

Unfortunately, most of the refugees were dead. The messenger had hoped for survivors, but sadly there appeared to be none. Having confirmed through the scouter that no enemies were nearby, I gave the cavalry a brief rest. First and foremost, the horses needed to recover. Meanwhile, I surveyed the scene.

It was strewn with horribly trampled corpses. The old me would have been unable to hold back vomit at such a sight. But through repeated life-or-death fights, my nerves had hardened. All I could do was pray that the souls of those who had died so senselessly would find their peace in heaven.

Waaah!

Then I thought I heard the faint sound of a child crying. Listening carefully, it seemed to be coming from beneath the relatively intact bodies of a couple lying right in front of me. I hurriedly dismounted from Schatten and searched through the corpses. There I found a girl of about five—apparently the only survivor.

"It’s okay, it’s okay. Uncle’s here, so don’t be scared."

I had unconsciously called myself uncle.

Even though I hardly had the looks for it.

When I wrapped her in my soft velvet cloak and held her, the frightened child gradually calmed down. August and Fiel, who had been scouting the area, looked troubled when they saw me fussing over the child.

"Sir Streit, what will you do with her?"

"I don’t know what to do either. I can’t just abandon her."

However, the cavalry commander’s lieutenants and some of the cavalrymen were visibly displeased at the sight of me agonizing over a single child. August and Fiel understood my actions as knights who believed in justice and good, but to cavalrymen hardened by fierce battlefields, it probably looked like weakness.

"This child is Maria! Oh, Lord!"

The messenger said she was the daughter of a couple he knew and called out to God as if giving thanks that she was alive.

Maria held back her tears and looked up at me with glistening eyes. Her small hands gripped the cloak tightly—as though she believed she would die if she let go. Even this small child felt that desperation. I couldn’t possibly turn away from those pitiful eyes gazing up at me.

So I told the messenger:

"Take this child back to the duchy army camp. Leave her with Ted and Oscar there, and get your wounds treated. I don’t know what will happen after the war, but I’ll look after this child."

"Thank you! Sir knight, who took pity on an orphaned child! You will receive God’s blessing!"

I removed my cloak and carefully wrapped Maria so she wouldn’t be hurt. The messenger received her with gratitude and set off for the camp. Maria kept her eyes fixed on me until she was out of sight. August and Fiel patted my shoulder in encouragement. I thought of the oath I had sworn at my investiture ceremony.

’Will you protect and devote yourself to the weak?’

I had kept my oath.