the Arcane Lore Of Artoria's Legend

Chapter 9: The Great Slaughter and the Birth of the Legendary Protector, Part 1.

Author's note: knight/right-hand of the Count, Rodrigo's point of view:

Such a hurdle; the battle to come will surely be a perilous one!

After finishing the last survey of the northern wall, I sat down to rest. The view from the north-east tower was breathtaking as I looked at the snow; white were the plains, and snowy were the sights. The north has always been cold; apart from summer and a few weeks of spring, there is always snow on the lands; the snow would only get heavier during winter, making travel dangerous and bringing many predators, like Greywolves, on the hunt for any prey. If we hold our ground for long enough weeks, I hope the imperials will be demoralized.

The wind blew by the plains, looking at the snow It definitely reminded me of the grave humiliation I had to put up with! That day, I was brushed like a mere mortal by his sword!

During that bloody day, we lost three divisions! I was on the walls when he burst open after slaughtering everyone on his path.

"Stop! How dare you soil this land under my protection?!"

Those were the only words I directed at him before trying to prevent him from killing Berlad.

The last thing I remember is a black sword cutting through my flesh. If it weren't for the precious artifact Lord Theodor gifted me many years ago for my bravery, I would be dead!

"Honor surpasses death."

Those were the words of my instructor when I was younger.

I do not care if I pass away, but I will not be disgraced!

That damn bastard! Who does he think he is?! "I will bring my army," he said! Who would believe that? He was barely saved by the church's mercy! He grew up like a peasant and dares to utter such nonsense! He will soon be exposed for his lies.

And that miserable shadow of a man, that Luce! such a son of a b*tch! I can't believe that he is such a coward! I worked very hard to win Lord Theodor's favor in the hopes of getting engaged to Eleanor. Since I am the first son of a baronet, even though I am not particularly wealthy, I think that my talent and loyalty will eventually pay off, and I will undoubtedly inherit the titles and this castle. However, my priceless ticket to inheriting a whole domain was about to depart! curses!

Suddenly, a soldier barged inside the tower while I was slowly eating while enjoying the city's view.

"Sir Rodrigo! Our scouts have spotted an army coming from the north-west!"

what?! impossible! Did the vanguards of the Empire get here already?! How?! a shortcut we didn't know of, or perhaps teleportation magic? No, let's not panic and be hasty; we need to confirm first.

"Are they imperial troops?"

"It does not seem to be the case, sir. The Army is composed of at least 10,000 individuals who are wearing white armor It is very unlikely to be a surprise attack."

"It does not matter if they are not imperials; we can't just overlock them. What if they are indeed imperials in disguise, attempting a surprise attack on us? Will you be able to handle the consequences?"

The soldiers made a gloomy expression at my statement. It was indeed wiser to be on guard.

"Ring the bell! and gather our soldiers at the walls; send a messenger to Lord Theodor this once!"

........

A swarm! It was a white swarm! Covering the entire white plains, numerous knights advanced fully armored; they were around 18,000 men.

There was an earthquake as they marched in perfect harmony. Those knights weren't all the same; some seemed to be around 13 feet (4 meters) tall and equipped with a white cape and white full-plate armor that had a bone feel to it. There was also a minority of them that were smaller in stature and looked more human-like compared to their homologues; however, they represented a minority.