Chapter 14: The True Knight, Aiduo A Duo

The sun gradually sank toward the west, while the slaughter on the chaotic battlefield continued.

The fully armored companion cavalry regiment, under the Macedonian king, lined up in a single file on the unavoidable road before the central army, standing silently.

At the head was the cavalry captain, with short black hair, draped in a deep‑blue banner bearing a standing golden lion.

He gazed toward the eastern side of the battlefield,

The companion cavalry led by Seleucus had already driven King Yuse's shattered forces into a corner, carrying out the final slaughter.

But this had nothing to do with Sir Hector,

At this moment he had an even more important matter to attend to: a figure who must be greeted by the entire cavalry regiment, with all knights fully arrayed.

The true Knight, Aiduo A Duo!

Sir Hector raised his hand and pinched his slightly stiff neck; after receiving Lars's urgent message, he immediately led the entire cavalry regiment to line up on this road, mustering the troops to welcome the true Knight, ready to personally bestow upon him the highest honor of the companion cavalry.

"But… where is the person?"

Only, after waiting for ages, no figure appeared.

Sir Hector did not doubt the authenticity of that Knight, for countless soldiers had witnessed the Knight's charge toward the end, but he worried that the Knight might have fallen midway before completing his mission.

That would indeed be a great regret!

Thinking of this, his expression hardened, and he turned to his deputy to ask:

"Have all the orders been dispatched? Did the scouts of the Red Scout Cavalry find the Knight?"

"No," the adjutant shook his head,

"From the royal banner to the entire central army, from the central army to the phalanx corps, and from the phalanx corps to the two wings of light infantry, we have mobilized personnel for a carpet‑style search, yet the information we obtained is vague."

"Almost every soldier along the way claims to have seen that blood‑soaked charging Knight, but reports from different locations are strange."

"The central army guard says he rushed straight toward the royal banner, arriving at your side at top speed, while some light infantry claim they saw the Knight veer off and flee."

"?"

Sir Hector blinked, tilted his head, and his gaze hardened fiercely,

a ferocious stare that could almost scrape skin off.

"What do those mud‑legged fools know?"

"A noble Knight must launch such a desperate charge even at life's end; the conviction of a true Knight is beyond doubt, and I will not allow anyone to insult this Knight in any form!"

And at that moment,

"Bang!"

In response to the central army's crimson‑brown magical signal flare, a green signal flare rose high from the hills outside the formation.

"Found it!"

Sir Hector's spirit was lifted.

The adjutant slightly furrowed his brows, his expression oddly strained,

"Hm? This position is the direction Lars set off to deliver orders, but that spot lies within the reconnaissance direction of the 45th Red Scout Cavalry scout squad. Knight Aiduo A Duo… uh, did he run back again?"

"Stop babbling, you old man, and come with me to greet the Knight!"

Sir Hector unfurled his banner and raised his lance high,

his back turned, the sun like a fireball forming a halo behind his head,

The banner floated in the fierce battlefield wind, rustling loudly,

"Companion cavalry—"

Sir Hector widened his eyes, a proud smile curving his lips, and shouted loudly:

"Let us go receive the Knight, and return home!"

With that, he thrust his legs, gripping the horse's belly, and surged forward from the battlefield!

Behind him, over a hundred knights simultaneously drew their spears, shouting as they followed!

"— Oh!!!"

#

The trench at the waypoint of the 45th Red Scout Cavalry scout squad.

"It's Aiduo A Duo!"

Lars trembled, leapt down from his horse, and hurried into the trench, amid a crowd behind him casting strange, shocked, or astonished gazes,

He reverently cradled the corpse as if holding a deity, moving lightly to the spot where Su Ya had slain the first Macedonian Red Scout Cavalry scout, and gently lifted the body.

"Without a doubt, this sword wound on that face—I recognize him!"

Lars's tiger‑like eyes trembled, his eyes reddened, and his hands shook uncontrollably.

"But why is he here!?"

"Xiugusu, tell me, why did Aiduo A Duo return here!?"

"I don't know, Sir, I truly don't know."

Xiugusu found the scene absurd, almost unable to contain himself, nearly bursting into laughter on the spot.

He looked at his subordinate Aiduo A Duo's corpse, inexplicably feeling both comical and tragic,

Clearly, Aiduo A Duo died together with another subordinate of Xiugusu, Wallace, at the hands of that murderer and swindler, yet because the swindler deceived those fools, he was regarded as the 'true Knight'?

What about Wallace beside him?

Just like this, as ubiquitous as weeds in the world,

no one cares, no one pays attention, and even the truth is known only to oneself.

But,

Xiugusu did not expose the truth.

He laughed, then immediately realized that laughing in this atmosphere was wrong; he instantly, like a superb actor, set his face in a stern mask,

They walked forward with a stern face, pointing at another corpse in the trench, that of Yàsè Pāndélāgòng, blond hair, green eyes, a ferocious visage, a huge penetrating sword wound on the chest.

Xiūgǔsī spoke solemnly in a deep voice:

"Sir, I suspect Àiduōāduō returned here to rescue the teammate who stayed behind to help him escape from Yàsè Pāndélāgòng's men."

"As you said, he is a knight of noble character; he may have realized he could not reach the general, or that he had already delivered the message, and you and the regiment commander would surely find him, so he immediately turned back here, choosing to live and die with his comrades."

"For the teammate, and also to help the army, find Yàsè Pāndélāgòng."

"Hiss!" Lā'ěrsī's eyes widened in shock.

Lā'ěrsī stared in disbelief at the Knight Àiduōāduō, who lay dead in his arms in a most miserable state.

Lā'ěrsī murmured with their lips, wanting to say something, but the words trembled at the edge of their mouth, making it impossible to form language.

"Lā'ěrsī, they did it!"

Beside, the other blue-haired youth who had come down, namely the Knight on the right that Su Ya had encountered, patted Lā'ěrsī's shoulder, their face filled with unbearable sorrow and anger.

"They did it!"

"They completed everything a knight should, their life now without regret!"

"Look——that villain!"

"Yàsè Pāndélāgòng!"

"With Àiduōāduō and their nameless but equally noble Knight teammate working together, they defeated Yàsè Pāndélāgòng."

"Sir, their name is Huáláishì." Xiūgǔsī reminded in a timely manner.

"Indeed, Huáláishì, Àiduōāduō, they are true Knights! Lā'ěrsī, we should feel happy for them, we"

The blue-haired youth spoke, speaking, suddenly choked up, a line of clear tears sliding down from the corner of their eyes, the anger in their gaze burning like fire.

"Brother Wòwen, you."

"I understand, I understand, we must prove the merits of these two Knights."

"From now on, all personnel in my unit will hold position——"

"Until Regiment Commander Hèkètuō arrives here!"

The youth called Wòwen flashed a fierce look in their eyes, immediately gave the order, then drew from their waist a rod that looked like a signal gun, with a thick barrel, an alchemical gun, and raised it toward the sky.

"Boom!"

A green signal flare rose high from this hill.

Seeing this, Xiūgǔsī couldn't help but curse under their breath,

If we delay any longer, the true killer who murdered Àiduōāduō, Huáláishì, and that blond knight whose name we don't know but is now called Yàsè Pāndélāgòng will escape.

Xiūgǔsī stepped forward, controlled their facial muscles, squeezed out two tears, making their eye sockets look red,

Then, they showed a pained expression, addressing the Wòwen Knight who could truly decide everything for this cavalry unit, chokingly said:

"Sir, I want to offer flowers to my men below, I—I—I couldn't, but I think I should still have the only thing I can do for them——"

"Condolences." Wòwen patted their shoulder, sighed,

"Go."

"At the western pass, I saw white roses, I think——"

Wòwen suddenly recalled the white rose bouquet Àiduōāduō had held when charging alone into the central camp, after a moment's thought, took off their armguard, removed an emblem ring from their ring finger, and threw it toward Xiūgǔsī, their eyes revealing a sharp chill.

"No matter what you want to do,"

"Thief, you must bring back the most beautiful flower of all Cornwall to here!"

Xiūgǔsī immediately knelt on one knee, lowered their head, and received the emblem ring with both hands,

In a place unseen by anyone,

A flicker of cold, indifferent killing intent flashed in Xiūgǔsī's eyes,

"As you command!"

(End of chapter)