Volume 5 Chapter 52 Muscleheads Know Muscleheads
The group, having parted ways with the members of [Iron Falcon Steel] who provided escort along the way, finally arrived at the mansion of the Marquis Waldner.
It was more like a castle than a mansion.
Its design, clearly built to withstand a siege in times of crisis, made one feel the weight of the history this land had experienced.
The snow that had just begun to fall accentuated the rugged atmosphere of the castle.
The drawbridge that Randy and the others were currently crossing would likely be raised in times of emergency.
After all, right below was a deep moat.
"That's amazing."
Randy's voice echoed as he looked down at the empty moat.
Even though it was an empty moat, if it were this large and deep, it would be quite a challenge for the enemy to cross.
Finally overcoming the deep and wide moat, Randy and the others reached the castle gate.
"It's Airen. I'm back."
As Airen called out to the massive gate, the large black doors creaked open slowly, resonating with metallic sounds.
The swirling powdery snow was drawn into the doorway──
"""Welcome back!"""
The voice coming from beyond the large door vibrated the air.
Peering over Airen's shoulder, wondering what was happening, Randy saw several Knights lined up in the wide courtyard.
Unlike a garden of a noble's residence, the Knights were lined up in a stone-paved square.
The atmosphere was completely that of a fortress, and everyone was taken aback by the voices they raised.
"Well, this is..."
"What a warm welcome!"
Cedric and Leon exchanged wry smiles and couldn't help but glance at each other.
The impact of this scene was that significant.
Guided by Airen, Randy and the others advanced through the ranks of the lined-up Knights.
Each Knight standing in formation remained perfectly still in the cold, not moving an inch.
Randy couldn't help but let out a sigh of admiration at their high level of discipline.
"As expected, they are the best veterans among the territorial nobles?"
"Yes. My father holds His Waldner Excellency Marquis in high regard."
When Braubelg brought immense wealth to the kingdom through shipping and trade, Waldner raised strong soldiers in this harsh land and continued to protect the homeland from outside enemies.
Though their roles differ, they are 2 great pillars that have supported the kingdom since ancient times.
"It kinda hurts with all these eyes on me..."
"It can't be helped. A Knight from another place came to a place like the Knight nation."
As Randy shrugged, he was right; the Marquis Waldner territory feels completely different from the kingdom, almost like an independent nation.
Only Leon, Harrison, and Miranda are wearing swords.
The sword serves as a guard, but for Leon and Harrison, it's more than that.
At a glance, both look like Knights.
They are not in armor, though.
Neither Leon nor Harrison has cold-weather armor, so they are currently wearing regular cold weather gear.
However, over that, Leon wears a cloak indicating his affiliation with the Church, and Harrison wears a cloak showing he belongs to the VictorKnight Brigade.
More than the sword, the meaning of their cloaks is significant.
They wear cloaks adorned with emblems and insignias.
Just that shows they are Knights belonging to some faction.
Especially the Church cloak worn by Leon is famous, but Harrison's cloak representing the Knight Brigade Victor is rare, even among Waldner's strong Knights.
A simple insignia depicted on a bright red cloak.
A sword stands alone in the center of a black dragon forming a circle.
The dragon is just a silhouette, lacking the detail of other Knights' groups.
The simple yet powerful design is characteristic of Victor, known for being too poor in the Dukedom to spend money on design.
Though not widely known, seeing the simple insignia makes people think of Knight Victor, to the extent that the Knight Victor Brigade's insignia is famous for its simplicity.
Still, the men of Victor take pride in wearing this.
And everyone trains hard every day to live up to this emblem.
As Harrison flips his plain cloak, it's no surprise he attracts curious glances from the Knights.
"It doesn't feel like 'the country bumpkin has arrived' or anything."
"That would be easier, though."
Harrison shrugs, and it's true that Victor is indeed rural.
But the Knights around him only gaze out of simple curiosity.
"This land values strength. Our interest is your ability."
Smiling, Airen pointed to Cedric and Catherine, saying, "Look..."
The noble and the Saint.
Without a doubt, they are 2 well-known figures, even outside this country.
In other words, Harrison is merely a Knight who brings them along.
He doesn't know the houses or squads they belong to, but that doesn't make him look down on Harrison.
"More than that, it's the confidence you exude."
Airen glanced back and smiled at Harrison, saying, "That mark must be a great pride."
Harrison sighed and replied to Airen, "Is that so?"
"Let's just say that's the case."
"We've come to a troublesome place, haven't we?"
Harrison slumped his shoulders, but his face didn't look as troubled as his words suggested.
After all, Harrison is still one of Victor's people.
As Airen said, the simple reason he wore a cloak with the emblem here is pride.
He boldly steps into a land filled with strong Knights, without hiding his affiliation.
That's Harrison's way, Victor's way.
Additionally, he is interested in the strength of the Knights forged in this harsh land.
Randy understands Harrison better than anyone else.
"Make the name of Victor resound."
"I think it'd be better if the young master did it instead of me."
As Harrison shot a sideways glance at Randy, the group finally arrived at the castle entrance.
"Well, it's training time now..."
Airen, deep in thought, turned to Randy and asked, "Are you going to look?"
It's not Harrison, but as Randy, he's curious about the strength of the territory that has been in charge of defense in this country.
"Well then, I'll take you up on your words."
In this situation, Catherine wouldn't refuse either, and everyone followed Airen through the wide front yard towards the courtyard where the training grounds were.
"Still, there are Knights everywhere."
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