Future Knight

Chapter 37

* * *

“We have come to be with Lady Arteon of the Wind Elf Tribe.”

“Welcome, brother. Come this way.”

“We have come to fight alongside Lady Arteon of the Fire Elf Tribe.”

“Thank you for making the journey. Food has been prepared over there.”

“Thank you for your hospitality.”

“We wish to be with Lady Arteon of the Water Elf Tribe.”

“Many brothers have come to help. Come, this way.”

The once quiet Elf village was now bustling with a multitude of Elves.

They were warriors from various Elf tribes scattered throughout the vast Elf forest, gathering one by one under Arteon’s banner for this war.

The village became increasingly crowded as more and more Elf tribes arrived without end.

“Lord Elradian, what is the current number of gathered troops?”

“So far, there are about 15,000 Water Elves, 5,000 Wind Elves, and 3,000 Fire Elves, making a total of approximately 23,000 warriors.”

“Adding our 30,000 Wood Elves to that, we have a total force of 53,000.”

“Yes, it’s an unprecedentedly large army in Elf history.”

“Indeed. But I’ve heard that the enemy currently numbers over a million.”

“All our Elves are top warriors. We have no fear of a mere mass of disorganized rabble.”

“If they were just a rabble, I would have no worries.”

Arteon knew well that the enemy was not just a disorganized mob.

There was no way the human-orc alliance would struggle against an army of mere rabble.

* * *

Kang Chan stood under the waterfall, lost in thought.

How had he come to have so many secrets? he wondered.

His purpose for coming to this planet was a secret, his being Elradian’s disciple was a secret, and his relationship with Jaina was a secret.

Every single one of them was a top-secret matter that absolutely could not be revealed to others.

Kang Chan, the man of secrets, let out a long sigh.

“Sigh…”

At that moment, Jaina was running towards him from a distance, carrying a large basket.

“Honey!”

“Oh, you’re here?”

“Kiss me.”

“Oh, no. What if someone sees us?”

“So you won’t do it?”

Jaina grabbed Kang Chan’s waist with both hands and stared at him cutely. Kang Chan quickly looked around and kissed her on the lips.

Then Jaina patted his butt and said,

“Well done, my baby is so cute.”

“Stop it! I’ll get mad.”

“Hehehe!”

Jaina had become as important as life itself to Kang Chan. But their love also had to be kept a strict secret.

An Elf who fell in love with another race would be banished from the village.

For the two of them, the only places they could freely express their love were by the waterfall and the crashed Red Mars ship.

Everywhere else, they had to act like friends as before, under the watchful eyes of other Elves.

Yet, the more they did this, the more desperate and affectionate their love became.

“Hehe, come here. I brought lunch.”

“Lunch? Don’t tell me you made it yourself, Jaina?”

“Yes, I learned from my mom yesterday and made it by myself. Why? Don’t you want to eat what I made?”

“No, it’s just that I was missing Lady Jerenis’ food…”

“My mom really is great at cooking. But! You’ll eat mine today and have hers next time. Come, this way.”

“…”

Jaina took Kang Chan’s hand and led him, but Kang Chan’s feet felt heavy, as if he were being dragged to the slaughterhouse.

He felt sorry for Jaina, but he thought he’d rather keep starving under the waterfall than eat her cooking.

But what could he do? He had to eat…

“I’m full, I can’t eat anymore.”

“Was it good?”

“Uh-huh…”

“I’ll make something even better next time.”

“Sure…”

Was this what lunch in hell tasted like?

The lunchbox was definitely not delicious.

Kang Chan, who barely managed to shove the food down his throat while pretending it was tasty, leaned against a tree like a war-weary soldier, holding a leftover fried banana and pondering deeply.

‘Just frying a banana wouldn’t normally taste like this. How does she make it taste like this?’

Kang Chan felt the urge to take a sample of the fried banana and run it through a centrifuge to analyze its components.

Jaina, who had returned from washing the lunchbox, saw Kang Chan staring intently at her fried banana and commented.

“Why? Do you want more? Should I make more for you?”

“No! This is enough for me!”

Kang Chan hurriedly stuffed the fried banana into his mouth.

The taste of the banana inside the batter became more and more tasteless with every bite, turning into a mushy texture that made him feel as if he were swallowing someone else’s phlegm, evoking a sense of humiliation.

While Kang Chan forced down the fried banana, Jaina brought a fragrant cup of aromatic tea.

“Even if it’s delicious, eat slowly. You might get indigestion. Here, drink this.”

“…”

Kang Chan took the teacup, and he and Jaina sat side by side under the cool shade of the tree, enjoying the aroma of the tea while chatting about various topics.

Then, as Jaina struggled to say something but hesitated, Kang Chan asked.

“Do you have something on your mind?”

“Oh? No, it’s not that.”

“Tell me. We promised not to hide anything from each other.”

After a moment of hesitation, Jaina spoke with difficulty.

“Well, could you reconsider going to the battlefield?”

In a month, the Elves had to go to war, and Kang Chan was also promised to join this battle. How heart-wrenching it must have been for Jaina, who had to send her beloved Kang Chan to the army so soon after confirming their feelings for each other.

Moreover, it was certain to be a fierce war, one where it couldn’t be guaranteed whether he would return alive. The scale of this war was unprecedented in history, requiring a coalition of humans, Elves, Dwarves, Orcs, and almost all races on the continent, as the enemy was incredibly powerful.

Even if he returned crippled, they might have to thank the gods just for his survival.

Due to this imminent war, brothers scattered across the Elf forest gathered in one place, and the village was busy with preparations for war.

Additionally, the emergency alert status activated since morning made the village atmosphere even more chaotic.

“I’m sorry, Jaina. This is a promise I made with Master and furthermore, a fight to protect our love. Their goal is to drive all races off the continent and establish their kingdom. If we can’t stop them, you and I won’t be able to live and love in this forest anymore.”

Although she knew she shouldn’t hold him back, her heart couldn’t let go, and Jaina shed tears of sorrow.

“Please send me off with a smile, Jaina. I promise I’ll come back alive.”

“You must come back alive.”

“Don’t worry! I’m the only one who survived falling from the sky.”

Kang Chan exaggeratedly posed to lighten Jaina’s worries.

“If you die, I’ll die too. So if you don’t want me to die, don’t die! Got it?”

“I won’t die and leave you behind. Jaina, I love you.”

“Me too…”

* * *

“Are the Black Centipedes ready?”

“Yes, Lord Nemitz. They are currently feeding before the battle.”

The moles, as large as oxen, which were the main food source of the Dark Elves living in the underground world, struggled fearfully as they were dragged towards a massive pit.

However, unable to overcome the strength of dozens of Dark Elves, the moles were thrown into the pit one by one.

Some of the moles died instantly due to the significant fall, while others groaned in pain with broken legs.

In the depths of the darkness, yellow eyes glinted, and with a chilling sound, the creatures began to approach the injured moles.

Clatter, clatter, clatter…

The synchronized movement of thousands of legs.

Sensing the presence of the Black Centipedes, the surviving moles, terrified, forgot their broken legs and tried desperately to escape.

But it was futile.

The yellow eyes soared high and then swiftly descended upon the fleeing moles.

A massive lower jaw shattered the spine of a mole as big as an ox in one strike, bursting its innards.

“Squeal!”

The shrieks of dozens of moles echoed everywhere.

Crunch, crunch.

The horrifying sound of bones and flesh being chewed reverberated through the cave.

The Black Centipedes, with heads larger than the ox-sized moles, devoured a whole mole up to its head and then began hunting the other moles.

“Once the Black Centipedes finish their meal, we will head to the surface. Make sure everyone adapts to the light with small flames to prevent blindness under the moonlight. Also, remind them to take care of their vests made from the secretions of baby centipedes to avoid being attacked by the Black Centipedes.”

“Yes, Commander.”

“But Commander,”

“What is it?”

“Should we also adapt the Black Centipedes to the light?”

“No, that’s not necessary. Their eyes are nearly degenerated and can only distinguish temperature differences.”

“Understood.”

As each aide went off to their tasks, Green approached Nemitz, who had been waiting for the meeting to end.

“It’s finally starting, Lord Nemitz.”

“We’ve hurriedly prepared, but with the enemy’s Gigantes not being numerous, this attack should be quite easy.”

“I have a request.”

Nemitz, who was in the middle of equipping his dual blades, looked up at Green, who had suddenly mentioned a request.

“What is your request?”

“Please allow me to take the head of Arteon, the leader of the Elves.”

Nemitz, momentarily surprised by her request, resumed equipping his dual blades and replied.

“Why do you want her head?”

“I have something I must retrieve from her.”

“Something to retrieve, I understand. Although we have a set plan, if you wish for her so much, I will concede. However, I must advise you not to let your guard down. She is, without a doubt, the greatest mage on the continent, excluding dragons.”