SOTBW - 146

Najane hugged her helmet to her chest as she scanned the field. Perhaps because Serith hadn’t attacked the fortress in days, the tension in the field wasn’t what it used to be. Some soldiers were even leaning on their shields stuck in the ground, chatting idly.

Feeling out of place in the unfamiliar atmosphere, Najane scratched her cheek and looked at the great wall guarded by the Romsoa Knights. Thankfully, the Romsoa knights appeared as focused as ever, ready to confront Serith in battle.

The mercenaries and young soldiers also appeared reliable as they meticulously inspected their weapons one last time, seemingly determined to make the most of the grueling training they’d endured.

Najane’s gaze wandered toward the distant frontline, the area that would first face the Serith as they leaped over the great wall.

It was said that the Romsoa knights rotated between the frontline and rear positions, regardless of their background or skill level.

With a sigh, Najane pressed her helmet onto her head. Since joining the Romsoa Knights, she had always remained at the rear.

She knew how dangerous it was to fight on the frontline. But all the knights except her stood by Maximón’s side, fulfilling their duties.

Maximón would likely never send her to the frontline. Whether it was out of concern, love, or something else…

As a knight of Romsoa, as a swordswoman capable of wielding sword energy, Najane knew how disgraceful it was to remain in the rear. Her complicated eyes fixed on the great wall, standing tall against the darkness.

At the same time, she worried whether she could perform adequately if placed on the frontline. She couldn’t even properly cut down a single Serith entity with her sword energy. Could she truly hold her ground in the relentless pace of the frontlines?

After squeezing her eyes shut and opening them again, Najane brushed her armor. There was no use in entertaining weak thoughts. Someday, she, too, would head to the frontline. When that day came, even if she could fight just enough not to hold Maximón back, it would be enough.

Calming her nerves, Najane briefly envisioned herself fighting the Serith before letting out a breath.

It was said that the Serith hadn’t attacked even once while the Romsoa Knights were away from the field. Perhaps tonight, too, would pass quietly.

As Najane was about to put on her helmet, she noticed a group of young soldiers awkwardly trying to form teams. One held a shield and sword, while another had a torch and sword.

Watching them nervously discuss strategies and debate how best to fight was both endearing and pitiable. Najane took a step forward, intending to offer guidance, but her attention was drawn to someone among them.

One soldier, appearing flustered, removed their helmet and adjusted their hair.

Golden locks spilled down their back as the helmet was removed. Najane froze mid-step, her eyes locking onto the soldier. The petite figure stood out strikingly.

Though it could have been a boy growing out their hair for religious reasons, Najane was certain the soldier was a woman.

Startled, Najane quickly approached her.

The woman tied her long, thick hair into a tight bundle with another strap and moved to put her helmet back on.

Najane reached out and grabbed the woman’s arm to stop her from lifting the helmet.

“…Amelia?”

Amelia’s eyes wavered with shock as she faced Najane. Flustered, she dropped the helmet and took a step back.

Najane stared at Amelia as if she’d seen a ghost.

“You… You… Why are you here?”

“Najane…”

“What happened, Amelia? Why are you—”

Najane trailed off, unable to finish her sentence.

Amelia quickly scanned the area. Fortunately, most of the young soldiers around them were too tense, being on the field for the first time, to notice the exchange.

With the impending battle, Amelia picked up her helmet and offered a concise explanation.

“There are circumstances that led me to fight here on the field.”

“Circumstances? What kind of circumstances? Is it because of debt?”

“Partly. Also… I felt uncomfortable with the commander paying off my debt.”

Faced with a situation she hadn’t even imagined, Najane didn’t know what to do. She lowered her gaze to the ground, clenched her eyes shut, and then looked back up. She wanted nothing more than to drag Amelia out of the field.

“What about training? I’ve never seen you in the training grounds. Who taught you how to use a sword? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I was going to tell you, but… I got so busy and overwhelmed, and things ended up like this.”

Wanting to end the conversation, Amelia turned her head away to avoid Najane’s gaze. But Najane wasn’t about to let it go so easily and stepped in front of Amelia to block her path.

“No matter the reason, do you even understand what it means to fight on the field? Or did Maximón say something to you? Don’t tell me it’s because you wanted to pay off your debt faster—”

“The curse on your body—why didn’t you tell me about it?”

In that moment, even though she knew she shouldn’t say it, Amelia blurted out her words sharply, cutting Najane off. Realizing what she’d just done, Amelia closed her eyes tightly for a second before reopening them.

Najane, who had been so consumed with worrying about Amelia, blinked rapidly in shock at the sudden accusatory tone. The excitement that had filled Najane’s eyes gradually faded.

“That’s…”

Caught off guard, Najane’s expression became troubled, as though she had never anticipated this kind of situation.

Seeing that expression, Amelia felt a pang of guilt. She quickly waved her hands to smooth things over, trying to undo the weight of her words.

“I’m sorry for hiding the fact that I became a soldier, Najane. I was going to tell you soon. But I thought you’d fight tooth and nail to stop me, and I wasn’t sure how to even bring it up. I didn’t mean to criticize you for not telling me. I got carried away, and… I’m sorry.”

Amelia forced an awkward smile as she gave Najane a gentle push on the back, urging her to leave.

“Anyway, you don’t need to worry about me. I know what it means to be on the field. I won’t hold you back here, so go to your position—”

“No.”

Najane planted her feet firmly on the ground, turning back to face Amelia.

“…Najane?”

At that moment, a sharp bell rang out from atop the wall, echoing across the field. The sound of drums, beaten by archers, pierced through the previously lethargic atmosphere of the field, instantly heightening the tension. It was the signal that movement had been detected beyond the great wall.

Amelia, alarmed, looked back and forth between the great wall and the fortress wall with a tense expression. The young soldiers nearby also fumbled, hastily raising their swords.

“Najane, go to your position! It must be the Serith—hurry!”

But Najane didn’t budge. Instead, she firmly pressed her helmet down onto her head. Amelia stared at her, bewildered.

With a determined expression, Najane adjusted her gauntlets before carefully tidying Amelia’s hair and fitting her helmet back on for her.

“It’s not that I didn’t tell you because I didn’t trust you.”

Pressing the helmet snugly so it wouldn’t fall off, Najane spoke in a quiet voice.

Through the visor, Amelia stared at her.

“It’s just… that it was a secret I was supposed to hide from everyone. I never imagined there’d come a day where I’d have to reveal it.”

Najane firmly placed a heavy sword in Amelia’s trembling hands. As Amelia felt the weight of the blade, a shiver ran down her spine.

She was grateful for the helmet. Without it, Najane would have surely seen the fear twisting her face.

Amelia took a slow, deep breath and met Najane’s eyes. Beneath her feet, she felt the faint vibrations of movement growing closer to the great wall.

A shout rang out in the distance, ordering everyone to prepare for the attack. Her mouth went dry in an instant.

Najane handed Amelia a torch with a faint smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.

“I’ll stay by your side. I can’t leave you here alone.”

“Najane…”

But I don’t want to hold you back again.

Amelia wanted to say those words but stopped when she saw thousands of arrows slicing through the night sky.

The deafening wails of the Serith echoed across the field, shattering the stillness. She could no longer tell Najane to leave.

Amelia’s frail body trembled uncontrollably like a leaf in the wind. Najane pulled her into a tight embrace, holding her steady, and spoke in a strong, reassuring voice.

“When the sun rises, we’ll talk this out slowly.”

Najane drew her sacred sword from its sheath, her gaze fixed on the dark shapes rushing toward the fortress wall.

“No matter what happens tonight, I’ll protect you.”

________________________________________

Shouts and screams erupted from every direction.

Amelia straightened her shoulders, determined not to cower. She mentally recited what she had learned during her training with the Knights of Recheo.

When striking a wraith’s neck, don’t rely solely on the strength of your arms; use your waist to maintain stability… If you fail to sever the head in one blow, strike quickly again… If you can’t kill it in one hit, expect a counterattack. Either retreat or block with your shield… The moment you attack a wraith, you become its target… Always watch your back, and if an ally is under attack, help them no matter what.

Amid the chaos, Amelia spotted a wraith clawing at the back of a young soldier. The wraith’s sharp nails raked at random, but it was too far away to completely destroy the soldier’s armor.

Amelia knew she had to help the young soldier. He had dropped his sword somewhere and was holding only a torch.

Terrified, the boy stumbled backward and fell. The wraith roared and lunged toward him.

Amelia found herself frozen in place, unable to move as though her feet were fused to the ground.

Please, someone… someone help…

Just as the wraith swung its claws at the soldier, a white blade gleamed in the torchlit field. The sacred sword shimmered like stardust scattered in the darkness.

Najane severed the wraith’s claws, which had been aimed at the boy’s torso, and in one swift motion, she cut through its arm as well. Blue blood splattered across Najane’s face.

The wraith screamed in agony, its severed arm writhing on the ground. Without hesitation, Najane beheaded it. The severed head rolled to a stop at Amelia’s feet. Only then did she snap out of her daze, hastily pressing her torch against the wraith’s head.

“Stop dawdling and get up!”

Najane’s commanding voice rang out. The young soldier, still sitting in shock, scrambled to pick up a discarded sword nearby. Satisfied that the boy had recovered his stance, Najane turned and approached Amelia.

Amelia felt tears welling up at the sight of Najane but clenched them back, gripping her sword tightly. Najane moved tirelessly across the rear line, dealing with every fight that erupted around Amelia. Even when she ventured a little farther away, Najane kept glancing back to ensure Amelia was safe before returning to her side.

“Amelia, don’t swing your sword up and down—cut diagonally. And if it’s too hard to fight while holding the torch, just drop it. When we cut the wraiths down, someone else will come to burn the Serith with their torch.”

“O-okay.”

Following Najane’s advice, Amelia abandoned the torch and held her sword with both hands.

The wraiths were vastly different in size compared to those she had seen with the Knights of Recheo. Some were as large as a wagon, while others were as small as children.

But regardless of their size, they were equally ferocious and lunged at her to rip out her throat if she let her guard down for even a moment.

Najane swiftly cut down two Serith wraiths that had latched onto a mercenary. She then threw the severed heads toward a young soldier holding a torch. The wraiths, undeterred, rushed toward Najane with increasing speed.

Amelia swung her sword at a wraith aiming for Najane’s back. She wanted to sever its head in one blow, but the blade embedded itself in the nape of its neck instead. Gritting her teeth, Amelia let out a yell as she mustered all her strength to finish the strike.

The sword finally sliced through the wraith’s neck, just as Najane’s sacred blade pierced its torso. Najane kicked the headless Serith toward a fallen torch, where its severed wounds caught fire. The wraith squirmed a few times before going limp.

Amelia stared blankly at the blue blood trickling down her sword before snapping out of it. The strange sensation of cutting through the wraith lingered in her palms like a ghostly itch.

Though her actions had been almost instinctive, she had killed a wraith. The realization made her heart pound violently in her chest.

Suddenly, a flash of light appeared beside her. Startled, Amelia turned to look.

Najane, with no time to rest, unleashed a sword energy slash toward a swarm of wraiths that had gathered around a single corpse like ants. The energy rippled like a whip, taking down more than ten wraiths at once.

As the sword energy dissipated, the field briefly fell silent. The Serith wraiths turned their attention to Najane. She raised her blade high for all to see and shouted at Amelia.

“Get away from me, Amelia! It’s dangerous!”

The moment her words ended, dozens of wraiths charged at Najane all at once.