Easygoing Territory Defense by the Optimistic Lord

【King Dino】

A report came in that adventurers and knights had clashed, causing the march to halt. We were just resting at a base called the Container, which Baron Van had established, but there was no choice.

"I anticipated something like this, but having the march stop is troublesome. So, which knight order is involved in the scuffle with the adventurers?"

I asked the captain of a thousand, who came to report. He was a serious man who had risen from a common citizen by passing the knight exam and learning formations, tactics, and battalion command better than anyone else, becoming a commander. It was rare for someone to rise from common folk to captain of a thousand. Because of his seriousness, he would give an objective report from a neutral standpoint.

Knights naturally tend to side with their fellow knights.

Thinking that, I waited for his report. The captain furrowed his brow even more than usual before speaking.

"It's the knight order of Baron Ego Eastern. About ten of their knights are currently in conflict with the adventurers."

"Hmm. Any injuries?"

"There are many. It seems a brawl broke out in a rather confined space, and currently over fifty are under treatment."

The captain reported plainly. I involuntarily raised a hand.

"Wait a minute. Fifty injured? Surely, they didn't kill any adventurers, right? Even if the opponents were tough, why would ten knights fighting result in so many casualties?"

I asked, unable to understand. Even if the Eastern Baron's knight order was not very skilled, they should have been conducting constant combat training. In multiple-person combat, there is usually a big difference between knights and adventurers. Only top-ranked adventurers would dare to take on knights head-on.

However, the captain shook his head.

"Unfortunately, all the injured are knights and their attendants from the Eastern order. The three adventurers involved have no notable external injuries and are currently waiting in a room at the base."

"...So, fifty knights and attendants were one-sidedly beaten? Could it be that one of the adventurers was a top-class four element magician?"

My voice hardened involuntarily. Was the Eastern knight order just that weak? Or were those three adventurers extraordinarily strong? Either way, this was a grave matter. The unity and toughness of the knight order were the cornerstone of national defense and, consequently, the security of each city.

If they were inferior even to mere adventurers, it would be a major problem.

Perhaps because of these thoughts, my tone became accusatory. The captain's expression grew stern and he lowered his chin accordingly.

"There was a somewhat capable wind magic user, but it seems their magic was only used to immobilize targets. The problem lay in the weapons wielded by the other two."

"Weapons?"

I tilted my head. The captain pulled out a severed iron sword from beneath his cloak. It was a straight sword widely used in general. Thick and not easily broken.

Yet, the sword was cleanly broken in two.

"...Did they fight a large sword meant for battling dragon-kind?"

Half expecting the answer, I asked, but the captain shook his head.

"No, it was a normal-sized sword. Rather slender and lightweight. The adventurers' skill was honestly beyond what average knights could beat, but the true cause of defeat was the dreadful sharpness of this weapon. When blades clashed, their weapons would be destroyed one-sidedly, and shields and armor were cut through regardless. If the adventurers hadn't held back and struck with the back of their blades, all fifty could have died."

"...Baron Van's weapon, huh. I planned to put it away as a precious sword and hadn't checked its sharpness, but to think it was that formidable..."

Saying this, I drew the Orichalcum sword at my waist. The captain's eyes widened.

"That magnificent sword was made by that child?"

"Yes. I had it made right before my eyes."

As I spoke, I swung the sword at a shield nearby. A sharp metallic ring resounded, followed by the sound of the cut-off shield fragment falling.