Virgin Knight Who Is the Frontier Lord in the Gender Switched World - Chapter 188
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- Chapter 188 - The Fate of the Archbishop of Mainz
People are dying.
One after another, people are dying.
Our infantry is being mercilessly slaughtered.
“Brave soldiers of mine! As your commander, as the Elector of Mainz, I give you permission to retreat. Flee to the safety of our homeland!”
I shout to my soldiers, who likely won’t make it back to their homeland.
A thread of hope to escape this hell was thrown their way, and their faces lit up with joy, only to be instantly crushed.
Helmets and coifs offered no protection whatsoever, and with brute force, they were mercilessly dealt with by the enemy’s violence.
When their heads were even slightly caught by the barbarian knight’s flailing warhammer, the only result was their heads exploding.
It’s brutal.
Ah, how brutal it is.
Even if it’s an act of intimidation, there has to be a limit.
The outcome of the battle is already clear.
No one is even thinking of resisting anymore; they’re just running for their lives—my subordinates are now nothing more than fleeing cattle.
This is a slaughter worse than that of beasts.
But still, if I wish to reduce our losses, the right thing to do is to kill as many enemies as possible when given the chance.
All responsibility for this situation falls on me, as the commander, the Archbishop of Mainz.
“…”
Did he hear my name? The knight with the bucket helmet turns toward me.
I feel his intense gaze.
It’s a mad bloodlust, as if he’s forgotten everything but the act of slaughtering every enemy before him.
That bucket-headed knight is staring straight at me, but there’s no sign of him uttering a word.
A true knight doesn’t need to speak when accomplishing something. The task is done by simply strangling the enemy in front of them.
The knightly teachings flash through my mind.
At any moment, he could charge forward and burst my head open.
“Ah.”
I realize that this is the end for me.
The knight before me is a monster.
Even without understanding how abnormal his presence is, one look at the situation would tell any fool the truth.
Bodies of soldiers with their upper halves ‘exploded’ are scattered all around, and it’s clear that the knight’s enormous warhammer, gripped in both hands, is the cause.
The knight, towering over 2 meters tall, rides a fierce warhorse of the same height.
His appearance is hidden behind an outdated great helm, and his entire body is covered in plate armor engraved with a cursed emblem.
A ‘deformed’ cross.
It’s as if he’s declaring, “Here lies my heart, aim for it,” with the Cologne Sect’s emblem prominently engraved on his chest.
Someone, perhaps a brave soul from my army, managed to leave a bloodstained handprint over the emblem to obscure its gleam.
If that person acted out of their own will, it would be an honor worthy of a knighthood.
At the same time, it’s proof that my soldiers are far from weak.
But that soldier is likely dead now.
“I command my cavalry to assist the infantry in retreating. Every soldier saved is a testament to the honor of the Knights of Mainz.”
“Understood. What about you, Your Eminence?”
“You should know, as a fellow knight, what I intend to do.”
I’m going to die.
The honor of a clergyman, the position as an Elector, and everything else will be crushed.
I will die, a fool who initiated an inquisition and was killed by the very heretics I sought to judge.
There’s no escaping my demise.
In that case, I wish to preserve at least the last bit of honor as a knight and lord.
Well, I don’t know if my opponent will accept it, though.
“May fortune be with you.”
The cavalry captain spoke.
I responded with a slight nod.
I spurred my horse and rode toward that bucket-headed knight.
It wasn’t a charge.
In this magnificent armor, it would be clear to anyone that I was a high-value target.
Seeing the enemy soldiers approach me with hopes of earning merit, I took a deep breath.
I shouted out my name.
“Your enemy, Mainz, stands before you! I, the Archbishop, the Elector, and a lordly knight of Mainz, have come before you!!”
I had two purposes.
The honor of the Archbishop and the status of the Elector no longer mattered.
But as the lord of Mainz, I must ensure my people escape.
I must attract as much attention as possible so that, while the enemy soldiers proudly parade my severed head, my men can flee.
In short, I needed to buy time.
And the other reason…
“Soldiers, move aside! I have business with that real knight!!”
I walked my horse forward.
Throughout my life, I’ve had a few chances like this. But none matched the primal instinct to survive that I now suppress with reason as I march toward death.
I did not raise my voice; I simply walked.
Every enemy soldier glared at me, but they were also confused.
The enemy commander, without even his attendants, had ordered a retreat and now advanced alone.
Even my own men, recognizing the knight as a monster, watched in stunned silence as I approached.
They looked at me as if they were watching a criminal walk to the executioner’s block.
“A splendid view, a splendid view indeed.”
Everyone is glaring at me, the Archbishop of Mainz, like I am their sworn enemy.
Given what I’ve done, that’s only natural.
You must be bitter to have been deemed heretics.
The strong declare themselves orthodox and label the weak as heretics, scornfully.
The weak have their possessions taken as if it were their due, and their bellies kicked.
Without money, they are bullied for others’ pleasure, and sometimes, even their lives are taken.
What you cherish dearly is mocked, as if you were a fool treasuring a mere stone.
And it was this Archbishop of Mainz who sought to inflict such atrocities upon you.
Go ahead and glare at me. You have every right to do so.
Even so, sometimes you have to grit your teeth and live on, as if you were bitten by a dog and forced to forget it.
Even if it means enduring the humiliation of clenching your teeth until they bleed, while performing a disgraceful act.
As long as you keep looking up at the sky, you won’t lose your human dignity.
Only those who have lived that way can be found in Valier’s army.
At least those who do not lower their gaze have joined this march of Valier.
The ‘Gleaners of Valier,’ wasn’t it?
“We are the ones cast aside. From our homes, from the market, from the castle. Thrown away as unwanted, licking stones in our hunger. Our future is no better than dust on the roadside.”
The words flowed from my mouth like a poem.
It was a verse praising Valier von Anhalt.
“However, she took our withered hands and spoke to us with certainty. ‘Do not cry, do not despair, do not rot away. You are the gleanings, and if you so wish, you can still show this world your unseen worth. Follow me with your lives on the line.’”
I always loved poetry.
When I was younger, I seriously considered a life where I could sing poems in the city instead of becoming a clergyman or an Elector.
I even practiced writing poetry.
Sermons and hymns are naturally part of a clergyman’s duties, so I have a solid foundation.
I take pride in being quite skilled at it.
“If you consider yourselves the gleanings, if you hold the pride of the gleanings, then show your worth with your actions. For in the end, you are but dust. If there is no place for you here, then let a thousand of you come barefoot, ready to explode like the cracking of the gleanings.”
Of course, I know well that such a life would be difficult to sustain.
As an Elector, responsible for governing people, I am fully aware of this.
It was merely a dream.
That’s why I can praise you, who have risen from such a wretched position.
“Across burning sands, gravel, and mud, you lock arms and press forward. You step over the fallen, and those who survive celebrate life. Let us show our worth again tomorrow. And when we live to see the dawn, we will bloom in a new land, a life that is ours alone.”
I saw someone with a determined expression grasp their spear and approach me to stab me.
But they were stopped.
It was Lord Berlichingen and the bucket-headed knight who intervened.
The soldiers seemed confused, trying to understand my words.
I finished my song and successfully approached the bucket-headed knight, ready to fulfill my purpose.
“Even if you can grit your teeth, even if you keep gazing at the sky, it is because of Valiere von Anhalt that you, the ones cast aside, have become human. Never forget the grace given to you by your lord.”
What am I saying?
Even I don’t understand what I’m saying anymore.
This is a battlefield.
Yet, everyone is staring at me as if I’ve gone mad, suddenly singing and preaching.
My forces are beginning to withdraw from the battlefield.
“Well then—let me retract the inquisition. I, the Archbishop of Mainz, am ashamed of my ignorance, and I declare that the Cologne Sect is not heretical. I don’t know what that tyrant of a Pope will do, but as for me, I retract it.”
I declared to the bucket-headed knight.
However, the knight before me turned to look at Lord Berlichingen.
It was as if he was leaving the matter to her.
The knight had no intention of speaking.
“I understand. On behalf of Archbishop Mainz, I acknowledge the retraction of the inquisition against the Cologne Sect.”
Lord Berlichingen, though troubled, accepted my statement as the commander of the cavalry.
“Very well. Of course, I also retract the seven accompanying demands. Well, it may be meaningless for a defeated man to speak, but I will also offer an apology to Lady Valiere, as well as compensation.”
She nodded quietly, with an expression as if she had been defanged.
For a moment, we read each other’s expressions.
Despite the battlefield, a silence fell.
The situation was gruesome, with corpses of soldiers lying everywhere, a scene of utter despair.
“Are you surrendering?”
“Look at the situation and judge for yourself. It’s more like begging not to be killed.”
All of this is the responsibility of me, the commander, Mainz.
I must take responsibility with my life.
“Ah, well, if surrender is accepted, I will do so. If you accept it, please notify my entire army immediately and stop the pursuit of the Mainz Archbishop’s forces.”
“I don’t know how much is possible, but I will do what I can.”
Lord Berlichingen gave a hand signal.
A knight pulled out a crystal ball and handed it to her.
It seemed she was contacting Lady Valiere.
“Hm.”
It was an unexpected stroke of luck.
I had thought surrender was impossible and was prepared to be killed without question.
But it seems I might fulfill my duties as a lord and even as a knight.
Displaying my corpse is one thing, but I was relieved to avoid a tortured death.
I felt a strange sense of peace.
“Yes. Well… What?”
Lord Berlichingen suddenly stared at the crystal ball with a look of disbelief.
I don’t know what she heard, but she beckoned the bucket-headed knight over and whispered something as their helmets touched.
“!?”
The bucket-headed knight seemed shocked.
Lord Berlichingen nodded and looked at me.
I see, Lady Valiere has immediately accepted my surrender.
“It’s good that surrender has been accepted. Lady Valiere is wise not to waste resources. She must be thinking of using the Electorate of Mainz for future gains, rather than draining it dry.”
“No… That’s not it.”
“Of course, a family of Electors would be more refined than a robber knight who only knows how to steal.”
I laughed through my nose.
I no longer held hatred for Lord Berlichingen, but I still didn’t like her.
She had threatened my territory and extorted money from it.
This robber knight before me was still scum.
“Well then, you, the bucket-headed knight, a true knight. I have one final request. Kill me. If possible, let it be in a one-on-one duel. It’s cowardly and ungracious, but I wish to die in a duel, bearing the honor of a knight.”
This is the pride of a knight.
If I must die, I want to be killed in a duel with a true knight.
If it is known that I died fighting a monster, it would somewhat preserve my honor after death.
I don’t know much about this bucket-headed knight, but I’m certain they are either famous or will become famous.
I voiced my request.
“…”
The bucket-headed knight seemed deeply troubled.
Yet, without a word, they nodded.
My wish had been granted.
I raised my poleaxe and let out a war cry.
“No, I’m afraid I cannot fulfill the request of Archbishop Mainz.”
Lord Berlichingen, having seen through my resolve and my acceptance of death, stood in our way.
Was this robber knight really going to deny me even the last shred of a knight’s pride?
I could not bear to be humiliated, nor could I face my fallen subordinates if I were to survive in disgrace.
Surely, even a person as uncouth as you could understand that?
“Archbishop Mainz, just before you surrendered, your forces had already surrendered to Lady Valiere. The right wing of our army is reportedly disarming as we speak. Any act of war, including interfering with negotiations, is strictly forbidden. The person claims to have been given full authority by you…”
She said something unbelievable.
I had certainly wanted to surrender, but I hadn’t sent any emissaries.
“What!? Who dared to act on their own—”
I had given no such permission.
Even if I had, who in my army could negotiate without any channels?
I don’t blame those who surrendered, but if I could, I would have done so myself long ago.
Seeing my confusion, Lord Berlichingen seemed puzzled and murmured the name of a woman.
“The negotiator’s name is Eugen. Eugen von Mainz. She claims to be your daughter… You knew nothing of this?”
The name of the one most precious to me.
The name of my only daughter.
I love this novel.