"I’ll be conducting a briefing on the current situation. The Candles, which used to operate in smaller teams, have now formed an alliance and are planning to invade Londan," the head of the branch announced as I stepped outside, guided by Muyeon.

The head of the branch was in the middle of giving a report to the rest of the branch members. It made me wonder why I hadn’t been woken up earlier, despite the seriousness of the situation. And why were the Candles suddenly launching an invasion?

It didn’t seem like a simple act of aggression, but without knowing the full context, I couldn’t make any rash judgments.

I tried to blend in with the group to hear the branch leader’s words, but the moment he saw me, he pointed towards the exit.

"You’ve been reassigned to direct orders from the deputy commander, Tanthan. You’re to head to the knight headquarters immediately."

Maybe because of my past achievements, they were treating me like a special forces member now. Since the situation was urgent, I skipped any questions and saluted the branch leader.

"Understood!"

Though the atmosphere was tense, the branch leader’s expression, usually warm, was now completely serious. It was clear this was no ordinary situation.

At the knights' headquarters, the emergency exits that had been blocked by the furnace were now fully open, with numerous knights moving through the space, rushing in and out. Judging by their changing equipment as they moved, it seemed they were resupplying.

"Muyeon, where’s the master?"

"White Mask is cutting off the train’s fuel supply. If the Candles get control of the trains, the situation will get even worse."

For White Mask, the train enthusiast, to destroy his precious locomotives… this must really be unprecedented.

As I followed the knights heading into the furnace area, I deviated from the crowd and made my way to the deputy commander’s office. When I entered, I saw the deputy commander standing face-to-face with the knight commander, gripping her shoulders.

"…Do you understand, Commander? From now on, you must protect this furnace," the deputy commander said firmly.

"Me?"

"Yes. Please, if you see anyone wearing different protective gear entering the territory, provide support. Until then, you must stay here at all costs."

"I don’t quite understand."

The knight commander’s lack of comprehension made the deputy commander sigh. But then, as if she’d had a sudden realization, her expression brightened slightly.

"When this is all over, I’ll treat you to some lamb."

"L-lamb?!"

"So please, survive. Don’t lose your way. That’s… my only wish, Commander."

"I understand. I’ll make sure to keep my promise."

In the deputy commander’s voice, especially in the words "don’t lose your way," there was a slight tremor. It must be because she had lost the knight commander once before, and now she was assigning her to protect Londan from within.

Once their conversation ended, the deputy commander took a deep breath, stood up, and looked at me with a solemn expression.

"You're here, Tanthan."

"Deputy Commander."

As soon as I saw that their conversation was over, I saluted both the knight commander and the deputy commander. By now, the knight commander had grown accustomed to these formalities and returned the salute.

Lowering her hand, the deputy commander nodded at me.

"It seems the branch leader conveyed the message well."

"Yes, he told me to come here."

"Good. Tanthan, this task may be a burden, considering you haven’t been a knight for long, but given the situation, we had no choice."

The deputy commander appeared ready to explain my mission, so I focused intently on her. Seeing I was ready, she continued.

"We’re going to charge head-on where the Candles are gathering."

A head-on assault.

That meant we were going to strike the enemy first, before they could breach Londan’s territory. The order for the knight commander to remain here must have been as a contingency, a last line of defense in case the Candles overwhelmed us.

In other words, the deputy commander was well aware of the riskiness of the mission.

"But, Deputy Commander," I began.

"I know what you're thinking, Tanthan," she interrupted, lowering her head and sighing.

"But as you’re aware, our greatest assets are myself, White Mask, and the commander. If we were to lead our knights directly against that horde of Candles, Londan’s territory could be devastated."

Hearing her explanation, I realized she was right.

When we fought the Candles last time, we had the temporary assistance of Bell’s power, which allowed us to win effortlessly. Even though we’ve grown stronger since then, and we could still call upon the power of higher entities, the sheer numbers this time made it nearly impossible.

With the hierarchy of the knights—from branch members to division units and all the way up to headquarters—there was a real chance that the regular knights could be completely overwhelmed.

"But just four of us against such a large force…"

"We have no choice. Otherwise, Londan will fall to those treacherous scum."

Extinction.

The deputy commander’s assessment of the situation made it clear that this was a fight for survival.

I had never faced such a large army before. Given the deputy commander’s far greater combat experience, it was wise to follow her lead.

And the fact that they were putting everything into this operation meant that if we failed, there would be no way to protect Londan.

"I understand, Deputy Commander."

I straightened up, placed my clenched fist against my chest, and nodded.

"I will follow you to the end, as far as my strength will take me."

"Good!"

Perhaps my resolve had reached her. The deputy commander shouted loudly, lifting her massive plastic broadsword.

The tip of her sword pointed beyond the walls of Londan.

"From now on, we will do everything we can to protect Londan!"

The deputy commander declared.

"Give your lives if necessary!"

We exited through the gates of Londan. Contrary to the deputy commander’s words, some troops were still stationed near the entrance, waiting.

I had assumed there wouldn’t be any reinforcements left, but seeing them, I was reminded of the gravity of the situation.

"These are soldiers who’ve gathered, fully aware they may die today. I… tried to stop them."

"Oh."

Looking at the troops now, I saw the dark expressions on their faces. Some were on the verge of tears. Yet despite this, there was a common thread among them all.

A determined will.

The resolve to lay down their lives if it meant protecting Londan.

"You’ve arrived."

A woman’s voice suddenly called out from somewhere. It was White Mask.

"Master."

"So, did you manage to convince that crybaby commander?"

I was taken aback by White Mask’s unusually soft tone, but the deputy commander smiled and answered.

"I promised her lamb."

"How devoted you are."

Though White Mask’s tone wasn’t particularly friendly, it was clear there was a hint of concern beneath her words. It wasn’t hard to imagine that she still harbored resentment towards the knight commander, who had recklessly led the expedition into the frozen mountains, causing the death of her comrades.

But that was their personal matter. I had no place in that.

Looking around, I noticed Muyeon trembling slightly behind me. However, despite the fear in her expression, her brow was furrowed with determination.

Muyeon had grown strong enough to endure even this.

"Knights!" the deputy commander’s voice rang out, and all eyes turned toward her.

Once she confirmed that everyone’s attention was on her, she spoke loudly.

"From now on, we will be facing an alliance of Candles!"

At her words, the already tense atmosphere grew even colder. Fear was spreading among the soldiers, the realization that they might die weighing heavily on their minds.

But the deputy commander knew this.

"Some of you may die. Your bodies may never be found, lost forever in the snow brought down by the evil mountain giants."

A ripple of sighs spread throughout the crowd as her words hit home. Yet, no one fled.

"We are knights, gathered here to uphold our code of chivalry!"

The deputy commander’s sudden exclamation shocked the knights, their expressions shifting as they all turned to face her.

She gazed at them, serious and solemn.

"For your families, for Londan! Even if you never see them again, you have come here with the strength of your resolve! Who could possibly defeat knights with such conviction?!"

As her speech progressed, the once fearful expressions on the knights’ faces began to change. A surge of energy and determination seemed to awaken within them.

"We are knights of Londan! Proud bearers of chivalry! How will your chivalry shine today? What color will you make it glow?!"

The atmosphere shifted as the knights raised their weapons high above their heads.

"Injured, fallen, or dead, your names will be remembered by Londan’s knights! Your honor will live on, passed down through the generations!"

The knight commander had sacrificed for this moment, and now the deputy commander was finally giving voice to that sacrifice, igniting the will of those around her.

In their tear-filled eyes, you could see their unwavering determination.

"Follow me! We are the knights of Londan, no! The greatest knights in the world!!!"

A thunderous cheer erupted from every knight present, without exception.

And we all swore, in that moment, that we would win.