How to Live as a Knight After the Ending-Chapter 298: The Iron Knight (1)

"Hahaha! That was a direct hit!"

"Such amazing automaton control skills! Hey young sheriff! How did you do that?"

"Even though Dyke is like that, he has the most outstanding skills among us, but he was helplessly defeated!"

The Steel Fist gang graciously accepted their defeat.

Especially Dyke, who had his beloved automaton destroyed, was happier than anyone else.

Although his precious automaton was broken, he was able to have an awesome automaton battle with a new champion.

So this wasn't something to be sad or angry about.

Rather, it was an honorable and enjoyable thing.

'The people of District 49 are violent and barbaric, but at the same time they possess a purity that can only be seen within it.'

This could be seen just by looking at how they try to resolve conflicts through duels, battles, and races.

A purity like children playing war games.

Of course, that doesn't mean they could be viewed only positively. After all, they were a gang that held people's lives in their hands.

Even though it looks like play, it's not play.

Though they're laughing and chattering like that, there probably isn't a single person among them who hasn't killed someone.

'Of course, the same goes for me too.'

Since coming to this world, how many corpses have fallen under this sword?

It was something I couldn't have even imagined in the past.

Perhaps they laugh so cheerfully because if they don't think of it as play, they might really go crazy.

That's the kind of place District 49 was.

"But, how did you do it?"

David, sitting next to him, asked with genuine curiosity.

Osian must be doing automaton battles for the first time.

Moreover, the automatons here were extremely old models that could only be controlled with cheap controllers.

Osian used that and defeated Dyke, the champion here, as if playing with a child.

The expertise Osian showed with the automaton was far beyond what could simply be called talent.

"Just, it felt familiar to me."

That was all Osian could answer.

He couldn't say that he had used similar controllers for an incredibly long time in his previous life.

Osian recalled the feeling when he defeated Dyke's automaton.

'It was a nostalgic sensation I hadn't felt in a long time.'

At that moment, Osian felt like he was neither the temporary sheriff of District 49, nor a fixer, nor a knight.

He felt like a single gamer who had lived on Earth.

Although he felt somewhat reluctant to end it here after experiencing again the sensation that should have remained only as memories, he decided not to be greedy because he had things he needed to do now.

"By the way, David. What's the concern you want to tell me about?"

"Huh? That's..."

"Did you think I wouldn't know?"

When asked directly, David sensed he could no longer dodge the question.

"I know you volunteered to come with me to District 49 to help me. Since you're from here, it's easier to guide and you know the information. But that wasn't all, was it?"

"...How did you know?"

"Though you tried hard to hide it, it showed subtly that you had concerns you wanted to confide in me."

Though David pretended otherwise, whenever they were alone, he would cast subtle glances at Osian.

Although it never came to fruition because the opportunity didn't arise, Osian had already noticed some kind of desperation in those glances.

"Hah. I see. Even though I tried not to show it, I guess it couldn't be helped."

David gave a bitter smile as he slightly drooped his shoulders.

Osian quietly waited for what David would say.

"Just, lately I've been feeling like I'm falling behind."

"Falling behind, you mean as a knight?"

"Yes. Though I'm training hard, I can't shake the feeling that a subtle gap is growing between me and the other colleagues."

It was understandable to feel that way if gaps were forming within the same apprentice knights.

"There's no immediately visible difference, but you know that feeling, right? When you're strangely anxious and it turns out to be true."

"In what way do you think you're falling behind?"

"I, I can't feel the power of the stars."

This was David's biggest concern.

"When other colleagues see the power of Starlight that you and Asmer show, they seem to have grasped some kind of clue. But I, though it's embarrassing to say, don't understand at all. I felt the Starlight, but I don't know how to make it my own."

"So that's why you think you're falling behind."

The other colleagues gained some enlightenment or clue about handling the power of Starlight but David couldn't.

Considering that he was currently playing the role of eldest brother as the senior among the apprentice knights, it was natural to feel anxious.

"That's why I followed. If I could do this mission with you, I might be able to see the Starlight up close again and perhaps realize something."

David is feeling impatient now.

That's why he returned to District 49 like this, the place he had tried so hard to escape from.

Although it was a hell-like place he never wanted to return to, he had to come because David was no longer a runaway or fixer from District 49, but a knight.

For the sake of growing as a knight, he willingly stepped into his past nightmare.

That courage and attempt was certainly admirable.

"Enlightenment about Starlight it’s bound to differ from person to person. This isn't something I can advise you about what to do or how to do it."

There was nothing Osian could do.

He had already sown the seeds, and nurturing them was ultimately up to the individual.

This wasn't a power that could be taught or learned from someone else.

Rather, it depended on one's own mindset.

"I see."

David wasn't particularly disappointed. He probably vaguely anticipated it would be like this.

Osian looked at David's appearance.

He wasn't someone who relied on luck. Despite his considerable age, it couldn't have been easy to come to Osian and ask for teachings.

And he had managed through all the painful training that followed.

That's how firm his goal was.

"You don't need to rush too much. Effort will never betray you."

This was all the comfort Osian could give.

Though it was just words, he hoped it would provide even a little consolation to David.

At that moment, one of the Steel Fist gang members approached.

It was Dyke, who had been defeated by Osian.

"Hey young sheriff. Let me ask you one thing."

Sitting across from them at the bonfire, he pushed his goggles up to his forehead.

"You said you came looking for settlement people, but that's a lie, right?"

Dyke struck right at the core without hesitation.

As David tried to make some excuse, Dyke waved his hand dismissively.

"No, no, it's fine. I'm not trying to blame you for lying. You've already proven your skills. That's enough to stay here. You're the champion, right?"

"How did you know?"

Dyke grinned at Osian's question.

"Call it intuition, or rather, you can figure it out with a little thought. No matter how much they were attacked by gangs, even the Mining Heavy Industry guys, there's no way escaped settlers would come all the way to Old Town. It would basically be suicide, right?"

"You knew that and still allowed us?"

"Well, there were only two of you, but I was also curious. What on earth brought you here? There shouldn't be anything to gain in Old Town. There's only one answer." freeωebnovēl.c૦m

Dyke's eyes gleamed.

"Looks like you're searching for the same thing we are. Inside Old Town, in the scrap metal graveyard."

"Accurate."

At Osian's nonchalant response, Dyke's eyes widened before he burst into laughter.

"Hahaha! I was trying to shut you up by hitting the nail on the head, but I'm the one who got hit instead!"

"So what will you do now? Now that you know we're looking for that, we've essentially become competitors."

"What do you mean what will I do? Competition is competition, and staying here is staying here. You proved your skills through the automaton battle. What more do you need?"

"...Then?"

"I just want to show a bit more courtesy to the winners. When the sun rises again tomorrow morning, that place will become a truly horrific battlefield of chaos."

Osian nodded, indicating he was already fully prepared. David was the same.

"Right. You must have confidence in your skills beyond automaton battles too. That's why you're wearing the sheriff's badge. But there are more things to be careful about. Over there, it's not just us District 49 gangs."

"Who else is there?"

"There are outsiders who snuck in too. Among them, there's one you particularly need to watch out for."

Dyke's voice became notably more serious than before.

"Be careful of the 'knight'."

*

The next morning dawned.

As the sun rose over the bluish wilderness, the world began to turn ochre from the opposite side.

Steel Fist, who woke everyone by banging on cans, soon finished preparing the vehicles for departure.

"You two. It was fun meeting you. It would be nice to meet again if we get the chance, but the situation probably won't allow it. So don't die!"

Having won the automaton battle, Osian seemed to have already become one of their comrades.

They showed such a reaction despite not having done anything particularly to build bonds.

Though it was incomprehensible, seeing their sincere attitude made him not want to question it.

"If we meet again alive, let's have another exciting automaton battle then! Next time I'll definitely win!"

"Sure. Anytime."

"Haha, great! Well then, shall we go!"

-Vroom!

With the sound of nitro motors, the vehicles and bikes kicked up dust as they departed.

Watching them, Osian spoke.

"Let's go too. We'll need to move quickly."

"Yes. By the way, do you think what was said yesterday is true?"

"What do you mean?"

"About being careful of the knight."

Right. Dyke definitely said that last night.

To be careful of the knight.

"It probably isn't Sir Asmer, so...could there be another knight?"

"Can't be certain. However, they clearly said they saw a knight, so we should keep that possibility in mind."

"Maybe they were mistaken."

"Would they mistake someone for a knight of all things?"

The fact that they warned to be careful of the knight means the other party must have had an appearance or abilities that clearly identified them as a knight.

"Whatever the case, one thing is certain - other outsiders are involved in this situation."

"This might make things more complicated."

"No. What we need to do hasn't changed. It might actually be better. The more conflicting forces there are, the easier it will be for us to move."

A minority is at a disadvantage fighting against a majority in an all-out war but when multiple large organizations fight and clash like this, that's when being a small, mobile force becomes advantageous.

Similar to how dinosaurs disappeared during the ice age while small mice survived.

"We're getting close to the scrap metal graveyard."

Beyond the earth gleaming in the sunlight, the scrap metal graveyard piled like mountains showed its presence clearly even through the heat haze.

And beyond that, explosions and roaring sounds were rampant from early morning.

"This is no joke from the start."

At the entrance to the scrap metal graveyard were the remains of destroyed vehicles and corpses of gang members who had been burned or shot to death.

Among them were Steel Fist gang members in leather jackets, and Mining Heavy Industry gang members with tattoos on their bare upper bodies.

'Those ones smelling of oil must be Oil Finger, and the ones wearing gas masks must be Sullivan's descendants.'

A battlefield of ruins where massive organizations collide.

The moment they set foot in it, the smell of death and gunpowder wafted strongly.

And also the smell of metal that had rusted after long exposure to the wilderness wind.

All that could be seen was an array of metal whose forms were hard to distinguish.

Finding an automaton made of the same metal here was truly like finding a needle in a desert and above all, there was no specific plan for what to do after coming here.

They only knew it was in the scrap metal graveyard, and that information was limited to it being in the deepest part but in this vast place, how wide would the deep part be, and would they be able to search the entire interior without any conflicts?

Realistically, it wouldn't be easy.

But it was something they had to do.

"Let's move further inside."

"Yes. Understood."

The two headed deeper into the graveyard, or maze, of rusted steel.

That desolate and eerie entrance seemed to implicitly warn that once entered, there would be no return.

But knights are those who advance forward.

They never stop.

-Boom boom boom!

A series of explosions rang out from afar. It seemed some gang members were freely setting off high explosives.

Since the source of the sound was far away, they wouldn't get caught up in it.

However, there was one sound that made Osian stop in his tracks.

-Neigh!

Among the explosion sounds, he thought he heard a horse's neighing.