Surviving as a Knight in a Trash Game

Chapter 6

I had seen the message that my stats had increased thousands of times. But even so, as someone who hadn’t been able to open the status window or skill window in fifteen years, I didn’t have much hope for the item window either. Fifteen years was long enough to give up on any expectations from this trash game’s system.

“Item. Item window.”

I muttered the same words I used to try mumbling to myself up until ten years ago, just in case. And, as expected, this trash game didn’t make things easy.

‘Tch, whatever. I probably don’t need it.’

I erased the thought of the item window from my mind and turned the insignia in front of me over in my hands.

Come to think of it, there never was a so-called item window. Instead, there was something called an appraisal function.

‘Hmm…?’

As I inspected the object from various angles, I caught a glimpse of a tiny magnifying glass. It was so small it was invisible unless I focused my attention entirely on it. I concentrated all my senses on that tiny icon.

[Essus Order’s Insignia: An insignia bestowed upon great benefactors of the Order. It is deeply tied to the prophecy given by the god to the Order and the promise once made to the first believer, carrying profound theological significance. You may return this insignia to the Order and request their assistance. Given the theological importance of this token, refusing such a request would be difficult.]

It looked like they made this tiny magnifying glass as a sort of user interface. From the looks of it, the icon didn’t even appear unless the item had a name. The ring I received from Selena didn’t show even a trace of such a magnifier.

“Prrr!”

Just as I was deep in thought about the item, Silver, my dark brown warhorse of several years, let out a frustrated snort, seemingly bored of the tedious journey. I reached out and absentmindedly stroked his mane.

“Prrr~”

The creature quickly calmed down and made a pleased snorting sound. Now that I thought about it, it had already been over four years since I’d been with Silver.

Back when I was fighting for my life daily in the desert, I once clashed with a group of heretic warriors. They were well-trained and numerous, swarming at me like a horde of ants. I blocked and slashed, blocked and slashed, losing all sense of time in the battle. Eventually, I took a blade to the abdomen and collapsed. When I regained consciousness, I realized I was on horseback.

The horse had carried me, without any guidance, to a place where I could receive treatment for my wounds.

Since that day, Silver and I had been together. Though he was a speechless beast, he had become my most reliable partner.

Chew, chew.

I sat atop Silver’s saddle, chewing on some tough jerky as I continued on my way. And then—

Thududududu.

A sudden flurry of urgent hoofbeats rumbled behind me.

“Out of the way! Move!”

As I shifted to the side at the urgent shout, a rider at the front spurred his horse forward wildly, speeding past me.

There were about twenty riders in total, with seven of them looking like knights. Even at a glance, the lead group of knights had an oddly familiar appearance.

When I thought back a bit, their gear and attire bore a striking resemblance to the ones I’d encountered last time.

‘The Northwind Knights, was it?’

I gave the group a passing glance, then returned to my path with an indifferent expression.

***

“If we handle this properly, doesn’t that mean we can finally get our own domain?” “That’s right.”

They had stopped to rest their horses after a hard gallop. Jenkins had participated in the holy war and, by luck, formed a connection with Count Calido, following him as a retainer and returning with him to the West Continent.

He had brought ten misfit knights from the East Continent. Once in the West, he named their group the Northwind Knights and began taking jobs as mercenary fixers.

“We’ll have to hand over half our earnings for a while, but once we’re established, we can live as landowners without worry. Might even get a title, who knows.”

What they were promised was the right to govern a domain, not a noble title. Still, a border marquis like Calido might grant a baronetcy, so Jenkins had his hopes up.

“By the way, sir… something’s been bugging me. That guy we passed earlier—didn’t he match the description?” “What are you talking about?” “You remember that knight who suddenly appeared at the market and left for the monastery with that woman, Selena?”

“That guy?”

“Yes, sir. I’m sure he looked similar. They said he rode a dark brown warhorse bigger than most and had black hair. Just like that one.”

Jenkins tried to recall the person they had passed. A dark brown horse wasn’t unusual, but black hair wasn’t exactly common either.

“This is a critical moment. We don’t have time to waste chasing baseless suspicions.”

“But sir, what if he’s the one who took out our youngest? Wouldn’t it be best to deal with him now?”

“If he took down our men and is still unharmed, that would mean he’s at least Expert-level.”

“Even so, sir, if all of us go at him, no matter how skilled he is, he won’t stand a chance.”

Jenkins closed his eyes silently at his second-in-command’s words.

Including himself, there were seven knights—he had just reached Expert-level, and the other six were close. Add to that thirteen sub-knight-level cavalrymen. It was more than enough to overwhelm a single individual.

“Tch. We move on.”

“Understood.”

Though the second-in-command acknowledged the order, he couldn’t shake the unease in his heart. Just then, as they were about to depart after a short rest, Jenkins suddenly turned his horse.

“Wait. Let’s do as he said—confirm whether it’s him or not. If we wait here, he’ll pass by eventually.”

“Yes, sir!”

Jenkins also didn’t want to move on with a lingering thorn in his side. Originally, they should’ve already joined Baron Bolido to attack Tennesse, but Count Calido’s orders had taken them on a detour.

Encountering such a suspicious man at a time like this had to mean something. Even though his skills weren’t top-tier, the reason Jenkins had survived so long in the East was thanks to his so-called ‘intuition.’

There was only one passable road for horses here. If they waited, the man would definitely show up. And so began the Northwind Knights’ wait.

Time passed.

So much time had gone by that the man should’ve shown up already, and yet there was no sign of him.

“What the hell is taking him so long?” “…I don’t know, sir.” “Send two soldiers to check how far back he is.”

Unable to wait any longer, Jenkins sent scouts. A short while later, the soldiers returned on horseback.

“What happened?” “He’s gone, sir.” “What?” “There was no one on the road we came from.” “Where the hell did he go? Don’t tell me he turned back?” “We checked quite far in that direction, so that seems unlikely.”

“…With the domain war around the corner, we can’t waste more time. Let’s move out.”

They had only wasted time trying to confirm a suspicion. Jenkins had no choice but to spur his horse forward toward Baron Bolido.

As they rode on for a while at full speed—

Suddenly, the black-haired knight they’d been waiting for appeared ahead, right on the road.

“You bastard! Were you trying to run from me!?”

Jenkins shouted, his irritation spiking as the memory of wasted time came flooding back.

***

Even as the group rode up and started shouting at him, I remained expressionless, staring off into the distant mountains from atop my horse.

The other side, seemingly enraged by my indifference, pushed their horses even closer.

“You’re the Free Knight who escorted that Tennesse girl, Selena, to the monastery, aren’t you?” “Something like that.”

My vague response made the other man frown again.

“From now on, answer clearly. There are no witnesses here, so what happens next depends on your answer.”

He tried to intimidate me with a menacing expression, but I remained stone-faced, like a statue carved from rock.

“You must have encountered the three youngest of our Northwind Knights while escorting the girl. What happened to them?”

“Northwind Knights? No idea.”

“Stop playing games and answer properly! Did you meet them or not?”

“I might’ve come across a few bandits pretending to be knights.”

“….”

Jenkins, the leader of the Northwind Knights, realized I was mocking him but didn’t move recklessly. Even from this brief conversation, it was clear—I was alone, yet exuded far too much composure.

Despite having seven knights and thirteen cavalrymen, I wasn’t fazed in the slightest as I sat atop my horse.

“What did you do to them?”

“Killed them.”

My answer was clean, like a blade’s cut. Jenkins looked like he might charge me right then and there, but the uneasiness in his chest held him back.

That cold and calm tone of voice was one of the reasons he couldn’t make the first move.

‘No need to exchange swords unless necessary. I’ll strike when he lets his guard down.’

They weren’t strong enough to call themselves a knightly order with confidence, but after over ten years of working together, they understood each other’s intentions through mere glances.

And that was how they had survived this long.

Even though Jenkins, the leader of the Northwind Knights, knew that Karl was mocking him, he couldn’t move recklessly.

From the short conversation and observation so far, it was clear that the man before him, despite being alone, exuded an overwhelming sense of composure.

They had seven knights and thirteen cavalrymen, yet Karl, seated alone atop his horse, didn’t seem to care about their numbers at all.

“What did you do to them?”

“Killed them.”

Karl’s response was as clean as if it had been sliced with a blade. Jenkins felt an urge to charge at him that very moment, but the opponent’s unnerving calmness continued to gnaw at his nerves. That cold, emotionless tone was also one of the reasons Jenkins hesitated to make a move.

‘There’s no need to cross swords for nothing. The moment he lets his guard down, strike at once.’

They weren’t strong enough to confidently claim the name of a knightly order, but they’d been working together for over ten years. Just from Jenkins’ gestures and glances, they could grasp what he intended to do.

That was how they had managed to survive until now.

“Hmm… Hah…”

Jenkins let out a sigh, as if releasing the tension, and shook his head.

“So that’s how it is… I knew those brats were all reckless, and I still sent them off on their own. I can’t deny my fault.”

Wiping away all signs of anger and hostility from his face, he layered on a mask of regret as he continued.

“Tch… and from the looks of you, you’re not the sort to draw your sword without reason. If a Free Knight dies due to a lack of skill, there’s no one else to blame. I have no wish to create meaningless grudges either, so let’s each go our own way.”

It was a rough yet polite gesture.

“As you wish.”

Of course, Karl’s reply to that courtesy was a brilliantly provocative one. He turned his back on them like they were beneath his notice. And that unguarded back was, to Jenkins, a clear opportunity.

[Kill him.]

Just as Jenkins’ right hand dropped from the air and he began to move in on Karl from behind—

Slice. Thud.

Something wriggling dropped in front of the approaching Jenkins.

“Huh…? Huh…!? Aaaaaagh!”

It was his own hand, cleanly severed and writhing on the ground. The cut had been so fast that his severed wrist hadn’t even registered the damage before blood erupted from it.

As Jenkins fell from his horse, clutching at his wrist, the others behind him froze in confusion, unable to grasp what had just happened. But when they saw their leader rolling on the ground, reality finally hit them.

“Boss… Boss! What are you all doing!? Kill him!”

As Jenkins screamed, the others stirred, but Karl merely let out a dry laugh as if bored. No one had even seen when he’d raised his beloved sword, but now it was already drawn and swinging lightly through the air.

Even with their leader down, they still numbered nineteen. And Karl was only one man. They believed in their numerical superiority.

“This… this can’t be…! Why are you here…?” “It can.”

Slice. Thud. Roll.

“Monster…!” “It’s the Ghost of Chevalier! It’s that ghost!”

It was a nickname he didn’t care for.

As the panic reached its peak and they tried to flee, Karl and Silver passed through them like the wind. In an instant, Karl’s blade carved thin lines across wrists, heels, and throats. The time it took for their breath to stop was less than a blink.

Once the work was done, Karl flicked the blood from his blade. As he sheathed the now-clean sword and turned around, he spotted Jenkins collapsed on the ground.

Even as he lay dying, Jenkins still gripped something tightly in his remaining hand. Karl walked up slowly and nudged the man’s body with his foot. In Jenkins’ still-living hand was a key-like object, held in a death grip. It had been worn around the neck with a cord, and even at a glance, it bore the unmistakable precision of this world’s highest-level craftsmanship.

[You have acquired a Named Item.]

Was a Named Item supposed to be something this easy to obtain? Karl paused for a moment, thinking. He hadn’t played many games, but in the ones he had, he didn’t remember ever getting something “Named” this easily.

He saw the magnifying glass icon appear over the necklace he had lifted, and just like before, he focused his mind on the item.

[Necklace of Gabana: The function of the necklace will be unlocked when special conditions are met.]

Just like the insignia he received from the Order, this too seemed like a fancy trinket with no real use until certain conditions were fulfilled.

Since the story had to move forward anyway, Karl figured it would come in handy eventually. He wiped the blood off the necklace by rubbing it against Jenkins’ clothes, then slung the key around his own neck.

‘This trash game may not have monsters, but it’s full of people worse than monsters.’

Karl furrowed his brows for a moment, then shook his head. Nothing had changed.

Without a sound, Silver approached and Karl vaulted up into the saddle in one smooth motion, laying down across Silver’s back and resting his head on his arm. It was a move close to a stunt, but Silver didn’t so much as flinch, calmly continuing down the road.

Just then, an unwelcome, translucent window popped up above Karl as he lay on Silver’s back.

[Mission: Participate in the Battle at Tennesse Castle.]

“…Unbelievable.”

Without even a hint of further explanation, the single line of text hovered in the air. As always, Karl simply kept moving forward.