Dark Fantasy: Super Coward Mode

Chapter 133

The fallen Martial God was laid to rest in the knights’ lounge.

By the time we managed to arrange him into a comfortable position, his complexion had completely returned to normal, and the strange scales on his body had vanished entirely.

The Vice Commander’s office was now steeped in silence.

However, it wasn’t an unpleasant silence.

Instead, those of us in the room, myself included, were enveloped in a sense of profound relief.

Even so, none of us dared to speak.

There was an unspoken worry gnawing at us—what if this wasn’t real?

What if this was just a fleeting, sweet dream?

That concern was evident in the expression of Vice Commander Marenne, at least as far as I could tell.

The Commander of the Knights appeared lost in thought, as if deliberating where to begin.

There were too many untold stories, too many mysteries left unexplained.

Finally, she exhaled sharply, as if she’d organized her thoughts.

“Your name is Tanton, correct?”

“Yes, that’s right, Commander.”

The Commander finally broke the silence, casting a bitter smile in my direction.

“While I was off doing who-knows-what, it seems you took good care of everything. You have my gratitude. I owe you quite a bit.”

“It was nothing. I was simply doing my duty as a knight.”

The Commander nodded lightly in response to my words.

“Hmm, I see. Since it’s said that this one could embed an Outer God into his own body, I suppose I can now speak more freely.”

With that, the Commander turned to the Vice Commander with a mischievous grin.

“So, where should I start? Should I explain how I ended up like this, or recount everything that’s happened since that day?”

Marenne hesitated briefly at the Commander’s question, her expression torn, but eventually, she straightened her posture with determination.

“Please start from the beginning.”

“Alright, then.”

The Commander adjusted her position.

“Very well. It all began during the time of my reckless expedition.”

The Knights of Londan.

After sending Marenne and a few other knights back to Londan, the Commander took the main officers on a campaign to subdue the Giant of the Snowy Mountain.

For the Knights of Londan, strategy was entirely dependent on mutual trust and coordinated attacks.

It was through such methods that they had managed to defeat every Outer God they had encountered thus far.

“Commander! Why the sudden decision to go after that creature? You’ve always been cautious until now!”

It seemed strange for this question to arise only now.

The Commander chuckled at the Martial God’s inquiry.

The other knights, sharing her sentiment, let out faint laughs as if they found the question amusing.

“You’re one of those who act faster than you think, aren’t you, Martial God?”

“Of course! If you waste time thinking, the Outer Gods will crush you first! I’m always the type to smash through them!”

Hmm.

The Commander never fully understood what the Martial God’s jokes symbolized, but she would often laugh them off just because his tone was so absurd.

“Yes, you asked why we’re heading there.”

The Commander glanced around at the officers before speaking.

The Martial God’s booming laughter was soon echoed by every knight in the room.

Overwhelmed by the display of unity, the Commander looked momentarily startled before smiling proudly.

“Damn it, I’ve been blessed with such fine subordinates.”

The decision was made.

All that remained was to see it through.

The Commander turned her back on them, raising her hand high.

“I swear to you, your chivalry will shine brighter and more enduring than the sun beyond those clouds! I sincerely wish for your glorious futures!”

With those words, the knights roared their battle cries and charged toward the territory of the Snowy Mountain Giant.

The Commander would come to regret her decision as foolish.

Unable to move further, she lay collapsed on the frozen ground, gazing around her.

Ice.

Ice formed from frozen human bodies.

Had her knights merely been frozen, it wouldn’t have crushed her so completely.

Yes, they were frozen.

But they were not dead.

“C-Commander!!! Cooooommander!”

A wretched scream echoed from a distance.

When the Commander turned her gaze toward the sound, the sight was horrifying.

One of her officers was freezing solid, starting from his legs.

“It’s so cold! Too cold! It hurts, I can’t stand it! So hot—ahhhhhh!”

There was a saying that extreme cold could mimic the sensation of burning.

Her subordinate was writhing in agony, frozen by searing cold, his body gradually encased in ice.

He could no longer move his legs, collapsing forward and thrashing desperately.

“No! No! Am I supposed to suffer in this pain forever?! No, Commander, save me!”

With those final words, he froze solid, his face twisted in agony.

The only reason the Commander knew they were still alive, even as ice, was the sight of a knight frozen from the head down, frantically kicking their legs to the very end.

It must have been the work of that Giant.

The Commander stared blankly up at the creature, her expression void of hope.

“K-Khh.”

“What’s wrong, Tanton?”

When the Commander paused her story, Marenne glanced at me with concern.

Despite her worry, I couldn’t stop the tears streaming down my face.

How much suffering had she endured alone?

I thought it had been hard, but I had no idea it was this horrible.

“I haven’t even finished the story yet.”

“Commander, just bring me the one who put you through this. I’ll take them down myself....”

I struggled to get the words out, my pronunciation stumbling. The Commander looked at me with an amused expression, like she was watching a curious kitten.

“Thanks. Hearing that makes me feel a bit better.”

“Tanton’s always been the emotional type. Please, continue the story,” Marenne interjected.

At her request, the Commander nodded.

“Alright. Now, I’ll tell you how I ended up like this.”