Corkus was true to his word. That night, he invited Nidhogg to a tavern for drinks. He even reluctantly extended the invitation to Guts, whom he still found difficult.
But it was clear that the party wouldn't be limited to just the three of them. To keep the bookie from profiting too much, the losers—Pippin and Judeau—dragged Casca and Rickert along to drink and drown their sorrows.
Corkus grumbled, but he couldn't kick them out. He had to accept his fate.
Casca, of course, hadn't placed a bet.
She was still surprised that Nidhogg had beaten Guts. Even more surprised than she had been two years ago when Nidhogg had beaten her.
She didn't like Guts's attitude, but she had to admit: the Shock Troop Commander was brave and seemingly unbeatable.
Rickert was the opposite of Casca.
He had bet on both sides, but he didn't care if he won or lost money. He was just happy to be there, laughing along as the others talked and argued.
Guts rarely spoke. He ended up in a drinking contest with Corkus. It was no contest. Guts drank far more, and soon Corkus was slumped over the table.
"This guy isn't trying to weasel out of paying, is he?" Nidhogg took a sip of his drink and eyed Corkus suspiciously.
His words reminded everyone that if Corkus was faking being drunk to avoid the bill, they'd be stuck with it. And getting money out of him later wouldn't be easy.
Judeau poked and prodded Corkus. Finally, Corkus couldn't take it anymore. He shoved Judeau's hand away, sat up straight, and shouted, "I'm paying! I can always pay!"
Then he burst out laughing.
Everyone joined in.
The tavern filled with joy. It was late when they finally stumbled out.
Nidhogg separated from the group and took a side path. He saw a wisp of white light coalesce beside him, and Melina's figure appeared.
"It's almost time," Melina said quietly. "The growth you can achieve with the Hawk Company has plateaued. They won't be seeing any truly intense battlefields for a while..."
Nidhogg nodded. "I understand."
"Good. You have a plan." Melina came and went quickly, her parting words lingering in the dissipating white light. "Torrent looks forward to traveling with you."
Nidhogg headed straight for Griffith's tent. The guards recognized him and let him pass. Griffith himself stepped out and gestured for Nidhogg to walk with him.
"An exciting battle today," Griffith praised. "Perhaps I shouldn't have made you Scout Commander. You should be one of the Thousand-Man Commanders."
"About that..." Nidhogg didn't beat around the bush. "Griffith, I'm going to leave the Hawk Company."
Griffith was stunned. His silence chilled the air around them. Even the insect noises seemed to fade.
"Why?" Griffith asked after a long moment. "Have I wronged you in some way? Has someone in the Hawks been excluding you? I don't understand."
Nidhogg couldn't say that his growth had slowed with the Hawks. He certainly couldn't say that the Hawks would one day be sacrificed by Griffith himself. So he offered a half-truth.
"The Hundred-Year War between Midland and Tudor is inevitably coming to a head."
"It started when Tudor invaded and occupied the original border fortress of the Kingdom of Midland—the city of Doldrey. Its end should be the return of Doldrey to Midland."
"From that perspective, the Hawk Company has grown strong enough. Midland will surely send its most battle-hardened unit to the front lines to face the Purple Rhino Knights stationed at Doldrey."
Griffith listened quietly, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.
He hadn't expected Nidhogg to have such a clear understanding of the Hundred-Year War's situation. Some of his points aligned with Griffith's own thoughts.
Doldrey had been occupied by the Tudor Empire for a hundred years. It was a national shame for Midland.
The Midland royal family had constantly sought to retake that fortress city, but had always failed.
Currently, Midland's two most powerful knightly orders were the White Dragon Knights and the White Tiger Knights.
But neither order had been a match for the Purple Rhino Knights stationed at Doldrey. Both had been defeated.
Griffith knew well that if he wanted to rise to prominence, retaking Doldrey was his best chance. He didn't want a viscountcy, or even an earldom. He wanted more.
He wanted a kingdom.
But no matter how grand one's ambitions, one must stay grounded. The obstacles ahead were immense.
Doldrey wouldn't be easy to take. As long as the current governor and generals held it, it was impregnable. But if they could be drawn out to fight... there might be a chance...
Griffith knew he had a way to draw out Doldrey's defenders. Years ago, to raise funds for the Hawks, he had sold himself to Doldrey's governor, General Gennon.
Knowing Gennon, Griffith was sure he wouldn't have forgotten that night. He would want Griffith's body again. That was an opportunity.
But it was just a theory, a plan. Griffith couldn't rely entirely on his understanding of human greed.
When Nidhogg spoke, Griffith slowly came back to the present.
"You plan to infiltrate Doldrey in advance?" Griffith asked.
"That's what a Scout Commander does," Nidhogg said. "I can scout Doldrey's defenses. When your army arrives, I can coordinate with you from within."
"And I can kill them. Usually, a war doesn't hinge on one man's death. But Doldrey is different."
Griffith was intrigued. "Tell me more."
Nidhogg continued. "Governor Gennon is a corrupt fool. If he dies, it won't cause much chaos. The Tudor Empire will just appoint another governor. There are plenty of nobles like him."
"General Boscogn, the leader of the Purple Rhino Knights stationed at Doldrey, is a different matter. He is the city's heart. For the past ten years, he has made the White Dragon and White Tiger Knights terrified of him. If he dies, even if Doldrey gets a new commander, the threat is greatly reduced."
"If I can kill General Boscogn inside Doldrey and sow chaos, Midland won't miss such an opportunity. The King will raise a great army and march."
"When that happens, the Hawk Company will have its chance to shine on the battlefield."
"And even if I fail, bringing back intelligence on Doldrey's interior would still be a worthy achievement."
Griffith listened without interrupting. He looked into Nidhogg's eyes and saw genuine intent. Nidhogg truly meant to try and kill General Boscogn.
That much was undeniable. Any other suspicions were secondary.
Griffith thought for a long time.
He was calculating his own role in such a war. How he could outshine the White Dragon and White Tiger Knights. And the "assassination" Nidhogg spoke of...
Griffith was tempted. But he didn't decide immediately. After a brief pause, he slowly drew his curved sword from its scabbard.
"I shouldn't send you into Doldrey alone on such a venture. That's not what a commander does."
Griffith pointed his curved sword at Nidhogg.
"Draw your sword. Like you did with Guts today. We'll let this fight decide whether you go."
As if he had expected this, Nidhogg drew his Lordsworn's Greatsword. Without a word, he faced Griffith.
A battle in the wilderness under the stars. The victor was quickly decided.
Two years ago, Griffith's strength had indeed been superior to Guts's.
But over those two years, Guts had fought on the front lines, constantly facing life and death. Griffith, though he personally led charges, was ultimately not in as much danger as Guts. His growth hadn't matched his subordinate's.
Two years later, Griffith's command abilities were unrivaled. But his personal combat power had fallen behind Guts. And, naturally, behind Nidhogg.
If Griffith had been at his best, the fight with Nidhogg would have been as intense as the daylight duel with Guts, with no clear winner for a long time.
But Griffith's inner balance was disturbed. His movements and swordsmanship were a half-beat slow. Nidhogg seized the moment.
Nidhogg sent Griffith's curved sword flying and won the bout.
Nidhogg picked up the curved sword from the ground and handed it back.
Griffith took it calmly, sheathed it, and said quietly, "It seems the decision is made... Nidhogg. Do not disappoint me."
「Quest」 Defeat Griffith (Completed)
「Reward」 LV 44 → LV 45
「Quest」 Infiltrate Doldrey
Nidhogg looked at the completion notification and the new quest.