Under the shadow of war and death, moments of joy are always fleeting.
At dawn, the soldiers and Knights in the fortress were already exhausted, deep in slumber. Vice Commander Erich threw open the flap of a tent and hauled Reinhardt, still fast asleep, to his feet.
"Go wash your face and come to my tent. I have something to tell you."
Reinhardt's stamina had been severely drained from clearing out thirteen Abyssal Hounds the day before. Even after a night's rest, being suddenly dragged up left him feeling dizzy and disoriented.
The cold water on his face sobered him up a bit. Reinhardt frowned. 'Why is Vice Commander Erich looking for me this early in the morning? Did the Abyss Legion attack?'
He went to Erich's tent.
The burly, full-bearded Knight had a grim expression. He gestured for Reinhardt to sit anywhere. Knight An Jie handed him a cup of hot water, patted Reinhardt's shoulder, and said to Erich, "I'll leave you two to talk."
Erich was silent for a moment before taking out a broken dagger and handing it over. "Elias was like you," he said. "The attribute of his 'Power' was also Extraordinary Armament.
"He joined the Steel Knight Order as a knight's attendant in 1422. I've kept this dagger for him for twenty years. He once said that if this dagger ever broke, his life would likely follow."
At this, Erich's expression turned exceptionally grave.
"Reinhardt, you were his attendant, and you're the only one from the training camp in all these years to advance to the rank of Knight. I hope you will inherit Elias's legacy and help me rebuild the Steel Knight Order's Second Squad."
To receive such praise from a superior, to leapfrog from a common-born attendant to the position of a Knight Order squad leader overnight! This should have been an exciting and celebratory occasion.
But the tent was filled only with silence.
Reinhardt held the dagger, broken in two, his emotions in turmoil.
He couldn't accept this sudden, terrible news.
The tall Knight who had taught him by example to never give up, his memorably hearty smile—it was as if he were still standing right there, his image refusing to fade.
Reinhardt never would have thought that their simple conversation just yesterday morning would be their last.
But Erich knew in his heart. The sacrifice of Elias was very likely the work of that bastard Sedon, pulling strings in the shadows!
Sedon had used his background and connections to maneuver among the top brass of the Seventh Group Army. He bypassed Erich and Friedrich, using the higher-ups to issue a direct military order to the Knight Order, demanding that the Second Squad venture deep into the ice plains to pinpoint the location of the Abyssal Teleportation Gate.
It was a blatant suicide mission. The reason for it was not just because Elias was one of Erich's Direct Lineage Knights, but also because he was one of the most influential veterans within the Steel Knight Order after the great upheaval in the autumn of 1438.
To take Erich down, they had to start with Elias!
Originally, Erich hadn't wanted to drag Reinhardt into the filthy internal struggles of the Knight Order's leadership, but after last night's events, there was no turning back.
Knowing Sedon, even though he had praised Reinhardt publicly and proactively canceled all punishments, stabbing people in the back was that damn bureaucrat's specialty!
If Erich didn't stand firmly with Reinhardt at this moment, given Sedon's methods and his influence with the Seventh Group Army's top brass, there were countless ways to have the young Knight killed!
After all, even he couldn't counterbalance Sedon's power, let alone a commoner Knight like Reinhardt who had no background or status.
But he couldn't tell Reinhardt any of this.
At least, not yet.
Because this was all just his speculation. Sedon had left no evidence from start to finish. Everything, including the transfer order for Elias's Second Squad, was perfectly legal, legitimate, and airtight.
He was the Vice Commander, the last glimmer of the Steel Knight Order's former glory. Every word he spoke had to be weighed carefully.
Although Reinhardt hadn't answered, Erich felt a sense of relief. He should have known that he and Elias hadn't misjudged the boy!
His initial thought was simply to protect Reinhardt. He had even hesitated about entrusting the important position of squad leader to this youth.
But now, he found himself admiring the young Knight more and more. Brave, resilient, and true to his original intentions!
An undeniable smile touched Erich's face as he continued, "As for personnel, it might take a long time to get you fully staffed. It would be best if some followers from the training camp awakened their Knight Power, of course, but I will submit a request to my superiors for reinforcements."
The personnel structure of the Knight Order, from top to bottom, was: Commander, Vice Commander, Vanguard Captain, Squad Leader, regular Knights, followers, and accompanying guards.
Joining the Knight Order and becoming a glorious Knight was Reinhardt's greatest dream, but in his heart, he was not a true sixteen-year-old.
Although Vice Commander Erich hadn't mentioned a single word about the conflict between himself and Sedon, Reinhardt understood. It was obvious Erich's decisions were made to protect him.
A sixteen-year-old Knight serving as a squad leader in the Knight Order was not unheard of.
This was especially true since he, as Knight Elias's attendant, was taking his place to rebuild the Second Squad, which had been sacrificed on a mission.
Reinhardt took a deep breath. To be appointed leader of the Second Squad during wartime—this wasn't just a glorious moment of a battlefield promotion for a Knight!
It was also a tremendous responsibility!
Even if he was the only member of the Second Squad.
Vice Commander Erich had used the dagger to subtly break the terrible news of Knight Elias's death. But the conclusion that the entire Second Squad had been wiped out clearly wasn't based on this dagger alone.
In fact, the Second Squad had been confirmed wiped out, possibly just last night while he was asleep and unaware.
Reinhardt didn't answer. Instead, he fitted the broken pieces of the dagger together, returned them to the sheath, and finally put it in his pocket.
Every squad in the Knight Order had its own functions and responsibilities. The Second Squad was primarily responsible for intelligence gathering and providing flanking cover during direct engagements.
Erich had worried that Reinhardt would refuse this heavy burden, yet he couldn't explicitly state the real reasons for the appointment. Now, it seemed his worries were unnecessary.
He rose, extended his right hand to Reinhardt, and smiled. "Friedrich and I have already reached an agreement. Since you accept, from now on, you are the leader of the Steel Knight Order's Second Squad.
"After the war ends, I will personally submit your appointment report to the Group Army."
The topic of the Second Squad should have concluded with Reinhardt and Erich shaking hands. But Erich never expected that Reinhardt, this seemingly reckless, hot-blooded youth, would suddenly question the truth behind Knight Elias's death and the sacrifice of the Second Squad.
"Vice Commander Erich, if I may, could I know what mission the Second Squad was carrying out deep in the ice plains?"
It was at this very moment.
Erich, who had known Reinhardt for three whole years, for the first time noticed a trace of cunning in the sixteen-year-old's eyes—a slyness that would have gone unnoticed by most.
A depth that someone his age shouldn't possess.
Erich was taken aback for a second. He didn't answer, but instead took out a document he carried with him, stamped with the seal of the Seventh Group Army, and handed it to Reinhardt.
He didn't want to get tangled up in this issue any further, so he changed the subject to the matter of Knight Power.
Knowledge is priceless, especially knowledge on how to properly apply Extraordinary Power.