“High or not, I don’t have time for you stupid squires” Magnum turned around and started walking away.

“Stupid what? Hey!” The squire ran ahead past him. “Stop! Ignorant fool!” he said holding a sword and pointing it at Magnum.

Magnum’s face turned serious and he continued walking. The sword still sparkled in white and blue which meant its power wasn’t used yet. But it was useless on the hands of a coward, It was shaking as the tip touched Magnum’s chest not doing any damage. It slid away as Magnum walked.

“Arrest him Harthur!” the squire said.

Harthur stopped his prayers and walked to Lordred’s side. He then knocked the sword out of the squire’s hand, “No!” he said.

“Good! You two weaklings work this out.” Magnum said walking away.

“He’s oathless!” Lordred said. He picked up his sword again. “Arrest that blasphemous criminal! An Oathless!”

Harthur stood behind Magnum waiting for the next words to come out of Lordred. Lordred’s face turned red and he punched Harthur’s face with all his might. Blood rolled down Harthur’s face but he was unbothered.

“He’s running away now!” Lordred said jumping in panic even though Magnum was just walking and was only several feet away.

Harthur glared at the superior ranked squire, “He saved us Lordred!” His voice was heard all over the dead town.

Lordred closed his fist thinking of punching Harthur again but he was stopped by the man’s intense spirit.

“I’ll report you! This traitorous act will not be missed!” Lordred said as he ran away stumbling on the ground.

As darkness settled, Magnum piled several long logs to build a pyre for those who didn't survive. He placed all the dead bodies he could find on the pyre, except members of the knighthood of course, and lit up a torch. He was about to throw it to the pyre when he saw the squire.

"No! Wait!" Harthur said. The squire was pulling a cart with more dead including the squires and the knight.

Magnum looked at the squire but threw the torch anyway.

Harthur was shocked. He quickly threw a piece of wood he found on the ground and hit the torch away from the pyre. Magnum saw it and took note of the skill displayed on that throw.

"What's wrong with you?" Harthur came running. "We should give every one of them their own pyre!" he said.

“Everyone? We?” Magnum was also shocked. "Hey, good guy! A demon could come up anytime. And there are humors of a mother demon close by. I don’t plan to expose myself to death.”

Harthur started moving the logs and the dead bodies that he had on his cart, "Sir Garvin said they've killed all the demons around here. So there's no need to worry.” he said.

Magnum threw his hands up in the air, "Obviously, Knight Gavin didn’t finish the job!”

"Demons are many and treacherous, a few probably escaped," Harthur said.

“And those few destroyed this town. You can’t defend those useless knights from me.”

“They are not useless.”

"Well, good luck surviving the night!"

Magnum walked away. He walked to a house where he smelled some food. He noticed it earlier when he was running from the demons. No dead bodies were found here. He ate some soup and bread that he found in the kitchen. He then opened his bag and took out a map. It was made from leather, he spread it on a table and marked "x" on Hintuwan.

"The closest town looks like two days away”

The distance between the towns was getting farther now. Demon's will also be stronger as he goes deeper in the south. Magnum looked at the wheel mark on his map. It was in between the desert and the oasis on the south. It was the merc city, a roaming city.

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Magnum went out to search for a house to sleep on. He saw a blue light illuminating near the town gate, it was Harthur, still busy making the pyres under the clear night sky.

"Nya nya nya! We should give every one of them their own pyre! Yeah! burn them yourself!" Magnum said as he walked around throwing some demon dust in the area. He then selected the nicest house he could find. He found a good room, it looked like a woman's room. He removed his clothing, his body aching from all the bruises he got from the fights he had from the previous weeks. He closed his eyes and tried to sleep but he couldn't. He kept hearing the sound of wood on dirt and it was resonating in his mind like a bell.

"I don't like this," He said then he stood up.

Harthur felt a presence coming. "I knew you'd come back," he said.

"Can’t you work quietly?"

“I’m sorry,” he said, picking up one squire and putting it on a pyre.

Magnum then started preparing a new pyre, “I would have let them rot.”

Harthur stopped what he was doing and looked at Magnum.

“I’ve been tolerating your insults to the knighthood. I get it. You hate us. But I will not let you insult these people who just offered their lives!”

“Offered their lives for nothing!”

“It's for something! They fought for these people!”

The two were now facing each other.

“These people are dead! Another town was destroyed! Useless Knight!” Magnum pointed to the dead knight.

Harthur snapped. He punched Magnum with his right hand but Magnum accepted it with his face. He was unmoved, his passion to insult the squire and knights rising and burning.

Harthur then readied his left hand and threw it. Magnum accepted it again but this time he was moved.

“Good punch! My turn!” Magnum threw his right but the squire easily evaded. He threw his left but it was evaded again. Magnum snapped and started throwing multiple punches but most were being evaded and at best only grazing Harthur’s face.

“You’re good but try to evade this!” Magnum stepped on the squire’s left foot and then punched him in the gut.

Harthur’s body curled. He fell to the ground but then swiped Magnum’s leg making him also fell. They both try to stand up as fast as possible.

“You’re crazy for making a pyre for each of them!”

“You’re crazy for not doing it!”

They exchanged punches both evading and grazing each other's attacks.

“Why do you even follow this useless faith?”

“It's not useless!”

Magnum stepped back after evading a punch. “I’ve lost faith for years now and I’m doing more than the knights!” He screamed at the top of his lungs.

Harthur took a deep breath. His face calmed but was still serious. “For now,” he said. “But when all is lost. When everything had been taken from you! When you face your greatest fear! What do you cling on to?”

“It won’t happen! I will hold on to myself!” Magnum stomped his feet causing some of the pyres to move.

Harthur’s face changed again. He smiled ever so slightly, “I disagree, you will hold on to a power greater than yourself.” he softly said. “It doesn’t have to be a God. Just something or someone…”

Wood from the pyres fell and rolled at them, making them pull back from each other. The body of the knight rolled to the ground along with the logs.

“I’m so sorry Sir Barlod,” Harthur quickly went to pick up the knight from the ground.

“I don’t accept your apology,” Magnum said turning his attention to the pyre he was making earlier.

“What?” Harthur whispered as he placed the knight back on the pyre. He looked at the face of Barlod, the only knight who accepted him.

“I understand your hate,” Harthur said as he started to create a new pyre.

“Still not accepting that apology”.

"The Knights weren't there when my mother and sister were killed by demons. I also blamed them," Harthur said. He took a paper and pen from the cart beside him and wrote some names on them. He copied it from the armor of the Barlod. He then turned the body over to face him and then took the insignia from its armor.

"But then I met Sir Barlod, he used to be a merchant but jumped at the opportunity when he was recruited. I was a kid, young and stupid; a fish out of water. I never wanted to be adopted, I wanted to go home but there was no home so I was always on the streets Then I saw Sir Barlod talking to an old woman. The old woman was really upset of the news that his son had died, a squire. Sir Barlod was already a Knight, leading some squires. He didn’t have to be the one to bring her the terrible news. He gave her back his son's Insignia and he knelt and bowed his head to the ground.

"I will never forget the sacrifices of your son and I will carry his name on my back!" he said to the mother. The mother then knelt with Sir Barlod and they both cried.”

Harthur placed Barlod's insignia in a small purse. "I never wanted to be a knight, even though I was adopted by the knight who saved me. But that day, I essence of being a Knight."

"So you want to die young too?" Magnum also started creating a new pyre.

"No, I don't want to die. But the worst thing for me is dying without trying to change this cruel world of ours," Harthur said.

Magnum turned around. "Dumbass, I'm still not gonna help you with all those comrades of yours," he said.

Harthur smiled, “You don’t have to. Rest. You need it.”

“Good! Cause I don’t plan to pull an all-nighter with you. Specially, with those sad stories of yours." Magnum turned around and walked away back to the house he had gone in earlier.