Seeing Jackson cut down in the blink of an eye, everyone present was stunned. Then, the morale on both sides shifted in completely opposite directions.
The castle's defenders, having lost their champion, were terrified. They clutched their weapons with trembling hands and began to retreat, step by step.
The mercenaries attacking the castle, however, were electrified. They were like starving wolves who had just tasted blood, barely restrained by their discipline.
Nidhogg was oblivious to the shifting atmosphere around him. His eyes were fixed on the quest rewards. He snapped out of his daze and reached for Jackson's fallen axe.
The blood-soaked battle-axe was incredibly heavy. He had to plant his longsword in the ground and lift the axe with both hands.
「Ashen Knight's Battle Axe」
A weapon once used by the "Ashen Knight" Jackson to slay thirty men in a single battle. Its cleaving and sweeping attacks possess immense power, but its swings require great stamina.
「Skill: Charge-forged Heavy Strike」
Hold the axe high above your head and charge a powerful, crushing blow. Easily breaks through an enemy's guard and deals massive damage.
So this axe really was part of the reward. It was his now. It even came with its own skill. Not bad. But... how was he supposed to carry this huge thing around?
Before he could figure it out, he heard applause behind him and turned.
The knight-commander on horseback, his face flushed with excitement, was looking at him with surprise and delight. "Excellent! Well done! You've performed a great deed! After the battle, come to me, and you will be richly rewarded!"
He yanked on the reins, his horse rearing with a neigh. He raised his longsword and shouted to the mercenaries under his command: "Forward! Press the attack while the enemy is in disarray! Crush them in one blow!"
The mercenaries, now unleashed, howled like hunting dogs freed from their leashes and eagerly surged toward the demoralized defenders.
The castle's defenders, as if they'd lost their souls, could only offer a feeble, passive resistance. They were quickly shattered by the mercenary charge, retreating like a receding tide, leaving a trail of discarded helmets and armor.
The battle inside the castle became a complete rout.
The knight-commander rode forward, and his mercenaries poured into the depths of the fortress, slaughtering everything in their path. Resistance crumbled.
Nidhogg stood in the middle of the battlefield, yet no one disturbed him. No one even glanced his way.
Then he remembered one of the updated quests: "Encounter Guts." He couldn't help but look around.
Soon, he spotted him. Among the mercenaries attacking the castle, one black-haired youth stood out for his exceptional ferocity.
He wore a simple helmet and leather armor. He wasn't yet the hulking, heroic figure he would become; there was still a touch of boyhood about him. But he wielded a massive two-handed sword with terrifying ease, cutting through the enemy ranks as if he were slicing melons and vegetables. No one could stand in his way.
Of course, the greatsword Guts currently wielded was nothing compared to the Dragonslayer he would later carry. It was far smaller.
This young man named Guts was the absolute protagonist of Berserk.
Burdened by a heavy fate of revenge and protection, he was like an unceasing storm, always standing on the front lines against monsters.
Seeing Guts so young, Nidhogg had a rough idea of when he was.
Guts hadn't joined the Hawk Company yet. He hadn't formed his bond with Griffith and the others. The Hundred-Year War was still raging. The Golden Age hadn't reached its peak. There was still plenty of time before the Eclipse.
The memory of the Eclipse sent a chill down his spine. He looked up at the walkway where Griffith and the Hawks had been.
They were gone.
They'd left. Griffith must have decided the castle was lost. There was no point in fighting to the death for a doomed fortress. The Hawks were mercenaries, after all.
Nidhogg didn't rush to approach the fighting Guts, nor did he go looking for the Hawk Company.
Those quests could wait. If one of them took a few days to complete, there probably wouldn't be a penalty.
He dragged the massive axe to a relatively quiet corner, wondering how he was going to carry both a longsword and this giant axe, when he noticed the brand on his chest glowing with a faint golden light.
In an instant, the longsword, heater shield, and Ashen Knight's battle axe in his hands transformed into three streams of golden light, like guided missiles. They shot toward the brand on his chest and vanished.
The remarkable sight jolted Nidhogg awake.
He held out his hands and silently thought, Longsword. Heater Shield.
Two beams of golden light shot from his chest and materialized in his palms: the longsword and the heater shield.
So that was it. He could actively store and retrieve his weapons and shields using the brand. They had become a part of him. And maybe there was more to it...
Nidhogg thought for a moment. Instead of storing the longsword and shield back in the brand, he began searching the battlefield. He found a suitable scabbard and sheathed his longsword.
He also found a couple of belts. He fastened the longsword to his waist and slung the heater shield across his back. It looked more fitting for a vagabond knight. It would also be less startling than suddenly materializing weapons out of thin air.
Once he was sorted, Nidhogg heard cheers erupt from within the castle.
The knight-commander was riding slowly and triumphantly through the ranks of his mercenaries. In his hand, he held the bloody head of the castle's lord.
At the sight of their lord's head, the already demoralized defenders looked at each other, then laid down their arms. They surrendered.
The knight-commander ordered the archers and knights who had entered the city to secure every part of the castle. He also had Jackson's head cut off and hung it from the gatehouse alongside the lord's head.
Once everything was settled, the knight-commander rode over to Nidhogg. He dismounted and waved his hand. A soldier hurried over, carrying a cloth bag, and presented it to the commander with both hands.
The knight-commander took the bag and shook it. The coins inside clinked satisfyingly. "Here! Seven gold pieces! For you!"
He tossed the bag.
Nidhogg caught it. He was going to need money to survive in this world, after all. He opened the bag and counted. Seven gold coins. Not bad.
The knight-commander's expression turned curious. "What's your name? Jackson mentioned you were one of our scouts? I don't recall seeing you before."
"And you're no common scout," he added, studying Nidhogg's bearing. "A nobleman, perhaps?"
Money in hand, Nidhogg's attitude softened. "I just got lucky. Caught Jackson off guard."
The knight-commander nodded approvingly. "Indeed, luck was with you. That was Jackson, after all... But your courage is commendable. Don't go back to scouting. Come work for me."
Nidhogg had no interest in binding himself to this commander, but he didn't want to outright refuse either. "Thank you for the offer. I should return to my post and report first. My commander will have to approve any change."
He nodded to the knight-commander, turned, and walked away.
If he stayed any longer, his fabricated "scout" identity might be exposed. That would only lead to trouble.
The knight-commander watched Nidhogg walk out of the castle gates, momentarily stunned. It took him a moment to realize he'd never gotten a clear answer on the man's name, or who his commander was.
But it didn't matter. If he wanted to find the man, he would.