Season 4: Chapter 107. Servants (3)
Green Tea and White Chicken, who had followed Black Tea, barely escaped the monsters and squeezed into a massive hollow tree.
“Huff... huff...”
“Damn, they’re way too strong. Where are Black Tea and Lemon? That’s their house!”
“I-I don’t know.” White Chicken shook his head and collapsed onto the ground.
With gear like theirs, fighting wasn’t even an option.
“We need to gather iron and make equipment. If the monsters aren’t just targeting Sweet Radish’s land anymore...”
“What the hell is going on?”
— Fr
— Why’d they come here?
— It’s just random raids lol. Sweet Radish’s land was just bigger so he got hit more
— Yeah, they need gear
“We’ve got to get equipment too,” Green Tea muttered.
A thunderous shout echoed from afar, “Chaaaarge!!”
They peeked out curiously.
Pop pop pop pop!
Five avatars, clad in iron, rushed headlong into the horde of monsters.
“What the... Iron armor?”
“Wow, they look like knights.”
Encased in steel and charging like a squadron of medieval soldiers, their presence felt overwhelming.
“Wait.”
One silhouette looked familiar. Even from hundreds of meters away, Green Tea recognized her avatar.
“That’s Black Tea.”
Black Tea wielded an iron sword and drove back the monsters in full armor.
Shrrrak!
— Black Tea??
— For real??
— What’s going on?
— Where’d she get that gear?
Green Tea hadn’t seen Almond’s knight order arrive, so he didn’t know where the armor came from. He couldn’t identify the three men with her either. The group forced their way closer to Black Tea’s burning house, where even more monsters gathered.
“Here! Form up! Shield wall!”
At Almond’s command, they locked their shields together in formation. Through the gaps, they relentlessly thrust their swords into the charging beasts.
Shrrrak!
Slash!
Just five of them held back dozens of monsters.
Green Tea dumbfoundedly stared at them.
‘They can fight like that?’
That kind of coordination was impossible without serious skills.
“Who the hell is leading them?”
“Can’t tell, too far.”
Neither Green Tea nor White Chicken could have imagined that Almond would show up and fight alongside Black Tea. Only when they moved closer did the names above the figures’ heads become visible.
[Almond]
At the center of the formation stood Almond, who had come to save them. Why?
‘Why is Black Tea fighting beside him?’
***
From the center of the formation, Almond continued issuing orders.
“Forward! One step!”
Clang!
They advanced in unison.
— Goddamn
— This is the International MVP!
— Insane
— Now the world finals win makes sense
— This might actually work
Their shield line held perfectly steady.
‘Not bad. Monsters are dumb enough to fall for it.’
If this were the international tournament, such crude orders and rigid movement would’ve been torn apart instantly. However, monsters weren’t humans. Their AI was dull, predictable, and easy to exploit.
“They’re coming!”
“Stab! Stab!”
The Ahwooolves charged headlong, only to be skewered through the narrow shield gaps.
Thwack!
“Kyaagh!”
The wolves yelped as they fell back.
“Urgh!”
The defenders took damage too.
“M-My shield!”
Crack!
The durability of the gear wore down. One shield broke under the pressure. The sheer number of monsters alone threatened to break their formation.
“Toward the fire!!” Almond pointed at Black Tea’s burning house. “Drive them into the flames!”
They didn’t need to kill the wolves directly. The spreading inferno could do the work. The monsters, far less wary of fire than humans, stumbled straight into it.
“This way!”
Thud!
They pushed their formation forward. Now, their goal wasn’t to slaughter the monsters, but to gain momentum.
“Push!!” Radish Servant roared and shoved his shield.
Boom!
“Grrrk!”
One wolf toppled back into the blaze.
Fwoooosh!
“Awooooo!!”
It shrieked as fire consumed its fur. The tug-of-war began as the monsters charged and the defenders pushed them again.
“One more time!”
Boom!
More wolves fell into the fire.
Fwoooosh!
The blaze spread wider.
“W-We did it!”
Some of the wolves faltered with their tails between their legs.
“Wheeng...!?”
Fear ruined their coordination.
Almond seized the moment. “Break formation! Scatter and surround them!”
The five lowered their shields and split up to rush from all sides.
Pop pop pop!
They no longer needed a plan and simply attacked from different angles.
“Uooooooh!!” Black Tea desperately fought to protect her home. “Dieeee!!”
Sweet Radish eagerly wanted to raise his profit ratio. “Let’s gooo!!”
Sweet Potato felt newly fired up from gaining a junior.
They screamed and charged, driving dozens of monsters back. Fighting was all about one’s spirit, after all.
“Kill them!”
“Slice them apart!”
“Over here! This way!”
Shrrrak!
They slashed, blocked, thrust, chased, and retreated. The battlefield was pure chaos as they slaughtered the monsters and drove them into the inferno.
Fwoooosh!
The flames devoured everything, growing wilder as they fed it.
“I think... I think we can win!?”
The monsters quickly lost momentum, and the fire only grew fiercer.
“This way! Over here!”
They pushed the remaining beasts into the blaze. Finally, the sky brightened.
— Oh
— Sun’s up
— Damn
— It’s morning
— Did they win??
Sunlight spilled over the fields.
“Kyuuu!?”
The Ground-Diggers shrieked and vanished underground while most of the Ahwooolves lay dead or burning.
Shhhrrrk...
Warm dawn winds swept across the blackened fields. The monsters scattered like shadows fleeing the light.
“Yipe!”
The surviving wolves tucked their tails and ran. Not a trace of the moles remained.
Black Tea’s eyes trembled. “W-We... we did it.” She ripped off her helmet and screamed, “Waaaaah! Fuck yes! We won!!”
— lmao she swore right away
— That’s the Black Tea I know
— Perfect
The Almond Knight Order’s very first battle ended in absolute victory.
***
Hiding in the distance, Green Tea and White Chicken watched with conflicted expressions.
“What the hell?”
“Looks like Black Tea sided with Almond.”
“No way...”
Shock flashed across Green Tea’s face.
— Damn...
— Traitor to the Nonghyup Union??
— Seriously??
— LMAO
“Guess she had no choice.”
Thinking about it, it made sense. Her house was still blazing to the ground. She had lost everything. Only Almond’s faction came to help. She had nowhere else to turn.
“Then should I switch too?” Green Tea hesitated.
Black Tea was his girlfriend. He contemplated changing sides to join her.
“What?” White Chicken growled. “Don’t bring real life into this, Green Tea. We’re the Nonghyup Union. Are you planning to betray boss Donuts?”
— LOL
— Too real
— Don’t ruin the fun with IRL feelings
— Black Tea would beat his ass if she heard this
“B-But...”
“You’ve got debts too. Don’t forget.”
Donuts had bound them with debt as well, such as cold storage fees or farmland rent.
“Damn...”
“Black Tea is already ruined anyway. Let’s report back to Nonghyup Union. That’s the right move. Think like a Cheese Village resident.”
“Y-You’re right.” Green Tea steeled himself.
What would happen if he kept jumping factions just because of his girlfriend? Black Tea had her reasons, but he didn’t.
“Okay. Let’s head back.”
Green Tea and White Chicken returned to the Nonghyup Union headquarters to report everything.
***
Meanwhile, nothing remained of Black Tea’s home but charred ruins.
“Haah... we won, but...”
“Unnie...” Lemon hugged her sister with arms that could barely reach.
Black Tea relaxed for a moment in the embrace, then trembled with rage. “Where the hell is that bastard Green Tea?”
— blaming Green Tea again lmao
— Wasn’t he fighting?
— Stop bullying him hahaha
— He’s probably dead lol
“Did he go chasing Cutie Pie?”
“No way, unnie. She’s just a chibi here...”
— LOL
— Yeah what would he even do?
— True
— Simp energy
“R-Right.” Black Tea scratched her head.
Maybe she had snapped unfairly at him. After all, Green Tea treated her well.
“Anyway... what happens to us now?” Black Tea stared at the ruins of her home.
She had joined Almond’s side, but what good was she now with nothing left?
“But unnie, when are we going to betray them?”
“Hmm.” Black Tea hesitated.
‘Did I fight too hard just now?’
She recalled Radish Servant covering her flank, Sweet Potato charging at her side, and the way Almond’s orders carried them through the battle. Such a fight would stir any warrior’s heart. Her resolve wavered.
“We’ll wait for the right moment...”
Still, she lived by loyalty. Once the Nonghyup Union, always the Nonghyup Union. Betraying Almond’s side was inevitable.
“Okay. Then, should we hide for now?”
“Hide?”
“Yeah. Wait, then strike.”
“Oh...”
It made sense. The enemy was most exhausted now.
***
Elsewhere, Almond and his servants could finally relax.
“We managed to clean it up.”
“Amazing, my lord!”
— HAHA the servants are killing me
— That shield wall order was insane
— “My lord” is comedy gold
The first battle of the Almond Knight Order had ended in triumph, but not without losses.
“It’s all burned down.”
Black Tea had lost her entire property.
“Isn’t that better? She’ll work herself to death now, hah.”
— Potato Servant is terrifying
— He’s the scariest one tbh
— Is that experience talking??
“True enough.”
Still, Almond wandered toward the ashes, hoping to salvage something. Everything had been scorched to black earth.
‘Wait...’
Almond’s eyes widened.
“Everyone, guard the perimeter. Don’t let anyone near Black Tea’s fields.”
Despite the strange order after the battle had already ended, the servants obeyed instantly.
“From where to where?”
“The whole farm. No one sets foot here.”
“Understood!” Radish Servant immediately kicked Potato Servant. “Potato Servant! Why are you standing around!? Run, dog!!”
“Ow! Y-Yes, sir!!”
The servants scattered, yelling for Black Tea and Lemon.
Almond waited until they had gone. Then, he turned back to the fields.
‘Could it be...?’