Chapter 258

(258)

The soldiers of the Land of 랑소와共和国 doubted their own ears.

However, not a single one dared to raise their swords or spears against Duke Valencius.

The aura of mana emanating from the Bandit Duke was oppressing everyone present.

It seemed as though golden mists were streaming endlessly.

The soldier clenched his teeth and tried to glare at Valencius.

He was much taller than an average man, had a mesmerizing appearance like an angel descended from the heavens, wore a luxurious uniform, and exuded an aura that was far from human.

“Grrrrr!”

Though he tried, showing his teeth, the royal family’s descendent narrowed his pupils into vertical slits like a snake’s and stared back at the soldier.

Swish…

Unable to withstand the killing intent carried by mana, soldiers either collapsed on the spot or retreated step by step.

However, General Brnoa merely turned paler but remained standing in place.

“Relying solely on the power inherited through blood, you rampage like a bandit.”

Valencius sneered down at Brnoa.

“I’ve risked my life. You should have done the same.”

“Is your faith in the power of mana so blind? To walk in here with just the two of you against thousands? Arrogance to a ridiculous extent.”

Valencius had brought with him only Lady Trentia as an attendant.

She wasn’t wearing mechanical armor but was in plain platinum armor.

Yet neither Trentia nor Valencius showed any sign of wavering.

“Arrogant are you, General. Did you really think you could capture a Sword Expert with mere common soldiers who can’t even handle mana?”

Brnoa raised his head.

“Common soldiers? I hope you don’t regret saying that. Do you have the courage to challenge the Republic? Here’s your chance.”

There was a large clearing within the encampment of the Land of 랑소와共和国.

It was wide, like a knights’ training ground, and long, resembling a musketeer’s shooting range.

Valencius glanced at Trentia, who confidently lowered her face-plate.

“Leave it to me, Your Highness.”

Valencius and Eric stood side by side at the edge of the clearing, while Brnoa stood a bit farther away, surrounded by officers and guards.

For those of high status like Valencius, touring enemy camps for negotiations, intrigues, and diplomacy was commonplace, and he didn’t look the slightest bit awkward.

Instead, a leisurely smile graced his red lips as he stole glances from everyone.

“Eric, is it okay for you to stay here?”

“I’m officially a diplomat on a mission. This is where I belong.”

“I never thought General Brnoa was so foolish.”

“Neither did I.”

“Huh?”

Eric’s voice trembled, and Valencius tilted his ears.

“He’s an arrogant general, but not an incapable one. He has fought multiple times against the Sword Users and Experts of Doroysen.”

“That’s so?”

“Yes. He’ll try to turn your provocation against you. He aims to boost his troops’ morale by showing them that the Republic’s army can defeat an Imperial Knight.”

“Admirable strategy.”

Valencius grinned cunningly, and Eric sighed deeply.

“I thought you would come backed by dozens of knights, using the aura of power. Isn’t that what intimidation is about?”

After a faint smile, Valencius shook his head slightly.

“No, Eric. Not at all. This is what intimidation looks like.”

* * *

On one side of the clearing, Trentia emerged atop her horse.

Her movement as she reined in the horse was relaxed, like she was heading out for a casual ride. The platinum armor, glittering under the winter sunlight, radiated brilliantly, and her red cape billowed like her personal Mana Blade.

“I am Trentia, Knight to Duke Valencius!”

Her voice was solemn enough for the whole clearing and the thousands of people gathered around it could hear.

She lifted her visor she’d once lowered, revealing an eyes filled with valor and spirit.

“Today, you will witness the strength and courage of the Imperial Knights!”

On the opposite side, over a hundred troops from the Republic emerged.

They wore tricolor coats over their breastplates, and among them waved long poles, some with metallic wings instead of spearheads.

Of course, one man against a hundred would seem a disadvantage, but no one present showed any hesitation.

This was a world where a single knight could be stronger than a thousand ordinary soldiers.

If only ten were sent out, Trentia might have complained that they were mocking her by sending too few.

Thus, I frowned not because of the numbers but for other reasons.

“I’m worried.”

Even though the Republic claimed to abhor aristocracy and embraced equality, a knightless army baffled me.

Elite soldiers, trained day and night, exchanged at a ratio of about one to ten versus regular troops.

Sword Users at one to a hundred, and Sword Experts, or knights, at a ratio above one to a thousand.

That’s pre-plate armor era; I wondered how it would be now.

Mages and knights aren’t made by bloodlines.

If they’re disregarded due to egalitarianism, I wondered how the republic maintained its state.

Through countless sacrifices and battles, they might eventually capture enemy knights.

However, young people consumed this way would surely ruin any nation eventually.

Yet, the Republic of 랑소와 and neighboring republics were growing, not shrinking.

Given that they’ve been battling swordswomen-abundant Doroysen for centuries, something had to be going on.

The issue was that neither Trentia nor I knew what that “something” was.

I frowned heavily with a sense of deep frustration.

“Lady Trentia-.”

At the same time, a trumpet sounded.

Braaa!

Waahaaa!

Shouts filled the air as an officer standing among the hundred men held up the crucifix hanging at their chest.

Lady Trentia seemed startled but urgently pointed her lance.

The officer began chanting.

“Our Light-giver, bestow eternal grace upon our revolutionary comrades…”

Woooom!

Pale white light erupted from the cross.

Crazy.

An gentle divine energy spread from the officer’s crucifix and transferred onto the metal wings of the long poles.

After receiving the divine energy, these weapons shared it further along with soldiers nearby.

The soldiers’ eyes were filled with a new fiery determination, their limbs tensed with renewed strength, and even their awkward postures turned more warrior-like.

This was something I’ve been researching along with Saint Matheos and Jin at the 아카데미’s Faculty of Theology.

Divine Energy Sharing and Amplification.

I instinctively blurted out,

“That’s completely heretical and bogus!”

It was something even the saints were politically burdened by, hindered by doctrinal interpretations—they couldn’t have advanced so easily in the Republic of 랑소와.

Still, I reflected.

‘God is known, not just believed. No heresies exist without genuine faith’

‘Churches outside the Empire claim autonomy while exercising extreme policies’

That was Pope Argos, once the Red Bishop.

Real heresy couldn’t bring divine energy this way.

Matheos had subtly implied something earlier.

‘The problem isn’t with the idea of sharing divine energy; it lies in its misuse to cultivate private armies or monetize sacred artifacts’

In other words,

If they were truly using divine energy for the sake of equality…

Even mass-producing sacred objects and creating new prayers…

It wouldn’t be a sin worthy of divine punishment.

I glared at Eric, thinking about how to crush his head for not giving this information.

Somehow interpreting my glare, he quickly responded,

“Your Grace, this officer is Daniel, known for his deep piety and excellent troop training. His effective prayers are the Prayer of the Bright Warrior and the Prayer of Light against Demons.”

This tone suggested this kind of warfare was common.

I sighed deeply.

Ignorance wasn’t excusable for me.

The guilt of throwing Lady Trentia into danger swelled within me.

I had no choice but to place my faith in her.

* * *

When Trentia saw the divine energy rising from the enemy ranks, she was momentarily startled, but quickly regained her composure.

She had experience of brawling with dozens of Holy Knights.

‘Your Highness, don’t worry. I’ll bring you victory.’

She passed in front of Valencius, raising a hand as she went.

Valencius interpreted that gesture as one of reproach.

‘I want to roll around and scream. So embarrassing… My lady, I apologize.’

Trentia lowered her helmet’s visor, gripped her lance snugly under her armpit, and surrounded its tip with a mana-blade coil.

Zzz-zzz-zzz!

Red energy wrapped around her lance’s blade and spiraled up the shaft.

“I am an imperial knight! Today, I shall see your blood!”

“Let’s bring down this wicked bloodline aristocrat!”

“Under the tricolor flag, forward! Forward!”

“Let’s fight united.”

As she heard their shouts, Trentia reflected.

‘Serving His Highness, it’s never been easy. I’ve suffered much and pondered even more.’

Grip.

She tightened her grip on the lance.

‘Suffering gave me strength and insight… Strength was what I desired, but many of the insights were more than I ever wanted.’

Whiiish! Woshh! Whirr!

Divinely enhanced arrows and crossbow bolts rained down on Trentia’s platinum plate armor.

Clang!

Thick rods struck her helmet hard, scraping off, as small cannonballs slammed straight against her breastplate.

‘But all my reflections left me empty-handed. The more I thought, the more they multiplied.’

The enchanted platinum armor resisted the physical blows but failed against the divine energy, which penetrated it, causing Trentia immense pain like her body was on fire.

Pook!

An arrow pierced her horse’s shoulder.

The horse let out a scream before collapsing, and Trentia swiftly landed using a practiced dismount.

“Huff.”

Whiiish! Whirr! Pock!

More gleaming arrows and rocks rained down.

In front stood a hedgehog-like formation of glowing shields and spears, and beyond that, soldiers wielding round shields and one-handed swords.

‘It was wrong of me to try and make puns unworthy of a knight.’

Trentia smirked and advanced step by step.

‘I wasted mana.’

She discarded her cavalry lance and drew the sword named 화한, deflecting the arrows.

Being a knight doesn’t mean rushing madly into battle.

A perfect fight involves judging the right moment and the right place to land a decisive blow.

Whiiish! Whirr! Pock!

Naturally, the opposition kept pelting her with rocks and arrows.

Showing fear would only embolden them, so she had to endure this storm of weapons without flinching— that was why knights had to be simple and fearless.

‘Ignorance makes one brave, they say.’

Trentia lifted her hand to shield herself before the visor and scrutinized the soldiers who seemed to be chanting like battle priests.

“Judge them by fire!”

Eight soldiers held up donut-shaped maces.

Long white flames shot out from these maces, temporarily blinding them.

‘Does being fearless require ignorance?’

At that moment, Trentia erupted in laughter as she pushed off the ground.

“Hahaha!”

Thud!

The ground beneath her feet was deeply gouged, the wind parted, and a wave-like mana blade in red enveloped 화한.

‘If anything is clear, it’s that You need brave knights.’

One of Trentia’s hands gripped tightly under the hilt of 화한, while the other held the jeweled end of the hilt.

Zzz-zzz-zzz!

A sticky crimson wave surged, severing the white flames in half.

Clang!

Like an arrow, she shot forward, planting her left foot firmly like a thousand-year-old tree in front of the shield wall.

The soldiers, expecting her charge at any moment, thrust their divinely-empowered spears, but missed her by a hair.

“Huh?”

“Idiots, look out for…”

“Damn!”

Experienced soldiers sighed upon recognizing Trentia’s preparatory moves, and Commander Daniel hastily prayed the Thousand-Year Protection Prayer.

Squeeeak!

Trentia swung her sword upward as if drawing out a wave.

Zzz-zzz-zzz!

The red wave detached from her sword and shot forward.

This was Doroysen’s technique: Mana Blast.

Boom!

A terrifying explosion resounded, and the shield wall along with the soldiers behind it toppled to the ground.

The white mist of her platinum armor now danced with crimson mists.

“That wicked aristocrat wants to kill us all!”

“Wicked… aristocrat… wants to… kill… ALL OF US!”

A chill laugh escaped from beneath her visor, followed by the clash of swords and steel fists.

At the sight, Eric reaffirmed his belief.

‘Head-on battles must be avoided at all costs.’