Chapter 121

121.

At the time when Cain quietly departed for the northern region under the pretext of inspections and supply missions, the capital of Palamtiar and the Imperial Palace remained as busy as ever. Centering around bards, acrobatic troupes, and dilettantes, the war between Calheigh and the Empire spread far and wide across the Western Continent.

Considering the unusually short duration and absurd nature of the conflict, people began referring to it as “The Mirage War”—an event that was nothing short of a summer’s fantasy. With this, tales of the new Divine Proxy spread far and wide across the land.

The Luard Plains, where the miracles of the Holy One occurred, became a sacred site, drawing countless pilgrims who worshipped the Sun God. Travelers who completed their long journeys to reach the Luard Plains naturally made their way to the Empire’s capital, home to the central church.

The Luelara Great Cathedral in the capital of Palamtiar—where the holy maiden of the Church resided in its storied and historic building—was always bustling with visitors coming for pilgrimage. With the influx of visitors, the capital flourished, indirectly benefiting from the rise in transient population.

As money flowed into the heart of the Empire, more people inevitably gathered in its wake. When the capital approached saturation, people dispersed to surrounding major cities. Stories about the Mirage War, the Holy One of Radiance, and Duke Macbilian circulated endlessly.

Meanwhile, the aftereffects of the monster summoning triggered frequent appearances of deformed creatures and colossal beasts throughout the empire. As the human population increased, so too did the instances of people being killed by these monsters, skyrocketing to alarming levels.

Knights, monster hunters, and mercenaries—all wielding formidable power—were busier than ever. Stories of their valor in battles against beasts and monsters spread throughout the continent.

From mercenaries who protected villages from attacking beasts to wandering knights who saved princesses and averted kingdom-wide crises, tales of heroism inspired countless individuals to venture out into the vast world.

The Mirage War. The collapse of the Free Allied Cities. The appearance of monsters and the famine-induced starvation. Despite an overwhelming abundance of grim tales, a sense of dreams and hope swept through the Western Continent.

At that moment, a single tidbit of news rippled through the Empire, igniting the hearts of many young men. “The Royal Knights are recruiting new members!” Those who saw the announcement set off for the capital, armed with swords and dreams.

***

Vice-commander Milene of the Royal Knights was leading a hectic life. Since entering and rising to the position of vice-commander, she had never been busier than she was now.

“Vice-commander! Reporting for duty! All members of the Three Sword Division have successfully returned from their mission!”

“Knight Commander Russell, your efforts in executing the mission are appreciated. Were there any irregularities?”

“Except for a few injured, there were none!”

Nodding her head, Milene spoke in a weary tone, “The Three Sword Division shall take a three-day leave and then relieve the One Sword Division of their guard duties.”

“But, Vice-commander! The Three Sword Division is hungry for training! Resting is a luxury we cannot afford when following you, Commander!”

“…Knight Commander Russell. Your ambition and that of the Three Sword Division are commendable, but rest is also a form of training. The Commander himself has said as much, has he not?”

“Ah…! Yes, you’re correct. We’ll make the utmost effort to rest well, then.”

Since being promoted to senior knight after the Mirage War, Russell had transformed into someone driven by a fervent storm. His clear expression contrasted with a strange glint of madness in his eyes, forcing Milene to expend even more energy managing the squadron, leaving her without a rest.

Dalkkak.

Letting out a small sigh and lifting her quill again, the door to her Audience Chamber was opened once more, revealing a man and a woman striding inside.

As she acknowledged the female knight, Luniya, Milene shifted her gaze to the man donned in a gray uniform, with an air of calm and composure. It was Andre, Director of Intelligence. With his arrival, Milene put down her quill.

Andre handed over a stack of papers and spoke, “Vice-commander Milene. After thorough examination by the Intelligence Bureau, there are no significant abnormalities to report.”

“Thank you, Director Andre. I appreciate it, knowing how busy your department must be.”

“Isn’t this simply the duty of protecting His Majesty and His Highness the Duke? What we do is but our obligation.”

Andre’s polite response prompted Milene to lightly bow in acknowledgment. Since Controller Cruel left as an inspector and started clearing out corruption within, the members of their internal team had diminished even further. Given their lack of manpower and the vacant position at the Steel Brigade that once oversaw the inner defenses and capital security, the knights had no choice but to fill in the gaps.

Reactivating the Steel Brigade would have been the ideal solution, but currently, no one had the bandwidth to focus on this. The palace was far too occupied with various post-war resolutions.

With Cain’s prior instructions, Milene had initiated recruitment efforts to fill the ranks. Candidates included complete novices to seasoned experts.

Given the sensitive nature of selecting members for the Royal Knights, it was crucial to scrutinize each candidate’s background. That responsibility fell to the Central Intelligence Bureau.

Worried that they might reject the assistance request, Milene’s concerns were alleviated when Andre readily agreed to take on the task.

With Andre’s help, Milene was able to evaluate candidates more meticulously.

“There are five candidates with connections to the nobility.”

“Not really anything to worry about greatly, I suppose.”

“Given how the nobility is cautious at present, there seems to be no one bold enough to oppose the knights.”

Milene silently nodded. While politics weren’t her specialty, she had noticed the central nobles who once constantly found faults had grown increasingly quiet recently.

According to Andre’s brief synopsis, a mysterious crack emerged within the eastern faction. The news of another faction developing within the existing one puzzled Milene, especially with the towering presence of Lucanov within it. However, it turned out that a new faction called Hasen, had been quietly gaining influence in the eastern port towns. Moreover, with Cain gaining acknowledgment as the Holy One of the Church, factions within the palace had begun realigning themselves, swelling the ranks of those supporting the Empress.

Neutral parties were now openly voicing their support for the Empress, and the southern factions, which were previously subtly positioning themselves, had taken a clear stance supporting the Empress. Meanwhile, the western faction led by Duke Schurantz had taken an inexplicable stance of silence. Complicating matters further, Cruel’s efforts in hunting down corrupt officials were proving fatal to those who harbored dark intentions.

Naturally, the central nobles and the eastern factions were forced to keep a low profile. “The Empress seems to be in a rather foul mood, so they’re being especially cautious.”

At Andre’s words, Milene recalled the image of Iris. Until Cain had set off for the North, everything had seemed quiet. But Iris’ expression had progressively darkened as the days passed.

Andre’s words implied that both the nobles and bureaucrats were now wary of the Empress. Milene, who knew how the palace used to operate, felt that these developments were somewhat refreshing.

Recalling the sight of the once proud central nobles now acting humbly, Milene involuntarily chuckled.

When Luniya and Andre looked at her in surprise, Milene shook her head and stood up.

“I hear there’s a welcoming ceremony for the new recruits today. Director Andre, would you like to join me for a final check?”

“Understood.”

“Isn’t there a welcoming ceremony?” Luniya inquired curiously.

Rubbing the corner of her eyes, Milene answered casually, “Knight Commander Luniya, don’t be alarmed. I just found out about it this morning.”

“…I see.”

“?”

Carrying this question in their minds, the three of them walked towards the training grounds.

Upon arrival, the sight that met their eyes was:

“Welcome to the knights!”

“Before induction, there will be a simple test where you will demonstrate your skills!”

The appearance of senior knights standing before what appeared to be a group of rookies.

The senior knights raised their wooden swords, smiling widely, and shouted enthusiastically:

“The conditions are simple. Three of you will come forward to withstand our attacks. Survive until the time limit to pass, or fail if you can’t!”

“If you understand, pick up your wooden swords!”

With the fierce cry, the participants hesitantly picked up their wooden swords. Then:

“Begin!”

Kwaang!

“Kyaaah! Ugh!”

“Stand up! You won’t die from something as trivial as that!”

“What are you doing? In the battlefield, swords don’t stop just because you’re tired or in pain!”

“What’s that sloppy movement? Exposing such a glaring weakness is practically asking to be stabbed!”

Pook! Peruk!

The so-called test turned out to be one-sided violence, mercilessly battering the potential new members.

As the current recruits included more novices than skilled warriors, it was unsurprising that they couldn’t withstand the powerful wooden sword blows from the senior knights. Despite a few coming from noble families, who had trained extensively since childhood:

“Nngh! How could such a dishonorable knight dare—”

“Despicable? Despicable?”

“Who’s that talking! State your name!”

“Ugh! I’m Geliger of the Luson Baron family!”

Bak!

“Ugh!”

“What is that supposed to mean!”

“Are you planning to realize the consequences when you’ve been hit in the back?”

“What’s the point of realizing afterwards? By then, you’ll already be buried underground!”

Even those who possessed some degree of skill fell helplessly when faced with the combined attacks of the senior knights.

“You’re trash!”

“Useless refuse with no value!”

“But don’t worry. We’ll shape you into proper knights!”

“A rebirth, as part of the Royal Knights!”

Before long, Luniya herself had joined in, enthusiastically yelling with the senior knights.

Milene let out a sigh.

*

At about the same time as the Royal Knight welcoming ceremony.

In the basement of the Duke Lucanov’s residence.

In a dim room lit by five flickering candles, someone was having a conversation.

“It was already too late when he was appointed Duke.”

“…”

Barnel’s words received no response from Kierson.

However, it seemed like a reply was never expected in the first place, as Barnel continued calmly.

“The royal authority, once fragmented, is now being consolidated again. Centered around Macbilian. The solid relationship between Macbilian and the Empress needs no further explanation.”

“Old Lion. Just get to the point.”

“The winner has already been decided. From the moment the Holy One’s name spread out. When my strategy was completely thwarted.”

Kierson’s expression hardened.

“…There are still many people who follow me.”

Hearing that, Barnel laughed derisively.

“To follow? When you couldn’t even properly suppress the new faction that appeared in the east? Do you still believe you hold control over the faction?”

With the sudden rise of a new faction centered on the eastern port city.

“Ranhart Hasen.”

From the northeastern region.

Speaking of the northeast, one name always came to mind.

“Macbilian.”

That accursed force had finally rooted itself in the core. Everyone had fallen for the flimsy act of Macbilian being an enemy.

Kierson glared sharply at Barnel.

“Old Lion. Have you forgotten the past? Even if you swear allegiance to the royal family now, the blood on your hands won’t wash away. Your future is only death.”

“Well. That’s uncertain. With Sylvester still around.”

“Hah. Hahaha! Do you truly believe Altain can defeat Sylvester?”

The two Transcendants who exist in the desert empire.

The moment they appear, their powers can break mountains and split seas. All the numerous forces of the empire and the superhumans will lose their meaning.

Altain’s survival is solely due to the sacrifice of the Ascended Lord. When Sylvester fully recovers from his wounds, he will act again.

Breaking the Transcendent-less Altain.

This time, it would truly be to take over the whole Western Continent.

‘Can’t win. Never.’

In a situation where the empire’s defeat was certain, the only option to survive was bowing one’s head.

“Wasn’t the trading company you boasted about also in danger? That wasn’t Macbilian’s work, was it?”

A few trading companies were growing rapidly.

Despite the existence of the Eldro Cooperative, which controlled commerce within the empire.

It made no sense.

There were only a few individuals within the empire capable of making this happen.

“Let that dummy woman dare…”

Kierson clenched his trembling hand and stood up. Barnel looked at his scruffed-up face and spoke.

“Futile. Just quietly monitor the movements of the Human-Beast Union…”

“Quiet, it’s annoying.”

Kierson looked coldly at Barnel.

“It’s already too late. We’ve gone too far.”

“Hmm…”

“Abandon the hope that your daughter will awaken. It’s a curse sent your way.”

Barnel’s expression stiffened.

The faint blue light in his eyes, the boiling emotion silently suppressed, was mocked by Kierson as he moved toward the exit of the basement.