Chapter 575

The aftermath of the Holy Grail’s destruction seemed to have caused some strange phenomena. After that, my daily life could be summed up in three monotonous words: Training. Subjugation. Rest.

Right after breakfast, I’d lock myself in the training room, sweating buckets to get even a little stronger. I endlessly repeated the process of refining the Power of Feats and manifesting it as techniques, trying to increase my casting speed. I also kept experimenting and pondering over the intricacies of Spatial Severance, desperately trying to grasp its principles.

Whenever the Imperial Knight Order or the royal family sent someone begging for help, I’d go out to subjugate monsters, return with the praises of those whose lives I saved, and then rest. Lying on the sofa, sipping the drinks Rana made, and engaging in casual chit-chat made the days fly by.

After dinner, I’d write down strategies for dealing with the monsters I’d faced and send them to the royal family. Then I’d sleep soundly, wake up, and repeat the training cycle. It was a life more akin to a combat machine than a human, but for me, it was a familiar and comfortable routine, though thoughts of my homeland occasionally surfaced.

Of course, I wasn’t completely isolated from society. Whenever Milia and the Heaven’s Sword Order members, Freide, or Leonor, who led the Rose Cross Knight Order on monster hunts, returned to the capital, I’d seek them out and spend hours chatting. We’d talk about their missions, the monsters they’d defeated, and the trivialities of daily life.

“On this mission, we had to clear out the entire dungeon. Walking through the caves brought back old memories.”

“Like that time you almost got crushed under a collapsing ruin? Well… I guess you won’t get crushed now.”

“Is that something the cause of the problem should be saying?”

I chuckled, satisfied as I played along with their banter. They’d all grown strong enough to handle themselves without me, so I didn’t need to hover over them.

Speaking of that dungeon, I wonder what happened to it. We buried it in a landslide, but with the world upheaving and sinking, who knows? Maybe it resurfaced? Actually, that might be a good thing. I could easily take down those Undead Knights now, and the magic technology left there would be a huge help in our current situation.

Semi-Permanent Magic Manifestation through Engraving. My engravings could only produce fire, so it seemed like each engraving was limited to one type of magic. But if we researched and developed it properly, it could render traditional magicians obsolete.

Back then, we buried it because we feared the misuse of magic could strengthen the monsters, and if it leaked, chaos would ensue. But now, the situation has changed. We no longer need to worry about leaks—not because leaks won’t happen, but because the opposite is true.

Since similar ruins and technology existed in other countries, the People of Dane had already acquired and deployed the technology. Otherwise, how could thousands of magicians suddenly appear?

Despite gaining such power, they weren’t targeting Ka`har or me. Instead, they were picking on the weakened Panam. It was baffling, but from a national perspective, it was a rational and cold-blooded decision. Attacking a weakened neighbor to expand territory and strengthen national power is a shortcut to prosperity.

But for the People of Dane to do it… it was absurd. They had the power to retaliate against past plunder, yet instead, they were plundering others. It made Ka`har seem unlucky.

Knut, whom I had crippled, seemed to be an emotional yet principled warrior. He clearly despised plundering. Were the People of Dane not all like that? Was Knut the exception?

…I got sidetracked. I flicked the ash off my cigarette and exhaled a thick cloud of smoke.

Anyway, we no longer needed to worry about leaks. Instead, we needed to secure that technology ourselves. It was akin to the nuclear arms debate. Nuclear weapons are undeniably powerful but cause massive pollution, making them better off unused. But if a hostile nation acquires them, we have no choice but to arm ourselves similarly.

—

“Marquis Median, the Imperial Knight Order has requested support. Reports say five Grave Devourers have appeared near the Rezerbie Gorge.”

“Got it. Tell them I’ll be there soon.”

The servant’s message reached me at home. I nodded, draping the armor I’d removed during training over my shoulders. Wiping off the sweat, I sheathed Durandal and adjusted the Ice Blade on my left arm, which had grown colder lately. The chilling cold helped cool my heated body.

[This makes the eleventh time. Isn’t it a bit too frequent? At this rate, shouldn’t that bald guy be promoted to Imperial Army Commander?]

‘Who knows?’

Hersela grumbled about the frequent support requests cutting into training time. Supporting the Imperial Knight Order was a form of live combat training, but for me, it was mostly meaningless. Fighting mediocre monsters was no different from punching moving dummies.

Still, calling him “that bald guy” was a bit harsh. Leopold was just a balding candidate, not a full-blown bald man. Probably.

—

The Rezerbie Gorge wasn’t originally on the Empire’s map. Before the upheaval, it was just a plain. It wasn’t fertile enough to be a granary, nor did it have water sources to develop as a residential area. It was practically worthless, abandoned land.

But it seemed someone had used it as a secret hideout or a burial ground.

“Groooaaar!”

Seeing five of these undead creatures crawl out…

I rode Cascador up to the cliff overlooking the gorge and looked down at the five massive figures roaring below.

Grave Devourers. For large monsters, they were slow. Three masters and a couple of priests could take one down. But five together? No wonder the Imperial Knights couldn’t handle them.

[It’s been a while since I’ve seen those things.]

‘Yeah. Not exactly a welcome sight.’

It was impressive how they managed to gather in such a narrow space. The gorge was wide for humans, but for those monsters, it was barely enough for two to stand side by side.

“What’s your plan, sir?”

The Imperial Knight who guided me looked down at the gorge and asked for my intentions. He was sweating, probably intimidated by the monsters, but he smiled, knowing I’d handle it.

Instead of answering, I scanned the situation below. A group of knights and a few priests had arrived before me and were holding the line against the Grave Devourers. They’d blocked both ends of the gorge, desperately trying to prevent the monsters from breaking through. They were doing better than expected, even without any masters.

“I don’t see any paladins. They didn’t request support from them?”

“No. They did, but the paladins from the main diocese are currently engaged with Undead Knights in the southwest of the capital. They can’t spare the manpower.”

“Really? Lacey must be busy too. Got it.”

I dismounted Cascador and drew Durandal. The golden engravings on the blue blade shimmered softly.

“I’ll head down. You join the knights and prepare for cleanup. Understood?”

“Yes, sir!”

He answered with a crisp salute. I smirked, shrugged, and walked to the edge of the cliff.

‘You know what to do? Control the posture.’

[You really love jumping off things, don’t you? You’re almost as bad as that grasshopper Damien.]

‘Don’t compare me to him.’

He’s just hopping around like a grasshopper, while this is a brilliant tactic that combines acceleration and a dramatic entrance. I’ll prove it right now.

I stepped off the cliff’s edge and into the void.