Chapter 52
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 52
“What on earth are they doing here?!”
The Allied Forces weren’t the only ones in shock.
Erich, the King of Krepelt, let out a cry of pure astonishment as he watched the Red Wing Knights approach.
“Why has the Imperial Guard appeared at the border?! No, more importantly, how could they have gotten here so fast?!”
“Now is not the time to question that, Your Majesty! Please, withdraw before they reach us!”
“Your Majesty? Did you say ‘Your Majesty’?”
Erich’s eyes sharpened at the address. It had been months since he declared independence, yet they were still calling him ‘Your Majesty’ as if he were a mere king under the Empire.
The noble who suggested the retreat realized his mistake and hurriedly corrected himself.
“Yo—Your Imperial Majesty... I misspoke...”
“No, forget it. It has been centuries since the Empire demoted our status. It’s only natural to be accustomed to being under their boots.”
“That’s not it...!”
“I will not run.”
“Your Majesty!”
“Shut up! No matter how famous the Imperial Guard is, there’s barely a handful of them! Are you telling me to run from a single knight order?!”
No matter how legendary they were, they were clearly outnumbered by the Krepelt army. If he retreated now, rumors would surely spread that he had tucked his tail and fled in fear of the Imperial family’s prestige.
Conversely, if he crushed them here, he could announce Krepelt’s military might to the entire continent.
“We will crush the Red Wing Knights here and capture the First Prince! Prepare for battle!”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
The knights of Krepelt responded to their king’s call with soaring morale. Though they lacked the fame of the Red Wing Knights, those gathered here were the elite of Krepelt. Unless the numbers were equal, they didn’t believe they could lose to a force ten times smaller than their own.
“So they intend to stand their ground. They truly don’t know their place. Then again, if they had the brains for that, they wouldn’t have rebelled in the first place.”
The man leading the Red Wing Knights let out a scoff from inside his helmet. Despite having less than a tenth of the enemy’s numbers, his voice was perfectly composed.
“Lances up. Prepare the Dragon’s Tooth.”
Vrrrrm.
As the short command was given, a red haze began to shimmer across the entire Red Wing Knight Order. Dozens of runes engraved on their armor and spears glowed vividly, their radiance intensifying by the second.
Finally, the moment the light became so blinding that it was clear even to the enemy—
“Breakthrough.”
Fwooooosh!
A streak of crimson light tore through the center of the Krepelt army.
“...!”
The command staff of the Allied Forces, including Lucian, stood with their mouths agape.
No matter how powerful a cavalry charge was, it was supposed to slow down to some extent when meeting enemy resistance. However, the Red Wing Knights split the enemy army in two as if they were tearing through a sheet of paper.
It was a feat that went beyond being powerful; it clearly defied the laws of physics.
‘Magic...!’
It wasn’t a spell cast by a mage, but magic imbued within their armor and armaments. Ancient legacies that were said to make even a simple iron sword more powerful than an Adamantium weapon. Lucian had heard much about them, but seeing an entire knight order equipped with such gear made the power seem beyond imagination.
‘I think I understand a little better now why the Imperial family views mages as such a threat.’
They feared mages precisely because they knew the true power of magic.
As if to prove they weren’t just good at a single charge, the Red Wing Knights pivoted instantly and executed a second assault. Once again, they tore through the cavalry in their path, further fragmenting the enemy forces.
“This... this is impossible...!”
Erich could only gasp, unable to even scream properly. If it had been infantry being trampled like this, it would be miserable but understandable. But these were units composed of mounted soldiers—even if they weren't all knights. To see cavalry slaughtered like infantry was unthinkable.
“Yo—Your Majesty! You must flee! Please, escape now!”
“This can’t be... this can’t... How could my elites fall so helplessly...!”
“Forgive my insolence! Escort His Majesty! We must get out of here!”
Erich’s close aides hurriedly took him and fled the battlefield. The Red Wing Knights did not pursue the completely shattered Krepelt army and brought their charge to a halt.
A moment later, the shimmering red haze faded completely, scattering into the air.
‘So the magical effect doesn’t last long?’
Lucian’s eyes sparkled as he watched the glow vanish from the knights. It made sense; if such overwhelming magic could be maintained indefinitely, no one would be able to defeat them.
Having repelled the Krepelt army, the crimson knights soon approached the Allied Forces. The man whose face was hidden by a helmet stopped his horse in front of the First Prince.
Without dismounting, he removed his helmet and looked down at them.
“I am glad to see you are all safe.”
The lords turned pale the moment the face inside the helmet was revealed.
After a moment, Marquis Bernhardt Roglan was the first to regain his senses. He knelt and shouted, “I greet His Imperial Majesty, Master of the Empire and true descendant of the Great Dragon!”
‘What? The Emperor?’
The young lords who didn’t know the Emperor’s face and the heirs who had come as proxies were terrified. Lucian was among them. In all his past life, he had never once seen the Emperor’s face.
“W—We greet His Imperial Majesty!”
Following the Marquis, the nobles of the Empire knelt in unison. Lucian also quickly knelt and bowed his head.
A moment later, the Emperor dismounted and spoke calmly to the nobles.
“We are still in the midst of war; why do you neglect your surroundings to obsess over etiquette? Formalities can wait until after we cross the border. Everyone, stand up.”
At the quiet but powerful voice, the nobles slowly rose. After scanning his surroundings, the Emperor approached First Prince Claude.
Claude stammered as he spoke to his father.
“Fath—Your Majesty, about that... this war...”
“It is fine. I have a general idea of what happened.”
“H—How did you know? I only sent the messenger two days ago...”
“I have my ways. For now, let us simply celebrate your safety.”
The Emperor placed a hand on Claude’s shoulder, his voice both bitter and gentle. Claude hung his head low, seemingly unable to face the Emperor.
After patting Claude’s shoulder a few times, the Emperor turned his gaze to Cedric.
“Cedric, you also worked hard to assist your brother. I heard you rode across the front lines; are you uninjured?”
“I am safe, thanks to the protection of the Eight Gods and the Great Dragon.”
“That is a relief.”
The conversation wasn't much different from the one with Claude, but the temperature of the voice was markedly different. While the voice directed at Claude was full of affection, the one for Cedric held only a hint of formal concern.
After checking on his two sons, the Emperor moved toward the Marquis.
“Marquis Bernhardt.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“A swift, decisive battle. It was a good strategy.”
“Your Majesty, that was...”
“The war will continue. Even if no battles are fought, it is not over until someone admits defeat.”
Therefore, you must continue to bear the costs of this war. That is, if you don't want to take the full blame for this defeat alone.
Reading the hidden meaning, the Marquis bowed his head, hiding his bitter expression.
“You are correct. As long as the war continues, House Roglan will not spare any support.”
“A fine answer. I shall continue to count on you.”
The Emperor replied coldly before moving again. Naturally, the next place he stopped was in front of Lucian.
Lucian kept his head slightly bowed, waiting for the Emperor’s next words.
‘Reprimand or praise. I wonder which it will be.’
Either was possible. Lucian was preparing his response for both scenarios when it happened.
“I am truly grateful. As the Emperor of the Empire, and as the father of a child, I offer you my thanks.”
“...!?”
Everyone’s eyes widened as the Emperor suddenly bowed his head to express his gratitude.
Lucian stared at the back of the Emperor’s head with a bewildered expression. He had thought he might receive praise for a job well done, but he never imagined the Emperor would actually bow to him.
“Your Majesty, this is too much honor for me to accept. Please, raise your head.”
“You saved my son, and by extension, you saved the future of the Empire. You are more than worthy of my gratitude.”
“I only did what was natural as a subject.”
“No, there is no such thing as ‘natural.’ It is the duty of lord and vassal for the monarch to give trust and the subject to repay it with loyalty. However, even when Claude withdrew his trust first, you willingly threw yourself into danger. For that alone, I am beyond grateful.”
The Emperor continued to praise Lucian, but Lucian’s expression stiffened slightly. Regardless of the gratitude, he could feel the underlying intent—the Emperor was making it clear that he knew exactly what had happened on the battlefield.
‘Since he’s not even trying to hide it, I suppose this is also a warning to the other nobles.’
It was an implication that he was aware of everything happening even when he wasn't present. But aside from that, the gratitude he expressed to Lucian felt deeply sincere.
“If the prestige of the Empire were not resting on my shoulders, I would have gladly knelt. I am only sorry that I can do no more than bow my head. Please understand.”
“Understand? Your words alone are more than enough—they are overflowing. So please, raise your head. This is becoming quite burdensome for me.”
“If it burdens you, then I have no choice. It would be a disaster if my attempt at gratitude turned a favor into a grudge.”
The Emperor raised his head, offering a soft joke to break the stiff atmosphere. Lucian felt a complex mix of emotions at the Emperor’s skillful conversational ability.
‘The last master of the Empire, Karl von Bay Astria.’
He had never seen him in person, but he had heard stories about this Emperor until his ears bled in his past life. However, the evaluations varied so wildly from person to person that it was hard to define him.
Some called him an incompetent ruler who provided the catalyst for the Empire’s fall, while others said that while he lacked ability, his character was magnificent. Some even said he was a wise ruler who was tragically treated as a fool simply because he was born in the wrong era.
One thing was certain: when it came to the matter of succession, he had made blunder after blunder.
‘I also secretly thought of him as an incompetent ruler because of that... but seeing him in person, he’s completely different.’
The Emperor Lucian saw was more than qualified to sit on the Jade Throne. He had grasped the battlefield situation from a distance, personally rode out to restore the Imperial authority that First Prince Claude had dragged through the mud, and subtly reminded the other nobles not to look down on the Imperial family while showing his reward for devotion through excessive gratitude.
‘The Emperor moving so lightly will cause a lot of talk, but even considering that, he’s a decent monarch. Enough to make me think it might be okay to offer my loyalty if this were an era of peace rather than chaos.’
So why was such an Emperor so disastrous when it came to the succession?
Instead of answering Lucian’s internal question, the Emperor smiled and made another proposal.
“If you don’t mind, I would like to discuss various things with you. Will you join me?”
“If it is Your Majesty’s wish, I would be honored.”
Lucian readily accepted the Emperor’s offer. Setting aside the interests of his house, this was an opportunity for Lucian to personally build a connection with the Emperor, so there was no reason to refuse.
The Allied Forces, their hearts still racing from the Emperor’s visit, prepared for retreat with a bit more composure than before. A short while later, Lucian rode alongside the Emperor at the head of the column, engaged in conversation.
“I have heard much of your fame. Even at the age of sixteen, the rumors surrounding you are quite extraordinary.”
“They are merely exaggerated reputations, Your Majesty.”
“First you say my gratitude is too much, and now your humility is just as great. I believe you have already sufficiently proven the rumors true.”
The Emperor burst into laughter, continuing to show his favor toward Lucian. Perhaps because the first impression was so good, he seemed pleased with whatever Lucian said.
Eventually, as they neared the Horsen River and the eyes on them diminished, the Emperor lowered his voice and whispered.
“I have one thing to ask... are you interested in the position of Family Head?”
“Your Majesty, I apologize, but the affairs of my house are...”
Lucian trailed off with a troubled expression. No matter if he was the Emperor, interfering in the internal affairs of House Valdek was crossing a line.
The Emperor quickly waved his hands, signaling that wasn't what he meant.
“My apologies. I spoke poorly. I have no intention of interfering in the succession of the Grand Ducal House. When I said ‘Family Head,’ I meant it in a different sense.”
“A different sense?”
“Are you perhaps interested in the position of Margrave rather than Grand Duke? I think it wouldn’t be a bad idea for someone like you to make a name for yourself as the founder of a new house.”
“...!”
Lucian’s eyes widened at the unexpected and extraordinary proposal.