Chapter 49: The Imperial Expeditionary Force
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 49: The Imperial Expeditionary Force
While Xie Bai was still going back and forth with Atoris, the warships of the Expeditionary Force had already arrived and were standing by eight thousand meters from the city.
As a fleet built with the vast resources of the Empire, the Expeditionary Force consisted of one Titan flagship, four main ships, and several escort and supply vessels. At the heart of it all was the Titan flagship—the Sword of Conquest.
The Empire possessed only two Titan flagships in total. The other was the Golden Dragon. Unfortunately, that flagship, which symbolized the Emperor’s majesty, had been lost. According to Orion’s explanation, the Emperor’s ship had been buried with the late sovereign, its whereabouts unknown.
Consequently, the current Expeditionary Force had become the most powerful fleet in the Empire.
*
Inside the Sword of Conquest, Leon was speaking with a man dressed in a vintage gray tailcoat.
"You say... you're from the Chaos Church?"
Leon flipped a gold coin, looking at the newcomer with a nonchalant gaze. The man he was speaking to was none other than Thanatos.
"Correct. I have been sent by the Cult Leader of Chaos to discuss certain matters with you."
Hearing this, Leon flashed a knowing smile.
"Oh? But I recall my deal with him ended fifty years ago. What does it mean to come and negotiate with me now? Or rather... are you truly from the Chaos Church?"
Thanatos did not flinch under Leon's cold, piercing gaze. "If the Grand Marshal does not believe my words, perhaps you will believe these."
With that, Thanatos produced two Chaos Seeds.
"These are..."
The moment those two Chaos Seeds appeared, Leon’s pupils dilated instantly.
"Demigod-level Chaos Seeds... and there are two of them?"
Two Demigod-level Chaos Seeds were no mere joke; they were a profound shock.
"Indeed. These two Chaos Seeds are a gift from the Cult Leader. He hopes you will accept them."
"Heh, such a lavish gift is more than I can handle. Besides, I already have one Chaos Seed. Even if I took more, I doubt my body could withstand the strain."
Just as Leon was about to decline the seeds, Thanatos added another sentence.
"If the Grand Marshal fails to defeat the Sword of the Empire in the end, perhaps you could plant these two Chaos Seeds inside the Hive. You could take the Empire down with you in a final act of mutual destruction."
Leon’s brow furrowed at those words.
"I’ve heard that the Sword of the Empire is nothing more than a sword spirit. Are you implying that I cannot defeat a mere masterless weapon?"
Faced with Leon’s questioning, Thanatos smiled.
"Not necessarily. However, as far as I know, that Sword of the Empire has inherited the majority of Atoris’s power. Moreover, she now wields the Sword of Dawn. Her strength is already on par with Atoris himself. Or perhaps... do you believe you possess the strength to defeat your father, the Emperor?"
Bang!
Before Thanatos could finish, Leon slammed his hand on the table and stood up.
"You!"
Seeing Leon pointing at him, face flushed with rage, Thanatos simply shook his head.
"It seems the Grand Marshal does not possess such strength. It makes sense. If you had the power to defeat Atoris, you wouldn't have spent all this time on distant expeditions, forced to watch him pass the throne to your big brother."
With that, Thanatos turned and left.
Leon was left alone in the dim, gloomy meeting room. He watched Thanatos depart, then looked at the two motionless Chaos Seeds on the table. Almost as if the air had been let out of him, he slumped back into his seat.
"Damn it... Not only did Father and the others look down on me, but now even this Chaos Church from god-knows-where has learned how to mock me!"
Leon sat in silence for a long time before looking back at the Chaos Seeds radiating an ominous aura. After a moment of deliberation, he finally decided to tuck them away for the time being.
A short while later, a Division Commander pushed the door open and entered.
"Grand Marshal, we have the latest intelligence..."
Seeing Leon’s icy expression, the commander froze in his tracks.
"G-Grand Marshal?"
Hearing the movement, Leon looked up at the officer. "What is it?"
Having received a response, the commander suppressed his startled expression and began to report using the documents in his hand.
"Grand Marshal, according to the latest news, immediately after the coronation ceremony for the new Emperor, the Empire announced a formal welcome for the return of the Expeditionary Force. Furthermore, the new Emperor has declared that he will personally welcome you back to the country."
Leon couldn't help but show a hint of suspicion.
"That useless brother of mine, who used to be scared to death of me, is suddenly welcoming me back? Does he realize he can't win and has started playing the emotional card?"
The commander shook his head. "I'm not certain about that. However, Grand Marshal, we have another piece of vital intelligence."
"What is it?"
"Specific information regarding the Sword of the Empire."
The commander presented a report and a portrait. Upon taking the materials, Leon was immediately drawn to the portrait.
"Are you sure the little girl in this portrait... is the Sword of the Empire?"
She looked far too young. Leon felt that if he actually fought her, the entire Empire would condemn him for bullying a child.
As he studied the portrait, Leon noticed something strange.
"Wait... how odd. Why does it feel like the more I look at this portrait, the more she looks like my father?"
"Grand Marshal, the Sword of the Empire is, after all, a sword spirit left behind by the late Emperor. It is only natural for her appearance to bear some resemblance to him."
"I suppose so. But where did you get these portraits? Have you already sent people to infiltrate Carlos Lilanka to observe her?"
"Uh... well, cough."
The commander gave an awkward cough and quickly changed the subject. "Grand Marshal, I suggest you take a look at our analysis of the Sword of the Empire's combat capabilities."
"Fine."
Ignoring the commander’s unnatural behavior, Leon turned his attention to the other report.
[The Sword of the Empire has inherited the full power of Atoris and can simultaneously mobilize the full power of the Sword of Dawn. Her strength is immense, nearly equal to Atoris himself. Furthermore... in short, her power is extraordinary; one must absolutely avoid direct confrontation with her.]
"Huh?"
Leon looked at the commander with a face full of confusion. "Are you serious? This Sword of the Empire really has my father's level of strength?"
"It's true, Grand Marshal. We sent a vanguard unit to Carlos Lilanka, and the result was disastrous. Our vanguard was struck down by a single strike from the Sword of the Empire. It was a total wipeout."
"What? Struck down in one hit? How many did you send in the vanguard?"
"One main ship and its supporting fleet."
Bang!
Leon slammed the table and stood up again.
"What?! Say that again! How many ships did you send?!"
"One main ship and its sup—"
"Enough! You useless fools! You wasted one of my main ships before the battle even started! I...!"
Mid-outburst, Leon suddenly lowered his hand. After his expression twisted several times, he began to pace irritably.
"Damn it... that frail-looking Sword of the Empire really is like my father, capable of destroying a main ship fleet in a single blow..."
At the thought, Leon touched his chest, right over his heart.
"No... maybe not. With the power of Chaos, I might just be able to face her. Plus, I command the most elite fleet in the Empire. That coward Orion might still back down a few steps..."
At that moment, the commander spoke up. "Grand Marshal, if there is nothing else, I will take my leave."
Leon looked at him and waved him off impatiently. "Just go. Looking at you irritates me."
"Yes, Grand Marshal."
The commander left the meeting room. Outside, Thanatos was waiting.