Chapter 55: Come, Let Us Go to War Together
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 55: Come, Let Us Go to War Together
"If I remember correctly, War is currently slumbering within his weapon. As long as that spear is brought back, my Master can release his True Name. That would mean half of the Four Knights have returned."
At this thought, Thanatos decided to bypass Roland entirely. He would reveal himself, take the spear, and leave immediately to avoid further entanglements with the group.
Just as Thanatos was about to make his move, Atoris, standing in the center of the hall, suddenly spoke.
"You all should leave first. I will handle things here."
Roland considered Atoris's decision for a moment.
"Very well. Please take care, Lady Atoris. Edward, keep up."
With that, Roland led Edward away from the area.
Seeing this, Orion glanced at Atoris a few times. After a moment's hesitation, he followed the others.
"Master Roland, do you know who that girl was? She seemed to have a deep connection with my fath—er, the Sword of the Empire. To be honest, the moment I laid eyes on her, I felt a profound sense of unease, as if she were an enemy of the Empire. She felt even more terrifying than those Insects. But because of the Sword of the Empire, I didn't dare ask too much."
Hearing Orion's question, Roland came to a halt.
"Your Majesty, I am not entirely sure myself. That was the first time I had seen that young lady. When I first saw her, I felt the same way you did. However, everyone has their secrets. Since Lady Atoris is unwilling to speak of it, it is not our place to pry. At the very least, we can be certain that Lady Atoris would never harm the Empire."
Orion nodded at Roland's explanation.
"Fair enough. Master Roland makes a good point. Since it concerns the Sword of the Empire, I cannot press the matter too far."
As he spoke, Orion looked toward Edward, who was standing silently to the side.
"I recall this young man is Master Roland's apprentice? You performed quite well in the battle just now. Since you study under Master Roland, your knowledge of alchemy must be quite extensive. Once we return, I shall appoint you as my Alchemical Consultant. To govern the Empire, I still have much to learn from you regarding alchemy. Do you have any objections, young Edward?"
"Huh? Me?"
Edward stole a glance at Roland.
After being glared back at, Edward hesitated for a moment before gritting his teeth and answering.
"Of... Of course, Your Majesty. To be of use to Your Majesty is naturally a great honor."
"Oh? Since you have no objections, why don't you come to my private chambers tonight? I have many questions weighing on my mind that I am eager to consult you about."
"Uh... alright."
*
Once the group had moved off into the distance, Atoris breathed a small sigh of relief.
"My Master caused such a massive scene this time... how am I supposed to explain this to them?"
Thinking of this, Atoris looked up at the crimson spear.
"Then again, this should belong to my Master. Judging by its aura, it must be a legendary Divine Artifact. Did my Master leave it behind by accident, or was there some intent behind it?"
Just as Atoris was pondering what to do with the spear, a voice appeared beside her at an inopportune moment.
"Excuse me, are you the Sword of the Empire?"
Atoris turned around and saw a tall, thin man wearing an officer's cap.
"You are... Brandon?"
Atoris was momentarily stunned by his appearance.
In her memory, Brandon was a Division Commander who had been with her since she first established the Imperial Expeditionary Force. He was also the legendary captain who had helmed the Sword of Expedition for over a hundred years.
Atoris had two main impressions of him.
First, no matter who he encountered—even the lowliest scavenger—he always maintained a respectful and smiling demeanor.
Second, no matter how much time passed, he maintained an incredibly youthful appearance.
Even meeting him again now, Brandon looked exactly as he did in Atoris's memories. This was why Atoris had never been able to gauge Brandon's true strength.
However, while serving as a Division Commander under her, Brandon had always been fiercely loyal, and his command over the Sword of Expedition was exceptional. Because of this, Atoris had never harbored much suspicion toward him.
Hearing Atoris call out his name, Brandon immediately put on a look of great surprise.
"Oh, beautiful young lady, I am honored that you know my name. It seems my reputation is not so small after all. Of course, it is also possible that you inherited the power of the late Emperor and learned of my existence through that. But regardless of which it is, I am quite flattered."
With that, Brandon took off his officer's cap and bowed to Atoris.
"Setting aside how you suddenly appeared here, did you come looking for me because you want me to help you retain your position as Division Commander?"
Hearing this, Brandon quickly shook his head.
"No, no, no, beautiful lady. I resigned from my post as Division Commander long ago. Now, I only wish to enjoy my retirement."
As he spoke, Brandon pulled out a small booklet.
"I came here today simply because I wanted the lovely and moving Sword of the Empire to give me an autograph. This is very important to me."
"An autograph?"
"Yes, my lady. To tell you the truth, I am actually a fan of yours. Although I have yet to see you perform, from the moment I saw you, I was deeply moved by your noble and flawless character. To obtain your autograph before your first public appearance is an honor worth passing down for a thousand years. I hope the esteemed Sword of the Empire can grant this small request of mine."
After hearing Brandon's explanation, Atoris couldn't help but frown.
She never expected that this legendary captain, who had followed her in conquering the four seas, would actually be into the type of girl she was now—a 1.4-meter-tall loli.
"Fine."
Atoris took the booklet and pen from Brandon and casually signed her name.
Disgusted as she was, Atoris knew that in her memory, Brandon had never actually done anything out of line. He had always behaved with the elegant manners of a gentleman, making it difficult for anyone to hold a grudge against him. She chalked up his current behavior to psychological issues stemming from years of constant warfare, assuming he just needed some new form of entertainment to relax.
After returning the booklet to Brandon, he bowed once more.
"Thank you again, beautiful lady. I shall cherish your personal signature forever. I will not let a single stain touch it—not even a speck of dust."
Hearing this, Atoris waved him off dismissively.
"Enough. If there's nothing else, leave quickly. This isn't a place for you to linger."
"Of course, my lady. Since you say so, I shall take my leave. I hope to see you again soon."
With that, Brandon turned to leave.
In the next second, a large hand suddenly clamped down on his shoulder.
"Oho! Hey there, young man. I see you've got the right stuff. How about coming with me to conquer the stars? Don't worry, room and board are included."
Brandon: "?"
Brandon looked up and saw a burly man wearing a red leather coat.
The man had appeared so suddenly that before Brandon could even react, Atoris had already raised her crimson greatsword.
"Who are you? What are you doing here?"
Faced with Atoris's questioning, the man scratched his head.
"Who am I... hiss... wait, that's right, who was I again?"
Halfway through the thought, the man simply gave up.
"Forget it, forget it. My name isn't important. Little sister, I don't mean any harm. You should put that weapon down. Carrying such a huge sword will stunt your growth."
As he spoke, the man patted Brandon on the shoulder again.
"As for what I'm doing here... well, I just saw an Immortal with a wealth of combat experience, and I couldn't help but want to recruit him so we can go to war together."
In an instant, the previously calm Brandon broke out in a cold sweat.