Chapter 64
Chapter 64
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 64
Chapter Title: The Holy Maiden's War and the Knight's Vow
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The turmoil ended, and peace finally arrived.
In the name of the Master of the Black Magic Tower, the hardliners were purged, and the remaining elders pledged their loyalty. Once again, the 'regime of Lord Black' was firmly established in the Black Magic Tower of Necropolis, a power none dared to defy.
A reign of iron and blood, built upon the blood and corpses of those who resisted.
Furthermore, Lord Crimson's son, 'Ray Yuriseu', returned to the imperial capital, while Dale continued to relentlessly hone his skills, growing ever stronger.
And leaving behind the peace that had finally settled over the Sachsen Duchy, those who would break the silence against the Empire's tyranny began to emerge, one by one.
***
The eastern edge of the continent.
Beyond the Strait of Calais, there once existed the Kingdom of Britannia, composed of four large islands.
And when the Empire began its war of unification, led by the Hero from Another World, at the time the kingdom fell and was reduced to an imperial province... Orelia was merely the daughter of a serf.
A girl who had lost her family and country to the war, despairing in her powerlessness to do anything.
Several years after the Empire's war of unification ended.
The 'voice of the Sister Goddesses of Sistina' reached Orelia, the daughter of a mere serf.
—I shall grant you power, so save the Kingdom of Britannia from the darkness of the Empire.
A revelation from the Sister Goddesses of Sistina. At the same time, 'proof of the revelation' that no one could dare deny was bestowed upon Orelia.
For the daughter of a mere serf, a level of mastery said to be unattainable even if a knight trained for a lifetime was unveiled.
Avatar.
Immediately, Orelia did not hesitate. She willingly took up the sword, offering herself as the standard-bearer for the salvation of her nation.
The Holy Maiden Orelia, hailed as the descent of a goddess.
She did not hesitate to become the leader of the resistance against the tyrannical Empire, and drawn by her charisma, patriots of the fallen kingdom began to join her one by one.
The curtain rose on a war of independence to reclaim her homeland, the Kingdom of Britannia, from the Empire.
***
The death knight's black sword swung. The immortal knight was controlled by Dale of Sachsen, the greatest genius in the Empire.
And facing that sword was a girl, also wielding a black sword.
The girl, Charlotte, clad in the black armor of a Night Raven Knight and holding a greatsword, clashed blades with Dale's death knight.
This had become the method of their 'new training'.
Dale refined the art of precisely projecting his swordsmanship into the death knight, and in response, Charlotte, as a proper knight, clashed with it to hone her own skills with the sword.
A training method so astonishing it was shocking. Faced with Dale's unconventional approach that made it possible, the knights of House Sachsen could only be left speechless.
A training regimen that aimed to catch two rabbits at once: swordsmanship and necromancy.
Whoosh!
Channeling the martial prowess of the former Hero into its blade, Dale's death knight surged forward. Charlotte's black sword smoothly parried the sweeping blow. She pushed in to counterattack, wielding the greatsword of House Sachsen as nimbly as a rapier.
Two black aura blades clashed in mid-air, again and again, endlessly locking together.
A genius of the sword.
Although Dale couldn't yet project 100% of his swordsmanship into the death knight, Charlotte's skill, which allowed her to fight on equal footing, if not gain the upper hand, was nothing short of astounding.
Charlotte's rate of growth, having achieved the state of an 'Aura Knight' at such a young age, was enough to surprise even Dale.
And to further accelerate Charlotte's growth, the best knights of House Sachsen were providing her with the finest gifted education.
After all, the strongest knight in the North, Lord Helmut Blackbear, was her master.
It wasn't just swordsmanship.
Just as Dale had before her, Charlotte was already studying the art of war and military command under Lord Helmut.
To become Dale's standard-bearer, and to one day lead the knights of House Sachsen, whom she would command with her sword.
***
It was an unbelievable victory.
A battle that was truly impossible to win without the goddess's protection.
That was why the high knight 'Gilles de Rais', who served at the Holy Maiden Orelia's side, could not contain his surging faith.
The difference in military strength was more than four to one.
The 10,000 soldiers of the Britannian independence army, led by the Holy Maiden.
Facing them were 40,000 imperial soldiers who had landed as reinforcements from the continent, plus 5,000 hired crossbow mercenaries. Moreover, the proportion of elite units, including cavalry and heavy infantry, was overwhelmingly in the Empire's favor.
From the independence army's perspective, it was a battle they could never win. From the Empire's perspective, it was a battle they could never lose.
The Holy Maiden Orelia led that very battle to a victory for the independence army.
A mere 10,000 Britannian soldiers had defeated a combined force of 45,000 imperial troops.
What the 'Holy Maiden Orelia' had shown was not limited to the blessing of the goddess Sistina.
An unbelievably brilliant strategy.
She positioned her longbowmen in a V-formation on the two wings of a hill, had her knights dismount, and, based on precise unit placement, literally annihilated the charging imperial heavy cavalry.
It was as if she had perfectly read their movements and operational structure.
Furthermore, even when powerful individuals appeared, attempting to turn the tide of battle with 'extraordinary power', it was the Holy Maiden Orelia's role to confront them.
Was that truly the daughter of a serf who had never even held a sword in her life?
A girl who had received no military education whatsoever becomes the supreme commander of a pitched battle of this scale, overcomes overwhelming odds, and seizes victory?
This is truly a miracle that cannot be explained without attributing it to the will of the goddess.
"For the Holy Maiden Orelia!"
"The Holy Maiden, the mercy and compassion of the Sister Goddesses of Sistina, are with us!"
Overcome with surging faith, the knight 'Gilles de Rais' dropped to his knees.
Towards the standard-bearer of the nation's salvation, armed in pure white armor and holding the flag symbolizing the Kingdom of Britannia.
The morale of the soldiers fighting alongside the Holy Maiden was also beyond description.
"This was all possible thanks to the efforts of you lords."
Amidst it all, the standard-bearer of salvation, 'Orelia', smiled softly. Humbly, she attributed her achievements to her subordinates.
"Please, stand tall with your shoulders squared."
In the pouring sunlight, her blonde hair scattered wildly. A girl of noble beauty, unbelievable for the daughter of a serf. A female knight of inviolable purity.
"Ah, ahh, Holy Maiden..."
Against the Empire, the Holy Maiden Orelia's fight had only just begun.
***
That night. After finishing her training, Charlotte finally removed her black armor and stepped out into the duchy castle's central courtyard.
"Charlotte."
"D-Dale!"
At the unexpected sight, Charlotte gasped in surprise, realizing she didn't have her black helmet to hide her face.
"Ah, you're still here?"
Charlotte asked, trying to hide her shyly blushing cheeks.
"Why? Should I leave?"
Dale asked indifferently, and at his indifference, Charlotte puffed out her cheeks in a pout.
"Th-that's not what I meant!"
"Then do you mean you want me to stay by your side?"
"You idiot!"
Unable to answer Dale's words, Charlotte got angry.
It was just that the boy by her side was so endearing she couldn't stand it.
She couldn't forget the warmth of the hand he had extended to her that day. That was why she wanted to become stronger. She needed more strength than she had now to protect Dale.
"...I want to get stronger."
After a moment of silence, Charlotte spoke. Dale smiled as if to say she had nothing to worry about.
"You're already doing well."
Dale was well aware of her efforts, honing her sword day and night for her lord.
"Nn, no."
Despite that, Charlotte shook her head.
"I'll get stronger, much stronger."
Thinking of the man she held in her heart.
"Until I become the strongest knight on the continent."
Divine Sword. The Greatest Sword on the Continent.
Charlotte steeled her resolve, and Dale nodded silently. After nodding, he quietly took her hand.
Flinch. Charlotte's slender, white shoulders trembled. Unable to hide within her armor, she felt as embarrassed as if she were a naked girl.
"You can become stronger."
Dale said, holding Charlotte's hand, completely oblivious to the girlish feelings she harbored.
"I'm so curious to see how far your sword will reach, I can hardly wait."
Spoken calmly, purely as her lord.
"...Yeah."
Charlotte nodded. Her cheeks, not hidden by her helmet, blushed shyly before Dale... it was as embarrassing as baring her breasts.
As if revealing a hidden shame in front of the boy she liked. Her heart was pounding, hot in her chest.
"Hey, Dale."
Thus, as if drawn by an irresistible torrent of emotion, Charlotte spoke.
"Yeah?"
Charlotte brushed back her blonde hair and carefully lowered her head.
*Chu.*
On Dale's cheek, it was the pure kiss of a young girl.
"Charlotte..."
"I-it's just a kiss of gratitude!"
Charlotte's cheeks flushed as she shouted, trying to act nonchalant.
"W-well, you've helped me a lot, and I owe you for many things...! S-so, I gave you a special service!"
"Is that so?"
Seeing her, Dale smiled. His expression was like one watching the childish emotions of a little girl.
"Thank you."
"Ugh, hmph..."
At Dale's words, Charlotte was speechless and closed her mouth. After a moment, she spoke again.
"You've changed a lot."
"Me?"
"Yeah."
At the unexpected words, Dale tilted his head.
"How should I put it... you seem more at ease, or maybe you've matured..."
Charlotte said. Matured. She wasn't talking about his sword or magic. At her unexpected words, Dale momentarily held his breath.
"...Yeah, thank you."
"I'm the one who should be more thankful."
Dale said, and Charlotte nodded shyly, feeling the warmth of their clasped hands.
Silently, under the chilly night air, they gazed up at the shining stars together.
***
That night, in Dale's bedroom.
Leaving behind the memory with Charlotte, Dale looked up.
*'I do not think my actions can be forgiven.'*
He recalled the words of his father, Lord Black, from that day.
*'However, the ambitions of the Empire and Lord Crimson will not stop here.'*
It was just as he said. The reason Lord Crimson had extended a hand to Dale as the next 'Master of the Black Magic Tower'. A new Black-Red bond.
His purpose was singular.
*'The Empire will continue its experiments to reach the world of truth once more.'*
And they would pay no mind to the blood and suffering spilled for those experiments, just as the Black-Red Brigade, known as the demon's unit, had done.
*'So that the Empire does not repeat such evil deeds again.'*
*'So that you can fight against them.'*
Not as the Duke and heir of House Sachsen, but purely as partners sharing a single justice.
*'I will teach you the power I obtained in that world.'*