Chapter 210
Chapter 210
Crunch.
"Aaaargh!"
Logan's sword tore through the enemy knights like a hot knife through butter.
Not a single one could properly block his strike, and once the cavalry charge had begun, there was no stopping it. If anyone froze in fear of Logan, they would simply be trampled by the allied cavalry surging from behind.
Just as the enemy knights were collapsing helplessly, three crimson Force Blades suddenly erupted from the ground, surrounding Logan from all sides.
Yet, his expression didn't flicker.
'I expected these ones.'
The knights wore unmarked armor, disguised as free knights or common soldiers—elite warriors who had been hiding in plain sight. Logan had already sensed them with his heightened perception.
It was surprising that there were three more high-ranking knights than intelligence had suggested, but their timing was far too late.
However, the foreign energy that suddenly pressed down on his entire body was something even Logan hadn't anticipated.
'Magic?'
Crackle.
Mana, shaped like creeping vines, coiled around his limbs, and the very air itself tightened like ropes, constricting him.
The attack bore no trace of the caster—likely activated through a powerful magic circle.
But while it startled him momentarily, it was no real threat.
'Flame Severing.'
The moment his will surged, a golden light erupted, instantly slicing through the binding magic.
And in that same instant, the fate of the three high-ranking knights who had closed in on him was sealed.
Schliiick.
"AAAGH!"
The enemies collapsed in an instant.
The Reaper, wearing a cold smile, dashed through their ranks.
With the three elite knights—bolstered by magic—falling to Logan's blade, the rebellion's desperate last stand was effectively over.
Thud.
"Kuhk!"
"Three secured."
Richard, who had somehow managed to flee despite his injuries, now had his spine shattered.
Logan tossed him aside like a sack of grain, where two other high-ranking knights—one missing a leg—lay groaning, restrained by golems.
Over 500 rebel knights had been effortlessly crushed by three Transcendents, a handful of MacLaine knights, and the relentless assault of Liberatio.
The initial bombardment had already shattered enemy morale, and as a result, MacLaine forces suffered almost no casualties while suppressing them.
"I—I am—!"
Slash.
Thump.
Before the fallen noble—a former supporter of the First Prince Faction—could even finish his plea, Logan severed his head.
A disgraced noble who had joined the rebellion deserved neither words nor mercy.
"The war is over! Those who do not surrender will be executed!"
At Logan's declaration, most of the surviving enemies threw down their weapons and knelt.
A victory achieved with forces outnumbered ten-to-one in knights and severely lacking in soldiers.
To those who hadn't witnessed the battle firsthand, such an overwhelming triumph would have seemed impossible—a lie spun from thin air.
"It was this easy..."
"As expected of the Young Lord!"
"I—I was actually a little scared."
"What did I tell you? Just trust in Lord Logan!"
"Weren't you pissing yourself last night—?"
"W-What nonsense!"
Hahahaha!
The morale of the MacLaine forces soared as they marched through the shattered fortress walls.
And Logan, the first to enter the inner keep—
Creak.
"Eeek!"
—headed straight for the deepest chambers of the estate, once the residence of a Border Lord.
"D-Don't come any closer! Do you know who I am?! I am—"
"I know exactly who you are. Clavis von Grandia, a descendant of royalty. And—"
Schwing.
"A traitor."
Slash.
The nominal leader of the rebellion met his end at Logan's hands.
While suppressing the rebellion had been swift, dealing with the aftermath proved troublesome. Over 7,000 surrendered soldiers had to be detained, but there was no prison large enough to hold them all.
In the end, an odd arrangement was made—MacLaine soldiers spread out in a wide perimeter, keeping watch over a mass of prisoners far outnumbering them.
Of course, the demoralized captives had no will left to resist.
The crushing defeat earlier that day had shattered their spirits completely.
Moreover—
"I know full well that common soldiers had no choice in this! If you cause no trouble, I promise leniency!"
When the terrifying warlord who had slaughtered their knights made such a promise—
"My lord, but what will you actually do with these soldiers? Even if they were just following orders, they're still rebels."
"True. The penalty for rebellion is execution. Depending on the severity, their families may also be implicated."
At Victor's concern, Luther Kyle also wore a troubled expression.
And rightfully so.
If Logan kept his promise, it would mean arbitrarily pardoning rebels.
If he didn't, he'd be branded a liar who massacred after making false promises.
Either choice carried its own burdens.
But Logan's answer was simple.
"Just say they defected to MacLaine and helped swiftly crush the enemy. For example, they opened the gates for us."
Logan gestured toward the ruined gate he had cleaved apart.
The knights behind him blinked in astonishment.
Pfft—Hahaha! "You're really going with that? Someone's bound to call you out on it—are you sure?"
"It's fine."
Because no matter what I do, someone will complain anyway.
Logan smirked bitterly, thinking of a certain someone deep within the royal palace.
If backlash was inevitable, minimizing his own losses was the best course.
He hadn't urged surrender just to sell his own reputation.
Now, Your Majesty. Let's see how you respond. Though I won't be giving you any more leeway.
With grim resolve, Logan entered the inner keep of Zahid Fortress.
"We couldn't find any traces of the mages you mentioned. My apologies."
"No, it's fine. I expected as much."
Seated at the head of Zahid's grand hall, Logan nodded at Victor's report.
'They must have used magic tools to conceal themselves—but to evade even my senses...'
Though he had anticipated this outcome, disappointment was unavoidable.
'Derek Clang and Cooper Pearson were indeed part of the First Prince Faction. But the others...'
Excluding those two, there were at least four high-ranking knights who had never been heard of before—and at least two mages presumed to be 5th-Circle or higher.
The question of where they had come from weighed heavily on his mind.
'Interrogation would be ideal, but...'
A gut feeling told him it wouldn't be easy.
And soon, that ominous premonition proved correct.
"They won't make a sound, no matter the torture. Unless we have a high-level mage skilled in mental magic, breaking them is impossible."
"As I thought."
The middle-aged knight in charge of interrogation—a veteran in such matters—delivered his report. Logan closed his eyes calmly.
High-ranking knights possessed extraordinary willpower—some could even block pain using Force.
'Mental magic is the domain of Class Mages. And to break a high-ranking knight's mental barriers, you'd need an Archmage-level caster. Impossible.'
Of course, a professional torturer might have succeeded.
'Do I need to recruit real interrogators?'
Such individuals existed.
Demons who could make captives spill everything the moment they were caught.
More ruthless and effective than any mental magic.
'The Imperial Court's torturers.'
The ones who forced the Grandia Liberation Front to abandon all safe houses the moment a high-ranking member was captured.
'The ones who took pleasure in torture. Rumors were rampant about them. But where would I even recruit such monsters?'
Logan could only laugh dryly at the thought.
'No matter where they came from, one thing is clear—the King has bared his fangs at me.'
In the end, there was only one thing left to do.
"Extract whatever information you can. Until their last breath."
A week later.
His faint hopes ended in disappointment.
"Logan. The prisoners died under torture. They never talked—what now?"
"...Nothing at all?"
"Nothing."
"There's Ryan's testimony. We should at least verify that."
"But that mercenary lead is just speculation, isn't it?"
"...It's all we have."
The only lead they had was Richard, the blue-haired middle-aged knight, who was suspected to be Maxim Gray, a top-tier mercenary active in the Empire's east.
But even that was just the opinion of Ryan, a new knight who claimed to have served alongside him in the Empire before seeking employment with MacLaine.
None of the captured rebels had confirmed it.
"So, what now?"
"What else can we do? Secure the fortress, Victor."
"Yes!"
"Detain the surrendered prisoners and wait. I'll relay the royal decree once it arrives."
"Yes, my lord."
"Sir Luther."
"Speak."
"Come with me to the capital. Ellen, Henderson—you too. Gather your squads and follow me."
"Yes, my lord."
"As you command."
"First, behead all the surrendered nobles and commanders. Bring me their heads."
"...Excuse me?"
Amidst the stream of obedient replies, a brief moment of hesitation slipped out.
But the knights quickly bowed their heads in realization.
"As you command."
Just three hours later, Logan set off for the capital, Grand.
And in the days it took him to reach it, the kingdom buzzed with rumors spread by MacLaine.
"MacLaine crushed the rebellion's main force?"
"Yeah. I heard they won overwhelmingly with less than half the troops."
"How so quickly? The other nobles haven't even finished mopping up the remnants!"
"Well..."
The kingdom was awash with all sorts of whispers.
But the most attention-grabbing of them all was this:
Logan MacLaine, the Transcendent Slayer, has become a true Transcendent.
At just twenty-four years old, he had ascended to the realm of Transcendents.
The youngest Aura User on the continent.
A young hero who seemed to be walking the same path as the mythic legends of old.
All eyes in the kingdom were now fixed upon him.
"Presenting His Excellency, Count Logan MacLaine!"
As the knight's voice echoed, the grand hall's doors swung open.
Logan strode in, carrying a large gray sack slung over his back.
Every noble gathered in the hall turned their gaze toward him.
"...Such overwhelming presence."
"Incredible..."
"How did he reach Transcendence at that age...?"
Dressed in armor and hauling a mysterious sack, Logan exuded the confidence of a prodigy. The murmurs around him were tinged with awe.
Under those reverent stares, Logan walked forward without a word.
Then, ten paces from the King, he untied the sack.
Thud.
Roll, roll, roll.
Dozens of severed heads tumbled out.
"Guh?!"
"W-What is this?!"
"How dare he bring these into the royal palace?!"
Amidst the shock, Logan calmly knelt on one knee.
"Logan MacLaine, reporting the suppression of the rebellion. I have brought the leaders' heads."
The grand hall fell deathly silent.
The King's heavy gaze shifted from the heads to Logan.