Chapter 18
Chapter 18
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: Awakening
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“Don't just use your upper body—use your lower body too!”
Arthur parried Dark's thrusting dagger and swept his leg, sending him crashing to the ground.
Thud!
Dark grimaced as he scrambled back to his feet and retreated. He then resumed his attack stance, glaring at Arthur with cold, murderous eyes.
A week had passed since they began sparring.
In that time, Dark had passed out dozens of times.
But with the single-minded determination to grow stronger, he endured.
And now, the fruits of his training were starting to show.
He was falling less often, and he wasn't getting completely overwhelmed anymore.
Most of the time he was scrambling just to defend, but occasionally he managed to counterattack.
Of course, it was only possible because Arthur was adjusting the intensity of his strikes to match.
Yet while he was utterly helpless against Arthur, he hadn't fallen even once against the fellow Devil Squad members he sparred with.
It was nothing short of dazzling growth, and it solidified his faith in Arthur.
‘I can get stronger!’
He gritted his teeth and blocked Arthur's attack.
From afar, Skevin watched Dark with a shake of his head at the man's tenacity.
Anyone else would have quit long ago, but Dark kept going until he was on the verge of blacking out every time.
‘He's a real tough bastard.’
Skevin shook his head and turned his gaze to the trainees sparring with the knights.
A few days prior, the trainees had officially joined the knight order and begun learning mana training methods.
Since then, they had achieved astonishing rapid growth.
Every one of them had reached the Sword Acolyte level.
Even all the knights who had trained alongside them had advanced a rank.
As a result, they had transformed into a powerful knight order boasting over fifty members at mid-level Sword Expert or higher.
The training grounds were filled with knights clad in the blue armor symbolizing the Phoenix Knight Order, and every time they shouted their kiais, Skevin's chest swelled with pride.
If they kept this up, reclaiming their former glory was only a matter of time.
The moment the Empire's Spear returned!
All the contempt and oppression they had endured would vanish.
To make that happen, he—the captain of the Phoenix Knight Order—needed to become a Sword Master.
If he did, they would once again be hailed as the ‘Invincible Knights,’ just like in the days when they commanded the empire.
‘With the Young Master...’
Skevin clenched his fist, steeling his resolve.
“A messenger from the Yarve Count Family has arrived!”
A gate guard came running up, shouting urgently.
“...!”
For a moment, everyone froze.
Clang!
Arthur struck Dark's dagger away with such force that it flew from his hand, then turned to the guard.
“It seems what we’ve been waiting for has finally come.”
***
“I give you three days! Choose wisely!”
The knight in red armor, leading ten others, declared war from the castle gates.
The territory's key figures had all climbed to the ramparts to watch the scene, seething with rage.
“How dare they!”
Medlin, who had come up with Aild, trembled with fury.
“Yarve Count...”
The knight then drew his sword high and bellowed.
“I say it again! Refuse to surrender, and we will turn Grada Territory into a sea of blood!”
With that, he wheeled his horse around, the red rose banner of the Yarve Count Family fluttering behind him.
Once they were fully out of sight, Medlin staggered and collapsed.
“Madam!”
“Mom!”
Aild quickly hoisted her onto his back and descended with Millerph.
Arthur watched them for a moment before turning his thoughts to the Yarve Count Family's knights somewhere in the distance.
Excluding the red-armored knight who had served as messenger, the rest all looked savage and brutish.
They lacked the refined aura of a proper knight order.
“You felt it too, didn’t you?”
“Yes.”
Skevin, standing beside him and watching the same sight, replied with a grave expression.
There had been rumors of them hiring a large number of mercenaries, but he hadn’t expected this level.
Every one of the messenger knights was a Sword Expert, and a blue aura had emanated from the sword of the apparent leader.
He was on par with Skevin himself.
If even the messengers were this strong, their main force must be teeming with powerhouses.
As rumored, they had likely recruited a Sword Master.
“The situation seems more serious than we anticipated.”
“What’s coming has arrived. And we’ve grown just as strong as they are.”
“True, but the trainees’ only real combat experience is against goblins and orcs. I doubt they’ll hold up properly if war actually breaks out.”
“Don’t worry. I have something in mind.”
“You’ve already made a plan?”
Skevin’s eyes widened.
He was amazed that Arthur had prepared countermeasures for this situation even while pushing everyone through such grueling training.
“Assemble everyone in the training grounds. I’ll stop by Mother’s first.”
“Understood.”
Skevin bowed deeply and hurried off.
Arthur surveyed the villages within the territory.
Children were laughing innocently and running around playfully, just as always.
“I’ll protect you all, no matter what.”
***
“Mom, are you okay?”
“It was just a momentary dizziness.”
As Medlin tried to sit up in bed, Aild quickly stopped her.
“You should rest fully.”
“How can I rest in a situation like this? We need to find some solution. Sir Millerph.”
“Yes.”
Millerph, who had stepped back, approached.
“Request aid from the surrounding territories immediately. And we must send a letter to the Emperor as well.”
“Understood.”
As Millerph began to bow, Arthur’s voice rang out.
“It won’t help.”
“...!”
Everyone’s eyes snapped toward the door.
Arthur entered and continued.
“The Yarve Count has already pulled strings. Fighting and winning is our only option.”
“I know that. But we can’t handle them with our strength alone.”
“Why do you think that?”
“You saw them yourself. If even their messengers are that strong, imagine their main force.”
“You think the same?”
Arthur glanced at Aild.
Aild nodded without hesitation, his voice trembling with fear.
“If we fight back, we’ll all die. So we shouldn’t even think about opposing them...”
Slap—.
Arthur struck Aild’s cheek hard and glared at him.
“So we should just surrender like they want?”
“You... you hit your older brother?”
Shock and anger flashed across Aild’s face.
Medlin’s expression twisted as well.
“What do you think you’re doing to your brother? Apologize right now!”
Arthur ignored her and locked eyes with Aild.
“Fine, maybe we’d survive if we did as you say. But have you thought about what happens after?”
“Even so, it’s better than dying...”
“Listen up. The moment we surrender, not only us but all the territory’s people will become slaves.”
“W-what...?”
Aild stared in stunned disbelief.
Arthur turned to Medlin and pressed on.
“The men will be enslaved as soldiers, the women and children sold to slave traders to live horrific lives until they die. Is that what you want? To surrender?”
“That’s too extreme...”
Arthur cut her off with a raised hand, speaking firmly.
“We have to fight!”
“Arthur...”
“We must defend Grada Territory and let the surrounding territories know. Show them what happens when you mess with the Julius Count Family—what it means that the Empire’s Spear has returned.”
“...!”
Everyone was taken aback.
Even Millerph, whose expression had remained unchanged, looked flustered as his face stiffened.
“Mother, I ask that you show strength to the people. That’s what I came to say.”
“What on earth are you thinking...?”
As Aild looked at him with worried eyes, Arthur gave him a pitiful look.
“Consider yourself lucky it was just a slap. If Wesley were here, he wouldn’t have stopped at that.”
“Brother...”
“If you don’t want to get beaten by me, act properly.”
Arthur delivered his sharp words and left the room.
“What shall we do?”
Medlin stared blankly at the door Arthur had exited, ignoring Millerph’s question.
Until now, she had only received reports about Arthur through Leranna; this was the first time they had spoken face-to-face.
The feeble boy she remembered was gone, replaced by a resolute man.
If the reliability she had felt from Wesley stemmed from the admirable maturity of a young man just stepping into adulthood, then Arthur’s exuded the unshakeable trust of a true adult.
She felt confused yet joyful and secure. But thinking of the crisis looming over the territory filled her with dread.
‘What would you have done...?’
She gazed at the sky outside the window with worried eyes.
After a few minutes passed.
She seemed to reach a decision and spoke.
“Inform the people of this and tell them to take refuge in the castle.”
“Understood.”
Millerph left to carry out her orders.
Aild wore an incredulous expression.
“You’re really going to follow that boy’s words?”
“Aild.”
Medlin fixed him with a cold stare, and he flinched slightly.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Surrendering everything to survive might be the right choice.”
“Better than dying.”
“But falling into slavery after surviving might make an honorable death the better path.”
“That’s nonsense! How could dying ever be better than living?”
“Because we’re the Julius Count Family.”
“...!”
“Don’t forget the pride of Julius, Aild.”
In that instant, Aild’s mind cleared.
Julius!
The pride he had long forgotten surged back.
It was unthinkable for the ‘Spear’ of the Oscar Empire to beg for their lives.
He recalled his behavior just moments ago.
Where had the pride of Julius gone, replaced by groveling cowardice?
He was no different from a frightened mongrel pup.
“I’ll go too.”
“Where are you going?”
Aild left the room with a determined expression.
“I can’t just sit idly by as your brother.”
The blood of Julius began to stir.
At that moment.
Arthur climbed onto the platform and looked around.
Everyone wore serious expressions.
With the orcs still unresolved and now the Yarve Count declaring war, their minds must have been in turmoil.
But thanks to the rigorous training, both the knight order and trainees had grown strong.
They just didn’t realize it yet.
Now was the time to awaken them.
“The Yarve Count has declared war.”
Everyone swallowed hard and listened intently to Arthur.
“They urged surrender, but I have no intention of doing so. Instead, I’ll show them what happens when they touch us. So I’m giving you all a choice.”
‘A choice?’
‘What does he mean?’
Everyone tilted their heads in confusion.
Arthur continued calmly.
“If you want to leave Grada Territory, go ahead. I won’t hold it against you.”
No one moved.
They simply stared at Arthur with resolute expressions.
“Will you fight with me?”
“Yes!”
Skevin answered without hesitation.
Then, Helot and the rest of the knights and trainees shouted in unison as if echoing him.
Yes!
A fierce aura emanated from them.
Arthur nodded in satisfaction and looked at Skevin.
“Prepare for march.”
“...?”
Arthur’s eyes flashed coldly as he gazed toward the western mountains.
“We deal with the orcs first.”