Chapter 289: Those Heading to Dmitry (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 289: Those Heading to Dmitry (2)
Rustle.
He turned the page.
Staring at the densely packed resumes, Knight Commander Jonathan looked utterly bewildered.
"Are you telling me a swordsman of this caliber applied to be a mere private soldier, and not a knight?"
"Yes, sir," the clerk at the reception desk replied, his voice rising in disbelief. "We knew the caliber of the applicants during the last recruitment was high, but we never expected people like this to swarm in for a 'private soldier' posting. As you know, no matter how much we pay them, it's incomparably less than what they would receive by pledging themselves to a noble family."
It was a valid point.
Even though Dmitry paid higher wages than other families, this recruitment was strictly for private soldiers. Yet, looking at the applications, the people listing their names possessed qualifications that were completely overqualified for the position.
[Fabir]
\- Age: 39.
\- Formerly a member of the knights of a prestigious family in Umberto.
\- Currently capable of manifesting a 3-Star Aura.
\- I have undertaken numerous missions requiring both etiquette and skill, such as escorting nobles. The fact that I served as vice-commander just before leaving the knights is a testament to my leadership abilities. My wartime experience includes... [etc.] Furthermore, when the Dmitry family recently declared war on the Kronos Empire, I volunteered to participate in the conflict.
He was one of the men who had been talking in the tavern.
Fabir had explained his strengths and career in meticulous detail to pass the document screening. It was practically a guaranteed pass. With someone of his caliber applying to be a private soldier, there was no reason to reject him unless the examiner was completely out of their mind.
The problem was...
[Vice-Captain of a Large-Scale Mercenary Group]
[Special-Grade Mercenary]
[Knight]
[Aura Swordsman]
Fabir was not the only one.
The stack was filled with all kinds of impressive resumes.
It was a moment that made Jonathan realize just how much times had changed. Back when he first swore allegiance to Dmitry, the family's reputation was so poor that his colleagues had mocked him, asking why on earth he was throwing his life away there. But now, the situation had completely reversed. The sheer quality of these applicants proved Dmitry's elevated status. Above all, Jonathan had recently been bombarded with requests for favors from his old peers.
"My son awakened his Aura recently... Could you pull some strings to get him into the Dmitry Knights?"
"Jonathan, how have you been? No, I just wanted to catch up. Right, remember when we used to train together? It was so tough back then... Anyway, I was wondering, is there any opening for me in the Dmitry Knights?"
"I'll get straight to the point. For old times' sake, please take me in."
Their messages always started with casual greetings, but inevitably ended with a desperate plea to be accepted into Dmitry. It wasn't as if these applicants lacked qualifications. The reason these self-proclaimed Aura Swordsmen were so desperate to join Dmitry was undoubtedly due to the fair compensation and the wild rumors that had recently swept across the continent.
During the war with Kronos, Chris and Kevin defeated Aura Swordsmen far stronger than themselves. When rumors spread that Dmitry used a special technique, the interest of Aura Swordsmen toward Dmitry exploded. There are even whispers that they might possess a technique surpassing Alexander's. For those applying to Dmitry, the money isn't what matters.
It was entirely understandable.
The techniques taught by Roman Dmitry. As someone who had been personally trained in them, Jonathan knew Dmitry's swordsmanship was well worth this level of fanatical attention.
He continued to flip through the documents. He was just checking the basic details when he suddenly gasped in shock.
"...Why is this person here?"
Inside the file:
[Fred]
\- Former Knight Commander of the Memphis Family, Kronos Empire.
A single line of experience.
The person who had shocked Knight Commander Jonathan was none other than the robed man who had drawn everyone's attention in Adelian.
* * *
It had been a hectic day.
Marquis Memphis scowled at the latest reports concerning Dmitry, momentarily ignoring the mountain of paperwork that had piled up since the war's end.
"Foolish bastards. Flocking to Dmitry just because of a single victory."
Recently, the Dmitry family's recruitment of private soldiers had become a massive hot topic. It wasn't just causing a stir within Dmitry's borders; an absolute frenzy had erupted as warriors from various nations declared their intention to take the exam. For the nobles, a fire had been lit under their feet as they scrambled to protect their family's swordsmen. Lords who usually scrimped and saved to pay even one less silver coin were now voluntarily offering extra gold, desperately trying to retain their retainers.
It was absurd.
In the Memphis family, such a thing was absolutely unthinkable.
"How can people be so blind? The destruction of Odelia was not because the Kronos Empire betrayed them out of a sudden change of heart. It was because Odelia tried to act as a parasite, leeching off us despite being utterly useless. Those who have true capability and can work for the Empire will always remain victors. The history of the continent proves this."
His perspective was entirely different from the masses.
People claimed that Kronos could no longer be trusted due to the destruction of Odelia, but Marquis Memphis believed that Odelia—which had offered nothing but the mere facade of the Kingdom Alliance—deserved to be abandoned. If Odelia had secured the consent of Umberto, Frank, and Redford to propose cooperation as a single massive power, the Kronos Empire would have utilized their existence and discussed a shared future.
But what could they possibly achieve with Odelia alone?
Surrounded by the Kingdom Alliance, they would only cause a dispersion of Kronos's military force. For the Empire, it was far more efficient to simply occupy their territory and use it as a bridgehead for the Continental Conquest. Although the campaign had ultimately ended in failure, Memphis couldn't understand the criticisms of those who condemned that choice.
In the end, Kronos would conquer the continent. Marquis Memphis believed in the empire's long, illustrious history with absolute certainty.
His Majesty the Emperor foretold that we have about a year. After that, the Continental Conquest will resume. Although we chose to take a step back for now due to complicated matters, once Kronos unleashes its full power, Dmitry won't be able to turn the tide, no matter what forces they gather.
The Abyss.
Demons lived there. The war with Dmitry had only revealed a mere fraction of the Empire's true power.
It was then.
Knock, knock.
"May I enter?"
"Come in."
It was a knight of the Memphis family. Opening the door cautiously, he wore a strangely uncomfortable expression.
"Pardon the intrusion, My Lord, but... Knight Commander Fred has not reported for duty for a week."
"The diligent Fred? Surely there is a reason. Send someone to check on him."
"Actually... cough. I do not know how to say this. We already sent someone to Knight Commander Fred's residence a few days ago. But there was no one there. I did not report it immediately because I thought he might have personal business, but today, we confirmed that Knight Commander Fred used the Warp Gate along with his entire family."
Marquis Memphis froze.
"What?"
He stopped what he was doing. His expression gradually hardened into a mask of pure fury as he stared at the knight.
The knight swallowed hard. "And the destination of the Warp Gate was... Kortas."
Kortas.
The land occupied by Roman Dmitry. A place that possessed a Warp Gate allowing direct travel to the Eastern Region.
Marquis Memphis, who didn't understand the implication at first, soon showed a face painted with absolute shock.
"Are you telling me right now that Fred—the Knight Commander of the Memphis family—has defected to Dmitry?!"
It was a reality Marquis Memphis absolutely could not accept.
* * *
The series of events was promptly reported to the Emperor of Kronos.
The destruction of Odelia and the death of Baron Charlton had created a much larger rift than anyone expected.
"...This is the current situation, Your Majesty. At this rate, we won't be able to stop the empire's talent from leaking out," Marquis Memphis said, his voice trembling with rage.
Fred's betrayal. He wanted to tear the man to shreds this very instant. Memphis had mocked other nobles for losing their family's knights, calling them fools, but he never imagined his own Knight Commander would choose to flee in the dead of night. Memphis had been incredibly busy lately. He hadn't even had time to meet with Fred amidst the post-war chaos, and he never expected something like this to happen right under his nose.
The Emperor of Kronos spoke.
"How amusing."
He laughed.
Alexander's consciousness. He was currently possessing the Emperor's body, and he found the massive storm Roman Dmitry had stirred up genuinely entertaining.
This series of events hadn't happened simply because Odelia was destroyed and Baron Charlton was killed. It was because of a single defeat.
As the Kronos Empire suffered its first defeat in history, the people of the continent realized that Kronos was not invincible. If so, there was no reason to blindly follow them. The reason these nations and warriors had cried out their loyalty—despite knowing they could be abandoned by Kronos at any moment—was not because their devotion was so grand, but because they had no other choice.
Dmitry had provided an alternative. They had proven that victory against Kronos was possible.
"Order the Imperial Knights," the Emperor commanded, his tone shifting to ice. "From this moment on, anyone who commits acts of treason, regardless of their status, shall be executed along with their entire families. They are fools who, despite being born in the Kronos Empire, risk their lives to follow Dmitry. Such beings only disrupt Kronos's discipline. They are not needed for the future of our Empire."
"I shall obey your command."
Marquis Memphis withdrew. By his order, a bloodbath would soon sweep through Kronos. As always, the most powerful tool to control the Empire was fear.
Roman Dmitry. I hear he teaches his private soldiers a special technique unique to Dmitry.
Alexander's interest was piqued. He was the creator of Aura. Although he had abandoned it midway to switch to the path of a mage, he was intensely curious about how great the martial arts Roman Dmitry used actually were. The power he had created himself was by no means lacking. As a Pioneer, he wanted to compare the power he had unearthed with True Martial Arts.
Perhaps it was a lingering sense of inferiority. Setting aside his hostile relationship with Dmitry, he wanted to prove that the power he had created on his own was also a magnificent, unparalleled achievement.
That was why he had sent his own fragments, just like he had with the Emperor of Kronos.
If they passed... he would be able to experience those martial arts firsthand through possession.
* * *
Dmitry's recruitment of private soldiers.
The number of applicants reached a staggering one hundred thousand.
Considering they were all of an age capable of holding a sword and fighting, this was a truly immense figure. Even within Dmitry, the people reacted with awe. They knew Roman Dmitry's reputation was great, but they never imagined a single announcement would draw in a hundred thousand warriors.
The immediate problem was that there were simply too many people to test.
Even after the initial document screening, tens of thousands remained. Lucas and the members of the Hao Sect threw themselves into conducting basic aptitude tests and rigorous background checks. If even the slightest detail differed from the information the applicant had written, they were instantly disqualified. Using methods they had employed in the past, such as courage tests, they verified through various means whether the applicants were truly qualified to undergo Dmitry's official testing.
This alone took a considerable amount of time. Passing was not determined by martial prowess alone. Those with weak wills fell like autumn leaves, and after fifteen grueling days of testing, the list for the 3rd Test was finally finalized.
On the day of the test.
The five thousand participants who had survived the previous rounds gathered in the training grounds.
Roman Dmitry had announced that he would select exactly 500 from among them, while the rest would be given the opportunity to enlist in the regular Dmitry Army, even if they failed to become private soldiers. Perhaps because of this, everyone was visibly on guard. While the competitive atmosphere had been mild during the earlier phases, from this point on, every person standing next to them was a fierce rival.
It was then.
"It's Chris."
"The Flash of Dmitry!"
A group appeared, instantly drawing everyone's attention. At their head was a familiar figure. Chris walked through the parted crowd and stood before the thousands of applicants.
Chris spoke, his voice carrying effortlessly across the grounds.
"From now on, I will explain the method of the 3rd Test. The test is simple. Behind me stand your seniors. They passed the same tests as you, swore allegiance to our Lord, and have achieved illustrious feats for Dmitry. Starting from the order in which you are called, you will choose one of the seniors behind me to spar with."
A spar.
The applicants' gazes sharpened. Among those lined up behind Chris, some had very well-known faces—like Kevin—while others were entirely unfamiliar.
"Winning is not the sole condition for passing the 3rd Test," Chris continued. "Those who win will definitely move on to the final test, but even if you lose, you will pass if you show meaningful potential during the exchange."
The challengers listened closely. Most of them were not nervous. Since many of them were quite renowned in their own right, they genuinely believed they could easily defeat Dmitry's private soldiers.
It was an interesting situation. Chris smiled, a sharp glint in his eyes, and casually placed his hand on the pommel of the sword hanging at his waist.
"And you may also choose me as your sparring partner. No further explanation is needed. We will now begin the 3rd Test."
Tension flooded the air.
Finally.
"First applicant, Fabir. Step forward."
The test had begun.