Chapter 81
Chapter 81
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 81
Chapter Title: Subjugation Force Mobilization (1)
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“The Edelphalt family has joined hands with the Dialogue Church?”
“We don’t know if they’ve actually joined hands. But Sion Aleyas figured out that they’re using the Dialogue Church’s methods.”
“There’s no material evidence, right? How are we supposed to act on just that?”
“Those words won’t work here. Besides, Sion Aleyas was ambushed by Elias Edelphalt, and the Independent Knight Brigade’s 1st Unit was completely wiped out in the northwest.”
“This is an issue the Holy Knight Order can’t just sit idly by on.”
“We need to send an investigation team. Lead a large army into the northwest and force them to spill everything.”
“The Edelphalt family won’t comply, though? They’ll just tell us to get lost.”
“Yeah, and the moment they do, the investigation team becomes a subjugation force.”
The rumor that the Holy Knight Order’s leadership had decided to subjugate the Edelphalt family spread like wildfire.
The Edelphalt family had originally played a major role in the Holy Knight Order, and even now, there were many pro-Edelphalt knights within the order.
However, Helena had brought forth all the information she had gathered up to now and insisted on the need to investigate the Edelphalt family… suppressing the voices of the opposition and securing the decision for subjugation.
“If it’s the Edelphalt family, the Assault Knight Brigade will step up.”
“Yeah, when else would they if not now? There haven’t been any large-scale battles with the Dialogue Church lately.”
“The enemy side has powerhouses like Johan or Greta who are 9-stars. They’ll probably deploy Sky Rank knights from our side too, right?”
“It seems like Director Serxes is taking the field for now.”
“Director Serxes? He hasn’t seen real combat since the last war.”
“Even so, with Director Serxes stepping up, the subjugation force will carry some real weight. He’s the eldest son of the Aleyas family, after all.”
Preparations for the subjugation proceeded smoothly.
It had been a while since their last large-scale operation, but there were no hiccups.
That was because Serxes had thoroughly managed the Integrated Command Headquarters so they could respond perfectly even to such emergencies.
This managerial ability was precisely Serxes’ strength. It was the biggest reason Knight Order Leader Ianus had placed Serxes in charge of the Integrated Command Headquarters.
“Brother, the Assault Knight Brigade alone won’t be enough to handle the expected situation. We need more forces.”
“Your prediction is probably right. How should we deploy them? There are security issues in the provinces, and we have to keep an eye on the Dialogue Church, so there are limits to the forces we can pull together.”
“Then let’s mobilize the Independent Knight Brigade. They were the trigger for this incident, and they have a grudge with the 1st Unit, so they’re perfect for it.”
“Understood, Helena.”
Serxes consulted with Helena and others to form the subjugation force.
And after notifying the Holy Spirit Church… they began their advance.
* * *
“There’s no need to fear.”
Pontus Edelphalt, who had deployed his forces around Valdburg, encouraged his subordinates.
Pontus was the third son of Johan Edelphalt and an 8-star knight. He had lingered at 5-stars until his forties, but by training in the ‘secret arts’ at the Edelphalt main house, he had reached 8-stars in just five years.
“The Holy Knight Order has more total forces than we do. But they won’t bring all their strength to the northwest.”
The Holy Knight Order wasn’t just dealing with the Edelphalt family.
They also had to handle monsters and bandit groups in various regions, and keep watch on the Dialogue Church front.
If they pulled all their forces here, security across the continent would collapse.
The Sacred Empire government and the Holy Spirit Church wouldn’t permit the Holy Knight Order to operate such a massive force all at once.
“That’s why the forces they bring to the northwest will be only a tiny fraction. Of course, they’ll deploy elites…”
Pontus looked at his subordinates and spoke confidently.
“We are elites among elites. True knights who have honed our skills for years. Isn’t that right?”
“Yes, Superior Knight Pontus!”
“Good!”
His subordinates’ morale was high.
Until recently, they had merely been the Edelphalt family’s private soldiers.
But now that the Holy War Knight Order had officially launched, they were all formal knights.
Everyone wore gleaming knight badges on their chests. They had been instructed to make them larger and more ornate than those of the Holy Knight Order, so they stood out even from afar.
“Mid-rank Knight Ludwig!”
“Yes, Father!”
Pontus called his son, Ludwig.
Though only twenty-four, he was already 7-stars. That was possible only because he had trained in the secret arts at the Edelphalt main house.
“You’ll take the vanguard! Seize the initiative!”
“Understood!”
They needed to flatten the Holy Knight Order’s arrogance in the first battle.
Through this achievement, Pontus planned to seize the initiative in the succession struggle within the Edelphalt family.
‘With Elias dead, Big Brother’s position has weakened too. This is a great opportunity for us.’
Burning with ambition, Pontus smiled to himself.
* * *
The Holy Knight Order confronted the Edelphalt family’s army in front of Valdburg.
The Holy Knight Order had already sent multiple letters to Valdburg requesting cooperation with the investigation, but they had all been ignored.
That was why they could now openly declare themselves a ‘subjugation force.’
“The wind is fierce.”
Bernhard murmured as he gazed out at the wasteland stretching before them.
The Independent Knight Brigade was now positioned on the right flank of the centrally placed Assault Knight Brigade.
The Assault Knight Brigade, the Holy Knight Order’s top elite unit, would clash head-on with the enemy, while the Independent Knight Brigade planned to move as a separate detachment, leveraging their mobility based on the battlefield situation.
“13th Unit Leader, do you see that?”
“What is it?”
“The man in splendid armor riding at the front.”
I turned my gaze in the direction Bernhard indicated.
“It’s Pontus Edelphalt, Johan Edelphalt’s third son. He was a 5-star knight when he was in the Holy Knight Order.”
He wore shining new armor and a pure white cloak.
He looked more like a Holy Knight than anyone in the Holy Knight Order.
His subordinates’ attire gave off the same vibe—it might be the basic concept of the Holy War Knight Order.
“But according to recent intel, he’s become an 8-star knight. And his son, Ludwig Edelphalt, is 7-stars…”
Bernhard fell silent.
There was movement in the enemy lines.
“I am Ludwig Edelphalt, grandson of Johan Edelphalt and son of Pontus Edelphalt!”
A sturdy young man rode forward on horseback.
“As a mid-rank knight of the Holy War Knight Order, I possess 7-star mana! Is there anyone in the Holy Knight Order brave enough to test me?”
A solo vanguard duel.
In the old days when the aesthetics of chivalry lingered, representatives would often settle things one-on-one like this.
The goal was always to boost allied morale. Showing everyone you’ve taken down the enemy’s vanguard leader in a one-on-one fight gets everyone fired up.
Of course, if the enemy refuses the solo duel, you just mock them as cowards.
“Requesting a classic solo vanguard duel… They really seem to be branding themselves as a legitimate knight order.”
“It’s not a bad move, though.”
In these fights, tradition calls for sending young knights rather than mid-level ones.
Since the enemy had sent out a knight who looked to be in his early to mid-twenties, they had to match that.
It would look ridiculous if Serxes stepped up just to take down some young punk.
The problem was that there were few knights in their early to mid-twenties who had reached 6 or 7 stars.
“Yeah, the subjugation force doesn’t have any Iron Rank knights around that age right now. This is tricky.”
“They probably anticipated that.”
“But, 13th Unit Leader.”
Bernhard spoke in a calm voice.
“We don’t have anyone that age… but we do have an Iron Rank knight who’s even younger. Right?”
“That’s true.”
As we were talking.
A woman pushed through the Independent Knight Brigade’s knights and approached us.
“Sion.”
“Sena sis.”
It was Sena from the Assault Knight Brigade.
I’d heard she had honed her skills since Herrmel and reached 5-stars now.
“Father—no, the Director—gave orders.”
Sena said in a serious voice.
“Sion, you’re going out for the solo vanguard duel.”
“He made a bold call. And I’m not even from the Assault Knight Brigade.”
“Father’s decisive about this stuff.”
“I see.”
I already knew, actually.
Even if Serxes harbored ill feelings toward me, in this situation, he had no choice but to put me forward.
Sending out some middling Assault Knight and losing would kill their momentum from the start.
So Serxes had to play his best card here.
Even if that card was the irritating Sion Aleyas.
“I’ll do as ordered.”
“Sion, these words might mean nothing to you, but…”
Sena looked at me and said.
“Come back victorious.”
“Can’t disobey sis.”
“Since when did you start listening to your big sis so well?”
Her tension eased at my joke, and Sena smiled.
“Go get ‘em, 13th Unit Leader.”
“May you have good fortune!”
“Lord Sion! Take him down!”
Receiving cheers from Bernhard and the other knights, I rode forward.
As I approached on horseback, Ludwig Edelphalt smirked.
“The Holy Knight Order doesn’t seem too eager for a solo duel.”
He looked me up and down and sneered.
“I can tell at a glance. You’re a greenhorn who’s been a Holy Knight for maybe one or two years.”
“Right. I got my knight badge in the spring the year before last.”
“How old are you? You look pretty young… No way you’re under twenty, right?”
“Guess.”
“Hmph, I don’t care.”
Ludwig drew his longsword and took his stance.
Then the longsword began to glow golden.
Mana pouring from his seven circles enveloped the blade, forming sword aura, which compressed solidly into sword force.
“At least tell me your name, boy!”
Raising his sword, Ludwig charged toward me on horseback.
“I want to remember the name of the first guy I kill on this battlefield!”
An attitude dripping with arrogance.
But from his perspective, it was only natural.
At mid-twenties with 7-star mana to manifest sword force, he must feel like he owns the world.
Getting cocky was par for the course.
“Why won’t you say your name? Now that it’s come to this, are you so scared your lips are frozen shut…”
He couldn’t say another word.
The moment sword force clashed against sword force, a violent shockwave erupted.
“……!”
Ludwig swallowed hard.
He hadn’t expected me to manifest sword force on his level and block his attack.
But this wasn’t the end.
“Ah……!”
Thud.
Ludwig’s longsword was pushed back.
I had already absorbed the mana I took from Elias and reached 7-stars.
If I controlled that with my own techniques to manifest sword force, shoving aside some novice 7-star knight’s sword force was a breeze.
“I asked your name.”
The Demon Spirit Sword Ashurai flashed.
It deflected Ludwig’s longsword outright and bore mercilessly into him.
He didn’t even understand what was happening as his head came off.
Seeing the head of a 7-star knight rolling across the wasteland, the Edelphalt camp fell silent.
“I’m Sion Aleyas.”
I gave my name late, but it probably didn’t reach his ears.