Chapter 87
Chapter 87
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: uly
Chapter: 87
Chapter Title: Calculated Captive (3)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Winter had already set in before they knew it.
“Is this the subjugation force commanded by Sershes?”
Looking down at the Holy Knights besieging the fortress, Johan snorted.
“Their formation is sloppy. They’re still a long way from reaching Ianus or my domain.”
“Is that so?”
“Indeed. Don’t you see it?”
“Honestly, I...”
“Hmph.”
He frowned at the response from his youngest daughter, Greta.
Greta had reached 9-star without any artificial mana infusion. She possessed the greatest talent among Johan’s children, but she was sorely lacking as a commander.
In fact, this time as well, she had her encirclement broken by Sershes and ended up fleeing all the way to Gaiyerant.
It wasn’t just Greta. His eldest son, Victor, had no talent as a knight at all, and the rest of his children were the same.
Compared to Ianus’s offspring... they were far too inferior.
“Father, where are you going?”
“Inspect the soldiers. I’m going to rest.”
Leaving Greta on the ramparts, Johan entered the fortress.
He headed for the spire housing Suhaien’s laboratory.
“How’s the progress, Suhaien?”
“It’s going smoothly, Johan.”
Inside the spire, Suhaien was conducting a new experiment.
He had countless tubes connected to a completely bound Sion.
“As expected, utilizing Sion Aleyas should allow us to elevate Elias’s mana to an even higher realm.”
“By synchronizing the mana wavelengths and reallocating the Grail’s mana in circle form... Honestly, I don’t fully understand the principle, but if it’s you, it must be flawless.”
Johan trusted Suhaien’s abilities.
He had turned Elias into an artificial 9-star knight, and beyond that, mass-produced 8-star and 7-star knights.
“Will it take long?”
“About three days.”
“That’s plenty.”
Deploying it in the battle against the Holy Knight Order would make a huge difference in deciding victory or defeat.
“By the way, Suhaien... could I have a moment alone with Sion?”
“It’s possible. Shall I step out?”
“I’d appreciate that.”
“Understood.”
Suhaien rose from his seat and left the laboratory.
Once the door closed, Johan approached Sion.
“Sion Aleyas, how are you feeling?”
“How do you think?”
Sion replied in a strained voice.
He seemed to have endured considerable pain from Suhaien’s experiments.
“You’ve probably heard the explanation from Suhaien already, but this won’t cause any harm to your body. Just bear with it a little longer.”
“How am I supposed to bear giving aid to the enemy with my own body?”
“Enemy, enemy...”
Johan stroked his chin and perched on a nearby chair.
“Are we truly enemies?”
“What?”
“Sion Aleyas, do you feel loyalty to the Holy Knight Order?”
“What are you getting at?”
“What about the Aleyas family? Are you prepared to die for them?”
“...”
“You’re the kind of man who lives for himself, Sion Aleyas.”
Johan prided himself on his ability to read people.
Sion wasn’t a knight who fought for the Holy Knight Order or the Aleyas family.
He was undoubtedly a knight who fought for himself.
“What you want is to defeat stronger foes, rack up greater achievements... and ascend to higher realms.”
“...”
“You can’t completely deny that, can you?”
“So what?”
“Have you ever considered joining the Edelfeldt family?”
Sion fell silent at Johan’s words.
“This isn’t something I’m saying lightly.”
“...”
“If you wish, I could even give you the position of heir to the Edelfeldt family.”
“I don’t follow.”
“Marry my youngest granddaughter, Oscar. Your ages are similar, aren’t they?”
“That’s not the issue.”
Sion let out a sigh.
“What are you suddenly talking about?”
“My children are too lacking to lead the Edelfeldts. My grandchildren are the same.”
“Your daughter Greta is 9-star, and your eldest grandson Elias is 9-star too, isn’t he?”
“I’m confident their combat prowess rivals even the Aleyas offspring. But in other aspects, no.”
“...”
“Objectively speaking, they fall short.”
Why such a disparity existed, he couldn’t fathom.
When it came to his descendants, he had no choice but to admit defeat to Ianus.
“But if you joined the Edelfeldts, all my worries would vanish.”
“What’s in it for me?”
“You’d be free from the Aleyas family’s internal power struggles.”
“...”
“Sershes Aleyas and Helena Aleyas must be keeping a close eye on you. Your other cousins probably see you as a thorn in their side too. No matter how many merits you earn, if they drag you down, you’ll never become Knight Order Leader.”
That was the reality of the Holy Knight Order and the Aleyas family.
Johan knew from past experience.
“But I can promise to hand over the Edelfeldt family—and the Holy War Knight Order—to you. That’s definite.”
“...”
“You’ve probably been dissatisfied with the Holy Knight Order’s outdated system anyway. Why not come here and pursue your ambitions freely?”
Johan was sincerely trying to persuade Sion.
He was willing to make any concessions to acquire this young knight.
“Johan Edelfeldt.”
Sion spoke again.
“Sorry, but I have no intention of doing that.”
“Is the Aleyas family preferable?”
“No. If I had been born into the Edelfeldt family, I would have devoted myself fully as one of them. I would have crushed the Holy Knight Order and made the Holy War Knight Order the world’s strongest force.”
“Then why...”
“But I was born into the Aleyas family.”
“...”
“I’ve already made up my mind. To live as a Holy Knight.”
He had no intention of changing that resolve.
That’s what Sion seemed to be saying.
“Understood.”
Johan felt a wave of fatigue.
He hadn’t expected it to be easy to persuade him.
But such a clear rejection left him utterly drained.
“If you change your mind, let me know, Sion.”
“Got it. Though it won’t happen.”
“...”
Leaving Sion behind, he stepped outside.
There, he ran into Elias ascending the stairs.
“Grandfather.”
“Call me Family Head, Elias.”
Frowning as he spoke, Elias hurriedly bowed his head.
“You’ll recover your mana soon, Family Head!”
“...”
“Once my mana is restored, I’ll cut down every last one of those Holy Knight Order bastards!”
He had never been particularly dignified before, but after his revival, he had become even more vulgar.
Brain damage from the repeated surgeries was Suhaien’s explanation, an unavoidable side effect.
“I wonder if this is right.”
“Pardon?”
“Nothing.”
Muttering that, Johan brushed past Elias.
There was no turning back now.
They had no choice but to keep fighting until they crushed the Holy Knight Order and took down Ianus.
* * *
“Pull back both the left and right flanks!”
Issuing the order, Sershes clenched his fist.
Three days had passed since encircling Gaiyerant Fortress, but there had been no significant gains.
“It might be best to brace for a prolonged siege.”
“That would only benefit the Dialogue Church. We need to settle this as quickly as possible.”
“The Edelfeldts aren’t just using knights—they’ve conscripted civilians as soldiers too. And they seem surprisingly well-trained.”
“They’re not outnumbered either... A real headache.”
As he conferred with his staff officers, Est, who had been observing the battlefield, approached.
“Brother, I have a proposal.”
“What is it?”
“Let me infiltrate the fortress alone.”
“...”
“I can scale the mountain and circle to the rear by myself.”
It was feasible for Est, a 9-star Sky Rank Knight.
“No.”
“Brother.”
“Johan Edelfeldt will have already anticipated that. What if they’ve set a trap?”
“I’ll take that risk.”
“What if Greta slips out while you’re caught and ravages our main camp?”
“...”
“Wait. An opportunity will come, surely.”
Stopping his sister, Sershes bit his lip.
If Kurt were here—or even Helena—he could have deployed Est.
But bringing Kurt or Helena would leave massive gaps at the Dialogue Church front and headquarters. They had to resolve this with their current forces.
‘We’re short on cards.’
In the worst case, Sershes would have to step in himself.
But that was a card to save for the final moment.
* * *
Oscar Edelfeldt watched the laboratory proceedings with unease.
Before her eyes, Sion and Elias lay with closed eyes in the holy water tank.
In between them floated the Edelfeldt family’s prized special holy relic, the ‘Holy Grail.’
“Suhaien, you’re infusing the divine power from the Grail into Elias, right?”
“Correct. I’m synchronizing it with Sion Aleyas’s circles and transferring it. This should regenerate Elias’s circles as well.”
“It’s a relief we don’t have to implant the Grail into Elias’s chest.”
“Yes, quite fortunate.”
Suhaien replied in a curt tone.
He was brusque by nature, but today he seemed especially gruff.
“But didn’t you say Sion Aleyas only has 7-star mana? Can you really generate nine circles for Elias?”
“Good grief, so many questions. Do I have to explain every detail?”
“S-Sorry.”
“If you can’t stay quiet, go outside and fight the subjugation force.”
“Grandfather and Mother ordered me to stand guard here in case of emergencies...”
Oscar trailed off.
“What’s wrong?”
“I heard that once this is over, Elias might try to kill Sion.”
“...”
“If something happens, I have to stop Elias.”
Elias had never liked Sion much.
And after losing to him and forfeiting his heart... he’d want revenge.
“I need to protect Sion.”
“You?”
“Yes, perhaps...”
Oscar felt her cheeks flush slightly.
“Because he might become my husband.”
“...”
It seemed Johan planned to recruit Sion and then marry him to Oscar, making him part of the Edelfeldt family.
For Oscar, it was a rather thrilling prospect.
“Oscar.”
“Yes?”
“Among the Edelfeldt family, you’re one of the few with a straight head on your shoulders. That’s why I don’t particularly dislike you.”
Hearing the sudden compliment, Oscar’s eyes widened.
“So I’m telling you this... don’t fall for him.”
“What do you mean?”
“Exactly what I said.”
Oscar felt a bit perplexed.
“And... you don’t need to protect him.”
“Huh?”
“Who do you think protects this man?”
“...?”
Puzzled by the cryptic words, she heard a beeping alert sound.
It seemed the mana infusion via the Grail was complete.
“Mm...”
Elias regained consciousness and rose.
Shaking off the dripping mana solution, he wore a refreshed expression.
“Looks like it’s done.”
“Elias, thank you for your efforts.”
Oscar bowed in greeting, but Elias ignored her completely.
Instead, he fixed his gaze on the sleeping Sion beside him.
“So this guy’s role is finished now?”
“Elias!”
Sensing the killing intent, Oscar leaped forward.
She spread her arms wide to shield Sion from her cousin.
“Grandfather commanded no harm! Even you, Elias...!”
“Shut up!”
Elias slapped Oscar across the cheek.
“I’m the heir to the Edelfeldt family! How dare you defy me?!”
“Elias...!”
Was it a side effect of the repeated modifications?
Elias had grown even more ferocious than before.
“Stay out of my way!”
“Ugh...!”
Elias’s hand clamped around Oscar’s throat.
Even without mana, his grip strength was immense.
“O-... bro... ther...”
“No one can stop me! No one in this world!”
Roaring that, Elias tightened his grip further.
Just as Oscar lost the ability to resist properly and teetered on unconsciousness.
“Don’t get the wrong idea, Elias.”
Sion’s fist shattered the tank as it shot out, slamming into Elias’s jaw.
That fist rippled with an intensity of mana unlike anything seen before.