Chapter 91
Chapter 91
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 91
Chapter Title: Fortress Decisive Battle (4)
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Est pricked up his ears, listening to his surroundings.
Amid the cacophony of sounds from the battlefield, the loudest one had suddenly cut off.
It seemed Sershes and Sion had triumphed over Johan.
Not only that, but the Assault Knight Brigade and Independent Knight Brigade appeared to have neutralized most of Edel Felt's defensive forces.
"Looks like it's all over."
"Urk... ngh..."
Right before Est's eyes lay Greta Edel Felt, collapsed on the ground.
Her body was drenched in blood.
"In the end... this is how we lose? To the Aleyas family?"
Greta shed tears as she exhaled labored breaths.
"Was Edel Felt... never able to beat Aleyas...?"
"No need to overinterpret it, Greta."
"What did you say?"
"Your defeat came from shortcomings in strategy and tactics."
"..."
"Even if your skill fell short of mine, there were plenty of ways you could have beaten me."
Her expression twisted at his calm declaration.
"You're... really good at getting under people's skin."
"Who knows, I'm not sure."
Est replied curtly.
Greta muttered in disbelief at the sight.
"You really haven't changed at all, Est..."
"Guess you were hoping I had."
"Of course. I was hoping you'd be a little broken."
"Broken?"
"Yeah..."
Greta gasped out the words.
"When I heard Archbishop Hausel had died, you stopped eating and drinking for a while, didn't you?"
"..."
"After that... I hoped you'd weakened even a little, but no, not at all."
Greta had worked by Est's side for a long time.
That's why she knew things others didn't...
"There's no reason I'd weaken."
"What...?"
"If anything, I had to get stronger. I needed to keep a clear head and keep moving."
As he spoke calmly, Est raised the sacred sword Roangite high.
"Because I have a goal."
"...?"
Greta's eyes filled with confusion.
Est wasn't expecting her understanding anyway.
"I have to meet that person again."
He murmured, then swung Roangite one final time.
* * *
After confirming Johan was no longer moving, Sershes let out a sigh of relief.
"Good, he's definitely dead."
He must have been worried Johan might rise again and charge.
Having verified their victory, Sershes immediately glared at me.
"Hey, Sion."
"Yes, Uncle."
"Call me Commander."
Sershes scowled.
"What the hell was that just now?"
"What do you mean?"
"That technique you used in front of Johan. Your sword aura was burning like flames."
"It was impressive."
"Don't talk about it like it's someone else's business! How did you pull off that kind of power?"
His tone was like he was grilling a criminal.
"It seems a hidden power in Ashurai awakened."
"What?"
"You saw the report I submitted last time, right? The Demon Spirit Sword Ashurai contains the power of a spirit. When it awakens, it unleashes special abilities."
Of course, this was all nonsense.
"This time, they injected me with mana, and a new power awakened. As I extended my sword aura, this flame-like energy burst out. Probably the power of a fire spirit?"
"You expect me to buy that? Wait, hold on. You said they injected you with mana?"
"Yes."
"Right, you said you reached 8th rank? How'd that happen?"
"The Edel Felt family was experimenting with forcibly injecting mana to increase circle capacity. That's probably why they had so many 7th and 8th rank knights."
"And you went through that? Why?"
"They wanted to use me as a test subject for a new method, it seems. I don't know the details..."
"..."
Sershes looked skeptical.
But in the end, he'd have no choice but to believe it.
It was a fact that I'd been captured by the Edel Felt family and dragged to their lab.
"You're just... Never mind. We'll talk later."
Sershes shook his head wearily.
He was exhausted from the battle with Johan, so he didn't have the energy to press me further.
"Anyway, Uncle."
I looked up and surveyed our surroundings.
The Independent Knight Brigade led by Bernhard had already pushed this far in.
"This battle is a victory for the Holy Knight Order."
"Yeah..."
Sershes nodded in agreement.
"It's our victory, Sion."
* * *
The Gavlant Citadel Counteroffensive ended in victory for the Holy Knight Order.
The Edel Felt family had mobilized their full forces in resistance, but the Holy Knight Order's coordinated assault exploited their gaps, crumbling their defensive line.
Once Johan Edel Felt and Greta Edel Felt fell, the tide turned completely, with low-ranking knights and conscripts surrendering to the Holy Knight Order in droves.
Some Edel Felt knights insisted on fighting to the end rather than surrender, but they all lost their heads in short order.
In the end, the Holy Knight Order fully seized Gavlant Citadel.
"Sion Aleyas... What the hell happened?"
After the battle, I met Oscar Edel Felt, who had been taken prisoner.
The once glamorous girl was now filthy, covered head to toe in dirt and grime.
"I can't properly remember what happened."
"..."
That was because Dietrich had erased her memories.
Oscar had witnessed me and Shuhien backstabbing Elias.
If she testified to that in front of Sershes, it could get messy.
"Do you remember Elias trying to kill you back then?"
"What? Did that happen...?"
"If you don't remember that, then you probably don't remember me protecting you from Elias either."
"You... protected me?"
"Yeah."
Oscar's eyes widened as she stared at me.
"But don't get the wrong idea. You protected me from Elias first."
"Did I?"
"That's why I spared your life."
Most of the key Edel Felt figures had perished.
Not just Johan and Greta, but Johan's eldest son Victor and others too.
Of Johan's direct line, only Oscar and a few others survived.
Interrogations of them would begin soon.
"The Holy Knight Order's Inquisition will handle the investigations. Cooperate well if you don't want to suffer."
"..."
"You're young, and if you cooperate, you probably won't face severe punishment."
At that, Oscar murmured bitterly.
"So... this is the end of the Edel Felt family."
"End? Hardly."
"What?"
"Johan Edel Felt's ambition to form a Crusade Knight Order and conquer the world is over, but that doesn't mean Oscar Edel Felt's life has to end here."
I smirked as Oscar flinched.
"Once everything's sorted, why not try the Holy Knight Order entrance exam."
"The Holy Knight Order... entrance exam?"
"Starting a new life in the Holy Knight Order isn't half bad."
I half-jokingly revealed my true intentions.
* * *
As I emerged from the meeting with Oscar, Lieselotte was waiting.
"You preferred seeing Oscar Edel Felt's face over ours?"
"She was someone I might've ended up marrying, so I had to say hello properly."
"What are you talking about?"
"It was a thing."
Johan had planned to marry me off to Oscar to make me his heir for the Edel Felt family.
If I'd chosen slightly differently, it might've happened.
"Something's fishy."
"Nothing happened with the 13th Unit?"
"We fought well without you, sir. Edwin took down several high-ranking Crusade Knights."
"Training paid off."
I'd been worried while away, but they handled it fine.
"13th Unit Leader."
"Brigade Leader."
Following Lieselotte, Bernhard approached.
"I was shocked to hear you'd vanished, but you racked up merits in the meantime. Good call waiting on you."
"Sorry for worrying you, Brigade Leader."
"I wasn't worried."
Bernhard smiled.
"I figured you'd pull off something to turn the tide. Everything went according to your plan, right?"
"No way. I was captured and nearly killed."
"Haha. Sure, if you say so."
Bernhard seemed to have realized I'd let myself get captured on purpose.
"But you reached 8th rank, huh?"
"Thanks to their human experiments."
"Shame the researcher from the Dialogue Church who ran those experiments escaped."
"You're not tempted to get a mana injection yourself, Brigade Leader?"
"Of course not. Forced is one thing, but volunteering would get you branded a heretic and beheaded."
"True."
"It'll take time to confirm you're clear of issues... but no need to worry."
Bernhard clapped my shoulder with a grin.
"You took down Johan Edel Felt alongside Commander Sershes this time. With that merit... getting recognized as a Sky Rank Knight shouldn't be hard."
Sky Rank Knight.
A title only knights with 8th-rank mana could claim.
"That'd put you on my level."
"It's power I got by chance. Can't compare to you, Brigade Leader."
"Even if by chance, if you've made it your own, it's yours. You proved you're worthy of 8th-rank mana by defeating Johan Edel Felt."
"..."
"You're a Sky Rank Knight. The youngest ever."
Bernhard smiled.
"Your treatment in the Order will change. They might even give you a new position."
"A new position?"
"Yeah. You're too big a fish now for just leading a knight squad."
"..."
Taking a new position meant leaving under Bernhard.
But he didn't seem regretful. Proud, even.
"Seize even greater glory, Sion Aleyas."
He was sincerely encouraging me.
* * *
High mountain peak.
Shuhien looked down at Gavlant Citadel, smoke rising from spots here and there, with Dietrich beside him.
"It's all over."
"Yeah..."
Shuhien adjusted his glasses with a finger and sighed.
"Honestly, it still doesn't feel real."
"Doesn't it?"
"Yeah. That Your Excellency returned and is living a new life in the Holy Knight Order."
"But you have to accept it, Shuhien."
"I know. Seeing this, I have no choice."
He examined the fully subjugated Gavlant Citadel while chatting with Dietrich.
"It's a strange feeling."
"What is?"
"After years of pouring effort into the Edel Felt family, watching it crumble... and feeling no regret."
"That's natural, Shuhien."
"Why?"
"Because our lord has returned."
"..."
"With our lord back, we need nothing else."
Dietrich spoke solemnly.
"All we need is loyalty."
"..."
Shuhien fell silent for a while.
Then slowly nodded.
"Yeah, you're right."
"Come on, Shuhien."
Dietrich began descending the peak, leading Shuhien.
"Until the day our lord seizes the Holy Knight Order and exacts revenge on the Dialogue Church, we'll be his shadow and shatter our bones for him."