Chapter 258: Preparations for the Eve of the Festival

“What’s your plan now?” Serica asked with a stern expression as they returned to the base.

The commander, who had quickly dealt with the remnants of Yoman’s forces and was now standing by her side, also looked tense as he awaited Karyl’s next move.

It was only natural. After all, before single-handedly subduing Ganeth, the strongest knight of the principality, Karyl had made his entrance riding one of the mounts of the 1st Wyvern Squadron.

“And what’s the deal with those wyverns?”

“They’re the remnants from the Binfredo line that joined us. It’s not uncommon to integrate defeated enemy forces into your own army during a war, right?” Karyl replied casually.

...Yeah, that’s usually when they’re human.

Serica was giving him a look that was full of disbelief, unable to understand how he could be so nonchalant about this.

“Are you planning to head to the Brown Ant next? That woman who boasted about being a Sword Master—since she didn’t come with you, I’m guessing she’s still stuck there?” Serica scoffed, a hint of mockery in her voice.

Another Sword Master?!

The commander beside her failed to hide his shock, his jaw dropping to the floor. He hadn’t heard of any Sword Masters appearing in the last decades, and now two of them had just emerged. It was absolutely unbelievable.

How come I had no idea about this?

The commander stared at Karyl, realizing that where these two Sword Masters aligned could drastically shift the balance of power on the continent. Of course, he was unaware that these two were already on the same side.

If only the Spear King was here...

But the commander knew it was a belated and futile hope. Of the Five Sword Masters, Gordon Fabian of the Guidance Mercenary Gang and Valvont, known as the King of Martial Arts, weren’t affiliated with any nation.

Considering that even the empire and the principality, two of the most powerful nations, only had one Sword Master each, the emergence of two more was of significant consequence. It made the absence of the Spear King all the more poignant.

The last of the Five Sword Masters, Spear King Dustin Phillip, had once represented the principality. However, as the oldest of the five, he had voluntarily retired and vanished from public view. On the day of his retirement, Dustin had claimed he would enjoy a quiet life somewhere in the northwest.

But the northwest of the principality was known to be teeming with dangerous beasts and monsters, making it hard to believe he had really laid down his spear so easily. He had entrusted his position to Ganeth, never imagining the defeat his successor would suffer.

“You don’t need to worry about the Brown Ant. Unlike you, she’s probably already secured the marsh and is advancing towards Frau Hat by now.”

“Unlike me?” Serica frowned slightly.

“She’s on a different level. Unlike a child who needs constant attention, she doesn’t require any help.”

“...”

Serica made no response, but Karyl didn’t miss the slight tension in her expression.

“If I hadn’t intervened, you would’ve lost your head to Ganeth. As impressive as I am, I haven’t mastered necromancy yet. I don’t know how to reattach a severed head,” Karyl kept teasing, clearly enjoying Serica’s reaction.

“...Yeah okay, I did need your help.”

Surprisingly, Serica acknowledged his point without the usual retort, and Karyl observed her closely. Despite trying to appear unaffected, it was clear that she had, for the first time, experienced the fear of death.

Strong and determined as she was, Serica was still young. She knew nothing of death and had never imagined coming so close to it. The trauma of her clash with Ganeth was bound to linger in her mind.

“Still, this was your battlefield. The fact that you didn’t break down and cry afterward proves you’re already strong.”

Karyl chuckled softly as he looked at her.

“You still need a lot of work, though.”

“W-What...?!” Serica shouted, and her face was turning red as Karyl lightly patted her on the shoulder.

“You said half a year, didn’t you? That’s the time you claimed you’d need to catch up with Ganeth. We’re going to face long wars, and half a year will pass by quicker than you think. Don’t stop, or you’ll fall behind.”

“Hmph... Don’t you worry about me.”

“Of course not. You need to use the life I spared wisely. I sent you out to prove your worth, and yet you ended up needing my help. This isn’t the time to be whining about wanting to follow Mikhail.”

“...Who’s whining?”

Serica rubbed her reddened cheeks with the back of her hand, trying to hide her embarrassment.

“You seem uneasy,” Karyl said, turning his gaze to the commander standing behind Serica.

“...What?”

The commander gulped nervously, feeling as if his thoughts had been laid bare.

“Well, it’s understandable. It’s a complex situation for you. You’re from the principality, after all. Even though this is a civil war, you’re still killing your own people. And we’re not even from the principality.”

At that, the commander seemed troubled.

“As history shows, there’s no such thing as permanent allies. From your perspective, it’s natural to wonder if we might become enemies one day.”

Karyl nodded, acknowledging the commander’s concerns.

“You’re a good leader, not content with the victory at hand but concerned about the future of your country. It’s no wonder he praises you.”

...He?

“It’s also why you didn’t resist Serica’s leadership, despite her appearance,” Karyl added, catching the commander off guard with the unexpected compliment.

Feeling awkward and now knowing how to respond, the commander only managed to let out a sheepish smile.

“As you said, there are no permanent allies. So, how do we improve this uneasy relationship of ours?”

“...What?”

The commander hesitated, unsure of what Karyl was getting at.

“How do we become permanent allies?”

“T-That’s...”

“You seem like someone who could figure that out.”

The commander struggled to find an answer, but then he realized Karyl’s last comment wasn’t directed at him. Karyl was looking past him, and his gaze was fixed on someone else. The commander quickly turned around.

“...!!!”

He stepped back in shock and immediately bowed his head.

“You’re quite mischievous,” a voice said.

“I’m just interested in your opinion,” Karyl replied, turning his attention to the man standing at the entrance.

“Anthem Howard.”

With a slightly pale face, Anthem Howard gave a faint, bitter smile, as if to play along with Karyl’s little game.

Why is someone of his stature, from the Binfredo front, here...?

The commander looked at Anthem with trembling eyes.

“The solution is simple,” Anthem said, drawing the attention of everyone in the room.

“Turn your allies into your own.”

Karyl nodded, satisfied with Anthem’s response.

“Exactly.”

Thud— Thud— Thud—

“They’ll be under my command,” Karyl said softly, his voice barely above a whisper. He then moved toward the window, gazing out at the Yoman prison camp, where the captured remnants of the enemy forces were bound and guarded by Fran’s soldiers.

I... I can’t believe any of this.

The commander could hardly trust his eyes and ears. This was Anthem, the one who had been holding the front lines while Fran was bogged down in Cove. And now here he was, bowing to Karyl instead of Fran.

“Is everything ready?” Karyl asked.

“Yes, it’s nearly complete. The Binfredo garrison is assembling. Now that the Great Wall has fallen, once Frau Hat is secured, we will control every route to the White Bunker.”

“Hmm...” Karyl nodded to Anthem’s report, then opened and closed his fingers as if to count the days. After that, he smiled, as if something had come to mind.

“It’ll be no more than two months at most. We don’t have much time left.”

“What?”

Anthem and Serica exchanged confused glances, not understanding what Karyl was referring to. If Miliana had been there, she might have guessed that Karyl was talking about Emperor Shutean’s impending death, but neither Anthem nor Serica was aware of that.

“Of course, we still have a significant challenge ahead. The main forces of the principality, including the Golem Unit, remain at White Bunker.”

“That’s true. Even though we have the 1st Wyvern Squadron on our side, the Meister Unit at White Bunker is not a force to be taken lightly.”

“How do they compare to the Wyvern Unit?”

“The wyverns of the 1st Squadron, who carry the blood of the Flame Dragons, are powerful, but the golems’ outer shells are reinforced with defensive magic. Especially those in the Meister Unit, which are constructed from ancient parts found in ruins, making them highly resistant to various elemental attacks.”

“Hmm.”

“Moreover, the golem piloted by Wingel Hart, the overseer and master of the Meisters, known as Revol, is unlike any other in terms of size and threat,” Anthem explained with a grim look on his face, clearly worried about the battle ahead.

“I think it would be wise to avoid a direct confrontation.”

“Then what do you suggest we do?”

“Assassination.”

Karyl smiled faintly, nodding in agreement.

“It’s possible, but if we win by assassination, our reputation will suffer. Do you think others will still follow us?”

“The common people are ignorant. What matters to them is whether their bellies are full and if they have a warm place to sleep, not who their ruler is.”

“I’m not talking about the common people. I’m talking about the nobles.”

Anthem realized he had overlooked an important aspect.

“It’s better to eliminate the seeds of rebellion,” Karyl went on. “But a throne built on blood will only be stained with more blood.”

“Then...”

“Even if Tuli is removed, the dukes of the principality still remain. I have no intention of killing them. Instead, I plan to use them to govern the nobles. What’s necessary to ensure their loyalty isn’t schemes like assassination, but overwhelming, undeniable strength.”

“...However, the Meister Unit has never left the White Bunker. Perhaps you speak this way because you haven’t seen them yourself. If they had the ships to cross the strait, the empire would not have been safe either.”

Anthem’s voice was firm, filled with certainty.

“You don’t think I have?”

In contrast to Anthem’s serious tone, Karyl’s eyes gleamed with excitement. Naturally, Anthem didn’t know that it was Karyl who had fought alongside the Meister Unit against the Tarak during the Oracle War.

No one else in the present day had more experience with large golems than Karyl.

And alongside monsters as massive as those golems...

Karyl’s face grew serious as he said, “Don’t worry. I have no intention of losing this war.”

Anthem’s eyes wavered at his confidence.

“...Karyl, aren’t you worried that I might betray you and inform Lady Tuli of all this?”

At that, a faint smile appeared on Karyl’s face.

“No, I’m not. You haven’t pledged your loyalty to the principality. Rather, you’ve devoted yourself to the people living on this land. By now, you’ve already realized which person would be more beneficial to this land.”

There was a specific reason for Karyl’s confidence. In Anthem’s previous life, after the civil war ended in defeat, he did not follow Tuli but instead crossed the strait to join the Three Kingdoms of Istria.

Even among the nobles of the principality, his exceptional abilities had never been doubted. However, being of foreign origin and having served under Fran had made the nobles wary of him. This wariness was similar to the unease felt by the commanders upon realizing Karyl’s strength.

Just as there were no eternal allies, victorious nobles began to worry that Anthem might challenge their positions, leading them to eventually push him out. Now that Fran was ruined, Anthem knew that his future, following Tuli’s victory, would likely follow the same course.

“I can’t argue with you. Truly...”

Anthem shook his head, acknowledging Karyl’s certainty as if there was nothing more to be said.

“I’ll end this civil war within a month,” Karyl declared.

It was a war that had dragged on for months, but the way he spoke, as if he could decide the outcome at will, left no room for anyone to dispute him.

Gulp—

Anthem swallowed dry.

“Prepare for the march,” Karyl said with an air of anticipation. “And then, let’s all witness the spectacle that will unfold in the empire.”