Side Story Chapter 302

The entire Martial Knight Order was stunned. The knights had been confident that they were the best in Hubalt, but their seventh and eighth best were killed without putting up a fight.

“We dedicated our entire lives to our training...”

“But we... were relying on our authorities?”

“N-no, I haven’t lived my life in such a meaningless way!”

The more chaotic the Martial Knights became, the more confused their captains were. Hawke, their commander, was no better off. Eventually, he let out a sigh as he came to a decision.

“I’ll deal with the two princes.”

“Sir?”

“I’m the one who’s least affected by this.”

Hawke wasn’t wrong. The two captains couldn’t find anything to say.

“Take the knights with you and go aboveground.”

Despite their distress, the last thing the two captains could do was to accept that order.

“Commander!”

“What are you talking about?”

Hawke was adamant.

“You heard what the princes said. Avalon doesn’t plan on using their undead for the war. They probably don’t want to upset their alliance.”

“Well...”

“Which means we have no reason to deal with the undead since they aren’t going to die anyway.”

Even as they spoke, the Martial Knights were being overwhelmed by the undead, and many of them had already died. This battle in the underground vault alone was a crushing defeat. Hawke was forced to abandon his pride and accept reality.

“As your commander, I order you: go! I’ll stop them.”

“What are we, tombstones for your graves?”

“There’s no way we’re going to let you walk away.”

Selim’s Black Knights stopped the Martial Knights, but they were startled when the Martial Knights ferociously released their mana and began shouting at the top of their lungs.

“We... are the Martial Knights. We are the finest knights in the Hubalt Empire.”

“We’ve worked ourselves to the bone to survive. No one may say that we’ve wasted our lives, and we won’t lose to people like you!”

“Commander! We’re with you until the end!”

“We’re with you!”

𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

“...Idiots.” The determination of Hawke’s knights made him heave a sigh.

“We won’t run away!”

“We are the Martial Knights who survived even our god!”

“Yeahhhhhh!”

Hawke smiled wryly. “We might die here, and this isn’t even our home.”

“Death doesn’t scare us!”

“History is written by the victors, so no one will remember our deaths anyway.”

“We’re going to win and write history ourselves!”

“...Even if my knights and I die here today, you will never be able to protect your country,” Hawke told his enemies.

As his mana blended with that of his Martial Knights in the air, the tension grew so strong that the Black Knights stumbled backward.

“...Listen, all of you. Avalon will be our grave,” Hawke solemnly said.

“Yes, sir!”

“Draw your swords. If you aren’t used to utilizing your mana, use your true mana. There won’t be another fight!” Hawke instructed as he drew up his true mana himself. The space around him rippled. True mana was the source of life, and this powerful energy could never be recovered after it was used.

The Black Knights and the two princes of Avalon swallowed nervously as the Martial Knights’ wrath bore down on them.

“Our god will be back and he will hear of our deeds. Let’s make our last fight one we won’t be ashamed about.”

***

There was one place behind the palace which people were reluctant to visit—because it was a graveyard. Some may wonder why a graveyard was in the center of a palace. This was no ordinary graveyard.

With only Valmont, Cazes, and Viper to keep him company, Joshua quietly looked down at the graveyard. This solemn place made their faces tighten with sorrow.

Weapons, helmets, shields... Many items were scattered over the place, much like the Knight’s Tomb at the Agnus manor, but it was weapons thrust into the ground that brought Joshua true sorrow.

Joshua approached a saber that seemed to have been placed the most recently. Even the slight tilt it stood at exuded elegance.

“...Hello, Duke Tremblin.” Joshua offered a silent prayer for the deceased. He would never him again even if he wanted to.

He and the others were about to go into a major battle. As a matter of fact, Avalon’s army and the alliance were still fighting, but Joshua wanted to visit this place no matter how short a visit it would have to be.

“I was worried, actually; fortunately, it seems the enemy didn’t desecrate this place,” Valmont said.

“...The people of Hubalt wouldn’t want to be dishonorable graverobbers,” Cazes replied.

Hubalt's forces tried to avoid stirring up controversies. Bel didn’t care about that one bit, of course, but his people were not him. Their country was already vilified for starting the war without justification, so they had to think about the future after the war.

Joshua stroked the back of the saber. It hummed in response, which made Valmont and the others fall silent. Even the air felt heavy. Yes, this was what the war was about.

“...Let’s go.”

Joshua turned.

“Yes, Your Majesty.” the three men simultaneously answered.

However, Cazes tapped his cherished weapon, adding, “Your Majesty, even if I were to die, I would be honored to receive your tribute. And I know these guys would feel the same.”

“...You’re being silly.”

Viper and Valmont smiled faintly, in contrast to Joshua.

But suddenly, Valmont whipped around.

“Who’s there?” he shouted, his eyes gleaming sharply.

Cazes and Viper leaped into action, surrounding a woman who had been hiding in the shadows, but all three men immediately halted upon Joshua’s next words.

“Stand down. I know her.”

Isaac quietly held up her hands to show that she had no intention of fighting. “...When did you notice?”

“From the beginning.”

Isaac was left speechless by the realization he had noticed her following him ever since they had left the vault.

“Why did you choose to reveal yourself now?” Joshua asked.

“...I wanted to know more about you.”

“Is that so?”

“Martial God, you’re looking for Bel, and I know his location,” Isaac continued.

“What?” Valmont interrupted. “Seriously?”

“...You can’t trust her.” Cazes was as wary as usual.

“I’m Bel’s fiance,” Isaac added.

Everyone except Joshua looked at her with surprise.

“...All the more reason not to trust her.”

“It’s surprising to hear that the Battle God has a fiance...”

Cazes and Valmont also began to exude murderous energy, but Isaac was unperturbed because there was one thing she was counting on.

“You owe me, Martial God.”

She had helped stabilize Kireua’s condition by informing Joshua which Martial Knight had the authority of Purion, the God of Harmony.

Joshua was silent for a long moment.

“Alright,” he finally said, and nodded. “Come with me.”

“Your Majesty!” Cazes immediately objected. “We don’t know what she’s up to!”

“I believe I do.”

“Pardon...?” Cazes blankly asked.

Isaac’s lip quivered.

“Martial God, are you—”

Whatever Isaac was going to ask was forgotten when the group detected multiple hostile presences.

“...Ah, fuck,” Cazes quietly cussed.

On the other hand, Valmont and Viper wordlessly drew up their mana.

“I knew it...” Cazes narrowed his eyes.

“It’s not me!” Isaac quickly shook her head, but when she realized the identity of the people who had just shown up, she fell into confusion. “Th-The Blood Flower Knight Order? There are... survivors?”

“What is it? Aren’t they from Hubalt too? Why are you so shocked to see people from your own country?”

Isaac stared at them in disbelief for a long time while she struggled for words. “...It’s said in Hubalt that while the Martial Knights serve Bel in the light, the Blood Flower Knights work for him in the shadows.”

“Forget it,” Cazes interjected, shaking his head. “You’re just saying that they’re the second group of puppets that were created to train Bel so that he can fight the Martial God.”

“No, I’m not,” Isaac quickly refuted. “They were created for the same purpose as Bel.”

“What?”

“My father, Zactor the Martial Emperor, was one of the three Celestials, but he still died to the Martial God’s spear. Therefore, Hubalt’s leaders didn’t solely rely on Bel to take care of the Martial God.”

The three men gasped. This was the last moment that they would have expected to discover more about Isaac’s identity.

“...You’re the Martial Emperor’s daughter...?”

However, Isaac wasn’t done.

“It’s true that Bel is an unprecedented genius, but Joshua Sanders isn’t someone who can be taken down by one person, so Hubalt came up with hundreds of countermeasures.”

“And these people are one of them?”

Isaac nodded. “Bel and the Blood Flower Knight Order were the only successful projects.”

There was a good reason why these people were named the Blood Flower Knights. Their sword techniques left behind flower patterns made from bloody remains of their enemies

“...But this doesn’t make sense.”

There was another reason why Isaac was so shocked. While Bel was an individual who was trained to fight the Martial God, the Blood Flower Knights were an entire order of knights that had been founded to do the same—but the Blood Flower Knight Order was abandoned due to the emergence of the new powers that became known as authorities.

With humans wielding gods’ abilities, the original sword techniques that used mana were useless. That was why the powerful in Hubalt had neglected the Blood Flower Knight Order and scrapped the project in the end.

The murderous energy that the Blood Flower Knights emitted was suffocating, but Joshua—in Creshua’s body—mused, “Blood Flower, huh? ...I like it.”

“Y-Your Majesty?”

“It bothered me that I didn't bring a single flower to my friend’s grave.”

Joshua’s group watched in amazement as a spear appeared in Joshua’s hand. He smiled faintly and eyed the eighteen uninvited guests.

“But I have eighteen flowers now.”

Joshua was going to pay tribute to the dead in his own way.