“Gail, I leave it to you.”
Gail Einsidel immediately knelt on one knee and bowed his head.
“It is an honor. I will carry it out even at the cost of my life.”
Vitalianus nodded, and his gaze then turned toward the Royal Knights nearby.
Among the six diverse individuals, his choice was…
“Melissa. Can you do it?”
A woman with impressive bright blue hair, the Awakened Melissa.
At Vitalianus’s question, she nodded without any particular agitation.
“Leave it to me.”
Vitalianus’s choice was quick, and the returned answer also held no hesitation.
Unlike the Bingija, this was the resolve of those who had experienced life-and-death battlefields many times.
Just as things were about to proceed according to Vitalianus’s will…
“I trust you remember the terms of the treaty, Vitalianus Mahel.”
On behalf of the person who had been rendered speechless, one man from the guild side stepped forward.
“…Right, you were there.”
It was Antipus.
“You may be the official commander, but the guild has the right to refuse your orders.”
“Your speech has become quite informal since leaving the Huang Palace.”
“Since you must have known my identity long ago, let’s overlook such trivial matters.”
Although they were acting together out of necessity, the Empire did not fully trust the guild.
Nor did the guild trust the Empire.
From Antipus’s perspective, he couldn’t trust the two people who would enter the Spaces of Endeavor.
If the clear failed, it wasn’t just this place that would become a mess.
“Gail and Melissa. These two are unreliable. They lack both martial prowess and experience.”
“Do you realize how much insolence you are committing right now?”
“Before the world sinks and flounders in the Abyssal Depths, I am merely stating the cold facts.”
“The Einsidel family is a prestigious house of swordsmanship that has lasted for hundreds of years. You are now spouting nonsense about the commander of the Huang Palace’s most elite knight order and a founding member of the Royal Knights lacking experience.”
“I am talking about the experience of the Abyss Gate and the Magic Realm.”
“This, too, is simply part of the battlefield.”
“No, it’s different.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Because I’ve experienced it firsthand.”
Neither Vitalianus nor Antipus backed down an inch.
Tension began to thicken gradually around the two of them.
‘If no concessions were made to the end, what would happen?’
Among those preparing for any potential situation, there were even those who placed their hands on the hilts of their swords, as the tension split into two sides, watching each other and growing even larger.
“They lack experience and their martial prowess is mediocre. Therefore, Daphne and I will go into the Spaces of Endeavor.”
“You are arrogant, Antipus.”
“I’ve only stated the facts. If you want, you could even ask that greenhorn over there, who is said to be the strongest in personal combat among the Royal Knights.”
Antipus’s gaze passed Vitalianus and looked behind him.
He spoke while looking at the man, Damon Liefte, who was gripping his sword hilt so hard it might crush and was grinding his teeth.
It was an open secret that he had thoroughly broken Damon when leaving the Huang Palace.
He was pointing that out to cast doubt on the martial prowess of the Royal Knights as a whole.
It went without saying that a massive aura erupted from Damon’s body.
“Antipus…!”
He could admit defeat.
Antipus was clearly stronger than him.
But to dare disparage the entire Royal Knights.
To show such an attitude without even a shred of respect for the great Order of the Sword who had earned the title of a star with his blade.
‘How could he do that as a knight who had once been part of the Huang Palace?’
Damon could not understand, and therefore, he was furious.
His teeth ground together and the sword he held was filled with enough strength to be drawn at any moment, but…
“S-S-Senior… I-I think you should r-r-restrain… yourself… eek.”
At the insignificant trembling heard from right next to him, his strength unintentionally left him.
“Whew…”
A deep sigh.
When he turned his gaze to the side, he saw the new recruit standing in a stiff posture, eyes darting here and there as she held her breath in extreme tension.
At the taut tension where it wouldn’t be strange for something to happen at any moment.
As the Killing Intent of the knights began to bloom little by little from all over following Antipus’s words, the innocent new recruit had stiffened unintentionally.
She was a girl who had almost no experience but had become a Royal Knight overnight, and to make matters worse, had come to the most dangerous battlefield after only two days.
Damon found it quite humorous yet also true, so with a sigh, he took his hand off the sword hilt.
“Tsk.”
Antipus clicked his tongue short.
If Damon had attacked here, the process would certainly have been complicated and a total mess, but he had been confident in leading the outcome to his will, so it was a disappointment.
“Anyway, my opinion remains unchanged, Vitalianus. Unless the great Order of the Sword himself goes into the Space of Endeavor, I cannot trust the rest, and Daphne and I will enter.”
This, too, was a proposal the Empire’s side could not accept.
Vitalianus was the commander responsible for the expeditionary force itself, so he had a duty to maintain his position.
With a firm refusal, he commanded as the leader of the expeditionary force.
“My thoughts also remain unchanged. I, too, do not know your martial prowess or experience. All I know is that you are surprisingly cowardly. Therefore, I cannot trust you. Gail and Melissa will enter the Spaces of Endeavor.”
“You doubt our experience and martial prowess? We, who climbed to the top of the Conquest Floor with fifty people?”
“Is that so? At the time, you arrived so late that I didn’t see well. Ah, I do remember your appearance was quite pathetic.”
“…I thought you were just a stoic knight, but you certainly know how to be annoying.”
“It’s a necessary virtue on the battlefield.”
Finally, the strap of the greatsword tied to Antipus’s back was loosened.
Soon after, Antipus lightly lifted it.
“Then what should I do? I can prove my martial prowess right now.”
Vitalianus still faced him and his greatsword with stoic eyes.
The eyes of the Imperial Golden Lion flickered lowly, delivering a clear warning.
“Do not point that recklessly. I don’t care what you call me, but I am not merciful to those who point their swords at me.”
“That is quite something to look forward to.”
At that arrogant reply, the swords of all the knights of the Empire were drawn at once.
An edge as sharp as the flashing blades.
“This… what do we do? It wasn’t supposed to go this far.”
The ones flustered by this were the guild members—that is, the Bingija.
This was Antipus’s purely arbitrary action.
While the Spaces of Endeavor were important, it wasn’t to the point of being so antagonistic toward the Empire.
It would have been enough to coordinate properly and split the spots…
It seemed something had provoked Antipus’s competitive spirit.
If not that, they could only hope he had another plan.
“But we can’t back down now.”
If they denied Antipus’s actions now and took the side of the Empire, it would be the worst move.
It would be the worst result that satisfied no one, and it would be like proving they were a ragtag group.
Inevitably, all seventy or so Bingija also raised their aura.
Under the pressure emitted by the Continent’s top-tier forces wary of each other, the scene became so silent that even the sound of breathing could not be heard.
***
“I will say it for the last time.”
What followed was a conversation like a final opportunity.
“Gail and Melissa will enter the Spaces of Endeavor.”
“That is impossible. Daphne and I will enter.”
In the end, there was no concession until the very, very end.
Tension that constricted the breath.
The moment anyone moved a finger, a collision of massive martial power would surely occur.
It felt as if invisible blades were piercing their lungs.
Without even knowing why, Claire’s hands began to tremble violently.
The presence of the great Order of the Sword began to radiate.
The aura emitted by the hundred or so high-ranking knights supporting him.
And the presence of Antipus, who stood against it without backing down, was also no ordinary thing.
In a place that was essentially the center, her mind went blank at the situation she was experiencing for the first time in her life.
‘Were they really going to fight so suddenly?’
The only time she had used skills against people was against some lowly mercenaries before going to the Imperial Academy.
But those she had to face now were people whom even high-ranking knights were wary of, and a scary man who seemed to look down even on the Order of the Sword.
Even in such a chaotic situation, Claire could see clearly.
The hand of the Order of the Sword slowly reaching for his sword.
The moment Vitalianus gripped the sword and drew it, the situation would be irreversible.
She really hated that.
She wanted to stop it somehow, but she had no such strength, ability, or courage.
Looking around, even Damon and Melissa seemed to be radiating strong auras, as if they intended to fight no matter what.
‘W-What should I do…?!’
At that moment, while Claire was lost in confusion and indecision…
“Tsk, tsk. It’s a total mess, a total mess.”
Suddenly, a voice reached them from the sky above.
A voice that was all too familiar.
“Why are you all arguing over something so insignificant?”
Though she had been eagerly anticipating meeting him, it was a voice she hadn’t expected to appear right now.
At that, Claire’s eyes turned toward the sky.
Probably everyone else present was looking at the same thing.
What they saw was a winged white horse slowly descending.
A Sacred Beast.
The man riding atop it held a staff in his left hand and was adjusting his hat with his right.
“I will enter the Space of Endeavor.”
The man landed leisurely in the midst of the atmosphere where invisible blades were flying.
As he set foot on the ground and looked around at the assembly…
“Anyone have a complaint?”