Holy Knight.
It is a great warrior directly appointed by the deity.
The most powerful force of the Church Country, and a master artificially created by the deity. As a sharp sword and sturdy shield to protect the Church, each of them is on par with those called masters.
Wearing pure white armor and holding a large shield does not make one a Holy Knight. Though they are called Holy Knights, such individuals usually appear in relatively low-risk battlefields or parades.
A true Holy Knight is a hidden dagger, appearing only when truly needed. Even the goddess cannot create many, and appointing each one consumes a great deal of her power.
But it is worth it. Holy Knights never disappoint the Church. Thus, they are filled with pride, and at times, they even appear arrogant.
“Sir Gogon.”
“Ah, it’s been a while. Sir Bolton.”
“I don’t see why we all had to gather for something like this.”
Even the Holy Knights, who usually carry out individual missions, only recently learned that they would all gather like this.
Since those who didn’t know to what extent the goddess’s will was reflected in this matter were not in a position to complain, those who did grumble only made a light comment before falling silent.
Even among the Holy Knights of the same Church, though they recognized each other’s faces, they rarely met, so prolonged interaction felt awkward. With people from other Churches joining, there were even some faces they were seeing for the first time.
However, Holy Knights could recognize each other through the quantity and quality of their Divine Power. Thus, there was no possibility of someone hiding their identity and infiltrating.
“And who is that?”
“Sir Arkmaeo, a Holy Knight of the Hilrae Church.”
“Ah, I see. But why is your arm wrapped in bandages? Were you injured?”
“Within this arm lies the power of the Mountain King.”
The Holy Knight who asked the question awkwardly smiled at the man’s meaningful response. In any case, they had all gathered here without even having a chance to coordinate.
Eight from the Nemi Church. Seven from Elysia. And five from Hilrae. A total of twenty Holy Knights had gathered. This was unprecedented, essentially mobilizing all available Holy Knights.
To achieve a great victory, a great investment is necessary, right? Thus, the Church Country concentrated its forces, which should have been spread across the continent, here.
They were confident that this would be enough to trample the Imperial Palace. They were already assured of victory, and they had good reason to be.
“Wouldn’t a third of us have been enough?”
“If the Imperial Guard were intact, I could understand mobilizing all of us, but… hmm…”
Each of them is on par with a master. Of course, as the term “on par” suggests, they are not truly equal.
Holy Knights are selected from only the most worthy candidates, and only those overflowing with experience and talent can even qualify as applicants. But ultimately, they are merely those who have surpassed their limits through the power of the deity.
In truth, they haven’t truly surpassed their limits; they’ve just filled the gap to some extent. With the immense Divine Power directly bestowed by the goddess, they have narrowed the distance between themselves and masters and experts.
They may not have their own Power Techniques, but they possess near-immortality and near-infinite Divine Power. While true masters absorb magical power from nature to replenish their consumption, these Holy Knights recover their expended power from the goddess, allowing them to engage in prolonged battles.
And now, twenty of them had gathered. They had essentially uprooted everything. Naturally, they were brimming with confidence. They boldly entered through the main gate.
Those who tried to stop them unconsciously stepped aside. Against the aura emanating from the Holy Knights, mere guards or knights were far outmatched.
“Wh-who are you?”
“You don’t need to know.”
By the time the knights blinked, these beings, whom they dared not touch, had already passed them by.
Now, even if they wanted to report, they would have to walk there themselves. Above all, the awe inspired by something sacred was so overwhelming that they couldn’t even move.
The Holy Knights didn’t kill them to silence them. They were confident that the matter would be resolved before these lowly individuals could spread the word, and killing such low-ranking individuals would only earn them infamy.
If sparing them wouldn’t hinder the grand scheme, it was naturally better to let them live and win their favor. Besides, once the Church Country’s puppet ascended the throne, wouldn’t these individuals also fall under the Church’s control?
“Easy. Too easy. It feels like we’re just out for a stroll.”
One Holy Knight spoke to a relatively close comrade.
No response came. Glancing to the side, something red was flowing over the pure white armor. A sword had silently cleaved him in two. Realizing this, the Holy Knight hastily retreated and unleashed a beam of light.
“What is the meaning of this!”
Even an expert below the level of a master could die just from being grazed by that light beam, and even an expert would be lucky to deflect one or two, so powerful was its might.
But as the light beam approached the man, its trajectory became unstable, veering off to smash into an innocent wall and fly away.
“Who… are you?”
Only after the light left a clear trail did the Holy Knight discover the culprit who had slain his comrade. This person had been so deeply hidden that even the Temple didn’t know his identity.
“Surround him.”
This person, who could be called the hidden guardian of the Imperial Palace, silently waved his hand. Unlike the Holy Knights, who were visiting the Imperial Palace for the first time, the Celestial Dawn Knight Order was more familiar with the palace’s layout than even the royal family.
From behind mirrors, beyond statues, through secret doors, ventilation shafts in the ceiling, and somewhere beyond that corridor, people suddenly poured out. Their numbers were at least five times greater. Of course, battles aren’t fought by numbers alone, so the Holy Knights still hadn’t lost their composure.
“The Celestial Dawn Knight Order. I see. So you are the leader of that veiled Celestial Dawn Knight Order.”
Even though surrounded, it was the surrounding side that was tense. This was like a pack of dogs surrounding a tiger. Everyone knew which side had the advantage.
But the Holy Knights also felt uneasy. Among those dogs, there were two lions.
“Indeed, the Empire is the Empire. We underestimated it.”
The Celestial Dawn Knight Order’s leader, Xerox, revealed himself, with Deputy Natalia by his side. Surprisingly, she was also a master.
While everyone expected the Celestial Dawn Knight Order to have at least one master, few predicted they would have two.
Moreover, one of them seemed to have already surpassed the realm of ordinary masters. Everyone was shocked by how she had slain a Holy Knight in a single strike, even if it was a sneak attack.
Even if they combined their strength to attack, winning might be possible, but escaping unscathed seemed unlikely.
The Nemi Church’s Holy Knight, Bolton, stepped forward and asked. As the oldest Holy Knight present, he was somewhat qualified to represent the rest.
“What is your name?”
“Xerox, leader of the Celestial Dawn Knight Order.”
“Sir Xerox. How about surrendering? The Empire will not fall. Only its ruler will change. I understand that the Celestial Dawn Knight Order follows the Empire, not the Imperial Family. Am I wrong?”
Before coming here, Archbishop Armata had suggested that all of the Emperor’s close forces, including the Celestial Dawn Knight Order, should be killed. But that depends on the opponent.
Turning such a strong individual into an enemy would be a long-term headache. Even if they succeeded in changing the ruler of the throne, if such a powerful person hid in the vast world and assassinated those on their side, there would be no way to counter it.
“If the word ‘surrender’ doesn’t sit well, let me put it this way. Will you not lend us your path?”
“If His Majesty himself comes before me and gives the order, I will consider it.”
The blind swordsman quietly expressed his refusal. He had received a favor from a member of the Imperial Family when he was young.
Originally, he was an orphan from the slums who should have starved to death. Being blind, even the back-alley thugs wouldn’t take him in; he was truly a useless burden.
But by chance, he caught the eye of the previous Emperor and was brought to the Imperial Palace. They discovered that the surrounding magical power resonated faintly with him, unearthing a hidden gem.
Then, the leader of the Celestial Dawn Knight Order at the time recognized the unearthed gem. Looking back, if the previous Emperor hadn’t brought him here, the current leader of the Celestial Dawn Knight Order wouldn’t exist.
The previous Emperor wasn’t a good person. Personally, he was hearty and decent, but he had no interest in governing.
He played around with the country, so many citizens disliked him. He had no talent for war, so he wasn’t popular.
But to Xerox, he was the most grateful benefactor. He died from health issues before seeing Xerox blossom, so the object of his gratitude became the current Emperor, his son.
“Kill them all.”
The Holy Knights’ expressions darkened at his command. They were all confident individuals. No matter how confident they were, did they really think they could kill them with this force?
But some cautious individuals tensed slightly. If one quickly breaks through the realm of a master, their appearance remains youthful for a long time.
Just seeing Xerox in the form of a boy showed that his talent was beyond imagination. Above all, it was frightening that such a person had been hiding in the Imperial Palace for so long.
Even if they defeated Xerox and the Celestial Dawn Knight Order, what else might be hiding? For a moment, they felt fear.
Indeed, a wealthy family lasts three generations. Even if the Empire is a tilting ship, it is still far from sinking.
Clang!
But the moment Xerox planted his sword in the ground and drew a new one, the gazes of those who had been thinking that way changed sharply. Now, they had to worry if there would be a “next” for them.
After coming here so confidently, they might have to retreat in defeat. Without anyone saying it first, such thoughts crossed their minds.
Now, the surrounding dogs had become wolves, their fangs sharper and their bodies several times larger. No matter how many dogs there are, they can’t match a tiger, but wolves can, depending on their numbers.
The biggest gap between masters and non-masters, the limit on magical power, was temporarily lifted. Naturally, a bloody battle ensued. Soon, the noise from this place shook the entire Imperial Palace.
In the most intense battlefield no one had anticipated, blood and flesh flew in all directions. Compared to the relatively quiet other battlefields, both sides suffered overwhelming losses.
“Stop, halt!”
Belatedly, a halo flashed. A beam of light flickered and took shape, shouting.
Anxiousness was evident. While they had been focusing on the Death God’s lair, what was this sudden commotion? But already, the Celestial Dawn Knight Order couldn’t even hear the goddess’s call.
Those who called upon the deity and those who called upon loyalty clashed. Even with swords piercing their chests, they swung their weapons. In unfavorable situations, they didn’t retreat but charged at each other. They rushed forward without regard for their lives.
It wouldn’t end until one side completely collapsed. The two forces, who knew no retreat, no longer saw victory or defeat. With the mindset that “you must die for me to live,” they swung their weapons to kill the enemy before them. Now, not even the goddess could stop the battle…
