Torn Asunder by War, A Sword Saint for Tomorrow X The Knight Wizards!! – Chapter 22

Chapter 22
  “Well, I guess they’re gone…”
  “How did you find the new Knight King, Lord Radglyph?”
  
  “Hah! What can I tell from just a day or two of knowing him?”
  
  At his unadorned, casual words, his attendant, Lidy, smiled and brushed back her long auburn hair that was being blown by the wind.
  
  “From my perspective, he seemed like a gentleman who would get along well with you, Milord.”
  “I don’t like sharp people because they’re troublesome, but I didn’t think he was that unpleasant.”
  
  Scratching his head with his calloused right hand, characteristic of a warrior, he pondered the events of yesterday. In a low voice, careful not to disturb her master’s thoughts, Lidy muttered.
  
  “Wouldn’t it have been better to tell him about the Imperial Faction’s movements?”
  “I’m a neutral party, you know? I might be able to earn some favor, but as things stand, the risk is greater.”
  
  “Indeed, Milord.”
  
  As she was nothing more than the second daughter of a local noble family, she didn’t understand politics or war. Therefore, she took the words of her experienced master at face value and replied with a simple, unquestioning agreement.
  
  “In these times, I would be happy if a foolish civil war didn’t break out…”
  “Well, that hope may be slim.”
  
  At this point, Radglyph was focusing on Marquis Heisel of Rigsia, who had been strongly warning about the danger of Nina Valer within the Imperial Faction. He had dispatched many spies to the cities under Heisel’s rule.
  
  Of course, this was a preemptive measure taken after judging Heisel as someone likely to cause trouble… Several of the dispatched personnel reported that supplies were flowing into the cities near the border with Legald territory, which included the major city of Ealto.
  
  In addition, he had also heard a while ago that Heisel had independently developed the technology that Nina Valer had widely provided within the country, creating a second-generation giant knight with an emphasis on mobility and stealth, perhaps intended for anti-personnel combat.
  
  ‘Why doesn’t he use such technology for good?’
  
  By the most part, they were traversing Legald territory with unidentified knights unknown to the public and sending knights and troops to the front lines. Therefore, they were likely planning to harass the poorly defended Zephyrus Domain.
  
  ‘Their aim is probably moderate destruction of the workshop, or perhaps… Well, never mind.’
  
  Deciding it was none of his business as he intended to feign neutrality, Radglyph turned on his heel and returned to his mansion with his attendant.
  
  As the Count predicted, the surprise attack unit under Marquis Heisel’s secret orders had already left their territory. Currently, they were in the Great Forest within Legald territory, waiting for nightfall when they could move undetected by human eyes, after replacing the knights’ power source, the “Magic Crystal,” with one they had cleverly concealed through prior arrangements.
  
  Their specialized knight, “Nightshade,” had a dark green coloring close to black. If they blended into the trees, it would be difficult to spot them even during the day from a distance, and their presence would not be easily revealed.
  
  Even if they were spotted by nearby hunters or others, the few scout cavalrymen accompanying the six knights, who also possessed maintenance skills, would quickly eliminate them. In fact, two unfortunate hunters had already been killed on their way to this location.
  
  『… It’s not exactly a mission we can be proud of as knights, is it? 』
  
  『It’s all for the stability of the Empire, and ultimately for the human race to defeat the Aberrations, Captain. 』
  『The White Fox of Zephyrus is a threat, so it’s unavoidable to maintain the balance. 』
  
  The subordinates, who were maintaining a mounted posture in the surrounding area, responded to their leader Leonardo’s unintentional remark through the secure channel of the telepathy device in each knight.
  
  Even though they were elites who had been granted giant knights, the young officer, as the unit commander, sensed their internal conflict regarding the mission and retracted his previous statement.
  
  『That was a slip of the tongue. It’s a knight’s duty to prioritize the greater good over personal matters. 』
  
  However, the victors write history… and there are as many versions of “the greater good” as there are people claiming it.
  
  As long as one remains a foolish person who doesn’t know what the future holds, one can only follow their own beliefs at any given time.
  
  ‘Is that chivalry…?’
  
  If you remove all the unnecessary things and complications, what they were involved in was nothing more than a power struggle between the Imperial Faction and Nina Valer’s group.
  
  However, everyone here had families and things to protect, and they had a duty to fulfill their roles as soldiers belonging to Rigsia.
  
  ‘Even if we try to dress it up with pretty words, in the end, we’re soldiers.’
  
  Sensing the feelings of her partner who was meditating with his eyes closed in the cockpit of the slender Nightshade, surrounded by artificial muscles, the mage girl who co-piloted the knight whispered secretly.
  
  『Leo, don’t overthink it. You’ll become paralyzed when the time comes to act. 』
  
  『Thank you, Elnea… But I guess I’m the type who thinks things through and solidifies his will, so it’s quite troublesome. 』
  
  While forcing a wry smile, Leonardo made up his mind internally.
  
  ‘My doubts will spread to my subordinates. In that case, my only duty now is to fulfill my responsibility.’
  
  Discarding unnecessary thoughts, the young officer reviewed the route to their next hiding place several times in his mind, ensuring that the elaborate infiltration operation into Zephyrus, which had taken so much time and effort to reach the execution stage, would not be in vain.
  
  Hidden in those deserted locations were concealed supplies that would enable them to continue operating the knights in enemy territory.
  
  ‘Since a considerable amount of time and effort has already been invested, failure is not an option…’
  
  After letting out a light sigh, he entrusted the watch to the scout cavalrymen and fell into a light sleep in preparation for the nighttime movement.
  
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