Chapter 96 : The Union and the Empire (2)
Chapter 96: The Union and the Empire (2)
Because the Crown Prince appeared covered in wounds, the entire Barkat Kingdom was thrown into chaos.
“The damned Empire seized the mana stone mine and ambushed His Highness the Crown Prince!”
The Pilerium Mountains belonged to no one, yet everyone claimed them—a natural border.
It was absurd enough that the Empire now claimed such a place as its own, but they even dared to injure the Crown Prince.
It was no different from a declaration of war. Or perhaps they simply looked down on the Union that much.
“We can’t let those Imperial bastards take the mana stone mine!”
The Barkat Kingdom dispatched its knight orders and mage corps at once, and simultaneously sent envoys to every nation in the Union.
In an instant, the entire Union began to stir.
‘Just wait, you masked Imperial bastard…!’
He would personally tear him apart with his own two hands.
Pablo Barkat, racing toward the mine with the knight order, steeled his resolve.
---
In the Zespine Empire, Frayan, a knight of the Blue Griffin Knight Order, shouted toward the comrade who had stepped into the brush.
“Hurry up!”
“Coming.”
His fellow knight ran over.
“You didn’t even take off your helmet to go to the toilet?”
“I put it back on.”
“How’s your stomach?”
“A bit better.”
“Hm? Your voice sounds a little…”
“Hurry up and gather! We don’t have time!”
“Yes!”
Frayan tilted his head, but hurried off. The advance unit—already gathered with knights, mages, miners, and mine experts—had finished a brief rest and was ready to move again.
Frayan returned to his position. The comrade who had suffered stomach trouble stood beside him.
“Don’t get complacent. Don’t loosen your guard. This is Pilerium. If you screw around one more time, you’ll get punished.”
“Yes!”
At the vice-captain’s sharp gaze, Frayan nodded. Being scolded because of his comrade irritated him for no reason.
The Imperial advance unit set off again.
Monsters, drawn by the scent of humans, bared their greedy fangs.
But the knights and mages included in the scouting party were the Empire’s elites.
Fwoosh—
Magical wind sliced through an ogre’s body. A knight’s aura ripped out a troll’s heart.
Corpses piled into mountains, drawing even more monsters.
Even so, the scouting party marched on in silence. Walking along a path painted in blood, they finally reached a cavern.
‘What the… Pilai’s gotten better all of a sudden?’
Countless battles had taken place, and Frayan found himself admiring his comrade’s fluid movements.
He avoided the spear thrown by a lizardman with ease and cut its neck in a single motion. He toyed with a troll before killing it and held his ground against an ogre.
‘Not long ago he was around my level…’
He hadn’t shown everything, but something about his movements had grown more composed.
‘Did he make a breakthrough?’
Strangely, even his energy felt cleaner.
It was odd, but not impossible—Pilai used Ardrake Swordsmanship.
A secret art taught only to the Empire’s highest knight orders, one that had never leaked beyond their ranks.
“What, have you been secretly training every night?”
“You’ve improved suddenly.”
Perhaps that was why the others only marveled at Pilai’s prowess and said nothing more.
‘No… something’s off. It’s like he’s become a different person…’
“A cave!”
“Quiet! We enter slowly! Don’t lower your guard!”
His suspicions vanished the moment tension spiked.
The Imperial soldiers entered the cave and found themselves faced with over a hundred kobolds clustered within a small inner chamber.
“Knights, forward!”
“Do not use fire magic!”
The knights formed a wall of shields. The kobolds’ poison darts failed to pierce the mages’ barriers. Rusted weapons clashed against armor and shields—an overwhelming slaughter.
“Advance.”
They moved, stopped, then moved again. Monsters poured out every hour, living up to Pilerium’s fearsome reputation.
Frayan swallowed the bitter metallic taste rising in his mouth.
‘Damn it, when does this cave end?’
Their captain hadn’t even told them why they had come to this hellhole. Endless fighting frayed his nerves to the breaking point.
Watching their scouting party members die dried his lips to the bone.
“Stop.”
At that moment, they discovered a massive cavern filled with violet light.
Mana stones. Their purity was so high that even at a glance, they were breathtaking.
“…It was real.”
The scouting captain murmured. Frayan realized that the mana stones were their objective.
‘A mana stone mine?’
Insane.
“Set up camp.”
The Imperial forces began moving at once. They pitched tents and set up defenses. That was when it happened.
From the opposite passageway came the sound of many footsteps. As a faint killing intent entered the cavern along with the newcomers, every Imperial soldier instinctively drew their weapon.
“Southern ant bastards?”
“Imperial bastard dogs!”
‘My gods… that man is…’
The raging bull at the front was unmistakably Pablo Barkat. One of the great Stars, and the spiritual pillar of the Southern Union.
Why was he here?
As the tension peaked, the scouting captain stepped forward.
“It has been a while, Pablo Barkat.”
“Austin Kroyn?”
Austin, commander of the Blue Griffin Knight Order, slowly lowered the sword he had raised. Seeing his reaction, Pablo also eased his killing intent.
“Prince Pablo, why have you come here?”
“You dare ask me that? Why are you bastards here?”
“Is it strange for the Empire to be within Imperial territory?”
“Who decided this was Imperial territory?”
Pablo roared. The cavern trembled.
“The Pilerium Mountains are clearly within the Southern Union’s domain. Therefore this place belongs to the Union.”
“Nonsense. Pilerium has belonged to the Empire since long ago, and it will remain that way.”
“So you want to fight, is that it?”
“Be careful what you do. The moment you swing that sword, it is war. Can the Union withstand the Empire?”
“The Southern Union was formed precisely to withstand the Empire, you bastard.”
“You think a handful of ants gathered together can withstand the Empire’s wrath?”
At Austin’s confidence, Pablo scoffed.
“So you ambushed me?”
“Ambushed?”
“You’re trying to deny that the trash you sent ambushed and toyed with me? You say swinging a sword means war? You were the ones who chose war first!”
Pablo reignited his killing intent.
“No, wait. We never sent anyone.”
“Then who did I fight, ghosts?”
Austin looked to the scouting officers. But they knew nothing.
“We are the advance unit. We have planned nothing else.”
“That is correct. That is what I know as well.”
“Nonsense!”
Pablo growled.
“I’ve tolerated your Imperial lies enough.”
“Why would we ever ambush a prince?”
“Obviously because you wanted this mine. I discovered it first, and you wanted to steal it.”
“As expected of an ant—your bullshit is impressively creative.”
The voice came from behind Austin. From the ranks of the Blue Griffin Knights.
“Pilai?”
Frayan was stunned by his comrade’s sudden action. Pilai stepped out of formation and strode confidently to the commander’s side.
“I was the one who discovered this place first, along with my comrades under the commander’s orders. You drew your sword to seize it and were defeated, then buried beneath the ground. The only reason you survived was because you were a prince. Because the commander ordered us to avoid provoking the Southern Union unnecessarily.”
“You bastard…!”
Pablo’s eyes widened. Though his face was hidden beneath his helmet, the gaze visible through the slit—and that voice—were unforgettable.
“Yet after sparing your life, you dare act so shamelessly.”
“Shut up!”
“You shut up!”
The knight drew his sword.
“Commander, as a knight of the Empire, I shall teach this ungrateful brute the greatness of the Empire!”
“…No, wait. When did I ever—”
Before Austin could stop him, the knight charged straight at Pablo.
A blade glowing with red energy unleashed the Empire’s Ardrake Swordsmanship.
“In the afterlife, reflect on the greatness of the Empire you dared scorn.”
Claaang—
The crimson flash never struck its target. It was blocked, unable to scratch even a single hair on the prince. But that single sequence of actions was enough to ignite the rage of the Barkat Kingdom’s forces.
“Imperial trash attacked His Highness!”
“Protect His Highness!”
Blades of the Barkat soldiers rained down on the knight.
“They’re attacking our comrade!”
“Show these ant bastards who’s superior!”
The Imperial forces rushed forward to protect the knight.
Their nations had been bitter enemies since long ago. Once the dam cracked, murderous intent flooded the cavern as both sides sought to kill the other.
A battle erupted. A war broke out.
When the blood settled and the screams faded, the ones left standing were the Imperial forces.
The Barkat soldiers had been hastily gathered. The Imperial troops had arrived fully prepared. The outcome had been decided from the start.
Pablo’s furious charge inflicted heavy casualties on the Empire, but the Southern Union collapsed far faster.
“Just you wait, you bastards!”
Grinding his teeth, Pablo gathered the survivors and retreated.
“Damn it…”
Austin pressed a hand to his forehead.
Even though the Empire had won, the sudden battle had caused considerable damage.
This wasn’t something that would end with a mere skirmish.
A mana stone mine was at stake.
A Union prince was involved, and soldiers from both sides had died.
War wasn’t just possible—it was likely.
No, after this, the Union would never back down.
“…That knight.”
Austin ground his teeth.
“Who was that knight?”
“I—I don’t know. It was a voice I’ve never heard.”
“He used our Imperial swordsmanship and stood in the Blue Griffin Knight Order’s formation. How can you claim you don’t know him?!”
“Pilai! It was Pilai!”
Frayan shouted loudly.
“Pilai, you say?”
‘But that aura… it wasn’t Pilai’s…’
It had been hot and pure—like a flame.
Austin was the commander of the Blue Griffin Knight Order. He knew his members well, and the Pilai he knew did not have such a pure aura.
‘…No way.’
A chill crept down his spine.
Like a thorn had lodged itself in his throat.
“Bring him here!”
But—
“He’s gone!”
“Pilai has disappeared!”
“His body isn’t here either!”
“……!”
The scouting party members turned deathly pale.
---
“I think Your Majesty acts better than I do.”
“Stop your nonsense.”
To be honest, he had been nervous. He had no talent for acting and kept his mouth shut as much as possible.
There had been a few close calls, but he got lucky each time.
And in the end, he achieved his goal.
‘Now they have no choice but to go to war.’
A mana stone mine alone was enough to spark a war, but their armies had also clashed head-on.
What nation would simply overlook that?
The Empire, perhaps.
After all, the mana-stone-rich vein was currently in their hands, and they had won the battle. They would want to gloss everything over if possible.
But Barkat and the Southern Union?
Would they allow their hated Imperial enemies to claim a mana stone vein in land they believed to be theirs?
Especially when the battle began with the Empire’s “first strike,” resulting in heavy losses?
This wouldn’t end with mere posturing like before.
“It’s a relief you knew Ardrake Swordsmanship.”
“It wasn’t me, it was Lady Kaede. I only memorized the movements.”
Kaede had trained in several of the Empire’s sword arts. And the bored Ernan had watched her almost every time.
Watching someone else’s training was rude, but Kaede hadn’t cared. In exchange, if she ever contracted a new mid-grade spirit, she promised to summon it for Ernan.
That didn’t mean Ernan had mastered Ardrake Swordsmanship. She only mimicked the form—an empty shell without substance.
A sword art without substance was incomplete and could injure the user, but that didn’t matter. It was only for show, and unless someone looked deep inside, there was no way they could notice the flawed execution.
“I’m more surprised you copied it naturally after seeing it a few times, Your Majesty.”
“That’s because I’m the Demon King. I wasn’t called the greatest chief disciple in history for nothing.”
“Greatest? You were called that?”
He had spoken something unnecessary.
“…Forget it.”
“Greatest student?”
“Do you want to die?”
“If I die, Ellena will be sad.”
“And?”
“Lady Kaede will be sad too.”
“You’ve grown that close already?”
“Of course. We’re both among the Four Heavenly Kings. The Spirit Sorceress of Darkness and the Dark Knight.”
“And Kaede thinks so too?”
“…Shall I summon Lady Nairuniel for you?”
“You think I want to listen to nonsense?”
“Lady Nairuniel likes you, though.”
“She likes foolish delusions, that’s what she likes.”
“She does give off the vibe of a slightly hungry wolf.”
“That’s an insult to wolves.”
Maybe a hellhound starved for a year.
Berje snorted.
Ernan only smiled instead of voicing the buzzing voice of Nairuniel inside her head.
< 096. The Union and the Empire (2) > End