Sword Master of a Fallen Territory

Chapter 84: Entering the Civil War (3)

Kyle, who had been looking down at the Ragnar Knight Order, slowly shook his head.

Beside him, Acacia likewise shook her head in the same manner.

“Acacia, it looks like he still has a long way to go.”

“He was someone who should have been cut down long ago. It seems his desire to embrace everyone and move forward together was too strong.”

“He must have learned something from this opportunity. Still, it doesn’t look like something that can be fixed right away.”

“Even so, the knights will be more cautious after this incident.”

Kyle nodded at Acacia’s words, but he couldn’t help letting out a sigh.

Why had it ended up this broken?

Although the commander of the Ragnar Knight Order had changed, they had achieved far more growth than when he had first seen the knights.

There was a clear difference between when Pan had been the commander and how things were now.

However, the problem was that the knights’ perspectives were too narrow.

“At this rate, the Ragnar Knight Order will collapse faster than expected. Maybe I shouldn’t have brought them along.”

“This war will also be a great help to the Ragnar Knight Order. And shouldn’t they know as well? That just because this is the North, their abilities don’t necessarily look low. Adjusting them from the side so they don’t grow arrogant is the issue, but if it’s Commander Akun, he’ll handle it well.”

They had shown signs of friction even before deployment, yet Kyle remained calm.

As long as people had different personalities and ways of thinking, conflicts were inevitable.

Up until now, Acacia had suppressed those complaints through high-intensity training, but the knights were no longer in training.

And if it was something bound to explode someday, it was better for it to explode now.

“You’ve identified the movement route, right?”

“Yes. We finished confirming it together with Lord Harte.”

“We’ll begin moving. Aside from the North, there’s a lot of flat terrain, so it will likely lead to a head-on clash.”

“In the end, reducing casualties will be difficult.”

Kyle nodded at Acacia’s assessment and started walking.

Behind Kyle, Acacia lowered her head and approached the Ragnar Knight Order.

Soon, Acacia grabbed the back of the neck of a knight who was clutching his stomach and writhing in pain, lifting him up.

“Pathetic.”

She threw the knight away and looked back at those standing there in shock.

“Aren’t you ashamed of yourselves in this situation? The Grand General watched everything.”

At Acacia’s words, the knights’ faces instantly turned pale.

Even Akun, who had destroyed the knight’s Aura Hall, didn’t look good.

“Of course, I think the commander’s actions were the right decision.”

“Lord Acacia…….”

“But do you really think you’ll remain knights of the Ragnar Knight Order until the end? The Grand General is a cold man.”

Kyle had no intention of watching those who failed to adapt and were left behind.

The reason he hadn’t stepped in until now was because dealing with matters more important than the Ragnar Knight Order had taken priority.

But now that war had broken out, Kyle intended to observe the Ragnar Knight Order closely.

“When the civil war ends, the dynasty will change. Some of the Ragnar Knight Order may be reorganized into the Royal Knights Order. But even that will only be possible if you survive this battle.”

What Acacia was saying now didn’t simply mean surviving the fight.

It was a warning that if they failed to earn Kyle’s recognition, they wouldn’t be able to continue living as members of the Ragnar Knight Order.

“Everyone, get ready and prepare to move.”

At Acacia’s order, the knights turned away, forcibly ignoring the knight who had collapsed unconscious after his Aura Hall was destroyed.

Just as Acacia said, surviving themselves came first.

With the atmosphere heavy, they began to move.

Mounted on his horse, Taro turned his head toward Denny, who was moving alongside him.

“Thanks for earlier.”

“It was only natural. Elder Saie is an important person to you, Sir Taro, isn’t he? When someone like that is insulted, I don’t think it’s something you should endure. And from what I’ve seen, Elder Saie is someone who deserves respect from anyone without question.”

“Thank you for seeing my father that way.”

“It’s nothing. That’s why I hope you won’t react to every little thing either, Sir Taro. They’re all going to be weeded out eventually anyway, so isn’t it meaningless to waste your emotions?”

The knights behind Taro flinched slightly at Denny’s words.

“Haha, that’s true as well. In any case, I’ll be counting on you in the upcoming battle.”

“That’s what I want to say. Aren’t you the strongest after the commander, Sir Taro? I’m looking forward to your performance in this war.”

There was a reason Kyle was keeping an eye on Denny.

Taro understood that attaching Seros to Denny meant Kyle acknowledged his talent to that extent.

While the knights were consumed by jealousy, Taro had been carefully observing what made Denny exceptional.

In the past, he had thought Denny was the type to charge at all knights regardless of age or experience.

He believed there was a reason people called him a madman within the knight order.

So he had judged him as someone lacking respect for his elders, but after this incident, he felt he roughly understood what kind of person Denny was.

‘A man worthy of catching the Grand General’s eye. Though he’s young, he’ll become a pillar of the Ragnar Knight Order in the future.’

His martial power, having defeated his younger brother Zero, his talent, and even his effort—everything was perfect.

He might even become his rival someday.

Looking at Denny, Taro curled the corner of his lips upward.

Having suffered massive troop losses at the Northern Boundary Line and been pushed back to the lord’s castle ruled by Royalist nobles, Deira stood atop the defensive wall with a weary expression.

At that moment, a knight who had rushed up the wall with urgent news from the capital bowed his head.

“Commander, Duke Zaira is personally leading his family’s forces and is on his way here.”

At those words, Deira squeezed his eyes shut.

“In this sorry state, how am I supposed to face Father?”

“Commander…… there is another piece of news.”

“What is it?”

“His Majesty the King has placed all responsibility for this matter on Duke Zaira. Once this incident is resolved, the Duke has declared that he will retire from the political sphere.”

Hearing of Duke Zaira’s political retirement, Deira let out a hollow laugh, then lowered his head.

“……I see.”

“Commander, you must not become despondent. If this place falls, even the capital could be put in danger.”

As the knight said, this was the largest territory among those located in the north.

The number of the Kingdom’s citizens living in this territory alone exceeded five hundred thousand—it was a major city.

If this place were breached, the interior lands of the Kingdom of Daon would be reduced to devastation.

This fight had now grown beyond a mere civil war into a matter that threatened the nation’s very survival.

“……We have to stop it, no matter what.”

“And the Monsters are showing signs of movement. For now, we must assume a defensive stance and buy as much time as possible.”

If the Ragnar Family came to support them, this battle would have a chance.

However, the question remained—would the Ragnar Family really move?

Even if they did nothing, the Royal Family would collapse on its own.

Since it was a situation where they could seize a sure opportunity just by waiting, Ragnar would clearly not step in.

Shaking his head, Deira took a deep breath and gripped his sword tightly.

“Prepare for battle. We must buy time by any means necessary until reinforcements arrive. We fight prepared to die.”

“Yes, Commander!”

After bowing crisply, the knight quickly descended below the defensive wall.

Deira burned with fighting spirit as he faced the Monsters.

Duke Zaira was advancing rapidly toward the place where his son was.

At that moment, the reinforcements led by Duke Zaira encountered a contingent of troops.

The eyes of Duke Zaira, who had been riding at the very front, narrowed.

“Duke, it’s the Ragnar Family’s banner!”

“……How did they manage to detour all the way here?”

After confirming that their numbers were roughly equal to the forces he had brought as reinforcements, Duke Zaira let out a low hum.

He had never even imagined that he would run into the Ragnar Family’s troops here.

Meanwhile, Kyle, mounted atop a blue wolf, stood at the front of Duke Zaira’s army.

“I am Kyle Ragnar, Grand General of the Ragnar Family. I would like to speak with Duke Zaira. Is that possible?”

At his words, the knight looked toward Duke Zaira and shook his head.

“Duke, you must not step forward.”

“……Is there any other way, any way at all!”

If their advance was delayed here, Deira’s life would be in danger.

Only by moving as quickly as possible could they barely arrive in time.

Having urgently assembled reinforcements and come in person to save Deira, he could not avoid a conversation with Kyle.

Despite the knight’s attempts to dissuade him, Duke Zaira urged his horse forward.

Stopping at a certain distance from Kyle, he calmly took a deep breath.

“Why did you call me out?”

As Duke Zaira appeared before him, Kyle asked with a faint smile.

“Do you want to save him?”

Though the words seemed abrupt, Duke Zaira immediately grasped Kyle’s intent.

He soon squeezed his eyes shut.

The moment he heard words and saw movements that seemed to foresee everything like a prophet, Duke Zaira realized it instinctively.

‘An opponent I cannot defeat. I should have finished off Ragnar before Kyle Ragnar returned.’

He clenched both fists tightly.

He felt sticky blood trickling from his hands, but he didn’t care.

“What do you want?”

“If I block the path here, Deira will die. You came out knowing that, didn’t you?”

“……I won’t deny it.”

“If you still have lingering attachment to the current Royal Family, you can fight back. I don’t avoid battles that come to me.”

At Kyle’s confident words, Duke Zaira bit his lip hard.

To be honest, he knew that not only the current Royal Family but he himself was rotten as well.

What choice he should make here was practically already decided.

“Do you want my surrender?”

“Normally, I would have demanded your head.”

“……”

“I’ve changed my mind. I’ll spare you.”

In a situation where the civil war hadn’t even fully begun and there hadn’t yet been an actual battle, Kyle’s words were arrogant.

Yet upon hearing them, Duke Zaira’s pupils wavered.

He even broke out in a cold sweat as he carefully studied Kyle’s expression.

“Do you find it suspicious?”

“The war hasn’t even started yet. Isn’t this arrogance?”

“Arrogance…… Do you think this is baseless confidence? Wasn’t it arrogance itself to think you could fight the North with military power that couldn’t even stop Monsters?”

Up to now, the Ragnar Family had blocked every war against Monsters.

Of course, the numbers themselves were different, but it wasn’t as though the entire North had mobilized; they had succeeded in defense with the Ragnar Family’s strength alone.

Yet the Kingdom of Daon had deployed as many as fifty thousand troops to the boundary line and still been breached.

“Decide. Will you follow the current Royal Family to the very end, or will you die here? The moment you die, Deira dies as well. The Northern Army will march straight to the capital.”

At those words, Duke Zaira’s expression twisted.

If he clashed with Kyle here, there was no chance of victory.

The roughly equal number of troops and the fact that Kyle was a Master weighed heavily on him.

If the reinforcements were annihilated here, it would be disastrous.

“……If I take the Ragnar Family’s side, will you spare Deira?”

“I promise. After the dynasty changes, the Zaira Family likely won’t remain intact. Well, that too will depend on Deira.”

“I promise as well. If the dynasty changes, I will relinquish all positions within my family and leave.”

Even if Kyle spared his life, Duke Zaira could not live as he had before.

The more power he held, the more enemies he had who opposed him. Those who harbored grudges against the House of Duke Zaira would not remain idle.

In the end, for Deira’s sake as well, Duke Zaira was in a position where he had to retire from the political sphere.

The Royal Family that had once protected him would soon be gone.

Watching Duke Zaira standing there with his mouth tightly shut, Kyle spoke in a low voice.

“We’ll talk about the details after we deal with the Monsters.”

“……What if I change my mind and attack after the Monsters are dealt with?”

“We’ll take damage, but that’s fine. I told you, didn’t I? I don’t avoid battles that come to me.”

The frost turned its direction back toward where the Northern Army stood.

In any case, the Monsters had to be dealt with.

And if they chose to attack even after seeing the Northern Army fight, Kyle would gladly accept, if only to honor that courage.

Kyle, who had been curling the corner of his lips upward, soon changed his expression and stood before the Northern Army waiting for him.

“Now we move. We will annihilate the Monsters, and then march on the capital.”