I Aggressively Stack Steel of the Heart in the Knight Order

"...All of this was part of the Grand Governor’s plan?"

Aboard the Avenger Flagship, in near-earth orbit over the Savenxis World.

In the depths of space, the fiery explosions of three Interceptor Ships flashed through the bridge’s viewport, casting flickering light and shadows across the surface of everyone’s Power Armor.

At the same time.

Koller received a Spiritual Energy communication from the interception force.

"Reporting, sir! Thirteen ships have broken through our blockade and entered the Net Path. I am contacting the nearby Imperial Navy and requesting they..."

"Inform the Red Flame Son. You and they are to hold your position and await further instructions."

The voice on the other end of the Spiritual Energy communication was clearly unwilling to accept the failure of the interception mission.

"My Lord!"

"Obey your orders."

Koller cut the Spiritual Energy communication and gave Reinhardt a slight nod, indicating that he had made the arrangements.

Robie, shouldering a Knight’s Heavy Sword larger than his own body, stood before the bridge’s viewport and gazed out for a long time. He then turned to look at Urus.

He swung the Knight’s Heavy Sword.

THUD—!

The heavy sword hit the floor, striking the bridge’s deck with a dull, metallic clang.

His solemn expression made him seem like a different person. The sickly smile was gone from his face, and even his tone was exceptionally grave.

"The Infiltrator Council believes they have everything under control, but they will never know that the Lord Governor’s deliberate inaction was all for this very day.

They want to use Lord Lima’s death to incite a rebellion and end our rule in the Administrative Region.

But we have been waiting for just such an opportunity ourselves."

Koller’s brow furrowed. He vaguely guessed what the Grand Governor was planning and used his Spiritual Power to shield the Avenger Flagship, preventing their ensuing conversation from being leaked.

Robie turned his head to Reinhardt and continued, "For years, these traitors have tried every trick in the book to get the Judgment Court to endorse them. They were also well-prepared for the suppression of the rebellion surrounding Lima.

By compiling a list of high crimes, they intended to eliminate you, the loose end. Simultaneously, they would declare to the world that the Grand Governor, in order to consolidate his dictatorship, not only re-employed a traitor who blasphemed the Divine Emperor, but also had a loyal-but-unsubmissive Knight General assassinated.

They would use this as a legitimate pretext to ’set things right,’ raise an army, and attack the Iberian World.

But they never would have thought that Lord Sedon had already reached a secret understanding with the Sect Leader to exploit the situation. While seizing control of the Savinxis Fortress World, they would also use this opportunity to conduct a major purge within the Judgment Court."

As Robie spoke, it was as if something was fighting him for control of his body. The expressions on his pale face shifted rapidly and unnaturally.

Then.

His eyes gradually widened and he broke into a grin. He shouldered his heavy sword again, his malicious eyes fixed provocatively on Reinhardt. As if in a standoff before a battle, he began to move slowly, letting out a creepy, low laugh.

"Reinhardt, did you know? In the original plan, my mission was to take an arrest warrant and rescue you from the hands of these traitors.

I didn’t expect you to handle it yourself. What a pleasant surprise.

And that idiot Kavol actually chose to renounce his faith just to stay alive. Tsk."

Robie’s sudden change in demeanor made Stearns’s hair stand on end. His right hand unconsciously gripped the hilt of his Knight’s Broadsword, as if facing a formidable foe.

’What is wrong with this crazy Judge?’

After listening to Robie’s account, Koller’s brows knitted tightly together.

As a veteran of a thousand years’ service, having weathered countless battles and power struggles, he knew this matter was clearly not as simple as the Judge made it sound.

Based on his experience, the Secret Order was a neutral power with a formidable army, making them an ally that both the Grand Governor and Cicero had to win over.

The Sect Leader must have realized this, choosing not to side directly with either faction. Instead, he made political investments in both.

No matter who ultimately won, his position and that of the Secret Order would remain secure, and they stood to reap great rewards.

This could be concluded from the Secret Order’s willingness to assist Kavol by dispatching a two-hundred-man Knight Battle Group.

But something else must have happened behind the scenes—something they didn’t know about yet—that caused the Sect Leader to completely abandon his political investment in the opposition and throw his full support behind the Grand Governor’s faction.

That jointly signed arrest warrant was proof enough.

The undercurrents were roiling.

Koller considered this carefully for a moment, then used a secure Spiritual Energy communication to report his thoughts on the matter to Reinhardt alone. His previous informal address was replaced with the respectful title of Great Tutor of Vengeful.

’...Sir, the good thing about this is that once it’s confirmed that the opposition forces within the Administrative Region are involved with Demons, no matter how many benefits they’ve promised the Secret Order, that mysterious Order—with its inextricable ties to the National Church and the Judgment Court—will find it impossible to cooperate with those traitors any longer.

This is a good thing for us.’

Conflicts of interest.

A choice of faith.

When it came to this, the Judgment Court and the Secret Order still knew how to prioritize.

No matter how they fought amongst themselves within the Administrative Region, no matter if rivers of blood were shed or if their interests were harmed, when faced with the infiltration of Demons and Grand Lord Kles, they had to stand on a united front and face the external threat together.

Urus, the Silencer Warlord and one of the current Commanders of Vengeful, was so conflicted after hearing the definitive answer from Robie’s lips that he couldn’t utter a single word.