Turning Point

Madmen and traitors who had lost their minds rushed in from all directions. On top of that, the undead broke through the ground and appeared, blocking the path of the group.

Whoosh — Boom!

A madman was slammed against the wall by the shield swung by an armored knight.

With movements that wasted not a single motion, the Armored Knight Corps quickly formed a protective formation after repelling the enemies. The inspectors took their positions inside it.

Soon they began to advance toward the annex.

Loen and Seraphine fired magic relentlessly, clearing the way.

“Chain Beam.”

“Current Release.”

Where the gray beam and lightning swept through, only piles of corpses remained. Their appearance as they cut through waves of traitors was like judges descending from the heavens.

However, there were too many enemies.

Just as their advance slowed due to the undead rushing at them like zombie hordes seen only in movies from a previous life.

Loen stepped forward.

“Flash.”

Loen’s light magic swept through the enemies in an instant, like the wrath of a god.

Unlike the traitors who writhed in pain, the undead simply evaporated from existence.

“…?”

“Huh?”

A brief commotion arose among the group who witnessed this outrageous scene.

Well, except for Psyche, this was a sight everyone was seeing for the first time.

“I-is this even possible? So many undead evaporating all at once with just one flash magic…”

Leus couldn’t hide his amazement. The rest of the group and the Armored Knight Corps had similar reactions.

It was truly something beyond common sense.

But since the situation was urgent, they all had to set aside their questions. After all, it wasn’t a bad thing for them.

“Everyone focus and keep your eyes forward.”

At Loen’s instruction, the group regained their senses and moved forward again.

The rest of the journey was relatively smooth.

There were occasional traitor knights who charged at them while enduring the pain, but they met a miserable death at the hands of the allied knights.

The armored knights deflected enemy swords with their shields and killed the enemies by precisely thrusting their swords into openings.

Among them, Leus’s performance particularly stood out.

Every time his sword cut through the air, dark red flames writhed like living snakes, devouring enemies. He could truly be called a flame knight who set the battlefield ablaze.

Unlike his usual timid and naive appearance, his eyes in battle were filled with cold killing intent.

Suddenly, two traitor knights who had withstood the magical assault charged at Leus simultaneously, as if by prior agreement.

Slash!

A sharp cutting sound. Two swords rushed toward Leus’s vital points.

However, Leus wasn’t the least bit flustered. Instead, he calmly watched their swords.

Just before the first sword grazed his shoulder, he twisted his waist slightly and avoided it. At the same time, Leus’s sword extended like lightning, deflecting the enemy’s sword.

Clang!

With a dull metallic sound, the traitor’s sword was knocked into the air. What? The enemy showed a surprised expression.

Not missing the opening, Leus swung his arm again. Dark red flames blazed along his sword blade, dazzling the enemy’s eyes.

Swoosh!

The black flames slashed diagonally across the enemy’s chest. “Urgh.” The traitor collapsed with a short groan. Black smoke rose from the cut surface.

Without a moment to catch his breath, the second sword lunged toward his side. Just as Leus lowered his body to avoid it.

“Judgment.”

A gray spear penetrated the second enemy’s upper body and pinned him to the floor. Leus blinked unknowingly. Was this Lord Loen’s magic?

At that moment, Loen’s firm voice flowed into his ears.

“Leus. Don’t rush ahead alone. Stay in step with the squad.”

“Yes!”

Leus nodded immediately and rejoined the escort formation. This was a small mishap caused by his lack of combat experience. Still, his obedience to orders rather than acting on his own out of pride in his skills was something that Loen found quite appealing.

Behind Loen’s group as they advanced relentlessly, surviving soldiers began to join them one after another.

“Reinforcements!”

“We’ll join you too!”

Those who had barely escaped with their lives with help, or those who rushed in from various parts of the fortress after seeing the flashing light beyond buildings. Following the only beacon of light amidst the chaos, soldiers who had been fighting from all directions gathered one after another.

Dozens, hundreds, and then thousands.

Before long, the number of soldiers following Loen had swelled to over several thousand.

Their eyes no longer reflected despair or fear, but rather burning fighting spirit and reverence.

In the usual subdued atmosphere.

“…Commander? Have you already finished eating?”

“I don’t have much appetite. I’ll get up now.”

“Let me come with you!”

The Vice Knight Commander followed behind the Knight Commander as he left the dining hall.

Due to the rapidly deteriorating condition of the Legion Commander and the suspicious activities of the traitors, the Commander hadn’t been able to sleep peacefully for even a single day.

It had become a habit to maintain full armor even in daily life.

The Vice Commander approached his side and spoke.

“Commander, what about meeting with Inspector Loen who’s visiting the fortress? She might be able to rectify this chaos.”

The Commander was silent for a moment.

He was well aware of her reputation. But.

“It’s not time to move carelessly yet. The traitors must be watching us with hawk eyes. We need to be more cautious. Let’s discuss this later.”

“Understood…”

The Commander headed to the training ground, hiding his complex feelings.

The training ground.

Four hundred knights stood in perfect formation.

Despite the long period of chaos, these loyal knights still followed him.

The knight corps, which once numbered twelve hundred, now had only a third remaining, but their eyes still overflowed with spirit.

These were the last hope of the Western Legion.

‘Just four hundred knights as hope, how absurd.’

It was then.

Just as the Commander was about to announce the start of afternoon training with a self-deprecating smile.

“What is this?”

Flash!

Light that burst from one corner of the fortress instantly covered the entire world in white.

Perhaps due to the effect of the light, his body felt lighter for a brief moment.

The Commander instinctively drew on his mana, and soon eerie howls reached his ears.

Howls?

He shouted immediately.

He sensed that something unusual was happening in the fortress.

“Everyone, battle formation!”

The sound of swords being urgently drawn filled the training ground.

Since they were about to train, all the knights were already armed.

After a brief moment.

The interior of the fortress, where the light had subsided, was rapidly turning into a scene from hell.

“W-why are they suddenly… Argh!”

“Pull yourself together, you bastard!”

Soldiers walking on the road writhed while howling, attacked comrades after losing their minds, and even from the ground, countless arms of pitch-black undead endlessly emerged.

Undead appearing inside the fortress?

The Commander thought to himself.

‘Recently, I heard some soldiers were burying corpses here and there around the fortress. I didn’t think much of it at the time…’

But there was no time for lengthy contemplation.

The crazed individuals had already begun clashing with the knight corps.

Bang! Slash!

The sounds of impacts on shields and cuts from swords endlessly echoed from all directions. Though not particularly threatening, their numbers were steadily increasing.

“Form a dense formation!”

The knights gathered together and cut down enemies fearlessly.

However, they soon couldn’t help but be shocked.

From between the barracks buildings ahead, an enormous number of undead began to surge forward like a tsunami.

Facing that seemingly endless wave of undead,

Even experienced knights felt intimidated, stepping back and swallowing hard.

Finally, the Commander stepped to the very front.

Raising his sword with blue aura swirling around it, he shouted with a grave expression.

“Who are we!”

The knights gritted their teeth and shouted as if spitting blood.

“The shield protecting the West!”

Though it might be cracked and rusted now, they were still the shield of the West. The Commander, who once again deeply engraved this fact in his heart, finally gave the order.

“Everyone, charge!”

Against the horde of undead rushing forward like madmen, four hundred knights roared and charged.

Violent collision sounds and desperate screams erupted from all around. Knights who released mana cut down enemies. With each swing of their swords, two or three enemies fell.

However, at some point, the rate at which enemies increased began to far outpace the rate at which they could be killed.

It was because of the traitor knights mixed in among them.

‘Those damn traitors, even eating them wouldn’t be enough!’

An endless tide of bodies. There was barely enough space to swing swords. Some knights filled their fists with mana and smashed enemy heads, but it still wasn’t enough.

Mere humans couldn’t stop a wave after all.

“Commander! There are too many!”

“We need to retreat before we’re surrounded!”

The Commander bit down hard on his teeth.

Just as the determined eyes of the knights were starting to be tinged with despair.

In the empty air.

Someone appeared like a beam of light.

A woman with black hair, her coat tails fluttering.

The Commander’s eyes widened.

“L-Loen Franz?”

In that moment when even the knights were puzzled by the sudden appearance of the inspector.

As her lips opened.

“Flash.”

Flash!

Dazzling light exploded and enveloped the training ground.

In that sacred beam of light,

Dozens of traitor knights writhed in pain, hundreds of madmen collapsed to the ground trembling, and thousands of undead… turned to dust and scattered into the air.

A moment of silence descended.

Various emotions flashed across the faces of the knights as they blankly looked up at Loen.

Relief, dejection, and… hope.

Loen, who landed in front of the Commander, calmly asked.

“What is your position?”

“I am Brun, the Commander leading the Legion’s Knight Corps!”

The Commander answered with an unconsciously rigid posture.

Loen nodded and turned around, leaving only the short words, “Follow me.”

It was then that Brun spotted them.

Hidden behind the madmen and undead….

The Armored Knight Corps in black armor, inspectors in black uniforms, and thousands of soldiers following behind them entered his field of vision.

“…”

The Commander, with his lips tightly closed, followed behind Loen with a grave expression.

Along with his knight corps.

As they approached the annex, the number of traitors decreased dramatically. Instead, a growing sense of silence took over.

Somehow, an ominous and eerie feeling brushed through Loen’s mind. She quickened her pace with a stern expression.

And finally.

In the open area in front of the annex, drenched in blood, Loen faced him again.

Bodies numbering easily over several thousand at a glance were piled up and strewn about like mountains in the open area. Blood flowing from cruelly dismembered bodies had formed a massive pool, and the nauseating, fishy smell of metal pierced their noses.

In the middle of the blood pool, he stood.

Commander Harkon, who had thrust his sword deep into a knight’s body. Crack! His sword then shredded the knight’s body into pieces.

In breathless silence.

Loen and her group silently watched the scene.

A judgment hadn’t been made yet.

Whether he had become a complete madman like the others, or miraculously regained his senses.

Had he sensed their presence?

“You’ve come.”

Harkon, lowering his sword, slowly turned around.

The moment their eyes met.

Loen let out a sigh of relief.

Because in his eyes, instead of madness and confusion, there was clear and sharp intelligence.

He crossed the open area.

Approaching Loen with disciplined steps, Harkon extended his blood-soaked hand and said.

“I am Harkon, Western Legion Commander.”

Though they had met before, this was the first time greeting each other with a sound mind.

Looking at Loen who was staring at his outstretched hand, he smiled.

“You needn’t worry, I don’t know any mind magic.”

Loen smiled faintly and likewise extended her hand.

“I’m glad your mind has returned.”

Watched by the group, the Armored Knight Corps, and the knight corps and soldiers.

The commanders leading the Southern and Western Legions firmly shook hands.

Harkon opened his mouth.

In his eyes, there was deep trust and admiration for Loen.

“I must say, I’m impressed. To unveil the truth without being beguiled by the whispers of the corrupted.”

That was…

Entirely possible thanks to the golden brooch, but how would others know that fact?

Harkon continued.

“His Majesty didn’t trust you without reason.”

At his words, all the knights and soldiers around nodded with favorable expressions. Only Loen concealed the truth and gave an awkward smile. A drop of cold sweat ran down her back.

“You flatter me.”

“No need for modesty. You deserve it.”

Loen unconsciously averted her gaze from the middle-aged man’s kindly eyes, his distinctive rough beard adding to his impressive appearance. It was all good, but too burdensome…

This time, Harkon’s gaze shifted behind Loen. Toward the Legion Knight Commander who had maintained his loyalty all this time.

“Brun. It’s been a while.”

The Commander approached the Legion Commander and knelt on one knee. His voice trembled with emotion.

“Commander! I firmly believed that someday… you would come to your senses!”

Patting his shoulder, Harkon asked.

“What’s the current situation in the West?”

The Commander answered with a gloomy expression.

“It’s the worst. Traitors are swarming like poisonous mushrooms everywhere. There are quite a few nobles waging indiscriminate territory wars without Imperial permission.”

Harkon clicked his tongue inwardly.

As soon as the Empire’s control weakened, they invariably revealed their greed… truly foolish people.

The Commander briefly glanced at Harkon’s expression, then continued in a bleak voice.

“And… two satellite fortresses have completely fallen into the hands of traitors.”

The Vice Legion Commander who chose betrayal, along with the staff and commanders who followed him. The satellite fortresses had actually fallen into their hands long ago.

“I see.”

Harkon’s short response. Soon, his hand gripping the sword was filled with such strength that veins bulged.

“Brun. My first order. Spread this news throughout the West.”

His eyes blazed with anger toward those who had defiled the legion.

It was the suppressed and condensed anger of a man who had never yielded despite mental interference over a long period.

“Tell them the Legion… has returned.”