Chapter 298

– This land was built with the blood and sweat of our ancestors, and the lives of all our people depend on it. We cannot surrender it to anyone. I will not allow anyone to defile this land. That is my duty as the one who will inherit it.

Those were my words, declaring our unwavering resistance.

Count Celtrine nodded silently in agreement.

It wasn’t just because of the meaning behind my words.

He had sensed my strong and unwavering determination.

And he had also witnessed my actions, my reliability and trustworthiness.

I had strengthened the marriage alliance that had been on the verge of collapse, and I had transformed the knight order into a much stronger force by giving them experience in monster hunting and the barbarian extermination.

Not to mention my excellent academic record at the academy and my contributions to resolving various incidents.

My family also trusted and supported me.

Did that make the burden of responsibility heavier?

No.

Because my family was only a small part of it.

The well-being of all the people in the territory rested on my shoulders.

But I remained calm.

Because I knew.

That all the efforts I had made wouldn’t be in vain.

*Clang! Clang!*

The sound of hammering echoed through the air.

A blacksmith’s workshop stood there, looking quite impressive.

A sign that read “Ran’s Blacksmith” caught my eye.

I chuckled at the small inscription next to it: “Sponsored by Max Celtrine, my dear brother.”

Nothing had changed since our time in the underground.

Well, there was one difference.

*Clang! Clang! Clang!*

The sound of hammering came from multiple locations.

In the underground, it had been just Ran.

“Sigh, Master. I don’t think we can make fifty by today.”

“Come on, there’s no such thing as ‘can’t.’ You can do it. Just follow the techniques I taught you. Well, if it’s too much, just make forty.”

“T-Thank you, Master!”

“Master, Master, we have a problem. We made eight good ones, but… two of them are slightly unbalanced.”

“It’s not a big deal. Just melt them down and start over.”

“Huh? S-Start over? B-But they’re still usable…”

“That kind of mindset is unacceptable for a craftsman. If you want to improve, start over.”

“Y-Yes… I-I apologize.”

The blacksmiths were working diligently, calling Ran “Master.”

They were all older than Ran, so it looked awkward, but it wasn’t unusual in this field.

Ran, the youngest and most beloved disciple of the legendary blacksmith, Crave.

A genius among geniuses, she had quickly established herself as the best blacksmith in the Celtrine Duchy after opening her workshop.

The other blacksmiths had not only acknowledged her skills, but some of them had even become her disciples, eager to learn from her.

They had sensed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn advanced techniques.

Anyway, it was beneficial for me.

Thanks to them, the weapons I had ordered were being produced at a much faster rate.

“Oh, Max, you’re here?”

Ran came running towards me, a bright smile on her face.

I chuckled and greeted her.

“You must be busy. Do you have time to talk?”

“Hey, this is nothing. I used to do all the work by myself in the underground.”

“That’s true.”

I chuckled.

“Do you have enough money?”

The weapons I had ordered were being funded by my personal funds.

Well, they were technically Count Celtrine’s funds, but it was all the same.

It was for the sake of the territory, so it was beneficial for everyone.

“Yes, plenty. I’ll let you know if I need more.”

“Alright.”

“But we don’t have enough of ‘that.’ Money can’t buy everything.”

Ran was talking about orichalcum.

The strongest metal in the world.

But it was so rare that you couldn’t just buy it with money.

“It can’t be helped. We’ll have to make do with what we have.”

Among the weapons I had ordered, I had specifically requested orichalcum arrows for the large ballistae.

Because I knew that mages were the biggest threat in a siege battle.

Of course, it would be best if we could win in a field battle, but that wasn’t always possible.

If we repelled the enemy a few times in field battles, they would eventually attack with a larger army.

And then we would have no choice but to defend our castle.

The orichalcum arrows were for that situation.

They were powerful enough to break through a mage’s shield.

That way, we could quickly eliminate the most dangerous mages.

Unfortunately, we wouldn’t be able to secure as many as I had hoped for, but we had definitely more than we had in the underground, so if we focused on accuracy, it wouldn’t be a problem.

“Ah, but I’ve finished making ‘that.'”

Ran puffed out her chest proudly.

This time, she wasn’t talking about orichalcum.

He was talking about another secret weapon I had prepared for the siege battle.

A smile spread across my face.

“Really? Great work. Your hard work will play a big role in our victory.”

“Ah, so it’s war after all? Well, it was inevitable.”

Ran seemed unfazed by the mention of war.

It was understandable, considering what she had experienced in the underground.

“Yeah, it was inevitable.”

I chuckled.

“Then our turtle family must have gathered by now, right? I’ve been so busy working that I haven’t had time to check.”

“Cough.”

I coughed at her words, “turtle family.”

What a cute name for a group that was about to become a force to be reckoned with…

They were an elite unit that would soon strike fear into the hearts of our enemies.

“Y-Yeah, they must have.”

“What, you don’t know, Max?”

“I just got back to the main house. And I’m on my way to see them now.”

I played along with her.

Come to think of it, it would be even more terrifying if a unit with such a cute name became a symbol of fear.

It wasn’t a bad idea.

“Oh, really? That’s too bad. I would have liked to see them too if I had the time. Please give them my regards.”

“Alright. Sorry to ask, but keep up the good work.”

I left for my next destination.

* * *

The Celtrine family’s villa.

It was called a villa, but it was a luxurious mansion that could put any high-end mansion to shame.

It was lavish and impeccably clean.

I had asked Count Celtrine to let the residents use the villa as their temporary residence.

The residents, who had gathered from all over the continent, should be here now.

“Young Master, you’re here.”

The villa’s caretaker rushed over to greet me, bowing deeply.

“Yes. Is everything alright?”

“Yes, there haven’t been any problems…”

“You’re trailing off.”

“Ah, well… The guests are very active…”

The caretaker scratched his head.

I chuckled, understanding what he meant.

“That’s to be expected. Don’t mind them.”

“Y-Yes, sir. Understood.”

“Alright, carry on with your work.”

I entered the villa, leaving the caretaker behind.

Even before I entered, I could hear loud noises.

Shouts and war cries.

I smiled faintly.

The spacious garden.

The residents were training there, kicking up dust.

It wasn’t just casual training.

Their aura was palpable, sending chills down my spine.

Their eyes were focused, their gazes sharp and intense.

Their movements were precise and fluid.

Every move was filled with power.

They didn’t even glance at me as I entered.

They were completely focused on their training.

I watched them with a satisfied expression, waiting patiently.

After a while,

The training session ended.

The residents finally turned to look at me.

“Savior!”

“It’s been a while, Savior!”

“Haha, how was your academy life?”

They all looked well.

They must have known about the situation in the Empire, but they didn’t seem anxious or nervous.

“I’ve been well, of course. But it seems like many of you have left your peaceful lives behind.”

“It’s only natural, isn’t it?”

“If we’ve received a favor, we have to repay it. That’s what makes us human, not beasts.”

“It’s the Savior’s matter, so it’s our matter too. And there are other Imperial citizens involved, so we have to help with all our might.”

“That’s right. We’re family, family! We’re family who survived hell together!”

The residents raised their voices, their words filled with energy.

A smile spread across my face.

This was why I had spent so much money and effort, even risking my life, to make them my people.

“Savior, we’re all ready.”

Milia said, approaching me.

She was originally a knight from the Henatus family, the most powerful family in the southern region of the Empire.

I asked, “Are you sure you’re okay with fighting against the south?”

“Of course. I’m not a knight anymore. I’m just an ordinary person who follows the Savior.”

Her gaze was steady.

I was certain that she wouldn’t betray me.

“Thank you.”

I smiled gratefully, and she returned the smile.

“It’s nothing.”

Gwen, who had been waiting for our conversation to end, spoke up.

“There are nine who haven’t arrived yet. But I’m certain they’ll come.”

His words proved to be true.

Over the next two days, all nine residents arrived at the Celtrine Duchy.

The preparations for the upcoming war were complete.

* * *

The Imperial Palace.

Adolf, who had declared himself the Crown Prince, sat arrogantly on the highest seat in the palace.

The Emperor’s throne.

The seat of ultimate power, from which he could look down on everyone.

He seemed satisfied.

He had let his only rival, his younger sister, escape?

It was possible.

She wasn’t some insignificant prey he could easily hunt down.

She was a beast.

A ferocious beast that could bite his throat at any moment.

He had never expected to capture her so easily.

So he wasn’t disappointed.

If he couldn’t catch her in one go, he would just keep chasing her.

Until he finally cornered her and finished her off.

Adolf smiled, a cruel glint in his eyes.

“It seems like your method is working, Crown Prince.”

An old man standing beside him said.

He was a blind old man with a black cane.

Galbraith, the Blind Sage.

The Crown Prince’s teacher and closest advisor.

His cunning mind had played a big role in Adolf’s secret takeover of the Imperial Palace.

“Haha, of course. It was a plan we devised together, wasn’t it?”

Adolf chuckled.

They had made an example of a minor lord who had been hesitant to pledge his loyalty, wiping out his entire family.

It had been very effective.

The fact that the target had been Viscount Sephir, a relatively powerful lord who lived some distance away from the Imperial Capital, had made it even more effective.

After that incident, many minor lords had rushed to pledge their loyalty to Adolf.

They might not have been sincere, but they had no choice but to obey out of fear.

And since he had taken their children hostage, there was little chance of them betraying him.

“But what is she doing, even with the situation like this?”

Adolf smiled, a hint of amusement in his eyes.

It had always been satisfying to beat that girl, even in the smallest things, ever since they were children.

He was that kind of rival.

He couldn’t even imagine how good it would feel to defeat her in this final battle for the throne.

“It will take some time for her to gather forces. You caught her completely off guard.”

“Haha, I guess I was too harsh on my little sister.”

Adolf sneered.

It was then that a loud voice came from the entrance of the throne room.

“Crown Prince! The envoy we sent to the Ehrenbert family has returned!”

“Let him in.”

The envoy entered, his face pale, his steps hesitant. He bowed deeply.

“So, what happened?”

“W-Well…”

“If you waste any more time, I’ll cut out your tongue.”

The envoy’s face turned even paler.

He stammered, sweat dripping down his face, “T-The Ehrenbert family has d-defied you, Crown Prince.”

He had toned down his report considerably.

If he had mentioned Lobel’s threat to make Adolf pay for his patricide, his head would have been rolling on the floor.

“Haha, really? The Ehrenbert family has sided with her? Interesting. I heard the Knight of Snowstorms is a professor there. Did she recruit them at the academy? She wasn’t just sitting around either.”

Surprisingly, Adolf wasn’t enraged.

He wasn’t delusional enough to think that everything would go his way.

Especially when his opponent was Oscar Persia.

“The princess has gained a valuable ally.”

Galbraith said.

“It can’t be helped. We didn’t have time to win over the north.”

Adolf didn’t dwell on it.

That was one of his strengths.

“But we have to punish them.”

Punish.

The envoy and the other officials thought he was talking about attacking the Ehrenbert family.

But only Galbraith understood the true meaning of his words.

“Indeed. The fact that the Ehrenbert family has sided with her means that ‘they’ dared to spread lies.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Adolf smiled, a sinister glint in his eyes.

“I hereby order you to burn the Celtrine Earldom to the ground.”