Turning Chapter 977

Chapter 977

In the office of the Commander of the Imperial Knights in the Seventh Wall district of the capital, the current commander, Theorado Van Tain, was known for his obsession with swords. As befitting a place where he spent a long time, it was filled with glass cases storing his collected swords. It seemed to be a place made for swords rather than for humans.

Theorado sat among those swords and read the letter that had just arrived. It was none other than a report sent by the Imperial Knights dispatched to Charloin.

We have arrived in Charloin. Surprisingly, two days before our arrival, a tremendous disaster occurred in the entire southern sea, but the Cavalry successfully took the lead in handling it...

It was truly astonishing news.

The capital had not yet received even a hint of such an incident occurring in the south. A look of agitation appeared on Theorado's expressionless face.

The letter detailed, as much as possible, the new disaster in the south that they had seen and heard about, and the legendary stories of those who had run to overcome it. It was so surprising that one would doubt their eyes just by reading it, yet all these words were true. If he hadn't known that the person who wrote and sent this was a knight who was not very favorable towards the Cavalry and never boasted, with a serious personality, he would have considered it a lie.

The writer must have been so surprised that the handwriting, which should have been elegant as befitting a son of a prestigious noble family, was a mess, with the paper scratched by scribbled traces.

Anyway, we have decided to assist in the aftermath at the request of the lord of Charloin and the First Princess of Herne. Compared to the scale of the disaster, the extent of damage is miraculously small, but there seemed to be a large vacancy in the personnel in charge of security and medical care. All the members are constantly amazed by the Commander's foresight in sending us here at such an appropriate time. Then, I will continue to report after starting the work.

The report spanning three pages ended. Theorado folded the letter back. After staring at it for a long time, a long sigh escaped from between his lips.

"...It's truly astonishing."

The Imperial Knights who went to Charloin were surprised by Theorado's foresight, but in fact, it was not something that had started with his complete will.

The person who first proposed all this came to Theorado's mind.

A few nights ago, Kiolle da Diarca, who had secretly climbed over the wall and entered this place.

“We need to send support to the south!”

In the office where he had returned after finishing sword training as usual, Kiolle was sitting with a very tense face. Naturally, since it was not a normal visit, his appearance was a complete mess. He was wearing casual clothes instead of a uniform, and on his feet, he was ridiculously wearing fluffy indoor slippers. His hair, which he always kept tied back, was also disheveled, making it hard to believe that he was the 'Sir Diarca' who always held his head high wherever he went.

Theorado, who was looking at the youngest son of the Diarca family, who started talking about his own business as soon as they met, turned his head without even sighing.

“I heard that you were not feeling well and were recuperating at home for a while, but I didn't know that the sick part was your head. I won't call anyone right away in consideration of our past relationship, so go back quietly.”

It was an attitude closer to dealing with an annoying child who didn't listen, rather than a subordinate knight. To be honest, Theorado had always thought of Kiolle that way. He was the young master of the Diarca family, not a person of the Imperial Knights.

Well, to be fair, Theorado Van Tain himself was half the same.

“Did you not hear what I just said? I said we need to send support to the south!”

Kiolle shouted urgently, waving his arms. He then said something, but he was so flustered that even a child just learning to speak would be better than him. However, after removing all that fluster and summarizing it, what he was trying to say was actually very simple.

“...So you're saying that there is a high possibility of another disaster striking the south soon, so it would be good for our Imperial Knights to hurry and send support?”

“Yes. That's exactly it.”

Kiolle's face brightened. Theorado tilted his head and asked back.

“Why should we do that?”

“Pardon?”

“The Imperial Knights exist primarily to protect the Imperial Palace and the capital. Regardless of what happens in the south, there is no reason for us to take the lead. Moreover, His Majesty the Emperor has never given such an order, so there is even less need for us to do so. Besides, I heard that the recent disaster in the south is already being handled well. Where did you hear that a new disaster will occur? Did the Diarca family send you to pass the work onto us?”

Kiolle's face turned pale. However, surprisingly, he did not get angry or stutter, but closed his lips tightly and then opened his mouth to answer very calmly.

“...No. This information is based on what I personally obtained from the Cavalry... However, Diarca, no. Duke Diarca has decided not to send support to the south... despite being informed of the information first.”

Kiolle, who closed his eyes tightly, took a few breaths and muttered.

“I think you know the reason without me having to say it, Commander. And that's exactly why I... came here.”

“...You directly obtained information from the Cavalry? What relationship did you have with the Cavalry?”

Theorado had never heard of any circumstances in which Kiolle da Diarca was involved with the Cavalry. Kiolle shouted at Theorado, who was filled with questions, as if he was caught off guard.

“Is that important now?! The important thing is that Duke Diarca has decided that support is not necessary!”

“...”

“Why did you ask why the Imperial Knights should move? Have you forgotten what we, the Imperial Knights, swear when we join? Aren't we different from ordinary knights?!”

The Imperial Knights usually protect the Emperor and the capital where the Emperor resides. However, in fact, they are also a special knightly order that can go anywhere to provide support if necessary, leaving the Imperial Palace and the capital.

This is because their parent organization, the First Emperor's Guard, was separated into the Imperial Palace Knights and later renamed the Imperial Knights.

The Emperor is the same as the empire. The Imperial Knights protect the Emperor and the empire he rules.

Throughout their long history spanning a thousand years, the Imperial Knights have saved the empire in crisis many times by demonstrating the mobility befitting an elite few who gathered only outstanding individuals. Thanks to the reputation of their senior knights, the current Imperial Knights have gained the authority to go anywhere in the empire to provide support even without the direct order of the Emperor. However, the current Imperial Knights do not find that authority very meaningful, contrary to their name. This is because the current Imperial Knights have become closer to a position of checking or being wary of each other with the Emperor, rather than being close to the Emperor.

Theorado also had never felt the need to use that authority, so since becoming the commander, he had sent the Imperial Knights out of the capital less than three times, excluding external training.

Therefore, the oath of the Imperial Knights that they swore upon joining had also been forgotten for a very long time in his mind.

As Theorado Van Tain frowned and closed his mouth, Kiolle continued to speak as if he had gained courage.

“I have been in the south all this time. In fact, I was there on the day called the Day of Hail. The Cavalry was convinced that what happened that day was not the end. If that's true, shouldn't we naturally send additional support? Regardless of personal thoughts about the Cavalry... anyway, isn't the south also a part of the empire that we must protect?!”

‘Despite not revealing all these complicated situations to the outside... you already knew, guessed, and came here? You, Kiolle, who was once considered foolish?’

What on earth is he doing this for?

The first thing that came to Theorado's mind was, of course, the fight for the title of the next Duke of Diarca and the Crown Prince.

'Could it be...'