“Unfortunately, I don’t remember anyone unless they were directly under my command.”
“I understand. You had countless followers, Commander Melinda, and it would be impossible to remember every single one. I’m simply honored to have this opportunity to carve this moment into my memory.”
“Enough with the pleasantries. State the reason you’ve come here.”
“I was drawn here by an overwhelming killing intent so intense it frightened even my horse. I hadn’t realized that the source of it was none other than you, Commander Melinda.”
“There was an extremely unpleasant matter I had to deal with. It turns out, though, it was his own fault.”
Siyoon cleared his throat, feeling the weight of the unspoken truth that lingered between him and his master.
He averted his gaze, knowing that revealing this secret could have severe repercussions.
Despite the urge to speak up, he made the conscious decision to keep it buried deep within him.
He understood that pushing his master any further, especially when she was already teetering on the edge of losing control, would only lead to chaos.
Siyoon knew that discretion was key in this delicate situation.
Thus, he resolved within himself to carry this hidden truth to his grave, no matter the consequences.
Fate, however, had a way of throwing unexpected curveballs into the mix.
As Siyoon stood there, conflicted and unsure of what the future held, a knight named Theonar, who had been silently observing the situation from afar, suddenly caught sight of him and let out a loud shout that disrupted the tense atmosphere.
“Siyoon! Why the hell are you here?!”
“…Ludis Benmayer.”
Ludis was spared from harm by his subordinates, showing him mercy, and he wasted no time in joining forces with Theonar.
He shared all the details about the fortress with him, not holding anything back.
Originally, Ludis had come back with the intention of seeking revenge on the traitors who had betrayed him.
However, instead of finding them, he unexpectedly encountered someone that left him in a state of disbelief.
Despite the initial shock, Ludis quickly moved past it and was overtaken by the burning desire to finally settle an old grudge that had been festering inside him.
As usual, he spoke his mind freely, letting his emotions and intentions be known without reservation.
“Weren’t you captured by the enemy while protecting Princess Ariel?!”
“Yes, that’s true.”
“And then I heard you shamelessly defected to their kingdom and were set free! How dare you come back here?!”
“Wait… are you telling me the infamous figure who brought unparalleled disgrace upon the empire is him?”
“Yes! That’s correct!”
As soon as Ludis’s accusation against Theonar reached his ears, he swiftly reached for the hilt of his sword.
With a quick motion, he began to draw it from its sheath, but before he could fully pull it out, Melinda acted even faster.
Her blade sang as it was unsheathed, deflecting Theonar’s sword to the side with a resounding clash.
Theonar’s eyes widened in astonishment at the speed and skill of Melinda’s defensive move, especially as she positioned herself protectively in front of Siyoon.
“Commander Melinda…?”
“Did you just dare to draw your sword against my disciple right in front of me?”
“Commander! Before he is your disciple, he is an enemy of the empire! He is a traitor who discarded his honor just to save his own life!”
“If my disciple has done wrong, it is my duty as his master to correct him. If punishment is to be given, it will come from me, not an outsider. Now step aside!”
“…Understood.”
As Theonar slowly retreated from the tense encounter, Melinda shifted her attention towards Siyoon, locking eyes with him in a piercing gaze.
Ludis’s sudden intrusion disrupted any chance for Siyoon to ignore the pressing matter at hand.
After a moment of contemplation, Siyoon made a firm decision to no longer conceal the truth, opting to address the situation head-on.
“So, in the end, blood must be spilled.”
Staring directly into his master’s eyes, Siyoon recounted the detailed events that had unfolded over the course of the past ten years.
He described how he had unknowingly fallen into Ludis’ trap during his very first mission, resulting in the loss of his arm.
Siyoon then revealed how he had become Princess Ariel’s loyal escort knight, only to be embroiled in the imperial succession struggle and ultimately captured by the kingdom.
Despite the hardships he faced, he shared how he had encountered and formed deep bonds with remarkable individuals in the kingdom, leading him to make the difficult decision to renounce his allegiance to the empire.
Siyoon approached the confession with complete transparency, holding nothing back as he divulged the truth of his actions, knowing full well that he had turned his back on the empire, regardless of the repercussions.
It wouldn’t be out of the ordinary for Melinda to consider beheading him as a consequence of his actions.
Nevertheless, due to the promise he made to Letia about returning unharmed, he was willing to put his life on the line and confront his master if need be.
Deciding to disclose the truth was a risky move, but he was determined to do so.
Melinda took a moment to gather herself, closing her eyes and releasing a series of deep sighs before abruptly opening them again.
“It is true that my disciple betrayed the empire.”
“Then we should immediately—”
“But!”
She cut him off before he could finish.
“I believe the current knight order’s system is far more problematic than my disciple’s actions.”
“…I’m sorry, but that sounds like nothing more than an excuse to defend your disciple.”
“Do you even know that the man standing behind you was the one who ruined my disciple’s first mission and caused him to lose his arm?”
“T-That’s a baseless accusation! He’s just trying to shift the blame and escape responsibility!”
“No, it’s all true.”
A new voice interjected into the escalating argument.
Ariel had directly stepped onto the battlefield, fully aware of the danger.
She came armed with an overwhelming amount of evidence against Ludis Benmayer.
Summarizing the key information, she handed it over to Melinda.
“Now that we have irrefutable proof, are you still going to deny it?”
“If this so-called ‘proof’ comes from the princess—our enemy—it could very well be fabricated!”
Schwack!
Melinda frowned at his continued excuses—then, without warning, she swung her sword and severed
Theonar’s left arm in a single stroke.
His arm spun through the air, scattering fresh blood before landing pitifully on the ground.
The imperial soldiers instinctively gripped their weapons in fury at Melinda’s sudden attack.
But as the Iron-Blooded Hounds standing behind her began growling menacingly, the soldiers hesitated and backed down.
“Just looking at you, the so-called commander, I can see how far the knight order has fallen since I left. You cover for each other’s mistakes simply because you’re nobles? You have no right to judge my disciple!”
“Ugh…!”
“The people of the empire, suffering defeat after defeat, keep yearning for the glory of the past. And now I understand why. How can you expect to win when the very swords and shields meant to protect them have rusted?”
Melinda flicked the blood off her blade, a single tear rolling down her cheek.
The once-glorious empire, built upon the blood and sacrifice of its warriors, had become a shadow of its former self.
She gritted her teeth in frustration.
The Iron-Blooded Hounds, who had fought atop the corpses of their fallen comrades, shared in her fury.
The current empire had rendered their sacrifices meaningless.
“Take up your swords! Prove to us that you are still the proud soldiers of the empire!
If you fail to do so, we will tear you apart!”