Translator: âHakouâ Editor: âWeasalopesâ
The Empire. It is the largest nation of the human race that controls the western part of the Ost continent.
It has a long history, and it is probably the oldest country in existence. However, because of this, the structure has also been aging.
ãSinking Superpowerã
This was not only the opinion of the surrounding countries. The subjects of the Empire who also felt this way were not few.
But that was a long time ago.
The current Emperor who took the throne about twenty years ago. He took back the power from the nobles and established a powerful centralized system.
He transformed the country from a dull and heavy power into an agile and powerful one.
ãWe will now begin the roundtable meetingã
The emperor, a middle-aged man of medium height, made a declaration in a conference room in the imperial palace.
Surrounding the large circular table are his aides. This meeting is the highest decision-making body in the country.
ãOur agenda for the meeting this time is about the report from the Margrave. Marquis, pleaseã
A gentleman with flawless manners and behavior stood up in response to his words. Picking up a document, he began to read it out in a fluid tone.
ãA huge mortar-shaped hole was discovered in the wasteland southeast of Landbarn. And a large number of golems were found inside the holeã
âHohouâ, a voice leaks out.
Golems are a threat, but they can also be a mineral resource. If its quality is good, it will be a big advantage for the empire.
ãThree Knights have been dispatched for a thorough investigation. Among them is Lord Reaper who is leading them at his own requestã
The room is in an uproar for a moment when they hear that a person who is considered to be the strongest in the empire appears. But the explanation that follows calms them down.
ãIt seems that he hasnât been on the battlefield for a while. I guess he wanted to get some workout by fighting the golemsã
The murmur of the old knight commander spoke for everyoneâs feelings.
Taking a quick glance at his surroundings, the Marquis continued.
ãWhen the survey team arrived, they encountered five B-class knights of unknown affiliation. At first, they didnât notice the survey team and started attacking the golems butâ¦â¦ã
The attendees looked at him questioningly at his unfinished words. Then the Marquis said, âExcuse me,â and continued.
ãThe way they fought, using many magic attacks, was very similar to the Ghost Knightã
Surprised voices could be heard from around the room. But it was understandable.
ãFive units of Ghost Knightsã
This information was just too shocking.
As the room was filled with groans and whispers, the Marquis raised his voice and continued to speak.
ãHaving been discovered, Lord Reaper rushed into battle. However, he was unable to close the distance due to the barrages of magic attacks and was on the verge of losingã
The attendees of the roundtable continued to listen with agonized expressions.
The only one who remained calm was the emperor, who had already finished reading the report.
ãBut then, they were supported by attack magic from a distance. This turned the tide of the battle, and together, they defeated four of the Ghost Knights and captured the person they thought was the pilotã
The Ghost Knight is a nightmare for the Empire.
And there were five of them that appeared, but four of them were defeated and one of the pilots was captured. It was like a roller coaster ride, and the people around the round table couldnât stop their excitement and chatter.
ãSilence! You are in the presence of His Majesty!ã
Questions were continuously thrown at him without consideration. Ignoring all of them, the Marquis shouted sharply.
After confirming that the room had once again become calm and quiet, he began to answer the questions while flipping through the report.
ãThe Ghost Knight itself has not been captured. All of them were eaten by the golem before we could do anything to themã
A square-jawed middle-aged woman twisted one cheek in frustration when she heard the answer.
She probably couldnât stand the fact that she couldnât get her hands on the precious Ghost Knight. She raised one hand and asked permission to speak.
But before she could, the old knight commander spoke up.
ãEven with the help of Lord Reaper, they have no more energy to spare after that. It must have been really a close fightã
After he finished what he wanted to say, he nodded to himself.
This statement cooled her down, and the square jawed middle-aged woman was able to avoid making any careless comments.
ãThe identity of the Knight who provided support is unknown. It is said that he unleashed a series of magic attacks from the top of a rocky mountain and left the scene without revealing himself. It goes without saying that Lord Reaper wouldnât have had the strength to pursue himã
The Marquis glanced at the square-jawed middle-aged woman.
ãThe captured pilot was an elf. He was interrogated, but no we couldnât obtain any useful information due to a magical measure planted in his mindã
Leaving a large bomb at the end, the Marquis closed his mouth and sat back down.
The attendees exchanged glances with each other.
Looking over at the throne, the middle-aged emperor kept his weight on the backrest. He is holding back, as if waiting for something.
(His Majesty wants us to speak our mind)
The people around the round table understood this and began to express their opinions one by one.
ãDoes this mean that the Ghost Knight is the Knights of the elves?ã
ãThereâs no way they are. The elves donât have Knightsã
The words were squeezed out in a snarling tone of voice, which was immediately met with denial from another seat.
ãHow can you be so sure? The Elves may be small in numbers, but their power rivals that of the major countriesã
ãThey also have high technological capabilities. It is not impossible for them to build a Knightã
After someone voiced their agreement, another question was raised.
ãThen why didnât anyone know about it before?ã
Opinions and counter-opinions came from around the round table, and the discussion began to get heated.
The skinny old man who serves as the headmaster of the Imperial Academy of Magic also opens his mouth while stroking his thin chin.
ãThe elf race have excellent magic abilities. Thus they might have a high aptitude to be a pilotã
ãI see, when you put it that way, it does makes senseã
The old knight commander expresses his agreement.
ãThe Ghost Knight the Knight of the elvesã
This idea gradually began to occupy the majority of the conference room. The emperor narrowed his eyes in satisfaction and raised himself up from the backrest.
ãThatâs what I think, tooã
That statement decided the outcome of the round table conference.
At this moment, the old knight commander raised one hand, asking permission to speak.
ãThe kingdom allies with the elven race and tries to fight against the empire. Do you think it will ever come to that?ã
The emperor slightly shook his head
ãThe Margrave said, ãOur country has won a little too muchã. Which is a statement that really make me ponders about itã
However, the color of doubt did not disappear from the knight commanderâs face. Seeing this, the Marquis added an explanation from the seat next to him.
ãIf it hadnât been for the Ghost Knightâs interference, the expeditionary force would have taken over Awoke. And by now, they would have besieged the royal capital as well, perhaps even bringing it downã
And the one leading them would have been the Marquis.
ãOnce the kingdom is under the control of the empire, there will no longer be any forces in the entire Ost continent that would pose a threat to us. And that there are those who donât want this to happen, is what he might have meantã
This explanation brought a look of understanding to the old veteranâs face.
ãI see. So they didnât join forces with the kingdom, but tried to stop the empire from expanding, huhã
The Empire and the elves have an ongoing exchange in the name of trade. However, it is not necessarily a friendly relationship. The human race, led by the Empire, has demanded joint management of the Spirit Forest, a valuable magical resource. But the elves have been refusing to do so.
ãBut still, I wonder who was the Knight who assisted Lord Reaper? Since he was using a lot of magic attacks, Iâm guessing heâs an elf as well?ã
The knight commander tilts his head again. Seeing this, a mature woman in a pilotâs uniform sitting on the opposite side of the room opens her mouth.
Her make-up is too tight, and the scent of perfume drifts thickly around her. It was the mature Viscountess.
ãDoesnât this mean that not every elf is on the same page?ã
The people sitting at the round table only bent their mouths to those words. They neither agree nor disagree.
Shaking his head lightly, the Marquis shrugs his shoulders and opens his mouth.
ãI donât have enough information about that. Not even enough to formulate a hypothesis that can convince myselfã
The mature Viscountessâ shoulders slump as her words are not recognized as meaningful. She had failed in her campaign to conquer the northern countries. She just wanted to say something and hoped to restore her position at least a little.
There, the emperor gives out an order.
ãWe will now identify the elven race as our enemy. Increase the surveillance of elves in the countryã
The room was tense, and a chorus of understanding echoed.
The emperor then turned his attention to the mature Viscountess.
ãWe will adopt the viscountessâ measures to fight the Ghost Knightsã
That is a strategy that combines Knights equipped with large shields as a wall and Knights with high mobility to withstand attacks and confirm the location of the enemy. After that, they would deploy a large number of Knights and crush them with their numbers.
ãYes! Thank you very much!ã
The mature Viscountess springs up as excitement oozes in her husky voice.
She had been thinking in her own way since she was defeated by the Knights of the kingdomâs merchant guild in the northern countries.
(Thank god I suggested it)
By the way, the mature Viscountess doesnât know about it, but itâs almost the same as what Count Rosehip thought in the giant hole.
ãViscountess, you shall take the command. You may consult with the knight commander and take as many Knights as you wish. But itâs not Landbarn the place youâre going to head toã
After thinking for a moment, the mature Viscountess replied with a nervous expression.