Future Knight

Chapter 131

Saxon spoke in an even gloomier voice in response to Kang Chan’s words.

『But the main force has already been annihilated. What good would it do to just extract the knights? It’s only a matter of time before they swallow up the continent. So, it would be better to stay here and fight until the end…』

As if he had given up, the Duke of Saxon’s words were met with a sharp retort from Kang Chan.

『No! It’s not time to give up yet! There’s a way to fight them. So save as many knights as possible and retreat towards the Elf Forest.』

『B-But what about the Empire? Are you telling me to betray my country?』

『This isn’t betrayal. It’s waiting for the right moment. If you lead the knights back to the Visman Empire, the enemy will surely strike there first to eliminate the knights who could threaten them. If that happens, there won’t be any chance for a counterattack or anything else.』

The Duke of Saxon, in a heavy tone, reluctantly agreed with Kang Chan’s opinion.

『Alright. I’ll follow your judgment, Kang Chan.』

『You’ve made a wise decision. See you in the Elf Forest. I’ll cover the rear.』

Kang Chan shot up into the sky again using Levitation, sending Aura Blades towards the combat aircraft.

Looking up at Kang Chan, the Duke of Saxon shouted loudly, imbued with mana.

『All units, rapid retreat!』

The faces of the infantry turned pale at the command for a rapid retreat.

Rapid retreat applied only to the Gigantes and the cavalry.

It meant abandoning the infantry and escaping at maximum speed.

The Zvezda crew was extremely excited.

They marveled at the dragon carcass they had hunted.

For those who had been hunting only easy prey, the existence of the dragon was like rain after a drought.

The dragon was powerful enough to be worth risking their lives to hunt.

Moreover, it was so magnificently formidable that any man would fall for it.

『What a pity. We missed the other ones…』

『So what? Do you think they’ll flee to another planet? Once we conquer this one, we can all go dragon hunting.』

『That’s a good idea, hehe.』

While they laughed and chatted, Hong Hakmae severed the dragon’s head with an ultrasonic blade. Seeing this, Lebedev shouted angrily.

『Hey! What do you think you’re doing? The head is mine!』

『What are you talking about? First come, first served.』

『Don’t be ridiculous! I claimed it earlier!』

Hong Hakmae ignored Lebedev’s outburst and admired the dragon’s head.

『It’s truly magnificent, isn’t it?』

The dragon whose head was severed was K. Kellyon.

He had attempted spatial movement upon receiving Zikyon’s retreat order but was struck in the chest by a railgun before he could teleport, meeting a tragic end as a black dragon.

His carcass was a treasure trove of materials worth an incalculable amount of money, but to the humans of Earth who knew nothing of its value, it was merely an exotic beast caught on the African plains.

Zikyon, watching their atrocities from afar, shed tears of blood.

“Zikyon…”

Three dragons had lost their lives in today’s battle.

For the dragon clan, which numbered only sixteen, it was a grievous sacrifice.

Kang Chan could do nothing for Zikyon.

All he could do was silently hold her shoulder.

* * *

The news that the human-orc allied forces had suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the Green Elves spread rapidly across the continent, plunging all the races living on the continent into a state of shock.

Who could stop them now?

As all the races on the continent trembled in fear, the Green Elves, allied with the invaders from Earth, advanced further inland without hesitation.

Armed with weapons crafted using technology passed on by the Earthlings.

No one could stop them.

Everyone was busy fleeing further inland as they suffered defeat after defeat.

The Green Elves, continuing their string of victories, now reached Bellaren, the capital of the Visman Empire, located in the heart of the continent.

But there was no one left to stop them.

The elite knights led by the Duke of Saxon had vanished after the battle on the Arjan Plain.

The procession of hundreds of thousands of refugees from Bellaren stretched endlessly.

They didn’t know where to flee to for safety, but they couldn’t just sit and wait to die, so they fled south.

Watching the long line of refugees, Emperor Helrainer Dean Prompel III of the Visman Empire had a resigned expression.

“Father, we must hurry.”

“Edelene…”

All preparations for exile to another kingdom were complete, but the Emperor’s legs wouldn’t move easily.

Even if they fled to another kingdom, how could they escape from the enemy’s grasp?

With that thought, the Emperor slowly sat back in his seat of governance and spoke in a heavy tone.

“How can an emperor abandon his country and flee?”

“But, Father… The enemy has already crossed the empire’s borders. It’s only a matter of time before they reach the imperial palace. Father! You must escape to the Sorpen Kingdom and plan for the future…”

At Edelene’s words, the emperor sneered.

“Hmph, plan for the future? Even the dragons couldn’t stop them. How can a mere human like me stand against them?”

“But…”

“Edelene.”

“Yes, Father.”

“I’m sorry I won’t be able to see you get married.”

“Father!”

Realizing the implication of the emperor’s words, Edelene cried out in shock.

“I am Helrainer Dean Prompel III, Emperor of the Visman Empire. I will remain emperor until the moment I die.”

“Father! No, you mustn’t, Father!”

As Edelene wailed in despair, the ministers around them knelt down to oppose the emperor’s decision.

“Your Majesty! Please reconsider.”

“Your Majesty!”

While they were trying to persuade the emperor, a loud explosion caused the ceiling of the inner hall to collapse.

Boom!

The vast inner hall filled with dust, and through the haze, assault craft and Zydes appeared.

“Who are these intruders!”

“How dare they come here!”

The few remaining royal guards unleashed their aura swords to resist the enemy. But droids that emerged from the assault craft fired rail guns, turning them into unrecognizable lumps of meat.

“Ahhhhh!”

All the ministers in the inner hall threw themselves to the ground, trembling in fear and begging for their lives.

“Please, spare us. Just spare our lives.”

As their desperate pleas echoed through the hall, a group of men and women emerged from the assault craft.

“Phew~ So this is the palace of the most powerful country on this planet? It’s truly grand.”

As the leader of Zvezda stepped into the hall, Green and Nemitz followed. They seemed particularly moved.

It was a dream they had wished for a year ago, now finally realized.

“You are…”

The emperor of the Visman Empire recognized the Green Elf, Green, and the Dark Elf, Nemitz, and uttered a word of anger.

“So we meet at last. Are you the emperor of the Visman Empire?”

“……”

“You’re even more handsome than I heard.”

Green’s mockery twisted the emperor’s face with rage.

“How dare you set foot here…”

“For a defeated emperor, you still have your pride. That won’t keep you alive for long…”

As Green’s whip flew towards the emperor, his head was sent flying into the air.

“Ahhhhh! Father! Father!”

Edelene’s desperate scream echoed through the vast hall as she looked at the lifeless body of her father, but no one moved to help her or the emperor.

“This place is now part of our territory,” Green declared.

At her words, Benzler slowly nodded and approached Edelene, who was holding the emperor’s corpse and weeping.

Edelene, immersed in sorrow, flinched and stepped back when she heard footsteps approaching. She drew a dagger for self-defense and threatened Benzler.

“Don’t come any closer!”

Benzler paused for a moment, looking at Edelene silently. Then, in a dry tone, he said, “I like her. I’ll take this girl.”

Two years had passed since she parted from Kang Chan.

Edelene was no longer the 18-year-old girl she once was.

She had grown into an exceptionally beautiful woman, as the saying goes, ‘A woman in love becomes more beautiful.’

Tragically, her beauty had captured Benzler’s heart.

“Hmph! Don’t be ridiculous. If you come any closer, I’ll kill myself!”

When Edelene put the small dagger to her neck, Benzler paused for a moment.

But in the blink of an eye, he grabbed the hand holding the dagger and lifted her into the air.

Edelene’s small, delicate body dangled in the air from his rough grasp, and she groaned in pain.

“Agh! It hurts!”

As Edelene, overpowered in an instant, cried out in pain, Green and Nemitz watched Benzler with wide eyes.

They were astonished that someone who seemed to have no mana moved with the skill of a top-tier sword expert.

However, they had no way of knowing that he, like Kang Chan, was a product of scientific physical enhancement.

Benzler snatched the dagger from Edelene’s hand and threw it away.

The dagger pierced the solid marble and disappeared.

It was a display of terrifying strength.

Holding Edelene as if she were a trophy, Benzler coldly ordered as he entered the assault craft.

“Kill the rest.”

“Yes, we were planning to do that anyway.”

Green’s tone had a hint of bitterness, as she was not pleased with Edelene being spared, but she kept her feelings in check, given that Benzler was involved.

Green licked her lips as she gripped the whip that had killed the emperor.

It was a habit she had before committing murder.

When the news that the Visman Empire had fallen into the hands of the Green Elves reached the kingdom of the Dwarves, Kang Chan’s expression darkened rapidly.

This signified that there were no more countries left to oppose them.

Even the Visman Empire, with the strongest military power on the Arkandor continent, had been destroyed in a single night. There was no hope for the remaining kingdoms.

It was only a matter of time before they ruled the Arkandor continent.

Kang Chan sent magical communications to the remaining kingdoms through Arteon.

He told them that further resistance was futile.

Kang Chan suggested they hide in the deep mountains and wait for the right moment.

Those who received Arteon’s communication agreed with Kang Chan.

They all knew that surrender was not what the enemy wanted.

In the Green Elves’ occupied territories, there were daily bloody purges.

Nobles were hanged without exception, and wealthy merchants also faced the gallows.

They were labeled as bourgeois who had sucked the blood of the people.

It was not the Green Elves or Zvezda who placed them on the gallows, but commoners and slaves.

Zvezda had granted them that right.

It was a sweet-talking tactic to stabilize the occupied territories and a move towards communism.

One month later.

After smoothly conquering the entire Arkandor continent, Green and Nemitz returned in triumph and entered the imperial palace in Bellaren.

Green, clad in dazzling silver armor, looked like a paladin.

Walking beside her, Nemitz, wearing a robe to shield himself from the sun, appeared like a magician or priest.

Humans enthusiastically welcomed them.

Though they smiled outwardly, they shed tears of blood inwardly.

But they did not show it.

The only way to survive in this world, which had become theirs, was to appear as favorable as possible.

With fake smiles, they generously showered flower petals, picked by children who had labored since dawn, over Green and Nemitz.

The massive palace gates opened, and Green and Nemitz, who had entered the palace, delivered their victory report to Benzler, who greeted them with an indifferent expression from the emperor’s seat.

“Benzler, as you ordered, we have completed the occupation of all eastern kingdoms.”

“The southern kingdoms have also been fully subdued. Now, this continent is yours.”

Despite Green and Nemitz’s victory reports, Benzler’s expression remained unchanged, as if it was to be expected.

“Well done, all of you. A welcoming banquet has been prepared for you, so come inside.”

As Benzler headed to the banquet hall with his subordinates, Green and Nemitz followed behind, exchanging subtle glances with each other.