LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 54
Ludmilla, now dressed in her usual ceremonial attire, smiled meaningfully while trying to calm her rapidly beating heart.
“I’m so happy.”
Yet, at the same time, she felt a twinge of regret.
What if she had entered the banquet hall in her elegant dress? Surely, countless nobles would have applauded and recognized her and Edanant as an official couple.
Perhaps it was due to Edanant’s vacant expression.
Her longing began to swell like a snowball.
But soon, she shook her head.
She had a duty to protect the Imperial Family and the citizens. Thus, it was absolutely unacceptable to neglect her responsibilities for personal happiness.
“Hmph, Edanant looked so shocked. I’ve never seen him like that before, have you?”
Elizaveta giggled and teased her older sister, who was sighing heavily.
In response, Ludmilla cleared her throat awkwardly.
“Ahem! Anyway, I will return to my duties now. Liza, I leave my sister in your care.”
“Yes~.”
She feigned a stoic reaction.
Yet, she felt a deep gratitude toward her younger sister.
If Elizaveta hadn’t insisted that she try on the banquet dress, she would not have seen Edanant blushing.
Ludmilla felt a surge of confidence.
Her shoulders shrugged, affirming her resolve.
“The Seven Swords, maintain strict security at the banquet hall. No minor incidents must occur.”
Soon after, the seven knights representing the Valtarian Empire were summoned.
The Valtarian Seven Swords.
The Red Dragon’s retainers obeyed their orders with precision.
Since high nobles famous for their authority were invited, security was tighter than ever. Ludmilla’s retainers diligently maintained their forces to guard the Imperial Palace.
“If the banquet ends safely, Edanant will be waiting for me. We promised to dance together. I must not embarrass myself in front of Edanant…”
As the Imperial Princess, she had learned to dance from a tutor, but that was so long ago. It would not be an exaggeration to say she had now become completely uncoordinated.
What if she stepped on his feet?
If she appeared entirely stiff, surely, it would ruin the moment.
– You call that dancing?
– The rough-and-tumble princess can’t even keep the rhythm…
A sense of unease began to creep in.
She envisioned Edanant’s cold face in her mind.
Should she pass command to her subordinates and practice dancing right now? The expectation she had for Edanant was equally matched by the fear consuming her.
“Lady! It’s a big deal, Lady!”
“…….”
As she was lost in thought, a bold voice interrupted the Red Dragon’s reverie.
“Edanant sent word! The fiends are invading!”
“…What do you mean?”
Fiends were approaching.
It was hard to take such news lightly.
Did Edanant really say that?
If so, it couldn’t be a joke.
Ludmilla’s knights suspected it might be a prank by the mischievous girl. But judging by their pale faces, it was clear this was no mere jest.
“Your Highness!!”
A desperate shout echoed like a warning flare.
The commander of the soldiers guarding the Imperial Palace rushed to Ludmilla, out of breath.
“It’s a rebellion! There’s an uprising in the Imperial City!”
“…….”
unidentified forces were invading, engaging in street battles. The commander requested reinforcement from Ludmilla.
Other gates were in a similar state.
They sent urgent reports, confirming that a rebellion had indeed broken out.
First, she ordered the Seven Swords to secure the Imperial Palace. As for herself, she would wipe out the rebels attacking the Imperial City, igniting her fighting spirit. Ludmilla recalled Edanant’s message about the fiends and the gravity of the situation.
Boom!!!
The fate of the Empire hung by a thread.
As if to demonstrate, a tremendous explosion occurred, sending up a massive column of red flames.
It erupted within the Imperial City’s residential area.
Surely, the fiends Edanant warned about were assaulting it.
*
Flames shot up from the residential area.
When did they even prepare this?
Edanant looked on in shock as explosions erupted simultaneously.
The nobles hostile to the Valtarian Imperial Family had undoubtedly conspired with the cultists. The chaotic street battle, tangled amid countless forces, hinted at this dark alliance.
“Damn it!”
If the Imperial Family clashed with the rebels like this, the Empire would collapse from within.
He had to stop it.
He must prevent an all-out war.
Yet, at that moment, he had no resources available to intervene in the chaos unfolding in the city. The blades of the priest-knights who worshiped the God of Disaster were already closing in.
“Die, Holy Sword user.”
“I’ll eradicate the Earth Mother’s dog in the name of the God of Disaster.”
These foes were entirely different from any he had faced before.
The priest-knights hunted mercilessly, their sharp blades homing in on him.
He blocked the strikes.
Then, he drew his gun and aimed at the priest-knights.
Bang! Bang!!!
The gunfire rang out.
However, the priest-knight who was shot staggered back for a moment.
‘How can I contend with priest-knights comparable to the guardians of the Holy Kingdom all at once…? Am I some kind of Maximilian or what?! Moreover, where the heck did these guys come from?’
The old man, grinning ominously, clearly identified himself as a servant of the God of Disaster.
Edanant frowned.
How in the world were they alive?
The empire, having triumphed in the Racial War, had chased down and exterminated the remnants of the worshippers of the God of Disaster, so how were they still here?
The survivors should have been eliminated by the Saintess Party in the climax of the story, right?
“So we’ve piqued your curiosity about how we survived that relentless pursuit.”
“Indeed.”
Edanant swung Aldebaran widely in response.
At that moment, a priest-knight fell, gushing blood.
“But I can’t tell you. The older you get, the heavier your tongue becomes.”
“…Who do you think you’re messing with?”
As soon as the words ended, a flurry of killing intent surged forth once more.
But then the situation changed drastically.
Edanant, who had been struggling against the priest-knights, launched a counterattack.
His swordsmanship evolved.
Sharp strikes came raining down, threatening the surrounded priest-knights.
The fiends that lurked in the Chaos Realm were oblivious to this change. They were unaware of Maximilian’s contributions, who had always been the vanguard of the Saintess Party. Hence, they had absolutely no defense against the swordsmanship of the Hero Maximilian.
“This isn’t good. Bring out the Blessing.”
If they continued this battle, their losses would accumulate.
Without hesitation, the priest-knights activated the Blessing of the God of Disaster.
────!!!
A black fog billowed up and enveloped the priest-knights. The physical abilities and reflexes of the warriors devoted to the God of Disaster skyrocketed while their eyes began to glow red.
Zzzzzt.
That wasn’t all.
The sword energy unleashed by the priest-knights turned as dark as the sign of the God of Disaster.
‘These pests are a real pain. If they had appeared earlier in the story, the Saintess Party wouldn’t have been unscathed. Sure, they’ll flip the tables now that the first part is over.’
He felt awkward about the actions of the priest-knights, who brought forth their full strength to finish the fight in an instant. Perhaps he’d gotten the notion that he could take down the priest-knights easily.
They had no idea.
Had they trained in a burial practice or something?
The enemies before him had no minimum information about the Saintess Party.
Attempting to take on Aldebaran with the Divine Status of the God of Disaster was clearly an act of suicidal ignorance.
“……!”
Edanant moved.
Wielding Aldebaran, now glimmering with a white radiance, he took the offensive.
If he launched a counterattack swiftly, victory was within reach.
The priest-knights responded instinctively as if they were seasoned hunters stalking a rough beast.
Swoosh!
As their aggression increased, their weaknesses inevitably multiplied. The priest-knights took advantage of this, striking their blades toward Edanant.
His clothing was torn.
And he began to sustain scratches.
Though he instinctively evaded to prevent serious injuries, it wouldn’t be long before it would catch up to him.
Even in this precarious situation, Edanant did not falter. He held the Holy Sword with a reverse grip, displaying his technique.
“Ugh…!”
The edge of the Holy Sword grazed the neck of a priest-knight, causing him to retreat.
Pain was irrelevant.
He had faced worse injuries against the beasts from the Chaos Realm.
The other priest-knights were similarly affected. With Edanant’s daring assault, they suffered various wounds. Even so, they pressed forward without tending to their injuries.
“Gah!”
A priest-knight, struck by Edanant, coughed up blood and dropped his weapon.
Others were in similar states.
They trembled uncontrollably as if poisoned by the Deadly Poison, and slumped down.
The Holy Power of Aldebaran breached their wounds and wreaked havoc within.
The Blessing of the God of Disaster that had been bolstering their bodies resisted fiercely against it, leading to violent counteractions.
This was the Divine Collision.
─────!!!
Their bodies shattered.
It wasn’t a metaphor.
They exploded into pieces like water balloons falling from the sky.
The clash of the Divine Status of the Creator Deity and the God of Disaster resulted in this.
Every priest-knight who had permitted the holy power of Aldebaran met a pitiful demise, no exceptions.
“You use divine magic against Aldebaran…? You crazy fools, where did you come from?”
He unleashed a radiant golden slash.
With the remaining priest-knights retreating, Edanant targeted the apostle of the God of Disaster.