Chapter Twelve: Heavy Pressure

Kent also wore a solemn expression. “Those who dare provoke the God of Light shall be destroyed.”
“Lord Kent, you must be aware that Mr. Komer is not as simple as we thought. I’ve heard that the Rema Knights have also had contact with him,” Trajan said, his eyes filled with curiosity.
“Hmm. A few years ago, I led several Rema Knights on a mission when we encountered a necromancer. The opponent was cunning and managed to evade our searches. We suspect this necromancer is Komer, but we lack concrete evidence. The Rema Knights conducted thorough investigations in the Caucasus. Although they found evidence of his ties to dark forces, they couldn’t uncover solid proof.” Kent hid nothing, as there was nothing to hide.
“The cause of Mage Malon’s death has never been clarified. Assassinations even occur in a forbidden place like Versailles, which is unacceptable. Yet we have reason to suspect that Malon’s death is related to Komer.” Trajan had already reviewed all available information about Komer. “This guy’s identity and abilities are quite strange. Not only does he possess the ability to cast mixed magic, but he’s also skilled in sinister tactics—like using a magic crossbow arrow to kill Malon.”
“Oh?” It was the first time Kent had heard this. He felt a chill. It seemed rare to find true masters who mastered both magic and combat, yet Komer’s performance was already on par with that of a true master.
“To deal with such a person, we can’t stick strictly to the codes of chivalry. Especially when facing a real war, we certainly can’t be constrained by trivial rules,” Trajan said slowly.
Kent knew this was Trajan reminding him. His stubborn and rigid personality was well-known in the Church of Light. But in the face of a decisive battle between light and darkness, would he still remain so inflexible?
Taking a deep breath, Kent nodded firmly. “Lord Trajan, thank you for your kind reminder. It is the duty of the Light Knights to eradicate evil. As for the methods, Kent knows what to do.”

Trajan sighed. This grand knight, who was as famous as he himself, had too obvious flaws in his character. Integrity was a good thing, but being overly rigid and rule-following made him too conservative and out of touch for a knightly order leader. This also meant his status in the Church of Pericles was not high, and he was not appreciated by Archbishop Freust. There were even secret rumors that Grand Knights Douglas and Aesop were in fierce competition, with the winner likely to replace Kent as the new leader of the Rema Knights. Trajan hoped this opportunity would help Kent regain his position, but it seemed Kent didn’t care about these things at all.

Yet Trajan was satisfied. With the support of the Church of Pericles, he believed nothing could stand in the way of his revenge. The only regret was that Michelangelo was too seriously injured to leave his quarters and witness this battle of revenge. The flame of revenge had already ignited in Trajan’s heart.

Reports from the west confirmed the Anson family’s predictions. The Blue Dove Regiment and the Golden Oak Regiment had already appeared in Gaul, and large-scale mobilization seemed to have begun there on the eve of war. The number of infantry in Gaul had increased, and the Resurrection Knights were making frequent adjustments. Fortunately, the Bohemian Magic Knights had not gotten involved in this war. Bramont was forced to leave Gutenberg and return to Prague. Komer’s pre-planned moves had finally paid off.

But worse things happened. The orcs suddenly withdrew their forces. They seemed quite satisfied with their current gains and needed to rest. The invasions from the east and south vanished suddenly. On the surface, it seemed like a temporary adjustment, but Komer sensed a conspiracy behind it.

Komer was well aware of the subtle connections between the Church of Light and the orc elite. Although there was no evidence to prove it, he was convinced there was some special link between them. Clearly, neither the Vazinki faction nor the Inquisition had the power to influence the decisions of the orc elite. The only remaining candidates seemed to be the Pope and the Freust faction. If even Julius II was involved in such matters, Komer had no choice but to step back and admit defeat. This possibility was slim, but what if Freust got involved this time as well?

Komer felt a slight chill in his heart. If even the Berikleian Church faction got involved, the situation would become dangerous. Though he held an absolute advantage in military strength, the Gallicans, backed by the Blue Dove and Golden Oak regiments, already had the strength to fight. If powerful church knights like those from the Sky Falcon Knights and Ramah Knights joined forces to help the Resurrection Knights attack their own side, the situation could easily get out of control. Just thinking about strong figures like Trajan and Kent leading the charge on the battlefield and causing havoc among their own forces was unimaginable.

Although this was the worst-case scenario, Komer couldn’t help but consider the most dire outcome. This was a war that determined the fate of entire Nicosia. The phrase “the winner takes all” had echoed in his mind countless times, but few remembered the hidden truth behind it: “the loser becomes a villain.”

The Homer Knights might just be able to hold their own against the Resurrection Knights, but if the Sky Falcon Knights and Ramah Knights joined in, their side would have no chance of resistance. Even with regular forces like the Rock Solid Regiment and the Stormy Wave Regiment, it might be impossible to defeat those church knights without paying a heavy price.

If such a situation truly arose, the only force capable of suppressing these two groups would be his own combined mage corps. But if the Sky Falcon Knights and Ramah Knights really got involved, would the church’s mage forces just stand by? That was clearly impossible.

The balance of power in the war was beginning to shift. If he didn’t adjust his strategies promptly, his hopes might well be shattered. The question was, how could he reverse the potential crisis now? Komer tried hard to calm his emotions. The Salvation Society? What were those guys doing? Weren’t they supposed to be holding back the power of the Light Church? Why were those forces from the Light Church suddenly appearing?