Chapter 26: Conquest and Dreams

In fact, Fran had been considering this matter for a long time. The knights’ class had always been a crucial element in the regions of Nicosia. Politically, they mostly relied on the great nobles, but economically they were relatively independent, owning their own lands and estates and leading secure lives. However, they valued more the glory and dreams that political advancement could bring. Komer, after destroying Poznan and Silesia, failed to realize this. If they were sent back to their homes like ordinary infantry, losing their dreams, many problems would arise.

Lenta was the first to realize this. As the person in charge of Poznan’s policies, she keenly understood the issue, but solving it was beyond her capabilities. Komer seemed to have forgotten about it, so Lenta had to communicate privately with Fran, who actually held power over the army’s organization and training. Fran immediately recognized the dangers of ignoring this problem.

Although the Wave Knights Order was officially disbanded, Fran retained its core members. He told these once-disheartened knights that the order had been disbanded for political reasons but could be reestablished for similar reasons—depending on the knights’ performance. This became their only hope.

The same approach was taken to resolve the Silesia issue; the core members of both knight orders were kept. But this was not a long-term solution. To bring these knight forces to the forefront, they needed a new mission, and the Southern Cordillera Wasteland undoubtedly provided the perfect testing ground.

The Wave Knights Order and the Bright Flame Knights Order were merged into the Bright Flow Knights Order, whose membership even surpassed that of the Homer Knights Order. Komer even encouraged Fran to expand this order further, recalling some previously dismissed knights. For these proud knights, sacrificing themselves for their lord’s conquests was their most sacred and glorious duty.

A southern expedition force was quickly assembled. Alongside this eager Bright Flow Knights Order, the Black Flame Knights Order led by Vladkov would also appear on the battlefield of the Southern Cordillera Wasteland.

With the help of the Fallen Knights, the Black Flame Knights’ recruitment efforts in the central and southern parts of the Azure Continent proceeded quite smoothly. Although they couldn’t compare to large knight orders like the Minglan Knights, the Black Flame Knights pursued a strategy of being small but highly efficient. While the Minglan and Homer Knights focused more on scale and the quality of their factions, the Black Flame Knights judged members by their individual combat skills and their ability to coordinate effectively as a team in attacks.

But just two knight orders certainly weren’t enough. Though Kommer didn’t want to deploy his Stormtrooper Corps, given that the war in the Southern Cordillera Wasteland might bring many uncertainties to his future plans, he decided to send some orc warriors. Magic users were also necessary—this was a trump card to counter barbarian attacks. With the protection of two knight orders, Kommer didn’t have to worry about their safety.

Fortunately, the collapse of the forces of the Philip, Haine, and Ferdinand families left many magicians jobless. It was only natural to recruit these magicians and offer them better conditions, which quickly won them over. Magicians weren’t knights or nobles; they didn’t have to bear any psychological burden over switching sides. Once their lords fell, their contracts automatically terminated—this was an established rule.

This group of magicians, though not as large as the Caucasus Mage Corps, was of uneven quality. To unite them into a cohesive and combat-effective force required further refinement, but Kommer didn’t need to worry about that—Rebri would take care of it all for him.

“Ilot, are you ready?” It had been a long time since the two of them had sat together like this, chatting freely. Although they were discussing serious matters, Kommer didn’t want to make it too tense. Only Ilot and Puber could keep conversations with him relaxed and pleasant, and Kommer cherished that.

“What’s there to prepare?” Ilot shrugged nonchalantly. “It’s simple—I just need to carry out your orders firmly. On the orc side, there’s Dragumo; I trust him more than I trust myself. His orcs have been itching to fight for ages. If we don’t give them something to do, I’m afraid they’ll go mad from boredom. As for the two knight orders, both have their own leaders. Vladkov is an old acquaintance, and even those fallen knights are familiar to me. It’s the Minglan Knight Order I’m not as familiar with. If you can ensure that group obeys orders absolutely, I think this battle should be straightforward.”

“Don’t worry about that. Although the Minglan Knight Order was founded not long ago, they share our goals. To put it more bluntly, they need to prove their worth as knights through victory in this war. Otherwise, they’ll have nothing. To retain their status or even rise to higher positions, they need to show something convincing. I’m no philanthropist who gives favors away. If they can’t prove they’re worthy, I think many others would be eager to take their place.”

Komer’s words sounded calm, but they were harsh and venomous. Even Ilot felt chilled hearing them.

Like Komer, he came from a noble family, so he understood all too well that once a knight lost his status, it was almost a devastating blow to his family and lineage. Komer was taking advantage of this situation to bind these once-glorious knights to this war chariot heading south, with the barbarians becoming the first targets of these knights’ swords.

Conquest and dreams, glory and freedom—these would all be the goals that drove the knights to pursue tirelessly.