Chapter 18: A Battle That Shook the World (1)

Komer’s expression remained eerily calm, but that was merely an act in front of Clark Dawes. In truth, after learning Dawes’ purpose, the turmoil within him nearly made him lose control.
The Wind Riders? Caesar? The Inquisition—how could these people manage to get them to act? Weren’t they Julius’ direct followers, impossible to manipulate by just anyone? It seemed unbelievable that that madman, Noyora, could command them without Julius’ orders.
Yet Komer believed Clark Dawes wasn’t crazy enough to travel such a long distance just to spread a lie and tease him.
Only after Clark Dawes was sent away did Komer turn his gaze to the silent leader of the mage group—Rebri.
“What do you think? Is it possible? I mean, could Caesar follow Noyora’s orders to deal with me?”
Komer stood up and paced rapidly around the room. He rarely did this, unless faced with something extremely urgent and difficult, as a way to relieve stress.
“Lord Komer, it’s not a matter of whether it’s possible or not. Your reaction already tells me you believe Clark Dawes’ words.”
Rebri was much calmer. Perhaps years of wandering had made him accustomed to turmoil. Even though the news was shocking, it wasn’t an unacceptable reality for him.
“And you? Rebri, don’t tell me you have no opinion or that my opinion is yours.” Komer wasn’t satisfied with Rebri’s evasive answers.
“Caesar is a very unique person. Ever since I met him, I’ve felt he’s both easy to understand at first glance and utterly unfathomable.”
Rebri said slowly, “Never try to rival Caesar. That’s a maxim passed down within the Light Church, because his strength far exceeds that of anyone else—even Trajan can’t compare.”
“In that case, isn’t he invincible?” Komer smiled slightly. He wasn’t intimidated by Rebri’s words. Though he respected Rebri’s opinion, it didn’t mean he had to agree with it.

“It’s different. The two Sword Saints might have the strength to fight him, but they seem to have disappeared from the secular world long ago; it’s hard for us to see them. As for Caesar, as long as you go to Marco, as long as you go to the Hanging Gardens, you can see him at any time.” Rebrí shook his head; he could tell that Komer didn’t fully believe his view.
“Let’s get back to the main topic. Will Caesar ally himself with those madmen from the Tribunal?”
Komer was more concerned about this question than how strong Caesar himself was. In his mind, the Wind Riders as a whole posed the greatest threat to him.
The Black Flame Riders’ strength was undoubtedly no match for them, and even if the elites of the three major knight orders, including Leclerc, were gathered together, they might not be able to withstand a full-scale attack from the Wind Riders—unless…
“Under normal circumstances, no. But now that Lord Julius is in seclusion, Caesar can act according to his own judgment. If Noyora convinces Caesar, the chances are slim. Or if Caesar thinks the current situation requires his intervention, the chances are high. Then, Caesar could ally with anyone, as long as he feels the Wind Riders aren’t absolutely certain of victory. Caesar isn’t a rigid person; he doesn’t care what others think of him, so usual constraints don’t work on him.”
Rebrí’s words made Komer feel somewhat heavy-hearted. From his words, Komer could tell that Caesar wasn’t stubborn or inflexible; in fact, he seemed quite easygoing. But once his views were set, it was very difficult to change them. Such a person was dangerous—no matter how eloquently he spoke, Caesar might not believe him.
“So, the chances are quite high?” Komer took a deep breath. If that was the case, he would likely have to quickly find a way to deal with this greatest crisis since he was exiled by Philip.
Rebrí fell silent for a moment, seemingly weighing the significance of Komer’s words.
“I’m afraid we have to prepare for the worst,” Rebrí finally said with a nod.
“Hmm, I understand.” Komer stood up, spun around once, and then declared firmly, “What’s meant to happen will happen. Avoiding it isn’t a solution; we can only face it.”
“But Lord Komer, Caesar isn’t just anyone. The Wind Riders are even stronger than the Bohemian Court Magic Knights. In Nicomedia, we don’t have enough strength to match them.”

Rebri shook his head. As an elder who had been in the Light Church for over a decade, he was well aware of the combat strength of Caesar and the Wind Riders—comparable to the gap between adults and infants compared to secular knight orders like the Homer Knights.
“Hmph, I know Caesar is powerful, and even his Sacred Heart Knights are extremely fierce. But that’s not an excuse for us to avoid this battle. We must face it head-on—there’s no other choice, unless we intend to give up everything we have now,” Komer said resolutely.
Sighing softly, Rebri knew his attempts to persuade him would be futile. This was just Komer.
“Then, Lord Komer, we may have to deploy every resource we have. And even if we manage to overcome this challenge, it will likely come at a terrible cost, far beyond our imagination.”
“I understand, but we have no other choice,” Komer nodded, his expression calm as ever. “Use everything we have and fight to the death.”
A series of magical messages and pigeon messengers were sent out swiftly. On the surface, Ugru remained unchanged, everything seemed normal. But upon closer inspection, it seemed as though Ugru had become somewhat oppressive all of a sudden. More than a dozen high-ranking knights from the three major knight orders arrived in Ugru one after another, while the Knights of Black Flame had already taken residence in Damorlesk Castle.
Damorlesk Castle also seemed bustling with activity. A group led by Newman seemed to be busy day and night, his figure appearing everywhere in the castle’s square. Uma was nowhere to be seen. Yet, whenever it grew quiet at night, faint voices would drift out from the castle’s tunnels, sending chills down one’s spine.