"This food is from Saintess Xul for the Celestial Knight, Sir Legion," a Holy Knight announced as he handed a silver tray of food to Faelan. "This has been blessed by the Saintess herself."
Faelan glanced at the tray, then at the knight. "Alright, I'll give it to him."
The Holy Knight hesitated and looked toward the tent.
"He's not here," Faelan added, noticing the man's reluctance. "He teleported back to the Empress Palace." Then, seeing the knight's uncertainty, he added with a smirk, "Don't worry, we won't eat it."
With no other choice, the Holy Knight handed over the tray before returning to the frontline camp, where the high-ranking officials of the expedition were gathered.
"Did you deliver the food to the Celestial Knight?" Xul asked as soon as the knight returned to their makeshift dining tent.
"I left it with his tentmate," the knight reported. "Sir Legion wasn't there... he teleported back to the Empress Palace."
A hush fell over the table.
"He returned?" Celion murmured, his expression darkening. Even now, he was still struggling to comprehend the reality of what they had witnessed earlier.
A Celestial Knight. A knight from legends, now existing in Aquilonis.
As far as the world knew, not a single other kingdom possessed a Celestial Knight.
And if that wasn't enough…
A fruit-bearing Malvera tree is growing in the Empress's Palace.
A noble official, Baron Aldric Vischer, leaned forward, a calculating glint in his eyes.
"Your Majesty," he addressed Duke Aurelian, "once this expedition is over, I believe it would be in our kingdom's best interest to reclaim the Empress's Palace from the Empress herself. If a Malvera tree truly bears fruit within its grounds, it should belong to the royal family."
Murmurs of agreement rippled through the table.
"This will be the turning point for our kingdom," said Count Revan Orland, another noble. "The five other kingdoms will no longer be able to mock us."
One of the Holy Knight Commanders, Sir Deon Helvann, folded his arms.
"And do you think the Empress will simply step aside and allow us to take the palace from her?" he asked. "She has the Celestial Knight at her service. And with his abilities, I highly doubt any other knight could stand against him."
The discussion grew heavier.
A second Holy Knight Commander, Sir Cedric Hallam, spoke next.
"Imagine the potential if we bring both the Malvera tree and the Celestial Knight under our complete control." His voice was filled with ambition.
"With a fruit-bearing Malvera tree and the only Celestial Knight in existence under our Saintess… Aquilonis would rise in both court and church power."
The atmosphere in the tent shifted... from shock, to calculation, to something darker.
Then, a Holy Knight hesitantly turned to Xul.
"Your Holiness… is it truly impossible for a Celestial Knight to break their oath?"
All eyes turned toward Xul.
Even Duke Aurelian and Celion were watching her now.
The Saintess's sweet smile returned.
She sighed dramatically, as if it truly pained her to answer.
"Unfortunately… yes." She tilted her head, voice soft and melodic.
Then, she paused... before delivering her next words with chilling clarity.
"The oath will only release a Celestial Knight, when the knight dies or when the master they serve dies."
The tent fell into silence.
Even Aurelian's brows furrowed.
Baron Aldric's grip tightened around his goblet. "Are you suggesting… that the Empress must be eliminated?"
Sir Draven let out a short laugh, smirking. "I'd be more than happy to take on that task."
Xul laughed lightly, shaking her head.
"I am not suggesting anything, Sir Draven." She sighed. "But let us consider another possibility."
She placed her delicate hands on the table, her expression serene.
"What do you think the Water Kingdom, Vaelundis, will do once they discover that the princess they abandoned has a Celestial Knight in her service?"
The tension in the tent grew sharper.
Xul continued.
"They will demand that we return her... and Sir Legion... to them. And if we refuse?
She gave a knowing look.
"Then they will blackmail us… with the very thing we need to survive: the food supply they promised us before."
And with that, the realization sank in.
Duke Aurelian's gaze darkened.
Xul folded her hands neatly.
"And despite how they treated her in the past… she is still their blood. And a woman like her, raised in submission… wouldn't she do anything they asked?"
Her smile remained gentle, almost motherly.
"And we have seen Sir Legion's power firsthand. Imagine… if he could control one thousand unmanned Armor Knights. And each one of them had his Celestial Abilities.
She leaned forward, her voice a delicate whisper... calculated, deliberate.
"The war would be over before it even began."
A pause, then the final blow...
"And whoever he serves… will be the victor."
Duke Aurelian clenched his jaw, his mind racing through the implications.
The Saintess wasn't wrong.
Legion's abilities were far too dangerous.
But he was not a cruel man.
Yes, the Empress was meant to be his bride once, a marriage he refused after seeing her appearance.
Yes, she had no allies, no power, and was little more than a figurehead.
But she had never done anything to threaten the kingdom.
She had remained quiet in her palace. She did not scheme, did not demand, did not interfere.
And because of that, Vaelundis... the kingdom she was cast out from... continued to send food supplies to Aquilonis.
And yet, now…
Everything had changed.
She had Legion.
A knight unlike any other.
A knight who could single-handedly turn the tides of war.
If he were to rebel, if he were to stand against the kingdom, even with all their knights, mages, and holy warriors…
Aquilonis would not win.
Aurelian exhaled heavily, resisting the urge to rub his temples.
This is why he hated the court.
Too many conniving minds. Too much greed disguised as strategy.
He would much rather be fighting monsters than playing these dangerous games.
But he was his father's eldest son. The future emperor.
And whether he liked it or not…
He could no longer delay his duty.
His voice, firm and commanding, broke the silence.
"Let us revisit this topic once the expedition is complete. For now, our focus must remain on our objective.
We must capture the Holy Beast and bring it under our command."
His violet eyes darkened.
"This is our last chance. We must succeed. Because if we fail…"
He swept his gaze across the noble officials, the Holy Knights, the High Court Magician.
"I know for a fact that our people will no longer volunteer for another expedition. And the number of mages, noble knights, and holy knights we have are not enough to attempt this again.
If we fail, we will not survive another harsh winter."
A heavy silence followed.
Then, Aurelian turned his gaze to Lady Layla, the only female commander of the Holy Knights.
"Lady Layla, are you certain this is the only way to weaken the Holy Beast?"
A solemn look passed over her face.
She did not speak immediately. Then, after a long pause...
"…Yes, Your Majesty."
Her voice was heavy, reluctant.
"According to an ancient tome found in the Church of Zephyriax, the Floating Kingdom…
The scent of blood weakens the Holy Beast."
She hesitated.
"…Unfortunately, that is all that the High Priestess of the Wind Kingdom managed to decipher from it... three hundred years ago.
No one else has been able to translate the rest."
Aurelian's lips pressed into a firm line.
So that was it, then.
A piece of knowledge written in an ancient language, deciphered centuries ago, with no way to confirm its truth…
And yet, it was all they had.
Aurelian straightened, his voice steady... though filled with resignation.
"Then we have no choice.
A few must be sacrificed for the many to survive."
The table remained silent, but no one disagreed.
They all knew the truth.
If this failed, Aquilonis was doomed.
Celion was the next to speak.
"And what about the Celestial Knight, Your Majesty?
He scowled.
"He refuses to join the front line."
Aurelian's expression did not change.
"I will speak with him myself tonight."
The Last Batch of Ingredients
Aurelian's voice had been calm, yet absolute.
"As long as he is part of this expedition…
I am his commander.
And he will follow my orders."
With that, the meeting continued, strategizing how best to capture the Holy Beast... their last chance before winter sealed the kingdom's fate.
Moments later, a Holy Knight entered, bowing low before making an announcement.
"Your Majesty, the Celestial Knight has returned."
That ended their discussion.
Without hesitation, Aurelian rose, leading a group of noble knights, Holy Knights, Celion, and Saintess Xul toward the rear end of the camp, where the commoner volunteers were situated.
Yet before they even arrived at Legion's tent, something unfamiliar caught their attention.
A smell.
An intoxicating, rich aroma... warm, inviting, utterly foreign... wafted through the cold night air.
Following the scent, they spotted a long line of non-fighter volunteers holding wooden bowls and cups, waiting eagerly in front of Captain Hugo's tent.
Near the entrance, several women were distributing food and drinks, their movements quick and efficient.
Aurelian's group approached, and as soon as they were noticed, the commoners immediately bowed in respect... but did not abandon their spots in line.
Instead, they quickly resumed waiting for their turn.
The noble knights behind Aurelian frowned.
A group of commoners ignoring a Duke's presence?
Unthinkable.
Yet before they could react, a voice burst from within the tent... loud, desperate, and entirely panicked.
"You have to be joking, Legion! Tell me you're joking! Have mercy!"
It was Cecilion.
Aurelian's brows furrowed.
Then, one of the noble knights beside him straightened, raising his voice.
"The Duke Aurelian is here to speak with the Celestial Knight!"
His booming announcement cut through the commotion.
The tent flaps rustled.
Captain Hugo stepped outside, immediately bowing before motioning them in.
As they entered, everyone inside dropped to one knee... except Legion, who simply bowed his head slightly.
Aurelian did not acknowledge the difference.
Instead, he gave them permission to rise.
Yet before he could speak, Cecilion immediately resumed his dramatic breakdown.
He grabbed Legion's shoulders, his face an expression of pure despair.
"Tell us you're lying, Legion!" Cecilion pleaded.
Legion sighed heavily.
Here we go again.
"I'm not lying." His tone was flat, clearly losing patience with this absurdity. "This will be the last batch of ingredients the Empress prepares."
A horrified silence fell over the tent.
The men who had fought monsters just hours ago, unshaken by death, stared at Legion like their entire world had collapsed.
Conn looked like he was about to cry as he clutched a sack like it was his lifeline.
"But… why?"
Legion pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Because she is sick. She's not feeling well.
If she hadn't ordered me to return for this batch, I would have stayed by her side to take care of her."
His tone darkened at the last sentence, making it clear how much he hated leaving her when she was unwell.
Faelan's eyes widened in horror.
"Then what do we do?! The spices? The salt?! The coffee?!"
He looked devastated, like his entire will to live had vanished.
"Are we going back to tasteless food?! And... AND MY COFFEE?!
How am I supposed to survive without coffee?!"
Several men nodded solemnly, their faces grave.
Even the Holy Knights, noble knights, and Aurelian's group... who had no idea what was happening... felt the weight of the situation.
Aurelian, Celion, and Xul exchanged confused glances.
What in the world…?
"What do you mean?" Legion asked, clearly irritated.
"My sister will still prepare them. I'll still collect them every three days."
A collective intake of breath.
Cecilion and the others stared at him.
"But you said the Empress won't prepare them anymore!"
Legion shrugged.
"Yes. That's what I said. She will no longer prepare them.
But my sister, Delphine, will.
So we'll still have them.
They just won't have the Empress's blessing anymore."
A long pause.
Then...
"Oh. Okay, then."
Faelan immediately relaxed.
The rest followed suit, their earlier despair vanishing as if it never happened.
Dorian grinned, shaking his head.
"We can handle it without the Empress's blessings." He stretched. "I mean, I don't know about the rest of you, but my MP is already at 170/200."
A series of murmurs followed.
"Mine too."
"Same here."
"I went up to 175/200."
Only Captain Hugo remained silent.
Renee noticed first.
"What about you, Captain? How's your MP?"
"Just 50/200."
Dead silence.
Everyone froze.
Conn's mouth dropped open.
"Wait... why?!"
"Everyone's MP and HP have been growing! And I clearly remember you saying yours was too!"
Captain Hugo smiled.
"Ah. Well… my HP leveled up instead."