A Cadet Becomes a Prophet?!

A thousand years ago, the first emperor of the Armian Empire declared that nearly all the lands of the Kingdom of Armian belonged to the emperor.

When the throne changed hands, so did the territories.

Thus, when Schwaben ascended the throne, its domain doubled.

However, even if the top changed, it was impossible to completely replace what lay in the middle.

These weren’t mere cogs in a machine, but nobles—the true landowners and power holders.

Many lords shifted their loyalty from Armian to Schwaben, but few did so wholeheartedly.

Schwaben tried to dispose of them and replace them with its own followers, but that wasn’t an easy task.

Stripping them of land or titles without a legitimate reason would only give the nobles cause to rebel.

That’s why, from the moment Schwaben took over the former Armian lands, a silent war began to break their spirit.

A hundred years passed.

A century isn’t a short time, but it’s not enough to erase the weight of an empire that ruled for nine hundred.

【The Emperor punishes the Crown Prince and raises the sword against the corrupt!】

【Schwaben publishes the list of corrupts and suspects!】

【The Sword of the Empire, Ivan Cousteau, to lead the purge of the corrupt!】

【Dozens of nobles exposed as infiltrated corrupts! How did the Empire come to this…?】

“He played us.”

Fernan folded the newspaper with a sigh.

“The emperor is more obsessed with power than I thought.”

From the duel at the New Covenant Tournament between the prince and the mercenary king, the wounds, the regeneration, Aint’s revelation, and the public execution of the prince by the emperor—

Everything felt like a perfectly staged play.

The outcome was a disaster for the former vassals of Armian, but a flawless victory for the emperor and Schwaben.

Everyone won—except Ruben Schwaben.

“…No, this goes beyond ruthless. Isn’t he just a psychopath? That guy’s completely insane!”

Gismond, now sober thanks to his aura, cursed with burning rage.

His words were blasphemous when referring to the emperor, but everyone in the room thought the same.

“…So, in summary, he used the prince as bait to uproot what remained of Armian.”

Crack.

The handle of Aint’s beer mug snapped. The container, unsupported, fell to the floor.

— They got us good.

— If the emperor uses this as an excuse to crush the former territories of Armian, we’re finished—even if Aint reaches the throne someday.

The gaps left by the former nobles would be filled by vassals loyal to Schwaben, and they’d hardly support a new Armian emperor.

“Isn’t there a way to stop it? If we find proof that it was all staged…”

“Of course it was. But proving a lie takes ten times more effort than inventing one. By the time we gather evidence, all those nobles will already be executed.”

The emperor had no intention of yielding or waiting.

The fact that he sent Ivan Cousteau to lead the operation was proof enough.

The strongest swordsman on the continent—a man who stopped at nothing to fulfill imperial orders.

“So there’s no way?”

“I didn’t say that. I said the Armian nobles would be destroyed before we manage to clear their names.”

Tap, tap. Fernan tapped the table with his fingers.

“Are you serious? What’s the plan?”

“Get that face out of mine, you’re suffocating me.”

Aint leaned in eagerly, and Fernan had to push his face away with a hand.

“Aint, let’s do an interview immediately. While the reporters arrive, write a letter to Duke Ferdicas.”

“An interview…?”

“Politics is fought with politics.”

But that alone wasn’t enough.

The enemy was already moving; while Aint gained ground in public opinion, Fernan had to stop any direct military actions.

“In this case, staying a few more days in Altian turned out to be a lucky break.”

“Luina.”

Fernan turned to her.

“Could I borrow your sword for a while?”

“Gladly.”

Without a single question, Luina nodded firmly.

“Sir Garrett.”

“What’s with that unsettling look?”

“Would you like to take the opportunity to get rich?”

“As much as I’m a mercenary, those who chase too much gold end up dead.”

“What if it’s a sum worth risking your life for?”

“…Damn it.”

And with that, Fernan and the two Royal Knights stood up and left.

***

Aint stood before a group of journalists.

He had spoken in front of them many times before, but never had his shoulders felt so heavy.

“What’s your opinion on the emperor’s recent decree?!”

“Most of the names on the list are former Armian nobles! What do you think about that?!”

“How do you feel right now?!”

The questions rained from every direction.

But one of them caught his attention—the one he could use.

“…I find it strange.”

He spoke slowly, emphasizing every word.

“I don’t know the former Armian lands or their nobles in detail. But I know something doesn’t add up.”

“What do you mean?”

“Isn’t it curious?”

Aint met the reporters’ eyes.

“It’s only been a week since I revealed that Ruben Schwaben was a corrupt.”

One week. A short time, but enough to plan something.

“And now, suddenly, a list appears made up almost entirely of nobles living in the former Armian territories.”

If you thought about it calmly, the matter reeked of manipulation.

“The first thing they did was change the board.”

“It’s no longer a battle between humans and corrupts, or traitors and the empire—it’s now between Armian and Schwaben.”

“It’s no longer a war for humanity’s survival—it’s just another political dispute.”

Maybe the emperor acted swiftly to eliminate all resistance, but that very haste opened a new opportunity for Aint.

“His Majesty the Emperor didn’t notice Ruben was a corrupt all this time, and now, suddenly, in a few days, he can discover dozens more?”

“But they say all of them were connected to Ruben. If the emperor is furious and has gone all-in, wouldn’t that make sense?”

“And yet, the majority just so happen to be former Armian nobles?”

Aint smiled with a trace of restrained mockery.

“Let me make it clear from right here—this is blatant political repression. The emperor is using the excuse of the corrupt to go after the nobles of the former Armian Empire.”

“Are you saying the emperor has falsely accused them?”

“And can you guarantee that they have no ties to the corrupt?”

The reporters began shifting uncomfortably.

“Maybe some of them really are. I can’t say for sure because I don’t know them all.”

“Isn’t that too irresponsible on your part?”

“Precisely because of that…”

Aint gave a faint smile.

“…I’d like to take this moment to formally request something from His Majesty the Emperor. No one detects demonic energy better than I do. I can find the corrupt and hidden demons.”

“I trust my ability to judge better than anyone whether they truly are corrupt.”

The journalists nodded.

It was a proven fact—Aint had already repeatedly demonstrated his ability to identify the corrupt.

After all, this entire situation began precisely because he revealed that Ruben Schwaben was one.

“That’s why I request to be allowed to join the unit led by Sir Ivan Cousteau, who has departed to hunt down the corrupt and traitors.”

“I will personally determine who is and who isn’t.”

His voice rang out, firm and assured.

“If His Majesty truly has no hidden motives and only seeks to eliminate the true corrupt, then allowing me to evaluate them would be the safest way to avoid executing the innocent, wouldn’t it?”

“Write that down!”

“This is huge!”

Aint’s press conference spread rapidly, making headlines across the continent.

***

Aside from the Imperial Guard, there was no force more powerful than the Black Eagle Squadron and the White Eagle Squadron, each consisting of fifty knights.

They were joined by a hundred battle mages, five hundred cavalry, and two thousand elite soldiers.

With such power, they could wipe a small kingdom off the map within hours.

And that wasn’t even the most fearsome part.

Their commander was Ivan Cousteau.

The greatest knight of the Empire—and the entire continent.

The shield that protected the emperor and the sword that cut down his enemies.

With him in command, the force was nearly perfect.

No one could stand between them and their imperial mission.

“Stop.”

Ivan raised his hand, and the entire troop halted.

“What is this…”

“Since when has that been here?”

Before them stretched a massive chasm, more than ten meters wide and of unknown depth.

“Prepare for combat.”

An artificial mana current could be felt.

Even if they hadn’t noticed it, a normal road couldn’t collapse like this on its own—someone had made it happen.

And there was no need to ask who.

“What’s your intent?”

Ivan Cousteau spoke to the other side of the rift, where three figures were watching them.

“We were just passing through, but the road broke and we got stuck.”

“Sorry, but it doesn’t look that way. Fernan Pellenberg, Luina Bercheff, and Garrett Schreiner—I think you owe me an explanation.”

“And if we give you one, would you believe it?”

“First, close the rift and restore the road.”

Fernan shook his head.

“Unfortunately, I can’t do that.”

“If you opened it, you should be able to close it.”

“They say it’s much harder to clear a false accusation than to make one. It’s the same with rifts—opening them is easy, repairing them, not so much.”

His words carried an edge.

“So you’re saying the traitors allied with the corrupt are innocent?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“The name Pellenberg has protected you until now, but that ends here.”

Shing. Ivan Cousteau unsheathed his sword. The knights and soldiers did the same in a single synchronized movement.

“You are currently obstructing a force dispatched by the emperor to eliminate traitors to the empire. That constitutes treason.”

“I’ll give you one last chance.”

“Close the path and withdraw. If not, I’ll arrest you for treason.”

A crushing pressure fell upon them.

Though separated by dozens of meters, the air grew so heavy it became difficult to breathe.

“I see—the rumors weren’t lies.”

The mercenary king furrowed his brow, gripping the spear on his back.

“Fernan, you’ve already noticed, haven’t you? That guy’s a monster.”

“Yes, I know.”

The title of Knight of Royal Knights was no exaggeration.

“But we can’t back down.”

“Damn it, this is going to cost me.”

“Any extra compensation will be generously covered by Armian.”

“Too late to back out, huh…?”

“He’s coming!”

Luina shouted.

At the same time, a whirlwind engulfed them.

──!

Luina was pushed back, suppressing a groan from the impact.

Ivan Cousteau had already crossed the rift and was swinging his sword as if it were nothing.

“Black Eagle Squadron, handle the mercenary king. White Eagle Squadron, Luina Bercheff.”

“At your command!”

A hundred knights crossed the rift in unison, surrounding the two Royal Knights.

Up to that point, Fernan had been unable to move.

The weight of the magical pressure had pinned him to the ground.

“I don’t understand why you’re doing this, but all the better.”

“Bringing ruin upon yourselves—how foolish.”

“Fernan Pellenberg, you are under arrest for treason.”

Ivan’s body vanished.

In an instant, he descended from the sky upon Fernan.

──!

The ground shattered beneath the impact.

A roar rang out as Wooden, now over two meters tall, blocked Ivan’s sword.

— Kyuu!

“So this is the famous Ego Golem.”

“I’m sorry, Sir Ivan, but you’ll have to amuse yourself with us for a while.”

“You think you can toy with me?”

His tone was arrogant—but it was the arrogance of someone who had earned the right.

“The emperor is using the corrupt as an excuse to eliminate those who stand in his way. He’s turning a continental crisis into a political struggle. We can’t allow that.”

“His Majesty shed tears of blood as he severed the prince heir’s limbs! He swore vengeance! Where do you see politics in that?!”

“Doesn’t it strike you as suspicious that he never noticed the prince was a corrupt? Do you really think the current emperor is that incompetent?”

“How dare you…!”

Boom!

An explosion separated them. Fernan and Wooden were thrown by the shockwave.

Fernan barely managed to stabilize himself in the air before seeing the sword coming to slice him in half.

“If you trust that pile of scrap so much, I’ll show you how fragile your faith is.”

Clang!

But the sword was blocked again.

— Kyu, Kyuu!

Not scrap!

— Kyu, kyu!

Big body!

— Kyu! Kyun! Kuuu!

You! Bad! Punishment!

And so, the enraged Wooden roared with overwhelming fury.