After being crowned the empress, Basara’s first task was to admit and apologize for the empire’s past mistakes. That’s how they could move forward. They weren’t the empire of the past. All the misdeeds, wrongs, and mistakes of the past empire hadn’t been committed by her. For her, it was just history that had passed...

If she used these excuses to ignore the mistakes of the past generations and not take responsibility, who would comfort and appease the victims of the empire? Who could erase the wounds that had been rooted in them and their descendants? Could she discuss a future with them?

For the continent’s unity and peace, Basara knew she had to take full responsibility.

“Unbelievable...”

The eyes of the Sword Knights shook. There was a woman with three sword scars in the center of her face, a short man without a left ear, and an elderly man with different colored eyes. The knights knew these people who were armed with the old red armor.

Amelda, Kentrick, and Dante—they were the single digit knights who led the empire’s golden age along with Piaro. They were the idols of the Sword Knights.

“Thank you... Thank you, Goddess of Light.”

The knights suddenly started to pray. They were trembling. Thanks to the truth Empress Basara had revealed, the knights knew that Piaro and the Red Knights weren’t traitors. No, they were still heroes. The knights knelt and shouted in unison, “Sir Amelda! Sir Kentrick! Sir Dante! It is an honor to see you again!”

Their eyes were red and wet. The heroes, who had been unfairly accused of being traitors, had gotten betrayed by the country they had devoted their lives to and even lost their families. The knights didn’t dare imagine the anger, hatred, and grief the heroes would’ve felt over the years. However, the knights were grateful for their survival and would honor their wounded hearts, hoping they could recover even a small bit.

Amelda laughed. “What, what? Is this real? Have we been cleared completely?

Kentrick spoke in a somber voice, “Those who were chasing us a few years ago to kill us are now honoring us...”

“...” Dante was silent.

All three of them didn’t welcome this. Rather, it was absurd and unpleasant. That was a natural reaction. What was the point of their names being restored when they had already lost everything? There were no family members or colleagues left for them to rejoice with. All that was left was revenge. Their honest feeling was that they wanted to point their swords at the soldiers and knights of the empires who had harmed their families.

“Calm down,” Mercedes restrained Amelda’s killing intent. She had already figured out the situation.

‘Empress Basara apologized and made reparations to all nations and people who were damaged by the empire. The empire’s treasury is empty. The moderates accused her and stuck to Dulandal. In the process, Dulandal had Kyle punish the elves in order to negotiate with other kingdoms.’

Mercedes guessed this perfectly because she was aware of Dulandal’s nature. During the time when she was the first knight, she often encountered the imperial family, and her knowledge of Basara and Dulandal made it easy to gain insight into the situation.

‘A fight can’t be avoided.’

In the past, Grid—her liege—had fought to protect the elves. It was her duty to protect them for her liege.

Mercedes’s gaze turned to Kyle. Among the Five Pillars, he was unusually favored by Juander. He might’ve been regarded as the weakest of the pillars, but his potential was great.

‘He must be a lot stronger than he was before. I will have to deal with him carefully.’

The empire and the Overgeared Kingdom were building an alliance. It meant they shouldn’t fight one another. However, the Overgeared Kingdom had signed the alliance with Empress Basara, and Dulandal wanted to take the throne from Basara. Even if she fought Dulandal’s minions, there was little concern that it would become an international incident. The moment that Mercedes finished her calculations...

“Stop with that tone which is looking down on me,” Kyle, who had been watching the situation like Mercedes, opened his mouth to say. He had also grasped the situation. “You are still treating me as a child when you have been wasting away for more than 10 years.”

Kyle’s expression was stiff. He let out electric currents as he faced Asmophel with a stern expression and tone.

Asmophel smiled bitterly. “I have never looked down on you or treated you as a child. I’m just admiring you because you’ve really grown up.”

Amelda interrupted, “Hehe, heh. That’s right. Kyle was dwarfed by his peers. Now he is totally grown up. By the way, it doesn’t match. Wasn’t Kyle a model student? You were always polite and respectful to everyone. Then what is with this tone and expression? Huh, huh? Have you become an imposing person?”

“This is treating me as a child. Amelda, you haven’t changed at all. Aren’t you ashamed of using that childish tone when you’re so old? Or did you get a head injury while living as a fugitive?”

“What? I’m still in my 30s, my 30s! I’m not a grandmother!”

“Kuk...! Kukukuk!” Kyle suddenly burst out laughing. He was laughing at himself for being nervous a while ago. Kyle had been remembering the past.

Asmophel who had been the deputy head of the Red Knights led by Piaro and a pillar of the empire, the Fifth Knight Amelda, the Seventh Knight Kentrick, and the Ninth Knight Dante... In the past, they were dazzlingly strong. They would stand beside the emperor while Kyle didn’t dare to even set eyes on them.

However, that was more than 15 years ago. Over the years, Asmophel had been enchanted and drugged while the other three were mentally and physically exhausted as they fled the empire. It wasn’t strange that they had lost their skills from their prime. 

No, it wasn’t a problem even if they regained the skills from their prime or developed beyond that. At present, Kyle was overwhelmingly strong. He worked under the former emperor to become a ‘pillar’ beyond the Red Knights, and he was recently chosen by the war god.

Kyle stepped into the realm of transcendence. The way he saw it, Legendary Knight Mercedes was the only one to be wary of among the uninvited guests. Even she had yet to fully mature in the years since she became a legend. There was no need to be nervous against them.

“Asmophel,” Kyle laughed for a long time before saying, “I think your personality is the worst ever. Not only do you call me ‘Electric Eel’, but you also betrayed your friend Piaro out of a sense of inferiority and framed him. Still, I didn’t know you could be so shameless. You are now calling upon your old colleagues who were branded as traitors and lost their family members because of you. I would’ve never dreamed of being reunited with them, even if I were sorry.”

Kyle hated Asmophel in the past. At that time, he hadn’t been familiar with life in the imperial palace. Feeling afraid, Kyle would choke and wave his hands every time he met someone’s eyes, causing him to be called Electric Eel. Kyle still had vivid memories of when the people around him laughed at him. He wanted revenge.

Therefore, at this moment, he mocked the man blocking his way, rather than killing him straight away. Asmophel’s response was different from expected. He wasn’t angry or ashamed. Instead, he just smiled bitterly.

“I reunited with them to take responsibility for my sins. I was obliged to meet them. Additionally, the way I treated you in the old days...” Asmophel couldn’t finish his explanation. Lightning struck the spot where Asmophel stood. Asmophel’s gaze sunk as he jumped to the side to escape.

Kyle spoke from the ground, “It was sour. Now choose. Are you going to leave here or will you die by my hands?”

The answer came straight away. “This is a land King Grid protects. I won’t leave, nor will I die.”

“Okay. Then try living.” Kyle released a surge of electric currents. It was the large-scale magic that paralyzed the elves. Electricity was the unique attribute that Kyle was born with. In his childhood and adolescence, Kyle had been afraid of this attribute but not anymore. He was able to fully control and use his power. It was thanks to Juander, his own effects, and War God Zeratul. 

[Physical defense isn’t possible.]

[You have suffered 15,900 damage.]

[You are paralyzed for 5 seconds.]

“Ugh...!” 

The current had a terrifying effect on those whom Kyle perceived as enemies—Mercedes, Asmophel, Amelda, Kentrick, Dante, Resh, and the elves. Resh was electrocuted despite raising his shield, and he sat down, convulsing. His trembling gaze turned to Mercedes.

Then he saw it. The electric current fired at Mercedes’s group was deflected by sword energy.

Kentrick was furious. “To use such a weak attack against us, he must really see us as obsolete.”

Amelda also inflated her cheeks. “Right, right! How much have we done in order to survive!”

Dante spoke for the first time, “Don’t mock the adversity we have experienced.”

“...!” Resh’s eyes widened with surprise.

The three knights moved quickly and approached Kyle, attacking him. One of them had speed and sharpness and was called ‘a genius who appears once in 100 years’ by the commander of the Sword Knights. Amelda’s two swords stabbed at Kyle, but Kyle’s electric current blocked the attack. Kentrick dashed and aimed at Kyle. Then Kyle kicked at a rock on the ground to block the path of the broadsword. Dante’s mace smashed into Kyle’s chest at the same time.

“Ah...”

Resh and all the Sword Knights lost their souls. The number of blows that Kyle and the single digit knights exchanged in a second was beyond their common sense, so it was hard not to be amazed. The booms continued without a break. Kyle continued to use the currents as a weapon while retreating, and he was pursued by the three knights.

‘It is ignorantly strong.’

‘It is a combat method that relies solely on his innate attributes.’

‘He can’t beat our experience of overcoming life and death struggles for decades.’

The three knights estimated the odds. Kyle used the electric currents to deal with every situation and didn’t use any martial arts or swordsmanship. If the electric currents were like his limbs, then it would be sufficient to cut them. The three knights cut apart the currents like they were a monster with nine heads.

Three sharp sword energies filled the air and tore the currents to shreds. Kyle was exposed, and the three knights didn’t miss this gap. The weapons of different shapes and trajectories pierced Kyle. No, they seemed to pierce him.

“Bah.” Kyle’s upper body receded sharply and soon touched the ground. All of the knights’ attacks reached nothing. Then Kyle’s fist sprung up like a spring and struck Dante’s chest precisely. At this time, the scattered currents once again concentrated on Kyle’s fist.

There was a balloon popping sound. Dante coughed up a handful of blood, lost his momentum, and fell to the ground.

“Fairly good...!” Amelda cried out as she stabbed at Kyle’s thighs. The currents swirled, and his tiny body was blown into the air. Kentrick’s broadsword rushed in through the gap! However, it was caught by Kyle’s hands and stopped.

This wasn’t what the three knights had expected. Kyle hadn’t only trained and strengthened his attribute. He had also acquired an amazing level of physical skill. It was no wonder that he was a follower of the war god.

“Such a monster...”

He was more skilled than the dukes. His ultimate talent was so atrocious it wouldn’t be strange if it were given the modifier of ‘strongest on the continent.’

‘Nothing has changed.’

The Sword Knights would slaughter the elves as scheduled...

Resh felt despair.

“Bloom,” Asmophel’s clear voice echoed through the forest right then. A large flower bud rose above Kyle’s body. It was transparent and red, and it consisted of sword energy. 

“...!” Kyle’s face turned white. Blood was pouring out from his nose and ears.

“I won’t kill you,” Asmophel declared before moving his sword again. Beautiful flowers blossomed from Kyle’s body as his blood soaked the forest.

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