Knight: from Apprentice to the Almighty

Chapter 341: Chapter 328: Gloria’s Resolution

「Land of the Sun Crown, the training grounds.」

This was where the Church Guards honed their Martial Arts. The ground was covered in thick sand, and an assortment of worn training equipment and archery targets lined the area.

After the ceremony, Gloria had sought out Roland. She confessed that while the Holy Mark granted her Power, she lacked any formal combat training and was unable to effectively wield the Energy she now possessed.

Therefore, she solemnly requested that Roland—the Warrior she had personally witnessed defeat a powerful enemy—teach her the art of combat.

And Roland, naturally, did not refuse.

Now, on the training grounds, two figures darted and weaved around each other.

Roland’s movements were relaxed and effortless. He wasn’t using any Extraordinary Power, relying solely on his Body Techniques and Sword Skills to easily parry or evade Gloria’s all-out attacks.

His breathing was steady, as if he were merely on a morning stroll.

Gloria, on the other hand, was already drenched in sweat and breathing heavily.

She poured all her strength into every slash and thrust of her Training Sword, but Roland deflected each one with ease.

When her Concentration was at its peak, the light from her Holy Mark would pulse faintly beneath her skin, but it was hardly enough to bridge the vast gap in their skill and experience.

"The Duke’s messenger... revealed they’ll be arriving in the East soon."

Gloria said, panting, as Roland sidestepped and parried another one of her thrusts. Sweat trickled down her temples.

"He will follow the plan... and ’rendezvous’ with Anno’s army."

Roland parried a powerful but clumsy downward slash, using its momentum to throw her off-balance as he asked.

"What exactly does he plan to do?"

His voice was calm, a stark contrast to Gloria’s ragged breaths.

Gloria stumbled but quickly regained her balance, raising her sword once more.

"He said... he’ll wait for the moment Duke Anno is engaged with the armies of the River Domain, when his attention is most divided..."

She attempted a horizontal slash after a sharp feint.

"And then, he’ll lead his personal guard in a direct assault on Anno’s main camp!"

The answer made Roland’s movements freeze for a fraction of a second.

He took an easy half-step back, letting the blade skim past his chest. His voice was filled with disbelief.

"A direct assault? So... blunt and brutal?"

He even forgot to press his attack, blurting out,

"What in the world did you promise him? To make him so committed that he’d adopt such a risky plan without hesitation?"

Gloria took the opportunity to catch her breath. Leaning on her sword, her chest rising and falling, she looked up at Roland, her gaze calm and candid.

"I promised that once this is over, all of Duke Anno’s original lands, along with the three most prosperous trade towns on the eastern border, will be permanently ceded to his domain. And..."

She paused before continuing clearly,

"...I will recognize his hereditary title as the Duke of the Western Border, granting him nearly independent authority to levy taxes and raise troops."

Roland’s brow furrowed at her words.

The price was steep. It was tantamount to handing over nearly a quarter of the Kingdom’s lifeblood to another, equally powerful Duke.

After a moment of silence, he didn’t resume the attack. Instead, he raised a crucial question.

"A generous promise, but forgive me for being blunt, Your Highness. You are not... King Morne’s publicly recognized heir. Why would the Duke... so readily believe you can deliver on a promise that goes so far beyond normal concessions?"

Sweat soaked Gloria’s golden hair, but her eyes were exceptionally clear and sharp, tinged with an almost cold realism.

"He will."

Her tone was absolute.

"Because he knows that once he acts under the righteous banner of ’purging a traitor to the Kingdom,’ and once those lands and that Authority are in his grasp, it will be nearly impossible to make him relinquish them."

"Even if my father, the King, returns, he’ll be faced with a fait accompli. For the sake of the Kingdom’s stability, he would be unlikely to take them back by force. That would mean another war."

She steadied her breathing slightly and continued her calm analysis, revealing a profound understanding of the games of power.

"And in the worst-case scenario, if my father insists on reclaiming some of that authority, he will have to compensate the Duke with something of equal value from elsewhere in exchange for the Western Domain’s loyalty and stability."

"For the Duke, it’s a no-lose proposition. He either gets everything I promised, or he gets equally valuable compensation from the King."

Roland mulled over her words, forced to admit that Gloria’s assessment of the Duke’s psyche and the political landscape was remarkably astute.

This calculation, rooted in practical interests and the balance of power, was far more persuasive than any empty vow.

"A brilliant calculation, but..."

He parried another of her flagging attacks.

"A promise like that is tantamount to shattering the balance of power your father painstakingly maintained in the Kingdom for years. When he returns from the Northern Domain and is faced with a Duke of the Western Border whose Authority has swelled to make him virtually independent... how will you answer for it?"

Gloria’s movements faltered.

She took a deep breath. Sweat dripped from her jaw, but her eyes held no trace of doubt. Instead, they shone with a resolute clarity.

"I alone will bear all the consequences and the blame."

Her voice was quiet, yet it carried an unshakeable resolve.

"Yes, granting a Duke such immense power will upset the current balance."

"But compared to Duke Anno, who dabbles in the forbidden power of the Abyss, slaughters innocent civilians, and drags the entire Kingdom into the flames of war for his own selfish ambition, the price I pay is a painful sacrifice. It is a necessary evil to prevent a far greater catastrophe that would surely lead to the Kingdom’s complete ruin."

She tightened her grip on her sword’s hilt, her eyes blazing as she looked at Roland. Her voice was filled with a heavy, yet regretless, conviction.

"A temporary imbalance can be corrected. The foundations of Order can be rebuilt. But if Anno is left unchecked, the Golden Valley Kingdom stands to lose far more than a few territories and some tax revenue. It will lose its very soul and its future."

"Of two evils, I choose the path I believe to be the right one—the one that will cause the Kingdom less harm, even if it means I must bear all the responsibility myself."

Her words carried immense weight.

Roland stared at her. In her frame, trembling slightly from exhaustion yet still held ramrod straight, he saw a burden of responsibility and a strength of will that belied her age.

"I understand."

He said at last, slowly, as he returned to his defensive stance.

"Then, setting these heavy burdens aside for a moment... what about you? After setting all this in motion, what do you plan to do next?"

Gloria took a deep breath and raised her Training Sword again, the resolute light in her eyes burning even brighter.

"I intend to rendezvous with the Duke, then go to the front lines myself and take part in the decapitation strike against Anno. I won’t be at ease until I witness his downfall with my own eyes."

But Roland shook his head. He deftly deflected her next attack with his Training Sword and offered a sober analysis.

"That plan is flawed, Your Highness."

"Putting aside whether Anno would even trust the Duke, the raid itself is full of variables. Even if we successfully rout his army, Anno himself is a Transcendent of immeasurable Power. He also likely wields dangerous Abyssal Power. If his army is defeated, it wouldn’t be difficult for him to escape in the chaos."

At his words, Gloria’s assault slowed. She frowned, and after a moment’s thought, had to admit Roland’s assessment was more comprehensive.

"Then what do you suggest we do to ensure success?"

Roland stopped and looked her straight in the eye.

"When we rendezvous with the Duke, we can give him a token that proves your identity and authorization. That will allow him to act under the righteous banner of ’purging the traitor by order of the Princess,’ maximizing his support and allowing him to seize the initiative."

"Then, we can borrow a unit of his most loyal elites. We won’t engage on the main battlefield. Instead, we’ll set an ambush along Anno’s most likely escape route. Even if we can’t kill him then and there, we can certainly inflict heavy losses on his remaining forces and cripple his ability to make a comeback."

He paused, his voice dropping as he added another, crucial concern.

"Furthermore, Your Highness, don’t forget that Anno isn’t the only one behind this conspiracy."

"Eldest Prince Lucius... he seems incompetent and foolish, but for him to have remained secure under King Morne’s eye for so long—to even be entrusted with regency when the King left the Royal Capital—is impossible through luck alone. He is not as simple as he appears. We must be wary of any move he might make at the last minute."

Gloria fell silent for a moment before slowly lowering her sword and nodding.

"You’re right, Sir Roland. My considerations were incomplete. We’ll do as you say."

The two of them discussed the details for a while longer.

They had just finalized their plan to set out early the next morning to rendezvous with the Duke’s advance party when a faint, but distinctly unnatural, footstep suddenly echoed from the shadows at the edge of the training grounds, shattering the silence.