Chapter 292
Episode 91: Power, and the Worship of Power (3)

March 8, 1799.

The swords of Runcandel had arrived in the disputed territory of Ventica, gathered to kill Barton Vichena.

Ventica was deep in the grip of winter. The sky was utterly dry, as if parched, and beneath it, a biting, razor-sharp wind swept across the land.

It was a barren wasteland of nothing but dirt and rocky mountains. Yet, for centuries, this place had been a hotbed of conflict—big and small—because of its resources.

Scattered across the wilderness were massive pits, each large enough to fit a sailing ship. From a distance, they looked like mere gaps in the earth, but up close, their enormity was undeniable.

These were the scars of resource extraction. This land was unusually rich in buried minerals, making it a lucrative prize for conquerors throughout history.

The discovery of ancient eternal iron here was unprecedented. Every time this mysterious ore was found, it sparked fierce power struggles among the great factions.

Just like now, with Runcandel’s knights and Ziphl’s mages assembled here.

“By the White Night… I’m about to face that damn warship’s power once again.”

Near the horizon, something gleamed like the sun itself.

Kozek, Ziphl’s colossal warship, was making its imposing presence known.

Five red dragons flew tightly alongside it like escort vessels. With the massive ship and five dragons dominating the sky, even the vast expanse above felt suffocating.

And Jin watched from behind, observing the lone knight standing against them.

“So this is Barton Vichena…”

A billowing cloak, a sword glimpsed through the folds, a black helmet.

Barton stood alone before Kozek and the five red dragons, his presence overwhelming.

Though separated by hundreds of meters, they were already within each other’s striking range.

Jin could almost feel that Barton could, if he wished, tear through the dragons and destroy Kozek in an instant.

The Black Knight of Runcandel.

Wearing the black helmet and bearing the title of Black Knight was a privilege granted to only ten individuals across the entire noble house.

Jin could tell from the aura Barton radiated that he was more than worthy of the title.

The problem was that he was a traitor.

If Rosa alone had been certain Barton was a spy, Jin would have investigated separately.

But even Sir Siron did not deny Barton’s betrayal, so it was undeniable.

The fact that he had to be killed was uncomfortable.

According to the records, Barton had every reason to harbor resentment against Runcandel.

Still, hesitation was dangerous. Jin only wished there might be a moment to talk before killing him.

“Have you arrived, Fourth Cavalry?”

As Jin, Dipus, and the guardian knights approached, Barton spoke first. His voice, muffled through the helmet, was dark and commanding.

Though he used formal speech, he didn’t even turn around. Even as a cavalry officer, he was not above the Black Knight in rank.

Dipus took his place beside Barton.

“Sir Barton.”

“I never imagined the Twelfth Cavalry would join this mission. Was this Lady Rosa’s decision?”

Barton finally turned to look at Jin.

Jin immediately sensed the emotion beneath his calm tone.

Disappointment.

He seemed displeased that a Black Knight like himself was assigned to work alongside a newly minted cavalry officer like Jin.

Dipus nodded.

“Yes, Sir Barton.”

“This will be a dangerous battle. Fourth Cavalry, protect the Twelfth well.”

“Well, I doubt they need much protection.”

“If that’s your judgment, I have nothing to say. But keep in mind, I won’t have much leeway against those enemies.”

“I’ll take that to heart.”

Despite Barton’s somewhat commanding tone, Dipus showed no sign of offense. He seemed to accept it as natural.

Setting aside Barton’s betrayal, Dipus was behaving appropriately.

Many cavalry officers never reach the ‘Eternal Shrine’ after death, but Black Knights are always enshrined there unless they commit treason.

In that sense, Barton could not be enshrined.

“Fourth Cavalry, take charge of the central front. The three best guardian knights will form the infiltration team; the remaining seven will handle any enemies who retreat from the battlefield.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Yes, sir!”

“Even if an emergency or sudden situation forces a temporary retreat, never choose the central front as your route. You risk being swept away and killed.”

“Understood.”

Barton never gave any orders to the Twelfth Cavalry or Jin.

After the initial mention, he treated Jin as if he didn’t exist.

“Regardless of betrayal, this must bruise Barton’s pride. To work alongside someone so young and whose family’s legitimacy is in question…”

Jin didn’t react to Barton’s attitude. Complaining would only make him look foolish, and honestly, he wasn’t that bothered.

He didn’t even harbor ill will toward Barton. If anything, he felt somewhat favored—though not in the way Barton intended.

“Die, run, fight—do as you please.”

That was the message Jin took from Barton’s cold dismissal.

“That’s all. Positions, everyone.”

At Barton’s command, the guardian knights quickly dispersed.

The three chosen for infiltration stayed behind and donned masks to conceal their identities.

Kozek and the red dragons were closing in fast. Though still some distance away, the dragons simultaneously raised their shields, forming a massive circle in the sky.

Ssshhh…

At the same moment, Barton, Dipus, and the infiltration team drew their swords.

The battle had begun.

The dragons’ shields were meant to buy time for Kozek to activate its cannons.

“Good luck, Fourth Cavalry.”

Whoosh!

Barton charged forward, his eyes blazing. Each step sent rock fragments flying, and his sword, infused with aura, unleashed a massive blade-like energy.

Dipus followed closely, surging ahead, while the infiltration knights advanced, predicting where debris from clashing sword energy and cannon fire would fall.

Only Dipus and Barton could fight freely despite the falling fragments. Barton was well aware of this.

“Maybe I should fall back for now.”

Jin decided to withdraw.

His body wasn’t in perfect condition, and wasting energy early on wouldn’t help.

More importantly, he wanted to keep his full strength hidden from Barton for as long as possible.

“If Barton figures out my true power too soon, it could be trouble. He might sense something strange and start probing.”

From Barton’s perspective, this mission was simply about securing Ventica.

He didn’t yet know the cavalry and guardian knights had come to kill him. If he did, he wouldn’t have treated Jin with such disdain.

So Jin had to conceal his strength.

The best outcome would be for Dipus, Barton, and the guardian knights to defeat Ziphl’s forces without Jin’s involvement.

Then Jin could quietly eliminate a weary Barton without the enemy noticing, or let Barton die at the enemy’s hands—mission accomplished.

“But chances are, I’ll have to step in eventually. Whether to seal the victory, turn the tide, save the knights, or something else.”

The alternative was Runcandel’s defeat, with Barton killed during retreat.

That would mean losing Ventica to the enemy, but the responsibility would likely fall on Dipus, not Jin.

“This mission can’t really harm me. Nor will it benefit me. Whether it succeeds or fails, the credit and blame will go to Dipus. Mother really assigned this mission to use me efficiently.”

So, as always, Jin would take whatever advantage he could.

Thanks to Barton’s dismissive attitude, Jin had a solid plan.

“Whether Runcandel or Ziphl wins, Dipus and Barton will take damage. If the opportunity arises… taking out Dipus wouldn’t be a bad idea.”

“Taking out” didn’t necessarily mean killing. Jin wanted to instill a deep fear in Dipus so he’d never treat him carelessly again.

There was no need to kill Dipus yet. Removing a key figure who could check Joshua now would be foolish.

“Brother still has many tasks ahead.”

Jin smiled and focused on the front.

It was time to watch the battle unfold.

Kraaaah…!

Kozek unleashed a golden, condensed magic cannon blast.

Jin had seen this cannon before in Colon. If it hit the ground fully, it could easily collapse the entire terrain.

Fortunately, it wasn’t as powerful as the one in Colon. Ziphl didn’t value the ancient eternal iron as much as a mirror, so the ship’s crew wasn’t superior to before.

Ssshhh, screeech!

Dipus and Barton’s sword energies shot skyward.

When their powers collided, a thunderous roar and shockwave lit up the desolate sky in an instant.

Then debris began to rain down—each fragment as powerful as a strike from a six-star warrior, covering the ground like a storm.

On the surface, it looked much like the battle in Colon.

But back then, Thalaris couldn’t launch a full assault on Ziphl and had to protect the natives.

Meanwhile, the knights of Runcandel were unstoppable. Unlike at Colon, this didn’t have to be a mere contest of sword energy clashing against cannon fire.

After Barton unleashed his sword energy, he paid no mind to the second cannon blast striking the ground.

Ziphl was the same. The White Night mages aboard Kozek were mounting their draconic steeds one by one, taking to the skies.

From above, the mages began unleashing a barrage of high-level destructive spells—hellwinds, ice-shard blades, and more. Barton and Diffus kept leaping toward them relentlessly.

“A monster remains a monster, Barton Vichena,” Jin thought.

Leaping, being airborne—naturally, movement was more restricted than on solid ground. Yet Barton scattered sword energy midair, moving with the freedom of flight.

He used the recoil from releasing his sword energy as propulsion. Not a single blade was wasted; each shattered the enemies’ shields.

Diffus’s approach was similar, though since he hadn’t yet reached the tenth star, his use of aura was noticeably more calculated and efficient than Barton’s.

As the two warriors tore through the battlefield, weaving between sky and earth, suddenly—boom!

An unexpected explosion erupted right along their flight path.

Fortunately, neither Barton nor Diffus took a direct hit, but neither could avoid being knocked off course.

At that moment, a flicker of surprise crossed Jin’s eyes.

Barton and Diffus, too, quickly realized what kind of magic had just struck them and scanned the dragons around them.

They needed to identify who had cast that spatial explosion. As far as they knew, only Keliak Ziphl in the world could wield such a spell.

Jin immediately began deducing who had unleashed the spatial blast.

“Midor Elner—it has to be him!”

Memories of struggling against Midor’s spatial explosions at Colon flashed through his mind.

Jin’s eyes darted swiftly, searching for him.

But seconds later, Jin realized the mage behind the spatial explosion wasn’t Midor.

A shock of pure white hair stood out even from a distance.

“Veradin…!?”

Mounted atop a red dragon, his eyes glowing like embers soaked in flame, he looked down on the knights of Runcandel.