"The serfs of Yonglan are numb, foolish, greedy, cunning, and wretched. But no matter how vile they are, they are nowhere near as vile as the Knights who made them this way. It was you... You are the ones who turned them into this."

"It seems we’ll never reach a consensus... and I have no intention of trying to understand you anymore. You fucking idiots. I’ll just kill you all."

The Wolf-eared Maiden swayed forward two steps. Her Silver Sword carved a semicircle before her, striking sparks, as she shouted:

"Who’s first to die?!"

"This Beastman... Does she take us for a bunch of pushovers? Let me be the one to face you!"

The Yonglan Knights could not bear the sting of such disrespect. A Knight from Jinquan Territory immediately leaped out, striding toward Mivana.

The instant he neared Mivana, she raised her Silver Sword.

A brilliant flash of the blade glinted. As if skipping frames, Mivana instantly appeared a few paces behind the Knight.

"PSHHHT—"

The Knight from Jinquan Territory froze, his longsword shattering. He clutched his throat, staggered a few steps, and collapsed into the snow.

A single strike to the throat.

Having instantly killed the first Knight, Mivana flicked her Silver Sword clean—though its edge hadn’t been stained with a single drop of blood. Her sharp eyes burned like molten Gold.

"Next."

"What is this arrogance?!"

Another Knight, furious, charged forward. He shot off the ground, appearing before Mivana in the blink of an eye.

"PSHHHT—"

There was no surprise. For her, full health was the kill threshold. Despite his ferocious charge, the moment he stepped within her range, his head flew high into the air.

Flicking her blade again, Mivana stepped forward. Even her left eye, hidden by her hair, was filled with killing intent.

"Next."

One after another, the Knights of Jinquan Territory threw themselves forward. The deaths of their comrades did not make them flinch; honor was greater than life, and retreat was impossible.

And Mivana’s methods were utterly ruthless. She had no need to worry about innocents; any Knight still serving under Lionette was an accomplice and collaborator who approved of their Knight Lord. Their deaths were not to be mourned.

"Scum! Next!"

After cutting down another Knight, Mivana’s tone grew even colder and more contemptuous, tinged with bloodlust.

"Ah, yes, yes. Mivana, you’ve finally understood."

Westheid was gratified by the sight, clapping his hands in approval.

’The Wolf-eared Maiden follows the Chivalry Knightly Path, so her moral standards are a bit too high. That’s a good thing, of course, but it’s also not a good thing.’

’To change the Country of Yonglan, you can’t rely on lectures and moral persuasion. To accomplish anything, you need the corresponding power. In a normal, materialistic world, that would be an arduous path of exploration.’

’However, in this idealistic world where great power resides within the individual, pure violence is the simplest way to get things done. A massacre is all it takes—as long as it’s a planned, targeted massacre.’

’And the Knights of Jinquan Territory, without a doubt, deserved to be met with an iron fist.’

’Without thunderous methods, how can one show a compassionate heart?’

Mivana’s killing pace grew faster and faster, until the Knights of Jinquan Territory seemed to be slaughtered as if on an assembly line.

And so the count rose: twenty, thirty, forty, fifty... all the way to seventy-two. Only then did the suicidal march of the Jinquan Territory Knights come to an end.

Not because they were afraid, but because they had all been killed.

Mivana’s dark gray uniform coat was spattered with blood. Her sharp, gleaming Silver Sword reflected a dazzling light in the sun, faintly tinged with red.

All around her, the bodies of Knights lay strewn about.

Some were beheaded, some were cut in half at the waist, some were run through... They had died in every way imaginable, and the mangled corpses bore the marks of a brutal aesthetic.

The thick smell of blood filled the air on the snowy ground before the fortress. Facing Mivana from a distance, only one man remained: the Knight Lord of Jinquan Territory.

"Jinquan Territory... they’ve been completely wiped out?"

"Yes. Not counting the Knight Apprentices, all of the Official Knights are dead."

"It’s been a long time since I’ve heard of so many people dying in a trial by combat."

"What about old Hero Lionette? Is he going to surrender?"

"If he surrenders now, I’ll laugh at him for the rest of my life."

The Knights of the Expeditionary Army were unfazed by the grisly scene. From a Knight’s perspective, dying in a duel was a decent end, not a dishonorable one.

As long as the spirit and honor of a Knight were not insulted, any slaughter and battle was worthy of praise and song.

’Blood for the Riding God! Skulls for the Divine Throne!’

’Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill! We just want to see a river of blood!’

Lionette was naturally of the same mind. He glanced at his dead family members and territorial vassals, felt no sorrow, and instead burst out laughing:

"Heh, hahahaha... What a spectacular way to die! Oh, Divine Ancestor, bless me! Grant me glory in my battle against this enemy of humanity!"

The old Knight dragged his Great Sword along the ground and began to charge, his pace quickening from slow to a full sprint.

Mivana, now saddled with the grand title of "enemy of humanity," looked coldly at Lionette. She watched his approaching figure and lowered her Silver Sword.

There would be no exception. The successive bloody battles had allowed her to stack the buffs from her [Cursed Source Blood] to the maximum. Challenging someone a full realm above her might still be difficult, but below the rank of Legend, no one could withstand a single clash with Mivana.

Moving at a speed imperceptible to the mortal eye, the edge of her blade pierced Lionette’s shoulder guard. Then, from that starting point, it tore diagonally through the Knight Lord.

"SHRRIIIP—"

A horrifying wound stretched from his shoulder and neck all the way to his waist. The searing blade had cut through the Knight Lord’s body with no more difficulty than slicing through butter.

As Lionette collapsed with a muffled grunt, Mivana flicked her blade clean and sheathed it in one smooth motion, then tilted her head and said indifferently:

"The Divine Ancestor will not bless you. Trash who preys on the weak deserves no glory."

The bleed effect of the [Cursed Source Blood] quickly claimed Lionette’s life. After the Knight Lord of Jinquan Territory wretchedly drew his last breath, the scene fell silent once more.

Westheid stepped forward to wipe the blood from Mivana’s face, then looked toward the members of the Expeditionary Army.

"This trial by combat... is it finally over?"

Uther glanced at the other Knights around him and nodded.

"...Although Jinquan Territory never surrendered, they have no more Knights left to fight. According to the rules, the Lord of Dusk Lamp Territory is the victor."

"This didn’t need our judgment. The sacred traditions are clear to all."

Westheid smiled, then announced in a loud voice:

"In that case, there is something I must inform you all. This expedition you have organized can be temporarily halted. Dusk Lamp Territory will not serve as the front line for your campaign."

"...Are you concerned about potential conflicts? The Expeditionary Army doesn’t necessarily have to pass through Dusk Lamp Territory. If the local Lord is unwilling, Dusk Lamp Territory could simply provide support as a supply transfer point."

The Knight Lords, led by Uther, had an incredibly fast change of heart. Before arriving, they had been clamoring for blood, threatening to wash Dusk Lamp Territory in it at the drop of a hat. But now, they were remarkably agreeable.

They didn’t even feel ashamed, because Westheid had displayed immense power. One must show reverence and respect to a powerhouse, even a certain degree of preferential treatment and obedience.

Duke Qinghui had crushed a Grand Knight. Therefore, his words carried weight and had to be considered.

It was just that pragmatic.

"No, no, no. On the contrary, Dusk Lamp Territory welcomes friendly Knights as guests. In fact, after this, Dusk Lamp Territory will open itself to the outside world."

Westheid exchanged a look with Mivana, then spoke words that left the Yonglan Knights utterly astonished:

"Compared to this Knightly Path expedition, hastily organized to rally support, there is another matter of far greater importance... I will lay claim to the throne of the Knight King!"

Duke Qinghui declared with passionate fervor:

"After this, Dusk Lamp Territory will begin a pilgrimage throughout the Country of Yonglan. All of you, spread this news across the land. Then, prepare to receive the pilgrimage. Whether you approve or disapprove, all Knight Territories must fulfill this obligation."

"A... pilgrimage... to become King?"

After a long moment, the members of the Expeditionary Army began to murmur, completely stunned. They had never expected to hear such a term from Westheid’s lips.