Chapter 308: Chapter 46: The Knight King’s Responsibility Is to Lead Those Willing to Be Led (Part 2)

This, too, was part of the pilgrimage—a trial that had to be endured.

"Sir Westheid, do not worry. I have several former subordinates here. I can try to persuade them to surrender."

Seeing the troubled look on Westheid’s face, Uther patted his own chest and declared:

"I’ve trained quite a few disciples. For my sake, creating an opening in their resolve shouldn’t be too difficult."

’Hm? I doubt it will be that easy, but since you’re so confident...’

Hearing the Black Knight’s confidence, Westheid decided to let Uther give it a try.

And so, the pilgrimage army loitered before the Heaven-Reaching Wall for a time until Uther located the section of the defensive line manned by his former subordinates.

The Black Knight spurred his Griffin forward, flying low until he reached the Spiral Tower’s defensive line, which stood in grim readiness. Atop the majestic, colossal structure, built layer upon towering layer, Knights in gleaming Armor drew their bowstrings, aiming at the formidable pilgrimage army below.

Uther called out to a silhouetted Knight standing high above:

"Kramer! It’s been a long time."

The figure shrouded in shadow stirred, and a quiet voice drifted down:

"Uther... Master."

"This is the last time I will call you Master."

The Lord of Yingxi Castle’s heart sank. ’His words are hostile. This isn’t how I expected things to go at all.’

But having come this far, he could only brace himself and press on.

"...Kramer, I have come to reason with you."

Uther cleared his throat and said:

"Your presence here suggests you intend to oppose the pilgrimage, but there is no need. Both Sir Westheid’s reforms and the glory he has promised in future expeditions will lead the Country of Yonglan to prosperity in the era to come. This also aligns with the demands of the Knightly Path."

"Duke Qinghui is both virtuous and capable, a man of destiny who is the one and only choice for Knight King. Why not forsake the path of folly and embrace the light by joining the ranks of the king’s supporters? In doing so, you would not lose..."

But before the Black Knight could finish, a roar from above cut him off:

"Silence! You dare try to persuade me to surrender?!"

"Uther, I once thought you a Hero, but I never imagined you would become a dog for the Imperial Citizens! You didn’t even put up a fight, abandoning the traditions Yonglan has upheld for ages! Since when do we need that bullshit prosperity? Are we to let the Laws of the Imperial Citizens be forced upon the Land of Knights?"

"If this Imperial Citizen becomes Knight King, Yonglan’s courage and backbone will be utterly lost!"

"From this day forward, I am no longer your student! What is there to respect in a spineless dog? Stop your incessant yapping and get lost!"

Kramer immediately ordered his Knights to fire. A dense volley of armor-piercing arrows rained down from the Spiral Tower, which seemed to float and ascend into the sky. Each bolt shrieked through the air with enough force to pierce steel.

But for a Legendary Powerhouse, these arrows weren’t even a tickle. His pride, on the other hand, had taken a devastating blow.

"CRUNCH—"

Uther’s fists clenched instantly, his muscles tensing. Steam began to rise from his resolute face.

He was seeing red.

Even more livid were the Knights of Yingxi Castle’s faction.

"Insolence! How dare you insult Lord Uther!"

"Who gave you the goddamn nerve?!"

"Those bastards! They received the favor of Yingxi Castle, and now they bite the hand that fed them! They’re asking for a slaughter!"

Rafati was so furious he nearly jumped out of his skin, drawing his sword on the spot:

"You ungrateful wretch! If it weren’t for Yingxi Castle’s help and training, you’d be nothing right now!"

"Kill him! I’ll chop that arrogant, disrespectful bastard to pieces!"

"..."

With his Apprentices shouting curses for him, it took Uther a long while to calm down. He turned back, his face ashen, barely daring to look at Westheid.

For the prideful Sir Black Knight, failing to deliver on a promise was a matter of extreme shame.

He took a deep breath and bowed his head slightly.

"Haaah... Sir Westheid, my apologies. I never imagined my former subordinates and students would be so averse to your status and your reforms."

’So it didn’t work after all.’

Westheid had long practiced the virtue of never expecting too much, so he was able to smile breezily and say:

"Don’t worry about me, Sir Uther. The greatest responsibility of a Knight King isn’t to command everyone, but to command those who are willing to be commanded."

"Since they have refused this kindness, swords are the only language left to speak... Sir Uther, please have your troops lead the charge in this battle!"

The defenders of these outer fortifications were all die-hard traditionalists. Even if Westheid personally demonstrated his power, it would be difficult to win them over. He might as well conserve his strength and wait for a truly powerful enemy.

Besides, he couldn’t afford to let his own trusted subordinates suffer heavy losses. This was a Yonglan civil war, which naturally meant Yonglan Knights killing other Yonglan Knights.

Even if he became Knight King, he would still favor the Purity People. This wasn’t prejudice; it was simply a matter of whose side he was on.

The Central Army was the Central Army, and the Local Army was the Local Army. The two could not be compared.

Uther didn’t mind, however. In fact, Yonglan Knights never quibbled over which side suffered greater casualties in war. To die in battle was a Knight’s final journey, as long as it was for glory. Haggling over such details would suggest a lack of conviction.

"...Sir Westheid, I will demonstrate my stance through my actions."

Uther was truly enraged now. If before he had only reluctantly supported Westheid, now he was ready to back him with all his might.

The consequences of his capitulation were more severe than he had imagined; even his own former student had turned on him.

’If Duke Qinghui fails to become Knight King, I can’t imagine how everyone will judge me.’

’I can’t hold back any longer!’

Uther immediately rallied his men and led the elites of Yingxi Castle toward the outer Spiral Tower of the Gale Heart. The Black Knight drew his Dual Swords and personally advanced toward the lowest level.

"BOOM—"

Uther, his visor lowered, took the lead. He stepped onto the first tier of stairs and then, under a rain of arrows, charged upward, becoming a flash of black lightning.

With a renowned and powerful Legend casting aside his restraint, it was clear the defenders were about to face a bloodbath.

And it wasn’t just the Knights of Yingxi Castle. The other Knight Boys who had attached themselves to Westheid couldn’t resist the allure of a great battle. With strange cries, they threw themselves into the assault on the defensive line.

"An assault on the Gale Heart? How could we possibly miss out on something like this!"

"Ahhhh, if we hadn’t joined this pilgrimage, we’d never have such a chance to fight!"

"Praise the Divine Ancestor! Praise Lord Westheid!"

"WAAAAGH!!!"

"..."

Soon, the only ones left of the pilgrimage army were Westheid and Reiya’s contingents.

"West, are we just going to push through like this? It looks a little troublesome at most, but not particularly difficult."

The Silver-haired Princess rested her fair, snow-white chin on Westheid’s shoulder and said:

"If the Grand Knights of the Country of Yonglan don’t unite against us, then we basically have no opponents." 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

The defenses outside the Gale Heart looked intimidating, with all sorts of grand, mid-air structures, but the defensive line was actually quite weak. It seemed endless, but breaking through one point would render an entire layer useless.

The layout of these Spiral Towers and elevated bridges seemed designed more for aesthetics than for practical defense. Once you got past them, there were no further obstacles.

As for a pincer attack... Westheid would have welcomed such a situation. As long as they weren’t fighting inside the Celestial God’s colossal structure, anything was manageable.

"It would be great if it were that simple, but unfortunately, it isn’t."

Westheid shook his head, gazing at the silhouette of the colossal structure in the distance.

"For a Knight King of the Country of Yonglan, the most crucial thing is the approval of the Steel Will Guardians. Generally, if a candidate has overwhelming support, they won’t object. But if there’s a controversy, the Steel Will Guardians will test the purity of the King Claimant."

"With a sensitive identity like mine, I’m doomed to be rejected."

Mivana asked, confused, "Are they that strong? Master Viona’s sister... I agree she’s a decent Powerhouse, but she’s not strong enough to defeat us, is she?"

"The Steel Will Guardians alone certainly aren’t enough. The problem is, they have an ace up their sleeve. The name Gale Heart wasn’t chosen randomly. It is truly the heart of the storm, and those blessed by the Celestial God are invincible within it."

Westheid shook his head and said:

"A powerful enemy lies ahead. It’s time to prepare."