But his family’s glory, much like the surname that had been stripped from him, was now a thing of the past.

To reclaim that honor, to restore the greatness and nobility of the blood that flowed in his veins, his only choice was to pledge himself to that powerful figure.

In the end, among those remaining, only Pachy chose to join the Imperial Infantry Corps. The shy young man’s dream of becoming a Knight, much like Reinhardt’s, was filled with unwavering passion and zeal.

Carl thought of his childhood sweetheart back home and the Knight’s dream he had failed to realize after three years. In the end, he bowed to the cruelty of reality.

Before they parted, he tearfully embraced Reinhardt and Pachy, for he knew this would be the last time they would see each other.

After seeing the last group of young men off, only Reinhardt remained in the tent.

Sedon watched him in silence.

He thought the young Knight would erupt in fury, accusing him of not saving Erich, of holding back his strength, of letting the Knights of the Order die on the city walls one by one.

He thought the young man would mock him, laughing at how he had schemed and plotted against Erich for the commander’s position, only to gain nothing in the end.

But all he received was Reinhardt’s silence.

If one’s perspective was limited to the Steel Knight Order and Frostfire Fortress, then whether it was Sedon or Reinhardt, one was the deputy commander holding real power, and the other was a genius Knight strong enough to tear Demons apart with his bare hands.

But as that perspective rose higher, overlooking the vast, boundless territory of the Radiant Empire, they were ultimately just pawns. Invisible strings from the Imperial City were attached to their bodies, controlling and monitoring their every move.

Even everything between them, the fall of Frostfire Fortress, was all part of a script written long ago by those invisible strings. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

The unspoken silence said more than a thousand words.

The sound of hot water being poured into a teacup was particularly jarring. Sedon was the one who finally broke the grim silence in the tent.

"Reinhardt, I submitted your various reports to the army group’s high command, but there’s been no official reply or approval yet.

According to Imperial law, you are an Official Knight with a Three-star Military Rank, so you cannot hold a position in the Imperial Infantry Corps. Before Erich died in the line of duty, he stated that you are one of the Knight Order’s followers. As deputy commander, it’s my duty to take responsibility for your future.

I have a letter of recommendation here. The commander of the Blood Corps is a former subordinate of mine. You can report to them in your capacity as a Free Knight."

The corps system in the Radiant Empire referred to legal armed forces that operated independently of the Imperial Army, similar in nature to mercenary groups.

In situations unsuitable for the Imperial Army to intervene directly, such as proxy wars or infiltration and sabotage in enemy nations, these Imperial corps were the perfect front.

Although they couldn’t compare to a Knight Order, it was still better than being an unemployed Free Knight.

Reinhardt didn’t respond to Sedon’s proposal. Instead, he asked, "Why aren’t Robie and Ober here?"

"They will be serving in the Imperial State Church Knight Order. It’s Robie’s only choice, and you should understand why."

Without the most devout faith and absolute Loyalty to the Empire, Robie would one day be devoured by his own Power. This was the inescapable fate of a Knight born from despair and pain.

Reinhardt gave Sedon a long, hard look, took the letter of recommendation from his hand, and turned to leave the tent.

「After the young men had all left.」

Sedon watched Adrian return to the tent after seeing Reinhardt off. His brow furrowed slightly as he said, "You were one of Erich’s old subordinates. Are you really sure you want to follow me?"

Adrian laughed heartily. "I’m someone who trusts my gut, Deputy Commander Sedon. A Knight who’s willing to sacrifice an arm to save his own men can’t be a bad person."