Awakening the Great Chapter 104

Chapter 104 — A New Wave

The capital of the Niboria Empire.

Deep within the imperial palace, a somber air hung over the Chamber of Curtains, where the council of nobles convened.

A week prior, an almost unbelievable report had arrived. The northwestern expeditionary force in the direction of Astria had collapsed, and Richterkreutz had been effectively annihilated. The alliance forces had seized complete control of the region.

Tension and mistrust spread along the corridors lined with crimson carpet, and even the evening sunlight filtering through the window gaps failed to illuminate the interior of the council chamber.

As the emperor had maintained his silence, the nobility was forced to reach its own conclusions. And those conclusions were tilting in a direction that pleased no one.

"There is no evidence that Ashapel concealed him. However—"

"Does the concealnt even matter? The result is the sa — Ashapel blood has brought the empire to ruin."

Inside the council chamber, an elder noble adjusted his cloak and struck the table. Most of those who agreed were nobles of the imperial faction. So nodded quietly, while others expressed their consent through silence.

"Calix Ashapel. No— since he is a traitor, he ought to be called Ashapel Calix."

"Please do not address him in such a manner."

At that mont, a low voice cut across from the other side. It belonged to a young noble classified among the anti-war faction.

"He did not abandon the empire. The empire abandoned him. He left simply to survive, without status or na."

"And yet he defeated Helmut Barben. They say that even in a direct confrontation, Barben barely escaped with his life. He severed the spine of the expeditionary force, and still he breathes."

"……"

Silence fell once more.

There was no solution.

In the end, the will of every person present in the council converged upon a single point.

Ashapel.

The uncomfortable truth surrounding that na could no longer be avoided.

Marquis Ashapel, above all others, bore responsibility. He was the supre commander of the imperial expeditionary force and the head of the noble faction. And now, the blood of such a man stood at the heart of the enemy army, having beco a symbol of the battlefield.

The sole complication was that the current Marquis, Yaleyan Von Ashapel, was stationed at the front lines. Arrows were already flying toward him, yet the only ans of response amounted to no more than a handful of letters.

"The concerns and deliberations of the noble council have been received. Yaleyan Von Ashapel hereby expresses his position on this matter as follows."

One deflection after another followed in succession.

"I make it explicitly clear that the individual referred to as Calix Ashapel is not my direct bloodline. He is a person who was abandoned decades ago under my mother's neglect, and no exchange of any kind, nor any relationship of responsibility, has ever been established between him and this house."

"The lineage he carries is rely proof of an improper union, and likewise, his actions and beliefs did not originate under my guidance or complicity. I did not know him, and I do not know him now."

"There is no instance in which this house has forsaken its loyalty to the empire and the imperial family. Should baseless rumors and the shifting of bla continue, this will inflict losses upon the empire's overall fighting capacity. I ask, therefore, that this be understood not as a warning for the sake of my own authority, but for the honor of the empire as a whole."

He expressed his position ti and again, yet this was not a matter that a few sentences could resolve. If anything, the reverberations stirred by those responses ran deeper still.

"Nothing but lines of denial. Illegitimate or not— how could the head of a knight house claim not to know who his own sister's child was!"

"Did he truly not know? That iron-willed Ashapel? To think he could not distinguish between cold composure and cold indifference."

"If this is the truth, then the problem is all the greater! A man of blue blood was raised outside the empire, only to return as an enemy!"

There was reason for the fierce backlash.

Calix was no longer regarded as a re wanderer. He was neither a lowly rcenary nor a mber of the Mountain Rabbits. At the very least, the nobles of the Niboria Empire no longer viewed him as they once had.

The emperor remained silent, and the head of the noble faction could no longer serve as a shield.

As a result—

"Perhaps even now…… Is it not ti to extend a hand?"

"Hmm, the possibility of appeasent is not without rit. The eastern front is being pushed back considerably, so it may be wiser to withdraw from the southern front at this juncture."

"I also think it quite feasible. I hear the man understands honor. They say he let the defeated soldiers go free."

Like a poison spreading through the air, a young man's na passed between the lips of the high nobility.

It was an unmistakable sign of fracture.

***

The reverberations of defeat spread not only among the nobility, but across the empire as a whole. Of all places, the military's interior responded with the greatest sensitivity.

On the surface, the existing order was maintained, but among mid-ranking commanders, quiet conversations were being exchanged. Richterkreutz's annihilation, Helmut Barben's defeat, and Calix standing at the center of the alliance forces. His na worked its way into the military's interior silently, yet persistently.

At first, the reactions were no more than astonishnt at one man's individual prowess, but as ti passed, the atmosphere changed. It was from the mont the defeated soldiers began returning to the holand, and more detailed analyses of the war situation were carried out.

"He drew Richterkreutz in from the flank, then drove through the center?"

"A cavalry charge, no less. The boldness of the tactic is impressive in itself, but what is more remarkable is that he actually carried it out. He possessed both sound judgnt and the daring to act on it."

"Supre-rank swordsman is…… rely one among the words used to describe him."

The deeper they delved, the greater their admiration grew. He had broken free from the orthodox frawork of cavalry deploynt, yet in place of criticism, only pure praise flowed.

"The rear collapsed—was it the commander's mistake?"

"No, Marquis Karnel made the best response available to him. The chaos must have been trendous with the enemy cavalry driving into the rear. He would have responded by moving only the infantry units he could keep under control……"

"And imdiately after, the opponent divided his cavalry to defeat each unit in turn? His ability to command an army is clearly no ordinary thing."

Of course, not everyone viewed Calix favorably. For the sons of high nobility, the fact that he was illegitimate was an unambiguous disqualifier.

"He's nothing but a greenhorn of twenty."

"He was rely playing at being a commander. The main force would have been Kalahim's."

They dismissed Calix as a byproduct of war, and so regarded him as a fictional figure conjured by enemy propaganda.

Because such conflicting opinions were so thoroughly intermingled, faint sounds of fracture rang out across various points along the front. Friction was breaking out along lines of rank and status.

And this, precisely, was why the imperial family was maintaining its silence.

***

Emperor Caracal made no appearance. The imperial court was not convened, and the doors of the audience chamber remained firmly shut. Even when reports arrived that the defensive army stationed on the Marbius River in the eastern reaches of the imperial holand was on the verge of collapse, there was no response.

His last public appearance had been a full three months prior — a ceremony honoring the military achievents of the imperial army's high command. Since then, nothing but rumors had circulated.

Screams and shouts from within the inner chambers, the sound of objects shattering, a woman's shriek. Sinister tales drifted over the walls of the imperial palace.

And yet, even amidst all of that, the na Calix was passing between lips on the streets.

The promising young talent acknowledged by Master Imran Akran had, at so point, beco a singular symbol. Despite standing on the opposing side, people spoke of him with the sa excitent one might feel when speaking of a fellow imperial citizen.

The blood of House Ashapel, a past sold into slavery, the skill to defeat a supre-rank swordsman, his proof as a commander— and beyond even that, he was leading the alliance forces, transcending both race and social station.

Consequently, the common people of Niboria regarded him as one who had risen from the very bottom and a harbinger of a new era. More than anything else, the act of releasing the defeated soldiers had produced an enormous ripple effect.

Soldiers who returned ho sang the praises of Calix's rcy, one and all. He had taken nothing but their weapons, sending them away without so much as touching a single hair on their heads.

"Even the desert savages held their tongues."

"He was no enemy. He was a warrior worthy of respect!"

And what of Helmut Barben, on the other hand?

Everyone had assud he was dead, but before long it ca to light that he had returned alive. This further diminished the emperor's authority.

One man had advanced to the front of the enemy lines, while another had cast his own subordinates aside as sacrifices and slunk back in disgrace.

For the citizens of the empire, it was a humiliation they could never accept. And so, instead, they elevated the opposing side without limit. They heaped curses upon Helmut, while nothing but lavish praise filled the na Calix.

In a sense, it was a natural outco.

And because of it, the most exalted being in the empire was now spitting venomous words.

"He released them? Who dares release the soldiers of my empire? Does he believe he has bestowed so great rcy!"

Deep within the imperial palace, a candelabra bolted to the wall rattled violently. It was a roar loud enough to make the flas tremble. Though regardless of the facts of the matter, the true object of his fury stood before him.

"Helmut Barben."

"……Yes, Your Majesty."

The knight commander of Richterkreutz answered briefly, kneeling. As though the wounds he had sustained on the battlefield had yet to heal, one shoulder rose and fell in an irregular rhythm.

"You were defeated. That alone is the truth. Even bearing my na upon your back, you crawled ho in disgrace."

"I……"

"I will hear no excuses! Ashapel……You were conscious of that bloodline as well, were you not? That is what ruined you. You should not have been swayed by empty talk of origins and station!"

The back of Helmut's hand twitched as though seized by a spasm. In the space beneath his lowered head, eyes burning with hatred blazed.

‘Swayed by the na Ashapel? ?’

That hatred was directed at Calix, and yet the truth was that his unshakeable conviction had been cracked. He had offered blind loyalty, yet now the emperor was deliberating over his disposal.

The order had been given to subject Supre Commander Marquis Karnel to the harshest punishnt, and Helmut Barben was no exception. Had it not been for the asured counsel of the retainers, there would have been no second chance.

"Your Majesty. Punishing one who has rendered loyal service to the imperial family is not to our benefit. We ought to strip the knight commander of his rank and impose a period of confinent, that he may reflect upon himself."

The emperor took a long while before he could give an answer. He feared that the mont he put words to it, his own authority would be made all the more wretched.

For the first ti, Helmut saw him as rely human.

This is not yet over.

With his loyalty cracked, it was not remorse but vengeance that ca first. He withdrew, staggering, yet his gaze did not waver for a single mont.

***

At that sa hour, the Mountain Rabbits remained entirely unaware of these changes, basking in a peaceful atmosphere. The ti of mourning for the fallen had ended, and grief had receded. The alliance camp was lively as it made preparations for the next advance.

And Calix sat at the center of the encampnt.

The wound to his abdon had healed without leaving so much as a scar, thanks to the Divinity. The sa was true of his muscle tissue and neural network. Though only two weeks had passed since the battle, his physical condition had co close to normal.

‘My recovery rate keeps rising.’

It was no re feeling. Even Ella, a priestess, had been startled.

"The area around the wound is sticky. As though it has a kind of viscosity."

"Is it a problem?"

"……No. I was simply surprised."

She had told him that Calix's energy was sothing special.

It sealed points of bleeding on its own, reconnected severed muscle tissue. It purified the neural network, breaking down what had worn out and remaking it anew. Its efficiency far surpassed even the healing magic of high-ranking priests.

Yet he felt not joy, but a sense of loss.

‘If only this power could have healed Wheatley.’

Unlike Ella's, Calix's Divinity was deeply averse to leaving his body. It would drive out malevolent energy, but it could not be used to heal another.

The regret faded quickly, however, and in its place, composure filled his heart.

He was looking inward.

The flow of energy shifted in an instant. His heart beat steadily, and his core was calm, yet from sowhere beyond it, sothing else lifted its head.

[3rd Awakening complete]

[Bloodline Ability: 'Pressure Field' unlocked]

Calix did not move from where he sat. And yet the air nearby vibrated with a subtle tremor. It was different from simply releasing energy.

As naturally as breathing, a certain range fell within the reach of his will. He had awakened the bloodline ability in the imdiate aftermath of his desperate battle with Helmut Barben.

Why had those around him kept their distance?

Here, now, lay the answer.

The pebbles scattered across the ground shuddered as though pressed down by an invisible hand—

Crunch.

And in an instant, they crumbled to powder and drifted away.

Calix felt the resonance of energy enveloping his body. Like an invisible, thin mbrane that had draped itself over the outside world, it was a sensation as though all of existence had taken one step back.

Soon, the force surging from his core pressed down upon a specific space, and the matter at the boundary collapsed in its own way. He had not drawn his sword, yet it was a threat sharper than anything else.

‘Do all supre-rank swordsn possess an ability like this?’

That could not be.

He himself recognized that fact almost imdiately. Had Helmut Barben possessed such an ability, the mounted duel would never have been possible in the first place — he would have done harm to Lunos on the spot.

‘It won't work against an opponent at a higher level than , but in battles against many, it should prove useful.’

Calix withdrew his energy. By then, the Mountain Rabbits had stepped back at a distance, watching his expression with caution. They had sensed sothing unsettling on instinct.

The mont his eyes t theirs, he paused. The energy he had extended outward was pushing away even his own people. It was an ability not to be drawn out carelessly.

Whether by fortune or misfortune, Volga soon ca creeping over. With an exaggerated gesture, he wiped his forehead.

"You really are sothing else. What was that just now? It's not like you were holding a sword, but I felt like I was about to be cut at any mont. It really was a strange feeling."

"Just a minor trick."

"Oh, is that right? Another minor trick, is it?"

Before he could offer any explanation, a nonchalant voice added on.

"You're going to end up marrying a proper noble lady now."

"……What?"

"No, I've been thinking it over — there's not a woman on the continent who doesn't know the na Calix anymore. Seriously. Want to bet?"

An expression of disbelief surfaced on Calix's face.

It was actually a relief. The rising fa had created distance, and through that gap, a peculiar loneliness had been blooming. His friend's jest brought him back, once again, to being an ordinary person.

Volga's lips had curled up until they nearly reached his ears.

"Mm, certainly. You might end up paired with a human woman draped in jewels."

At that mont, Basim the dwarf walked over, taking his student's side. As he had just co from tending to Calix's sword, Srna, it was awkward to snap back.

In his place, Volga picked up the thread.

"Isn't that just nobility?"

"What I an is, a king's daughter. A princess."

"Surely not?"

"Surely not, my foot. That lad's family na is Ashapel. He said so himself. You wouldn't understand because you're dense, but most people know the weight that na carries."

"Ahem, then what about ?"

At that, the student interjected with a sly question. For so reason, he had an expectant look about him.

"What about you?"

"I've been doing my part too! Even if not a princess, surely I deserve a knighthood!"

When nothing ca back but an unimpressed expression, Gregor, who had been crouched nearby, suddenly cut in.

"Oho, Volgi. Are you looking for a partner yourself? Co now — is there a woman you've been keeping in your heart?"

In that instant, a gaze drifted to one side, as if by instinct. Calix turned his head, following Volga's, and a woman who had co from the desert entered his field of vision.

At almost the sa mont, a groan escaped.

It was Zahira.

"……None of that, you fool. Not that one."

"That one, you say. She has a lovely na, Zahira……"

"Lovely my foot! I'm telling you, that won't do! You'd be better off with a noble, a noble!"

Basim knew her past and was trying to dissuade his student, but—

"Could it be…… Could you yourself, Master……"

"You little wretch, what do you take

for!"

"Aaahh! Help! A dwarf is killing soone!"

The student ran for it outright, and the master gave chase with his axe raised. Gregor watched the scene and burst out laughing. The childish squabble between master and student spread laughter to the others as well. The Mountain Rabbits' encampnt remained as boisterous as ever.

But then——

Bwaaaang!

A deep, prolonged horn call split across the entire encampnt and rang out.

It was a warning alert.

***

While the alliance forces had been making preparations to march toward the east, an unidentified ard force was spotted at the periter of the encampnt. Soldiers fell into formation imdiately after the alarm sounded, and the Kalahim cavalry was the quickest to respond——

At that mont, Hadiya confird the banners beyond the plain and called out loudly.

"They're not enemies! It's House Hoover, a great family of Astria!"

But Calix saw more than that. It was not only House Hoover's insignia that was present. Among them, nurous other banners were mixed in.

And the one that caught his eye above all others was a viper.

……Count Mozak.

Yes — they had co.

Those who had received news of the alliance forces' victory first, those who had heard the na of the Mountain Rabbits. They were the nobles of western Astria. Rather than joining the kingdom's army, they had placed their wagers on a greater possibility.

Their numbers — approximately three thousand.

Feathers catch the wind, and water gathers to one place.

In the end, it was Calix.