“Why is there no response?” Baron August said with a frown from a temporary garrison about a kilometer away from the walls of Petrucca. He had been burning with determination when he sent a messenger to the governor according to custom, urging him to surrender and warning him that the legion would attack in three days’ time. The news of the Firebird Legion marching toward the city would have spread by now, but a messenger would cause an even bigger stir. In fact, it would be strange if an imperial legion surrounding the city received no reaction.

As such, Baron August had been hoping to settle the entire issue without having to take action. Perhaps the residents of the city would get scared and rebel. However, even after three days, the City of Petrucca remained as quiet as a mouse. Although the gates had been locked and guards were placed on the city walls after the messenger left the city, there were no other movements at all. The city seemed too calm.

“What are you up to…?” Baron August glared at the city with a frown. At the least, he had been expecting the city to send a messenger over to them for negotiations. As such, he was starting to get frustrated because of how quiet they were.

“Sir. All troops are on standby.”

“Hmm.” Baron August nodded at the words of his deputy, then turned his horse around. More than three thousand soldiers—those belonging to the legion, mercenaries, and the private soldiers of various nobles—had their eyes on Baron August.

Clang!

Baron August unsheathed his longsword and shouted, “Today! We will strike the traitors with justice! We will save His Highness the Crown Prince! And set the great spirit of the empire straight!”

His voice was amplified by the magic of the war mage. The wizard’s face was covered with a large hood, and neither their age nor gender could be discerned.

Baron August continued, “The will of His Majesty the Emperor is with us! Brave and loyal soldiers of the Firebird Legion! Brave swords and shields of the empire! Walk the path of honor! Set a path for the castle of the traitors! March!”

Uwwwwwaaaaah!!!

A thunderous roar filled the plains.

Rumbleeeee…!

Ten catapults and large siege weapons followed behind the heavy infantry. The dwarves were pulling the catapult. Although the empire couldn’t compare to Brantia when it came to diversity, the empire was also a nation tolerant of various races. As such, the imperial army had warriors from many different races as well.

The dwarves readied the catapults after approaching the castle walls to about a distance of three hundred meters from the walls. In the meantime, serf soldiers, mercenaries, and the heavy infantry of the Firebird Legion took their positions behind the machines while heavy cavalry took to the left and right sides.

Baron August was satisfied to see the army’s swift actions and nodded to his deputy.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The loud drumming signaled the charge of the cavalry. The horsemen of the Firebird legion accompanied the deputy and the banner of their legion.

This was the final ceremony marking the beginning of a consensual war. Whether they liked it or not, the City of Petrucca had to send a messenger to face the legion’s messenger.

Booooom…

The tightly sealed gates of the city slowly opened.

“Huh?”

“T-that’s…”

Everyone, including Baron August, had been expecting a messenger. However, they were surprised by what they saw. It was all because soldiers started walking out of the gates.

“They aren’t… going to defend the siege?”

It was common knowledge that those defending a siege had a large advantage over the attackers. As such, Baron August had prepared his deputy, who would act as a messenger, to hurl insults at the King of Maren. It would likely be useless, but the possibility that the King of Maren could be provoked and lured out existed. However, no one had expected soldiers to come out of the gates.

“Stand by! All units, stand by!” Baron August shouted when the ranks of his soldiers became rowdy at the unexpected turn of events. Meanwhile, soldiers continued pouring out from the gates, and an army of thousands soon formed into ranks.

A group of horsemen broke rank and headed toward the messenger of the Firebird Legion. The messenger of the Firebird Legion was also an imperial nobleman of a fairly high rank. Although he was very nervous, he shouted with dignity as the enemy’s messengers approached.

“By the will of the gods and His Majesty the Emperor—”

Unfortunately, the deputy was never given an opportunity to finish. The approaching horsemen weren’t slowing down.

“W-what?!”

Shing! Chaeng!

The deputy and his subordinate knights instinctively unsheathed their weapons.

However, the messengers of Petrucca—

Tududududu!

—simply passed by them.

“…?!”

The messengers of Petrucca passed by the bewildered deputy and the knights before continuing toward where the rest of the legion’s soldiers were gathered. No one could stop them, including the organized ranks of heavy cavalry, the swaying mercenaries, and the slaves buzzing with fear. It was like magic or a joke. Was it truly possible that only a dozen or so horsemen could rush toward thousands of enemies? No, in the first place, who would ever think of committing such a stupid act?

The soldiers of the Firebird Legion and the accompanying troops could only watch with dumbfounded expressions as the small group leisurely passed by them. Even more surprising was that they even opened the way for the horsemen.

***

The group of horsemen stopped their horses. After penetrating the ranks of the soldiers, they finally arrived at their destination—right in front of Baron August. Just like the rest of his soldiers, Baron August stood with a bewildered expression.

Thousands of pairs of eyes were fixated on the messengers of Petrucca amid the strange silence.

The leading cavalryman took off his helmet.

“Sir August,” the figure called out.

“…!!!”

Baron August was shocked when he saw the face of his opponent. It was a young man who seemed to be about twenty years of age. It was definitely the first time Baron August was seeing him. However, Baron August had seen a strikingly similar face as a young man when he was first appointed as the Commander of the Firebird Legion.

“Y-Your Majesty…” Baron August muttered, then closed his mouth after belatedly coming to his senses. Although the young man resembled the one who bestowed upon him his baton, the young man wasn’t the emperor.

Then, that could only mean…

“Your Highness… Prince Localope?”

“You remembered me, even though it has been so long since you saw me,” Prince Localope answered with a smile. The eyes of Baron August filled with even greater shock, and the nearby knights were greatly shocked as well.

“H-his Highness?”

“That’s His Highness the Third Prince?”

“Why would His Highness…? No, in the first place, why is he here…?”

“Then, what’s this about the crown prince?”

The confusion was inevitable. In the first place, Baron August mobilized the Firebird Legion and enlisted the soldiers of nearby nobles because he had been claiming that the crown prince was being detained by traitors.

But now, one of the emperor’s direct descendants, Third Prince Localope, was here as a messenger of Petrucca.

“Sir August. Are you a loyal servant of the empire?” Prince Localope asked. His voice pierced through the mass confusion.

Baron August was jolted to his senses, and he raised his voice in response, “Of course! But, Your Highness! Why is Your Highness coming from the city of traitors…”

“Traitors? Who are you calling a traitor?” Prince Localope asked.

“Please don’t change the subject! Are you denying that the King of Maren and those vulgar people of Petrucca detained His Highness the Crown Prince with evil intentions?”

“It’s true that they detained the crown prince, but they did not do it with evil intentions,” A cold, piercing voice resonated from behind Prince Localope

“…?!”

Baron August turned his gaze to the source of the voice. Eugene slowly raised his visor and spoke while revealing his fangs, “I am the King of Maren, Jan Eugene Batla.”

“…!!!” Baron August and the knights were overcome with an even greater shock and bewilderment. The mastermind of the rebellion, the main culprit behind the entire situation had revealed himself.

“You…”

Baron August was about to shout, but he was interrupted as the others with Eugene started taking off their helmets.

“Rivoles.”

“I am Helmond.”

“Todor.”

“I am the monarch of Samit.”

The four people revealed their faces one after another. Their faces were white similar to chalk, and their crimson eyes glowed brilliantly. The knights of the legion fell into a daze. Even though the four figures had simply revealed their faces, they exuded this extraordinary air of dignity and mystery. Their introductions were incredibly short—far too short for nobles who valued courtesy and tradition more than anyone else.

However, they knew—they knew that true nobles, those who deserved to be called monarchs would introduce themselves by speaking only their last names. The history and honor contained in their last name were a testimony in itself, so they had no need to decorate themselves with complicated words.

The four who introduced themselves did not need to ornate themselves with anything.

“C-clan master…!”

“Vampire clan masters…”

Everyone stiffened in their spots, contrary to their quivering lips. They were trained, experienced knights, and they were brave warriors unafraid of any strong enemies or monsters. However, vampire clan masters were in a completely different realm from them.

- Daywalkers are going to come for you if you don’t go to sleep!

- Daywalkers are going to eat you if you don’t listen to your parents!

Vampires were frequently mentioned in tales told to children to keep them in check, at least in the empire. Daywalker was a term used to refer to the clan masters. In the Roman Empire, the clan masters were symbols of mystery and fear. As such, every citizen of the empire held an instinctive fear against the clan masters from an early age. Even the knights of the Firebird Legion weren’t exceptions, and they stiffened like statues upon recognizing the clan masters’ identities.

“Everyone, get it together!” Baron August roared. He came from a prestigious family of imperial knights, and he wasn’t a figure who climbed to his position by relying on the reputation and history of his family. He was a brilliant tactician, as well as a brave, powerful warrior.

The knights of the legion shuddered at his powerful roar, and then they regained their usual composure.

“Traitors! Firebird Legion! Capture all of them!”

Baron August made a quick decision. He was facing an imperial prince and a foreign king. However, in the face of treason, status did not matter. Moreover, Baron August had already made up his mind to stand with the crown prince. Unless he were a fool, he would not miss this golden opportunity. The leaders of the traitors had walked straight into his army of their own accord.

‘This is an opportunity from heaven!’

Overpowering joy enveloped Baron August. He was against the supreme vampire monarchs. Baron August knew well exactly how dangerous they were, and normally, he would have never made such a judgment.

However, he believed…

“Artane!” Baron August shouted the name of his mistress. Not even the imperial family dared to act rashly toward vampire monarchs, but they weren’t invincible. Vampires only had one weakness. Aside from silver and sunlight, they had to unconditionally obey the hierarchy within their tribe.

“I declare to all members of the Tribe of Darkness…”

The War Mage Artane had been preparing ever since the four clan masters revealed their identities. She waved her stick while reciting in a clear voice, “The master of the masters of blood and shadow. The one deserving of the pure bloods’ worship the great monarch…”

Artane was filled with ecstasy.

The founder of the Blood Shadow School was an Origin. Even the clan masters would have to show deference to an Origin. Her dead teacher had said so, so she was completely certain of it. Although her teacher turned a little senile toward the end of his life, he could not lie regarding the school because of his covenant.

“All of the cold blood! Your master! The one who reigns over blood and the shadows—”

“Oi, wizard. Is that woman your colleague?”

Artane’s face distorted after being disrupted. She had been reciting in anticipation of making the clan masters kneel with just her words.

“Uh… I’m not sure. I wonder if my master took in a new student after me. Ma’am, do you know **** ***?” asked a woman resembling a raccoon after taking off her hood.

“…!!!” Artane’s face filled with shock. It wasn’t because the girl addressed her as ‘ma’am.’ Rather, it was because of the name she had uttered. The raccoon-like girl had spoken a name only those from the Blood Shadow School could speak and understand.