The Pledge

"To the New Continent?" Alexander stared at his younger brother, startled by the words.

"Yes, the New World," Tang Feiliu nodded softly. "Edward made arrangements long ago. They should have arrived by now."

Alexander stared at Tang Feiliu.

His throat felt dry. After a long moment, he managed, "...You're my only family."

Alexander's words made Tang Feiliu's eyes redden. He couldn't bear to part with his family. He feared Alexander wouldn't want to leave, for then even if Tang Feiliu departed, he would worry day and night.

Yet Tang Feiliu knew he couldn't be so selfish. He couldn't demand his brother follow him just because he himself had to leave. Communication was difficult in this era, making reunions exceedingly rare. But parting was the theme of life. This was where Alexander had grown up, surrounded by the landscapes and everything he knew. Here lay his thriving career, and he had even earned a knighthood!

"Of course, Brother, if you don't want to go, you don't have to. His Majesty still needs you and won't hold it against you..." Thinking this, Tang Feiliu forced a smile despite his reddened eyes, trying to comfort his brother instead, afraid any hesitation might lead him to make a choice against his true feelings.

Alexander pressed both hands firmly on his shoulders, cutting Tang Feiliu off. His voice was soft: "...You are my only brother, my only family. I love Natt. I grew up by the Varla River... But none of those places are home..."

Looking at his younger brother's reddened eyes, Alexander said earnestly, "Home is where my family is. That's where I want to be."

Sighing, Alexander wiped Tang Feiliu's face and softened his voice to persuade him, "Why are you crying? Do you think your brother would abandon you and stay here alone?"

Tang Feiliu wiped his tears as he wept, but they flowed more freely. Shaking his head frantically, he choked out, "...I'm afraid you'll force yourself to stay because of me."

"No one has ever forced me to do anything in this life," Alexander laughed, snatching the handkerchief to wipe his tear-streaked face clean. "It's better to go. Otherwise, staying here would only make me worry for you and Edward."

Edward might be acting purely out of self-preservation, but the power he now wielded would strike fear into everyone. And if he emerged victorious? His prestige would soar to unprecedented heights. Even if Edward wanted to settle down then, would anyone believe him?

Alexander thought this through, ruffled his brother's hair, and murmured, "We need to buy more large ships. Move everything that can be moved. Once we go, it'll be hard to return anytime soon."

As the brothers discussed matters, they touched upon supplying lighter combat gear to the front lines. However, neither being genuine knights, they lacked insight into whether armor modifications truly enhanced mobility, so the conversation stalled.

Tang Feiliu's proposal for weapon reform, however, piqued Alexander's interest far more. Yet, considering that frontline warfare was primarily between knights, they knew they'd need to consult experts before pursuing it. Reluctantly, they shifted the topic to frontline food supplies.

This era had yet to witness truly massive wars. Battles were typically fought by units ranging from a hundred to, at most, a thousand knights. A thousand-strong force signaled a major conflict between nations. Unlike the Asian tradition of cooking over open fires, soldiers usually carried only dry bread and tough, wind-dried meat that was nearly impossible to chew. Thinking of Edward going hungry and cold, Tang Feiliu felt deeply uneasy, wishing she could empty her entire household to send provisions to the front lines.

His Majesty Josephine had provided all the military provisions, but as expected, military rations were far from palatable. Designed for preservation, they were dehydrated, dry, and hard, devoid of flavor except for a faint, musty taste from prolonged storage.

Edward would undoubtedly fare better, yet this still wasn't food fit for ordinary people. Even modern beggars likely ate more tender and comforting meals. After discussing other matters with her brother, Tang Feiliu returned to this issue. Since systemic change could only come from higher authorities, she revised her original plan to focus instead on sending Edward provisions and letters.

Within the imperial city, the atmosphere eased slightly amid the frontline's tension and the passing of Edward's personal guards—though those within the walls remained unaware. Conversely, the frontline's atmosphere grew even more taut than before.

Edward sat at his temporary encampment. The allied forces had recently descended into chaos. Though he'd exploited their internal conflicts to eliminate two key commanders and seized supreme authority through a mix of bribery and intimidation, this campaign carried the stigma of sacrilege. Consequently, deeply hidden devotees—even peasants in the villages—were secretly passing intelligence to the enemy.

Such traitors were endless to eliminate. Some minor nobles ostensibly supported the empire while secretly passing intelligence to the enemy. Edward sat in silence for a long while before suddenly asking, "Have the reinforcements reached Tuya?"

"Yes," replied the knight commander beside him.

"Have them encamp within the city walls," Edward said calmly. The captain paused, then exclaimed in surprise, "But we still... Your Excellency?"

Lowering his voice, the knight commander bowed. "My lord, please reconsider. If we truly abandon Laru and all the surrounding villages, once we reach Tuya, we'll be only three days' march from the imperial capital..."

"I know." Edward took a deep breath, slowly steadying his mind. He murmured softly, "If we continue like this, no matter how many men we have, we'll be worn down to nothing. We must provoke the Templars into enraging everyone..."

"Your Excellency?" The knight commander didn't understand his meaning. As Edward murmured, the commander's expression turned as if struck by lightning. He tried to speak, but only a hoarse whisper escaped: "The Templars are led by the notoriously cruel Retal. His methods are brutal... Most of the civilians are innocent..."

He trailed off.

For he saw the calm in Edward's eyes. He knew what he was doing and had made his decision.

Once the Black Duke made up his mind, no one could stop him.

"My lord, if word of this leaks out, you will..." The captain tried to interject, but Edward waved him off before he could finish.

The Knight Commander dared not speak further. He rose, took a deep breath, and walked out.

That night, the Black Duke's personal guard—famed for fighting on the deadliest front lines—did not hold their customary position at the vanguard. Under the onslaught of the allied forces' main army, the coalition troops, accustomed to coasting in the rear, quickly crumbled under the assault. The panicked allies retreated through the night, abandoning their garrison at Laru City.

The Templar forces that entered the city spent the night engaging in rampant slaughter and plunder, shocking all across the continent.

Worse still, wherever the Alliance passed through the mountains and wilderness, not a single soul—young or old—survived in the villages.

The fires raging throughout the city burned for days before finally dying down. The entire family of Viscount George, who had repeatedly smuggled messages to the Alliance, was beheaded and their heads displayed on a high platform outside the city walls.

"Your Excellency, Retal spared no one." Soon after, Edward's scouting party returned to Tuya City. Their expressions were calm, yet their inner turmoil was palpable. Edward watched them for a long moment before murmuring softly, "...This is for your wives and children in York. For the sake of many more."

"We understand, my lord," the knight commander replied, kneeling on the ground, his voice low yet resolute.

"You may go." Edward waved him away, then paused before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small pouch.

He opened it, revealing a dazzling flash of gold, like brilliant sunlight.

Edward gazed at it for a moment before carefully tucking it back inside.

He gazed at the thick smoke visible across several mountains, as if witnessing the furious wails and unwilling spirits of the damned. It felt as though innocent souls, their eyes bloodshot, were accusing him.

Edward closed his eyes wearily.

Meanwhile, throughout the nations allied with Nat, everyone was stunned by this carnivalesque slaughter. Before this, war had only ever reduced common folk to slavery—never had such a bloody, savage massacre of an entire city occurred.

This was the result of Retal's personal vendetta. A man who rose to power through bloody methods and a passion for torture, he was born into royalty yet had been exiled across the continent. It was said he harbored hatred for both Nat and Fran because, when passing through their lands, their emperors had refused him audience, merely tossing him coins like alms to a beggar.

Retal was a delusional madman. During sieges, his cruelty was legendary, routinely slaughtering civilians. Yet even he shocked everyone by going so far as to massacre an entire city.

Not only did the knights who fought him hate him with a passion, but even civilians who had no direct involvement were terrified, like birds startled by a bowstring. They began spontaneously watching neighbors who had close ties with the Temple. Some minor nobles who were staunch believers in the Temple were scared half to death. After all, during the massacre, several minor nobles who had secretly relayed messages to the Temple were all killed indiscriminately. It was said this was done for secrecy. The Temple Alliance forces had no idea these nobles were on their side and gave them no chance to defend themselves. Upon entering, they burned, killed, and looted. Not only did they die horribly, but even the children in their homes were not spared.

Not a single civilian who secretly relayed information to the Templars survived. Although earlier, when the divine envoys expelled the Templars from Nat, they had forced some noble Templar followers to relocate their entire families, Her Majesty Josephine had never openly slaughtered Templar followers. In contrast, after this massacre, those who had betrayed their country by passing information to the Templars—leading to the city's fall and the deaths of innocent people—were despised and reviled for the first time.

Such is human nature: when unthreatened, one may turn a blind eye or offer detached commentary. Yet when life hangs in the balance, all else becomes hollow—survival alone matters.

After the Alliance retreated to Tuya, Edward's forces also assembled there. Knights from other nations suddenly found themselves even weaker. On the Alliance side, they finally began to operate with seamless coordination. Those deeply hidden double agents or opportunists hoping to curry favor with the Temple at this moment finally halted their schemes. Only then did the Temple's allies and the Alliance truly reach a state of equilibrium.

Amidst the Temple Alliance's growing dominance, the cold, ruthless side of the Temple revealed itself. The newly appointed Pope, a fanatical believer who showed no mercy to the unbelievers, issued an edict of absolution for the Temple Alliance. He proclaimed to the world that believers who killed the unbelievers did not commit sin, but rather offered a sacrifice to the gods. Those who were mistakenly killed, he declared, deserved it because they chose to dwell in places where the fallen gathered.

This declaration instantly forged an unprecedented unity within the Alliance.

For everyone was now bound to the same fate, with no path to retreat. They were either unbelievers or believers, yet all resided in lands the Temple had branded as fallen. In other words... the Temple's allies killing them was also fighting for the gods.

This declaration left Tang Feiliu speechless, while Raven wore an expression that said, "I knew it."

He sighed and remarked, "This newly appointed fanatic is a man easily swayed... His rise to power proves the Temple has been infiltrated too..."

Alexander had friends within the Temple. Seeing Tang Feiliu's confusion, he added that this situation was entirely normal.

Alexander's friend was a Cardinal Divine Messenger who had attained considerable standing within the Temple. When Her Majesty Josephine expelled the Divine Messengers, that Cardinal was expelled without exception. Yet upon departing, the friend hinted to Alexander that he might finally have a chance to ascend to an even higher position...

Tang Feiliu listened, his eyes wide with astonishment. He had no idea these people had been plotting for so long. He could only think of Edward's hidden card in the countryside, and Her Majesty Josephine's arrangements for the divine envoys long ago...

He couldn't help but sigh, burying his head in his hands. Was he truly the one favored by fate? Why did he spend his days solely farming and earning money, while those around him seemed to have glimpsed the threads of the future years ago—and even grasped them firmly in their own hands? And it wasn't just one person!

If not for that extraordinary encounter in his youth, he might not have even lived to see this day.

Tang Feiliu sighed, giving his own intelligence a profoundly critical nod.

Alexander watched his younger brother at home, seemingly deeply shaken for some reason. He thought for a moment but said nothing.

Hesitation and struggle flashed across his face, but in the end, he said nothing. After a moment, he pulled his hat down low and hurried out.

There were still many things to attend to, like the daily scheduled dressing changes.

At the hospital, Raven was already waiting for his dressing change. Seeing Alexander rush in, he said with a lonely, cold tone, "Director, why did you take so long? I've been waiting forever..."

But Alexander ignored his complaints and abruptly asked, "...Was Edward doing that on purpose?"

Lavin froze for a second.

Alexander swallowed hard, then blurted out after a pause, "I overheard people discussing it. The reinforcements could have reached Laru the day before, but they camped at Tuya instead..."

Before Alexander could finish, Raven suddenly smiled. He blinked and cut him off: "You should learn from young Lance—don't overthink things. It's happier that way."

Alexander understood. He froze for a moment before suddenly slumping heavily into his chair.

"You didn't really believe that Edward, the so-called Black Duke, was the nice guy you saw him as, did you?" Raven observed Alexander's shaken expression with amusement. Noticing genuine fear and panic in him, Raven's tone turned serious. "Edward may have retreated deliberately, but he isn't a bloodthirsty killer. I swear on my family's honor that this is true. "

"...Would he harm my brother?" Alexander asked Raven weakly. It must be said, Raven's words made Alexander feel considerably better. Alexander couldn't help but stammer, "I heard someone say... this massacre was orchestrated by the Black Duke."

"Impossible!" Raven blurted out, then sighed, closing his eyes. "...Edward may have abandoned protecting certain people, but even in the most dire circumstances, he wouldn't truly resort to such slaughter. I believe in him."

Alexander stared blankly at Raven, his mind in turmoil. He could accept his younger brother loving another man, and even tolerate the duke being his lover. But... Alexander didn't want his innocent brother to be standing beside someone so ruthless.

That was terrifying.

That wasn't human—it was a demon!

"Hey! Don't get any funny ideas!" Raven waved her hand in front of Alexander's face. Seeing his pale expression and those emerald eyes filled with terror—like prey caught in a hunter's sights—she hurried to reassure him. "Edward isn't what you think. He wouldn't harm Lance. Unless they're enemies, he wouldn't even casually harm any innocent person. Among the nobility, he's practically the most blameless..." Truthfully, I've always feared Lance might harm Edward. That's why I rushed back."

"What did you say?" Alexander snapped back to his senses, staring at Raven in utter shock.

Author's Note:

Thanks to Tangyuan Nuonuo for the landmine.