Asha was exchanging a few blows with the opponent, just enough to see what he was capable of. However, his skills were far from impressive.
'Typical all bark and no bite swordsmanship.'
Clang!
The sound of metal clashing rang out from all sides, but the sound of Asha's sword knocking away the opponent's sword was particularly loud.
The Knight Commander's sword flew through the air and fell to the ground.
"Ugh, this can't be! What kind of woman has this much strength…!"
"You can think about that later, after you've been defeated."
"W, wait!"
The Knight Commander, who had lost his sword, waved his hands and shouted 'wait', but Asha lightly cut him down, calling him a traitor and not using any honorifics.
The swordsmanship he had shown was so below her level that she didn't even feel the need to know his name.
As the Knight Commander, who had been barking orders at his knights and soldiers, collapsed limply, the eyes of the surrounding knights flickered rapidly.
"What a rabble."
Watching Asha's fight, Carlyle smiled proudly and shook his head.
"Is this all the Imperial Knights are capable of?"
Although he taunted them, the knights only gulped and did not dare to rush Asha or Carlyle. They didn't know who the woman who had just killed the Knight Commander was, but it was clear that Carlyle was even stronger than her.
However, just because the Knight Commander who had just died was not particularly skilled, it did not mean that the Imperial Knights were weak. Carlyle knew that well. They had fought together on the battlefield, and as knights, the most prestigious position was that of the Imperial Knights. There was no way their skills could be insignificant.
Asha seemed to know this as well, and she blurted out a single word.
"It's not that they lack skill, it's that they lack conviction."
A knight who knows clearly what he is fighting for is strong.
However, these men were nothing more than 'meat shields' mobilized by power, and they did not know what they were fighting for.
It was not their fault.
As Carlyle was looking down on the Imperial Knights, knights in white clothes ran out from the inside of the palace.
"Ah, you've finally come out! Is this why you changed the law in a hurry, like a thief?"
Until now, the Holy Knights had been a veiled organization.
Although they were a military organization that protected the Pope and the Church, it was difficult to actually see them fighting, so it was impossible to know what level their skills were at.
However, they were a knightly order that was vaguely believed to be the 'strongest on earth', as they had quite a number of knights with divine powers and were blessed by the Pope.
Of course, Carlyle scoffed.
"I don't even know what the hell you guys are doing. What kind of holy knights are you if you turn a blind eye when a demon pops out?"
The Knight Commander of the Holy Order's eyebrows twitched at his provocation.
He briefly kissed the pommel of his sword, which was engraved with the Tree of Wisdom, and raised it high.
"Protect His Holiness the Pope and His Majesty the Emperor! Punish the rebellious group that corrupts the Chad Empire!"
The Holy Order of Knights was not as numerous as the Imperial Order of Knights, but they seemed quite confident. It seemed that they believed that ordinary knights could not easily defeat the Holy Knights, who were no different from priests.
However, as he had declared before the expedition, they were nothing but enemies in Carlyle's eyes.
Paang!
One of the knights of the Holy Order charged forward, wielding a greatsword as large as the one Carlyle held, and the two swords clashed with a tremendous sound.
Between the crossed swords, the young knight's anger could be felt.
"Your tricks, which you preach as the blessing of God, don't work on me!"
"Hoo, you must have some divine power."
Carlyle grinned.
Indeed, those with divine power did not flinch when they looked into his eyes.
However, that was a fact he already knew, and it was not something he had ever worried about in the first place.
"So what?"
Carlyle's muscles tensed.
His strength, which had even surprised Decker, had nothing to do with divine power or the blessing of God. It was the result of constant training since he was a child, and what Carlyle believed in when he went to war was not the blessing of God but his own long training.
"Ugh...."
A low groan began to leak from the lips of the knight who was struggling against Carlyle.
A promising knight, he had never experienced such power before. It was only natural. After all, they had never fought in a war or repelled demons.
Their skills had been honed only in the training hall of the temple.
"Do you think I survived so far just because of the blessing of God?"
The knight was slowly pushed back by Carlyle. He was using all his strength, but Carlyle's expression didn't change.
The knight shouted as if in a last-ditch effort.
"God is watching over us! Even if you defeat me, you will never win!"
"Not way. You're not even as strong as the Pervaz warriors. I'll show you what a life-or-death fight is all about… from now on."
Carlyle finished the small talk and quickly swung his sword.
Bright red blood splattered over the white mantle of the Holy Order of Knights.
"I don't have time, so come at me all at once."
Carlyle didn't smile anymore.
* * *
"This is not what we talked about! W-what are we going to do now? Huh?"
Matthias nervously wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. However, Beatrice was just as surprised by this situation.
'When did he win over so many nobles?'
Just a month or two ago, everyone was in the mood to recognize Matthias as emperor. Even though he was weak and indecisive, there was nothing they could do about it.
Of course, there were some middle-class nobles who were not openly showing their support, but their neutrality was tantamount to supporting Matthias.
'There were a few bigwigs on Carlyle's side, but I didn't think we would be outnumbered…!'
Even the House of Dupret, the most powerful supporter of Carlyle, had secretly sent their heir to her banquet.
However, looking at the situation outside the window, and the reports that were coming in one after another, it seemed as if everyone was determined to drive her and Matthias out.
"Call High Priest Gabriel! Right away!"
Beatrice looked for Gabriel as if she were grasping at straws.
And as she wished, Gabriel appeared with a calm demeanor.
"Did you call for me, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager?"
"High Priest!"
She led him to a place where no one else could see and grabbed his hand.
"There are more than a few nobles who have sided with that Carlyle! What is going on?"
Gabriel frowned momentarily at the hand that Beatrice was holding, but then quickly put on a green smile.
"It seems that Your Majesty lacks faith."
"T-that's not true! But don't we need an excuse to appease the restless people?"
"Those who lack faith will doubt whatever you say. Just wait a little longer. Everyone will come to know that God is on our side."
Beatrice was half relieved by Gabriel's confident attitude. But she still wondered what he was so confident about.
'Even the Holy Order of Knights is struggling, so what is the High Priest confident about? Ah…! Is the Holy See going to step in?'
It was a plausible assumption.
The Pope had been reluctant to acknowledge Kendrick's death and Matthias' ascension to the throne. The fact that some nobles were siding with Carlyle was also because the Pope had not yet raised Matthias' hand.
If the Pope were to break his stubbornness and come over to their side, the situation would be completely reversed.
'Then all the Elahe nobles will turn away from Carlyle!'
It was a wild imagination, but Beatrice, who was anxious and impatient, believed it to be true.
And only then did the worry that had been on her forehead disappear.
"I was too hasty. I'm sorry to bother you, High Priest, when you must be busy."
"I understand completely. However, no matter what happens, please trust me. Oh, by the way, there is one thing I would like to ask you to do."
"Hmm? What is it?"
Gabriel replied with a kind smile.
"Soon, the knights sent by God to punish the rebellion will appear. They will be quite different from ordinary armies, so I hope you will not misunderstand."
"Yes? I don't quite understand what you mean."
"You will know when the time comes. I have already told the Imperial Knights and the Holy Knights, so please just soothe His Majesty the Emperor."
Gabriel smiled and took a step back, bowing his head.
"Then I will take my leave."
"Ah, yes, of course."
Beatrice felt uneasy, but she could not stop Gabriel.
* * *
Although Gabriel had been confident in front of the Empress, he was also a little flustered by Carlyle's sudden counterattack and propaganda.
'The problem was that I couldn't confirm all the nobles who were in the bell tower.'
He was able to identify a few who had taken off their masks, but most of them just glared at him from behind their masks.
If he had been able to find out who they were, he would have tried to persuade them somehow. No, if only Carlyle had not been there, he would have been able to talk them around somehow. It was a matter of regret and resentment even now.
At the same time, he thought of Asha, who had deceived him and led him into a trap.
'She must have been possessed by a demon. If only I had met her a little earlier, I might have been able to save her soul....'
TL/N: Google: how to punch a fictional character in the face?
Even as he thought about it again, he felt a sense of betrayal, but he could not bring himself to hate her.
It was clearly his own fault for underestimating her care for Pervaz, even though he thought she might be the reincarnation of Saint Rubio.
But the relationship had already gone awry. There was no going back now.
'I didn't think I would have to resort to this method so soon....'
He sighed bitterly and opened the door to the prayer room of the imperial palace.