After encountering the Thirtieth Shadow in the Owl Plains, Leonard had executed a somewhat sloppy plan. He took the corpse of the shadow knight, stored it, and moved it to the vicinity of the Forest of Bones, where the apprentice knights' night training was taking place. To prevent the monsters from erasing any traces, he had scattered some of the Owlbear's blood around the area.
Killing the shadow knight by forcefully opening the Baekhoe point wasn't as bad a move as he thought. Since there were no wounds that could be considered a cause of death, the augmented sword energy that Leonard had used seemed as if it were the final blow.
With the keen senses of a strong knight like Bradley, he should be able to recognize it immediately.
In this world, the ability known as Aura Blade, or augmented sword energy, could be used at the External Force Tier, but it was rarely used. Forming an Aura Blade could take anywhere from several seconds to minutes, making it impractical, and its completion was so poor that it only exceeded the power of a regular sword strike by a small margin.
However, Leonard's augmented sword energy was of such high quality that it couldn't be mistaken for anything less than a Transcendence Tier knight's attack.
A Swordmaster is here.
Knowing or not knowing this fact made all the difference. Leonard had created a situation where Bradley couldn't respond with his own strength, and in turn, he would not hesitate to request support. Being just a step away from reaching the Transcendence Tier, Bradley knew how significant that one step was.
Commander Fabian of the Order of the Fledgling Dragon was at the Transcendence Tier, and Bradley had never managed to graze Fabian's clothing in a sparring match, not even once. Though Bradley didn't know if the opponent was that strong, he wasn't about to risk the lives of his subordinates and the apprentice knights.
Since I have detailed the Order of the Shadow's power, there shouldn't be many losses if the Order of the Fledgling Dragon prepares thoroughly.
Leonard's preparation wasn't just limited to the shadow knight's corpse. He also left a written statement detailing the reasons the Kurdish Kingdom dispatched the Order of the Shadow, their power and number of personnel, and the circumstances leading to the invasion of the island. He even added some sentences written in unnecessarily elegant script, explaining why the shadow knight had come to find them even at the cost of betraying his comrades.
"For the glory of the Kurdish Kingdom, I have taken up the sword with this hand, living a lifetime as a nameless shadow.
"To reclaim the stolen glory from the Cardenas and to reclaim the honorable name of my homeland, I have come to this island.
"However, upon hearing the details of this operation, I realized that I could not comply with such a disgraceful command. My dear homeland, the Kurdish Kingdom, and the honor of the knights cannot be reclaimed by kidnapping children and spilling their blood."
The emotion contained in the note was truly heroic due to it being soaked in the shadow knight's blood. Even Leonard might have believed had he not known better. Though not particularly skilled with words, surviving in murim for a long time had taught him how to make trivial things sound grand.
The shadow knight, who turned into a whistle-blower with good intentions despite being killed by Leonard, might shed tears of blood as a vengeful spirit, but that was of no concern to him.
Though there are some sloppy parts about it, it would be strange to go to such lengths to conceal one's identity as an accomplice.
Even if they doubted the note's content or authenticity, the traces of augmented sword energy engraved on the corpse and the presence of an unwelcome guest were as clear as day. How the Order of the Fledgling Dragon and Bradley would respond was uncertain, but it was better than knowing nothing.
"Sigh, let's just go back for now. I need some sleep," said Hayden. The other two nodded in agreement.
Ian said, "Even if it's a hassle, you should wash up. It'll be a disaster if you fall asleep like this."
"A quick dip in the sea should do it," replied Gale.
Exhausted from their nighttime training, the trio swayed on their feet while talking to Leonard. These knights, even at the Third Degree External Force Tier, couldn't maintain their balance.
Leonard gave a wry smile, but just when he was about to bid them farewell, a piercing sound reverberated throughout the entire island, causing Leonard and the trio to freeze in place.
Wiiingggg—!
It was an emergency summons order. They had been briefed on it before, but the alarm hadn't rung more than three times since the Cardenas family had colonized the island. All three times were due to Rank S demonic monsters emerging from the depths of the Galapagos Island, but this time, it felt different.
"Damn it, we'll have to gather for the summons first."
Ian looked back at Leonard and gestured to him. "Leonard, let's go together."
"Understood."
***
The emergency summons order was an alarm that gathered all personnel in one place, regardless of their rank or seniority. Within ten minutes of the alarm sounding, around a thousand people gathered near the spatial portal. Though Leonard had spent over half a year on the island, there were many unfamiliar faces among them.
Bradley appeared before them, stepping out in an orderly fashion.
"I want to express my gratitude first to those of you who responded so quickly to this sudden summons order."
Bradley's already rigid face and voice seemed even more stern. His imposing presence overwhelmed the entire area, demanding everyone's attention before he even addressed the main point.
"This is a real situation. There are invaders on the Galapagos Island, and their strength is formidable. There may be as many as thirty Eighth Degree External Force Tier knights and even a knight who has reached the Transcendence Tier—a Swordmaster may be here."
At his words, not only the apprentice knights but also the mid-rank knights who hadn't yet heard the full story momentarily tensed up. It couldn't be helped. Through Commander Fabian of the Order of the Fledgling Dragon, they had learned just how formidable a Swordmaster could be, and that numerical superiority held no meaning. A walking natural disaster, that was how Transcendence Tier knights were described.
"We have two choices," Bradley continued, ignoring their restlessness. "We can activate the spatial portal immediately, evacuate the apprentice knights, and request support from the Seven Great Orders or the family to eliminate the intruders on the island. There will be minimal casualties, and it's a choice that can guarantee the safety of each of you individually."
However, Bradley's previously calm tone became slightly more intense.
"For those present, this situation is also an opportunity to experience real combat better than anyone else. While I have to request support from Commander Fabian to counter the Swordmaster, we have enough forces among us to defeat the rest of the intruders."
It wasn't a false statement. While an Eighth Degree External Force Tier knight was undoubtedly formidable, they couldn't handle dozens of External Force Tier knights alone. If five or six mid-rank knights went up against one of the Eighth Degree External Force Tier knights, they could tie them down and possibly emerge victorious. With more numbers, victory could be assured.
"Why did those who couldn't challenge the Cardenas' name infiltrate our island directly? There's no need to ponder. It's quite simple.
"The Cardenas may be formidable, but those on this island are easy targets."
Bradley's words ignited a spark in the hearts of the inexperienced apprentice knights. A Swordsman family. Born into the mightiest family on the continent, they had built up strength and pride as a part of that family. Their anger was not only directed at the invasion of their land but also at being underestimated.
"Choose. The intermediate knights and I will respect your decisions."
The apprentice knights' response was swift. Without waiting for anyone else, they drew their swords from their belts, stood tall, and stared straight ahead. As the determination of over eight hundred knights emanated, even the passing breeze seemed to bend in their direction, stirring up a gust.
Both the Order of the Fledgling Dragon and Bradley smiled in satisfaction at their united will.
"All right. The number of knights in the Order of the Fledgling Dragon totals about 1,012 knights. We will be on high alert from this moment onwards."
Despite having just completed their night training, the apprentice knights responded with a well-drilled motion and held their blades upright. They seemed to have shaken off their fatigue as they awaited orders from their superiors.
While riding on their fervor, Leonard observed the unfolding situation with a calmer gaze than anyone else.
He's good with his words for someone who looks like an unrefined block of rock.
Bradley's words had easily roused the youths, who had spent over a decade honing their strength and pride through rigorous training since their youth. However, Leonard's mind remained as calm as ever, and he could guess the truth Bradley and the Order of the Fledgling Dragon were concealing.
He's managed to rally them up with his skillful rhetoric, but the reality is either that they can't use the spatial portal or that it would take a considerable amount of time to evacuate such a large number of people.
Surprisingly, his speculation was almost entirely accurate.
The Galapagos Island was located in the most remote region within the empire, and the mana around the island was unstable. Not only was the amount of mana stones consumed by the spatial portal immense, but its duration was also short. It would have to be stabilized for several hours after one use, or the spatial portal would not be able to last.
With over a thousand people, just evacuating the eight hundred or so apprentice knights would take at least a week.
If we try to send away some of the apprentice knights as an ambiguous measure, the number of knights in our forces will be reduced, and we may be ambushed. It would mean that those left behind would find it difficult to hold on and that we would likely suffer greater losses. So, it's more reasonable to prepare based on the total number of personnel and wait for support from the outside.
However, it wasn't entirely untrue that Bradley wanted to provide real combat experience.
It's likely true that he wants to provide us an opportunity to gain real combat experience. While it may not be feasible to request the dispatch of the Seven Great Orders when the enemy is just a Transcendence Tier knight, it is true that the Commander of the Order of the Fledgling Dragon will come. However...
Bradley had requested support from Fabian but hadn't mentioned when he would arrive. The uncertainty of his arrival time was a significant issue since they had to face the Transcendence Tier knight on their own.
"Leonard."
Bradley approached Leonard. Seeing Leonard's stern face, Bradley seemed to guess his thoughts, prompting a rare change in Bradley's expression.
Bradley said, "I understand your feelings, but now is not the time for you to step forward. Since we can at least send you away through the spatial portal, what do you think about leaving the island and waiting for the order to return?"
"Banneret," Leonard said. He had no intention of obeying the order. "I'd rather not turn my back from the battlefield and become a bystander, even if I can't fight alongside my seniors. Please let me stay on the island, even if I can't face the enemy."
"Hoooh. You haven't even broken through to the External Force Tier, but your actions match that of a true knight. As an adult, I should discourage your choice, but as a knight, I can't help but feel proud." Bradley closed his eyes briefly. "Fine. Stay put inside your residence. Your residence is in the deepest part of our camp, so the enemies won't be able to threaten you until all of us fall."
Leonard nodded briefly and said, "Thank you for accepting my stubbornness, Sir Banneret."
"Ehem."
Bradley nodded once in response to Leonard's words and then departed and went to where the appointed knights of the Order of the Fledgling Dragon were gathered. It seemed they were about to have a strategy meeting.
I should think about how to proceed from here on too.
Alone, Leonard headed towards his dwelling. As long as it was known that he was still at the level of the Body Refining Tier, the Order of the Fledgling Dragon wouldn't treat him as a usable force. On the contrary, it meant he could escape everyone's sights.
Since all the knights stationed on the island had been summoned, there was no risk of exposing himself to the Order of the Fledgling Dragon no matter where he roamed.
Should I venture into areas with a danger level exceeding four skulls?
Except for a fight with that one Swordmaster, a battle with anyone else on the island would heavily be in his favor. After all, the island's terrain would bring about all sorts of variables.
If he could locate and get rid of any separated shadow knights and reduce the number of enemies by restraining them, could he buy time until Fabian arrives?
"This should be interesting."
Leonard had the boldness of a young man who feared no danger, and back in his murim days, he had even broken through the Heavenly Net Formation, which supposedly no one could escape from.
The sword hanging from his waist hummed sharply.
It was a Sword Cry—a cry that craved for blood, one that resonated with its owner's fighting spirit.