Chapter 199 – Aix's Decision

“Vick Swordsaint, do you not dare to face me?!”

Outside the military camp surrounding Mig Fortress, a golden-haired girl with heroic bearing and no trace of fatigue approached the main gate openly, accompanied by two attendants dressed as powerful warriors. This stunningly beautiful girl who had just roared in anger was none other than Trelinka herself.

At this moment, Trelinka, her loyal Consul Aix, and her maid Naya were surrounded by at least a thousand soldiers. Yet none of the three showed the slightest fear. Instead, the soldiers closer to them trembled under the Formal-Level pressure unintentionally released by Aix, with several soldiers collapsing to the ground in terror when Aix’s gaze swept over them.

Trelinka paid no attention to these “Noble Allied Army” soldiers who only knew how to bully commoners. Her furious eyes remained fixed on a large tent at the center of the military camp.

After all, Princess Trelinka was a peak Apprentice-Level knight, capable of sensing a Formal-Level Sword Saint who made no effort to conceal his presence. After about five minutes, Vick Swordsaint finally emerged from the tent at a leisurely pace. He gave Trelinka a deep look before closing his eyes and sighing wearily:

“Ah! Your Highness Princess Trelinka, you’ve come after all. You’ve truly come. You… have finally come.”

After letting out a deep sigh that sounded like that of an old man, Vick, clad in fiery red armor with the magically glowing greatsword “Wind-Bathing Punisher” on his back, faced Trelinka from a distance.

Meeting Vick’s complex gaze, Trelinka responded with her most furious look and words:

“Vick, how dare you show your face before me? How dare you command this army? How dare you bear that ‘Wind-Bathing Punisher’? Are you still the Vick Swordsaint loyal to this nation?”

“Without doubt, I am Vick Swordsaint. My loyalty has never gathered a speck of dust. Bearing the ‘Wind-Bathing Punisher,’ I can stand tall as always.”

Facing Princess Trelinka’s accusation, Vick answered loudly without hesitation. His resolute tone and powerful voice perfectly concealed the helplessness and pain hidden beneath.

“Is this what you call loyalty to the nation? Does your loyalty mean raising your blade against innocent people? Does it mean turning your sword against me, Trelinka, the third princess of the Dillon Kingdom’s royal family?”

Trelinka’s iron-clad hands clenched into furious fists, the sturdy leather creaking under the immense force.

“As your childhood swordsmanship teacher, I must correct three mistakes you’ve made!”

Vick looked calmly at Trelinka, whose Battle Aura fluctuated violently due to her rage, and spoke unhurriedly:

“First, the one I serve has always been only one—the sacred King.

Second, Raising the blade was never my intention. I am merely following orders. As a tool of war, my actions bear no ‘nature’ whatsoever.

Third, you are no longer the third princess of the Dillon royal family. By command of the great King, from the end of the third month of Coldwinter, you have been declared a treasonous rebel who must receive the ultimate punishment.”After speaking, Vick also abruptly released his pressure. Instantly, the surrounding soldiers scrambled away, dragging their unconscious comrades without looking back. Anyone could see this place was about to become a battlefield for three Formal-Level powerhouses. The princess’s words had failed to move the “loyal” Vick Swordsaint.

“How could this be…”

Seeing Vick Swordsaint remain unmoved, Trelinka once again felt the powerlessness and sorrow of being engulfed by despair. She couldn’t understand why her teacher—the very man who had personally taught her about kindness and order—would commit such an utterly unkind act.

In near-tearful desperation, Princess Trelinka pleaded:

“Teacher Vick, by the grace of Tyr, the God of Justice, tell me this isn’t true. You are a kind-hearted powerhouse who should repay your subjects with kindness—isn’t that what you taught me?”

Watching the tearful Princess Trelinka, a flicker of hesitation and confusion surfaced in Vick’s eyes. But in the next instant, that trace of doubt was completely replaced by unshakable resolve.

“By order of His Majesty the King, I—Vick, commander of the Noble Allied Army—hereby declare that Trelinka, leader of the rebellious ‘Glory Army,’ has committed treason by conspiring against the royal family and betraying the nation. Pursuant to His Majesty’s decree, she is sentenced to death… to be carried out immediately!”

With that, Vick Swordsaint slowly drew the energy-wreathed “Wind-Bathing Punisher.” At that moment, Vick himself seemed to transform into a blade capable of severing everything. A terrifying aura—one that could shatter mountains and tear the earth asunder—soared skyward. The entire battlefield grew scorching hot from the mere overflow of his fiery Battle Aura.

“Great Tyr, God of Justice, I beg you to bestow a miracle and awaken General Vick! Is this what ‘orderly’ loyalty represents? Then why do I only see the deepest darkness?”

Princess Trelinka finally realized she could never persuade the blindly loyal Vick. Her lifelong “princess” upbringing had only given her blind confidence. Now, Trelinka had to admit—she truly didn’t understand Vick Swordsaint at all, even though this mighty Sword Saint had been her teacher for five or six years.

“Naya, quickly take Her Highness the Princess away. I’ll hold off Vick Swordsaint here.”

“Understood!”

The silent Naya immediately nodded in response. Her slender figure abruptly vanished into thin air. The next moment, Princess Trelinka—who had been standing beside the warhorse, biting her lip to fight through Vick Swordsaint’s terrifying pressure—also disappeared without a trace.

In less than a second, Naya and Trelinka had vanished as if evaporated, leaving behind no presence or aura whatsoever.

Seeing that Naya had successfully extracted Trelinka, Ex calmly drew a gleaming longsword. Assuming a duel-ready stance, he silently thought to himself:”Excellent, excellent, Naya. Take Her Highness the Princess and escape like this. No matter what, Her Highness the Princess has already personally risked herself to negotiate with the enemy for her subjects. Even I, the Consul, have been sacrificed in these negotiations. Now those generals and soldiers who accused the Princess of not bravely stepping forward to negotiate will have nothing left to say!”

Indeed, when Princess Trelinka insisted on going to Mig Fortress, Axe had considered using forceful means to stop the overconfident Princess. But he ultimately realized he couldn’t do that.

Currently, a significant portion of the motivation driving the Glory Army to continue struggling came from Princess Trelinka, who had promised to “protect the nation without fear of sacrifice.”

After news spread that the “Church Faction” Nobles were planning to massacre the common people in the northern part of the Kingdom, both the soldiers of the Glory Army and the people supporting them needed to see the Princess’s stance. They hoped Princess Trelinka would negotiate, prevent the massacre, or at least do everything in her power to protect her subjects.

If Princess Trelinka hadn’t stepped forward at this time, there would be no need for the Church of Dawn to launch further attacks – the Glory Army, utterly disappointed in their Leader Princess Trelinka, would truly face collapse.

“With Naya’s superb skills, my desperate resistance, and Victor being a Sword Saint who isn’t adept at pursuit, the Princess’s chance of survival definitely exceeds eighty percent. When they see how the Princess risked life and limb for her subjects, the entire Glory Army will surely unite against the common enemy… The Dillon Kingdom still has hope!”

Axe optimistically envisioned the scene of the Glory Army fearlessly charging toward the front lines at Trelinka’s command, feeling his blood burning with fighting spirit.

Imagining this hopeful future and disregarding his own life and death, Axe roared loudly as dozens of deep blue electric arcs danced wildly along the blade of his sword.

“Come, Victor! Let me see if your blade is as sharp as the rumors say!”

(End of Chapter)