Count Baron, the lord of Watton Castle, felt relieved the moment he saw the famous Aiden Empire’s Knight Order. 

A battle between 7,000 allied troops and 12,000 enemy troops was quite large-scale even for him, accustomed to disputes with Kosten. He brightened, thinking he’d done well to urgently request help from the imperial palace.

Baron and the Imperial Knight Order weren’t meeting for the first time. 

He’d briefly encountered the new commander and vice commander when they were second-class knights, but their achievements weren’t things that passed by fleetingly. That’s why he remembered them even more.

Not much had changed. The red hair and golden eyes seemed to burn even brighter in contrast to the pale beige armor. 

The beautiful face with its unapproachable, indifferent expression remained the same. 

The vice commander with platinum hair so white it seemed to glow and deep blue eyes was itself a masterpiece carved by a legendary sculptor.

‘Just looking at their appearance, you’d never imagine what they’re like on the battlefield.’

How on earth could such combat power come from shells that seemed enchanting? Baron sincerely thanked God that these people were fellow imperials.

Having arrived past noon, they sat down at the table with Baron without delay.

“There were minor small-scale battles for three days. There wasn’t really any clear victory or defeat.”

Baron had sent a messenger bird requesting support to the imperial palace the moment he saw the size of the Kosten forces. And in the meantime, he’d firmly defended against minor attacks while waiting for reinforcements.

Alex, who’d been roughly listening to the situation, swept her eyes over the desk. Maps of the nearby terrain and papers with currently viable strategies were scattered messily. 

She skimmed through them. Just from what was marked on the maps, she could read the various operations the Count had considered and the many traces of his deliberation. However, her judgment was quick.

“Nothing good comes from dragging this out. We’ll break through head-on.”

“Will it be okay when we’re at a numerical disadvantage?”

“Those bastards are thinking the same thing.”

Alex drew several lines across the map with her finger.

“We’ll penetrate deep and surround them, splitting them into small groups.”

With high mountain ranges on both sides, the enemy had nowhere to flee.

“Ah. So you’ll drive them into a corner and encircle them.”

“Yes. They won’t expect us to go in that deep. Once we split them into multiple groups, it won’t be difficult. We’ll finish this with a quick decisive battle.”

Confidence born from absolute military power. Baron nodded. Alex stared at him intently before adding more.

“Count, you should not march out.”

“Pardon?”

Baron asked back in surprise. He’d never heard of a lord being absent from battle when enemies invaded his territory. 

There was the issue of troop morale, it was a matter of minimum responsibility, and it was a sense of ownership as natural as breathing. The new Knight Commander’s request was beyond common sense.

Baron’s voice, which had been relatively calm until now, grew louder.

“How can I not participate in battle? This is my territory, they’ve invaded my castle!”

“I know. That’s exactly why you shouldn’t march out. When Kosten learns the lord hasn’t taken the field, they’ll get excited. And they’ll make mistakes.”

Create and target the enemy’s opening.

“And since this is Watton territory and Watton’s castle, you need to be safe, Count.”

This operation of penetrating deep into the enemy’s center was a shortcut—fast but treacherous. 

While she wasn’t disparaging Baron’s martial prowess, objectively there was a high possibility of situations arising where they’d need to protect him. 

To finish with a quick decisive battle, they needed to focus only on attacking. So he had to be excluded. Baron soon understood Alex’s intention. 

Rather than his pride being hurt, he was so dumbfounded he agreed to the commander’s opinion in a daze.

“…Understood.”

“Thank you for understanding.”

Alex gave Jake a look. Jake quickly finished a brief conversation with the responsible knight of the regular forces nearby about the confirmed strategy, quick as roasting beans in lightning fire. 

‘Just follow behind us well.’

“Then when will you march out?”

“We’re going now.”

Before Baron could even speak, Alex immediately moved. Her heart pounded after a long time. Those Kosten bastards are celebrating her commander promotion, how thoughtful of them. 

While thinking such pointless thoughts as she walked, Ian stuck close to her side. And he spoke quietly in a low voice.

“Don’t die.”

Alex chuckled. It was something he always said like a spell before battle. Wasn’t he tired of it?

“‘Rabid Redhead’ has nothing she can’t say to you.”

“…You knew?”

“It’s a very glorious nickname. I like it.”

Ian let out a low breath watching her smile brightly, genuinely pleased. It was such an Alex-like thing to say.

Alex mounted the horse in front of the castle gate. The gate would open as soon as they gave the signal. With the regular forces trailing behind, Jake also approached Alex’s side. Ian also came to stand on the opposite side and made final adjustments to the formation.

Alex gathered her red hair together and tied it up high. Her white nape was exposed, but she didn’t wear a helmet. It obstructed her vision and was uncomfortable. 

Going into battle with just her long hair tied high without a helmet was a long-standing habit. Because of this, she always stood out everywhere on the battlefield. To allies and enemies alike. 

Of course, to enemies she was always the first target to kill.

‘But I didn’t die.’

That was skill. A golden gleam circled in her eyes.

Alex turned her eyes to look back. She could clearly see the vivid eyes of 100 knights. Behind them, she also saw the Imperial regular forces aligned sharp as a blade and the conscripted soldiers of Count Baron’s territory.

She looked forward again and drew her sword. She didn’t even say the usual words meant to raise the soldiers’ morale. Even so, the soldiers’ spirit silently pierced the sky.

The long red hair tied up high was the source of their confidence.

‘Fighting alongside the Red Lion.’

That alone was enough.

Alex raised her hand gripping the sword. Baron saw Alex’s signal and gestured to his side. The castle gate opened.

Her bright red hair whipped long like a tail. With the Aiden Empire’s Knight Order at the vanguard, 7,000 troops advanced rapidly. Seeing the dust rise, the Kosten camp soon became busy and began arranging their forces.

And they clashed.

* * *

“…Is that even human…?”

Someone among the advisors spoke in a voice mixed with groans. Baron agreed with his opinion. He’d watched everything from atop the castle walls. 

And before long, his mouth gradually fell open. It was completely different from when she was a second-class knight. She was far more monstrous than what he’d seen a few years ago.

He’d thought she was complete even then. Her skills had improved further. Just how far? It was dangerous and frightening.

Wherever the bright red hair passed, blood poured. Neck, armpit, thigh, side—she thoroughly stabbed and slashed only every weak spot on the human body. Whether necks or whatever else, they separated and flew off in pieces to roll around.

She rendered a person unable to fight with a single strike. It was a movement with maximized efficiency. The sword seemed stuck to her hand, flowing as one without hesitation. 

Red blood sprayed in all directions drawing arcs, soaking her armor. The ground wet with blood no longer raised dust.

The Kosten forces in the direction the red-haired one advanced met their end at her hands without even time to hesitate. The fact that such attacks came from horseback was sickening.

The position of commander of the Imperial Knight Order directly under the Emperor wasn’t obtained for free. The youngest and first female commander.

“’Red Lion of the Battlefield.’”

It slipped unconsciously from Baron’s mouth. And his gaze flowed to her side.

There was the ‘Grim Reaper.’

He too left red traces without fail wherever he passed. He also didn’t wear a helmet. His platinum hair rapidly split through the middle of enemy lines not far from the Red Lion. 

Despite having a much larger build than the commander, his sword movements were extremely delicate and restrained. Enemy forces fell silently to the trajectory of his sword that showed precision. 

He passed quietly, but corpses always piled up behind him. The fundamentals of efficiently refined swordsmanship were the same as hers but completely different.

If the ‘Red Lion’ was living terror and cruel fear to the enemy, the ‘Grim Reaper’ was silent death passing by.

It was eerie. Even though they were allies. Baron felt goosebumps rise coldly on the back of his neck. 

Even while admiring, the allied forces were steadily penetrating deep at fast speed, driving them toward the mountain ranges on both sides. Those tiresome d*mn Kosten bastards were pitiable.

“I’ve heard plenty about how amazing the ‘Red Lion’ is, but the ‘Grim Reaper’… Sir Ian is also beyond words.”

Baron’s son, Dylan, exclaimed in admiration. Though approaching adulthood, he was still young and seeing the Imperial Knight Order’s combat for the first time. He tried hard to capture and remember with his own two eyes what he’d only heard about in words.

“Which family is Sir Ian from? The surname Allenward is unfamiliar.”

Baron looked back at his son. Their story was famous, but Watton County on the border, far from central politics, was certainly also far from the imperial capital’s gossip.

“It’s unclear.”

“…Pardon?”

“Sir Ian’s family, I mean. Some say he’s from a fallen noble family, others say he’s a commoner. No one knows for certain.”