Dylan’s face showed surprise. Entry to the Aiden Empire’s Knight Order was open regardless of background. 

However, to polish swordsmanship from basics to advanced levels over a long period, and to accumulate related knowledge like imperial law needed to handle the imperial capital’s security, a family’s help was absolutely, essentially necessary.

“I understood Dame Alexandria and he grew up together since childhood—weren’t their families close?”

“Count Raymer took him in. There’s even talk that he gave him the surname Allenward.”

The one who took in and raised him despite his unclear origins was Count Raymer, who still silently guarded the border from the frontier even now.

“That’s impressive.”

“…Impressive indeed. Considering what he’s achieved despite not even being adopted as a son.”

Dylan’s words were admiration for Count Raymer, but Baron’s words were about Ian. Overshadowed by Alexandria Raymer though he was, he was no pushover either. 

It was natural that Alex, her younger brother, and Ian learned swordsmanship together in the Raymer Count family, which had produced outstanding knights of strong character for generations. 

However, no matter how much the Raymer family helped, the Raymers weren’t a family with great influence in the capital either.

He could have drifted away or gone astray. Ian Allenward rose to vice commander of the Imperial Knight Order through his own skill.

Dylan hesitated before speaking.

“This may be rude to say, but could he possibly be Count Raymer’s…”

“B*stard child? No. Patrick isn’t that kind of man.”

Alex’s father, Count Patrick Raymer, was someone Baron knew. Patrick Raymer was conservative, a man who walked only the straight path, frighteningly rigid. 

There was no way he’d have a b*stard child. Though Baron had no idea how such a fiery daughter came from under such a Patrick. A hollow laugh suddenly escaped him.

‘I couldn’t handle a daughter like that.’

Red Lion of the Battlefield. Would there ever be another knight like her in the Aiden Empire Knight Order’s history? 

Baron, like Patrick, was a frontier noble who only guarded border territories, but that didn’t mean he’d completely closed his ears.

The “Red Lion” with a heart hot like fire and a head cold like ice. After she joined the Knight Order, the imperial capital’s crime rate hit an all-time low, and the battles she participated in as Imperial regular army commander were all victories. 

Not a single defeat.

Today too, the record of unbroken victories remained intact. An unfamiliar signal reached Baron’s ears. After that signal, Kosten was retreating. A retreat signal. 

It was the first time they were hearing it.

The outcome was already decided.

* * *

Watton Castle’s gates opened with victorious cheers. Confident soldiers returned with powerful footsteps.

At the vanguard was the Aiden Empire’s Knight Order drenched in blood.

Red liquid dripped from her bright red hair like melting color. The ivory armor was messily caked with dried blood. With each step, dark red footprints soaked deeply into the ground. 

Behind her, knights who had dyed their originally ivory armor blood-red formed a line. The platinum hair was also thick with dark red blood. In the indifferent deep blue eyes, the bright red hair walking ahead blazed like it was embedded there.

A maid from Watton Castle was supposed to guide Alex to her room. However, the maid couldn’t move. Her complexion had turned deathly pale. 

Overwhelmed by the aura flowing from the Red Lion. When the maid met eyes with the flashing yellow gaze and trembled with her head lowered, the head maid, unable to watch any longer, guided Alex with difficulty instead.

Alex entered the guided room with quick steps and removed her armor. A knight who had followed took the armor with practiced ease. When he closed the door, she was completely alone in the room.

She entered the bathroom carefully prepared so she could immediately get into hot water. White petals floated abundantly on the hot water. A sweet fragrance touched her nose. 

The amber irises reflected in the mirror shone more brightly yellow than usual, holding moisture. 

She threw off all her clothes without leaving anything and roughly splashed water on herself a few times before entering the bathtub. 

As she submerged up to her chin in the hot water, petals tickled her lips. Like paint slowly dissolving around her as the center, red blood rippled and spread through the water. An illusion arose that the white petals were being dyed red.

Her body heated up, and her head cooled down.

It seemed she’d been caught in a trap.

* * *

In the Count’s office, now a conference room, Baron along with the Watton family’s vassals and Jake were already there. 

They wore smiling faces, and the atmosphere was harmonious. Ian approached the long table, sweeping back his still-damp platinum hair.

“Those Kosten bastards. I never thought they’d run away like that. I think it’s the first time in my life I’ve seen it.”

“Something this satisfying really hasn’t happened in a long time.”

Dylan, who had been talking with young vassals in the corner, looked at Jake with eyes full of respect and admiration. Dylan glanced around before sneaking closer and speaking quietly.

“I’d heard plenty about the Imperial Knight Order’s valor, but seeing it in person left me speechless. Nothing but the word ‘amazing’ comes to mind.”

Jake didn’t answer, just smiled. He was hearty and straightforward, but not a foolish man whose nose would rise high, swayed by praise bordering on glorification.

Dylan saw deep blue eyes approaching from behind Jake.

“Sir Ian. You’ve arrived. You’re looking clean.”

“Thanks to your preparations.”

He was the one who had returned drenched in blood with an ominous aura like the “Grim Reaper.” 

Dylan tried to speak friendly to him, now returned to clean platinum hair, then closed his mouth. 

Though he’d clearly answered in a kind voice with courtesy, an inexplicable feeling arose. It felt sharp and edged, ready to stab.

Jake read Dylan’s feelings. Though he was a cute young master, it would have been better if they’d met before the battle so they could have talked more. 

No matter that he was Watton’s young master, he couldn’t participate in the strategy meeting since he hadn’t had his coming-of-age ceremony yet. 

The reason he squeezed into this place anyway was probably because he’d begged and pleaded with Baron, hoping to somehow exchange even a few words with Alex and Ian.

He turned to see if that guy knew the poor young master’s feelings, then soon clicked his tongue. The current Ian was far from warm. The timing was bad for Dylan. 

The deep blue eyes, still not rid of the excitement right after battle, still gleamed fiercely. 

Though overshadowed by Alex rampaging like a demon, the most dangerous man after seeing blood was precisely Ian. Others didn’t know that eerie bloodlust, with such thick iron plating on his face.

“You okay?”

Jake asked Ian. He looked back. Jake wanted to ask if he knew what kind of eyes he had right now, but the one asking back was Ian.

“What?”

“…No, nothing. Just.”

Jake just swallowed the rest—wondering if he’d calmed down a bit.

Obsessively patient, brutally harsh and strict with himself, he exploded what he’d suppressed on the battlefield. The lingering blood was as thick as what he’d endured. 

Though he looked cold, he was actually a guy who burned hot enough to consume even his own body, like he’d crawled up from h*ll.

Alex was the opposite. She who looked like she’d burn fiercely was cold as anything. 

She was so calm and rational she’d crush guys who recklessly challenged her based on appearances alone before they could even properly engage. 

Of course, there were times she got angry like fire, but she’d never exploded purely emotionally—at least not that he knew of.

Neither played according to how they looked, and their faces were uselessly wasted. And in his eyes, he caught sight of someone who looked like she’d burn but was cold as anything. Jake grinned and stroked his chin.

“How’d you know I was thinking about you?”

Red hair walked over quickly in a slightly wet state. Before everyone could even notice the Knight Order Commander’s appearance, Alex threw out a question right away.

“Wasn’t it strange?”

Alex quickly passed by Ian’s side and examined the map on the long table again. Ian’s eyebrows furrowed blatantly at the subtle fragrance brushing his nose. 

His rampaging senses hadn’t settled yet, so that scent approached him sensitively. His heart still beat fiercely, making the blood flow beneath his skin excessively fast. He unconsciously put strength into his fist.

“It’s strange. Kosten retreating? Count, those guys aren’t like that.”

It was before they could fully savor the joy of victory. The commander drastically changed the atmosphere the moment she entered. 

Without even giving time to adjust, Baron was momentarily speechless at her question specifically targeting him. He quickly chose an answer fitting her question.

“…Retreat is rare for them.”

Baron, quickly grasping the atmosphere, answered while gazing at Alex. Hearing it, it was definitely strange.

“No, not rare—I’ve never seen it. Those belligerent Kosten bastards consider retreat or surrender a disgrace…”

They detested retreating to an unimaginable degree. Their strategy had no room for fleeing, retreating, or surrendering. That’s why every clash always saw much blood. 

The enemy number of 12,000 this time wasn’t small either, so before Alex came, they’d even prepared for a siege with them reaching and climbing the castle walls.

“Today they retreated. And way too quickly.”