Entering the study, King West V shut the door firmly with a solemn expression. He sank into his chair and fixed the elderly mage before him with a grave, earnest gaze. He dared not show any disrespect to Laribaud. Even when he was still a prince, the old mage had been his tutor. Though West V possessed little natural talent for magic—his abilities were no more than those of an ordinary mage to this day—Laribaud had lavished him with meticulous care and guidance in every other aspect of his education. It would not be an overstatement to say that the mage was like a second father to him. What was more, it was Laribaud's unwavering support that had secured his position on the throne when he ascended. Thus, no matter what private doubts lingered in his mind, King West V knew he must listen to the great mage's words.
"Master Laribaud, I still fail to understand your meaning. He is merely the descendant of a young noble, is he not? According to Ashe's report, he does not even hold an official title or peerage. Why should we treat such a man with such...?"
"Fear?"
The old mage finished the king's unspoken thought with a faint smile.
"You think that us old codgers have nothing left in this world to fear, do you not?"
King West V looked slightly abashed at the old mage's rhetorical question. Yet it was the truth. Whether it was Laribaud before him, or the other senior courtiers who had spoken out to dissuade him earlier, all were among the most powerful figures in the kingdom—their status second only to his own, and their ages far exceeding his. Each of them had served the late king, enjoying illustrious reputations. Of course, these veteran ministers understood their place well. In normal times, they preferred to stand aside as quiet observers. After all, they were not his trusted confidants; speaking out of turn could easily bring unnecessary risks upon themselves. But today, they had cast aside all sense of propriety, rushing to voice their objections one after another. If their opinions had been divided, King West V might have suspected some underhanded collusion between them. But their unanimous stance was truly perplexing.
"Do you still remember the history of our Kingdom of Westland?"
Just then, the old mage suddenly posed this seemingly unrelated question. The king looked taken aback, but replied almost reflexively.
"Of course I do, Master Laribaud. Our Kingdom of Westland was founded by our ancestor, Terres, who led the Highland Tribes in a rebellion to overthrow the tyrannical rule of the nobles..."
This history was etched into the memory of every citizen of Westland. The great ancestor Terres had led his loyal clansmen to topple the cruel aristocracy, establishing a nation of their own upon these plains. But that was not the end of the story. In the years that followed, the Kingdom of Westland faced numerous crises. Surrounded by far more powerful neighbors—the kingdoms of Descartes, Lania, and Saris—all three had cast covetous eyes upon Westland. They had even formed an alliance, seeking to destroy this upstart nation founded by "inferior tribes." Yet in the face of these three great powers, the people of Westland refused to yield. Over the next century, they fought battle after battle, defeating the combined armies of the three kingdoms. Eventually, they conquered and annexed Lania and Descartes, rising to become one of the foremost powers on the continent. Even Saris, weakened by years of war, had long since faded from its former glory.
These tales and legends were known to nearly everyone. As king, West V certainly had no excuse for being ignorant of them.
"An excellent recitation," the old mage nodded approvingly at his words. Then, his expression suddenly turned solemn as he fixed his gaze upon the king and asked, "Now, Your Majesty—you are king. I ask you to consider this question from the perspective of a ruler. Given the situation at that time, did we really stand any chance of defeating the Triple Alliance?"
"This..."
King West V faltered, blinking in surprise. He frowned deeply, falling into thought.
"Well... I suppose we must have stood a chance, otherwise..."
"You are mistaken," Laribaud cut him off with a sharp wave of his hand, flatly rejecting the king's tentative answer.
"You were not born in that era; you cannot possibly understand the dire straits we faced back then. Lania, Descartes, and Saris were renowned as the most powerful nations on the continent. Their combined strength far exceeded anything we could hope to withstand. In fact, for the first fifty years of the war, we were trapped in a state of constant passive defense. You must understand—the three kingdoms not only encircled our borders but also severed all our supply lines. In those early days, we did not even have enough food and equipment to mount a proper defense. What was more, our kingdom had only just been founded. In the course of overthrowing the noble regime, King Terres had already expended the vast majority of his forces. It is no exaggeration to say that the fledgling Kingdom of Westland was like a man recovering from a severe illness, still weak and vulnerable. To be set upon by the Triple Alliance in such a state was almost a death sentence."
Unlike the king's cautious phrasing, the old mage spoke bluntly, laying bare the harsh reality of those times.
"If the three kingdoms had not fallen into dispute over how to divide our territories—each distrusting the others, thus granting us a precious reprieve—the Kingdom of Westland would have been annihilated less than fifty years after its founding."
King West V's mouth fell open in astonishment. Though he knew full well that such a catastrophe had never come to pass, he was still deeply shocked by the old mage's words. While the history books did recount those difficult years, they made no mention of the kingdom having been on the very brink of total destruction.
"The armies of Westland were indeed the bravest of the brave in those days. Our valiant soldiers never flinched in the face of enemies outnumbering them several times over. But courage alone does not win wars. On the fiftieth anniversary of our kingdom's founding, we faced the first full-scale invasion launched by the united forces of the Triple Alliance—and they had timed it perfectly. After fifty years, the great generals who had led our armies in the rebellion were either dead or too old to fight, rendered completely useless. The fierce warriors who had once ridden across these plains had been worn down by time, their former glory faded beyond recognition. Meanwhile, our new recruits had not yet completed their training. The Triple Alliance had been waiting for this very opportunity for decades. The gap in strength between us was simply too vast. We were utterly routed in the very first engagement..."
At this point, Laribaud lifted his head, gazing out the window at the blue sky. A flicker of pain crossed his eyes.
"Back then, the entire nation was crushed under the weight of despair. Every battle left us with heavy casualties. Our supply lines had been cut off entirely, and food had become a critical problem. People in many regions were suffering from starvation. In desperation, countless parents sent their children—some as young as ten years old—to join the army, forcing them to face the fearsome might of the Triple Alliance's legions. The only reason? At the very least, as soldiers, they might be able to secure a meager meal. If they had remained civilians... their fate would most likely have been to starve to death."
The king fell silent, his expression somber. Though he had not lived through those dark days himself, as a ruler, he could well imagine just how perilous the Kingdom of Westland's situation had been at that time.
"But in the end, we still achieved victory, did we not? We defeated those three nations, after all!"
"Defeated?"
A bitter smile tugged at the corners of the old mage's lips at these words.
"It is true that they were ultimately defeated—but not by us."
"Hmm?"
"Just when Westland was facing its darkest hour, a young knight emerged from Twilight Forest. By his own power alone, he shattered Saris's cavalry regiments, plunged Descartes into an abyss from which it could never recover, and held Lania's advance at bay with an iron grip. He bought us the breathing room and time we so desperately needed. It is true that the Triple Alliance was eventually vanquished by our forces—but without that knight's intervention, we would never have had the chance to turn the tide of the war."
As he listened to the old mage's tale, King West V's eyes widened involuntarily, filled with disbelief.
"Is it really true that such a man existed? But why is there no record of his deeds anywhere in our archives?!"
"One reason is that he was never our ally," Laribaud replied gravely. "Another reason is that he once... clashed with King West III. Though the dispute was ultimately resolved without descending into irreparable conflict, the late king was clearly deeply angered by the incident. He issued a royal edict ordering all records of the knight to be expunged from history. To this day, aside from a few of us old relics who still remember, very few people in the kingdom know anything about that knight."
"That knight... could it be..."
"Purple background, golden border, a drawn longsword entwined with a white rosemary rose—the Flag of the End. The most powerful and fearsome knight this continent has ever known. His name was Blake."
"Wait just a moment!"
King West V shot to his feet abruptly, his voice ringing with urgency.
"That was centuries ago, was it not? We all know perfectly well that Twilight Forest and Twilight Castle have long been without a master. What is more, even a knight cannot live forever. You yourself once told me that even a Knight of Destiny—a knight blessed with unparalleled talent—cannot possess an immortal lifespan. According to Ashe's report, this young man who bears that so-called Flag of the End is barely twenty years old! I could understand if he were a descendant of that legendary knight—but why are you so certain that he *is* the knight himself?"
"Because he is the only man in this world who defies all conventional wisdom, Your Majesty," Laribaud answered, his expression as solemn as ever.
"When I was a young man, I had the honor of serving at that knight's side. I witnessed him perform feats that could only be described as miracles with my own eyes. To be honest, his very existence has always been an enigma to all of us. But I know this much for certain: on this entire continent, within the boundaries of Twilight Forest, there is only one man who dares to fly that banner. I swear to you on my life, Your Majesty—my judgment is not wrong."
There was one more thing Laribaud did not mention aloud. Earlier, he had received word from one of his subordinates: a mid-ranked mage under his command had been attacked in the territories of House Zach and stripped of his magical powers. What was more, the attacker had even sent a message, specifically ordering him to "better discipline his underlings." The sheer arrogance of that tone had already aroused Laribaud's suspicions. But now, after seeing Ashe's report about the young lady who bore an uncanny resemblance to Princess Ophelia, and hearing his description of Blake and his banner, the old mage was one hundred percent certain: this young man was none other than the legendary knight of old.
"...And yet, I still find this difficult to comprehend," the king sighed, sinking back into his chair, his gaze fixed on the old mage's serious expression.
"Even if he really *is* that legendary knight—so what? Our investigation into that young lady would not pose any threat to him, would it? What is more, if he is truly as powerful as you claim, then why do we not try to recruit him? To persuade him to serve our kingdom? Especially now—with the Sith Empire's Four Scourges emerging as our deadliest foes, and our own kingdom lacking any knights of comparable strength. If he really is that knight, then surely it would be in our best interest to win him over. We could grant him great power and vast lands, convincing him to fight for us! Is that not a far better course of action?"
"It would be useless, Your Majesty," Laribaud replied with a bitter laugh, shaking his head slowly.
"You must never attempt such a thing. In fact, what you are proposing is exactly what King West III tried to do centuries ago. After all, our kingdom was far more imperiled back then than it is today. And at that time, the knight had already helped us hold back the combined forces of the Triple Alliance. King West III sought to bind him to our kingdom's cause in the name of rewarding his service. To achieve this goal, he offered the knight unimaginably generous gifts. He not only granted him a third of the entire kingdom's territory but even attempted to bestow upon him the title of Prince of Westland—a title that would have made him second only to the king himself."
King West V stared at Laribaud in stunned silence. Even though the Kingdom of Westland's territories had been much smaller at that time, ceding a third of them was an unprecedentedly lavish gift. And to offer the title of prince? That would have made the knight effectively equal in status to the king! And yet, he had rejected it?
"He refused?"
"He did," Laribaud confirmed with a firm shake of his head.
"I told you earlier—he did not fight against the Triple Alliance to save the Kingdom of Westland. Because the late king ordered all records of him to be destroyed, you have no way of knowing the true nature of his campaigns. It is true that we must acknowledge he annihilated the vast majority of the Triple Alliance's fighting strength. But the methods he employed were never intended to protect our kingdom. In other words, defeating the Triple Alliance was his sole objective. As for our Kingdom of Westland? In his eyes, we were nothing more than a convenient decoy to draw the Triple Alliance's military might away from his own goals."
King West V felt his mind go blank with shock. What kind of man was he? And why had he done such a thing? The king found himself utterly unable to comprehend.
"But I still do not understand, Master Laribaud. If he intended to wage war against such massive armies, then he could not have done it alone, surely? He must have needed to lead a vast host of soldiers, to have sufficient supplies and reserves! Did he really believe he could defeat the combined armies of the Triple Alliance with nothing but his own small band of personal retainers?"
"It is not a matter of what he believed—it is a matter of historical fact," Laribaud replied, waving a hand dismissively.
"In truth, from the moment that knight first intervened in the war to the point where the Triple Alliance was reduced to a state of terminal decline, the size of the force he led never exceeded fifty men."
"That is impossible!"
King West V could contain himself no longer. He had managed to swallow his disbelief up to this point—but this was simply too much to accept.
"According to the historical records, the combined armies of the Triple Alliance numbered over one hundred thousand soldiers at the time! How could a single knight—leading a mere fifty men—possibly annihilate an army of one hundred thousand? Forgive me for being blunt, Master Laribaud, but I find this utterly impossible to believe. It is sheer madness! Such a thing could never happen in the real world!"
"You are quite right," Laribaud conceded with a faint smile, clearly having anticipated the king's reaction.
"If those fifty men had been ordinary soldiers, then it would indeed have been impossible."
Fifty knights?
King West V felt as if a heavy hammer had struck the back of his skull. His breath caught in his throat, coming in short, ragged gasps. Are you joking? To this day, there were no more than ten individuals on the entire continent who possessed the strength of a knight. Look at the Sith Empire—two Knights of Destiny leading their armies had been able to conquer Nightfall City as easily as child's play. What kind of power would fifty knights wield?
King West V strained his mind, trying to imagine the sheer scale of such power—but in the end, he was forced to shake his head in defeat. For the first time in his life, the king realized just how limited his imagination truly was.
"L... Master Laribaud—we are not here to discuss these ancient legends," the king said after taking several deep breaths to calm himself, forcing his mind back to the present.
"For the sake of argument—even if he really *is* that legendary knight—how can you guarantee he will not pose a threat to our kingdom? After all, the Sith Empire boasts four Knights of Destiny among its ranks, and their power is growing stronger by the day. How can you be certain this knight will not become our enemy?"
Laribaud gazed at the middle-aged king before him, nodding slowly. This, indeed, was the question a king ought to be most concerned about. But to him, it was not a cause for worry at all.
"Your Majesty—do you still remember the lessons I taught you about the nature of a knight's power?"
"I... yes, I remember them clearly," the king replied. "You once told me that a knight's strength lies in his ability to transform his unwavering convictions into tangible power, forging his beliefs into a unique form of swordsmanship—known as Knight's Swordsmanship. That is the true source of a knight's might."
"Precisely," Laribaud smiled, nodding in approval.
"As for that knight's convictions... to be honest, I do not claim to fully understand them. But I am certain of one thing: he will never help the Sith Empire. In fact, if I am not mistaken, he will regard the Sith Empire as his most dangerous foe. Thus, even if he has no intention of aiding us directly, he will still view the Sith Empire as his greatest rival. On this point, I have complete confidence."
"Why?"
"Have you not realized it yet?" Laribaud sighed, his gaze fixed upon the king.
"The situation we face today is far less dire than when we stood against the Triple Alliance centuries ago, Your Majesty. And yet, even in those darkest of days, that knight did not abandon us to throw in his lot with the Triple Alliance. Why do you think that was? If he had acted purely out of self-interest, would it not have been far easier and more convenient for him to destroy our kingdom rather than face the wrath of the Triple Alliance's hundred-thousand-strong army? I believe the knight made his choice based on his own unshakable convictions... After all, the Triple Alliance was not without knights of great power in those days. There was Irm, the White Knight; Hassa, the Sky Knight; and Mobera, the Death Knight—all renowned as fearsome warriors in their own right. These mighty knights ultimately joined forces, launching a coordinated campaign to eliminate the knight Blake. But in the end, they failed utterly in their objective. All of them perished in the attempt... and Blake himself vanished without a trace shortly afterward. It was only with the deaths of those powerful knights that the balance of power between us and the Triple Alliance finally shifted in our favor. As for the subsequent skirmishes and battles between our kingdom and Descartes—when compared to the feats of the knight Blake—they were nothing more than childish games."
King West V fell into a deep silence, his mind racing as he pondered the old mage's words. He did not know whether he should believe Laribaud or not. After all, the mage's claims were nothing short of extraordinary. If these words had come from anyone else's mouth, the king would have dismissed them as the ravings of a madman. But this was the most respected mage in the entire Kingdom of Westland speaking—and when combined with the reactions of the other senior courtiers earlier, his words did not seem entirely baseless, mere flights of fancy or wild conjecture.
"So... what exactly are you suggesting we do?"
"We need not concern ourselves further with Twilight Forest, nor with that knight. After all, the territory of Twilight Forest was originally entrusted to our kingdom's care to hold in his stead. Its return to his hands now is merely a matter of restoring what was always rightfully his. Of course, Your Majesty, there is no need for you to take any special action in this matter. If you truly cannot set your mind at ease, you may dispatch agents to observe him from the shadows. But as for the investigation into that young lady... it would be best to abandon it immediately. From what I know of that knight, he possesses an extremely strong possessive streak when it comes to the women in his life. If he discovers we have been investigating her, things could become extremely troublesome for us... For now, I implore you, Your Majesty—to focus all your attention on the Red Citadel and the impending war with the Sith Empire. If my judgment is correct, then when our kingdom goes to war with the Sith Empire, that knight will make his appearance of his own accord—no royal command required."
After listening to Laribaud's impassioned plea, King West V sat motionless in his chair, his eyes fixed intently upon the elderly mage before him. Finally, he made his decision.
"To be perfectly honest, I still find it impossible to believe everything you have told me. But I will heed your advice—for the time being. However... if that man ever does anything to threaten the safety of our kingdom, then I will not hesitate to act against him. It matters not whether he is the legendary knight of old or someone else entirely—I will show him no mercy."
"As you command, Your Majesty."
The old mage bowed deeply, his gaze fixed respectfully upon the king.