PFBE 07

Chapter 07

“Count Denver, did you say the imperial army or the royal forces are coming?”
“Both are coming. They’ve moved troops near the fortress to protect Your Highness. The royal forces, though small in number, were already stationed nearby, so they shouldn’t take long to arrive.”

Cain nodded slightly at the response and spoke again.

“It would be best to prepare a defensive stance.”
“In that case, I think we should deploy the troops along the inner fortress walls.”

Though they had troops, most of the soldiers had fallen in battle, and even among the knights, few remained unscathed. They had fought with everything they had to protect the last prince of the Pelberg bloodline. Cain briefly wondered what might have happened if he had manifested his Stigmata a little earlier. Of course, before knowing the enemy’s strength or numbers, it would have been too risky to gamble with lives.

“Rodolfo! Schweissen!”

At Duke Heinrich Denver’s call, two burly knights approached and saluted.

“You called?”
“Await my orders.”

Even in this desperate situation, their eyes shone with determination.

“Defend the walls! Report immediately if the enemy appears, and prevent them from entering the inner fortress!”

At Denver’s command, the two knights revealed their resolve.

“We will lay down our lives to protect Your Highness.”
“We will fight for Pelberg until our last breath!”

Though their numbers were few, the influence of the Stigmata seemed to strengthen their morale. Cain knew he couldn’t easily manifest the Stigmata again after having done so once, but it was fortunate that the troops’ spirits were high because of its lingering effects.

However, shortly after the two knights headed to the walls with the others, Duke Heinrich Denver, scanning the plains for approaching enemies and reviewing future plans, sensed dozens of presences near the cliffs behind the fortress. He quickly turned toward the cliffs.

What he saw as he ran there made him exclaim:

“…What madness is this!”

Dozens of heavily armored knights were charging down the almost vertical cliff, kicking up dust—an overwhelming army. Duke Denver shouted in alarm.

“Battle formation! I don’t know who they are, but they’re coming this way! Protect the prince!”

Yet Cain remained calm.

The reason was simple: none of them were enemies of the Pelberg royal family. Being a modern game developer incarnated in this body, Cain could recognize from the golden aura emanating from them and the insignias on their surcoats that they belonged to…

The Emperor’s Faith.

Devotees who live entirely for the emperor, sworn to protect the Pelberg lineage. They push their bodies to the limit to safeguard the bloodline of the sacred stars, a tradition going back to ancient mythic times.

The Emperor’s Faith would never threaten the Pelberg bloodline. Most likely, they had been nearby, sensed the royal danger, and chosen the insane option of jumping down the cliff to save the reckless prince.

“Count Denver. No need to worry. Recall your aura. Can’t you see the golden magic enveloping their bodies?”
“C-could they be…”

Denver’s face went pale as Cain confirmed.

“The Emperor’s Faith.”

At Cain’s nod, Denver immediately recalled his aura. He was, after all, a traditional loyal noble of the royal family and had heard of the golden aura of the Emperor’s Faith. Still, he didn’t draw his sword—just in case these knights were rogue actors disguised as holy knights.

Soon, the Emperor’s knights finished crossing the cliffs and arrived in the inner courtyard. Their golden eyes were fixed on Cain, whose Stigmata glimmered faintly on his hand.

Exchanging glances briefly among themselves, the dozens of knights knelt before Cain without hesitation.

“Aron Valerian and forty-nine Emperor’s Faith knights. We have come to protect Your Highness, the prince. Please allow us to serve with unwavering loyalty until the very end.”

From them flowed a solemn determination. For centuries, they had been used by the declining royal family, yet their loyalty had never wavered. They would remain loyal to Cain until the last breath, as long as he retained the power of the sacred stars as Pelberg royalty.

“Count Denver.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Inform them of the current situation.”
“But… this is confidential.”
“If we can’t trust them now, who can we trust? And if they intended to harm us, would we even be alive right now? We should avoid unnecessary delays, Count.”
“…Understood.”

Heinrich Denver relayed the situation to the Emperor’s Faith knights. Aron Valerian, their commander, made a decisive choice.

“We will defend this place. No villain will ever threaten the Pelberg royal family. Any approaching enemy will have their heads smashed before even crossing our sacred shield formation.”

The burly knights moved toward the fortress walls. Soon after, the royal army from the capital arrived—about 500 troops led by the young chevalier-level Baron Eren Philiad.

He appeared grim, likely having heard of the tragedy at the grand banquet, but upon noticing Cain’s Stigmata, his expression shifted to shock. He too came from a noble family loyal to the empire, and he knew exactly what the manifestation of the Stigmata meant.

Quickly recovering from his initial shock, Baron Philiad proposed:

“It would be best to move to a safer position first. I’ll send a messenger to the Imperial Central Army, and we can join forces midway. We have no time—our priority is reaching the capital.”

Cain and Count Denver agreed. They began marching toward the capital. Troops gathered along the way, combining the royal army and the Imperial Central Army to protect Cain. By now, everyone recognized that Cain was the last living Pelberg heir.

A week after leaving Canosa Fortress, Cain spotted the banners of the royal knights coming from the capital. Denver explained:

“The Third Royal Order, the White Wing Assault Division, led by Baron Steiner Landerk’s banner.”
“There are too many following him.”
“They likely brought as many troops as possible to ensure the prince’s safety after the banquet tragedy.”
“Still, it seems excessive…”
“I agree. This force is almost the size of a full corps.”

Denver’s words weren’t exaggeration. The banners and soldiers behind Baron Landerk numbered close to ten thousand.

As Cain watched the approaching army, he glanced at his hand. The Stigmata, previously manifested, now appeared dormant. But with a small rotation of his circle and a surge of magic, the Stigmata would shine again, revealing his presence.

While Cain considered this, Baron Landerk approached with a small contingent of knights. Upon reaching a respectful distance, they dismounted and saluted Cain.

“Your Highness, I am Baron Landerk. I remember seeing you often at the palace when you were a boy.”
“I remember, Baron Landerk. It’s unfortunate that we meet under these circumstances.”

Cain lowered his tone for Baron Landerk, who valued etiquette, maintaining proper respect in front of the troops.

Taking a deep breath, Landerk addressed Cain and the thousands of soldiers following him:

“Your Highness, though this may surprise you, neutral nobles are being swayed by the Imperial Court. With the royal lineage decimated, even loyalists may splinter. To rectify this, Your Highness must make a decisive choice.”

He spoke firmly.

“You must ascend the throne immediately. The coronation is prepared. Once we reach the capital, it can proceed at once.”

The last remaining Pelberg heir, Cain Pelberg—you must become the emperor of this empire.

Landerk, calm by nature, seemed unusually hurried. Clearly, the situation was far more dire than expected.