Becoming a Swordmaster by Reading

Chapter 198 : Chapter 198

Along with the declaration of war, the Glockner family began to march toward Lucrene.Since the distance was far and they had to cross the territories of other nations, the marching speed was not very fast.

For that reason, it was not very difficult for Roden to prepare the Special Task Force Knight Order and the Heart Sword Knight Order.

“Eventually, what was bound to explode has exploded. I hoped it would pass quietly somehow.”

“Indeed. Well, this might not be a worse outcome.”

“By the way, how should we respond to the letters that keep arriving?”

Roden pondered for a moment upon receiving Chevalier's question.

Then, as if he had reached a conclusion, he opened his mouth.

“Refuse them. Tell them support is not needed.”

It was so.

The letters that kept piling up.

These letters were sent from other kingdoms and other families.

Offering to add their strength to the fight against the Glockner family if needed.

The number of letters was substantial.

It was natural since not only the executives belonging to the Main Battalion who had left after swearing to become eternal allies, but also all the heads of families who had formed close relationships with Roden during the war with the Empire had sent letters.

Especially if he received help from Heinrich, Alexis, Tobias, Adriel, and others, fighting the war would become much easier.

However, Roden did not bother to call them.

Because he was confident he could win this fight even without receiving help.

Since Chevalier was also thinking the same thing, he nodded and answered.

“Yes. Then I will politely refuse all of them.”

Like that, Roden calmly waited for the fight with the Glockner family.

Of course, he didn't just wait idly.

The castle stones left over when building Duaren Castle.

He placed these castle stones in the middle of the Glockner family's advance route.

That meant he had built a new gateway.

The reason Roden built a new gateway like this was nothing else.

It was to prevent Lucrene from suffering damage due to this fight, even by a small chance.

Roden, who built even a gateway overnight like that, moved the Special Task Force Knight Order and the Heart Sword Knight Order to this place.

***

Meanwhile.

The Glockner family was marching in silence.

“…….”

Albrecht took the lead, and Leon, Malena, Paul, Laura, and Michael followed from a distance behind him.

At a glance, the majesty of the Glockner family was tremendous.

Because they exuded an enormous aura that made one's knees weak just by looking at them, while their military discipline was perfectly maintained.

Even more, Albrecht, who was leading this force, was a 9-star knight, and Leon and Malena were both 8-star knights.

The skills of Paul, Laura, and Michael were also not at a level to be ignored.

Perhaps because of that, whenever they crossed the territories of nations from which they had obtained permission for passage in advance, people gaped as if surprised by their majesty.

However, even though the majesty of the Glockner family was this great, it was unavoidable that one doubt arose.

Whether the Glockner family could indeed defeat Roden, who was a 10-star knight and a 10th-circle mage.

Leon thought while quietly staring at the back of Albrecht, who was sitting upright on his warhorse in the distance.

‘What on earth is the Family Head thinking?’

Almost all nations on the continent joined forces and barely succeeded in subjugating Yusupa, who was a 10th-circle mage.

Even this would have been as good as a failure if not for Roden's existence.

That's how beyond imagination the ability of a 10th-circle mage was.

Yet, intending to face Roden, who succeeded in winning a head-to-head confrontation with such Yusupa, with only the Glockner family.

Leon could not understand at all what Albrecht was thinking.

Perhaps having similar thoughts, the expressions of the other siblings following Albrecht were not very good either.

‘It's not arrogance.’

Leon initially thought Albrecht was captivated by arrogance and mistakenly believed he would win the fight against Roden.

Certainly, for Albrecht, who was a 9-star knight and once the strongest on the continent, it could be difficult to think that he would be pushed back by someone with a sword.

All the more so if that opponent was his son.

However, thinking a bit more, it didn't make sense that Albrecht was arrogant like this.

Because in the Imperial Palace basement, Albrecht had once judged that sacrificing his own life to dispose of Yusupa was a better course of action.

That meant Albrecht knew how to acknowledge the gap in power.

But to declare war so recklessly and march toward Lucrene did not make sense.

‘There must be another reason. What could it be? Is he thinking that even if he ends up dying, he will definitely keep the rules of the Glockner family….’

Certainly, when the news that Roden was preparing for independence was conveyed.

Most of the siblings, including Leon, were surprised.

Because they had never thought in their lives that they could choose the option of independence.

However, Roden chose this option, and this was something absolutely unacceptable even for the honor of the Glockner family.

Because becoming independent meant stepping back from the Succession War and becoming a person completely unrelated to the Glockner family.

It was even tantamount to dismissing the lives of ancestors who had to be sacrificed inevitably during the Succession War as futile.

Because seeing Roden become independent, stories like ‘Why couldn't you think of this and lost your lives foolishly?’ would definitely emerge.

So, even to protect the honor of the Glockner family, Albrecht could not just overlook this matter.

‘Fine. Even if I concede a hundred times and admit that we have no choice but to fight. But why didn't he request support from other families or nations? Surely… because it's a fight we'll lose anyway?’

It was a possibility.

Because a fight with Roden was one where victory could not be guaranteed even if they fought in alliance with all nations.

So if they were going to lose anyway, it might be better to keep the scale small so that fewer people would witness the defeat of the Glockner family directly.

‘…Just what is the honor of the family that we have to put on a show like this?’

Leon, who finally succeeded in grasping the approximate situation, threw a question in his heart.

However, a question was just a question and could not be an answer, so the emptiness gained by facing reality did not disappear.

In the meantime, the Glockner unit arrived at the gateway newly built by Roden.

***

Roden thought while looking at the Glockner family's troops gathered near the gateway.

‘As expected, he didn't pick a fight to win.’

It was something he expected from the moment the declaration of war was made.

It wasn't even just Roden.

Michael, who could be said to be the smartest in the Glockner family after Roden, also made the same prediction.

[Intending to wage war alone as the Glockner family without separate requests for support.]

[Presumed to be a strategy to minimize the tarnishing of honor.]

The fact that such phrases were added to the letter was the very proof.

Of course, looking at the numbers, the number of troops mobilized by the Glockner family was not completely small.

It was natural since they raised a corps-level force centered on the Blood Fire Knight Order and marched.

However, even so, it was absolutely impossible to defeat Roden with these troops.

Albrecht, who had been defeated by Yusupa, could not be unaware of this fact.

That meant this was merely for show.

To say that they did their best in their own way but eventually failed to win.

‘…….’

Roden also felt bitter that the Glockner family had no choice but to make such a choice.

And in fact, this was one of the reasons Roden decided to step into this battle.

Resolving to break the old evil customs of the Glockner family with his own hands.

‘Originally, I only wished for independence.’

Having achieved the existing goal of survival established after realizing his past life, the goal Roden set again was to become a 9-star knight and achieve independence.

Because he wanted to escape the prison called the Glockner family, which was dotted with old evil customs, and obtain freedom.

However, while ascending to the level of 10-star, Roden modified this goal once again.

With his current ability, it seemed possible not only to achieve the dream of independence but also to change the evil customs of the Glockner family.

Of course, for this, he had to subdue Albrecht without fail.

‘I hope meaningless blood doesn't flow in this process.’

Although he prepared to some extent by building a new gateway, if Albrecht ordered the troops accompanying him to charge, sacrifice was inevitable.

Because a picture where the Special Task Force Knight Order and the Heart Sword Knight Order had to block the Glockner family's troops would inevitably unfold.

So for Roden, he could only hope that Albrecht would be faithful to his purpose.

That since tarnishing of honor was unavoidable, he would minimize the damage.

Fortunately, Albrecht did not forget this purpose.

Because he was slowly approaching the gateway alone while having the accompanying troops wait.

Certainly, as befitting the strongest after Roden, Albrecht looked different when he didn't hide his aura.

It felt as if a great mountain was walking.

Like that, Albrecht exuded his aura, got off his horse, and shouted toward the gateway.

“Ernst Glockner, who not only betrayed the family but recklessly tarnished its honor, show yourself right now! I will personally punish you with these hands and hold you accountable for your sins!”

Albrecht's voice, containing 9-star aura, rang out loudly and filled the surroundings of the gateway.

Naturally, everyone's gaze turned toward the gateway.

Roden received these gazes calmly, stood still, then raised magic and slowly floated into the air.

Then he came down in front of the gateway and answered Albrecht's words.

“It is Ernst Duaren now, Father.”

Albrecht's expression contorted at the title 'Father' that suddenly popped out of Roden's mouth.