Kawano Show of Force

The southernmost point of the Kattepa Area.

Kawano Valley.

A force of several hundred men is stationed here, ready for battle.

They carried weapons such as knives and guns, wore light leather armor, and wore the winged Sun Holy Emblem commonly seen in the Thrace Kingdom on their chests.

"Captain, should we continue to guard this place?"

"Yes, this was an order left by Earl Fabric before he went south. That northern empire is a threat to the Thrace Kingdom, and we must not let them take the opportunity to seize our land."

The man called "Captain," dressed in fine iron armor and holding a gleaming silver sword, spoke with a firm tone.

His name is Piotr McGrath, the captain of this scout unit, and a superhuman Fighter.

Unfortunately, he was not experienced enough to participate in the Sun Sacrifice Ritual.

This is the legacy left behind by Holy Fadlan. With his strength, he is already capable of becoming a general in a certain the North duchy in Anzeta.

That Fabrick was the divine Earl who guarded the northernmost part of the Thrace Kingdom. As the war surrounding the Holy City intensified, he was ordered to rush south, leaving behind only a few trusted troops.

"But."

The vice-captain's tone was somewhat hesitant.

"According to the treaty signed by the kingdom, we are already close to the border region and will soon set foot on the territory of that empire. Will this cause any conflict?"

"No."

Piot shook his head and sharpened his sword, saying dismissively, "They're nothing but a bunch of Barbarian from some remote wasteland."

"They have never seen the glory of the Holy Fadlan, yet they dare to call themselves an empire. How ridiculous."

"That's true."

The adjutant nodded in deep agreement.

That's the Holy Empire.

Whether Thrace, Kassand, or Seleucian People, they all deeply missed the former glory of Fadlan and believed themselves to be the true successors of the empire.

This is the pride that belongs only to the Fadlanites. After all, for the past hundred years, Holy Fadlan has dominated the entire Feanso Continent. Whether it is Dwarf, Elf, giants or demons, they all prostrate themselves under the empire's glorious light.

The thought of the century of glory of Holy Fadlan makes even the poorest and most destitute people stand tall with pride.

Piot picked up the longsword, which had been polished to a gleaming shine, and made it gleam in the sunlight.

"Moreover, they have only been in Carterpa for a little over a month, and they probably can't even establish themselves here yet."

"Heh, this isn't the barren Anzeta. Terrible monsters and magical beasts are everywhere. It won't be that easy for them to build a city here."

The adjutant remained somewhat worried. "But the recent commotion in the north has been quite significant."

"Thump, thump"

A heavy, muffled sound came from the north.

The earth trembled, and even the warhorses in the army let out terrified neighs.

Piot frowned and turned to look north. "Could this be..."

"How is that possible?"

He muttered to himself, his expression one of shock.

Hundreds of Wyvern flapped their wings wildly, emitting noisy roars. Their wings collided in the air, flying in from afar like dark clouds.

On the ground, dozens of Terrestrial Dragon Beast appeared on the distant horizon like moving hills, each with a cannon mounted on its side and Hobgoblin cavalry on its back.

"Long Live the Empire!"

"Long live His Your Majesty Keosius!"

The cavalry and infantry from the Imperial Vanguard Legion roared loudly, their voices echoing through the sky.

Another sharp shout came from the battle formation, like a sudden clap of thunder.

"The Arrogant Thrace"

"You've crossed the line!"

"Now, this is the territory of the Embers of the Burned Empire, the land of the great Emperor Your Majesty Keosius!"

"If you dare to take another step north, you will be invading the territory of the Empire and will be met with a merciless attack from the Imperial Army!"

Jesse rode on the back of the largest Terrestrial Dragon Beast, turned on the empire-provided Magic Amplifier, and let his words echo across the wasteland.

"How could such an army appear in such a remote and desolate area?"

Piot stared at the Imperial vanguard in the distance, his face filled with disbelief—this "empire" from the north was far more powerful than he had imagined.

Given the power and might displayed by this army, perhaps only the Kingdom's Divine Descendant Legion, Arcane Legion, and Steel Colossus Legion could defeat it.

For ordinary troops like theirs, there was almost no chance of victory.

Based on Piot's past experience, the armies of the Northern Nobles under Anzeta were simply no match for them; even a thousand-man unit had few professionals.

There's no need to deploy troops of this caliber to deal with them.

"Etc."

Piot suddenly realized something, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

He just casually sent people north to freely gather intelligence, and they haven't returned yet. Could it be—

"Captain, save me!"

A voice, trembling with sobs, came from behind.

Sure enough, the missing soldier appeared in the Imperial army formation, bound hand and foot by Hobgoblin infantry and tied at the front.

Then Jesse spoke again.

"If anyone dares to set foot on the Empire's territory without permission again—"

The Goblin Language, then slowly raised the exquisite pistol and pulled the trigger without hesitation.

"Bang!"

A gunshot rang out, and the soldier fell to the ground, lifeless.

"Wait, let's talk again—"

Piot's pupils contracted sharply, his face filled with disbelief, and his outstretched hand froze in mid-air.

Did that Hobgoblin really kill him?

How dare he kill a Thrace Kingdom soldier in public! This is an outrageous public humiliation!

After giving the soldier lying on the ground a cold glance, Jesse continued, "This is his fate!"

"Did everyone hear me clearly?"

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The Hobgoblin the Earl fired his gun into the air several more times, and the surrounding area fell silent.

The vice-captain whispered, "Captain, what should we do?"

Piot looked at the Imperial Legion advancing menacingly from the north, remained silent for a long time, and then gritted his teeth and ordered, "Go, leave here immediately! Don't cause unnecessary casualties."

"Don't go to the border areas again. The Thrace Kingdom can't afford to offend such an empire now."

"Walk!"

The panicked Thrace soldiers, leading their horses and carrying their baggage, marched south, almost in a rout.

Jesse stood on the back of the Terrestrial Dragon Beast, watching the departing army with a blank expression and his eyes slightly narrowed.

"The Kattepa Area is the primary stronghold for the Empire's future southward advance."

"We must ensure absolute control over it."

One of the main reasons the Empire demanded Carterpa was that it offered a way to break through the Thrace Kingdom's blockade—to the southwest lay the Free Trade Confederation around Silver Moon Bay, and to the east lay the Dwarf High Mountain Kingdom.

Once the Embers of the Burned Empire has consolidated the power of the Anzeta Great Wasteland, it will truly step onto the continent through Carterpa and become an important force in the grand scheme of Fei An Suo.