**Episode 67**
—
Just because the Empire had unified the continent did not mean an age of peace and prosperity had arrived.
Among the nobles and lords, power struggles erupted almost daily.
Territorial wars—so-called “bowl fights” over land and resources.
Yet, such petty territorial conflicts were far from being the only wars waged across this world.
At the eastern edge of the continent, beyond the Calais Strait, lay the island of Britannia. Once a proud kingdom, it had fallen to ruin after losing the War of Unification and become a mere province of the Empire. And there, a figure known only as *the Divine Maiden* appeared—rallying the patriots of the fallen kingdom to rise in rebellion.
Soon, tales spread across the land of her miraculous feats—how she, with only ten thousand soldiers, had crushed forty-five thousand imperial troops.
The daughter of a mere serf, rising to the rank of supreme commander, annihilating an army four times her own and seizing victory—it was nothing short of divine intervention.
A miracle granted by the twin goddesses Sistina—the Divine Maiden who fought for her nation’s independence under divine revelation.
The Goddess Descends.
Thus began the **Britannian War of Independence**.
—
—
Meanwhile, the stock of **Black Armor Company** was steadily on the rise.
Dale’s vision—to create an organization with *greater operational capability than any client*—was beginning to show remarkable results.
But as success grew, so did envy. Some lords, unable to accept their defeats in territorial wars, dragged Dale into imperial court.
They claimed the magic he displayed in battle was *far beyond that of a mere Third Circle magician*.
And indeed, they weren’t wrong. Dale’s prowess on the battlefield far exceeded what any Third Circle mage should have been capable of.
By imperial law, magicians of the Fourth Circle or higher were forbidden from taking part in disputes among minor lords. But after rigorous examination by court magi, the verdict was clear—Dale was, without a doubt, a magician of the **Third Circle**.
Three circles.
“Are they saying *that* is Third Circle ability?”
“Impossible! He must have cheated!”
“The power he showed that day—there’s no way that was just Third Circle!”
The verdict was unbelievable—but it was, nonetheless, the law.
“Well, if they say I’m Third Circle, I guess I am,” Dale muttered dryly, as if it were someone else’s business, while the furious lords pointed fingers.
Their desperate lawsuit failed miserably. In the end, the case served only to spread the fame of Dale and Black Armor Company throughout the Empire—free publicity, for which the losing lords themselves had to pay the costs.
From that day on, Dale continued to unleash his full ability *as a Third Circle magician* on the battlefield.
He gathered every profit he could when opportunity arose, all while using each battle as training toward reaching the Fourth Circle.
Black Armor Company’s fame swelled, and with it, so did its size and influence.
The strength and wealth of House Saxen—the Duke’s investments—became the foundation supporting the company’s rapid growth.
Before long, hiring Black Armor Company was considered a guarantee of victory.
Thus, when two lords went to war, the outcome was determined not by strength or strategy, but simply by *who could afford to pay more to hire Black Armor*.
And soon enough, the success of the company bred resentment. Other mercenary bands—squeezed out of work by Black Armor’s dominance—began to unite.
To them, the company was a ruthless, monopolistic beast—a corporate tyrant without honor.
—
—
**The Imperial Free City of Hamburg.**
Known as the “Amber Road,” it was the starting point of the continent’s great amber trade—a thriving hub for maritime commerce.
But then, an unexpected threat emerged.
Eyeing the wealth the city had amassed through trade, nobles of the Empire’s central provinces formed an alliance.
They called themselves the **Robber League**.
They seized control of the lower Elbe River, stretched massive chains across its waters, and shut down the trade route—demanding tolls while looting every passing ship and cargo.
The main artery of commerce was severed. The city of Hamburg was in turmoil.
And with so many central nobles uniting, Hamburg had no power to resist.
Under mounting pressure, they were threatened: unless they paid exorbitant “tributes” each year, the Robber League would maintain the blockade and starve the city into ruin.
The central region of the Empire had long lacked any great noble to maintain order. It had become, in truth, a lawless land ruled by petty lords running rampant.
Thus, the Free City of Hamburg had only one choice left.
A few days later, a secret envoy slipped past the Robber League’s territories and made it safely to the **Duchy of Saxen**.
Their goal: to hire **Black Armor Company** to destroy the Robber League.
A mercenary organization with operational power surpassing its clients—this was exactly the kind of opportunity Dale had been waiting for.
Hamburg granted Black Armor full authority to conduct all necessary operations against the Robber League.
—
—
Around that time—
“Baron Bolvar, Baron Basel, Sir Peter… several lords of the alliance have gone silent.”
They were all names of robber nobles and knight-bandits who composed the Robber League.
Count Robert, the League’s leader, frowned at the report.
“Has the imperial army sent a punitive force?”
“No, my lord. No identity revealed, no attempt at negotiation whatsoever.”
If it had been an imperial force, they would have followed proper protocol and diplomacy.
“Now that you mention it… I heard Hamburg’s envoy reached Saxen territory…”
At that, Count Robert’s breath caught.
“Don’t tell me—they hired *Black Armor Company*?”
“It’s only a possibility, my lord,” the subordinate replied quickly.
Black Armor had yet to show themselves, but the situation was too grave to dismiss as mere speculation.
“You damned fools!”
*Bang!*
The count slammed the table with fury.
“Send warning letters to all the allied lords and assemble every available soldier immediately.”
He paused, then sneered.
“…I knew this day would come. I’ve made preparations.”
He reached for a hidden plan—his so-called trump card.
“Send word to the Mercenary Guild. Tell them the enemy is on the move.”
—
—
Each victory Black Armor achieved came at the expense of other mercenary bands.
Thus, against this *common enemy* that threatened their livelihoods, the major mercenary groups began to unite.
When word spread that Black Armor Company had joined the conflict between Hamburg and the Robber League, the Mercenary Guild wasted no time.
It was time, they decided, to teach those lawless brutes what *mercenary honor* truly meant.
—
**Hamburg City Hall.**
“We’ve already dismantled several factions of the Robber League in advance,” reported the commander of Black Armor Company—the “Black Prince of Saxen.”
“The League’s stronghold and Count Robert’s domain will be the main battlefield.”
He spread out a map, coolly analyzing the situation.
“Since the enemy has already violated imperial law, there’s no need for us to obey it either.”
No need to follow the Empire’s law.
Which meant Dale could finally unleash his true magical power without restraint.
“I’ve heard Count Robert has hired multiple mercenary companies through the Guild…” the mayor said nervously.
“They’re factions threatened by our reputation,” Dale replied with a nod.
“If so many mercenaries gather together… isn’t that dangerous?”
The mayor’s voice trembled.
“As I said,” Dale answered calmly, “this is a battle where imperial law no longer applies.”
The Robber League’s blockade of Hamburg’s trade was already a blatant violation of imperial law. But with no great noble to restore order—and the central government too distant to intervene—law meant nothing here.
A world where the law was far away, but the blade was near.
That was this world.
And it was that very truth the enemy relied upon.
“Victory over those who can’t appeal to the law,” Dale said softly, “is the easiest victory one can take.”
Of course, the others couldn’t know that this was precisely what *he* wanted.
“Announce a citywide conscription,” he ordered coldly.
“To preserve peace, one must prepare for war.”
At his words, the mayor shuddered, recalling the dark reputation and ruthlessness of the *Black Prince*.
“A-as you command…”
—
—
The **Viper Mercenaries**,
**Golden Lion Company**, and **Brotherhood Corps**—
three of the most powerful mercenary forces on the continent—marched toward Count Robert’s territory.
Each was composed of elite soldiers, and alongside them stood the Robber League’s knight-bandits and rogue nobles.
Together, they united to crush their common foe and protect their own livelihood from the ever-growing shadow of Black Armor Company.
It was no longer a mere feud among minor lords.
This was war—war beyond the reach of imperial law, fought without a single rule or restraint.
And it was precisely the kind of battle Dale desired.
In conflicts among lower nobles, the use of **Mass Destruction Magic (MMD)** was forbidden by imperial decree. But the term “mass destruction” didn’t refer only to destructive spells.
The necromancy of the Black Tower—the art of the dead—was also classified as such.
The Empire had long banned the use of necromantic sorcery on the battlefield, labeling it a weapon of mass slaughter.
But here, where the Empire’s law could not reach—
Dale could finally wield it freely.
—
—
At the lower reaches of the Elbe River stood Count Robert’s fortress—
a massive stronghold that spanned the river with chains, blocking all passage.
The locals called it the “Toll Gate.”
In the dark pre-dawn hours, one of the fortress guards turned his head—
and froze in terror.
A knight in *black armor* stood before him.
Not a living man—
for beneath that armor, not a scrap of flesh clung to the bones.
“D-d-d-Death Knight…”
An *undead knight* wielding the **Black Sword of Saxen** was advancing toward them.
