The original purpose of this exchange was for the Adeptus Sprawiedliwi to display its strength. Felix had also considered showing his own hand, but after some thought, he decided against it. His First Legion, the Lightbearer, was still recovering. His Second Legion, Saviadel, was stationed in Kazdel for routine training. His Third Legion, the Emperor's Children, was still roaming Kawalerielki, stirring up trouble and enthusiastically engaging in PvP with players from the Armorless Union.
He also possessed another force, the Melira Mechanical Angel Legion. However, these war angels were still far ahead of this land's era, and their combat power, at least at a glance, far surpassed that of these knights.
This was not mere boasting. Even among the Kuranta, physical bodies were inherently limited. Asuna and the Melira possessed immortal spirits, allowing them to replace their bodies anytime and anywhere, even after sustaining severe damage. Their weapons were even more extraordinary. While knights could channel Originium Arts through cold weapons thanks to embedded Originium, the Melira operated on an entirely different energy system.
Their method of energy utilization was fundamentally unlike that of the Terrans, which allowed them to wield weapons of astonishing power.
This was precisely why the upper ranks of Tomorrow's Developments were so at ease. They not only served under a powerful king, but that king also commanded an overwhelmingly strong army. At first, there had been concerns that the Emperor's Children were composed entirely of adventurers, raising questions about loyalty or the possibility of members failing to assemble when needed. Such issues were not uncommon among Tomorrow's Developments operators and adventurers during missions.
With Melira and her kind, those worries vanished. There was no longer any concern about loyalty or absence. Melira was always there.
Felix could hardly imagine how Lady Russell would react if such an army were displayed before her.
In any case, the demonstration of strength was complete, and the Adeptus Sprawiedliwi's intentions were now clear. They still maintained a cooperative attitude toward Tomorrow's Developments. Felix could sense this goodwill clearly. Perhaps it stemmed from their awareness of Tomorrow's Developments' efforts over the years, or perhaps from their appreciation of Tomorrow's Development stance toward the Infected. Either way, the outcome was evident.
Half of the Chamber of Commerce would collapse. As for whether the true mastermind lurking in the shadows could be uncovered, Felix considered it unlikely.
Those who thrived in business were all seasoned schemers. Even if half the structure were dismantled, the loss would likely feel like little more than a minor inconvenience to them.
After concluding his visit to the Adeptus Sprawiedliwi, Felix returned to the hotel where Tomorrow's Developments were staying. With the Fate Knight under his banner, he no longer needed to frequent the Knight Arena to recruit talent. The Blood Knights had taken over that responsibility. He simply needed to observe the matches carefully and recruit any particularly outstanding knights he noticed. After all, he was spending the organization's funds, and his authority in this regard was considerable.
Maria's match was scheduled for the day after tomorrow. He had little interest in the other bouts, including those involving Viviana, the Candle Knight. She was already an operator of Tomorrow's Developments. Surely winning a single match would not earn her a raise.
That did not mean he lacked interest in the Candle Knight herself. Although she was Lady Russell's adopted daughter, Felix already knew her true identity. She was the daughter of a Kurfürst. That status might prove useful in the future.
Of course, he had already established basic diplomatic relations with Leithanien, so the importance of the Candle Knight herself was limited.
He did not like exploiting his operators' backgrounds for political gain.
With the main tournament underway, the conflict between Infected Knights and Competitive Knights had risen to the surface. This was evident in the injuries sustained by the Infected Knights during the matches, some of which resulted in permanent disabilities due to the brutality of their opponents. Such heavy-handed treatment reignited the anger of the Infected. They sought fairness, yet the world had no intention of granting it.
Felix folded the newspaper in his hands. After his discussions with the Adeptus Sprawiedliwi, both sides had reached a consensus. Diplomacy between Kazimierz and Kazdel had effectively concluded, giving the Adeptus Sprawiedliwi a surge of confidence.
Seeing reports of joint military exercises by the Kazimierz Silverlance Pegasi knights, Felix nodded slightly. This was the Adeptus Sprawiedliwi's response after regaining confidence, and it was clearly a provocation aimed at the Chamber of Commerce. The difference between competitive knights and war knights was vast. Some competitive knights would never injure another person in their entire lives, let alone fight to the death.
Yet there was no denying that the Silverlance Pegasi were the true foundation of Kazimierz. Without them, Kazimierz would have been swallowed long ago.
Ursus was the clearest example.
Kazimierz had its own core forces, and Tomorrow's Development was no different. Even if, in the future struggle among the four kings, their forces were scattered across Victoria, for players of Tomorrow's Development, the chance to enjoy PvP while growing stronger at the same time was undeniably appealing.
Felix turned his gaze toward the window. By now, many players had likely already found someone they wished to follow.
One of the central figures in this discussion was Loughshinny, who had recently gained immense popularity. Even professional esports teams were paying close attention to her and preparing to join her camp. After all, she was one of the founding members and a high-ranking figure within Tomorrow's Development, someone who clearly represented Felix's will.
She gently pushed open the door to Felix's office and saw him standing by the window, hands on his hips, lost in thought.
"Since entering Kawalerielki, Your Highness, shouldn't you keep us advisors informed of your whereabouts at all times?"
"The Chamber of Commerce and the Adeptus Sprawiedliwi both contacted me, and the locations they chose were confidential." Felix shrugged lightly, then continued, "The Fate Knight have informed me that the Armorless Union is gradually slipping out of control. They can now even issue missions through the Tomorrow's Development' commission board."
Loughshinny nodded slightly. "Anything else?"
"The Chamber of Commerce will continue to exist, just in a different form. I have no interest in taking it over. That would also affect our diplomatic relations with Kazimierz, and I won't be staying here indefinitely. Do you have anyone in mind?"
Loughshinny fell silent, thinking carefully. She crossed her arms and mentally sifted through a list of people she trusted enough to handle such responsibility. After a moment, she raised her head.
"Your Highness, what do you think of Anthony?"
"Anthony has a sharp business sense. I think he's capable of handling matters independently now. However, he may end up being stationed in Kazimierz."
Loughshinny spoke softly, "That's also what troubles many of the higher-ups. They want to follow you and the Venus at all times. Especially those who have fought alongside you for so long. They don't want to leave."
All the senior staff wanted to remain aboard the Venus and work by Felix's side. Many of them had left Tomorrow's Development for assignments elsewhere, yet they all carried the same hope of returning to the Venus one day.
Hoederer felt the same, but his current responsibilities were too heavy. He could not leave without a successor, and finding one was no easy task. It was difficult enough to find Sarkaz of this generation who were educated, historically knowledgeable, and reasonable.
"I'll discuss it with Anthony."
Felix understood his subordinates' feelings. He recalled how Anthony had once spoken to him with determination, expressing his desire to advance. To be honest, Felix still felt reluctant to send him to Kazimierz.
"The Knights' Major will conclude in a few days, and then we'll have six months of respite." Felix's tone shifted. "Eblana's messenger delivered her letter yesterday."
"Your Highness… what did my sister say?"
"She said she had long despised those repulsive Tara nobles, and she showed great interest in your intention to join the game for the throne."
"She wants to compete with you fairly for the throne, Loughshinny."
Loughshinny pouted. "Your Highness, you know exactly what I want."
"This is something your race cannot avoid. At worst, you can leave the trivial matters to someone else."
"Just entrust them to someone you trust, and then return to the Venus."
"Hehe, Your Highness, you said it yourself."
Loughshinny stepped forward and nestled into Felix's arms, still pouting. "My sister seems interested in you as well. I've known that for a long time. What do you think?"
"She's only interested in my position."
"Hm… who knows."
After a brief moment of intimacy, Loughshinny straightened up and turned to leave. "I'll speak with Anthony. Leave it to me."
Once Loughshinny departed, the room grew quiet again. Felix turned his attention back to the newspaper. From the moment the Kazimierz Silverlance Pegasi knights began their drills, he knew everything was accelerating. By now, the Chamber of Commerce was likely in a state of panic.
What gave the Adeptus Sprawiedliwi the confidence to act so boldly? They had not behaved this way a few years ago, or even a decade ago.
Did they no longer care about their benefactors?
The Chamber of Commerce felt threatened and uneasy, as if it were being dragged down from its long-held pedestal. They immediately sent a letter to Felix, requesting a meeting.
However, every messenger was stopped outside the Venus. The letters were accepted, yet they vanished without a trace.
Without much thought, the Chamber of Commerce could already guess the current relationship between the Adeptus Sprawiedliwi and Tomorrow's Developments. Gritting their teeth, they pushed the Armorless Union into complete madness.
Maria defeated her opponents one after another. Alongside this highly anticipated knight of the Nearl family, another Nearl descended upon the arena like a falling meteor, igniting the crowd and sending waves of cheers through the stands.
Margaret Nearl officially entered this year's Knights Major just before the final qualifying round. After effortlessly defeating her opponent, she left the arena alone. Faced with thrust-out microphones and reporters' burning stares, she said nothing and turned away.
She did not return to the Nearl estate, where only her uncle Młynar lived now, nor did she stay at her aunt Zofia's home, as her sister resided there. Before the competition, she wished to avoid all contact with the Nearl family and had no intention of facing reporters or fans.
She had come to uphold the chivalry of Kazimierz.
Margaret's return shook the entire Kawalerielki and even all of Kazimierz like an earthquake. Everyone remembered how, eight years ago, she had risen as an undefeated dark horse, defeating the Light Knights to claim that year's championship. Soon after, she was declared Infected by the Chamber of Commerce and expelled from Kazimierz, never to be allowed back.
It was no different from the judgment once passed upon the Black Knight. She had won her match, yet was forbidden from ever setting foot in Kazimierz again.
Margaret's open return was a clear slap in the face of the Chamber of Commerce. Only the corporations and merchants aligned with them truly understood the meaning of her appearance. When they saw her standing once more in Kawalerielki, their eyes widened as they turned to the Chamber of Commerce, demanding an explanation.
The Chamber of Commerce remained silent.
The assassins of the Armorless Union were immediately placed under tremendous pressure. Dealing with ordinary knights was one thing, but why was there suddenly a mission to assassinate Margaret Nearl? Which fool had posted this? Was it a death wish?
Although some members of the Armorless Union were solo players or unaffiliated with Tomorrow's Development, none of them wanted to antagonize Tomorrow's Development itself. Assassinating Margaret was not only unrealistic, but would also sharply reduce Tomorrow's Development's favorability. Whoever wanted that mission could take it. No one else would.
Thus, the quest lingered in the mission list in a strangely awkward state, untouched by anyone.
Margaret's arrival reignited the fervor of this year's Knights Major. Alongside her, the Fate Knights also performed brilliantly. The Blood Knight, the Candle Knight, the Flametail Knight, the Grayhair Knight, the Night Knight, and others all advanced to the main tournament. Even if internal matches awaited them and some would inevitably fall, reaching this stage alone meant their goals had already been achieved.
The Infected Knights, in particular, cherished every moment of these battles. They felt deep gratitude toward the Blood Knight and Pioneer, knowing that without them, they would never have stood here.
"Phew… I really hate the rain."
"Roy, shut up."
"Hey, stop making that face. It looks awful, haha."
Seated on the platform and waiting for the train, the Blood Knight lifted his head, his gaze settling on two blue silhouettes standing in the rain not far away.
He was not wearing armor, yet he carried his weapons.