Chapter 262: Chapter 22: Say, I Will Protect Everything in Dusk Lamp Territory

Yes, this was how the Yonglan Knights thought.

When faced with a problem, their first instinct was to solve it with violence.

Should we fight? How do we fight? For how long?

If losing contact with the Radiant Holy Tree was a disaster for the Imperial, then the disappearance of the Yonglan Riding God was like removing the limiter that had been placed on the Knights.

Before this, to uphold the Divine Ancestor Law, the Yonglan Knights would only venture into and conquer the Chaos Domain, for only then could they receive the Law’s protection.

But now... the Yonglan Riding God was gone. Why should they still cling to the old ways?

None of the great nations had their Divine Ancestors anymore, so now, strength in the Mortal World was all that mattered. And when it came to martial prowess in the Mortal World, besides the Celestial Vault Kingdom and its ability to crush lesser foes, who could possibly stand against the Country of Yonglan?

Damn it! What could possibly stop the edge of a Knight’s blade now!

War, war, war, WAR! Let’s fight to our goddamn hearts’ content!

Be they Chaos mongrels or Mortal World morons, let’s take them all on!

This pack of War Frenzies, the Yonglan Knights, couldn’t wait for an endless war to revel in. It wasn’t just about fighting the Great Chaos Enemy—they wanted to conquer the Mortal World even more.

"A catastrophe? Surely it won’t come to that. Even if the Knightly Path’s expedition passes through the Dusk Lamp Territory, as long as we act docile and obedient enough, nothing should happen, right? We’ve managed all these years. If the Knight Lords really wanted to settle scores, they would’ve done it when Lady Viona left."

The Beast-eared Maiden with long, dark-blue hair tilted her head in confusion.

"Pulanna, this time is different."

The Lady Knight shook her head.

"This expedition of the Knightly Path is unlike any in the past. We have to prepare for the worst."

In a low voice, Mivana shared the incredibly reliable piece of insider information she’d heard from Westheid with her fellow clan members.

She hadn’t wanted to assume the worst of the Knights, but Westheid’s warning was impossible to ignore.

"What!"

Miliburn shot to his feet in shock but immediately clamped a hand over his mouth. He glanced around at the others before asking in a low voice:

"Then... what are we to do? If the Knight Army really intends to wipe us out, then there’s no hope for the Dusk Lamp Territory..."

"Don’t worry. I’ll handle it."

Mivana immediately reassured him, "I returned for this very reason. My teacher entrusted the Land of Dusk Lamp to me, and I will not let it fall."

The Wolf-eared Maiden gripped her Knight’s Silver Sword, her voice firm.

"I will protect everything in the Dusk Lamp Territory!"

"Be that as it may, if a conflict does break out, your curse..."

The Beastmen of the Dusk Lamp Territory had more experience with Mivana’s rampages than they did with the blades of the Knights. Though they didn’t resent or ostracize her for it, they were still deeply worried.

"About that."

Mivana patted her chest and smiled.

"Rest assured, I can control my curse now. It won’t be a problem, even in a grueling battle. Besides, I’m not fighting alone. Reinforcements will be here soon."

"Reinforcements?!"

Pulanna’s voice rose in pitch. She gave Mivana a surprised look, then whispered:

"Mivana... where did you go during your exile?"

"The Qinghui Territory. I’ve spent most of my time there."

"The Qinghui Territory... I think I’ve heard of it. Is that part of the Imperial?"

Mivana nodded. "It’s the Imperial’s Branch of Prosperity. Once Duke Qinghui stabilizes the situation on his end, he will come personally. With West and the others protecting the Dusk Lamp Territory, we won’t have to worry about being trampled so easily."

"Imperials coming to help Beastmen... that’s incredible. Will that great Imperial noble really help us? We’re not questioning you, it’s just... hard to believe."

The Beastman siblings exchanged a look, their voices a mixture of awe and disbelief.

"Because West is my..."

Mivana paused. She had been about to say that Westheid was also her teacher and dearest friend, but she swallowed the words before they could escape.

She placed her hands on her tightly pressed knees. Her straight-backed posture accentuated her fine curves perfectly, and a fluffy tail swished rapidly from side to side as she spoke.

"He is my mating partner."

"Mivana, you actually found a mating partner..."

Her companions were astonished. It wasn’t that a Beastman couldn’t have a human partner—while most Beastmen were reproductively isolated from humans, a small portion were not. You would never know without trying.

A race born of forbidden experiments was just that unpredictable.

But Mivana’s problem wasn’t just her status as a Beastman; it was also her terrifying bloodline curse. To overcome even that... it was hard to imagine the depth of the bond between them.

’So that’s how it is,’ they thought. ’That explains it. That explains everything.’

"I’ve learned so very much from West. From this day forward, I believe I am worthy of the title of Knight Lord."

Mivana stood and faced the two siblings from her clan.

"So this time, I will not back down, no matter what lies ahead."

Miliburn asked, "So... will we fight? In the two years you’ve been gone, everyone has trained tirelessly, following Lady Viona’s regimen. At the very least, we won’t be a burden to you."

Though Beastmen were despised by the Mortal World as a lesser race, that didn’t mean they were weak.

On the contrary, Black Renandik had created Beastmen to be weapons of war. In terms of raw stats, Beastmen were absolute monsters. An untrained Beastman possessed several times the Physical Strength of an ordinary human, and this gap only widened once they set foot on the Path of Transcendence.

Why else would Westheid have been forced to make concessions to Mivana?

Mivana’s fingers brushed the hilt of her sword as she shook her head.

"Violence is a last resort, not something to be relied upon. True strength lies in the ability to control that violence."

"If there is even a sliver of a chance for peace, I will not give it up."

"Speaking of a chance for a peaceful resolution, it might not be impossible," Pulanna suddenly spoke up.

"Actually, since you were exiled, the Dusk Lamp Territory hasn’t been completely cut off from the outside world. Some merchant caravans from neighboring Knight Territories have come to trade with us. They’re all surprised at the state of our territory, and they think we’re actually..."

"And it’s not just trade, either. On the borders of our lands, some of our kinsfolk have even moved into the neighboring Knight Territories."

"Is that true?!"

Upon hearing this, Mivana’s golden eyes brightened, and she pumped a fist.

"If some Knight Lords are willing to speak up for us when the Knight Army arrives, the chances of a conflict will be greatly reduced... At the very least, we should be able to hold out until West’s reinforcements get here."