Lord: I can see loyalty.

Outside the port of Soldato, on a plain.

Several days passed in the blink of an eye, and the shadow of war once again loomed over the land.

The army in the southern border has already formed ranks.

At the forefront was a shield wall composed of new militiamen from the West, behind which was a spear formation of old militiamen from the South, and on the flanks were the Knights of the Azure Peak.

The flags fluttered in the wind, and the armor gleamed coldly in the sunlight.

Vio stood on horseback at the rear of the formation, his gaze fixed on the distance.

On the horizon, a dark mass of people was approaching.

This time, Ulysses chose to take matters into his own hands.

His team was much larger than the last one.

There were at least a thousand people, with flags scattered and formations loose, but they had the advantage of sheer numbers. At the forefront were still the "pirate knights," but this time their numbers were significantly greater, around two hundred.

Vio's brow furrowed slightly.

It seems Ulysses hasn't been idle these days; he's still expanding his army.

"Prepare for battle," he calmly ordered.

As the horns sounded, the southern border formation began to advance.

The two armies clashed again soon afterward.

As before, the battle was almost one-sided.

The civilian soldiers who had been forcibly conscripted were no match for the shield wall of the Southern Militia. Even with Ulysses himself present, they collapsed and surrendered in droves within moments.

The pirate knights were barely holding on, but they were still being pushed back by the sword of the Azure-Topped Knight.

"Damn it! They're really a bunch of useless trash; at this rate, we won't be able to break through..."

Ulysses sat on his horse, his face ashen. He was surrounded by dozens of his trusted men, all dressed in Western robes, but none of them dared to utter a sound.

His gaze swept across the battlefield, finally settling on a makeshift platform deliberately surrounded by the crowd, where a figure clad in white and gold armor stood quietly.

That was none other than Alec Stone, the Great Knight of the West.

Ulysses gritted his teeth and spurred his horse toward the high platform.

"Great Knight!" His voice carried a deliberately feigned respect. "You've seen it yourself! Those civilians are being slaughtered by those monsters from the Southern Border. To save lives, please intervene!"

On the high platform, Alec Stone slowly turned around.

He had already changed into the knight's armor that had been gathering dust for many years.

The platinum plate armor gleamed in the sunlight, with a faded giant whale leaping out of the sea engraved in the center of the breastplate. It was the emblem of the old Earl's family in the West and a symbol of his past glory.

The shoulder armor has smooth lines, and the arm armor fits snugly against the muscles; every detail reflects the dedication of the craftsmen of that time.

Behind him was a huge longsword, its blade thick and of unknown material, gleaming with a warm, dark light in the sunlight.

The hilt of the sword is wrapped in dark blue leather, and the guard is engraved with the same whale pattern as the armor.

His gaze swept past Ulysses and across the battlefield.

The fleeing civilian soldiers, the knights locked in battle, the fallen corpses, the flowing blood…

Finally, his gaze swept across the entire battlefield and landed on that young figure.

Vio Ross, Earl of the South.

Even at a distance of hundreds of meters, even amidst thousands of troops, that figure was still clearly visible.

He was riding his horse, his posture upright, his gaze fixed in this direction.

Their eyes met in mid-air.

Vio's pupils contracted slightly.

Even without the panel, he could feel the overwhelming sense of oppression. It wasn't murderous intent or hostility, but a pure aura emanating from the powerful.

He is stronger than that wolf, and even stronger than Arnold the sea bear.

They're better than me!

He took a deep breath before bringing up the control panel.

Name: Alec Stone

Race: Human

Age: 39

[Faction: Former Earl's Army Grand Knight of the Western Frontier]

Hobbies: Physical exercise, reading ancient books, and appreciating music.

【Characteristics: Kindness, Benevolence, Peak Advanced Basic Swordsmanship, Peak Advanced White Whale Swordsmanship, Level 3 White Whale Breathing Technique】

Loyalty: Not loyal to you

[Status: Pain, entanglement, contemplation, scrutiny; Knight's Contract in effect]

Third order.

Vio's hand tightened slightly on the sword hilt.

It really is Tier 3; Timothy was right.

"My lord," Jimmy rode closer, his voice tinged with worry, "that person..."

"I know." Vio interrupted him, his gaze still fixed on the white-gold figure in the distance. "Pass down the order: no one is to act rashly. I will handle this battle."

Jimmy's expression changed: "Sir..."

"That's an order."

Vio dismounted, gripped the Will of the South tightly, and walked toward the center of the battlefield.

Vio was confident in his speed, after all, his sand breathing technique was primarily focused on speed.

Upon seeing him, the soldiers who were engaged in battle quickly moved aside, making way for him.

The sounds of fighting on the battlefield gradually subsided.

All eyes were on the two figures that were approaching.

Alec Stone also leaped down from the platform and walked slowly. His steps were equally steady, and his platinum armor gleamed in the sunlight. The greatsword behind him swayed gently with each step.

The two met in the center of the battlefield.

The two stopped when they were ten paces apart.

"Count Vio Ross of the Southern Border," Alec spoke first, his voice low and calm. "I've heard of you."

Vio looked at him, his face remaining unchanged.

"Perfect Knight, Great Knight of the West, Alec Stone, I've heard of you too."

Alec's brow twitched slightly, but he remained silent.

Vio slowly raised his sword, assumed a stance, and pointed the tip at him.

"I'd like to test just how strong the legendary third-tier Grand Knight really is."

Before he finished speaking, he had already disappeared from the spot!

Vio activated the second stage of his breathing technique at full power, pushing his speed to its limit as his sword pierced straight for Alec's throat!

This sword strike is not something an ordinary person can dodge or react to.

Alec merely shifted his body slightly, letting the sword graze past his ear, while simultaneously extending his right hand and striking Vio's chest with a palm strike.

Vio spun around quickly, barely dodging the palm strike, and swung his sword back at Vio's waist.

"clang!"

Sparks flew! Alec had somehow drawn his greatsword from his back, its broad blade acting like a shield, firmly blocking the attack.

Vio's arm jerked, and he felt a numbness in the mouth of his hand.

What a great power!

He dared not fight head-on, relying on his speed advantage to move around Alec, his sword flashing as he attacked his opponent.

Every sword strike was incredibly fast and incredibly cunning, specifically targeting gaps in the armor and weaknesses in the defense.

Alec, however, stood firm like a rock.

The greatsword seemed weightless in his hands; every parry was perfectly timed, and every counterattack was powerful and heavy.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

The deafening clang of metal echoed across the plain, sparks flying everywhere.

The surrounding soldiers stared in disbelief.

The two were moving so fast that they were difficult to see with the naked eye. Swords flashed and figures crisscrossed, making it impossible to tell who had the upper hand.

But Vio himself knew.

He was gradually being suppressed.

Every move the opponent made seemed to be calculated, blocking all his attack routes.

The power of that greatsword was terrifying; every collision made his arm go numb, while his sword could only leave shallow scratches on the opponent's armor.

Although the opponent's White Whale Breathing Technique may be primarily based on strength, his speed is also quite fast since he is already at the third level!

"You're very strong," Alec suddenly spoke, his voice so calm it was as if he weren't in a battle. "You should be at the second tier, to have such speed is quite remarkable."

Vio didn't answer, he just pounced again.

The sword flashed again.

This time, he pushed his speed to the limit, spinning rapidly around Alec as sword light pierced from all angles, trying to find an opening.

Alec remained standing, his greatsword wielding with impenetrable force.

Finally, Vio found an opportunity!

As Alec parried with his sword, a sliver of space appeared beneath him, and Vio, without hesitation, thrust his sword in!

"clang!"

The sword tip pierced the armor, but only left a faint white dot.

Vio's pupils contracted; it was too light!

Or rather, the armor's defensive capabilities were clearly more terrifying than he had anticipated.

In that instant, Alec's greatsword swept across!

Vio leaped backward with all his might, the sword grazing his chest and lifting a corner of his clothes.

He landed and staggered backward. When he regained his balance, there was a white mark on his chest. It hadn't broken through his breathing technique's defense, but it was enough to prove the power of that sword strike.

Alec did not pursue, but simply sheathed his sword and stood still.

"Count, you are no match for me," he said, his voice still calm.

Vio, panting heavily, stared at Alec. After a moment, he seemed to understand something and suddenly laughed.

"You're right." He sheathed his sword, turned, and left. "Withdraw the troops."

As the bugle sounded, the army in the southern border began an orderly retreat.

Alec simply remained standing there, motionless.

Ulysses charged forward on horseback, his face full of anger; the feigned respect he had shown earlier had vanished without a trace.

"Why didn't you chase him?! Why didn't you kill him?!"

Alec didn't look at him, but only stared at the departing figure.

"I'm only responsible for protecting the western border," he said. "I won't step outside the western border."

"you……!"

Ulysses' face turned bright red, but he dared not utter a word. He glared at Alec, turned his horse around, and rode away.

Alec was soon the only one left on the front lines of the battlefield.

He gazed in the direction Vio had left, a fleeting, elusive thought flashing in his calm eyes.

"Count of the Southern Border..." he murmured, his voice so soft that only he could hear it, "I wish you success."

…………

Western border, Frido Port, Frido Stone Tower.

Vio leaned back in the high-backed chair, his eyes closed, the white mark on his chest visible.

Although the sword wound did not break through his defenses, it constantly reminded him of a cruel fact: he could not defeat the great knight Alec.

A third-tier Grand Knight was indeed beyond his current capabilities; this was the first time Vio had ever been at a disadvantage in a one-on-one combat situation.

"Your Excellency." Timothy, who hadn't yet left Frido, entered, his brow furrowing slightly as he looked at him. "Are you injured?"

"If this can be called an injury..." Vio opened his eyes and sat up straight, "but it was indeed a loss."

Timothy sat down opposite him and remained silent for a moment.

"That great knight seems to be stronger than we expected."

Vio nodded without saying anything.

"What are you planning to do?" Timothy asked again.

Vio looked out the window, his gaze piercing through the night, as if he could see in a distant direction, and finally seemed to have made up his mind.

"I need to improve, to become stronger," he said, his voice calm but firm. "Right now, I'm no match for him."

"I need to break through to the third tier to ensure that I can restrain Alec and at the same time deal with Ulysses."