Lord: I can see loyalty.

I'm currently reading Chapter 180, The Great Knight's Oath (4.2k), and I'm completely engrossed in it.

The battlefield was as silent as an empty graveyard.

Vio and the Great Knight Alec Stone exchanged a glance before charging forward again.

The opponent's sword struck Vio's magic feather shield, instantly creating a pale purple magic shield, the shockwave of which stirred up the surrounding sand and weeds.

Vio didn't hold back at all; facing an opponent of similar strength, he held nothing back!

Before the opponent could retract the sword that had landed on the magic feather shield, Vio's magic feather sword had already slashed down.

But the great knight Alec merely reached out slightly, and with a subtle movement, he managed to forcibly change the direction of Vio's slashing magic feather sword using only the armor on his right hand.

These battles, however, were so fast that they were almost impossible to see in the eyes of outsiders!

In the blink of an eye, the two had already engaged in several similar and deadly exchanges.

Bang!

A cloud of dust rose up, instantly obscuring everyone's vision, and the sandstorm enveloped the two people in the center of the battlefield, who dared not approach.

"My lord! Damn it, the air around them...!"

"Great Knight!"

Outside the central battlefield, the captains of the Azure Peak Knights closest to Vio couldn't help but worry.

Several old knights from the Western Frontier who admired the Great Knight spoke up to confirm his safety.

Soon, the smoke and dust dissipated.

Vio and the Great Knight remained standing in the center of the battlefield, the former once again using the Demon Feather Sword to block the latter's attack.

The pale purple magic shield on the magic feather shield is slowly fading away.

But unlike the last time they clashed, this time the blood had splattered onto the ground.

The great knight was calmly looking at Vio, his gaze finally slowly moving to his left hand, whose armor had been damaged.

A shallow but bleeding wound was clearly visible.

Vio's attack first destroyed the armor on his hands with a powerful shockwave, and then slashed his arm.

Clearly, Great Knight Alec Stone has begun to fall into a disadvantageous position!

Soon, the two auras receded during this prolonged collision, and the air became clear again.

Vio and Alec jumped back instantly, creating distance between themselves.

They stared at each other from ten steps away, both breathing slightly rapid, but their gazes remained unchanged.

Compared to Alec's bloodshed, Vio was not unscathed either.

His robes had been torn in several places by the sword energy, and his brand-new knight's armor was now covered with sword marks.

But the bloodstain on the hand of the great knight Alec undoubtedly told everyone that Vio had won this battle.

If the fight continues, Alec will be killed by Vio sooner or later, even if Vio is seriously injured.

Ulysses' face was deathly pale.

He thought that with the Great Knight Alec Stone, he would have victory in the bag.

But what was the result? The renowned and only Grand Knight of the West, who had been trapped underground for five years, was actually outdone by a young man who was not even twenty-five years old?

"Damn it...damn it...!"

But before he could even reprimand the Grand Knight or his group of treacherous nobles...

Not far away, his own pirate knight army had been utterly routed by the knights from the southern border, completely losing their knightly demeanor.

At this moment, Jimmy and Ansquie are leading a large group of Azure Knights clad in white and blue armor toward him!

Ulysses snapped out of his daze, abruptly reined in his horse, and roared at his trusted men behind him, "What are you standing there for! Retreat! Retreat now!"

Koffer, still in a daze, spoke up, "My lord, that great knight is still here..."

"I don't care about that anymore!" Ulysses slapped him across the face. "Do you fucking want to die here? Get out of here!"

"That guy will be perfect for holding off those knights from the southern border!"

The remaining confidants also seemed to wake up from their dream and turned their horses around.

Those pirate knights, reduced to only a hundred men and still in retreat, lost all will to fight when they saw their commander had fled. They swarmed towards Eagle's Beak Cliff.

In no time, the once bustling battlefield was reduced to a scene dominated by the southern army.

On Ulysses' side, only the Great Knight Alec Stone remained.

He watched Ulysses' departing figure, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes, before slowly sheathing his sword and completely abandoning his knightly aura.

The distorted air, like the receding tide, gradually subsided and disappeared into the world.

The nearby Sky Knights quickly raised their spears and shields and slowly approached, beads of sweat rolling down their faces. They had all witnessed the great knight's abilities.

"Stop firing. Let Jimmy and Xavier give the order to regroup the troops."

The knights, upon hearing this, felt as if they had been granted a pardon and quickly jogged away in Jimmy's direction.

Vio also withdrew his aura, sheathed his Demon Feather Sword, and hung his shield back at his waist. He stood there, looking at the white-gold figure, and remained silent for a moment.

"Aren't you going to fight anymore?" he asked.

Vio's lips curled into a slight smile. "Your contract is quite convenient... Would you mind telling me about it?"

Alec slightly raised his eyes and looked at him quietly, as if scrutinizing something.

On the battlefield, the soldiers from the southern border had already begun cleaning up the battlefield and taking inventory of the prisoners.

Jimmy and Ansquie directed the knights to form ranks, while Xavier led the militia to treat the wounded. No one approached the two figures facing off in the center of the battlefield.

"How about it?" Vio then spoke, pointing to a small hill not far away: "Let's go rest for a while."

Alec was silent for a moment, then nodded.

The two walked side by side toward the edge of the battlefield and sat down on a deserted earthen slope. The sunlight quickly settled on them, illuminating the two great knights of the Kingdom of Rovia on the battlefield.

"That contract," Vio asked bluntly, "what exactly happened?"

Alec lowered his head, looking only at his calloused hands.

"Before the old Earl of the West died, Ulysses had already controlled most of the central region of the West."

His tone was somewhat hoarse, clearly indicating that this was not a past event he wanted to recall: "He had many civilians under his control, as well as an army, and... me."

"They called them civilians or something, but they were actually hostages." His voice was calm, but it carried an indescribable bitterness. "Later, in order to protect most of the people in the western region, the old count had no choice but to sign that contract according to Ulysses's wishes."

"What is the general content?"

"I need to protect the Western Frontier and cannot leave it even for a moment, and Ulysses will not slaughter the civilians of the Western Frontier." Alec raised his head and looked at the gray sky in the distance. "After the contract took effect, he indeed did not massacre the city."

"But he managed to force the old count to his death and seized control of the entire western region. And because of the contract, I cannot take action against the other party to the contract."

Vio rested his chin on his hand in thought. "That contract... can it still control your actions?"

Alec nodded, pulling at his collar to reveal the dark red mark on his chest.

The mark was now emitting a faint light, as if constantly reminding him of something.

"As the other party to the contract, Ulysses can force me to fulfill the terms of the contract, which is to 'protect the Western Frontier'."

"The only good news is that the western region mentioned in the original contract actually only refers to the central part of the western region, which is the area actually controlled by the old count." He paused, "that is, the western region mentioned in the original contract only refers to the central part of the western region."

"Therefore, my arrival on this plain is the limit of the contract, and I cannot set foot in the nearby port of Soldato."

Vio looked at him and understood why Ulysses hadn't made a move yet. He then asked again, "Can you fight back?"

"No." Alec shook his head, fastened his collar again, and sighed, a rare occurrence for him. "This contract was created by the then-living Grand Mage of the Western Realm, and its power is beyond what a mortal like me can contend with."

"Of course, as long as he doesn't actively urge me on, or there are no enemies in the Western Territory, I can act according to my own will."

He then added, "The territory that the old count actually controlled before his death, which is the area that Ulysses now controls, will cause the contract to go out of control once I step out of this land."

"I will completely lose my mind and become a monster who only knows how to kill."

Vio frowned slightly. "So you haven't left all these years?"

"No," Alec's voice was very soft. "Not even a step."

Vio fell silent for a long time, and he understood why the other party had not grasped the knight's aura for so long, but only learned it after fighting and witnessing it with him.

The sea breeze swept across the plains outside Soldato Harbor, carrying away the thick smell of blood and bringing the salty taste of the sea.

"The solution is actually quite simple."

Vio suddenly spoke.

Alec also turned his head to look at the count, who had shocked him countless times.

"First of all, your contract is to protect the Western Regions, not Ulysses." Vio's voice carried a hint of amusement. "And normally, once the other party to a contract dies, the contract has no one to bind it."

Alec's pupils contracted slightly. "You mean..."

"There's only one thing to do: kill Ulysses." Vio stood up, brushing the dust off his robes. "I'll go and kill him. All you need to do is nothing."

Alec remained silent for a long time, then slowly stood up and looked at Vio.

"Ulysses has several hundred pirate knights by his side, his castle is easy to defend and difficult to attack, and most importantly, he can force me to 'protect the Western Frontier,' you..."

"Don't forget, besides being a Grand Knight, I'm also an Earl, and I have my own knights." Vio chuckled, glancing at the handsome Western Grand Knight beside him, interrupting him.

"Besides, 'protecting the Western Frontier' and 'protecting Ulysses' are two different things. I will have my most elite group of subordinates take care of you, the one protecting the Western Frontier."

"You'll hold back, right?" Vio met the other person's gaze.

Alec paused for a moment, then the corners of his mouth turned up slightly, finally revealing a peaceful and handsome smile.

"You'll hold back, right?" Vio met the other person's gaze.

Alec paused for a moment, then the corners of his mouth turned up slightly, finally revealing a peaceful and handsome smile.

"I didn't agree to anything."

Vio also showed a rare, genuine smile.

"Then it's settled."

He turned around and strode towards his army.

Behind him, Alec Stone stood still, watching the departing figure, a strange light flashing in his eyes.

This Earl of the South had resolved the bandit problem in the South in just one winter, and now he had driven the last pirate king of the West to such a desperate situation...

"The Earl of the Southern Border..." he murmured, his smile fading. "I hope you really can do it."

…………

Eagle's Beak Castle, in the central part of the western border.

Ulysses paced back and forth in the hall, his face terribly grim. None of the traitorous Western nobles on either side dared to utter a sound, for fear of angering the pirate king.

Of the three hundred pirate knights, less than half escaped, and even Alec Stone couldn't defeat the Earl of the South.

Ulysses thought he could rest easy with the Grand Knight as his trump card, so he kept an eye on things, hoping to profit from the battle between the Southern Earl and the other pirate kings.

But now he realizes that his trump card is nothing special.

"grown ups!"

At that very moment, the traitorous nobleman Coffer, who had been currying favor with Ulysses, finally returned to the castle and reported, "Lord Ulysses, Grand Knight Alec Stone has not yet returned to Eagle's Beak Cliff."

Ulysses abruptly stopped in his tracks. "What?!"

"What are you doing! What are you doing! One by one..." Ulysses' face was extremely ugly, and even Flynn dared not speak anymore.

"What great knight... he's nothing but a prisoner and slave under a count!"

He began to attack and hurl insults indiscriminately, from the great knight Alec to the old count, and even the pirates and nobles present.

Among the nobles on both sides, Marcus, a former nobleman from the Western Frontier and a friend of the great knight, finally couldn't hold back any longer and suddenly stood up.

"You pirate bastard, shut up!"

After these words were spoken, the room fell silent.

Even Ulysses, who was originally furious, was stunned, and Flynn was dumbfounded and incredulous.

"A usurper pirate dares to call himself a Baron of the West, spouting nonsense about the Great Knight and the Old Earl? Bah!"

Marcus's face was extremely fierce, as if he had been holding back for a long time. Only after he finished speaking did the group of pirate knights responsible for guarding him react and draw their weapons.

"You damn idiot...!"

When Ulysses saw his men draw their swords, he finally came to his senses. He hadn't expected anyone to dare to speak to him like that, and a ruthless glint flashed in his eyes.

"Fool? You're the fool! You don't really think that once the capital is stable, the new king will be on your side? On the side of a pirate like you?!"

Marcus, however, was completely unafraid. He drew his noble longsword from his waist and beheaded the nearest pirate knight.

Ulysses finally couldn't contain his anger any longer. He drew his longsword, engraved with the Western Frontier symbol, from his waist and roared, "Surround him! Let me do it myself!"

"Looks like you fool, you can't wait to test the sharpness of my sword for that Southern Earl!"

"My sword has never been ineffective!"

Marcus suddenly swung his hand, pointing the longsword representing his family directly at the Pirate King on the high chair.

Seeing that his opponent showed no fear, Ulysses was startled and even took a half step back, moving out of the opponent's killing range.

He was just angry and wanted to teach the other person a lesson, but he didn't expect the other person to be so tough.

This, ironically, calmed Ulysses down.

He knew perfectly well that he couldn't kill Marcus, the great knight Alec's friend, yet.

Otherwise, no one could guarantee that the great knight wouldn't force a complete break with them.

Thinking of this, the scene of the Great Knight fighting Vio flashed through his mind, and he couldn't help but shudder.

"Guards! Bring Marcus's wife and children here!"

A fierce glint flashed in Ulysses' eyes, and his face contorted in a grotesque expression.

But he was met only with Marcus's cold laugh.

"My wife and children were sent out of the city long ago, pirate."