Chapter 505 - 437: Oath of Loyalty, A Serious Internal Problem (Part 2)

The storm that had swept across the Gobi Desert seemed to be reaching its end.

Fine sand whipped against Reinhardt’s iron-willed face as he stared directly into Nelom’s eyes. "No one can wash away the crime of your rebellion.

If you wish to remove the brand of shame you bear, then you must prove your Loyalty to the Empire with your blood and sacrifice.

In the name of the Emperor.

Nelom, answer me. Are you willing to join the Vengeful Angels and atone for your sins?"

Realizing this was no longer an ordinary conversation between Knights, Nelom’s expression grew solemn, his brow furrowing deeply.

In that moment, he was reminded of the solemn scene from his youth as a new recruit, kneeling before the Radiant Holy Image in the Holy Temple of Justice to swear his Knight’s Oath.

Bracing against the oncoming sandstorm, Nelom’s gaze turned resolute. He struck his chest with his right fist and knelt devoutly on one knee before Reinhardt, his voice loud, firm, and unyielding. "Sacrifice is my mission, and death is my glory.

My life is dedicated solely to the great cause of the Emperor and the Human World.

My blood and courage will prove my Loyalty.

The light of ideals guides my heart. All that I do, I do for justice."

...

Just as the long night must eventually give way to dawn, the brown-yellow dust that had blotted out the sky, carried on the howling gale, swept over their heads and rolled into the distance, until sunlight once again spilled across the land.

Alrum, a Personal Guard of the Second Company Commander, looked up.

"Sir."

Alrum’s right hand gripped his sword hilt. He strode quickly to Stearns’s side, his gaze wary as he watched Nelom kneeling before Reinhardt in the distance.

If that traitor made any suspicious moves, as a company commander’s Personal Guard, he would have to react instantly.

Perhaps the distance was too great, or perhaps the wind had not yet died down, but they could not hear the conversation between Reinhardt and Nelom.

Stearns took a deep breath, his gaze as cold as a blade, fixed on Nelom. His right hand also gripped his sword hilt tightly as he suppressed the rage in his heart.

’No matter what plan Lord Reinhardt has, I will never trust that scum who has betrayed us twice. I’ll keep my eyes on that traitor until the day he finally slips up.’

As an Imperial Knight, Stearns was well aware of the consequences of defying a command order. But losing his position as company commander was a small price to pay. If it meant stopping a traitor from infiltrating the Vengeful Angels, he would do it in a heartbeat—he didn’t just care about his command, he would even accept a demotion to the rank-and-file of a frontline unit.

Hearing Alrum’s voice, he responded coldly, "Command has revoked my position as Company Commander. From now on, I’m just a regular Knight of the Second Company, same as you."

"Revoked?"

Alrum removed his Full Coverage Helmet, revealing a young face beneath. His black, flat-top hair was neat and efficient. A fine layer of dust coated his broad forehead, and his azure eyes were bloodshot.

In terms of years served, he had been in the service for less than half of Reinhardt’s tenure.

Then again, this was also why Stearns had personally requested Alrum’s transfer to serve in the Vengeful Angels.

Having been promoted to the Earth Military Rank in less than ten years, Alrum’s Knight Talent was so strong that his future was limitless.

If he had continued to serve in his parent Battle Group, he would have been eligible for promotion to Adjutant in five years at most. But if he wanted to advance further, joining the Vengeful Angels was the best choice.

Moreover, the unique nature of the Vengeful Angels set them apart from any traditional Knight Battle Group. There was no competition for manpower; once a Knight reached a certain number of years of service, command would forcibly send them back to their parent Battle Group, even if they wished to stay.

It was precisely because of this mandatory regulation that the major Battle Groups agreed to send personnel to the Vengeful Angels, allowing them to build up a more powerful fighting force to resolve the complex situation currently facing the Imperial Administrative Region.

For the major Battle Groups, having their people serve in the Vengeful Angels was a form of training in itself. The valuable combat experience gained would be fed back to them when the Knights’ term of service was complete.

After all, every Battle Group had its own defense zone and responsibilities. None could match the flexibility of the Vengeful Angels, who could be deployed anywhere, with a strike range that covered the entire Imperial Administrative Region.

"I don’t understand, Sir... Why would command suddenly revoke your position as Company Commander?"

Aside from Matthias, everyone else was quite surprised by Stearns’s sudden announcement.

The other two Personal Guards from the Second Company went so far as to remove their helmets, their expressions utterly shocked.

They knew, of course, that Company Commander Stearns had just been in a Spiritual Energy communication with the Battle Group’s high command, but they had been on the ground for less than fifteen minutes, and their commander had already been relieved of duty?

Seeing the two of them about to erupt, Matthias raised his right hand. With a grim face, he warned, "This was the Lord of Vengeful’s decision. No dissent will be permitted."

Relieving a company commander without cause, if not handled properly, could lead to a company-wide mutiny in a worst-case scenario.

As the Honorary Guard Captain, he had to nip these destabilizing factors in the bud.

In a unit like the Vengeful Angels, composed of a mix of personnel from various backgrounds, it was no simple task to suppress these elites from major Battle Groups with rank and position alone.

Fortunately, Matthias was from the Ash Guard. With him stepping in, suppressing the matter wouldn’t be too difficult.

Of course, Stearns was inwardly resentful of such a biased judgment, but because it was Reinhardt’s decision, he gritted his teeth and accepted it. He turned to Alrum and said, "We’re dropping this. Although command has stripped me of my company command, I will still be in charge of the Second Company’s affairs."

Matthias was no rookie serving his first day; he could clearly see that Stearns was seething with anger, his face full of defiance.

Even though they were Imperial Knights, they still had human emotions.

To punish one of their own so severely for the sake of a traitor—it was something that would be hard for anyone to accept.

As Honorary Guard Captain, Matthias had no authority under Battle Group regulations to influence command’s decisions. In an actual combat situation, however, the opinion of the Honorary Guard Captain was often an important reference for command.

In the distance, Reinhardt’s questioning of whether Nelom was willing to join the Vengeful Angels was not a private conversation. Every word of their dialogue was being backed up through the command system’s Spiritual Energy communications.

This also served to let him and the two other commanders witness Nelom’s oath.

The absence of Lord Koller’s and Lord Urus’s voices on the Spiritual Energy communication channel indicated that they had tacitly approved of this matter, agreeing to Nelom’s admission.

In principle, Matthias should not reveal top-secret command information to a low-level company commander. But he couldn’t just stand by and watch a seed of instability take root and sprout within the Second Company.

Stearns had once participated in the Radiant Angels rescue mission; his defiance was directed at Nelom, not Reinhardt.

But there were still three Personal Guards from the Second Company present.

Stearns would never be disloyal, but Matthias couldn’t guarantee the same for the men under his command. Just looking at the faces of the three Second Company Knights, including Alrum, he knew this matter had to be handled seriously.

After a moment of careful consideration, Matthias turned, his gaze sweeping over the three men from the Second Company. He said in a low voice, "From this moment on, you are not to repeat a single word of what I’m about to say. Understood?

Violators will be dealt with according to Battle Group law.

Listen, there were deeper reasons for Nelom’s desertion from the Holy Temple of Justice. I cannot give you the specifics, but he is absolutely not some coward of a traitor who fears death.

Furthermore, the fact that he wasn’t executed for his involvement in Claudius’s rebellion was a joint decision by the three lords in command. During the suppression of the rebellion, he performed many meritorious deeds.

And the Lord of Vengeful is not, as you imagine, going to let Nelom take over the position of Second Company Commander.

As for the specific reasons, Stearns, after we get back, I will hold an internal company meeting with you. And don’t forget my creed.

Everything, for a greater victory."

If he had only talked about the command’s decisions, it might not have been enough to persuade Stearns and Alrum.

But when he spoke of their parent Battle Group, of the creed personally established by their former Battle Group Leader, Sedon, the expressions on Stearns and Alrum immediately grew solemn.