The Imperial Scepter of Glory

Chapter 7 Mercenary Group

Garrabron was one of Edward’s father’s closest friends and a trusted companion of the late Sir Flagg. Originally, the Flagg Mercenary Company had consisted of four knights—Sir Flagg, a Level 5 knight, alongside Ducal and Garrabron, both Level 4 knights, and lastly, the unfortunate wandering knight who had been framed and slain by Ducal. Flagg had served as the mercenary group's commander, while his two trusted friends, Ducal and Garrabron, were appointed as vice commanders. The wandering knight had been a mere hireling.

Garrabron was a hot-blooded and upright man—a stark contrast to the scheming Ducal. After Flagg’s death, his sole focus had been raising Edward into a great knight, as he had promised his late friend. However, Ducal had orchestrated Edward’s murder in secret, keeping Garrabron completely unaware. By the time Garrabron received the news, the blame had already been placed on the wandering knight, who had been executed without trial. With no living witnesses left to testify, and given that he and Ducal had been long-time friends, Garrabron never suspected a thing—until today, when he heard of Ducal’s death and Edward’s miraculous return.

Lintan knew that Garrabron had no part in Ducal’s conspiracy, but would he seek revenge for his fallen comrade?

Sir Flagg, Ducal, and Garrabron had always been inseparable companions—otherwise, Flagg wouldn’t have entrusted his son to them. But in Garrabron’s heart, who held greater weight—his close friend Ducal or the son of his dearest comrade?

Lintan wasn’t sure. He had no deep understanding of Garrabron’s personality and couldn't predict his decision.

One side was his lifelong friend, the other was his friend’s only son—it was an undeniably difficult choice. However, from a moral standpoint, supporting a murderer like Ducal would be unacceptable to any man of honor.

Thinking this through, Lintan felt somewhat relieved. He was in no shape to face another battle against a Level 4 knight—his fight with Ducal had drained him considerably. He wasn’t certain he would lose, but a mutual defeat was almost inevitable.

A Tense Meeting

Upon entering the manor’s drawing room, Lintan immediately spotted a burly, bearded middle-aged man pacing anxiously. His restless footsteps betrayed his inner turmoil.

"Uncle Garrabron," Lintan stepped forward and respectfully saluted him.

The moment he saw Lintan, Garrabron rushed over, gripping his shoulders tightly.

"Thank Fran! Thank the Holy Light! Thank the heavens—you're alive!"

From the genuine concern in the older knight’s eyes, Lintan could tell that his relief was heartfelt. He smiled and said, "I’m fine, Uncle Garrabron. But about Ducal…"

"Don’t speak that name in front of me!" Garrabron's face darkened instantly, his fury surging. "That b*st*rd is unworthy of being called a knight! He… he…"

Garrabron launched into a furious tirade, cursing Ducal with absolute hatred—as if they had never been friends.

Yet, Lintan caught a glimpse of something beneath his rage—a glimmer of sorrow in his eyes. Clearly, Garrabron’s emotions were far more complicated than just anger.

Lintan understood Garrabron’s conflicted feelings but chose not to dwell on them. After chatting for a while, he saw him out.

Once Garrabron had left, Lintan collapsed onto his bed, resuming his much-needed rest.

The Next Day: A New Beginning

At dawn, Lintan rose early. He practiced swordsmanship in the manor’s courtyard before sitting down for breakfast at the servant’s reminder.

He had invited Garrabron to join him, but the older knight did not come—a clear sign that his friend’s betrayal and death had left a profound impact on him.

The rest of the day was incredibly busy for Lintan. Managing the estate and the mercenary company was no simple task. Fortunately, after regaining his composure, Garrabron stepped in to help, lifting much of the burden from Lintan’s shoulders.

At this point, Lintan didn’t have many people he could truly trust—he had only just inherited his father’s legacy. However, if there was one person he could rely on, it was Garrabron.

After spending time together, Lintan grew to admire the older knight. Honest, fearless, skilled in military affairs—though somewhat rigid in personality, Garrabron was undeniably a valuable ally.

There was just one problem—he was obsessed with making Lintan train.

"Your father was a renowned knight! Even now, his name is still remembered on the eastern battlefront. If you want to inherit his sword, you must train diligently!"

"Why is your grip so weak? Without Combat Aura, I could disarm you in two moves!"

To be fair, Lintan’s victory over Ducal had relied entirely on Combat Aura.

Among knights, the presence or absence of Combat Aura made an enormous difference in battle. Without it, Garrabron could easily defeat Lintan within ten exchanges.

When it came to physical ability, swordsmanship, and experience, seasoned warriors like Garrabron far surpassed him.

However, Lintan wasn’t focused on combat training right now—what caught his attention was something far more intriguing within his System.

The System Expands

"Faction Menu Unlocked..."

"Training Menu Unlocked..."

Among the Faction options, Lintan noticed three intriguing selections:

Nation Options

Religious Options

Territory Options

Unfortunately, all three were grayed out, indicating that they were currently unavailable.

However, two options were active:

Commander Options

Personal Options

Personal Faction: Flagg Mercenary Company

Title: Commander

Members: 32 Elite Mercenaries

Maintenance Cost: 100 Gold Coins per Year

Subordinate Generals:

Name: Garrabron

Leadership: ★★☆

Virtue: ★★★★★

Piety: ★★★★★☆

Loyalty: ★★★★★★★★

Combat Ability: Level 4 Knight

At the top of the menu, two statistics caught Lintan’s attention:

Monthly Faith Energy Income: 300

Current Faith Energy: 100

Lintan was baffled—Faith? That was something usually associated with religion.

But the Religious Options menu was still locked—so where was this faith coming from?

"Is it based on my personal beliefs? Or is the System… trying to create a god?"

After a century of observing the world, Lintan had grown curious about the nature of gods.

He knew divinity was real—he had witnessed miracles firsthand.

For example, in the capital of the Holy Born Empire, the Radiant Sun Cathedral in Flanderin City would receive divine manifestations from the Sun God Fran once every few decades. Even as a disembodied soul, Lintan had felt an overwhelming pressure whenever exposed to such divine power.

This proved that the power of gods was very real.

But what exactly were gods?

Were they just powerful beings?

The ultimate evolution of mighty individuals?

Or merely the manifestation of collective faith?

Lintan didn’t have the answer.

For now, he set aside these philosophical musings—because the Training System had just unlocked, presenting him with far more immediate concerns…