The Imperial Supreme Commander Has Returned - Chapter 54

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The Imperial Commander Returns Chapter 54

“We’ve arrived, sir.”
“Much obliged.”

Delram flicked a silver coin to the coachman and stepped down from the carriage.
The coachman, who’d just pocketed four days’ wages in one go, grinned from ear to ear.

Delram chuckled softly and looked ahead.
The sprawling grounds before him belonged to the Royal Palace Command.
And it was no modest expanse, either.
The area rivaled the entire residential district of the nobility.

It sat to the southeast of the palace.
Close enough to the palace for swift command dispatch, yet strategically removed from the nobles’ quarters—ideal for keeping watch on their schemes and machinations.

Above all, it stood apart from the nobility’s residences.
That separation made it the perfect vantage point for surveillance.

“Strange. Of anywhere in the Royal Capital, this place feels most like home.”

Delram murmured as he passed through the gates of the Command.
Before the Regression, the place he’d spent the most time was the mobile barracks.
After that came here—the Command itself.
In peacetime, he’d hardly ever left this place.

“Ah, wait.”

Lost in thought, Delram stopped short.
Without realizing it, he’d been heading toward the Commander’s office.

Except in wartime, a royal typically held the position of Commander.
And should they cross paths, complications were likely to follow.

“Special Forces Commander, sir! Welcome back!”
“Mm.”

As he made his way toward the Commander’s office, soldiers saluted him from every corner.
He’d worried that, being only fourteen, he might be turned away at the door.
Instead, it seemed his youth made him even more recognizable—not a soul he passed failed to acknowledge him.

Moments later,
Delram finally came face to face with the Commander.

“You certainly made your way here quickly, Special Forces Commander.”
“My apologies, sir. Though wasn’t my leave supposed to continue?”
“After pulling a stunt like that?”

The Commander broke into a hearty laugh.
There was mockery in it, but it was all in jest.
After all, whatever trouble had been caused was trouble that benefited the Kingdom.

“I gave you leave to rest, and you come back playing with abominations.”
“So you’ve heard the report, sir.”
“Heard? I saw it myself.”
“Horrifying, wasn’t it?”
“Just seeing it made my skin crawl…. I understand now why the Luminous Church gave it the name Demon.”
“It gave me considerable trouble to subdue it as well, sir.”
“I read your submitted report. But I felt it best to hear the account from you directly, which is why I’ve called you in.”
“That won’t be difficult.”

Though he’d managed to wrest the legendary blade Tarbing from Delram.
The Commander was capable both as a nobleman and as a military officer.
Especially now, with the Supreme Commander being of royal blood.
To hold the position of Commander within such a political structure was equivalent to possessing the King’s absolute trust.

“Our first encounter was with young demons…….”

So Delram explained in as much detail as he could manage.
In fact, he wove in knowledge he already possessed, amplifying the danger.
Hinting that it might pose a threat to the kingdom’s very survival.

As mentioned before, the Commander was trusted.
So whatever Delram said now would reach the King’s ears.
Naturally, the more horrifying the demon threat appeared—
The more dangerous it seemed, the more the kingdom as a whole would be put on alert.
That was exactly what Delram wanted.

“The most dangerous aspect was the Demon Aura. Ah, that’s the name I gave it, since the aura it emits is so virulent.”
“An apt name indeed. But what made it so dangerous?”
“At first, it seemed insignificant. But as I grew weary and wounded, the Demon Aura began to infiltrate me. I drew up my Aura to defend myself, but even that couldn’t stop it completely.”
“And after it infiltrated you?”
“My mind became hazy. One might say my reason grew clouded. Rage would surge, then drain into helplessness, and altogether it was maddening.”

The Commander’s expression darkened.
If a Knight of Delram’s caliber suffered this much, what of the ordinary soldiers?

“Then common soldiers would be far more vulnerable. We could see desertion, or men driven into frenzy attacking their own allies.”
“And the duration was considerable. Even after I emerged from the Underground Waterway, the effects lingered until I received the Bishop’s blessing through Holy Power.”
“Troublesome.”
“In my judgment, if exposure extends long enough and treatment isn’t received promptly, even a Knight faces grave risk.”

Merely hearing it made engagement seem nearly impossible.
These demons possessed the worst possible matchup against Knights and mages alike.

And it wasn’t only the Demon Aura.
Their stealth and silence were equally devastating.
Imagine such creatures launching an ambush in the dead of night.
Even a capable Knight wouldn’t have time to cry out before vanishing.

Which was why fresh worry gnawed at him now.
They’d hunted down and killed the young demons, yes.
Over a thousand soldiers had combed through the Underground Waterway thoroughly.
Multiple Demon Aura Detectors had been hastily constructed and deployed.
But what if some had escaped to the surface before the extermination campaign?

Currently, the royal court was suppressing news of this incident.
It was the obvious choice.
Letting word spread would only result in the throne’s lost credibility.

Yet hearing Delram’s account shifted that calculus.
Demons grow stronger by consuming humans, do they not?
What if those escaped young demons matured into full-fledged adults?
And if they began ravaging the Royal Capital or nearby cities…….

“The realm is already in disorder with the war scarcely ended… and now men harboring treason could emerge as well.”
“We must also account for Demon Aura corruption.”

The Demon Aura reduces people to their basest instincts.
All the desires he’d held back with reason came pouring out.

That amounted to treason as well.
If he abandoned hope because it was impossible, or if seditious thoughts he’d been enduring were provoked into a frenzy, civil war could erupt.
That was the danger.

Having thought this far, the Commander studied Delram.
Looking at him now, the man’s accomplishments were hardly negligible.

“You’ve done remarkably well.”
“It was nothing, really—the Bishop asked, so I simply helped.”
“How did you come to know Bishop Nuark?”
“I happened to receive his assistance once.”
“Are you a believer of the Luminous Church?”
“I believe in God’s existence, but I don’t follow the faith—after all, God is not omnipotent. And if that’s the case, wouldn’t His Majesty the King naturally be greater than a limited deity?”
“I see…”

The Commander nodded slowly.
He could have lied and claimed disbelief.
But a true believer could never speak this way.
Placing a human king above God himself—it was unthinkable for the faithful.

Could he trust such a man and use him?
As a bridge to the Luminous Church, no less.

“His Majesty has also mentioned you. Thanks to you, we’ve gained face with the Luminous Church. I was already wondering what price to pay them for sending their priests to this war, but you’ve helped ease that burden.”
“Then is there nothing for me? Perhaps another Tarbing or—”
“Cough!”

The Commander caught himself, struck by the question, and made a choking sound.
Delram chuckled and waved his hand.

“I was joking. Since this was personal work to aid the Bishop, it’s only proper that I receive compensation from him, not from the Kingdom.”
“So I’ve heard—the Pope is preparing something for you.”
“Ah, is that so?”
“If there’s anything you want, tell me. I’ll have it arranged.”

The Commander spoke to Delram, who lit up with interest.
Since it was personal work, he’d received no official compensation.
But this meant the Commander could certainly pressure the Church to improve the quality of their reward.

“It’s fine. When I was injured on the battlefield, the priests healed me several times. I couldn’t ask for more in good conscience.”
“Admirable.”

The Commander patted Delram’s shoulder twice.
It was a gesture of praise, though of course Delram’s true thoughts lay elsewhere.

Nuark.
A priest who knew the secrets of Regression and Human Extinction.
To save even one more person in the future, Delram’s strength was indispensable—so Nuark would certainly see to it that he received ample reward.

Delram had to grow stronger for humanity to survive.
So he would make sure to claim his due.

Did the Church lack funds?
What did that matter when the survival of mankind hung in the balance?

The royal court was the same.
In the end, even accepting their reward would likely yield just another weapon.
But leaving the name Delram etched in the King’s mind, even once more, held far greater value for the future.

“But here’s the thing—my leave ends soon.”
“That’s right. A week left, I’d say.”
“Has my posting been decided?”

Delram was a soldier.
Not conscripted, but a volunteer—and one who’d enlisted of his own accord.
He’d risen through the ranks at a remarkable pace, climbing all the way to commander level.
The implication was clear: just because the war had ended didn’t mean he’d be discharged.

He was also an exceptionally talented man.
Did the kingdom have so many capable people that it could afford to idle someone like him?
It did not, so a new posting was bound to come through soon.

Yet something felt off.
The Commander’s expression had shifted subtly.

“…Are you set on continuing military service?”
“Discharged? Is that it?”
“Of course not. But I hear you’re currently in the employ of the Bistache Family. Is that not the case?”
“That’s true. I have ties with Rubian, and more importantly, my Mana Formula comes from the Bistache Family.”
“Would you consider transferring to their ranks?”
“Not particularly. The Bistache Family is impressive, but even at their best, their influence can’t compare to His Majesty’s.”
“Haha!”

The Commander broke into hearty laughter.
It seemed he’d half-expected Delram to defect to the Bistache Family.

That assumption wasn’t unreasonable—most commoner-born nobles made exactly that choice.
Without a powerful backer, survival in the aristocracy was far from guaranteed.

“In truth, I thought you’d resign once your leave ended. A post in one of the Five Great Families would offer more comfort and greater rewards than a military that has no wars to fight.”
“Perhaps that will be true someday. But right now, where I want to be active is in the army—on the battlefield.”
“I’m relieved. I didn’t want to lose a subordinate like you.”
“Your words alone are gratifying.”

The Commander continued his explanation.
The Royal Capital needed people attuned to political power more than it needed strong knights or commanders, he said. Delram lacked such experience for now.
Besides, the man himself craved the battlefield, didn’t he?
So—

“You’ll likely be deployed to the Border.”
“I’ll prepare accordingly.”
“You don’t wish to remain in the Royal Capital?”
“My hands are itching to draw my blade right now. How could you suggest otherwise? I need to build merit and earn a fiefdom of my own.”
“Ambitious. I’ll back you then.”

With that, the Commander extended his leave.
His posting details wouldn’t be finalized immediately, he said.

The time granted was two weeks.
Delram performed the proper military salute and withdrew.

“The sky’s clear today.”

Yet as Delram murmured this, his mind churned with complexity.
His original plan had been to become the pinnacle of the Kingdom Army.
Whenever war erupted, he would slaughter every foe in record time, rise in rank, kill again, climb again—

And through it all, unite the continent in the fastest way possible.
Then to unite their strength and fight the Demon together.

But now he wondered if that was right anymore.
A Demon had been discovered early, and its existence was known.
What variables might this bring about going forward?

‘There’s no way to predict it.’

Delram was, in his own right, a commander with talent for strategy and tactics.
But when the scope broadened beyond the battlefield and the nation to encompass the continent and humanity itself, the grand strategy eluded his grasp.

Yet asking Nuark for help felt equally unsatisfying.
Capable as he was, he remained a priest above all.
What Delram needed was someone who could read the currents of the world with precision.

‘Someone like a Great Sage, perhaps.’

It had to be Rye’an.
The former Tower Master of the Magic Tower and a Great Sage.
He felt the need to meet with him soon.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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