Andrew Keter, the third son of the former Count Keter. He was once a talented young man, and now, after years of hard work, despite being the third son and not getting to be Count, which his older brother got, he was able to join the Royal Knights with his talent and perseverance.

He was glad to be part of the Royal Knights; among all the knight orders, they were contenders for the strongest. They were said to be a match for even the Stellhart Knights.

He was so proud to be a part of such a knight order, but today he saw Thornefang. Despite many of them not having aura or mana, the way they dealt with the Red Ogres with precision and cooperation was quite the sight to see.

Their formations, their timing, their coordinated attack and defense, everything made their movements feel like they could reach each other’s minds.

Then there was their leader, Lucen Thornehart, the current generation’s rising star. He had thought that he was at the level similar to the former rising stars of previous generations, but now he was something else entirely.

The way he moved, the way he defeated each enemy was overwhelming. Even though his Aura Mantle and Mana Core were of a lower tier than those of the knights and seasoned mages, the power his producing was so much greater than normal.

He was treating the powerful red ogres like they were nothing more than lower-ranked goblins.

Every shot, every step, every shift of his body carried a strange certainty, as if the outcome had already been decided long before the battle began.

It was not that the red ogres were weak.

Andrew knew that better than anyone else. He had crossed blades with one of them moments earlier, and the impact from a single mace strike had nearly driven him to one knee despite his aura mantle.

Their bodies were thick, their strength abnormal, and their regeneration made them even more difficult to kill.

If a normal knight order had faced this many red ogres inside the capital, the damage would have been far worse.

Yet Lucen and his Thornefang were dealing with such a threat as if it weren’t anything significant.

’So this is Lucen Thornehart, the Ever-Victorious.’

Andrew had heard the stories countless times. The dragon slayer, the ruby-eyed monster. The young noble who created strange weapons that changed the battlefield.

The heir of the Iron Duke, who stood at the center of Norvaegard’s recent advancements. He had thought those stories were exaggerated.

After all, stories always grew larger the farther they traveled. A single victory became a legend. A difficult battle became an impossible feat. A talented young man became a monster among men.

That was what Andrew had believed. Now, watching Lucen Thornehart tear through the red ogres with his white aura mantle flowing around him like falling snow, Andrew realized that the stories had not been exaggerated enough.

"Follow Thornefang! Follow the Ever-Victorious!" One of the Royal Knights bellowed. Hearing his shout, the other knights, the mages, and those from the Iron Wolves shouted their battle roar as well.

"For Norvaegard!"

"Follow Lucen Thornehart!"

The royal knights, who had been forced into a difficult defensive line just moments ago, suddenly found their footing again.

The Iron Wolves adjusted their rifles with renewed focus, firing in tighter volleys. The mages, who had been struggling to find openings between the chaos, began coordinating their spells with the rhythm of Thornefang’s gunfire.

Andrew was amazed by the sight he was witnessing. He had always believed that the Royal Knights were among the pillars of Norvaegard.

They were the sword raised in defense of the capital, the men who stood closest to the royal family. Yet right now, in this broken street filled with roaring monsters and blood, it was not their banner that steadied the battlefield.

It was Lucen Thornehart and his Thornefang that were able to raise the morale of those around them.

The white aura around him flickered like snow caught in a storm. A red ogre swung its giant mace at him with enough force to crush a carriage, but Lucen stepped beneath the arc of the blow.

Lucen aimed his trench gun at the head, and upon pulling the trigger, his trench gun roared, blowing the head of another red ogre.

Before its massive body could even fall, Lucen threw one of his iron spheres at a nearby red ogre. The Iron sphere exploded; it did not kill the red ogre, but it slowed it down enough that the royal knight it was facing was able to cut off its head.

Andrew had no words to describe what he was feeling right now. The more he watched, the harder it became to see Lucen as merely a powerful warrior.

Strength alone could inspire fear, but what Lucen created around him was different. He made people move better simply by standing there.

This was Lucen Thornehart; it was as if he was looking at the entire battlefield from above.

In Andrew’s eyes, Lucen was acting like the perfect commander. He stood where the pressure was greatest, struck where the line was weakest, and moved with such calm certainty that those around him naturally adjusted to his presence.

If a red ogre tried to break through the knights, Lucen’s gunfire would tear into it before it could fully build momentum.

If the Iron Wolves needed a moment to reload, Thornefang filled the gap with practiced precision.

If a mage’s spell created an opening, Lucen or one of his men would exploit it without even needing to be told.

It was as though the chaos of the battlefield had become a board laid out before him, and every piece on it moved exactly where he wanted.

But Andrew did not know the truth. Lucen was not thinking of the entire battlefield as deeply as Andrew imagined.

He had already judged that the red ogres were no longer the true threat. Once their heads were destroyed, they died like anything else. They were troublesome, yes, but manageable.

He was unaware that right now, Lucen was only focused on a single battle that was happening. It was the battle that Alexander and the others were in against the beast Dyr.

To Lucen, the red ogres were not worth his time, as the experience he gained from killing them was only a little. Not to mention with Thornefang here now, there was no chance for the red ogres to do much.

The current Thornefang were equipped with the standard bolt-action rifles, a revolver sidearm, a few iron spheres, and whatever melee weapon they wished to use. Those who had aura mantles were using the Crimson Lord Mk V.

Not to mention the current uniform they were wearing, which was a trench coats were actually gave more defense than regular armor due to it being made from certain monster parts and also being inscribed with rune engravings by the dwarves.

With how well-equipped they were, Lucen had enough leeway to enjoy the first boss battle of Alexander and his party.

Of course, he was not foolish enough to truly leave everything to chance. His eyes remained on the battle with Dyr, and if it looked like Alexander and the others were truly about to die, he would move without hesitation.

However, until that moment came, this was a battle he wanted them to experience.

Still, Lucen did not think for one second that Alexander could ever lose. Like how everyone he knows expects him to lead them to victory, Lucen believes that Alexander will always find the right path forward.

That belief was something he had from his past life, and even now. He had seen all the routes Alexander had in the game, well, except for the new one.

Still, no matter the route, no matter how dire the situation, no matter how dark it becomes, Alexander was the light that could never be extinguished.

As Lucen watched their fight, Lucen noticed that their coordination was getting better mid-fight. It started when Alexander started giving out commands. Not to mention Alexander himself was also getting stronger the more he fought.

’Heh, as expected. No matter how much the route changes. You remain the protagonist you always were.’

Another red ogre roared and tried to rush past him, but Lucen did not even look away from Dyr. His hand moved almost lazily, and the trench gun in his grip thundered once.

The ogre’s head burst apart. Its massive body collapsed behind him, shaking the street as it fell. Lucen continued to focus on Alexander’s battle, excited as if he were once again watching his favorite anime.

Dyr raised its cleaver, its lion head roaring as the ram head lowered its horns and the snake head hissed toward Mina. Its body size seemed to have grown a little. For a brief moment, the young group seemed too small in front of that monstrous thing.

Then Alexander stepped forward; there was no trace of fear in his stance. His broadsword lowered slightly, its edge wrapped in his aura mantle that grew steadier with each breath.

Beside him, Mina adjusted her grip on her spear, her eyes already reading Dyr’s movements.

Nina raised her rapier with quiet dignity, aiming for the gaps in the monster’s armor, while Ryan spun his twin short swords once and grinned despite the sweat on his brow.

Cael stood at Alexander’s side, longsword held without a single wasted motion. Dyr roared, all three heads crying out at once as its massive weapons rose.

"Everyone focus! We can do this!" Alexander roared as he dashed at the beast Dyr.