He became the White-Haired Evil God after wearing the Seven Curses Rings.

"If I remember correctly, War is sleeping in his weapon. If we bring that spear back, our lord can release his true name. In that case, half of the four knights will have returned."

With this in mind, Thanatos decided to skip Roland's part, appear directly, take the spear, and leave the place to avoid getting too entangled with everyone.

Just as Thanatos was about to make his move, Atoris, who was standing in the center, suddenly spoke.

"You all leave first, I'll handle things here."

After hearing Artorias's decision, Roland pondered for a moment.

"Alright, please take care, Lord Artoris. Edward, keep up."

After saying that, Roland took Edward and left the place.

Seeing this, Orion glanced at Atoris a few times, hesitated for a moment, and then followed with the others.

"Master Roland, do you know who that girl who just appeared is? It seems she has a lot to do with my father... the Sword of the Empire."

To be honest, I had a very bad feeling the moment I saw her, as if she were an enemy of the empire.

They seemed even more terrifying than the Zerg, but because of the Imperial Sword, I didn't dare ask any more questions.

Upon hearing Orion's question, Roland stopped in his tracks.

"Your Majesty, I'm not entirely sure about your question either. This is the first time I've seen that young girl."

When I first saw her, I had the same feeling as you, but everyone has their own secrets.

Since Lady Artoris is unwilling to speak, then we shouldn't pry. At least we can be certain that Lady Artoris will not harm the Empire.

Orion nodded upon hearing Roland's explanation.

"Alright, Master Roland is right. Since it's related to the Sword of the Empire, I shouldn't pursue it too much."

As she spoke, Orion looked at Edward, who remained silent to the side.

"I remember this young man is Master Roland's apprentice, right? You performed very well in the battle just now."

Since you are a disciple of Master Roland, your knowledge of alchemy must be extensive. Upon your return, I will appoint you as my alchemy advisor.

In order to govern the empire, I still need to consult you more on alchemy. I wonder what your opinion is, young Edward?

"Ah, me?"

Edward glanced furtively at Roland.

After being glared at, Edward hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said.

"Of course... Your Majesty, I am naturally very grateful to have been given such an important position by Your Majesty."

"Oh, since this young man has no objection, why don't you come to my palace tonight? I have many questions on my mind that I'm eager to ask you for advice."

"Uh... okay."

……

After seeing everyone walk away, Atoris breathed a slight sigh of relief.

"My lord has made such a big fuss this time, how am I supposed to explain this to them...?"

Thinking of this, Atoris looked up at the red spear.

"Speaking of which, this should belong to my lord, right? Judging from its aura, it should be a legendary divine artifact. Did my lord accidentally leave it behind, or was there some other purpose behind it?"

Just as Atoris was pondering what to do with the spear, an untimely voice appeared beside him.

"Excuse me, are you the Sword of the Empire?"

Atoris turned around and saw a tall, thin man wearing an officer's hat.

"You are...Brandon?"

Upon seeing the other party's appearance, Atoris was slightly taken aback.

In her memory, Brandon was a division commander who had been with her since she created the expeditionary force.

He was also the legendary captain who steered the Expeditionary Sword for over a hundred years.

Atoris's impression of him was mainly based on two points.

First, no matter who he met, even the lowest-level scavenger, he always treated them with respect and a smile.

Secondly, no matter how much time has passed, he can maintain an extremely youthful appearance.

Even now, when they meet again, Brandon is exactly the same as Artoris remembers him.

This also made it difficult for Artoris to figure out Brandon's true strength.

However, Brandon had always been very loyal to her when he served as her commander, and his control over the Expeditionary Sword was also excellent.

This prevented Atori from becoming too suspicious of him.

Upon hearing Atori call his name, Brandon immediately feigned surprise.

"Oh, beautiful lady, thank you for calling me by name. It seems I have quite a reputation, of course."

It's also possible that you inherited the power of the late emperor and incidentally learned of my existence, but either way, I am truly flattered.

After saying this, Brandon took off his officer's hat and saluted Atoris.

"Putting aside how you suddenly appeared here, you came to me wanting me to help you retain your position as division commander, right?"

Upon hearing this, Brandon quickly shook his head.

"No, no, no, beautiful lady, I have already resigned from my position as a teacher. Now I just want to enjoy my retirement."

As he spoke, Brandon took out a small booklet.

"I came here simply to ask the beautiful and charming Miss Imperial Sword to sign my autograph. This is very important to me."

"sign?"

"Yes, miss, to be honest, I'm actually a fan of yours. Although I haven't seen your performance yet, from the moment I saw you, I was deeply moved by your noble and flawless character."

To receive your autograph before your very first performance would be an honor I cherish for a thousand years. I humbly request that you, esteemed Sword of the Empire, grant me this small request.

After hearing Brandon's explanation, Atorius frowned.

She never expected that the legendary captain who had followed her across the seas would have a taste for a petite girl like her, who was only 1.4 meters tall.

"Alright."

Artoria took Brandon's booklet and pen and casually signed her name.

Artorius may dislike it, but...

But at least in her memory, Brandon hadn't done anything out of line.

He always maintained an elegant demeanor, treating people with courtesy, making it difficult for others to feel even the slightest dissatisfaction towards him.

Artorias speculates that his current performance is due to psychological issues stemming from years of fighting, and that he needs some new forms of entertainment to relax.

After returning the booklet to Brandon, the latter bowed again.

"Thank you again, beautiful lady. I will keep your signature forever and never let it come into contact with even a stain, not even a speck of dust."

Upon hearing this, Atoris waved his hand dismissively.

"Alright, if there's nothing else, leave now. This isn't a place for you to stay."

"Alright, miss, since you put it that way, I'll take my leave now. I hope to see you again sometime in the future."

After saying that, Brandon prepared to turn and leave.

The next second, a large hand suddenly landed on his shoulder.

"Oh, young man, I see you have extraordinary potential. How about joining me to conquer the stars and the sea? Don't worry, food and lodging are included."

Brandon: "?"

Brandon looked up and saw a burly man wearing a red leather coat.

The man appeared very suddenly, and before Brandon could react, Atoris raised his crimson greatsword first.

"Who are you, and what are you doing here?"

When confronted with Atoris's question, the man scratched his head.

"Who am I... oh right, who am I again?"

Halfway through his thought, the man simply stopped thinking about it altogether.

"Never mind, my name isn't important. Little sister, I mean you no harm. Please put down your weapon. Holding such a big heavy sword might stunt your growth."

As he spoke, the man patted Brandon, who was standing next to him.

"As for what I'm here for, well... I just saw an immortal with a lot of combat experience here, and I couldn't resist recruiting him to fight alongside me."

Suddenly, Brandon, who had been calm all along, broke out in a cold sweat.