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As Inglis predicted, Prince Wayne’s announcement was indeed significant. After his initial greeting, he delved into the topic of the new chivalric order.

“Some of you may already be aware of the rumors. Following the Holy Knight Order and the Imperial Guard Order, I am pleased to announce the creation of a new national chivalric order. Its name will be the Order of Arcane Wardens,” Wayne shared, capturing the attention of everyone present.

The students murmured among themselves, “Arcane Wardens…?”

Wayne continued, “The sole mission of the Order of Arcane Wardens is to defeat Magic Stone Beasts and protect those threatened by them.”

Leone pondered on Wayne’s words, remarking, “So, it’s a specialized order for combating Magic Stone Beasts.”

Rafinha, intrigued, asked, “Does this mean they won’t engage in battles between humans, right Glis?”
“It seems so,” Inglis confirmed, understanding the implications.
Liselotte, however, expressed her confusion, “But I thought the Holy Knights Order already dealt with Magic Stone Beasts… How will this be different?”

Wayne addressed her concern, “However, the scope of the Order’s activities will extend beyond just Charalia!”
This revelation surprised the students, including Rafinha, who collectively exclaimed, “EEeehhh…?!!”

“The Order of Arcane Wardens aims to protect every person from the threat of Magic Stone Beasts, disregarding country or national borders… Wherever there’s a call for help, the Order will respond! This Order is not just for our nation but for every single person and every single nation of Midland,” Wayne elaborated, expanding on the global scope of the Order.

The students were abuzz, murmuring, “For everyone on Midland…?” and “Not just ours, but the world’s…?”

The hubbub grew even louder, and the fervor seemed to be mounting. This new order would fill a completely different role from the Holy Knight Order, which existed only to protect the Kingdom of Charalia. The sphere of activity for the Order of Arcane Wardens, however, would extend beyond national borders, meaning they might not see much activity inside Charalia, especially with Raphael and the Holy Knight Order already present.

Wayne emphasized, “The era when people of Midland had only themselves to rely on has already passed. Thanks to the technology from the Highlands, we can swiftly transport great power where and when it’s needed…! The Arcane Wardens will extend help to all who seek it, even those unable to obtain proper Artifacts, living in fear of the Prism Flow!”

Rafinha, visibly excited, chimed in, “So, if Alucard experiences a Prism Flow and strong Magic Stone Beasts appear, we can go protect them… Right, Glis?!”

“Fufu… Yes, I think that’s the idea,” Inglis replied, her smile reflecting her cousin’s enthusiasm.

Rafinha’s enthusiasm about the prospect of joining the Arcane Wardens was unmistakable. Inglis found her cousin’s excitement both lovely and heartwarming. The ideals and mission outlined by Prince Wayne clearly struck a chord with Rafinha’s sense of justice.

“That’s great! We can help Lahty and others if they’re in trouble again, and we can go anywhere to help others in need, right Leone?!” Rafinha said with fervor.

“Yes! With the Flygear and other technologies, there’s so much we can do,” Leone agreed.

“Which means Alucard won’t need to consider invading Charalia ever again. They can rely on the Order of Arcane Wardens,” Liselotte concluded, appreciating the broader implications of Wayne’s announcement.

The decision of Alucard to bolster their Artifacts and, if possible, acquire a Hyrule Menace, stemmed from the destruction of the town of Lekrea by a Prisma. Initially, the kingdom was unable to meet the Highland’s demands, leading them to consider an alliance with Venefique and launch an assault on Charalia.

However, with the emergence of the Order of Arcane Wardens, Alucard wouldn’t need to take such drastic steps. The Order’s support would be a significant aid, but this hinged on the assumption of mutual trust. The Order’s entry into foreign territories couldn’t be seen as a pretext for invasion or interference, as it might undermine its credibility and purpose.

Prince Wayne’s announcement brought an air of anticipation and excitement. He stated, “The Order of Arcane Wardens is open to everyone who shares our goals, regardless of nationality. We hope it becomes an independent entity, not just part of Charalia. We aim to combine the strength of all nations to create a protective shield… Arlman will be the new base for the Order. Next season, we’re moving the Knight Academy there to welcome talent from around the world and train the core members of the Order.”

Inglis reflected, “This means the Order will focus on combating Magic Stone Beasts internationally, separate from any nation’s influence. It’s not just another Charalian knight order but an entirely independent force.”

This innovative strategy represented a paradigm shift. It was a comprehensive defense initiative, uniting nations to develop a framework that transcended individual country boundaries to combat Magic Stone Beasts. Charalia, in this grand scheme, assumed the role of a guiding force rather than a central authority.

This approach was particularly advantageous for regions like Alucard, which had limited resources to combat Magic Stone Beasts. With the establishment of the Arcane Wardens, even countries lacking significant anti-Magic Stone Beast capabilities could benefit from protection. The Order represented a collective shield, offering security to all participating nations, irrespective of their individual military strength.

By centralizing Artifacts and knights in a mobile base, the Order could utilize resources more effectively than if they were spread out for regional defense. This strategy also meant less downtime during peaceful periods.

Inglis mused, “Essentially, with fewer Artifacts and Flygears, the Midlands can defend themselves more effectively. This is surely a move endorsed by the Highlands.”

Rafinha eagerly asked, “So, it’s a positive development, right, Glis?”

Inglis confirmed with a smile, “Absolutely. It means we can confront Prismas wherever they appear across the globe. Fufufu…isn’t that just lovely?”

Indeed, King Charleas had once promised Inglis deployment anywhere within Charalia against Prismas. However, the idea of engaging in such battles globally was an exhilarating expansion of that promise.

Translator’s note:

I don’t know what the J-Novel Club goes with for the
new knight order (since I’m too broke to buy novels). Trying to dissect the kanji, it goes like this:

封魔騎士団
封 (Fuu) = Seal
魔 (Ma) = Magic/Demon
騎士団 (Kishidan) = Knight Order

Together, they translate to Demon-Sealing Knight Order (Taimanin flashbacks), but I don’t like the sound of it. So, ChatGPT I had the idea of translating it to Arcane Wardens. Arcane because magicky stuff, Wardens because, uh, jails, sealing, I guess? Also, I dig how it sounds chuuni af 😎