To ensure victory in this Abyssal Cavern Beast tide, every magical beast present must be slain! Determination flashed in Todd's eyes as he gave the order for the knights behind him to prepare for battle.
Upon hearing their vice-captain's decision, Sutter and Fessen's expressions changed drastically. They hadn't expected such a resolute decision from him—there wasn't even room for discussion!
"Vice-captain Todd, if you attack Fruitvale Village, it will surely provoke resistance."
"If both sides fight, we'll only end up hurting each other. Please reconsider, Vice-captain!"
Sutter was visibly anxious. He had already witnessed the potency of those Gloom's Sleep Powder attacks. Back then, the Mightyenas hadn't even made it past the grass before collapsing.
Although there were two hundred armored Rhyhorn cavalry with them now, how many of them could actually withstand the sleep-inducing spores? Not to mention the sheer number of Mightyenas—sure, the knights might secure a victory, but it would be a pyrrhic one. That was not the outcome Sutter wanted to see.
Besides, from the perspective of both Sutter and Fessen, there was no need at all for the knights to attack Fruitvale Village. The thought made both men turn their angry gazes toward the noble heirs who had just spoken earlier.
At that moment, the nobles already had their beast taming gear ready, just waiting for the battle to begin so they could capture one or two Mightyenas. These foolish nobles had no idea what consequences such a battle would bring!
"A mutual defeat? Just from those Glooms and Mightyenas?" The nobles dismissed the concern. After all, the disparity in power seemed obvious to them.
"I don't want to see Fruitvale Village destroyed by the knights either."
"Maybe you should try persuading that Aven to give up those Mightyenas. Those magical beasts are beyond his control."
Todd fell silent for a moment before speaking again. His words were laced with threat—if Aven insisted on protecting the Mightyenas, then Fruitvale Village itself might be at risk. This, after all, was a conflict between magical beasts.
Seeing that they could do nothing to stop it, a wave of helplessness washed over Sutter and Fessen. The two exchanged glances before silently mounting their Rhyhorns and rushing toward Fruitvale Village.
After returning, Sutter solemnly explained the situation.
He made no attempt to lower his voice, so both the Pokémon and villagers present heard him clearly.
Immediately, the Mightyena leader stood up, looking anxiously at Aven.
But before it could react further, Aven suddenly placed a hand on its head and comforted it: "Don't worry, Mightyena."
Hearing Aven's words, the Mightyena leader visibly relaxed and nodded before lying back down.
Meanwhile, murmurs broke out among the villagers. They hadn't expected that even after the misunderstanding had been cleared up, the knights still intended to attack the Mightyenas.
But why?
Weren't the Mightyenas protecting the village? Wasn't that a good thing?
Why would the lord's knights still insist on attacking them?
"There's nothing left to say—let's fight!"
"I'll never abandon the Mightyenas. Even if I fall today, I'll protect them!"
At that moment, Peter suddenly stepped out of the crowd and stood among the Mightyenas, speaking with resolute conviction.
The Mightyena beside him followed closely, its eyes soft with emotion—it felt lucky to have chosen the right human as its partner.
"That's right. Whether it's the Glooms or the Mightyenas, they've protected our village," Simon said as he too stepped forward from the crowd.
Seeing this, a few more young people also stepped out. "Even though we haven't yet been acknowledged by the Mightyenas, like I promised them before, I'll protect them!"
Hearing those words moved the Mightyenas deeply. Several of them stared at the humans before them and silently made a decision: if they survived this battle, they would accept them.
Inspired by the youth, the rest of the villagers exchanged looks, took deep breaths, tightened their grips on their weapons, and showed their determination as well.
Sutter stood stunned at the sight.
Faced with nobles from Aspiration City, these commoners had chosen to resist. This was unthinkable in the eyes of a knight!
"I believe a just lord like the lady would never approve of their actions!" Fessen took a deep breath and stood among the villagers, showing where he stood.
He slowly removed the light armor of the Aspiration City Knights from his body. As it fell to the ground, it made a faint sound.
To remove a knight's armor before battle was a clear statement—he did not intend to oppose his lord, but he could not agree with the actions of these nobles!
Watching all of this, Sutter fell silent. He closed his eyes, recalling his time spent in the village. When he opened them again, they were sharp with resolve.
Without hesitation, he too removed his armor and stepped into the ranks of the villagers, ready for battle!
"Then... prepare for battle," Aven said in a low voice, a faint, nearly imperceptible smile flickering in his eyes.
It was impossible for him to hand over the Mightyenas. The only option left was to fight and stop the knights.
Moreover, he agreed with what Fessen had said. He too doubted the motives behind the so-called "orders" from these knights.
Though he hadn't heard the nobles' conversations, he had a good idea of what was happening. This battle was clearly more complicated than it seemed.
In fact, the moment he decided to tame the Mightyenas, he knew someone would covet them. He just didn't expect it to happen this quickly.
Now, he needed to fight a brilliant battle—to show everyone his strength.
Only with sufficient power could he have a voice, protect what he wanted to protect, and carve out a place for himself on this land.
At that moment, vice-captain Todd was observing the commotion in Fruitvale Village.
When he saw that Sutter and Fessen had removed their knight armor, his expression turned dark.
Even though the village hadn't officially declared anything, their actions had already made their intent clear—they were preparing for war!
With that realization, he instructed the knights to prepare for an attack, and from deep in his chest he bellowed, "Sutter! Fessen! Are you two going to become traitors to the Knight Order?!"
The two men did not respond. But in their hearts, both silently replied:
"I only serve the Lady."
(End of Chapter)