Emperor Has Returned

On top of the wall, Hiveden’s residents screamed as they ran away.

Only Juan and Anya were left after everyone had disappeared like low tide.

Anya’s expression was pale.

‘They weren’t intending to leave anyone alive from the start.’

Ethan gave Hiveden time because he wanted them to voluntarily disarm themselves before he would massacre them. And the first victims were Hiveden’s guards that had surrendered from the beginning.

The guards still had their hands up in surrender as they were killed. Although Anya didn’t feel any sympathy for them, the fact she hadn’t anticipated this possibility pained her.

She’d lost the initiative.

Anya looked at Juan with a nervous expression. She was expecting him to instantly scold or get angry at her.

But Juan’s face was completely different. He was wearing a cynical smile.

“Hasn’t changed at all…. The things these fanatics do.”

Fanatics didn’t care how the capital viewed them or whether it had any political impact.

These crazy bastards got things done, through whatever means possible.

During the days of the gods, countries with these same principles were of plenty.

With no laws or rules, if they would show loyalty towards gods, they were guaranteed power.

Regardless if they weren’t given power, everyone still conducted in the same way. They gave up their lives, desperately hoping to be granted power.

Fanatical absurdity.

It was one of the reasons why Juan tried to eradicate any faith and religions in the past. But the reality now was that the same thing was happening under his name.

Juan coldly smiled as he turned to look at Anya. Anya flinched and took one step back.

“What are you doing? Anya, take command of the order. You are the leader.”

“What? Ah, yes.”

Juan gave her shoulders a squeeze upon noticing that she’d panicked from how events had transpired unexpectedly.

“Don’t worry. The Hugin knights are plenty capable. Dilmond and Lars are here as well. They’re likely busy dealing with the situation as we speak. Go and do what you need to do. And.”

Juan ordered Anya in a sharp manner.

“Don’t leave a single one alive.”

“Yes!”

Anya replied and instantly jumped off the wall.

Her chest was beating.

When Juan had touched her shoulder, a strange sense of calmness swept over her. And also a sense of excitement.

It was a heightened sense that came in the midst of a battle.

“Ardin!”

“Hee, hheeek!”

Ardin was trembling underneath a house that had crumpled from the fragments of the wall.

Most ordinary people didn’t know that a Paladin’s charge was as devastating as a natural disaster.

Ardin was the same. Anya grabbed his collar and pulled him up.

“You saw what the White crow knights did! If you don’t move now, everyone in Hiveden will be dead! Including you!”

“Bu, but to fight against those monsters…….”

“You think the Hugin knights will lose?”

Only then it seemed Ardin got a bit of his senses back. If he was to die, it wasn’t a bad idea to join hands with the devil.

“Right now, we’re the only ones that can stop them, and you are the only one that can still help us! So get moving!”

“Ah, euh. Right, okay. So…so what do you want me to do…….?”

“Same plan, but this time, grab your weapons.”

*****

Five hundred Laus mountain scouts made their way through the gap where the White crow knights had made.

Their faces were heavy and uncomfortable but they had already committed heavy slaughters following White crow knight’s orders till now.

Only difference today was that it was on a whole different scale.

“Second squad go north, third squad commence south! Signal the instant you see any Hugin knights appear. Purging the city is important, but don’t forget that our main goal is to stab Lars Raude and his knights to death!”

Ethan commanded in a loud voice. Following Ethan’s orders, groups of Laus mountain scouts formed out behind their respective Paladins.

“Kill every child, man, woman and elderly. Not a single one lives. There are no holes for them to escape. This city that’s tainted with the influence of the Ravens can only be washed clean with blood.”

It may have sounded blasphemous that he’d wage war on a city with just thirty men, but Ethan had done similar things several times.

He was being overly cautious this time only because their old enemies, the Hugin knights, were in the city.

“Was it wise to turn on the entire city, commander?”

A concerned Camille asked. Ethan smiled.

“If you think that less of me, then I apologise for making you worried. Camille.”

“I’m not doubting your skills, commander nim. But…..”

“I’m not worried about this city’s laughable defence. These people are nothing but sheeps. No matter how many sheeps there are, they will be killed by wolves. What we need to be concerned about is the shepherds that have fattened these sheeps well.”

Ethan looked at Hiveden with madness in his eyes.

“Do you think the bastard will run upon seeing his sheeps slaughtered? I refuse to search inside the sewers for Lars. I’ll make him come fight me. And I’ll cut his white skull and stick it on the end of my stick.”

Camiller nodded her head in acceptance. As a member of the White crow knights, she could relate to Ethan’s views.

She agreed it would be irritating to waste their time trying to search for the Hugin knights in the city.

However, she looked at Ethan with worrying eyes.

“Unlike the previous commanders, soon I’ll be free from the ghost that is Lars Raude, and become an actual Paladin that serves the emperor……..”

The murmuring Ethan’s eyes were not different from the eyes of previous commanders that had died from their obsession over catching Lars.

Ethan turned his head, seemingly noticed Camille’s concerned gaze.

“Do you have any advice for me, vice commander?”

“No sir. Do you have any specific orders for me sir?”

“Complete the duties that we discussed earlier. I’ll move forward towards the center with the first squad. Do your duty to your best from the rear, Vice commander.”

“Yes. And….”

Before she could say, take care of yourself, someone interrupted with a loud shout.

“Commander Ethan nim!”

A voice filled with anger. It belonged to one of the rising stars that Ethan had high expectations for.

Sina Solbein had made her way over the remains of the broken walls and was approaching fast.

Her face was of pale white.

“Wh, what are you doing! How could you attack a city that has surrendered!”

Camille tried to stop her. But Ethan stopped her instead and moved towards Sina.

“You came here without wearing any gear or any weapon. Sina Solbein. It’s hard to say you’re wearing the appropriate attire. Didn’t I mention that you will be staying behind?”

“Whether I have a weapon or not, whether I have a hand or not, I am still a knight, Commander Ethan nim! I need to hear your reason sir! This, this isn’t something that someone who serves the emperor would do! The emperor would have rather…….”

“Protected the weak and showed compassion to the loser. That’s what you were going to say right? Truly a model student. A specimen of a perfect knight. However your thinking is wrong. These people are the same people that have helped those who assassinated the emperor. Could you give the emperor’s compassion to people such as them?”

Ethan spoke softly but Sina’s eyes were furious.

Ethan who saw those burning eyes, realised that this was far as their relationship would go, and that this talented knight would never become part of his Paladin order.

Ethan bitterly laughed.

“The emperor. Would have. Done so.”

At each spoken word, Sina put her anger into it.

“It seems the teachings at the knight school were too much. Or maybe it was the opposite.”

Sina and his relationship was now irreversible. Ethan understood why someone with so much talent had become an ordinary knight stationed in the outskirts of the empire instead of a Paladin.

Ethan turned his horse.

“Camille. You will make sure Sina Solbein does not take part in the battle, and that this compassionate woman is well taken care of.”

“Yes sir.”

“Wait, Ethan! Not only the emperor but even the capital would……”

As Sina ran at him, Camille grabbed her arm and flung her onto the ground.

With a crunching sound, Sina’s shoulders became dislocated.

Trying to not show any pain, with clenched teeths Sina glared at Ethan.

Ethan briefly looked down at her then made his way towards the city centre.

The sound of hooves clattering against the city pavement and sounds of screams were echoing throughout the city.

Sina’s screams were still echoing inside Ethan’s head. A long time ago, he had made the same screams as her.

Of course there was no one that answered his screams at the time. His screams had died inside the headquarters at Laus mountains, echoing into the void and disappearing.

And after that the only thoughts left inside him were about Lars Raude.

Just as his voice had disappeared, he had full confidence that in time Sina’s would eventually disappear as well. To stop her voices in his head, Ethan shouted out loud.

“Come out! If not, all of your plump sheeps are going to die!”

Ethan and his Paladins raced across the central road and ran over the fleeing residents.

The residents dispersed upon being trampled and pierced with spears.

However, they were quickly turned into skewers by the scout force’s arrows.

Ethan who was about to roar into action once more, suddenly stopped. The other Paladins near him also came to a stop.

There was someone that stood in their way towards the center.

It wasn’t who Ethan was looking for.

“What are you doing here. Thought Anya or Dilmond would come out.”

“They’re a bit occupied you see.”

Ethan squinted his eyes thinly and looked at the black haired boy standing in front of him. He who was roaring in excitement of the battle, felt annoyance rise within him.

“You’re that black haired kid from earlier. I don’t have time for you right now. Wait for your turn.”

Ethan spat his words out and began to pass Juan.

However, in an instant Juan disappeared from his sight.

Ethan quickly brought his sword up and tried to meet Juan’s trajectory but he’d been too late.

“Kueek!”

Juan smoothly squeezed through Ethan’s horse and cut the insides of its legs.

Unlike Paladins riding it, their horses were only equipped with ordinary iron plated armor. And Juan’s dagger had been able to get through the armor.

The horse squealed as it fell onto the ground.

Ethan had no choice but to jump off his horse.

“This little bastard……”

“Let’s not be hasty.”

Juan calmly stated in the faces of seven Paladin knights surrounding him.

Fire sparks shot from Ethan’s eyes. He was so close to attaining his long awaited goal, and yet some unknown obstacle had appeared before him.

As this obstacle dragged him down, Ethan’s temper erupted.

“Fine. Rather than ride my horse, I’ll kick your head as a ball to my destination.”

Ethan made eye signals to his fellow knights. The other Paladins hesitated before running forward, past Juan.

It was a waste for seven Paladin knights to be occupied by a single boy.

Juan didn’t bother to stop them.

“Now then……shall we dance?”