Chapter 200: Ill-fated Ties (6)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 200: Ill-fated Ties (6)
There is a saying that circulates among the people.
The capital of the Empire is the capital of the continent.
It wasn't wrong.
With its overwhelming wealth, military power, and advanced technology, the Empire was truly the hegemon of the continent.
To exaggerate slightly, the quality of life for a citizen of the Imperial Capital was better than that of a baron in some kingdom.
For a mere commoner's life to be better than a noble's...
It was an unimaginable feat in a society built on a rigid class system.
But now, the myth of the Empire was on the verge of collapse.
“Formation! Maintain the formation!” Jenkinson roared amidst a city thrown into chaos by screams and shrieks.
“Leave the vampires in the sky to the mages and clerics! We’ll deal with the ones on the ground! Don’t break ranks, hold the formation! First rank, shields up! Crossbowmen, load and stand by in the second rank! Fire on my signal!”
“Lord Jenkinson, there are civilians mixed in with the vampires.”
“They’re not our subjects anyway. Fire when I give the signal. Anyone who doesn't will be executed for insubordination. Ready… Fire!”
The crossbowmen pulled their triggers.
Thwip, thwip.
A volley of arrows rained down, indiscriminate of citizen or vampire.
“Aaargh!”
“My aaaaarm!!!”
The power of the mana-infused arrows was immense. Civilians struck by them were either pierced through or had their limbs torn apart.
Furthermore, the improved crossbows allowed for rapid reloading.
As another volley of arrows fell, adding to the pile of human corpses, the vampires did not escape unscathed. Thanks to being far more durable than ordinary humans, they avoided being completely run through, but they couldn't stop the arrows from embedding in their flesh.
But it wasn't a problem.
Their food was everywhere.
The vampires roughly tore the arrows from their bodies, then, regardless of whether their victims were dead or alive, sank their fangs into the necks of the nearest humans and greedily drank their blood.
As the human bodies shriveled like mummies, the holes in the vampires’ bodies healed over.
It was a sight one would only expect to see after using the rarest of high-grade potions.
This was the secret to how vampires had avoided extinction and maintained their lineage for so long.
Of course, the healing effects of vampirism weren't normally this potent. If they were, the continent would have long since become a world of vampires.
The reason even common vampires could display such feats now was solely due to the ‘Black Sun.’
But the humans fighting them knew nothing of this.
“What the fuck is that?!”
“They heal instantly even with holes in their bodies? How are we supposed to fight that?!”
Unease spread among the soldiers who witnessed the vampires’ unnatural healing abilities. As they were all elite soldiers, none broke formation, but their shattered morale was another matter.
When they finally clashed with the approaching vampires, their formation was broken with terrifying ease.
What followed was a chaotic melee, with humans and vampires tangled together.
“Hahaha! You human bastards are no different from wild beasts up close! So soft and weak—”
Slice.
The head of a vampire that had just torn a soldier in half was lopped off by Jenkinson’s silver sword. The severed neck of the vampire sizzled and burned where the silver blade had cut it.
Jenkinson cut down three more nearby vampires before assessing the battlefield. It was a chaotic melee of humans and vampires. At a glance, it seemed an even fight, but a closer look revealed the Imperial forces were at a disadvantage.
‘The difference in strength is too great.’
The skill gap between the soldiers and the vampires was severe.
The front line was only barely holding on thanks to the Head of the Ferdiac Family, the knights, and the clerics, who were each doing the work of several men.
But as time passed, the number of soldiers would dwindle, and the Imperial side would be outnumbered.
The humans would grow tired, while the vampires would preserve their stamina by drinking blood amidst the chaos.
At this rate, defeat was certain.
That is, if the battle continued on its current course.
‘We have to hold out for a comeback.’
If the vampires had the Black Sun, the Empire had its own trump card.
“The Empire has long prepared a safeguard for a situation like this. It’s something only I can activate. If I succeed, this unfavorable tide of battle will be reversed in an instant.”
The Emperor’s words had been filled with conviction.
Though they didn't know the exact details, Jenkinson and the other nobles had no choice but to believe him. They were fighting the vampires to buy the time needed for that safeguard to be activated.
‘Your Majesty, please activate it quickly.’
Jenkinson prayed as he cut down a vampire that was about to attack his adjutant.
*
“This way!”
The Emperor and his elite knights sprinted down the corridors of the Imperial Palace. Thinking of the soldiers holding the line outside, they couldn't afford to waste a single moment.
Fortunately, the vampires’ reach had not yet extended into the palace. They quickly arrived at the Emperor’s bedchamber.
The Emperor grabbed a candlestick mounted on the wall next to his luxurious bed and turned it to the right.
Creeeak.
A crack appeared in the wall, which then split apart and descended into the floor.
Beyond it, a staircase leading down into the ground was revealed.
The knights’ eyes widened as they stared at the stairs. They had never imagined such a device would be hidden in the Emperor’s own chambers.
“There’s no time to be impressed. Let’s go.”
“Ah, yes!”
The Emperor and his knights descended the stairs. After a long way down, they came to a long corridor. The Emperor ran alongside his knights, his mind racing.
‘I’ll have to kill these men as soon as this is over.’
The existence of this safeguard was a top secret passed down from emperor to emperor. Even if its existence were known, its precise location must never be revealed.
‘Besides, I might even be able to purge the others.’
After the fierce battle with the vampires, the strength of each noble family would likely be weakened. He had been worried about the growing power of the aristocracy lately, so this was a perfect opportunity. He would purge all the unnecessary elements at once.
The Emperor believed in the power of the safeguard passed down through the Empire. He never considered a future where the Empire would be defeated. He ran, thinking about how he would handle things after the commotion was over, and soon, he arrived before the safeguard itself.
An obsidian pedestal that came up to a man’s waist, and connected to it, an obsidian chalice.
Pouring the blood of the Imperial Family into this chalice would activate the safeguard.
The Emperor was about to draw his sword to cut his hand but stopped. His sword was so sharp that a single mistake could sever his entire palm.
“You there, do you have a dagger…?”
The Emperor’s eyes went wide as he turned to borrow a dagger. The knights who should have been following him were gone.
“Is this that safeguard thingy you were talking about?”
“...!”
The Emperor froze at the voice that came from behind him.
‘I didn’t sense his presence.’
He had gotten behind the Emperor without being detected. That meant he was at least several levels above the Emperor. The knights who had been following him were likely dealt with by this man. Against an opponent skilled enough to take down all his knights, the Emperor had no chance of winning a fight.
His only option was persuasion.
Without moving a muscle, the Emperor spoke.
“Who are you?”
“I thought you’d attack me on sight, calling me insolent. I guess an emperor is still an emperor, huh? Quick on your feet.”
“...I’ve heard this voice before.”
“You’re only just remembering? I was about to be hurt, thinking you’d forgotten,” Gis said with a smirk.
The Emperor’s brow furrowed. “Why did you betray me?”
“Is that all you have to say in this situation? Not going to beg for your life?”
“Was there something else you wanted?”
“This guy… you really don’t listen to others, do you? I guess when you’re the most powerful man on the continent, you don’t need to listen to what your lessers have to say. Right?”
“...”
“Right, you asked why I betrayed you? It’s because it’s fucking bullshit, that’s why.”
Thwack!
Gis kicked the Emperor hard in the back. The Emperor flew forward and tumbled across the floor. He rolled over and swung his sword upward. Gis caught the blade. As he applied pressure, the sword cracked and then shattered.
The Emperor’s eyes widened in disbelief at the sight of his sword breaking so easily.
Gis scowled at the pathetic sight.
“I was so fucking sick of watching worthless pieces of shit like you strut around like you were my masters. Every time you bastards gave me orders in that solemn, commanding tone of yours, you have no idea how pissed I got.”
As if the mere thought of it angered him again, Gis began to stomp on the Emperor relentlessly.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
“Gahk. Kck! Keok!”
“Look at this. You’re the Emperor, and you can’t do a damn thing now.”
The Emperor, who had initially resisted, eventually stopped moving. Gis stopped stomping and grabbed the Emperor’s hair, lifting his head.
“The only reason you and all the other bastards around you could act so high and mighty was because of Frillite, that goddamn bitch. I couldn't touch you because she was protecting you. But she’s not here now, is she? That leaves me no choice but to betray you, right? Right?!”
“Cough…”
“How do you feel right now? How does it feel to be trampled by someone you looked down on as a lowlife? How does it feel to fail when you were this close to stopping a rebellion?”
“Kkhh…”
“Stop making those pathetic noises and answer me! How does it feel?!”
Gis’s roar echoed through the cavern. The Emperor’s lips moved weakly.
“Sa…”
“Sa?”
“Save…”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake.”
Gis slammed the Emperor’s head into the floor. His face, once filled with rage and elation, was now just full of disappointment.
“You boring bastard… To think that bitch Frillite would protect trash like this. She must have had nothing in that head of hers.”
“P-please…”
Gis sighed, looking at the Emperor begging in a desperate voice.
“You want to live? Then answer my question. I took a quick look around the palace on my way here, and you know what? There wasn't a single woman. Not the Empress, not even the maids. I think they’re all hiding in some secret place… am I right?”
“Ugh… ah…”
“Hey, hey. Don’t die yet. If you’re going to die, do it after you tell me where those bitches are. Especially your wife, the Empress. If you help me find her, I’ll ask my mother to let you live, at least as a slave.”
“My… wife…?”
“Yeah. Fuck, she was so hot every time I saw her. It was tough pretending I wasn’t interested. So hurry up and tell me. I’ll let you live if you do. I swear.”
“...Go.”
“Go?”
“Go to hell… you lowlife…”
Hock, ptooey.
The Emperor spat a mouthful of bloody saliva into Gis’s face. Gis’s expression twisted in fury.
“Fucking prick, even when I offer to save you. Fine, don’t talk if you don’t want to. I’ll just find her myself. And when I do find your wife, you better believe it. It’s going to be very, very interesting.”
Gis cackled, laughing as if the mere thought of it was delightful.
The Emperor listened to that laughter and prayed.
Please, let someone stop this demon…
And that was his final thought.
“He’s dead. What a weak bastard.”
Gis sneered and slit the Emperor’s throat with a dagger.