Chapter 330

Chapter 116 Light and Darkness Thirteen

The sunlight was obscured by dark clouds, turning the bright morning into a gloomy and oppressive scene that made it hard to breathe.

Old Raekmon rode his rhinoceros at the street corner, with the guard troops on both sides. Soldiers poured out from all directions of the streets, rushing toward the church three streets away. The military formation had long been in disarray; cavalry and infantry were mixed together, each soldier’s face filled with a heavy expression, their morale almost at rock bottom.

Old Raekmon was no different.

His aged face bore deep fatigue, his bloodshot eyes cloudy. He gazed at the church, still majestic and sacred despite being partially hidden by rows of houses. He remained silent for a long while until someone broke the silence.

“Lord Raekmon!”

A general, riding a rhinoceros, appeared from the other side of the street corner, weaving through the ranks and stopping in front of him.

Old Raekmon glanced at the newcomer and nodded slightly.

“Speak.”

The general hesitated before continuing, “My lord, Captain Michelos Baron of the light infantry third division… he has expressed unwillingness to continue participating and has sworn never to be loyal to the Raekmon family again. He has already left with more than eight hundred soldiers. The first division and some cavalry have also followed him. It’s hard to estimate the numbers, but they plan to leave the city immediately…”

Old Raekmon nodded again, “I understand.”

His voice was devoid of emotion.

The general paused and added, “Shall we let them go?”

Old Raekmon answered without hesitation, “Let them go.”

“This…”

The general grew even more hesitant, as if he was concerned about something but dared not speak. He looked at Old Raekmon with difficulty, noticing him looking towards the church, then slowly said, “Inform the ironclad guards that the defeated army supporting Elizabeth wants to escape.”

The general’s pupils dilated.

“Yes.”

He responded quietly and left after bowing, disappearing into a small alley.

Shortly after, another general rode up and stopped in front of Old Raekmon.

“My lord, the person setting the fire has arrived.”

Old Raekmon merely glanced at him and did not respond.

He continued to gaze at the church several streets away, at the central building of the royal church, remaining silent.

Old Raekmon knew that after today, he would bear an unforgivable sin, one that the world might never forgive. This thought filled him with anxiety and fear, yet he tried his best to keep his emotions in check.

Since earlier, Old Raekmon had been racking his brain, trying to figure out how to escape this accusation. He stood here, not daring to take another step forward or get any closer to the church. He knew that the revered Holy Maiden was inside the church, and if she saw him, there would be no turning back.

After much contemplation, Old Raekmon felt… there really seemed to be no way out.

For a moment, he wished he could be like his irresponsible son, abandon everything, and swear eternal loyalty to the queen. If he could be so young and reckless, it would be wonderful.

Enough…

Let me pay for my sins with my life.

Raekmon was old, but the Raekmon family was still young. As long as most of them were alive, the family would survive.

The holy church was not an unfeeling institution; it would not punish the entire family for one person’s mistake. At this point, Old Raekmon only hoped his actions would not implicate them. He hoped his son, who stubbornly guarded the palace, would show some flexibility and not perish outside among those ruthless men.

He ordered someone to remove their armor and blend in with the civilians, secretly going to the church to set a fire. He hoped the fire would spread, burning fiercely.

Elizabeth was poisoned and unconscious, unable to move. If the fire could kill her directly, that would be ideal. But if not, the flames could at least delay the Holy Maiden.

There were many civilians in the church. Once the fire started, the Holy Maiden would certainly come out to put it out. Old Raekmon had witnessed the miracle of rain before and understood that it was not a simple matter.

Even the Holy Maiden would require considerable time and effort. She would temporarily step away from Her Majesty the Queen. With the chaos in the church, the two mysterious black-cloaked figures would have their opportunity. He would find Elizabeth’s location and swiftly kill her.

The old Rekmon and the garrison’s task was to attract everyone’s attention in the church.

He understood that this was the only chance.

Otherwise, once Elizabeth woke up, even if the Iron Guard could win and seize the palace, it might not hold much practical significance. With the legitimate heir to the throne still alive, the cunning Lex will never truly be able to sit on that throne or withstand the fierce retaliation that is to come.

All he has done, and all the infamy he will bear in the future, will ultimately become meaningless.

May everything go smoothly…

Old Rekmon had never believed in the church’s doctrines, but at this moment, he couldn’t help but close his eyes and sincerely pray to the deities in his heart.

Soon after, thick smoke rose from the direction of the church.

Seeing this, Old Rekmon’s murky and dull eyes finally lit up.

He turned his head to the general who had been waiting: “Organize the light infantry and the remaining cavalry, quickly surround the church.”

“Yes!”

The general responded loudly. He bit his lip, seemingly wanting to say more, but ultimately said nothing. He deeply looked at the person he served, meeting the old man’s resolute and luminous gaze. Taking a deep breath, he led a group of cavalry away, charging toward the church.

Old Rekmon watched the general leave, muttering, “Old friend, success or failure is just one…”

He couldn’t finish his sentence.

In the next moment, a terrifying black smoke shot up from the church, carrying a destructive force, twisting like a snake and flying over.

Old Rekmon looked at the deathly smoke in the sky, slowly narrowing his eyes.

It has finally arrived…

At this moment, he couldn’t even muster the thought to defend himself. His mind was preoccupied with pondering what this terrible thing was that rescued Elizabeth and killed many of the garrison troops.

Boom—

He watched as the black smoke crashed into a distant street, and smoke erupted from behind the row of buildings. Old Rekmon heard the cries and fears of the garrison. Even though he couldn’t see, he could imagine that the black fog was swallowing countless strong figures just as it did before.

The soldiers loyal to him began to retreat, and people around him were fleeing in panic. The black smoke raged far away, sweeping through the streets like a whirlwind, accompanied by countless pitiful screams, rushing towards them.

Old Rekmon looked at the horrifying scene before him, his lips trembling, and closed his eyes slowly before the hot tears could fall, listening to the increasingly closer cries, a mocking smile forming on his lips.

“In the end, time is against us…”

He quietly awaited the arrival of death, awaiting the black smoke to engulf him.

But what he imagined didn’t happen.

The desperate cries of the soldiers echoed from all directions. After a while, Old Rekmon felt something was amiss and slowly opened his eyes again.

The black smoke had disappeared, and before him were countless soldiers retreating in the opposite direction, their eyes filled with fear and despair. Some threw down their swords, unfastened their armor, almost naked, trying to run faster.

Old Rekmon didn’t understand what had happened. He was still looking around when he suddenly heard the sound of hooves coming from ahead. The general who had just left with the troops returned abruptly, leading his men straight out from the corner of the street, his eyes filled with a chilling ferocity, charging towards him.

He instinctively sensed something was wrong but couldn’t react in time, subconsciously asking, “Old friend, why—”

In the next moment, the vicious figure that had rushed to his side, his long-time subordinate and friend, the person he trusted most, stared at him and roared, “Monster!” as if seeing something horrifying. Amidst the roar of the beast, the general suddenly raised his sword.

Pfft.

Old Rekmon felt a blur before his eyes. Then, he saw his own headless body riding on the beast.

This was the last image that remained in his mind.