Editor: SleepyMango123
Proofreader: Lore
The bright moon hung high in the sky, casting its soft light down on earth.
The night should have been quiet, but on this night, the City of Vernal was chaotic.
This was because there was a battle in the city taking advantage of the darkness.
Under the leadership of the powerful and rich in the city, the believers of the An-Ki Cult lurking in the city secretly opened the city gates to welcome their companions who had already squatted outside the city. They were aggressively preparing for a big mission in the city.
Rushing into the homes of the residents in the city, snatching finances, kidnapping women and children, the ignorant people settled on the spot and listened to the wailing of the weak.
These bloodthirsty fanatics disguised as thieves were gearing up, eagerly preparing to rush towards their feast of the night—
However, before they could rejoice, they were strangled in the cradle.
They had just entered the city, and before the door of a family of city residents had time to open, they found that their group had been surrounded by a group of heavily armed cavalry.
Needless to say, these fanatics met the army; the elite guards who followed King Camos easily defeated them.
All the cult followers in black robes were mercilessly killed by the knights while their subordinates were crushed and pressured to identify their masters. The knights followed the veins and touched the melon1 and dug all of the corrupt officials from the mud!
Many officials were still asleep, and they were arrested by the knights who rushed through their door.
The people of Vernal City didn’t even know that such a terrible battle had taken place outside their doors, they were ignorantly immersed in their dreamland.
It seemed that they wouldn’t know about it until the next morning, and then they would have lingering fears.
The King of Aaron Landis, with brown hair like a lion’s mane, stood on horseback in the night, and the dark horse underneath held his head proudly, standing still on the ground.
Except for the running sound of horses’ hooves, there were no other sounds. These specially trained horses would not easily neigh during a battle.
King Camos looked around, watching his knights execute his orders in an orderly manner and dealt with all the complicated things one by one. There were nearly a hundred knights standing behind him quietly on horseback, waiting for his next order.
He thought about it and felt that there was nothing to add for the time being, so he dismounted, intending to torture the prisoner himself. However, after he walked a few steps, and before he reached the prisoners, the grass under his feet suddenly moved, and a little black figure sprang out from it and squeaked at him.
Camos frowned when he saw the familiar little black mouse.
Generally speaking, if there were no emergencies, the knight wouldn’t release the black rat to report to him.
He reached out and grabbed the little black mouse. He took off the copper tube tied to its neck and opened the letter hidden inside to read.
Before looking at it, Camos was only slightly frowning. In the next second, his complexion suddenly changed.
Heimos was originally standing on the side of the captives. Seeing King Camos stop halfway and the little black mouse, he suddenly had a bad feeling.
He remembered that the little black mouse was domesticated by the knight who was left behind. Was it because something happened to Ayre Town that the letter came so late?
Thinking of this, he subconsciously walked over to King Camos.
As soon as he got there, he saw King Camos’ face change after reading the letter. He didn’t care about any formalities and walked over to ask directly.
“Something happened at Garlan’s side?”
King Camos didn’t say a word but just stuffed the note directly into Heimos’ hand.
Then, he turned around and walked back to the dark horse and mounted it.
His gaze swept over the less than a hundred knights who were still by his side, then turned his head again, and his eyes fell on a middle-aged knight commander who was giving orders not far away.
“Will!”
He shouted the name of the knight commander who was known for his steadiness and said, “You take care of the rest in Vernal City!”
After naming the person in charge of this place, Camos pulled the reins, turned his head, and shouted to the knights behind him.
“There is a rebellion in Ayre! Everyone here, follow me!”
Before he could finish speaking, the pitch-black steed under him had rushed into the night like an arrow released from its string, following his thoughts.
And just the second after Camos rushed out, the other horse almost had its back foot connecting to its front, carrying Heimos and rushing into the night.
…
…
Contrary to the peaceful City of Vernal, the Town of Ayre, which had been filled with all kinds of noises in the first half of the night, was strangely silent at this moment. Only on the edge of the town, the lit houses on the road out of the town were still burning, making crackling noises, and the flames lighting the night sky.
Nearly a thousand refugees in the riots had gathered in the center of the town at this moment. They stood around a mansion, and all quieted down inexplicably, even those who were still crying passionately to kill.
They held torches and silently surrounded the house, watching what was happening in the small courtyard.
Looking at the past from afar, his gaze flicked over the burning flames from the edge of the town. When Garlan retracted his gaze, he had already walked up to Kerry and the old man in front of the refugee leader named Gia.
As long as the man stretched out his hand, he could easily grab the little child.
“…Aren’t you afraid that I’ll take you hostage?”
Seeing Prince Garlan walking to him, the man was silent for a few seconds before asking.
Surrounded by thousands of people, could it be possible that he could give birth to wings and fly away?
These civilians believed in the Gods, but according to his own experience as the so-called beloved by the Gods, Garlan knew very well that the hands of the Aaron Landis Gods could not reach into human beings, nor could they show miracles in the world.
Otherwise, this so-called Son of Destiny wouldn’t have died four times, okay—
Of course, it was impossible for Garlan to speak out the above-mentioned words of the Gods.
Garlan stood there, with a calm expression on his face, and said lightly.
“If you have such a plan, it makes no difference whether I stand there or stand here.”
This seemingly understatement won the admiration of a crowd of people waiting for something “worthy of a Prince”.
Even the leader of the refugees was no exception. He took a deep look at Garlan, his eyes became more complicated.
Then, he leaned over and knelt down on one knee in front of Garlan.
“Your Royal Highness,” Gia said, “Under the witness of the Gods, I swear to you that there will be no falsehood in what I say next.”
“If I tell a lie to the Gods and you, even if it’s just one sentence, my body will be tortured by thousands of swords, and my soul will be burned by fire after death and will never rest in peace.”
The kneeling man took an oath that shocked all those who’d heard, causing a small uproar among the surrounding refugees.
The little girl beside her nervously grabbed her grandfather’s hand, and the old man sighed softly without saying anything.
“Okay.”
Garlan looked at the man kneeling in front of him and answered him.
“I will listen to what you say, and then echo them to Brother Camos.”
“…Yes, Your Royal Highness.”
Gia took a deep breath, then raised his head and looked at Garlan.
“I am from Vernal City and have been since birth. I am a mercenary. I have always been hired by caravans with my companions to escort the caravans to and fro various cities. My wife and children were living in the City of Vernal. Staying together with my wife and children every month was my greatest joy.”
He raised his hand and pointed at the people behind him.
“These people are just like me, ordinary citizens from Vernal City. We have always lived our lives honestly. Although it was a bit hard, as long as we could live peacefully with our families, we were satisfied.”
As Gia spoke, the words that had originally been lamenting nostalgia suddenly changed at this moment, and his tone became sharp, bringing forth anger and hatred.
“But all of this has been destroyed! More than a month ago! On the day the flood broke out in the City of Vernal—”
After that day, countless ordinary and peaceful families were destroyed.
Countless people lost their loved ones and friends and watched their important people die.
That day, the City of Vernal was like hell.
“If it was a natural disaster, if it was really just a punishment from the Gods on us who are ungodly, we would recognise it.” He gritted his teeth and continued, “But it’s not like that! It wasn’t a natural disaster, nor is it a punishment from the Gods!” The Vernal River shouldn’t have burst its banks, our city shouldn’t have been submerged, and our relatives shouldn’t have died—”
His voice suddenly became high-pitched, and there was deep hatred in his eyes.
“The Vernal River has been unattended since the second half of last year! The river embankment has not been maintained for more than half a year! How could it not be broken?”
“During this time, we went to the Executive Hall together many times to ask the Archon to repair the river embankment as soon as possible, but every time we were driven out. The old people have been very unsettled, and they had been discussing whether to hide in advance before the flood season to avoid it. But they didn’t expect that the flood season of the Vernal River would come ahead of schedule this time. So, the embankment was broken and the city was flooded. My wife and children were washed away by the flood, and now I can’t even find their remains ——”
Speaking of this, the eyes of the strong man who could lead the refugees to attack the Town of Ayre turned red, and his voice choked up.
His words resonated with the refugees who were affected by the disaster like him. Some refugees who had also lost their loved ones couldn’t help sobbing.
Thinking of her aunt and younger brothers with no remains, Kerry also rubbed her flushed eyes vigorously. The old man turned his head and couldn’t bear to see his son’s tortured expression.
Gia took a deep breath and suppressed his agitation.
He paused for a bit, then resisted his grief and continued
“More than that, it is obvious that the rich and powerful in the city caused this disaster. However, instead of reflecting on it, they intensified their efforts. They even swallowed the relief food and life-saving medicine for us displaced refugees.”
“They unceremoniously treated us who had lost our home as rubbish and drove us out of Vernal City.”
“We have lost everything. We left the city and moved elsewhere, but this was not enough. They made their soldiers pretend to be thieves, taking our wives away, and sending our children to the altar as sacrifice.”
At this point, he stared at Garlan with flushed eyes, and his words seemed torn apart.
“Your Royal Highness, in the eyes of those powerful and rich, have they ever cared about our lives and deaths?!”
Hearing Gia’s accusation of blood and tears, Garlan remained silent for a long time.
He glanced around and looked at the despaired and resentful eyes of the refugees, and the people who couldn’t help crying, his mood became heavy for a while.
Those officials and dignitaries in the City of Vernal… It seemed to be a case of the so-called knocking the bones, sucking the marrow.2
In their eyes, civilians were like grass and mud. They were at most the livestock they raised in captivity.
Their endless greed, like a bottomless pit, turned them into blood-sucking bugs, instead of guarding their people. For their own wealth, they couldn’t wait to squeeze the last drop of blood and the last bit of bone marrow out of these civilians to exhaustion.
“I have heard your grievances. I have also found out most of what the officials and nobles of Vernal City did.”
Garlan took a deep breath and replied.
“Brother King is on his way to Vernal City, and he will arrive soon. By that time, he will make a fair judgment and those people will be punished as they deserve.”
The prestige of King Camos caused a commotion. Hearing that King Camos was about to visit Vernal City, the eyes of countless people lit up.
However, after this moment, the eyes that lit up turned into panic and fear one by one.
They attacked the Town of Ayre. They were now the rebels and insurgents.
Just like King Camos who would definitely execute those corrupt officials, they would also be executed as insurgents, and at the same time, their wives, children, and relatives would be implicated.
Everyone who thought of this panicked.
However, no matter how scared, no one thought of confronting King Camos.
For them, the King was the incarnation of God in the world.
Fighting King Camos was equivalent to fighting the Gods—something that was absolutely impossible to do.
The crowd cast panicked eyes at their leader, the man who was kneeling on the ground.
Garlan also looked at Gia. He knew very well that Gia hadn’t finished speaking, or he should say, that the next words were what Gia really wanted to say.
Under everyone’s gaze, Gia spoke.
“King Camos… Will he come here in person?”
“Yes, if there is no accident, he will be here tomorrow.”
Garlan saw Gia’s hand clenched suddenly, and after a while he slowly loosened it.
“Your Royal Highness, how will you treat us?”
“…”
Garlan looked at him without answering.
“We did attack the Town of Ayre. According to the law, we have become rebels…”
Gia knelt on the ground, raised his head, and looked at Garlan with scorching eyes.
“But you should know that we were forced! Under the persecution of those corrupt officials and nobles, in order to survive, we had to do such a thing!”
He said hurriedly, “Even if we attacked you, we didn’t know that you were a Prince or the misunderstanding was caused by your subordinates taking away the children. This is not our fault!”
“In that flood, countless relatives died, and then our wives and children were kidnapped one by one. Many people still don’t know about their lives or deaths… We have already experienced so much suffering, Do you… and King Camos want to execute us who have already suffered so much?”
Garlan was silent for a while, then spoke.
“Gia, are you asking me to forgive you now?”
“Yes,” Gia looked at him eagerly. “We didn’t mean to rebel against Aaron Landis. We were just fighting against the officials and nobles who oppressed us. We aren’t insurgents, are we?”
“No one gave us justice, we could only find justice by ourselves and punish those wicked people ourselves, isn’t it—”
This was Gia’s purpose.
He wanted to get a promise from Garlan that the Prince of Aaron Landis would promise not to hold their refugees accountable.
He believed that they were the victims; they were the righteous, they were just resisting the evil dignitaries, and they were not guilty.
From behind, the knight who had lost one eye gritted his teeth.
Half of his face was covered with blood, and there was still severe pain in his eye socket. He knelt on the ground holding his dead comrade and looked down. His friend, with his eyes shut and silent, had died in front of him in order to help him block the arrows shot by the refugees.
This powerful knight didn’t die on the battlefield, but in a place like this——
And now, those who killed him demanded pardon for their sins.
He was not content.
He was very unwilling.
But he also knew that the Prince should agree to the refugees’ request, because once they refused, those people would feel that they were on the brink of death, and they would again be in danger.
Therefore, agreeing to exempt those civilians from the crime of rebellion was indeed the wisest approach at the moment.
…
But even if he understood this, in his heart—he still felt extremely uncomfortable, as if something was poaching his heart.
He was terribly tormented.
Because those who killed his comrade would be forgiven and wouldn’t be punished, his comrade would have died in vain, at the hands of the people of Aaron Landis who they had desperately protected together.
Just as the knight closed his remaining eye in pain and lowered his head, he suddenly felt someone standing in front of him.
He raised his head subconsciously, and what came into his eyes was Prince Garlan, who he didn’t know when he started to stand in front of him.
When Gia made the request, Garlan did not answer immediately. After watching Gia for a while, he turned around and walked to the knight.
Under the gaze of everyone, in the knight’s stunned gaze, he stretched out his hand and touched the blood-stained cheek of the knight.
“Does it hurt?”
The little prince softly asked.
The knight was shocked and terrified.
“P-Prince, I…”
“I’m talking nonsense. How could it not hurt?”
Before he could stammer his reply, Garlan answered to himself.
Then, he looked down at the dead knight held by the one-eyed knight.
He looked for a while, then leaned down.
In the silent moonlight, the dead knight’s forehead was covered with blood and dust, but the little prince lowered his head and kissed his forehead.
“…Thank you for your loyalty, the Gods will take your soul to the kingdom of the Gods.”
Kissing the deceased’s forehead signified mourning and blessing.
That was a ritual peculiar to Aaron Landis.
That was a ceremony that could only be obtained by knights who died in glory.
What was more, this was made by the Prince of Aaron Landis himself, and it was the highest honour for these loyal knights of the royal family.
The one-eyed knight stared at this scene blankly, feeling some comfort in his unsettled heart.
He spoke to his friend in silence in his heart.
Ghana, if your soul is still here to guard the Prince, you must be very happy to see this scene…
After all this was done under the gaze of everyone, Garlan turned his head.
He looked at the people behind him.
“Do you know who the knight you killed was?”
He asked. He was obviously a child, but his eyes suddenly sharpened.
Gia froze for a moment and replied.
“I know, this knight must have been a nobleman, but…”
“No, I don’t mean his identity, not his birth.”
Garlan interrupted Gia.
“A few years ago, the enemy countries joined forces to attack Aaron Landis. Brother King took 50,000 troops to the border and defended them for more than 90 days. This saved Aaron Landis.”
“From the army of fifty thousand, less than half was left. In order to protect Aaron Landis, many were killed on the battlefield. If it weren’t for those fighters, you who are standing here would have been ruined and instead you’d have been taken away as slaves to other countries.”
Everyone looked at Garlan in confusion, wondering why the Prince suddenly mentioned this matter.
Garlan looked at Gia deeply, and at the people who threw stones at these knights not long ago.
At this moment, his eyes were frighteningly calm.
He continued, “The knight who defended Aaron Landis desperately at the time and also protected you, now and here, was killed by your own hands.”
Gia’s pupils shrank violently at this moment.
At this moment, he was dumbfounded on the spot, almost forgetting to breathe.
“Now, are you still asking me to forgive you from your sins?”
The child’s voice was still very calm.
But it was this calm that made Gia’s heart hurt sharply.
Countless people lowered their heads, and some even knelt down, toward the direction of the dead knight.
The faces of those who had personally thrown stones at these knights were full of dismay and regret.
The night was terribly quiet, no one spoke. Everyone’s throat seemed to be pinched by an invisible big hand, and there was no sound.
In this almost deathly silence at this moment, the one-eyed knight lowered his head and couldn’t tell why he, who had shed only blood and never tears and was often called a member of the iron-blooded army, suddenly had eyes that were stinging.
He opened his eyes wide, gritted his teeth, and tried his best to hold back the tears in his eyes.
The child’s voice continued to ring in the quiet night.
“Gia, look at the flame.”
Garlan looked up and looked at the flames still burning at the edge of the town.
He said, “Those that were set ablaze by you, were they the homes of the officials and dignitaries who persecuted you?”
“…”
Gia opened his mouth, but couldn’t answer.
Those on the edge of the road in the town were just the homes of ordinary residents.
“You attacked the town, took down the townspeople’s houses and the minister’s house… Tell me, have all the officials in Ayre Town bullied you?”
“…”
“Those officials who haven’t bullied you, such as the governor who has been working hard to rescue you and even mobilize grain and other supplies in Ayre Town, did you let them off?”
“…”
The man’s breathing became a little heavy.
“Even if you don’t talk about officials, just servants and maids who work in the ruling house or in the families of lower-level nobles, these commoners like you, did you let them go when you attacked their houses?”
“…”
Every time Garlan asked, the colour of Gia’s ashamed face deepened a shade.
He looked at Garlan and opened his mouth, but couldn’t speak.
How could they be let off?
When the town was behaving brutally, when the crowd was raging and everyone had lost their minds, how could they let go of any enemies within their sight in their ferocious state?
Even if the servants of the nobles and the clerks of the ruling house were civilians like them, they were the running dogs of the officials and nobles, they were just equally damned—
At that time, they thought that way and killed the civilian slaves all at once.
Gia was kneeling with his back straight, like a rooted pine tree, even when facing the Prince, his back didn’t bend at all.
But at this moment, his body shook a little, and he, who had a firm look on his face, seemed to be kneeling and feeling unbalanced at this moment.
“No… this is…”
He wanted to refute but opened his mouth to find that he couldn’t say anything.
He finally reacted. Why, why did he do such a cruel thing?
Why would he do the same things as the nobles he hated?
“I sympathise with your experience, Gia, but I will not forgive your sins.”
“You were not justice, you were just committing crimes and venting your hatred towards those innocent people in the name of justice.”
“Especially the insurgents who killed the innocent people of Aaron Landis like you will never be forgiven.”
Garlan said, word by word, decisively, and there was no room for change.
“You are victims, but it doesn’t mean that you can be forgiven for your wrongdoings. Rebels are to be punished, those who killed innocents are to be executed. This is a national law that must be upheld.”
“The law of the country will not be tolerant towards actions like these.”
He said, “The only thing I can promise you all is that your relatives who didn’t participate in this rebellion will not be implicated. Your innocent wives and children will also be properly placed.”
Gia’s pale eyes were confused for a while and suddenly gritted his teeth, he suddenly stood up on his knees and approached Garlan.
“Prince, please promise me that I will be spared of my sins!”
“No, I will not promise.”
“Prince, both choices end in death. Instead of being executed as a rebel, it is better if I take you hostage and flee here.”
The man seemed to have completely broken the jar and began to threaten Garlan.
His words made everyone around him look surprised, and the old man rushed forward in a hurry.
“Gia, you insolent bastard, how can you—”
“No! Gia, how can this be?”
“In that way, aren’t we becoming thieves?”
Once they become thieves, their descendants would be filthy thieves who would be cast aside by others and expelled by the country for generations.
“It can’t be like this—”
Gia pushed the old man away and shouted with a distorted expression, “If we don’t do that, we only have a dead end! Do you want to die!?”
He turned his head, his eyes fixed on Garlan.
“Prince, people who are forced, are able to do anything. If you don’t forgive our sins… Then, even if we are eventually wiped out by King Camos, before that, use your noble life as a guarantee, Prince. It’s worth it for us!”
He moved forward, approaching Garlan once again.
“Please pardon my sins!”
The child’s small body stood in front of the man who was nearly twice his height.
He raised his head.
There was no fear in his eyes when he looked at the man.
He said, “The laws of Aaron Landis cannot be trampled on.”
His voice was loud and filled with authority.
This was a moment when even the air almost held his breath.
The atmosphere was as tense as a tight string, which would break completely in the next second.
The confrontation between the threatening tall man and the unflinching little child made people so nervous that they couldn’t breathe.
However, in the next second, the tight air suddenly melted away.
The man’s twisted face suddenly stretched out.
He looked at the little Prince facing him with his head up and suddenly smiled with relief.
Then he took two steps back.
He smiled and said, “If the Prince agreed to my request… I think I would probably not have believed your promise, but instead would have chosen to take myself and my family to flee here.”
Gia said as he leaned down and knelt.
This time, he knelt on the ground with both knees, hands on the ground, and bowed his head deeply to the little Prince.
“Prince of Aaron Landis, future king, we sinners wait to accept your trial.”
His forehead was firmly on the soil, as religious as a prayer.
“But, wise Prince like a God, please use your kindness to forgive my innocent relatives of being sinners.”
In the silence for a moment, the others moved too.
The old man knelt down with tears just like his son, and the girl beside him knelt down with red eyes as well.
The refugees were either silent or sobbing, lowering their heads and leaning over, and knelt on the ground with their knees.
Like Gia, they lowered their heads deeply and pressed their foreheads to the dirt.
One by one, they knelt down, and everyone present knelt down and bowed their heads deeply to the young blond-haired Prince.
That was the most solemn etiquette.
That was also the most pious worship.
They would obey Prince Garlan’s trial for their crimes.
…
A ray of the rising sun jumped out of the horizon and shone on the people galloping along.
After running endlessly in the middle of the night, King Camos and his party finally rushed to the top of a small hill next to the town of Ayre at the moment when the sun was about to rise.
After getting off this small hill, they would have arrived at Ayre Town.
Camos was about to continue running down the mountain, but suddenly as if seeing something, a trace of astonishment flashed across his face. Then, he raised his hand and stopped the cavalry behind him.
He didn’t speak, just rode his horse onto the top of the hill, quietly looking down at the Town of Ayre not far below.
Seeing Camos suddenly stop, the anxious Heimos stepped forward and wanted to speak.
King Camos glanced at him, then pointed downward.
Heimos looked in the direction the other was pointing, and he was stunned.
In the center of the small town below the mountain, all the dark crowds knelt down on the ground, bowing their heads deeply, and faced one direction.
The first ray of morning sun fell, illuminating the earth.
Countless people knelt on the ground brightened by the rising sun.
In that place, only the young Prince stood on the ground before the countless people kneeling before him.
The night was about to leave, and the day was about to descend on the earth.
The golden hair of the young prince reflected the first ray of sunlight in the morning and was as bright as the rising sun.
…
…
There were historical records that in the long history of Aaron Landis, there was a young King who was known for his wise and fair judgments, who cared for the people and was loyally loved by all the people of Aaron Landis.
It was recorded in ancient history books that this King of Aaron Landis, who was called the “King of the Wise”, was a young Prince, and his first great deed was to have the rioting rebels surrender with a fair trial.
Hello ATST readers!
YAY! I ended up not breaking this chapter into 2 parts. This chapter was pretty long.
Anyway, I come bearing an announcement.
I will be uploading more than 2 chapters a week(will probably start around the 3rd week of November). It depends on the days that I’m free and these chapters will be unedited. Sleepy & Lore will continue to edit and proofread 2 chapters a week (their usual schedule). I’ll still update accordingly once they have done so.
So for those that are eagerly looking forward to more than 2 chapters a week, I’m afraid you have to settle with my English sentence/ structure. Do PM me via discord for those that are really terrible. If not, you can just wait till Sleepy & Lore edit and proofread them:)
Do let me know your thoughts!
Jeanie
1(Actual words:顺藤摸瓜) Which means to investigate things according to a certain clue.
2(Actual words:敲骨吸髓) An analogy of exploitation and to be extremely cruel.
Editor: SleepyMango123
Proofreader: Lore
The bright moon hung high in the sky, casting its soft light down on earth.
The night should have been quiet, but on this night, the City of Vernal was chaotic.
This was because there was a battle in the city taking advantage of the darkness.
Under the leadership of the powerful and rich in the city, the believers of the An-Ki Cult lurking in the city secretly opened the city gates to welcome their companions who had already squatted outside the city. They were aggressively preparing for a big mission in the city.
Rushing into the homes of the residents in the city, snatching finances, kidnapping women and children, the ignorant people settled on the spot and listened to the wailing of the weak.
These bloodthirsty fanatics disguised as thieves were gearing up, eagerly preparing to rush towards their feast of the night—
However, before they could rejoice, they were strangled in the cradle.
They had just entered the city, and before the door of a family of city residents had time to open, they found that their group had been surrounded by a group of heavily armed cavalry.
Needless to say, these fanatics met the army; the elite guards who followed King Camos easily defeated them.
All the cult followers in black robes were mercilessly killed by the knights while their subordinates were crushed and pressured to identify their masters. The knights followed the veins and touched the melon1 and dug all of the corrupt officials from the mud!
Many officials were still asleep, and they were arrested by the knights who rushed through their door.
The people of Vernal City didn’t even know that such a terrible battle had taken place outside their doors, they were ignorantly immersed in their dreamland.
It seemed that they wouldn’t know about it until the next morning, and then they would have lingering fears.
The King of Aaron Landis, with brown hair like a lion’s mane, stood on horseback in the night, and the dark horse underneath held his head proudly, standing still on the ground.
Except for the running sound of horses’ hooves, there were no other sounds. These specially trained horses would not easily neigh during a battle.
King Camos looked around, watching his knights execute his orders in an orderly manner and dealt with all the complicated things one by one. There were nearly a hundred knights standing behind him quietly on horseback, waiting for his next order.
He thought about it and felt that there was nothing to add for the time being, so he dismounted, intending to torture the prisoner himself. However, after he walked a few steps, and before he reached the prisoners, the grass under his feet suddenly moved, and a little black figure sprang out from it and squeaked at him.
Camos frowned when he saw the familiar little black mouse.
Generally speaking, if there were no emergencies, the knight wouldn’t release the black rat to report to him.
He reached out and grabbed the little black mouse. He took off the copper tube tied to its neck and opened the letter hidden inside to read.
Before looking at it, Camos was only slightly frowning. In the next second, his complexion suddenly changed.
Heimos was originally standing on the side of the captives. Seeing King Camos stop halfway and the little black mouse, he suddenly had a bad feeling.
He remembered that the little black mouse was domesticated by the knight who was left behind. Was it because something happened to Ayre Town that the letter came so late?
Thinking of this, he subconsciously walked over to King Camos.
As soon as he got there, he saw King Camos’ face change after reading the letter. He didn’t care about any formalities and walked over to ask directly.
“Something happened at Garlan’s side?”
King Camos didn’t say a word but just stuffed the note directly into Heimos’ hand.
Then, he turned around and walked back to the dark horse and mounted it.
His gaze swept over the less than a hundred knights who were still by his side, then turned his head again, and his eyes fell on a middle-aged knight commander who was giving orders not far away.
“Will!”
He shouted the name of the knight commander who was known for his steadiness and said, “You take care of the rest in Vernal City!”
After naming the person in charge of this place, Camos pulled the reins, turned his head, and shouted to the knights behind him.
“There is a rebellion in Ayre! Everyone here, follow me!”
Before he could finish speaking, the pitch-black steed under him had rushed into the night like an arrow released from its string, following his thoughts.
And just the second after Camos rushed out, the other horse almost had its back foot connecting to its front, carrying Heimos and rushing into the night.
…
…
Contrary to the peaceful City of Vernal, the Town of Ayre, which had been filled with all kinds of noises in the first half of the night, was strangely silent at this moment. Only on the edge of the town, the lit houses on the road out of the town were still burning, making crackling noises, and the flames lighting the night sky.
Nearly a thousand refugees in the riots had gathered in the center of the town at this moment. They stood around a mansion, and all quieted down inexplicably, even those who were still crying passionately to kill.
They held torches and silently surrounded the house, watching what was happening in the small courtyard.
Looking at the past from afar, his gaze flicked over the burning flames from the edge of the town. When Garlan retracted his gaze, he had already walked up to Kerry and the old man in front of the refugee leader named Gia.
As long as the man stretched out his hand, he could easily grab the little child.
“…Aren’t you afraid that I’ll take you hostage?”
Seeing Prince Garlan walking to him, the man was silent for a few seconds before asking.
Surrounded by thousands of people, could it be possible that he could give birth to wings and fly away?
These civilians believed in the Gods, but according to his own experience as the so-called beloved by the Gods, Garlan knew very well that the hands of the Aaron Landis Gods could not reach into human beings, nor could they show miracles in the world.
Otherwise, this so-called Son of Destiny wouldn’t have died four times, okay—
Of course, it was impossible for Garlan to speak out the above-mentioned words of the Gods.
Garlan stood there, with a calm expression on his face, and said lightly.
“If you have such a plan, it makes no difference whether I stand there or stand here.”
This seemingly understatement won the admiration of a crowd of people waiting for something “worthy of a Prince”.
Even the leader of the refugees was no exception. He took a deep look at Garlan, his eyes became more complicated.
Then, he leaned over and knelt down on one knee in front of Garlan.
“Your Royal Highness,” Gia said, “Under the witness of the Gods, I swear to you that there will be no falsehood in what I say next.”
“If I tell a lie to the Gods and you, even if it’s just one sentence, my body will be tortured by thousands of swords, and my soul will be burned by fire after death and will never rest in peace.”
The kneeling man took an oath that shocked all those who’d heard, causing a small uproar among the surrounding refugees.
The little girl beside her nervously grabbed her grandfather’s hand, and the old man sighed softly without saying anything.
“Okay.”
Garlan looked at the man kneeling in front of him and answered him.
“I will listen to what you say, and then echo them to Brother Camos.”
“…Yes, Your Royal Highness.”
Gia took a deep breath, then raised his head and looked at Garlan.
“I am from Vernal City and have been since birth. I am a mercenary. I have always been hired by caravans with my companions to escort the caravans to and fro various cities. My wife and children were living in the City of Vernal. Staying together with my wife and children every month was my greatest joy.”
He raised his hand and pointed at the people behind him.
“These people are just like me, ordinary citizens from Vernal City. We have always lived our lives honestly. Although it was a bit hard, as long as we could live peacefully with our families, we were satisfied.”
As Gia spoke, the words that had originally been lamenting nostalgia suddenly changed at this moment, and his tone became sharp, bringing forth anger and hatred.
“But all of this has been destroyed! More than a month ago! On the day the flood broke out in the City of Vernal—”
After that day, countless ordinary and peaceful families were destroyed.
Countless people lost their loved ones and friends and watched their important people die.
That day, the City of Vernal was like hell.
“If it was a natural disaster, if it was really just a punishment from the Gods on us who are ungodly, we would recognise it.” He gritted his teeth and continued, “But it’s not like that! It wasn’t a natural disaster, nor is it a punishment from the Gods!” The Vernal River shouldn’t have burst its banks, our city shouldn’t have been submerged, and our relatives shouldn’t have died—”
His voice suddenly became high-pitched, and there was deep hatred in his eyes.
“The Vernal River has been unattended since the second half of last year! The river embankment has not been maintained for more than half a year! How could it not be broken?”
“During this time, we went to the Executive Hall together many times to ask the Archon to repair the river embankment as soon as possible, but every time we were driven out. The old people have been very unsettled, and they had been discussing whether to hide in advance before the flood season to avoid it. But they didn’t expect that the flood season of the Vernal River would come ahead of schedule this time. So, the embankment was broken and the city was flooded. My wife and children were washed away by the flood, and now I can’t even find their remains ——”
Speaking of this, the eyes of the strong man who could lead the refugees to attack the Town of Ayre turned red, and his voice choked up.
His words resonated with the refugees who were affected by the disaster like him. Some refugees who had also lost their loved ones couldn’t help sobbing.
Thinking of her aunt and younger brothers with no remains, Kerry also rubbed her flushed eyes vigorously. The old man turned his head and couldn’t bear to see his son’s tortured expression.
Gia took a deep breath and suppressed his agitation.
He paused for a bit, then resisted his grief and continued
“More than that, it is obvious that the rich and powerful in the city caused this disaster. However, instead of reflecting on it, they intensified their efforts. They even swallowed the relief food and life-saving medicine for us displaced refugees.”
“They unceremoniously treated us who had lost our home as rubbish and drove us out of Vernal City.”
“We have lost everything. We left the city and moved elsewhere, but this was not enough. They made their soldiers pretend to be thieves, taking our wives away, and sending our children to the altar as sacrifice.”
At this point, he stared at Garlan with flushed eyes, and his words seemed torn apart.
“Your Royal Highness, in the eyes of those powerful and rich, have they ever cared about our lives and deaths?!”
Hearing Gia’s accusation of blood and tears, Garlan remained silent for a long time.
He glanced around and looked at the despaired and resentful eyes of the refugees, and the people who couldn’t help crying, his mood became heavy for a while.
Those officials and dignitaries in the City of Vernal… It seemed to be a case of the so-called knocking the bones, sucking the marrow.2
In their eyes, civilians were like grass and mud. They were at most the livestock they raised in captivity.
Their endless greed, like a bottomless pit, turned them into blood-sucking bugs, instead of guarding their people. For their own wealth, they couldn’t wait to squeeze the last drop of blood and the last bit of bone marrow out of these civilians to exhaustion.
“I have heard your grievances. I have also found out most of what the officials and nobles of Vernal City did.”
Garlan took a deep breath and replied.
“Brother King is on his way to Vernal City, and he will arrive soon. By that time, he will make a fair judgment and those people will be punished as they deserve.”
The prestige of King Camos caused a commotion. Hearing that King Camos was about to visit Vernal City, the eyes of countless people lit up.
However, after this moment, the eyes that lit up turned into panic and fear one by one.
They attacked the Town of Ayre. They were now the rebels and insurgents.
Just like King Camos who would definitely execute those corrupt officials, they would also be executed as insurgents, and at the same time, their wives, children, and relatives would be implicated.
Everyone who thought of this panicked.
However, no matter how scared, no one thought of confronting King Camos.
For them, the King was the incarnation of God in the world.
Fighting King Camos was equivalent to fighting the Gods—something that was absolutely impossible to do.
The crowd cast panicked eyes at their leader, the man who was kneeling on the ground.
Garlan also looked at Gia. He knew very well that Gia hadn’t finished speaking, or he should say, that the next words were what Gia really wanted to say.
Under everyone’s gaze, Gia spoke.
“King Camos… Will he come here in person?”
“Yes, if there is no accident, he will be here tomorrow.”
Garlan saw Gia’s hand clenched suddenly, and after a while he slowly loosened it.
“Your Royal Highness, how will you treat us?”
“…”
Garlan looked at him without answering.
“We did attack the Town of Ayre. According to the law, we have become rebels…”
Gia knelt on the ground, raised his head, and looked at Garlan with scorching eyes.
“But you should know that we were forced! Under the persecution of those corrupt officials and nobles, in order to survive, we had to do such a thing!”
He said hurriedly, “Even if we attacked you, we didn’t know that you were a Prince or the misunderstanding was caused by your subordinates taking away the children. This is not our fault!”
“In that flood, countless relatives died, and then our wives and children were kidnapped one by one. Many people still don’t know about their lives or deaths… We have already experienced so much suffering, Do you… and King Camos want to execute us who have already suffered so much?”
Garlan was silent for a while, then spoke.
“Gia, are you asking me to forgive you now?”
“Yes,” Gia looked at him eagerly. “We didn’t mean to rebel against Aaron Landis. We were just fighting against the officials and nobles who oppressed us. We aren’t insurgents, are we?”
“No one gave us justice, we could only find justice by ourselves and punish those wicked people ourselves, isn’t it—”
This was Gia’s purpose.
He wanted to get a promise from Garlan that the Prince of Aaron Landis would promise not to hold their refugees accountable.
He believed that they were the victims; they were the righteous, they were just resisting the evil dignitaries, and they were not guilty.
From behind, the knight who had lost one eye gritted his teeth.
Half of his face was covered with blood, and there was still severe pain in his eye socket. He knelt on the ground holding his dead comrade and looked down. His friend, with his eyes shut and silent, had died in front of him in order to help him block the arrows shot by the refugees.
This powerful knight didn’t die on the battlefield, but in a place like this——
And now, those who killed him demanded pardon for their sins.
He was not content.
He was very unwilling.
But he also knew that the Prince should agree to the refugees’ request, because once they refused, those people would feel that they were on the brink of death, and they would again be in danger.
Therefore, agreeing to exempt those civilians from the crime of rebellion was indeed the wisest approach at the moment.
…
But even if he understood this, in his heart—he still felt extremely uncomfortable, as if something was poaching his heart.
He was terribly tormented.
Because those who killed his comrade would be forgiven and wouldn’t be punished, his comrade would have died in vain, at the hands of the people of Aaron Landis who they had desperately protected together.
Just as the knight closed his remaining eye in pain and lowered his head, he suddenly felt someone standing in front of him.
He raised his head subconsciously, and what came into his eyes was Prince Garlan, who he didn’t know when he started to stand in front of him.
When Gia made the request, Garlan did not answer immediately. After watching Gia for a while, he turned around and walked to the knight.
Under the gaze of everyone, in the knight’s stunned gaze, he stretched out his hand and touched the blood-stained cheek of the knight.
“Does it hurt?”
The little prince softly asked.
The knight was shocked and terrified.
“P-Prince, I…”
“I’m talking nonsense. How could it not hurt?”
Before he could stammer his reply, Garlan answered to himself.
Then, he looked down at the dead knight held by the one-eyed knight.
He looked for a while, then leaned down.
In the silent moonlight, the dead knight’s forehead was covered with blood and dust, but the little prince lowered his head and kissed his forehead.
“…Thank you for your loyalty, the Gods will take your soul to the kingdom of the Gods.”
Kissing the deceased’s forehead signified mourning and blessing.
That was a ritual peculiar to Aaron Landis.
That was a ceremony that could only be obtained by knights who died in glory.
What was more, this was made by the Prince of Aaron Landis himself, and it was the highest honour for these loyal knights of the royal family.
The one-eyed knight stared at this scene blankly, feeling some comfort in his unsettled heart.
He spoke to his friend in silence in his heart.
Ghana, if your soul is still here to guard the Prince, you must be very happy to see this scene…
After all this was done under the gaze of everyone, Garlan turned his head.
He looked at the people behind him.
“Do you know who the knight you killed was?”
He asked. He was obviously a child, but his eyes suddenly sharpened.
Gia froze for a moment and replied.
“I know, this knight must have been a nobleman, but…”
“No, I don’t mean his identity, not his birth.”
Garlan interrupted Gia.
“A few years ago, the enemy countries joined forces to attack Aaron Landis. Brother King took 50,000 troops to the border and defended them for more than 90 days. This saved Aaron Landis.”
“From the army of fifty thousand, less than half was left. In order to protect Aaron Landis, many were killed on the battlefield. If it weren’t for those fighters, you who are standing here would have been ruined and instead you’d have been taken away as slaves to other countries.”
Everyone looked at Garlan in confusion, wondering why the Prince suddenly mentioned this matter.
Garlan looked at Gia deeply, and at the people who threw stones at these knights not long ago.
At this moment, his eyes were frighteningly calm.
He continued, “The knight who defended Aaron Landis desperately at the time and also protected you, now and here, was killed by your own hands.”
Gia’s pupils shrank violently at this moment.
At this moment, he was dumbfounded on the spot, almost forgetting to breathe.
“Now, are you still asking me to forgive you from your sins?”
The child’s voice was still very calm.
But it was this calm that made Gia’s heart hurt sharply.
Countless people lowered their heads, and some even knelt down, toward the direction of the dead knight.
The faces of those who had personally thrown stones at these knights were full of dismay and regret.
The night was terribly quiet, no one spoke. Everyone’s throat seemed to be pinched by an invisible big hand, and there was no sound.
In this almost deathly silence at this moment, the one-eyed knight lowered his head and couldn’t tell why he, who had shed only blood and never tears and was often called a member of the iron-blooded army, suddenly had eyes that were stinging.
He opened his eyes wide, gritted his teeth, and tried his best to hold back the tears in his eyes.
The child’s voice continued to ring in the quiet night.
“Gia, look at the flame.”
Garlan looked up and looked at the flames still burning at the edge of the town.
He said, “Those that were set ablaze by you, were they the homes of the officials and dignitaries who persecuted you?”
“…”
Gia opened his mouth, but couldn’t answer.
Those on the edge of the road in the town were just the homes of ordinary residents.
“You attacked the town, took down the townspeople’s houses and the minister’s house… Tell me, have all the officials in Ayre Town bullied you?”
“…”
“Those officials who haven’t bullied you, such as the governor who has been working hard to rescue you and even mobilize grain and other supplies in Ayre Town, did you let them off?”
“…”
The man’s breathing became a little heavy.
“Even if you don’t talk about officials, just servants and maids who work in the ruling house or in the families of lower-level nobles, these commoners like you, did you let them go when you attacked their houses?”
“…”
Every time Garlan asked, the colour of Gia’s ashamed face deepened a shade.
He looked at Garlan and opened his mouth, but couldn’t speak.
How could they be let off?
When the town was behaving brutally, when the crowd was raging and everyone had lost their minds, how could they let go of any enemies within their sight in their ferocious state?
Even if the servants of the nobles and the clerks of the ruling house were civilians like them, they were the running dogs of the officials and nobles, they were just equally damned—
At that time, they thought that way and killed the civilian slaves all at once.
Gia was kneeling with his back straight, like a rooted pine tree, even when facing the Prince, his back didn’t bend at all.
But at this moment, his body shook a little, and he, who had a firm look on his face, seemed to be kneeling and feeling unbalanced at this moment.
“No… this is…”
He wanted to refute but opened his mouth to find that he couldn’t say anything.
He finally reacted. Why, why did he do such a cruel thing?
Why would he do the same things as the nobles he hated?
“I sympathise with your experience, Gia, but I will not forgive your sins.”
“You were not justice, you were just committing crimes and venting your hatred towards those innocent people in the name of justice.”
“Especially the insurgents who killed the innocent people of Aaron Landis like you will never be forgiven.”
Garlan said, word by word, decisively, and there was no room for change.
“You are victims, but it doesn’t mean that you can be forgiven for your wrongdoings. Rebels are to be punished, those who killed innocents are to be executed. This is a national law that must be upheld.”
“The law of the country will not be tolerant towards actions like these.”
He said, “The only thing I can promise you all is that your relatives who didn’t participate in this rebellion will not be implicated. Your innocent wives and children will also be properly placed.”
Gia’s pale eyes were confused for a while and suddenly gritted his teeth, he suddenly stood up on his knees and approached Garlan.
“Prince, please promise me that I will be spared of my sins!”
“No, I will not promise.”
“Prince, both choices end in death. Instead of being executed as a rebel, it is better if I take you hostage and flee here.”
The man seemed to have completely broken the jar and began to threaten Garlan.
His words made everyone around him look surprised, and the old man rushed forward in a hurry.
“Gia, you insolent bastard, how can you—”
“No! Gia, how can this be?”
“In that way, aren’t we becoming thieves?”
Once they become thieves, their descendants would be filthy thieves who would be cast aside by others and expelled by the country for generations.
“It can’t be like this—”
Gia pushed the old man away and shouted with a distorted expression, “If we don’t do that, we only have a dead end! Do you want to die!?”
He turned his head, his eyes fixed on Garlan.
“Prince, people who are forced, are able to do anything. If you don’t forgive our sins… Then, even if we are eventually wiped out by King Camos, before that, use your noble life as a guarantee, Prince. It’s worth it for us!”
He moved forward, approaching Garlan once again.
“Please pardon my sins!”
The child’s small body stood in front of the man who was nearly twice his height.
He raised his head.
There was no fear in his eyes when he looked at the man.
He said, “The laws of Aaron Landis cannot be trampled on.”
His voice was loud and filled with authority.
This was a moment when even the air almost held his breath.
The atmosphere was as tense as a tight string, which would break completely in the next second.
The confrontation between the threatening tall man and the unflinching little child made people so nervous that they couldn’t breathe.
However, in the next second, the tight air suddenly melted away.
The man’s twisted face suddenly stretched out.
He looked at the little Prince facing him with his head up and suddenly smiled with relief.
Then he took two steps back.
He smiled and said, “If the Prince agreed to my request… I think I would probably not have believed your promise, but instead would have chosen to take myself and my family to flee here.”
Gia said as he leaned down and knelt.
This time, he knelt on the ground with both knees, hands on the ground, and bowed his head deeply to the little Prince.
“Prince of Aaron Landis, future king, we sinners wait to accept your trial.”
His forehead was firmly on the soil, as religious as a prayer.
“But, wise Prince like a God, please use your kindness to forgive my innocent relatives of being sinners.”
In the silence for a moment, the others moved too.
The old man knelt down with tears just like his son, and the girl beside him knelt down with red eyes as well.
The refugees were either silent or sobbing, lowering their heads and leaning over, and knelt on the ground with their knees.
Like Gia, they lowered their heads deeply and pressed their foreheads to the dirt.
One by one, they knelt down, and everyone present knelt down and bowed their heads deeply to the young blond-haired Prince.
That was the most solemn etiquette.
That was also the most pious worship.
They would obey Prince Garlan’s trial for their crimes.
…
A ray of the rising sun jumped out of the horizon and shone on the people galloping along.
After running endlessly in the middle of the night, King Camos and his party finally rushed to the top of a small hill next to the town of Ayre at the moment when the sun was about to rise.
After getting off this small hill, they would have arrived at Ayre Town.
Camos was about to continue running down the mountain, but suddenly as if seeing something, a trace of astonishment flashed across his face. Then, he raised his hand and stopped the cavalry behind him.
He didn’t speak, just rode his horse onto the top of the hill, quietly looking down at the Town of Ayre not far below.
Seeing Camos suddenly stop, the anxious Heimos stepped forward and wanted to speak.
King Camos glanced at him, then pointed downward.
Heimos looked in the direction the other was pointing, and he was stunned.
In the center of the small town below the mountain, all the dark crowds knelt down on the ground, bowing their heads deeply, and faced one direction.
The first ray of morning sun fell, illuminating the earth.
Countless people knelt on the ground brightened by the rising sun.
In that place, only the young Prince stood on the ground before the countless people kneeling before him.
The night was about to leave, and the day was about to descend on the earth.
The golden hair of the young prince reflected the first ray of sunlight in the morning and was as bright as the rising sun.
…
…
There were historical records that in the long history of Aaron Landis, there was a young King who was known for his wise and fair judgments, who cared for the people and was loyally loved by all the people of Aaron Landis.
It was recorded in ancient history books that this King of Aaron Landis, who was called the “King of the Wise”, was a young Prince, and his first great deed was to have the rioting rebels surrender with a fair trial.
Hello ATST readers!
YAY! I ended up not breaking this chapter into 2 parts. This chapter was pretty long.
Anyway, I come bearing an announcement.
I will be uploading more than 2 chapters a week(will probably start around the 3rd week of November). It depends on the days that I’m free and these chapters will be unedited. Sleepy & Lore will continue to edit and proofread 2 chapters a week (their usual schedule). I’ll still update accordingly once they have done so.
So for those that are eagerly looking forward to more than 2 chapters a week, I’m afraid you have to settle with my English sentence/ structure. Do PM me via discord for those that are really terrible. If not, you can just wait till Sleepy & Lore edit and proofread them:)
Do let me know your thoughts!
Jeanie
1(Actual words:顺藤摸瓜) Which means to investigate things according to a certain clue.
2(Actual words:敲骨吸髓) An analogy of exploitation and to be extremely cruel.
