Chapter 157: Beginning and End

"No!" Gerald's eyes were bleeding. This detestable Gail was clearly torturing these Holy Knights. By now, he understood that Ye Tian possessed sufficient strength to kill them, as their invincibility only applied when they suffered no fatal injuries.

"Damned Holy Spear!" Gerald glared furiously at the cruciform spear in Ye Tian's hand. "Didn't it vanish long ago? How did this fellow get his hands on it?" Watching helplessly as Ye Tian ravaged his subordinates, he found himself utterly powerless to intervene.

Ye Tian was like a fierce tiger charging into a flock of sheep, his long spear continuously sweeping through the crowd. Every place he passed, an arm was inevitably lopped off. Before long, the plaza was flowing with rivers of blood, and severed arms littered the ground! Aside from wailing, the fallen Holy Knights could do nothing else.

"As expected of the most promising Grand Swordsman, you are now only a step away from becoming a Sword Saint!" On the other side of the plaza, Garnier panted as he looked at Miki before him, unable to help sighing that he had grown old.

Glancing sideways, he saw that his side had suffered total defeat; the army had completely abandoned resistance. Although their numbers exceeded those of the incoming reinforcements, even the strongest trump card—the Holy Knights brought by Gerald—had been subjected to Ye Tian's bloodbath. Everything was over.

"Where is His Majesty?" Garnier's mind raced as he caught sight of Field, who was locked in combat with Truman nearby. Although the Prince's rank was not insignificant, he was still no match for Truman, who merely dragged out the fight without any intention of harming him.

Regaining his focus, Miki simply looked at him calmly, not seizing the opportunity to attack. "Heh, Young Master Miki, why don't you take the chance to defeat me? That way, everything would be over," Garnier smiled.

"That would violate the God of War's will!" Miki said with a solemn expression. "Sneak attacks from behind are not permitted!" Garnier sighed, "Though everyone says so, very few can actually pull it off!" With that, Garnier's body moved, and his long sword slashed toward Miki like lightning.

"I know, but I still wish to uphold it!" Miki ducked his body and rushed forward as well. *Clang!* Their long swords collided, sending countless sparks flying. "Do your best, and I hope you never lose your way!" Finishing his sentence, Garnier suddenly withdrew his right hand from the sword grip, producing a dagger that instantly thrust toward Miki's chest.

"Hmph!" Miki snorted coldly and let go of the long sword in his hand. As the blade dropped, Miki raised his foot and kicked it, causing the sword to pierce straight through Garnier's stomach, pinning him to a nearby pillar.

"Heh, I really am old." The two weapons fell from Garnier's hands to the ground, followed by a mouthful of blood. "Why?" Miki asked softly. "If you hadn't meant to, killing you would have been nearly impossible."

"Why? Probably for the sake of release," Garnier continued to spit blood. "It has been too long—so long that I had forgotten the blood in my veins could still boil. Thank you for keeping it from growing cold in the final moments of my life. I am content, truly content." Garnier chuckled softly. Miki watched him quietly as the laughter gradually faded, and then Garnier's head tilted sideways as he departed with lingering regret.

"Thank you!" Miki bowed respectfully toward Garnier. Though their final clash was called a duel, in Miki's eyes, it was merely an elderly senior guiding a newcomer, and thus, he deserved respect.

Blood soaked the ground, covered in severed limbs and wailing Holy Knights, resembling a living hell. Ye Tian scanned his surroundings; not a single Holy Knight remained standing. He looked around again, but Gerald's figure had already vanished.

*Bang!* An unlucky wretch near Ye Tian's foot coughed up a large mouthful of blood as a heavy boot slammed down onto his chest. Sweeping his gaze around to confirm that Gerald was nowhere to be seen, Ye Tian angrily kicked the unfortunate man into the wall.

"Lord Gail." At that moment, a man who looked like a commander appeared before Ye Tian. "You've worked hard. How many casualties?" Ye Tian asked softly. "Dead: three hundred and sixty-one. Injured: one-and-seventy-five. Sixty-five can no longer fight," the man reported quietly.

"I'm sorry," Ye Tian said softly. "No, Your Highness commanded us to unconditionally obey the Lord, so even if the Lord ordered us to commit suicide right now, we would have no complaints!" The man gave a military salute and spoke with firm determination.

"Rest assured, they will not have died in vain. Everything is over." Ye Tian looked off to the side. Aside from Field, who was still stubbornly holding out, everyone else had already surrendered. "Tell His Royal Highness the Prince that it is all over. The Queen has issued a decree: those who lay down their arms will be spared."

Prince Field, struggling bitterly, saw that everything had come to an end. With a single move, he forced back Truman, who had been entangling him, and gently looked at the precious sword in his hand—the token of the Roxane family. He had originally thought he could use it to restore the family's former glory, but he never expected it to end like this.

"I'm sorry." Prince Field saw Garnier pinned to the pillar nearby. This elderly steward had plotted everything alongside him, striving his entire life to push him onto the throne, and had remained unfailingly by his side to protect him even when he chose the wrong path. "I'm sorry."

"Put down your weapons, Prince. I guarantee no one will kill you," Ye Tian said as he walked over slowly, cradling the sleeping Mora in his arms. "Put down my weapons, and then be imprisoned in a cage for the rest of my life like Gistark?" Field retorted.

"Painful as that may be, at least you remain alive. You still have family, you still have everything," Ye Tian persuaded. "Indeed, though I live, it is worse than death," Field sighed, then slowly raised his long sword.

"Why didn't you stop me?" Field suddenly asked. "Could I have stopped you?" Ye Tian sighed. "No," Field smiled. "Come closer, and I'll tell you a secret."

Ye Tian walked over without hesitation. "No, Lord Gail!" Truman cried out in alarm from the side, while Miki watched Ye Tian with a calm expression. "It's fine, stay back," Ye Tian said, turning his head.

"You truly are no ordinary person," Field murmured to Ye Tian. "If I had killed you from the beginning, would things have turned out differently?" "Pardon me, but I have no idea what you're talking about." "Is that so? Then why did you stay at my estate and live with my daughter?"

"You knew?" Ye Tian said in surprise. "I guessed a little, though I couldn't confirm it," Field smiled. "If I had killed you back then, perhaps things wouldn't have turned out this way."

"Not necessarily. Prince Diruf might have come personally instead," Ye Tian shrugged. "He? He lacks the capability," Field sighed. "If not for you—if not for you holding back the Holy Knights—we would not have failed."

"That's hard to say. Actually, letting Leisina sit on the throne didn't bring you any real disadvantage, did it? With her background, she could never truly control you; the empire would still have ended up in your hands. Why did you all deliberately scheme for a rebellion?" Ye Tian sighed.

"You don't understand. Family honor is a massive mountain that forever presses down, making it impossible for us to catch our breath, driving us ever forward." "Is that so? And what would happen if you actually seized the throne?" Ye Tian continued.

"To be honest, we never thought that far," Field sighed. "Figuring out how to succeed consumed all our mental energy; we truly never considered what would come after." "And what about the common folk? What about the people of the imperial capital? What about the citizens of the principality?" Ye Tian sighed. "You all thought only of yourselves and never once considered anyone else."

"Indeed, we are all bastards," Field sighed. "Can I ask you one last favor?" "Speak. If it is within my power, I will do it." "Treat Lifier well."

"That is something I cannot promise you," Ye Tian shook his head. "She has her own path in life, and there is no trace of me in it. Furthermore, I am destined to leave, so I cannot make that promise."

"Is that so? What a shame. Could you still take a message for me?" Prince Field revealed a trace of a smile, and Ye Tian nodded. "Tell her I am sorry, and that I made her suffer through these past years," Prince Field said with a bitter smile.

Ye Tian nodded, then turned and walked away. *Ah, what a pity. Why could such a man not be used by me?* Prince Field looked up at the towering palace. This was originally supposed to belong to me... No, Prince Field suddenly thought, this never truly belonged to me in the first place.

"Perhaps he was right. It wasn't others pushing me, but my own inability to let go." Prince Field let out a long sigh, then fiercely drove the long sword across his neck.

Lifier suddenly shuddered as an inexplicable chill surged into her heart. She involuntarily tightened her clothes and looked toward Leisina. "Your Majesty the Queen," Leisina called out softly.

"Sister Lifier, let's go back to how things used to be," Leisina pleaded, her eyes filled with entreaty. "Can we?" "Yet after everything that has happened, I cannot face you as before," Lifier covered her face.

"I gave instructions to Gail telling him not to kill my uncle. You know he never kills indiscriminately, and he always keeps his word." Leisina pulled Lifier into a tight embrace. Lifier turned and hugged her back, bursting into loud sobs. "I am so afraid!"

"It's fine. Everything will be fine. You can stay at the academy from now on, and if you miss your uncle, you can go back to visit him. I am merely placing him under house arrest within the Prince's estate so he cannot leave; I will not pursue anything else," Leisina said calmly.

"Thank you," Lifier said through her tears. "It's nothing. We used to be family, didn't we?" Leisina sighed. "Why did Uncle have to sit on that chair? Sitting there isn't actually good at all."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Lifier embraced Leisina even tighter, crying harder than ever. "It's all right, everything is over," Leisina comforted Lifier continuously, then looked off into the distance. She wondered how Ye Tian was doing and hoped, just as he had said, that everything went smoothly.

"It's over!" Truman looked at Ye Tian with a trace of fear. This young man, whom even his father could not quite fathom, possessed such terrifying strength. No wonder his father had accepted his advice. If back then... Truman shook his head, casting those stray thoughts aside.

"Not quite yet," Ye Tian said indifferently, gently holding the sleeping woman in his arms. The coldness of the corpse left Ye Tian's heart entirely devoid of warmth. "The news should arrive by tomorrow."

"Yes, Father has been closely monitoring the situation in the imperial capital," Truman said. "Then let us settle everything tomorrow. I am tired, I'll leave the cleanup to you." With that, Ye Tian departed the plaza that had just been swept by a storm of blood and blades.

"Miki," Truman looked at the youth beside him. "Don't ask. When he doesn't want to say something, no one can get it out of him." Truman watched Ye Tian walking step by step out of the palace and sighed. "Let's begin clearing up."

A bloody night passed, and the morning sun rose. When everyone saw the mottled bloodstains covering the ground, a chill crept into every heart. In the grand hall, Miki and Truman stood quietly to one side, surrounded by a full assembly of ministers.

"My lords," Truman swept a calm gaze over the gathered ministers. "Last night, Prince Field rebelled, but we have successfully suppressed him. The Prince was defeated and committed suicide, and the remaining troops have surrendered and are currently being reorganized. I would like to ask everyone to discuss what should be done next."

Everyone looked at each other, at a loss for words. "Duke Boily, how do you think this should be handled?" Truman asked the most influential Duke currently in the capital.

"This—" Boily fell silent. Two princes rebelling and the imperial capital suffering two bloodbaths within a matter of days had simply never happened in history. Furthermore, the principality's heir—no, its current ruler—wasn't even present, making it genuinely difficult for anyone to voice an opinion.

"How does Count Gillian view the matter?" Truman continued, addressing a minister holding significant military power. "In my view, it would be best to first pacify the imperial capital," Count Gillian scratched his face, uttering a completely useless platitude.

"And in your esteemed opinion, how should we go about pacifying the capital?" Miki suddenly spoke up. Beads of sweat instantly broke out on Gillian's forehead. This damned greenhorn actually threw such a sharp question at him.

"Then what is your view?" Boily grew somewhat irritated. Had these two youngsters taken the wrong medicine today, throwing out one sharp question after another? "To welcome back Her Majesty the Queen!" Miki said calmly.

"Hiss!" The crowd collectively drew in a sharp breath. "That is only proper. Well then, given that Lord Miki has a relatively close relationship with Her Majesty, I think it would be best for you to step forward and welcome her back," Boily narrowed his small eyes.

"Very well. But under what pretext shall I welcome Her Majesty the Queen back?" Miki continued to probe. "What do you mean?" an aristocratic official asked with displeasure. "Precisely what I asked: under what pretext shall I welcome Her Majesty the Queen back?"

"Fine, stop beating around the bush. Say whatever you want to say directly," Boily said with annoyance. At that moment, someone hurried through the entrance: "Lord Miki, Lord Truman, an urgent report from the border!"

"Speak!" Miki commanded. The messenger pulled out a small paper pellet, unfolded it, and read: "'Border emergency: five cities have been lost. We have fallen back to Normania. Send reinforcements immediately!'" He then handed the note to Miki, who glanced at it before passing it to Truman.

Truman nodded. "It is Father's handwriting." He then handed the note to Duke Boily. "Impossible!" Boily took the note in disbelief, and instantly a group of nobles craned their necks, peering together at the paper in Boily's hand.

"It's true!" A nobleman cried out upon seeing the bright red seal on the note. "What do we do? They've already pushed to Normania! At this rate, they'll reach the imperial capital in half a year!"

"Impossible! General Bradis must have gone senile to lose five cities!" Gillian said angrily. Truman frowned with displeasure: "Count Gillian, please watch your tongue. If my father were truly senile, the principality would already have fallen!"

"I am sorry, it was a slip of the tongue, a slip of the tongue!" Gillian immediately shrank back into the corner. Terror was etched upon the faces of the nobles. If General Bradis was failing, did that mean they would have to ask Prince Diruf to guard the border again?

"Hurry and write a letter commanding His Royal Highness the Prince to guard the border!" Boily roared. "Who will write it? Who will issue the command?" Miki countered. "Naturally, we ask Her Majesty the Queen to issue the command..." Boily's voice gradually trailed off.

"Lord Truman, what do you think?" Miki asked suddenly. "In my humble opinion, there are two options. First, have my father withdraw and desperately hold the imperial capital; second, reinforce the troops," Truman sighed.

"Right, reinforce the troops!" Boily immediately shouted. "Where will the troops come from?" Miki smiled. "The imperial capital's own garrison is barely sufficient. Where are we supposed to find troops to reinforce General Bradis?"

"Aren't there the rebel troops?" Count Gillian immediately retorted. "Respected Count, can rebel troops be trusted? What if they mutiny on the battlefield?" Miki asked. "Then what do you propose we do?" Gillian grew exasperated.

"My Bradis family has five hundred private soldiers; we will commit all of them to reinforce the border!" Truman declared solemnly. "My family also has five hundred private soldiers; we will send every last one to reinforce the border," Miki said calmly.

"That's still far from enough!" Gillian protested. "At this critical juncture, do you lords only know how to protect yourselves? If they actually reach the capital, of what use will having more private soldiers be?" Truman said angrily.

"But conscripting soldiers from the nobility requires a decree issued by the Queen!" a nobleman sighed. "That is precisely why we must welcome back Her Majesty the Queen!" The corners of Miki's mouth curled up slightly.