The Emperor Who Was Chapter 116 : Chapter 116

Chapter . 116

The three factions gathered again in one place. At the very front, Maximilian and Grimiati were pointing at the castle and discussing sothing.

‘Cursed bastards!’

Just seeing their faces from afar made him shudder. The Duke readjusted his hold on his son's head.

The bastard Reinhard, deserving to be beaten to death, tried to approach the gate to announce the First Prince's arrival. But before that, the proclamation still hanging flew in front of them. Then it grew large enough to cover all above their heads, and shone brightly enough to blind them.

“Did it sense our approach and co to us just now?”

“Unbelievable, how is such a thing possible!”

People who had shut their mouths out of exhaustion shouted in surprise.

Precise operation sensing external forces, mana consumption close to wasteful. The Empress Faction's mages, who might be lacking in numbers but were not behind the Emperor Faction in skill, stared with their mouths open blankly.

“I am Prince Leontes of Armatia, the Lord of Montova here.”

A voice, clear as glass beads yet surprisingly low, deepening gradually, spoke.

“Leontes!”

“Leontes!”

Maximilian shouted. Desmond too. The na of the ominous star, Lauderdale shuddered.

From the proclamation continued the Prince's voice, heedless of their calls.

“Lawless intruders invaded my territory and attacked

and my people, but I repelled them all and made them an example in front of the gate. Those who will enter through the gates of Montova from now on, do not forget the fate of those who beca the soil of my land.”

For a mont, no one spoke. As if Prince Leontes had pulled out the tongues of all these people at once.

‘Did he pull out Grimiati's tongue too?’

Hugging his son's head tighter, Lauderdale snickered. Not even conscious of Desmond's gaze.

Just at that mont, Grimiati's chilling voice rang out in the silence.

“Burning corpses enriches the soil with their ashes.”

He was indeed a devil.

‘I will kill you! I will gouge out your eyes, rip out your testicles, and burn you alive!’

Lauderdale curled his fingers like claws and clenched them, imagining touching Grimiati's body directly, filled with hatred.

“Uncle, you will drop it! Please calm down. Leontes will not refuse our entry anymore!”

At Desmond's words, Lauderdale ca to his senses and hugged his son's head which he almost dropped. However, his mind focused on a single na. Leontes.

“Then, you an Leontes won?”

Lauderdale glared.

“My son died, mages and knights died, Your Highness lost, the First Prince lost, Grimiati lost, and Lauderdale lost too―”

Sothing surged up to his throat, and he swallowed it forcibly.

“We all lost, but you an Leontes won alone!!!”

It wasn't hatred. Nor was it jealousy. Just, it didn't make sense. It shouldn't be so. He simply couldn't help but shout to the whole world, asking how that could be.

His son who went to find Leontes died, yet Leontes won? It was natural he had nothing to say to his wife…….

When Leontes finished speaking, the proclamation returned to the gate. As the proclamation positioned itself in the sky right above the gate, the gate slid open. There was no one to greet them. Not even soldiers.

“Let's go! I must see my brother's face directly to see if this is also so conspiracy!”

Maximilian shouted.

‘Foolish bastard, your very existence is a conspiracy. A devil coupled with your mother and gave birth to you! That devil is the viper beside you!’

Regardless of what Lauderdale thought, the First Prince bravely drove his horse first. Usually, Grimiati and Reinhard would stand on his sides and knights would follow on horseback, creating quite a spectacle.

However, the most popular knights whom the noble ladies of the capital Elan cheered for had now suffered heavy blows and had many casualties.

Besides, due to the large bonfire in front of the gate and the fields of corpses on both sides, instead of marching side by side through the gate, they had to move their horses carefully so they wouldn't be startled and throw their riders.

‘Looking down from the wall, it must be a pathetic sight.’

Lauderdale snickered again. People around him flinched, but his eyes lost focus again and wandered in the void.

Even when those who finally entered the castle widened their eyes at the scene unfolding inside.

Whether noble Prince or lowly mage, they moved since dawn and fought in rugged mountains. Although they drank magic potions, everyone was exhausted, and the faces of casualties flickered before their eyes. Yet here, a feast was taking place.

People eating, drinking, and playing under bright lights all over the castle. People laughing, singing, and dancing.

It was unbelievable. Strength went into the hand holding the sword. He wanted to smash everything.

But then, the proclamation emitted strong light again. Stronger light than before.

“Those who will beco my hands, state your nas.”

If not hands, then beco enemies. A simple and clear warning.

‘Since when did a guy like him… treated like an orphan receiving sympathy… ignored even by brothers, now acting like a lord―’

But Lauderdale couldn't continue his thought. His nephew Arthur pretended to support him while begging or threatening him to be quiet in his ear. As if he had said sothing.

“I, the older brother, have co, yet instead of running out barefoot to greet ―”

“I am Prince Desmond! I ca with my uncle, the Duke of Lauderdale.”

When Maximilian grumbled, Desmond shouted.

“I ca first, yet that bastard dares!”

“Aren't their circumstances urgent. Generous Maxim, please show rcy and understand.”

Lauderdale looked only at the proclamation regardless of what chatter went on around him. Captivated by his own na appearing on the scroll following Desmond. The sight of Leontes boasting of victory arrogantly― Edward?

On the scroll, following Desmond and Lauderdale's nas, Edward's na appeared vividly. Edward Spencer Lauderdale. Like a living person.

Desmond gasped. People pointed at the na and buzzed. But Lauderdale straightened his shoulders which had been hunched from hugging his son's head until now. Keeping his back straight, holding his son's head to his chest, he rode his horse confidently.

-To dare drive out Your Highness, both Lord Leontes and his subordinate are arrogant beyond asure! Once I carry out Her Majesty the Empress's order, I will burn this castle down!

-No.

-Father?

-If you carry out this order well, Her Majesty decided to grant this castle to you.

-Father spoke to Her Majesty for . Thank you!

-Make your mother happy.

-Of course! I will surely repay both your expectations!

Morning, the conversation he had with Edward this very morning facing this castle, turning back without even entering.

Now that even the night passes and dawn breaks, under the brilliantly shining proclamation, as if a blessing from God Traneha or a curse from the devil, he returns with his son and passes under the golden nas of father and son written side by side. Doesn't it seem like a list of fate? Like a prediction, or promise, that he too will follow his son's fate.

Thus, the Duke of Lauderdale hugged his son's head and advanced without fear.

Passing the villagers' feast to the splendid banquet hall of the inner castle. The splendid banquet hall where noble ladies and knights danced, the pure white Knights of Saint Romola remaining even though the operation must have ended.

Prince Leontes seated at the head table smiled seeing them. Unlike them covered in blood on armor and cloaks, he was dressed luxuriously elegant, with a large hawk sitting on his shoulder, leaving a deep impression one couldn't take eyes off.

“Uncle, you must rest. Co with . I will spend tonight with you, Uncle.”

Desmond spoke kindly, but Lauderdale shook his head.

“Becoming a guest seeking the master of this castle, how can I leave without greeting the master?”

“Did you look for , Duke of Lauderdale. Aren't you the first guest to visit since I beca the Lord. Of course, I welco you gladly.”

The Prince stood up to welco them, but Desmond blocked Lauderdale's way and said.

“Brother Leontes, I am glad to see you safe.”

“Thank you, brother. If you are glad to see

safe, you must dance upon hearing news of my victory.”

Saying so, Leontes raised a hand and pointed behind his chair. Behind it was indeed a wall of shields.

Gold, silver, black, white, green, all sorts of shields with all sorts of crests drawn. There were many of wandering knights, but most belonged to knights from the nearby Empress's territory.

-Take this opportunity to shake Leontes's first territory. Make them not dare forget their forr master.

-I will send everyone not only from Your Majesty's territory but also those with connections nearby. Then the gathering speed will be much faster than those coming from all over the country by His Majesty the Emperor's order.

And now, those who were called and gathered disappeared behind the shield wall Leontes had collected. Just looking at the vivid bloodstains, cracks, and half-split shapes on those shields, one could know the fate of the owners who lost those shields.

The Prince, who had arranged corpses in front of the gate as if furrowing a field and cleaned up so not a single bloodstain was visible on the gate, hung the enemy shields with blood and flesh still on them as they were, making them the best decoration of this splendid banquet hall.

‘That guy is crazy too. The craziest among the Armatia royal bloodline.’

“What did you say, Duke of Lauderdale?”

“It is nothing, brother. My uncle is currently not feeling well and must rest. I request you to provide a place where my uncle can rest.”

“Pitifully, his cloak is soaked in blood. Do so.”

However, the Duke of Lauderdale did not move. Against the backdrop of the bloody shield wall, Leontes's smile, standing like a painting dressed in velvet and jewels, brought focus back to his gaze which had been wandering in the void.

‘A guy who didn't smile much even as a child…….’

“Leontes, you were really safe!”

“Prince Leontes, I am infinitely glad to see your magnificent appearance.”

“…Who on earth attacked the Prince?”

And words heard from behind made him move.

“Prince Leontes! Please grant a gift to the first guest who sought Your Highness.”

“Uncle!”

“Duke!”

“Calm down, Uncle!”

The Duke was almost dragged out as soon as he opened his mouth, but Prince Leontes raised his hand to stop it. Because he was the Lord.

“Whether to refuse his request or not is decided by , the master.”

“Brother, Uncle is currently out of his mind―”

“Duke of Lauderdale, is there sothing you desire from

in front of all these people?”

Of course there was. He pointed with his hand. Like Prince Leontes, at the shield wall.

“Give

the shield with the wild boar under the tree over there.”

The crest of a close friend he grew up with in the sa village, whom he gave a position in the Empress's territory after the friend ca begging when he rose in status.

-That ignorant person dares to act so rude to , a Duke, now! Does he think just because we were friends in the past, it's the sa now!

-Since it's his first ti conversing with a Duke, he might not have known how to speak, Benedict.

A conversation he had with his wife long ago ca to mind.

‘How do I tell Margaret…….’

“Uncle!”

Desmond shouted, but Leontes showed tolerance. As if he was the only one here who knew his heart.

“Sir Rolf, give that shield to the Duke of Lauderdale.”

The knight Edward hated.

As soon as Lauderdale received the shield as if snatching it from him, he placed his son's head, which he had been wrapping with his cloak in his arms, on top of it.

“Aaaack!”