CHAPTER 69: THE BEGINNING OF THE WAR 4

(Third Person POV)

"What is it?"

Orlax sat at his desk as he looked at Elena, who was seated on the couch in front of him.

"Well, when I was in the Southern Duchy, I freed some people who were imprisoned. Those people now want to follow me and came with me here. They’re currently standing outside the palace."

Elena let out a sigh as she spoke, her tone exhausted.

"Hmm, isn’t that a good thing? Take care of them and train them well. They might become sharp blades that assist you in the future."

He relaxed in his chair and closed his eyes, waiting for Elena to respond.

"Well, they might be useful, but... I prefer to do things on my own. I’m already strong and don’t need anyone’s help."

Elena spoke in a confident, assured tone—not arrogant or prideful, but as if she were simply stating facts.

"Yes, you are strong. That’s not something we disagree on. But in the end, you’re still human, Elena. There are limits to what you can do alone."

"Maybe you’re right... But how can I take care of others when I can’t even take care of myself?"

Orlax leaned back in his chair, pondering Elena’s question.

"How about this, I will..."

They both continued talking for a while until Elena finally stood up and left the office.

"Now, I need someone to go to the Western Empire. But who can handle it?"

He thought of all the possible candidates, and two names came to his mind as the most suitable for the task.

"Maybe they can do it."

He pulled out his phone from his pocket and called the first person.

"Hello, Your Majesty. What’s the reason for this sudden call?"

A rough, familiar voice answered from the other end.

"Tiran, I want you to come to the capital as soon as possible. I have a mission for you."

"Yes, Your Majesty. I’ll be there as soon as I can."

"Good."

Orlax ended the call and then called the second person.

"Alice, come to my office."

"Alright, alright, I’m on my way."

Alice’s usual voice replied before she hung up and headed to his office.

Moments later, the door opened and Alice walked in, her long white hair falling over her shoulders, and her mismatched eyes sharp.

"What is it? Do you need something from me?"

"Sit down first."

She nodded and took a seat on the couch facing his desk.

"I have a mission for you. It’s a dangerous one. If you think you can’t handle it, tell me and I’ll find someone else."

"Oh, come on. You wouldn’t throw me into danger without sending someone to protect me. I know you well."

Alice waved her hand dismissively as if the danger didn’t bother her.

"Tiran Valdrik, the Northern Duke, will be going with you. So you’ll be completely safe."

A smile appeared on Orlax’s face at her words, which showed just how well she knew him.

"To that extent? Sending someone as powerful as my father? This must be a serious mission."

Alice nodded and began to think seriously, evaluating the situation based on the information she had.

"You will go to the Western Empire and form an alliance with them. We want them to suppress the Central Empire."

Orlax leaned back in his chair, watching Alice who was deep in thought.

"You know they’re in the middle of a civil war to decide who becomes emperor. How are we supposed to form an alliance with them?"

Alice looked at him seriously, clearly confused.

"That’s exactly why you’re going there. Identify the person you believe has the rightful claim to the throne, support them in the war, and in return, they’ll have to do what we ask."

Alice’s eyes widened in shock, stunned by his words and unable to speak for a moment.

"Don’t tell me you..."

Before she could finish, Orlax cut her off, confirming her suspicions.

"Yes, I want to make the Western Empire subordinate to us."

Alice took a deep breath and looked at Orlax seriously.

"This is a big deal. Maybe you should find someone else to do it. I don’t think I can handle this."

"Alice, I’m not asking if you can do it. From my perspective, you’re the only one who can. Don’t underestimate yourself. You have incredible abilities."

Alice lowered her head for a while, deep in thought.

"Alright, I’ll do it. But don’t blame me if I fail later."

She raised her head with a wide smile, looking at Orlax.

"Of course, you’ll take all the blame."

He grinned as he watched Alice nearly fall off the couch from his response.

"Wait, are you serious?"

"Maybe."

"Hey! Don’t joke like that. My heart can’t take this kind of thing."

He smiled, watching Alice flail about in mock distress.

"Alright, I’ll go get ready. Let me know when I’m supposed to leave."

Alice stood up, stretching her body after sitting too long, and left the office.

"Now, I just have to wait for everything to unfold. My part is done."

Orlax relaxed in his chair, closed his eyes, and cleared his mind of any thoughts.

He remained like that for a while before finally leaving his office and heading to the living room.

No one was there, so he sat alone on the couch, watching the TV.

He lay back comfortably and placed his hand on his forehead, closing his eyes to rest a little.

"This is so exhausting..."

The words came out in a low voice as he drifted into a dream-filled sleep.

While Orlax slept, the red particles that always surrounded him began to move rapidly.

They entered his body completely and mysteriously disappeared from the surrounding air.

All of this happened while Orlax remained unaware, fast asleep.

About two hours later, Orlax woke up, got off the couch, and headed to his room.

There, he found Sera and Alice sitting on the floor, playing.

Orlax sat beside them, watching Sera play with a big smile on her face.

Through his right eye, he looked at the chains wrapped tightly around Sera’s body.

’Who are you really, Sera? And why were you sealed like this?’

As if sensing his gaze, Sera suddenly turned to him, approached, and lifted her arms, asking to be held.

He placed his hands under her arms and lifted her high before placing her on his lap and watching her.

"Papa! Hehehe!"

Sera hugged him tightly around the neck, laughing joyfully, warming his heart just a little.

’I guess it doesn’t matter for now.’

A soft smile appeared on his face as he gently patted Sera’s head.

The next day...

Orlax stood at the palace gate, watching Alice who carried a small bag on her back.

"Be careful."

He approached Alice and gave her a simple hug goodbye before stepping back.

"Hahaha, don’t worry, Your Majesty. With me around, no one will even touch a hair on her head."

Spoke a man over two meters tall, standing nearby.

"Alice’s safety is your responsibility, Tiran. If anything happens to her, I’ll kill you."

Orlax stared at Tiran seriously, an aura of killing intent surrounding him to show how serious he was.

The smile disappeared from Tiran’s face as he saw Orlax’s expression, his face turning serious.

"I’ll protect her with my life."

Tiran pounded his chest firmly and nodded toward Orlax.

Orlax nodded back and turned his eyes to Alice.

"Everything you need is in your bag. If you need anything else, just call me, understood?"

"Geez, why are you acting like my dad? I’ll do everything just fine, you don’t have to worry."

Alice stood confidently, declaring her words with conviction.

"If you say so."

Orlax sighed, letting go of the worry he felt.

"Alright, I’m heading out now."

Alice waved her hand and walked away, followed by Tiran. They left the palace, heading to the Western Empire.

Orlax remained standing beside the gate for a while before speaking.

"Why didn’t you say goodbye to Alice before she left?"

He turned his head back to see a red-haired girl standing behind the gate.

"I don’t like goodbyes. Besides, we’ll see her again in a few days."

Riana waved her hand and began walking toward the palace.

Orlax walked beside her in silence, and both entered the palace.

"Riana, I want you to bring the three people we captured and put them in front of the court. Also, I want you to..."

Orlax continued giving Riana instructions for a while before she nodded and left to carry them out.

"Alright. Now it’s time for the show. Everything begins now."

Orlax left the palace and headed to the court, running across rooftops at high speed.

He finally arrived at the court gate but didn’t enter.

Instead, he stood silently, drawing everyone’s attention as they began to watch him in confusion.

"Isn’t that the emperor? What’s he doing here?"

"I don’t know. He’s just been standing there for a while."

Orlax ignored all the voices around him and fixed his gaze on the gate.

He slowly raised his hand, and the red particles around him began to move toward it.

A massive hand formed from the red particles and gripped the enormous gate, which stood over eight meters tall.

Creeeak!

A screeching sound echoed as the gate slowly broke apart and began to float into the air, causing everyone to step back.

"What’s happening?!"

"Why is the gate floating?!"

"Is the court under attack?!"

The gate rose high into the sky until it became difficult to see.

Suddenly, it began to fall at incredible speed, flames forming around it, making it resemble a meteor crashing from space.

The gate hurtled downward straight toward the massive dome above the court.

BOOOOM!

It collided with overwhelming force, triggering a huge explosion that made everyone cover their ears from the deafening sound.