RMGCFW — Chapter 126 - The Fall of the Kingdom

In the outskirts of the royal capital, somewhere in a dim forest.

"Damn it!"

Izor clutched a bleeding abdomen and crawled out from the bushes.

If that thief hadn't lent a hand just now, Izor would probably already be dead.

"Of all times for the dragons to go berserk..."

They had seemed completely normal when leaving the Farewell Clan. Who could have known that right as they were nearing the royal capital, they would all suddenly go mad?

"This is bad."

Staring up at the out-of-control dragons wheeling across the sky, Izor's mind jumped to an even grimmer scenario.

If outsiders learned that the kingdom's secret technique for controlling monsters had failed, it would be a catastrophe. War with neighboring countries was not out of the question. Worse still, the nobles at home had already been growing restless over His Majesty's conduct these past few years. Once word got out that the technique had failed, civil unrest could erupt at any moment.

Chaos across the realm, misery for the people, it was an all-too-foreseeable future.

Just as Izor was sinking into worry, a sound nearby pulled Izor's attention away.

"Wrath of Finality."

From the bow of flame the youth had conjured, three blazing arrows, each carrying decades of mana, loosed into the sky.

They closed in on the three rampaging dragons at unimaginable speed.

In an instant, the air erupted.

[Ding. Slain monster dragon. Total lifespan: 800 years; remaining lifespan: 500 years. Now absorbed.]

[Ding. Slain monster dragon. Total lifespan: 800 years; remaining lifespan: 300 years. Now absorbed.]

[Ding. Slain monster dragon. Total lifespan: 800 years; remaining lifespan: 200 years. Now absorbed.]

[Current monster time held: 1,100 years.]

"...I didn't expect you to be such a powerful mage." Izor exhaled, stepping to the youth's side with barely concealed awe.

"Still a step too slow, though." Banxia shook his head.

Had he known the dragons were going to go berserk, he could have just cast Rejuvenation on them a few times before they ever set out. All that pure, gleaming lifespan, wasted.

Izor assumed he was talking about the fallen soldiers and sighed.

"Sir Adventurer, none of this is your fault. On the contrary, you've done a great service for the kingdom. If you hadn't slain these three in time, the consequences would have been unthinkable..."

"Yeah." Banxia barely reacted. He glanced at Izor's injured abdomen. "Retrospect."

"What is..." Izor didn't understand at first.

But the wound knit shut with startling speed, and warmth flooded through the body with it. Izor's eyes went wide.

"Healing magic — without a scripture?!"

The more Izor saw of this man, the more Izor felt a mixture of dread and sheer relief. Someone who had reached realms beyond ordinary imagination in all three vocations, thief, mage, and priest. An existence that simply shouldn't be possible.

And somehow, Izor had managed to recruit him into the kingdom's camp.

When His Majesty saw this, he was surely going to be very pleased.

...

They traveled the rest of the way in silence and arrived at the Holy Capital, Stral, without incident.

It was the most prosperous place in the world, the seat of both ecclesiastical and noble power at their peak.

"Division Commander Izor?"

The soldier at the gate thought their eyes were playing tricks on them, until Izor produced identification papers. The soldier checked them, confirmed they were genuine, and immediately called out to comrades to open the gate.

"Division Commander Izor, and this person is..."

"A guest of His Majesty the King." Izor didn't elaborate.

That was enough. The soldier had only been doing a routine check, there were no more questions. Even if this unfamiliar youth inspired no trust on his own, could anyone distrust Izor? The leader of the Dragon Legion, personally raised up by His Majesty himself.

The two entered the royal city.

Banxia's gaze drifted to the sides.

Clean streets. Towering walls. Residents celebrating with song and dance.

It was utterly unlike the villages he had passed through on the walk in from the outskirts. Hard to believe that near the most prosperous city in the world, those villages were even more destitute than what he'd seen down in the south.

"Is today some kind of festival?" he asked, watching the crowds parading and celebrating along every street.

"Today is the kingdom's millennial foundation day," Izor said with pride, eyes sweeping the festive scene around them.

"A thousand years." Banxia let out a small sound of appreciation. "That really is a long time."

"It is." Even Izor, a pure-blooded human, couldn't help feeling that weight. "Sadly, I won't live to see what the kingdom's next thousand years look like."

"That's not necessarily true."

"Huh?" Izor glanced over, puzzled.

Banxia didn't explain. He just followed along cheerfully until the royal castle came into view.

The structure was magnificent, the most splendid building he had laid eyes on in this entire world.

"Division Commander Izor?" The royal guard at the castle entrance clearly recognized Izor as well.

"Please inform His Majesty that Izor requests an audience."

The guard glanced briefly at the somewhat familiar-looking youth standing behind Izor, then nodded. "I'll go report to His Majesty at once."

It wasn't a long wait. When the guard returned, the expression was serious.

"His Majesty is willing to grant an audience — but only to you alone, Division Commander Izor."

"I see..." Izor hesitated. "Would you please relay one more message. The arrival of this person will bring monumental changes to the kingdom."

"His Majesty said he is only willing to receive you alone." The guard shook his head. "That said, since he is Division Commander Izor's guest, he may wait and rest inside the castle."

"That will do." Izor turned to the youth. "My apologies. His Majesty doesn't yet know the extent of your abilities. Once I explain, he will surely grant your every wish."

"Sure." The youth didn't seem bothered either way.

"Oh, I still don't know your name." Izor had only just realized, having been so thoroughly preoccupied with the young man's abilities this whole time.

"Banxia."

"Why does that name feel familiar..." Izor shook his head. "Too much has happened lately. I think my mind is starting to slip. Forgive me, I'll ask you to wait just a short while."

"No problem." Banxia followed the royal guard toward the lounge.

"Truly an understanding man, and a powerful one." Izor watched the two of them go and nodded to himself.

The strong were usually proud. Anyone else treated this way by the kingdom might have walked off on the spot.

With that thought, Izor turned and made for the great hall.

The moment Izor stepped through the doors, the king was already there, eyes wide, glaring with barely contained fury.

"Izor! You traitor! What do you have to say for yourself?!"

"Traitor? Me?" Bewildered, Izor dropped to one knee immediately. "There must be some misunderstanding, Your Majesty!"

"Misunderstanding?!" The king gave a cold snort. "If you hadn't already drawn close to the royal city, even my court mage would have nearly missed it. You bastard, you brought that Hero here to have me killed!"

"The Hero?" Izor went blank.

Of anyone who might hold a grudge against His Majesty, the only name that came to mind was the one rising to fame in the south these past weeks.

No wonder hearing the name "Banxia" had felt so familiar.

So he was actually...

"Fortunately, your treacherous scheme was seen through by my court mage. Right now, the most elite forces in the entire kingdom have already moved to surround and eliminate your accomplice." The old king's voice turned ice-cold.

"Once he is dead, prepare yourself for your own execution!"

"Your Majesty—"

Izor tried to say something more.

BOOM!

The entire royal castle lurched.

"What is happening?!" The king's voice cracked with terror.

The Chief Court Mage, who had been concealed at the side of the room this whole time, stepped out of concealment, brow furrowed.

"...Your Majesty." The voice was low and grave. "The elf has informed me. The elites dispatched to eliminate the Hero..."

A pause.

"All of their life signs have gone dark."

"..."

➤ Next: Meeting an Old Acquaintance Again