Emperor's Reckoning



A hushed and horrified silence fell over the village. Eyes widened, faces paled, and breaths caught in their throats as the gruesome scene played out before them. From the windows of the village homes, the villagers watched with a mix of shock, fear, and awe. They had witnessed a display of power that transcended the realm of normalcy.

The head chief, who had confronted Lyon and his companions, stood frozen in place, his eyes locked on the gruesome scene before him. The air seemed to thicken with heavy tension and a mixture of emotions played across his face.

"E-Emil!" the one standing on the left of the chief quickly knelt beside Emil with his hands trembling.

"Q-Quick, get him to the physician!" said the chief before Emil was carried away.

"What have you done...!" asked the chief but his body belied the intensity of his words. ( What kind of move was that... Emil just alighted and burst... I... I can't sense his cultivation level at all! ).

"You want to see it again?" asked Lyon as he lifted his sword. 

"N-No wait!" the chief took a step back instinctively. His eyes widened, it was the first time that he had been scared of a human before. However, seeing how Emil was so easily wrecked by his sword, he pacified himself.

Lyon put down his sword before scowling then turned toward Aurora's mother. He approached them, but it only took one step before he was halted by the mother's voice, "Don't come near us! Stay away!"

Lyon frowned instead. He took one more step forward despite her wish. The mother and the head chief were petrified. He knelt, under the onlooker's glance before extending his arm.

However, in the tense atmosphere, Lyon's outstretched hand froze in midair as a sharp blade intercepted his motion. A voice, laced with authority and a hint of hostility, sliced through the air, stopping him in his tracks.

"That's as far as you go, human," the words were punctuated by a confident and stern male voice, capturing Lyon's attention.

With a wary glance, Lyon's eyes shifted toward the source of the voice. There, before him, stood a young man with the distinct demi-human trait of cat ears, much like Aurora's. The glint of a finely honed sword in the stranger's grip caught the light, a clear display of his mastery over the weapon. His attire bore an embroidered insignia, marking his identity and status.

"C-Captain Alaric!" the head chief exclaimed, his voice carrying a mixture of relief and reverence as he recognized the young captain with the distinctive cat ears. "You've come just in time!"

The chief's words echoed with a sense of hope, and his eyes gleamed with anticipation as if he saw a glimmer of salvation in the arrival of Captain Alaric and his accompanying knights.

"There is no need for further hostility," said Lyon. 

"Hmph! Stand up and get away from the girl and her mother," said Captain Alaric with an evident scowl on his face.

Lyon sighed before standing up. His eyes turned aloof, even when he heard the sleight of slash movement as the tip of the blade rested right under his chin.

"Chief, what happened," asked Captain Alaric as he maintained his gaze on Lyon.

"He just struck Emil, Captain, and Emil is now being rushed to the physician," said the chief.

"That's half the story," said Kesya as she pointed at the chief.

"Hm?" Alaric raised his brows as he looked at Kesya. The puzzled face then darted toward Lyon, "Human, what did you do to the half-elf?"

"Trained her," said Lyon as he shrugged. 

"T-Train?!" Alaric had his eyes widened. His grip on the sword tightened. "You use spells to control her!? Did you abuse her? And the others?!"

"What?" Lyon was puzzled.

"You've committed a great sin, human, to use half-elfs as sex slaves!" Alaric said aloud, bringing disbelief and gasps to those inside and outside the house. 

Lyon's group was petrified as if their minds blanked altogether. Even Kesya's fury dissipated like a woosh. 

"You have gotta be kidding me," Lyon murmured.

"I-I see, that makes sense!" said the head chief.

"Ngh?!" Alaric glanced over and saw Aurora, he gritted his teeth before giving Lyon a glare "You disgraceful bastard!"

"Are you serious?" Lyon furrowed his brows.

"Men!" the pair of knights who shared the same gaze of disgust, was now filled with fury.

"Under the jurisdiction law of the Felidora Kingdom, you are now under arrest!" Alaric then filled the next few words as gently as he could, "Obey the law, and you will be judged fairly, Resist the law, then I have the right to sever your head."

"You have no proof that I used them as my sex slaves," said Lyon. "Do I need any more proof? What kind of sane half-elf would side with a human?"

"Heh, are you saying that your words are the law?" Lyon raised his brows.

"Stop twisting my words, human, everything will be revealed and trialed in Felidora," said Alaric.

Lyon whose gaze was fueled with determination to clear his name, suddenly softened. He smirked at Alaric.

"What are you smiling about? Put your hands behind your back now!" said Alaric.

Kesya was about to move but her shoulder was held back by Cecile. She glanced over before seeing Cecile shaking her head.

"Do you have a physician in the Felidora Kingdom? A light attribute or even better a life attribute cultivator there?" asked Lyon.

Karina raised her brows.

"Of course! We will use their services to cleanse their minds out of your wicked fantasy," said Alaric with disgust.

"I have humans among them," said Lyon as he pointed at Cecile and Selena, though he wasn't expecting that Cecile would wave at Alaric with a smile.

Alaric frowned, "I will leave that to the judge, now move!"

Lyon sighed and put his hands up in defeat. He was personally escorted by Alaric from behind with his sword occasionally pricking at Lyon's back whilst the girls were led by the other two guards.

"Chief, I'll be borrowing your carriage and the horse, Don't worry, I will return it and compensate you," said Alaric as he kept his pace.

"T-Thank you, Captain Alaric!"

...

Lyon scanned around. It was a simple wagon rather than a carriage. He could hear the rustling branches and his nose could pick up the scent of veggies. He opened his lips and stretched them out.

"Close your mouth when you yawn," said Alaric with a rather displeased on his gaze.

Lyon smirked at the one sitting opposite him, "You tied my hands, remember?"

Alaric darted his gaze to the side and saw the other wagon followed suit dutifully. He reached out for the nearby lever before the curtain closed.

"Hmm?" Lyon raised his brows as his sight dimmed. He saw Alaric sitting opposite of him with his hands crossed below his chest. "What was that for?"

Alaric put his elbows against his thighs as his face leaned forward, "I believe you know how ridiculous that exchange was."

"What? What are you talking about?" asked Lyon as he found Alaric's bearing swerved.

"About the sex slaves thing," said Alaric.

"Oh?" Lyon smirked. "I thought you were serious back then, funny, I was making fun of your reputation as a captain of a kingdom in my mind, it seems like I was the foolish one instead."

Alaric sighed and leaned back, "You're lucky I was on patrol and caught wind of the cry from Emil... and also I've never seen your face before— and with your odd group, it doesn't seem to be easy to forget."

Lyon was puzzled by his words. "You're not making any sense to me, Alaric."

"Were you lost?" asked Alaric as he furrowed his brows.

"What the hell are you talking about?" his brows almost touching each other.

...

Meanwhile inside the other wagon.

"Really!?" Karina exclaimed. She looked at Kesya with bewilderment.

"P-o-s-it-i-ve," Kesya crossed her arms and nodded.

"Interesting," said Cecile. "But this is getting complicated."

"Knowing darling, it's bound to be," said Selena.

"But as sex slaves though," Kesya burst out laughing, "I can't— hahahaha!" her feet stomping high.

"Be quiet!" the driver shouted.

...

Lyon's eyes widened in astonishment as Alaric's fingers deftly grasped his cat ears, tugging on them gently. The sensation was both bewildering and slightly uncomfortable. He stared at Alaric, his mind racing to process the revelation.

"You're a human...?" Lyon's voice wavered with a mixture of surprise and confusion. The discovery that the captain of the Felidora Royal Guard was not a demi-human like the rest of the kingdom left him speechless.

Alaric's expression remained stern, his grip on Lyon's cat ears unrelenting. "Appearances can be deceiving."

The rhythmic sound of the horse's hooves against the dirt road provided a backdrop to their tense exchange. Lyon's mind raced, trying to piece together the implications of this revelation.

Lyon smirked, "Not bad, Alaric... but that's not your real name either, right?"