Emperor's Reckoning



The sky was blue and swallows fly by. The sea was waving as the sun stayed at noon. Below was a port filled with boutique shops, some just docked whilst others prepared to depart. The cultivators living in this place were nothing sort of weak, however, they all lived their daily lives as if no danger could harm them. The market was bustling with their economy rising steadily albeit slowly.

By the port was a kingdom, a kingdom with a broken rose as their insignia. The place was filled with the usual nobles and commoners. A statue of the founder could be found right at the heart of the kingdom and the grand palace was right by it. 

The pair of guards guarding the entrance gate of the kingdom had their eyes looking far. They saw a blurry figure walking on the main path with not a single carriage in sight.

"Hey, you see that?" asked the guard.

"I'm not blind," the other guard answered before crossing his arms. "Looks like a visitor?"

"Walking here?" the guard raised his brow at his partner. 

His partner shrugged. "You never know... oh? OH?!"

"W-What's wrong?"

"I-It's the captain of the royal knight!" exclaimed the guard. "W-Why are they cantering from behind?"

The guard gulped, "Oh crap, you're right! That's him! Captain Ifiz!"

"Q-Quick to position! They must be honored guests if Captain Ifiz escorted them!" said the guard as he plunged the base of his lance toward the ground whilst facing the side.

"Y-Yeah!" the other one did the same.

The guards had their chests up and eyes straight as the figures walked past them. They stole some glances at the lady clinging to the man with a gulp. 

"Good work, everyone," said Ifiz as he snapped the guards right back toward their minds.

"Y-Yes captain!" said the guards.

Ifiz took his time and let the group enter first. He looked at them casually entering the kingdom before darting his eyes toward the guards. "Be on your best behavior, they are esteemed guests of the king."

"Y-Yes captain!"

"En!" Ifiz nodded before following the group once more.

Lyon and Selena quickly become the limelight of the kingdom. Every step they made was rippling with attention. Cultivators paused and awed. However, it's not about their bearings but more about the ones cantering behind them.

"The royal knights!" exclaimed a random cultivator of the kingdom.

"That's Captain Ifiz in the flesh!"

"Captain!"

"I love you, captain!"

Ifiz couldn't help but let out a warm smile and greeted them back with a wave of his hand. His bearing and reputation were a match made in heaven. 

"Oof, he is really popular," said Reinhard.

"He is the royal knight, smarty," answered Noah.

Rayus kept silent as he looked at the figure up front. His back might not be as big as the commander behind him but he couldn't help but smile. The power to humble an entire city just by a presence and he was the student of such a man. His karma seemed to have finally paid back with a bonus.

The couple soon find themselves standing by the statue of the founder. The figure was shrouded in cloaks and its face was covered, however, one could notice that the statue was looking at its hand, at which was a rose.

Lyon looked up and commented, "Rose has thorns and he holds it like that, damn, who hurt this guy?"

Selena simply leaned her head and smiled looking at the statue.

"How can esteemed one assume that this statue is that of a man?" Ifiz asked from behind before getting off the horse. He approached the couple before crossing his arms. "The Broken Rose Kingdom's founder's identity has not been fully verified yet, but esteemed one, I would like to hear your reasoning."

Ifiz was more than eager to know his answer. The man who dared faced the Burgeon Swan with a handful of children should have a sharp mind, sharper than the blade he had.

Lyon smirked as he looked at the statue. However, after seconds turned into minutes, no more words were coming out of Lyon's mouth.

"I-I see, the wise never revealed their secrets," Ifiz smiled. "Come, esteemed one, I will escort you to the palace."

"The wise sometimes reveal their secrets," said Lyon before Ifiz paused and turned.

"Truly wise people would never use the word 'never' for in itself was unwise," said Lyon. "Now prepare me and my wife a welcome in the palace. I am your esteemed guest, am I not?"

The cultivators gasped as they heard what he had just said. The words might not be accompanied by a harsh tone, but it was still disrespectful. Ifiz was a man with the highest honor next to the king himself. The captain of the royal knight was the heart of the people.

The other three royal knights were not happy about it either, they were scowling just like the rest of the civilians. However, they saw their captain's hand to sheath their anger. 

Ifiz smiled wryly. "R-Right away." He and the other three of the royal knights excused themselves and leave the sight while Lyon and the others remained at the center of the kingdom.

The cultivators were agape as they saw their honored captain of the royal knights bow to his wishes and fulfilling the unruly man his demand. They began scowling, whispering amongst themselves.

Noah had cold crawling his skin. "Ugh, this atmosphere is really not ideal, did we just make the entire kingdom our enemy?"

Then, one keen cultivator of the kingdom furrowed his brows beneath the waves of the anger of his fellows. He looked at Lyon more carefully from the sides. "Long hair, a beautiful woman, three youngsters..!! Oh, no.... no way...!"

He gulped before he raised his voice above the whispering others, "Uhm! Excuse me!!"

It was the instinct to survive. All attention was on him and he was riddled with trepidation. The three students were looking at him as well, but the couple didn't.

"Are you... Lyon?" his voice echoed. "The ones that killed three of Burgeon Swan's dreadful higher-ups?!"

His voice gave birth to a recent truth in the other's minds. They failed to see the characteristics until he mentioned the name. The group fitted the traveling stories. The man, the lady, and the three youngsters. 

Rayus, Reinhard, and Noah looked at each other with doubt. Should they answer, or should they not? They looked at their teachers for advice but the teacher was nonchalant.

The man asking sank into further discomfort as he was not answered. The crowd was choked by the intensity of the silence. The presence and the thought of a powerful man standing by the statue of the founder, telling the head of the royal knights to prepare a welcome for him and his friends was beyond overwhelming.

Greasing up the courage with the wet forehead the man asked once more, "Are you the ones battling at Ruheria City?!"

His voice echoed once more, however, this time, he received a reply.

"They are," came a slightly hoarse voice of wisdom.

The cultivators turned their heads and had their eyes widened open. Their thoughts immediately submit as they lowered their heads. Ifiz had returned but with another person. The old man had his hair combed and slicked back, and he was wearing a royal cloak. He wore no crowns and his foreheads had more lines than a zebra cross. He was walking fine with no assistance and his glance was fixated on the couple standing in front of the statue.

"Y-Your majesty! P-Please forgive my insolence!" the man quickly knelt.

"Do not apologize to me, apologize to them," said the king. "They are my esteemed guests."

The man raised his head before looking at the group, only the three students were looking at him.

"I'm only here to enjoy the scenery, with my wife, I don't want spilled blood over something so... mundane," said Lyon as he waved without looking.

"Ah! Thank you, thank you!" the man quickly retreated into the sea of masses.

Now the people behaved themselves. They had no qualms about talking about him behind his back, but after his identity was revealed, they wouldn't dare. The man was too powerful to be mocked.

The king smiled and further approached the couple. "I am the king of the Broken Rose Kingdom, King Cae. I'm very pleased to welcome you into my home, and I hope you do me the honor of hosting you in my palace?"

Lyon turned around and looked at the king. "Well but of course!"

The king nodded and turned around, "Follow me."

The king and Ifiz walked side by side whilst Lyon and Selena followed behind them. Noah accelerated his pace and asked his teacher with a whisper. "Teacher, how do you know that the statue is a guy?"

"When in doubt, assumed its a man," said Lyon as he left Noah baffled.