BELLUM PRAESINTIA

How This Is Just Empty Glass

A soldier ran hurriedly, every clink of his armor sparked curiosity towards Castelo. His ears were tired of hearing information that only brought evidence of impending defeat each time.

"What do you have to report, soldier?" asked Castelo, although that soldier's face seemed to carry bad news, he didn't want to hear at all.

"T-There's a force trying to block the enemy, but their attack has now ceased due to their movements!"

His voice became a thrilling melody, his heartbeat quickened, sweat trickled down, and his trembling eyes gazed at his pale empty palms.

"Which troops do you mean?" He asked loudly.

"We don't know, but they bear the symbol of the black dragon's head!"

From this explanation, someone could already deduce what was happening. The current topic of conversation among many people, the fear it evoked made it difficult for him to breathe steadily.

"Is this a miracle? Are they truly here to help us?" Castelo's footsteps forced him to show the scene that was unfolding before his eyes. From dozens of meters away, there was only a small dot that was hard to see, but the clash of swords could still be clearly heard.

The view from those who were closer brought a sense of horror; the enemy's crowd stopped in the middle, observing the ongoing duel.

Clang...

His sword swing blocked the attacker, causing the horse to throw its body to the ground, struggling amidst the dust and sand. He braced himself with his left arm while glancing to the right.

A formidable opponent dismounted, but fact said Garlan particularly would have been far superior on horseback.

Time still passed away, and aware of his life being in danger, Felin hurriedly ran to retrieve a fallen sword. No one hindered him; his legs were slightly apart, slightly bent. Sweat continued to gather, bringing a constant tremor, as the tip of his sword bravely point towards Garlan.

"Don't come any closer!" He yelled.

Garlan followed the voice's instruction, filled with fear. His feet stopped, and his gaze continued to be filled with disdain. His lips appeared flat, conveying a sense of horror.

"Darn it, how can I defeat this person? Until now, my hand can't win this fight!" His mind slowly tried to unravel the brief battle, but the answer was only emptiness, increasing his fear. "I-I'm going to die!"

His skin crawled, pouring out countless beads of sweat. His face no longer appeared healthy, enveloped in fear.

Garlan slightly bent his body, prepared himself, and without a creeping sound in Felin's ears, Garlan was already in front of him.

Clang...

His sword struck straight, but that clang broke the tension. Felin's body was harshly thrown to the arid ground, wincing in pain. He forgot about Garlan's presence. He opened his eyelids as quickly as possible, and the sudden silence made it difficult for him to breathe freely. Garlan's hand swiftly moved...

Crash...

The head flew up into the air, blood became a severed rope from the body, and landed in front of the soldiers' faces. That head displayed a face full of suffering, screams continued to resound from their mouths.

Poung...

The trumpets echoed as the cries of retreat balanced the scene. Everyone hurriedly passed by at maximum speed.

Garlan's led troops laughed in satisfaction at the terrified onlookers. From a distance, Garlan didn't even turn to look at the defeated man's body. It was all like a day when the sky was dark, the smell of blood spreading as memories emerged in his subconscious.

Garlan then turned his face toward the fortress; everything still seemed far from fine.

Indeed, after that incident, many people in the city mourned the deaths of their family who lay lifeless. It was not a warm welcome, but rather cries filled with suffering that continued to emerge from their voices.

The passing troops didn't attract attention; they were merely a spectacle of astonishment for the grieving residents.

The scent was familiar to Garlan, the smell of corpses and fresh blood. The path he walked displayed a mirror of the past, with piles of bodies even greater, only himself amidst the resounding cries.

The eyes who watched him were filled with fear, worry, and a desire to distance themselves from him.

The troops he led became saddened, not by the beautiful faces of the welcoming girls, but by the horrific terror of the events that had occurred.

The horse's footsteps stopped in front of the majestic palace building. All the surrounding structures seemed to bow before this white building; they even had to blink several times to make sure it was real.

"Mister, let us accompany you to meet King Castelo!" said the middle-aged man gently and politely.

Garlan nodded, but he advised, "Gobil, Ravel, and Gean, you three must continue to watch what is happening around us, never close your ears or your hearts!"

"Alright!" They puffed up their chests as they responded to Garlan's words.

Garlan started to move away, his upright posture exuding a certain grandeur that captivated anyone who looked at him.

"I don't know, but it seems like Leader is even quieter than usual!" murmured Ravel.

"Is that so? But, in my opinion, Leader is always like that. He's always silent and doesn't talk much! Today, we even managed to defeat the enemy who thought they would win. Their expressions of fear were truly delightful!"

"You, can't you stop imagining things?"

"Why? Don't you enjoy it?"

Their voices clashed with a growl, accompanied by narrowed sharp eyes. Their eyes locked onto each other, fingers poised to strike each other's faces.

"Stop, you both!" Gean as usual intervened, his hoarse voice capable of grabbing attention.

"Hmph... another annoying man!" Gobil muttered under his breath.

"Gobil, don't make this any more difficult. Here, we must maintain the dignity of Leader Garlan. If you fight, it will only make the situation more complicated!"

The explanation made them understand, but their hearts were reluctant to follow it. Gobil averted his gaze elsewhere.

Meanwhile, the atmosphere in the room grew increasingly cold. Garlan's feet continued to feel the uncomfortable vibrations as he stood in front of the closed door.

Two fully-armored soldiers gazed in the direction of those people, and the man on the right signaled with a nod which was quickly responded to as the gate slowly opened.

Garlan's eyes were filled with bright light pouring down from above, right near the throne there.

__To Be Continued__