Rudiger stood at the manor entrance, grinning wickedly as he stared at Richard.He didn't even consider Richard a man, instead seeing him as a prize to be had.The Hero of Intercity was right there and it was his destiny to bring him down!Just imagining how he would be rewarded left him trembling with excitement.Seeing him react so strangely, Richard addressed Andre. “Check and see if there are any other stragglers. I'll deal with this one.”“Understood.” Though skeptical, Andre turned and left with the guardsmen while Richard remained.“Smart move, wouldn't want mundanes getting in the way of our glorious battle,” Rudiger muttered as he approached with eagerness.Then without warning, he charged forward like a raging bull, intent on bringing down Richard with one move.Unfortunately for him, Richard had dealt with someone even stronger than him rather easily.Richard calmly redirected the blow and made it slam into Rudiger instead, knocking him out instantly.Shaking his head, he
Melinda sat in her room, terrified to leave as she knew what awaited her outside.The Malcolms had cordoned off the entirety of the Dawson family to ensure there was no way to escape which meant she had no choice but to marry that dastardly Malcolm heir.What made it worse were her family members who seemed happy to be rid of her.She'd always known that they disliked her being the heir but to be shameless enough to side with the enemy?... It was unbelievable, to say the least.Her grandfather who was always her pillar of support was also under house arrest, living like a prisoner in his own house.He'd have done something but he knew he couldn't defeat Luther in a battle and so could only stay still to avoid his family getting wiped out as a result of his stubbornness.She wept at her helplessness with the whole situation, asking why she didn't have the strength to do something.Of course, her tears brought no respite as she found herself thinking about Richard.Usually, she'd have c
“You have become quite bold since I last saw you, tell me, what gives you the audacity to stand before me so casually?” Luther inquired as he stood beside the groom with Melinda on his right.Richard remained calm despite the invisible pressure being sent his way as he replied. “Is there a reason to be scared of you?... You not only unfairly captured and tortured my friend, but you tried to marry another friend and even confiscated my property. I didn't know this was how things are done in the Empire now.”“The law of the Empire is simple, Mr. Smith, it is he who has the biggest fists that gets to make the rules. It doesn't matter how much money you have, without the power to ensure it, you are nothing but a fancy glass cannon. No amount of money can save you when a powerhouse comes knocking.”“So that's why you did this?... To teach me a lesson?... Well then, lesson learned, let them go and we can start over on a clean slate.”Luther scoffed as he remarked. “You are aware of the trut
The Malcolm family was one with a history spanning more than a hundred years.They had wealth, power, and connections, both within and outside Zion, ensuring that they remained powerhouses that few dared to go against.Any that had dared to always found themselves unable to withstand the might of the Malcolms, inadvertently leading to defeat, destruction, or in some cases indoctrination.Their immensity also meant that even if one had the strength to defeat them, it would make it difficult to do so.This was why Richard didn't plan on any acts that could lead to the complete extermination of the Malcolm family.No matter how angry he was, killing so many people didn't just sit well with him even though they did deserve it after everything they'd done.But he didn't necessarily have to pay back evil with evil and he had already decided on how to handle this tyrannical family to ensure that they would never rise after their defeat today.With that in mind, he took the groom's life befor
Luther stared at Richard realizing once again why he had considered him a real threat to his rule.Very few people had caused Luther to feel fear of any sort, one of them being the Emperor on the only occasion Luther was privileged to be in his presence.The same feeling he felt back then, the feeling of no matter what I do, I won't be able to reach that level, rushed through him as he stared at Richard solidifying his belief that Richard had a connection to the Imperial Legacy.Richard remained calm as he remarked. “Before you head over to jail where you'll be spending a long time behind bars, I have a few questions, one of which involves the specifics of the dealings you had with the Imperial family.”Luther froze as he realized what Richard was talking about.Then a sick smile adorned his lips. “So that's how it, I'm such a fool, why didn't I see it back then?... Haha, this is so hilarious.”“What are you talking about?” Richard inquired.Ignoring him, Luther calmly intoned. “You c
It was a genuine question asked by someone who cared about the people and their circumstances.Luther had done as any dictator would, suppressing the people's voice with the desire to ensure that they wouldn't ever speak up against him as the strongest power in a state were its citizens though few were willing to acknowledge that.Regardless, the fact that Luther had oppressed them had ensured that they would be terrified to do anything without looking over their shoulder every waking moment.Managing a smile, Richard replied. “Now that Luther is gone, you can get the people to no longer feel the need to hide. Intercity is as much theirs as it is ours, so let's fight for it together.”“Understood.” The minister replied.Nodding in satisfaction, Richard remarked. “You should get some rest for now. As is, we'd need to hold a congress to get the people to support you being reinstated as minister of the state. Before then, you'd best eat, drink, and rest as much as you can, it would do yo
By the time, they were done sharing their stories, it was already late into the night so Richard opted to leave while Maria pleaded with him to stay.Ultimately, the lady won out with Richard spending the night while she busied herself unpacking.The next day, Richard drove over to meet with Commissioner Watson after the old general had bombarded his phone multiple times, asking him to come over.Once there, he was met with a tense atmosphere causing Richard to frown. “Did something happen?” “There's good news and bad news, which would you like to hear first?” Watson began.“Good.” “The good news is that the city is recovering well from the tyranny of Luther's rule.”“And the bad?”“The Golden Circle is moving against trying to reinstate your friend as Minister and is even calling for you to be cast out as you pose a threat to the city with your army running things alongside the city security.”“Why didn't they do anything when Luther was around?”“Naturally, he promised them benefi
Richard didn't know what to make of the recent boldness of the women in his life. Was it because of the Malcolm incident that they all decided to do this?It almost felt like they had planned to do it in the exact sequence they'd entered into his life, starting with Maria and now Melinda.Who next?... Edith?No, the confusion would be too much then.Should he just reject them all and leave life alone?Before then, he'd already considered doing so it wouldn't change anything but then… he'd already done it with Maria and now with Melinda seated so close to him, making such a request, was it right to just run away?“Melinda… I slept with Maria yesterday.” Richard confessed. Melinda paused, her expression shifting for a moment before she let out a sigh. “I knew she'd be a part of it.”“What?”“I'm willing to share you but I have to pick the women, accepted?”It sounded almost like they were already married which made it weigh heavily on Richard's mind.“But… is that okay?... It doesn't