Chapter 5: Bloodshed in the Royal Capital

Mark's footsteps drew nearer, and Mels's heart hammered against his ribs with each step! The seconds crawled by, and just as Mark was about to reach the desk, Mels could no longer hold back and burst out from underneath it!

Mels fell into a defensive stance, ready to face Mark's attack at any moment, but was surprised to find Mark did not launch an assault. Instead, he stood frozen, staring, looking Mels over from head to toe.

"Are you one of the youths Xiu Lante recently brought to the capital?" Mark asked after carefully examining Mels.

"Who I am doesn't matter. What matters is that you're about to become a traitor scorned by the entire kingdom!" Mels answered, keeping his voice low.

Although Mark held a weapon, Mels had a strange premonition that Mark did not want to fight him!

Hearing Mels' words, Mark's face suddenly hardened. He demanded sharply, "What exactly do you know? Did Xiu Lante send you to spy on us? Where are Xiu Lante and the Dragon Knights Regiment hiding?"

"Hmph, do you think I'd tell you? Though I'm just a nobody, I still know right from wrong! Even if I die by your hand today, I won't reveal a single piece of information about Lord Xiu Lante!" Mels declared.

"Boy, don't get cocky just because you're a new knight! If I shout, thousands will rush into this study and chop you to mincemeat! If you have any sense, answer my questions now!" Mark seemed genuinely angered, gripping his longsword tightly as he took a step forward and shouted.

"Haha..." Mels let out a sudden, loud laugh.

At this moment, Mels seemed to have let go of his fear of life and death. He gave a wild, reckless laugh and said, "You're a pathetic sight. Maybe you'll live longer than me, maybe you'll enjoy more wealth and glory, but it's a shame your heart has long been dead!

So what if you conquer the world? You'll be a despicable, shameless traitor, weighed down by the shame of betraying your forefathers, forever haunted, making it impossible for you to face the world with your head held high! Open your eyes! The Left and Right Prime Ministers and Salade are just using you. They won't keep their promises. Once they succeed in their coup, you'll be the first sacrifice, bearing the infamy of rebellion for them!

Commander Mark, I've told you all this. How to proceed from here is a decision only you can make!"

Just as Mels and Mark were conversing, the guards outside the study suddenly called out, "My lord, is everything all right?"

Hearing the guards' inquiry and looking into Mels' clear eyes, Mark remained silent.

Mels knew that if Mark spoke up and revealed his presence in the study, he would immediately be surrounded by soldiers and killed on the spot!

"My lord, if you don't respond, we're coming in!" the guards urged again.

"I'm fine. I was just talking to myself. You may leave!" Mark said, his eyes fixed on Mels.

Hearing Mark's response, the boulder of anxiety in Mels's chest finally settled. Although Mark's choice didn't surprise Mels, the tense situation had still made him break out in a cold sweat.

"Lord Mark, you..." Mels began, looking at the conflicted Mark, but Mark interrupted him.

"You don't need to say anything. Leave quickly! Since I've already allied with the Left and Right Prime Ministers, I won't betray them lightly. I'll act as if today never happened. As for our respective fates in the coming days, let heaven decide!

I only ask one thing of you. If I am defeated and killed three days from now, please take care of my family and ensure they have a way to survive!" After saying this, Mark fell silent. He casually sheathed his sword and walked toward the study door.

Mark stepped out of the study, whispered a few instructions to the guards at the door, then turned to Mels and said, "Leave now. I've sent the guards away. Take care of yourself!"

Hearing Mark's words and observing his actions, Mels knew he could no longer persuade this proud man. Mels gave Mark a deep, respectful bow, then slipped away from the study and disappeared into the dark garden. As he hurried away, Mels glanced back and saw Mark standing alone at the study entrance. From his shining eyes, Mels could see a trace of painful helplessness and a hint of liberating relief.

With Mels' skills and abilities, the ordinary soldiers guarding the Prime Minister's mansion couldn't possibly detect him. A few minutes later, the vast and gloomy mansion was left behind. Since there were no pursuers, Mels didn't rush out of the city but instead returned directly to the noble guesthouse.

A few minutes later, Mels climbed over the rear wall of the noble guesthouse into his room, reuniting with Akafir and the others who had been anxiously awaiting his return.

After a brief exchange, Mels learned that although Akafir had been chased by the Prime Minister's guards, he hadn't encountered any real danger. Bagina and the others had also returned to the noble guesthouse with Akafir after he left.

Their night-time scouting mission not only confirmed the Left Prime Minister's conspiracy to usurp the throne but also allowed them to understand the enemy's military strength. After analyzing the situation, the youths concluded that the rebels' forces could not be underestimated. If Mark remained on the Left Prime Minister's side until the end, the rebel soldiers would include at least half of the Capital Guard Army—namely, the entire Imperial Guards Knights! In other words, the enemy had 70,000 to 80,000 ordinary soldiers and around 8,000 Imperial Guards Knights!

In contrast, Ivan V could muster only 35,000 Imperial Guards and the 5,000 Dragon Knights Regiment warriors secretly led by Xiu Lante.

Although Mels and the others couldn't yet predict how the Left Prime Minister would deploy these troops, knowing the timing of the coup gave them an invisible advantage!

Despite the disparity in military strength, Mels believed that with Xiu Lante's exceptional abilities, they could turn the tide and capture the traitors in one fell swoop!

At dawn the next day, Mels left the city alone, changed his clothes and disguise outside, and returned to the capital, heading for Xiu Lante's secret hiding place.

For the past few days, Xiu Lante had been hiding in the commoners' quarter of the capital. Although it was a bustling, crowded district, the constant flow of people made it impossible to find the disguised Xiu Lante without a thorough, door-to-door search.

Even though Mels knew where Xiu Lante was hiding, it still took him nearly half a day to meet him directly. After briefly reporting the intelligence he had gathered, Xiu Lante's eyes lit up with excitement. He said to Mels, "Excellent work! Truly excellent! As long as we know the exact time they plan to attack, they've already lost half the battle!"

"Uncle, our forces are only half of theirs. Won't we be at a disadvantage once the fighting starts?" Mels asked.

"Hehe, you don't understand this. In war, victory goes to the clever, not just the strong. Although our forces are only half of theirs, the imperial palace we need to protect is inherently easy to defend and hard to attack. Plus, now that we know the approximate time of their attack, we can plan accordingly and round them all up!

Moreover, we still have two and a half days. I can use this time to mobilize cavalry from the cities around the capital. By then, even if they had wings, they couldn't escape!" Xiu Lante explained.

Hearing Xiu Lante's plan, Mels felt much more at ease. After a moment of thought, Mels said, "Uncle, what should we do in the remaining days? And where should we go when the battle begins?" "Hehe, you've already done very well. Leave the rest to me! For the next few days, to avoid arousing suspicion, stay at the noble guesthouse and live as usual. On the evening of the day after tomorrow, disguise yourselves and sneak into the imperial palace to protect His Majesty directly. Here is my gold token. With this, you'll be able to enter the palace without trouble!" Xiu Lante explained.

"Alright, if there's nothing else, I'll take my leave." Mels smiled at Xiu Lante and prepared to turn and leave.

Just as Xiu Lante was about to see Mels off, Mels suddenly turned back, his expression hesitant, and said, "Uncle, there's something I'd like to ask of you. General Mark isn't really a bad person. After you defeat the rebels, could you spare him?"

Looking into Mels' sincere eyes, Xiu Lante wanted to agree but could only say helplessly, "Mels, this isn't about whether I want to agree or not. Mark betrayed not me but my homeland, the Relkes Empire! If I agree now, will His Majesty agree? Will the hundreds of millions of loyal citizens of the empire agree?

Mels, you must understand that what he committed is treason! It's a grave crime punishable by the execution of his entire clan! The one who can help him now isn't you or me—it's himself! As long as he turns to the light at the final moment, I'll pledge my own head as guarantee that neither he nor his family will be harmed.

But if he remains unrepentant to the end, then I'm afraid I can't help him!" Xiu Lante placed a hand on Mels' shoulder and spoke earnestly.

In truth, Mels knew his request was excessive. After all, if anything went wrong and Xiu Lante were defeated, the Left and Right Prime Ministers would never spare him! At this point, the two sides were locked in a fight to the death. Mercy at the wrong time during the battle could lead to hesitation, and a moment of sympathy might cost tens of thousands of lives!

"I understand. I'll be going now." Mels replied softly, his gaze distant and thoughtful as he left Xiu Lante.

Watching Mels gradually disappear into the distance, Xiu Lante murmured to himself, "Mels, you're still too young, too kind-hearted!"

Time passed quickly. Amidst the tension and the secret buildup of forces on both sides, three days flew by. From the morning of the third day, the calm before the storm spread through the capital of the Relkes Empire, which had been peaceful for centuries.

Unprecedentedly, the Capital Guard Army kept the city gates closed until noon. Patrols filled the streets, which were now empty of civilians. The imperial palace on the Sacred Mountain seemed prepared in advance, with its three heavy gates tightly shut. Ivan V had ordered that no officials be granted an audience!

Seeing the situation in the capital, Mels took matters into his own hands. He chose to disobey Xiu Lante's orders and, before noon, led his five companions to quietly leave the noble guesthouse.

Less than an hour after they left, a squad of about three hundred Capital Guard Army soldiers suddenly arrived at the noble guesthouse to arrest Mels and the others. Of course, by then, the guesthouse was empty, and the soldiers could only conduct a fruitless search before leaving in frustration.

With numerous patrols on the streets and the bright midday sun overhead, Mels and his group stood out conspicuously. To avoid unnecessary trouble, the six youths ambushed and overpowered a patrol, took their uniforms, and impersonated Capital Guard Army soldiers, boldly making their way toward the imperial palace.

Half an hour later, the six arrived at the palace gates.

"Halt! Who are you?" The heavily guarded palace was now on high alert. As soon as Mels and the others came into view of the Imperial Guards, they were stopped by soldiers on the palace walls.

"We are official knights under the Dragon Knights Regiment, sent by Commander Xiu Lante to protect His Majesty!" Mels removed his helmet and addressed the Imperial Guards on the wall.

"The Dragon Knights Regiment? Do you have any proof?" The Imperial Guards seemed skeptical that any Dragon Knights Regiment members remained in the capital. Not only did they not lower their crossbows, but they also questioned Mels and the others with clear hostility.

"I don't have proof, but I have a gold token given to us personally by Lord Xiu Lante!" With that, Mels took out the gold token Xiu Lante had given him three days earlier and tossed it up to the wall.

After carefully verifying the authenticity of the token, the Imperial Guards finally opened a small gap in the massive palace gate, allowing Mels and the others to enter.

Once inside the palace, Mels noticed an atmosphere of fear and tension. Both palace maids and eunuchs wore expressions of dread. Clearly, news of the Left Prime Minister's conspiracy had leaked.

Perhaps due to Xiu Lante's reputation, Mels and the others were quickly granted an audience with Ivan V.

After performing the simple courtesies, Ivan V, his face pale with fear, said, "Rise, my loyal generals. Yesterday, I received a secret report from my beloved minister Xiu Lante, stating that the Left and Right Prime Ministers and the traitor Salade plan to launch a rebellion today. Is this true?"

"Your Majesty, I heard this with my own ears. The Left and Right Prime Ministers and their followers are indeed plotting against Your Majesty!" Mels then briefly recounted everything he had overheard during his infiltration of the Prime Minister's mansion three days earlier.

"Treachery... sheer treachery! I have always trusted them, entrusting nearly all court affairs to the four of them. Who would have thought they harbored such rebellious hearts! I will have their entire clans wiped out to serve as a warning to others!" the emperor raged.

"Your Majesty, please restrain your wrath. We, your humble servants, have come under Lord Xiu Lante's orders to enter the palace and protect Your Majesty! As Lord Xiu Lante has not yet completed the dragnet to round up the traitors, and the enemy's forces currently outnumber ours, any rash action by Your Majesty would not only alert the enemy but could also cause Lord Xiu Lante's plan to fail, endangering Your Majesty's person!

We humbly beseech Your Majesty to entrust all matters to Lord Xiu Lante. We believe that within a day, news of victory will surely reach Your Majesty's ears!" Mels said.

In truth, although Ivan V was advanced in years, he was not truly incompetent or senile. His earlier words were merely spoken in a moment of anger. Upon hearing Mels's persuasion, he immediately accepted the lifeline and said, "Hmm, since Xiu Lante and you esteemed ministers already have a plan, I will not interfere! I hope all of you esteemed ministers will work together with one heart to swiftly execute the traitors and set my heart at rest!"

Following Mels's suggestion, Ivan V retreated to an inner secret chamber within the palace, protected by eighty elite Imperial Guard experts along with Sol and Rek. Meanwhile, Mels and the others, carrying the emperor's personally bestowed golden pass, headed to the palace's perimeter walls to observe the changing situation in the capital.

The heavily guarded palace and the unusually quiet capital were naturally also observed by the Left and Right Prime Ministers and their allies. These cunning old foxes naturally understood that their plan had been partially exposed.

However, the Left Prime Minister arrogantly believed that this situation would not only fail to hinder their actions but would instead be a powerful boon!

With the capital stripped of its usual bustle, even if Xiu Lante had ambush forces, any movement would immediately be spotted by the numerous Capital Guard Army soldiers. Moreover, through their combined efforts, they had already won over 120,000 out of the 170,000 Capital Guard Army troops. As for the remaining 50,000, they had long been dispatched by Mark to be stationed outside the city. It could be said that, apart from the palace, the entire capital was now completely under their control. The Left Prime Minister was now merely waiting for nightfall, awaiting the opportune moment to launch the final assault on Ivan V!

The sky gradually darkened. As dusk arrived, Capital Guard Army soldiers gathered in increasing numbers on the capital streets below the Holy Mountain! Watching the scene before him, Mels knitted his brows in worry. Even now, he did not understand why the Left Prime Minister insisted on waiting until nightfall to attack the palace.

According to general combat principles, since their plan was already known to the emperor, launching the attack earlier would be more advantageous. Letting a full day pass needlessly seemed like a foolish move.

"Why exactly?" Mels stood on the ramparts, gazing at the densely packed Capital Guard Army soldiers below and muttering to himself.

"Sir Knight, what are you thinking about?" Just as Mels was frowning in worry, an Imperial Guard commander asked.

"Oh, I was wondering why the enemy insists on waiting until nightfall to launch their attack!" Mels replied casually. "Ah, that's what's puzzling you. You haven't been in the capital long, so it's understandable you wouldn't know. Actually, the reason they're doing this is quite simple. Because the palace is built on the Holy Mountain, even standing at the city gates allows one to overlook the entire capital. If they attacked us during the day, their main points of assault would be plain as day, and we could adjust our defensive focus based on the enemy's tactics!

However, at night, haze sets in. If the enemy mobilizes troops below the mountain, we won't be able to detect it. Although the palace is backed by mountains on three sides, with only the front allowing enemy assault, if they secretly move heavy siege weapons and we fail to spot them in time, they could very well breach the walls in one fell swoop! So if I were leading the rebels, I would also choose to attack the palace at night!" the commander explained to Mels.

"So that's how it is!" Mels exclaimed as the penny dropped. Then he heard himself mutter, "No wonder my foster father often said that terrain plays an absolute role in battle! I never really understood before, but today I've truly had my eyes opened!" "If that's the case, then what method can we use to know the enemy's positions in advance?" Mels asked again.

"That's very difficult. Once the two armies engage, the city gates absolutely cannot be opened. Moreover, the mountain path leading here is surely filled with enemy soldiers; even sending out spies couldn't penetrate deep into the enemy ranks!

If we use Summoned Beasts, the enemy's Summoned Beasts would counterattack. So at most, we can only use catapults to launch some flaming bundles down the mountain, relying on the firelight to judge the enemy's tactics and troop movements!" the Imperial Guard commander said to Mels with some hesitation.

Looking down at the formation of at least 100,000 troops, Mels knew that relying solely on the 30,000-plus Imperial Guards, who lacked heavy weapons, would make it very difficult to withstand the enemy's assault. Although Xiu Lante's surprise force existed within the capital, as the sky grew darker, the Dragon Knights Regiment had still not appeared. This situation couldn't help but make Mels extremely anxious, yet he had no solution and could only silently pray for a miracle!

The miracle still failed to appear. When the sun completely sank below the horizon and the moon gradually rose, groups of black shadows finally appeared on the dark mountain path. To understand the enemy's movements, the Imperial Guard commander immediately ordered the use of the few dozen available catapults to launch blazing firebrands down the mountain.

However, the rebel army led by Mark and Salade had clearly come prepared. As soon as the torches landed, groups of rebel soldiers immediately doused the flames with sand and dirt. Although the Imperial Guards launched firebrands several more times, they still failed to achieve the desired effect. As the palace's store of flammable materials was not large, and the night's battle had only just begun, the Imperial Guard commander ultimately had no choice but to issue the order to cease launching.

About ten minutes after the Imperial Guards stopped launching firebrands, a deafening roar erupted from the mountain path. Thousands of Capital Guard Army soldiers began their assault on the palace!

This was Mels's first personal experience of the might of conventional warfare! Unlike the decisive battle with the bandit organization, as the soldiers began their charge toward the palace, a complete formation of mages had already neatly lined up behind the vanguard. Before the two armies made direct contact, thousands of multicolored magical light waves surged toward the palace walls like raging tides. The Imperial Guard soldiers were not to be outdone. As the enemy's magical light waves were about to reach the walls, nearly a hundred barrier masters simultaneously activated defensive barriers. A faint, crimson, web-like glow immediately enveloped the walls completely, like a giant shield protecting the palace's structures and personnel.

Wave upon wave of colorful magical light waves collided with the barrier in mid-air, shattering into dazzling, firework-like bursts of light. At this moment, the infantry could only be considered decoration. Until the magical exchange between both sides concluded, neither the attackers nor the defenders could launch direct assaults!

In no time, the enemy's magical attacks finally ceased. By the light from the palace, Mels looked out beyond the city walls and saw streams of Capital Guard Army soldiers swarming toward the palace like an army of ants.

The Capital Guard Army soldiers deployed outside the palace now advanced with heavy infantry carrying giant shields as the vanguard, closely followed by large numbers of light infantry, archers, and crossbowmen. Mixed among them were engineers transporting scaling ladders and operating siege engines.

The first to approach the walls were those infantry warriors clad in crude iron plate armor, completely encased in iron plates, carrying no weapons but tightly gripping giant iron shields as tall as a person. Their role was to clear the path for the light infantry and engineers behind them, shielding against enemy arrows while allowing the entire army to close in on the palace walls.

Behind these heavy infantry were formations composed of archers. Once the heavy infantry covered their advance into firing range, these archers would begin their assault on the palace ramparts, using arrows to weaken the limited strength of the defending forces! At the same time, they could also draw part of the defenders' combat power, giving the engineers a chance to approach the walls and ultimately use siege engines and scaling ladders to engage the palace's Imperial Guards in close-quarters combat!

If it were one-on-one combat, Mels would naturally have no fear. But facing a city siege battle involving thousands upon thousands of troops, he felt powerless, even unsure of exactly where he should stand.

Seeing Mels's bewildered expression, the Imperial Guard commander who had spoken with him earlier approached and said, "Sir Knight, it is not yet time for you to join the battle. Please retreat into the watchtower to observe. If powerful enemy knights break in, then you can engage them. How does that sound?"

Mels certainly understood that this commander was being considerate of his dignity by phrasing it so tactfully.

Facing the commander's goodwill, Mels smiled slightly. As he followed him toward the watchtower, he asked, "There's something I don't quite understand. The Imperial Guards are basically all Summon Warriors. Why not deploy Summoned Beasts to launch a preemptive attack on the enemy?"

"Haha, you must not have experienced large-scale military warfare. Summoned Beasts are indeed the main force in the final decisive battle, but in the early stages of combat, neither side generally deploys Summoned Beasts first! You can imagine, on such a densely packed battlefield, if Summoned Beasts were released, they'd probably be turned into porcupines by arrows before even getting close to the enemy, ultimately forcing them to return to their Summoning Gems before they could play any role!

If we lose a large number of Summoned Beasts early in the battle, when it comes to the final decisive moment, our combat power will suffer a devastating blow, essentially losing our ability for a final counterattack! Therefore, no matter how intense the battle, the commander will absolutely not issue the order to deploy Summoned Beasts until the final moment! Please also keep this in mind, to avoid your Summoned Beast suffering unnecessary harm on the battlefield!" the Imperial Guard commander kindly explained to Mels.

As the two conversed, Mels soon entered the watchtower the commander had indicated. In fact, this was the watchtower located in the center of the first wall. Inside, apart from seven or eight soldiers responsible for battlefield observation, there were no commanders.

When Mels entered, he was surprised to find Akafir and the others already gathered there. It seemed the youths had not only failed to become the main force in the defensive battle but had instead become hindrances to the Imperial Guards.

After briefly exchanging a few words with his companions, the intense battle for the ramparts outside immediately captured the youths' attention. With the watchtower's open vantage, Mels and the others could clearly see everything happening below the walls.

They saw that the Capital Guard Army infantry had now approached the ramparts. The 15,000 Imperial Guard soldiers responsible for defense had entered the front line after the barrier masters dispelled the defensive barriers. Following a fierce shout from an Imperial Guard commander, tens of thousands of arrows immediately flew toward the enemy ranks like a swarm of locusts covering the sky.

Faced with this situation, the Capital Guard Army's attacking formations immediately halted their advance. The heavy shield infantry at the front promptly placed their giant shields on the ground. These shields, carried by the soldiers, were about 180 centimeters tall and 130 centimeters wide, made entirely of crude iron. The top was square, while the bottom was a sharp triangle. When used, simply placing the shield on the ground allowed its weight to root it firmly upright, forming protection for personnel behind!

Unfortunately, against the rain of falling arrows, the effectiveness of these giant shields was also quite limited. Although Mark and Salade had long anticipated that the Imperial Guards' arrow attacks would be fierce and had arranged the heavy infantry in dispersed formations among the various troop types, when the battle truly unfolded, casualties still rose sharply!

Under the pear-blossom storm-like curtain of arrows, screams rang out incessantly. Besides the cries of the dying, even more mentally unsettling groans rose and fell one after another.

Watching the fierce battle outside the walls, Mels couldn't sort out the chaotic thoughts in his heart. Lively, vibrant lives now drifted away silently in all directions like weeds. For the interests of their respective commanders, these warriors, who originally only sought a mouthful of food and a chance to survive, now staked their lives on the battlefield!

No matter how great the threat of arrows, no matter how heavy the casualties, the Capital Guard Army warriors still advanced wave after wave, fearlessly charging toward the palace walls! Finally, the first scaling ladder was placed against the wall, the first siege engine crashed against the brass palace gates! The dull impact seemed to stir the warriors' boiling blood. Battle cries, silent until now, once again drowned out the mind-shaking groans!

Among the Capital Guard Army warriors below the walls, several figures suddenly soared into the air. Almost without needing to climb the scaling ladders, they used their own power to leap up, rapidly scaling the smooth, mirror-like surface of the palace walls!

These figures naturally did not escape Mels's notice. The pensive Mels suddenly turned and said to the few companions beside him, "What must come will come. Now all we can hope for is ourselves! The enemy's main force has appeared. Whether we can complete Uncle Xiu Lante's task depends on us now!"