Building a Kingdom and Conquering the World - Chapter 158

Chapter 158: Rusra (II)
The clarity lasted only for a few moments before madness returned to his eyes, causing him to start biting on his long nails – “Have they already begun attacking us?” – he asked, blood already seeping from his fingers.

The soldier shook his head, but still a bit unsettled by the sight of the elder’s appearance. The last time he had seen him, the man’s movements had been accompanied by the strict etiquette of nobility. Now, he appeared as though he had lost his way in the woods for years, having no contact with humanity.

“Excellent news!” – The elder exclaimed, his enthusiasm deeply contrasting with his appearance and behavior. However, he quickly returned to a state of madness, nervously biting his nails – “What should I give him as a present? A sword? Gold? Food? He will kill me if I don’t move accordingly” – he murmured to himself, his thoughts spiraling. Then, he began shouting -“Maids! Maids! Where are my maids?”

The soldier could only stare in bewilderment at the elder, unsure of how to handle the situation. The lord was the only noble left in the city, as all others had followed Duke Latrel’s trail to the capital. Now, the responsibility of leading and protecting the city fell upon a man consumed by madness. The soldier felt utterly lost. He should have brought a friend to help.

“Lord! Lord!” – the soldier repeated, attempting to snap the elder out of his crazy state of mind. He moved to shake the lord’s shoulders, but before he could, the elder shouted – “Scum! Take your dirty hands off me! Are you here to kill me too? Nobody can kill me!” – In a swift motion, a silver flash appeared, and the soldier could only take a step back, but a sword still found its mark.

The soldier screamed in agony, his hands instinctively clutching his bleeding shoulder where his arm had been chopped off – “Stop, my lord!” – he pleaded, desperately raising his remaining arm in defense as the elder lifted his sword again. However, his words couldn’t penetrate the attackers mind.

The elder’s eyes gleamed with madness as he raised his sword once more, delivering a fatal blow that decapitated the helpless soldier. It was a clean and swift attack. Briefly glancing at the corpse, he began screaming again – “Maids! There’s blood staining the castle!” With that, he began to wander the halls of the castle, naked and brandishing his sword. Through the crack of the elder’s door, one could glimpse dozens of decomposing bodies, all dressed in maid attire.

The elder’s eyes glinted in madness and his sword descended yet again, beheading the helpless soldier. He looked briefly at the corpse, before yelling – “Maids! There is blood dirtying the castle!” – He shouted and began walking around the castle, naked and with sword in hand. Through the crack of the elder’s door, one could see dozens of decomposing bodies, all wearing maid attires, their blood forming a pool of blood.

-x-

Atop the walls, the soldiers kept their eyes fixed on the army positioned right outside of their walls – “Someone is coming!” – a voice echoed as a figure in hard leather armor appeared, carrying a banner so tall it seemed to touch the skies and desiring to cover the whole sun.

Seeing the figure, the soldiers on the wall quickly raised their bows – “Stop, right there!” – they shouted, their voices trembling. The single figure wasn’t intimidating, but the thousands of soldiers hidden in the forest filled them with fear. They were like a pack of wolves ready to pounce at them.

The horseman bearing the banner only halted where his voice could reach those on the wall – “King Henry von Stahl, descendant of Garret von Stahl, the Dragon Slayer, and lord of all lands up North, has issued a command” – he shouted, his tone firm and unshakable, as if the hundreds of arrows pointed at him didn’t exist – “The King commands you to surrender the city. He promises mercy to those who lay down their arms and open the gates. You have until sun lays to rest to respond! If we don’t have an answer by then, the city will burn to ashes!”

The horseman cast a single glance up at the soldiers, a look that carried both a warning and a threat. He planted the banner firmly in the ground before guiding his horse back to the army, which remained hidden beneath the tall vegetation surrounding the city. The banner seemed to be a remainder of the urgency and the consequences of their actions.

It didn’t take long for murmurs to spread among the soldiers – “We need to inform the lord” – a veteran soldier said. Another quickly responded – “Someone has already gone to the castle. They should be back any moment.” – The veteran nodded -“Great, then we’ll wait for orders.”

The soldiers on the wall felt a wave of fear at the sight of the fluttering banner planted before them, each swallowing hard. However, the mention of the lord’s presence eased their anxiety. It was human nature: when under pressure, people tended to relax when someone else took charge of making crucial decisions, washing their hands off.

“We just need to wait; the lord will take care of it” – the veteran soldier murmured, clenching his fists while trying to make himself believe that everything would be fine – “He will save our city.”

However, when those words left his mouth, desperate screams erupted from behind him as if the whole city was crying – “An attack?” – he asked, his eyes turning towards the enemies’ positions – “No, they are still there.” – he could still see the thousands of silhouettes taking cover under the canopies.

Suddenly – “Captain! Captain!” – A desperate, breathless shout reached the veteran as a figure rushed up the wall, his forehead bleeding – “The Lord! The Lord has gone crazy! He’s killing everyone!”

“Calm down!” The veteran hurriedly helped the man sit and forced him to take deep breaths. “What’s happening?” he asked once the man had finally managed to steady his breath.

“The Lord! He’s attacking everyone! He’s already killed dozens of our people in front of the castle!” the soldier cried, his eyes filled with desperation. “He has gone crazy!”

The captain didn’t wait and dashed down the wall – “Follow me!” – he ordered.