Imperial Crown.

Chapter 622 Raven the Kingslayer

The moment the door opened, Raven the Kingslayer's roar erupted, growing ever louder, like a war drum or a thunderclap! The clamor was deafening. Such a deafening sound would likely be heard not only in the High Court, but throughout the entire city of Menegall. The instant Raven's left foot stepped across the threshold, a sharp shout of "Release the arrows!" rang out. But Raven ignored it, continuing to stride out of the room.

Because he knew he was definitely not going to die now. If he didn't leave this room alive... didn't leave the High Court alive... didn't leave the city of Menegall alive! Then the words "Raven the Kingslayer" would immediately lose their meaning and weight. Everyone in the world would refocus their attention on the biggest beneficiary. After King Habsburg's death, whoever benefited the most would be the most suspicious.

Because he understood this, Raven didn't care at all.

bang bang bang-

Countless arrows struck the stone wall beside Raven, producing a piercing, rapid sound. The sound was as crisp and explosive as steel nails piercing golden nanmu wood.

Raven turned his head and couldn't help but sigh again. Pierre's body, less than a meter tall, had been riddled with arrows and pinned firmly to the stone wall.

This is the cruelty of politics. Habs was right: the struggle for power is always a zero-sum game of life and death. Once you get involved and caught in the vortex, dying is no different from dying an ant. What's even more terrifying is that many people don't even know how they died in the end.

Just like Earl Conrad of Molinell, who probably believed until his death that it was truly Habsburg who sent the Nameless Ones to take his life. But in reality, it was Raven who secretly sent people to frame him.

For example, like Priest Maranthosh of Hippocrates in the Nord province, he probably believed until his death that it was just Tyrone and Hyde who had gone mad and wanted to slaughter the entire Hippocrates. But in reality, it was the tacit approval of the Holy See's "deserved punishment" behind the scenes.

Like Piles, who spent his life diligently and conscientiously serving King Habsburg in the palace, spending his days entertaining the court with his dwarf and clown tricks. What did he do wrong? He did nothing wrong. His only mistake was associating with Habsburg and getting caught up in the storms of power and politics. In the end, he met a tragic end, riddled with arrows.

He was like that, and so was Dalton.

In any country, regardless of size, if the ballast stone of "politics" becomes unstable, at best the economy will collapse and ordinary people will suffer; at worst, the country will be thrown into turmoil and millions will die.

As the saying goes-

"A new emperor, a new court."

"Prosperity" and "the suffering of the people".

"Death" and "suffering of the people".

Raven reached out and snatched Pierre's ring into his robes. Facing the cannibalistic gazes and roars of tens of thousands of soldiers, he slowly walked towards the palace gates. These men repeatedly raised and lowered their weapons, each time shouting "Raven the Kingslayer!" and each time they lowered them, their weapons clashing against shields, producing a piercing clang like the tolling of bells, shaking the very soul.

However, when Raven walked past, the soldiers would automatically make way for a narrow "passage".

Upon arriving outside the Royal Court, Raven's gaze swept across the area, quickly spotting Eric and Link, who had been disarmed and were kneeling on the ground. If Raven dared to emerge from the building, they would be instantly killed. Eric and Link, one a fifth-tier and the other a third-tier, were formidable in strength, but given that Raven had entered the hall alone, they dared not make a move and could only surrender obediently.

"Let them go."

Seraphino saw Raven and a barely concealed smile appeared on his lips as he waved his hand. Beside him stood the Prime Minister, Hamilton, whose face was grim. Oh, no. He was already the former Prime Minister. He had probably been tricked by Seraphino as well, kept in the dark. There was also another person, Oculius, a member of the new faction. As for Wittus, he was nowhere to be seen.

Seraphim exuded a subtle smugness. At his command, Eric and Link were immediately freed from their demon-sealing steel. The two rose and rushed to Raven's side, anxiously asking, "Is the patriarch alright?"

Raven shook his head, then looked at Serafino. "You won. But I still have some things to take care of in the capital. See you in three days."

Serafino nodded. Everything was proceeding steadily according to plan. Serafino wasn't in a hurry. "No problem." He knew what Raven was up to.

"Alright—" Serafino suddenly raised his right fist and roared. The roar of "Kingslayer Raven" gradually weakened. Nearly 30 soldiers slowly stopped shouting.

To be honest, with Raven's strength, he could easily wipe out Seraphim and the others. But what would happen to Eric after killing them? What about Link? What about Thor? What about Bai Yue and the others? Were they really going to sacrifice so many family members for one Seraphim?

Furthermore, killing Serafino would be futile; the outcome was already predetermined. Raven, this regicide, would never become the new king of the Keynes Empire. Besides, there were the array formations and hundreds of thousands of heavily armored and well-armored soldiers. If Raven couldn't escape, he would ultimately be worn down and killed within the capital.

Nothing of it matters.

Serafino left, and the 300,000 soldiers followed suit in an orderly fashion. Soon, only Raven, Eric, and Link remained in the Royal Court's square.

The three mounted the warhorses left behind by Serafinu, facing each other in a scene strikingly similar to their time at the old castle in Eagle Territory. Only back then, Goyle was also present. Raven hadn't yet begun his training, and Anderson, the bandit from the Bloodstained Highlands, had been ordered by Hyde to raid Eagle Territory and assassinate Raven. Nearly 20 years had passed in the blink of an eye, and today the three were fighting side-by-side once more. "Damn it..." Raven cursed under his breath. Then he suddenly burst into laughter.

Eric and Link burst into laughter.

……

Minnegar City.

Elegy in the alley.

Outside a sturdy underground chamber, hundreds of soldiers shouted in unison, "Oppn the door!" These men were clearly not from the Royal Capital Army, as their armor was completely different from the Royal Capital Army's standard. Some didn't even have armor, only long spears in their hands.

"Viston," "Get out of the secret chamber right now!" "Raven has betrayed you!" "Otherwise, why do you think I know this secret phrase?!"

"Comos roared. He was one of the three counts of Molinell Province, and the one who had been ripped off by Raven. Before Serafinu plotted his rebellion, he had already transferred him from Molinell Province to the capital. This caused Margaret and the others to miss their target, indirectly allowing him to escape unscathed."

Now, he is ordered to capture Vesdon. Although Vesdon is a third-tier transcendent, he is a fourth-tier one. He is not afraid at all, but now Vesdon is hiding in a sturdy secret chamber he built in secret, which makes him feel like a dog biting a hedgehog, unable to find a way to attack.

The room was cramped and confined.

The inferior oil and wax emitted a pungent odor, mixed with the smell of feces and urine.

There were four people hiding inside—Viston, Melissa, their three-year-old daughter Winry, and their two-year-old son Conger. It was Viston's entire family.

"No! Impossible!"

When Vesdon heard the whispered "oppn the door" outside the secret room, he was clearly on the verge of a mental breakdown! He huddled in a corner, filthy and reeking of foul odor. His hands gripped his hair tightly, tears streaming down his face. "Why!" "Why did you do this to me?!" He clenched his fists and pounded them against the hard stone wall, making dull thuds.

"I've done everything I could!" "I've given everything for the family!" "Why do you still insist on killing me?!"

Viston couldn't understand. Why was Raven so determined to kill him? This secret phrase was known only to him and Raven; no one else could possibly know it. Now, he was hearing it from the enemy's mouth—what else could this be but a betrayal by Raven?!

He could die. Really. He wasn't afraid to sacrifice himself for his family! He wasn't afraid of death. But he couldn't bear the mental anguish. He couldn't bear the betrayal from the person closest to him, whom he admired and respected most! When he was young, he didn't understand many things. He didn't understand the good intentions behind his mother Denise's advice.

Now, however, he already knew perfectly well that whether it was Raven giving him an enchanted weapon on his birthday or taking him to the Bloodstained Heights, it was all a ploy to use him as a tool to eliminate him. Later, seeing that he was still alive, they used even more tricks on him, such as "impersonating Raven to lure the enemy" and "multiple people drawing lots, but the outcome was actually predetermined." Time and again, they wanted him to die on the Bloodstained Heights.

Are they going to resort to the same old tricks again?!
Are they using Comos as a "knife" to kill Viston?!
He spent eight long years in hiding in the capital! He bore the stigma of being a traitor, labeled "disloyal and unjust"! Now he's been imprisoned in a secret room for half a year! What do all these sacrifices amount to?! What did his two children do wrong?!

Previously, while hiding in the secret chamber, Melissa had refused to surrender, repeatedly trying to persuade Viston to come with her and surrender. After all, Melissa's grandfather was a duke! And Melissa believed her grandfather could save her and Viston's lives! But Viston refused, firmly believing Raven would come to his rescue. Now, with this secret message uttered, Viston knew Raven would no longer come to save him. Raven had abandoned him! Now, food and water were almost gone. The family of four, hiding in the secret chamber, ate, drank, and relieved themselves all in one room. One can imagine the hardship they endured. The shattering of hope was the root of Viston's suffering.

"Visdon!" "Stop struggling! Stop dreaming!" "I'll tell you the truth, Raven is in the capital right now!" "Did you hear those roars just now?" "Perhaps you're hiding in a secret room and couldn't hear them." "Let me tell you—Raven the Kingslayer." "Raven is in dire straits himself, let alone coming to save you!"

"Let's talk later"

"Since ancient times, it has always been the subject who saves the lord!" "How can a lord save his subject?!"

Comos laughed heartily and continued his psychological warfare tactics.

He wasn't in a hurry. Viston had been hiding in the secret chamber for months. His rations were almost gone, and he would have to come out and face his death sooner or later. "If you come out and surrender, I promise I'll only kill you, sparing your wife and two children. How about it?!"

"No!" "That's not right!"

Viston suddenly stood up, his eyes gleaming, staring incredulously at the person sitting at the table. "If Raven wanted to kill me, he would have done it already!" "Why go through all this trouble!" "It couldn't be him trying to kill me!" Having gone through so much, Viston had a premonition that he had gained Raven's approval and, more importantly, his trust.

"It's you!" Viston strode forward and grabbed Melissa, who had been sitting silently at the table, pulling her up. "It was you, wasn't it?!" "You betrayed me!!"

Melissa screamed in pain as the finger was being pulled, "Yes!" "It's me!" "I can't take it anymore!" "Viston!" "I don't understand why you have to do this!" "Look at our children!" "You're willing to die for Raven!" "But I'm not!" "I'm even less willing to sacrifice my two children!"

"You know what?" "I knew you were a traitor all along!" "You've been under too much pressure all this time, and your mental state is terrible!" "You keep talking in your sleep!" "That 'oppn the door!' that's what you shouted in your sleep!" "I did betray you, that's true!" "But I told you!" "My grandfather, Gottfried, will protect us!"

After hearing these words, Vesdon was utterly devastated. He seemed to have all his strength drained away, staring blankly at Melissa, the woman he loved most, his eyes filled with anger, murderous intent, disappointment, and pain…

It turns out it wasn't Raven who betrayed him. It was Melissa, the person closest to him, who betrayed him.

"Do you really think Seraphim will let your grandfather go? Do you really think he'll let your Hainhotz family go?" Veston thought Melissa was incredibly naive. She didn't understand the harsh reality at all. In fact, when he sent Ferdinand's family out of the capital, he felt the journey was surprisingly smooth, only later realizing that Seraphim had been secretly helping them. "You're too stupid!" "Melissa!" "You always thought I was hiding here for Raven's sake!" "In fact, I'm protecting the lives of two children!" "Do you believe that as soon as you open the stone door, those people will immediately kill Conger and Winry?!"

"Hmph," Melissa snorted coldly, "I'm too lazy to argue with you." Although she didn't say it explicitly, she expressed her opinion. Clearly, she didn't believe it.

She couldn't believe that her grandfather, one of the eight dukes of the entire empire, couldn't protect her and Vesdon.

……

"Visdon"

Outside the secret room, Comos was about to say something when suddenly a rumbling sound came from behind him. It was the sound of warhorses galloping and crashing against the stone slabs.

Comos instinctively turned his head, but in that fleeting glimpse, his pupils widened in shock, as if he had seen a ghost. "Ray!" "Raven???!!!"

"Humph!"

With a cold shout, Raven leaped from his warhorse, soaring and shooting through the air. "Como—" "Mo—" "Si—" Raven then revealed his killing intent, letting out a long howl, each word distinct! He had originally thought that it would be Wittus from the new faction here, but he hadn't expected it to be Comos.

The howl shook the heavens, and the clouds overhead dissipated! The hundreds of soldiers present were all greatly shocked upon hearing this howl, their faces turning pale with horror! Especially when they saw Raven flying in the air with their own eyes, they subconsciously thought that Raven was already a sixth-level transcendent! As for Comos, his face turned ashen, as if he had fallen into an ice cave!

Raven flew above Comos and the others, hovering in mid-air. His robes fluttered in the wind, and his piercing gaze swept over the stunned crowd below. Then he stretched out his palm and pressed down.

"Desolate Fall Imprisoning Heaven Palm"

Boom! ! !
The void suddenly shattered, and a colossal five-fingered hand, capable of blotting out the sky, appeared out of nowhere and descended from the heavens!

Before this palm, everyone was as insignificant as fleas, or like candles flickering in the wind, terrified out of their wits!
Comos closed his eyes and silently awaited his death.

The moment Raven appeared, Comos knew in his heart that he had been used as a pawn by Serafinu and traded to Raven! He just never expected that in only a few short years, Raven had already broken through to become a "sixth-tier" powerhouse. The combat power of ordinary sixth-tier extraordinary beings was worlds apart from his! No wonder he was able to kill Ferdinand! The rumors circulating in the capital that "Raven, at the fifth tier, reversed the situation and killed a sixth-tier being" were utter nonsense!
With a deafening roar, the giant palm slammed down, instantly turning hundreds of soldiers into a pile of minced meat. They didn't even utter a sound.

The entire ground collapsed several feet deep.

But Comos was the only one still alive and alone. Comos's heart skipped a beat. "You...you're not going to kill me?" He asked incredulously, his throat dry.

……

“Visdon.” “Oppn the door.”

A deafening roar suddenly erupted from outside the secret chamber. Immediately afterward, a deep voice rang out. Vesdon's ears twitched, yet he found it all hard to believe.

“Viston,” “I’m Raven.” “Oppn the door.”

Raven's voice came again.

After confirming this, Vesdon's expression changed. He hurriedly opened the secret chamber. Sure enough, Raven was standing outside.

Besides Raven, there were three others: Comos, Eric, and Link.

"brother"

Before he could speak, tears streamed down his face. Veston rushed forward, reeking of foul odor. Raven patted him on the back, but his gaze was fixed on what lay behind him. Melissa, carrying her son and leading her daughter by the hand, emerged from inside.

"This man is yours now." Raven smiled faintly.

Vesdon looked around and saw the five-finger-shaped crater in the ground, and the soldiers reduced to bloody, mangled flesh. A look of horror flashed in his eyes.

Then, he took a longsword from his ring and strode towards Comos, who was kneeling on the ground. "Comos," he said, "My lord has come to my rescue," "What shall we do now that we meet?" He was seething with anger. He was filled with resentment, both from Comos's mockery and from the betrayal of his wife, Melissa.

"Weis"

Comos hurriedly begged for mercy. He could offer monetary compensation, he could cede territory, as long as he could live.

But before he could finish speaking, a sharp sound rang out, a flash of cold light appeared, and his throat was slit open.

Fresh blood gushed out like a fountain.

……

(End of this chapter)