Witch, Fireball and Steam Evil God

Chapter 280 Destiny is mine
Ethan thought a lot along the way. He felt that the palace guards couldn't be entirely blamed. To put it another way, it was like you were eating hotpot and singing, and suddenly someone popped up and told you that he was Qin Shi Huang, who had won the resurrection match.

Everyone knows that Qin Shi Huang cannot be resurrected, but Vivian is truly the current king of the Galog Dynasty…

Well, Ethan didn't know how to rank people after a thousand years either; this touched on a blind spot in his knowledge.

In the dimly lit room, the captain of the guards sat opposite the two men. He probably mistook Ethan and Vivian for con artists and didn't bother to be wary of them.

This unexpected encounter even amused him. After all, it was quite a strange thing to run into two con artists after such a great upheaval in the kingdom. Seeing that Ethan and Vivian were both young, he guessed that they were siblings. Considering the mess outside the palace, he asked, "Tell me, are you short of money and planning to flee?"

This stirred his compassion, and he could immediately recall that the two of them had been ransacked by drunken soldiers from the enemy country and forced to flee. Now, they were simply looking for money to get away from this troublesome place.

As the chief of the royal guard, he had recently witnessed many such tragedies, but he was powerless to do anything about it.

The war has been a complete failure.

"This... is a bit complicated."

Ethan hesitated to speak.

Because in a sense, making the king believe in Princess Vivian's identity was for the sake of Merlin's legacy. If he were Merlin, and designed this series of quests to bring them back to 407, he would definitely have prepared a "generous" reward for them here.

However, the current situation of the dynasty is complicated. At this time, the sudden appearance of a "descendant of the dynasty" of unknown origin who demands a share of the inheritance feels somewhat like a feud between powerful families.

So the question is, even if they can convince the young king of Princess Vivian's identity, would he be willing to share Merlin's legacy with them?

"It's okay, you can explain slowly."

The commander of the Imperial Guard adopted a posture of listening attentively.

This surprised Ethan. He had thought that the captain of the guards, who had brought them here, would torture them, but the captain acted like a young man being reprimanded, making it difficult for him to carry out his escape plan.

Seeing that Ethan was unwilling to speak, the captain of the guard asked again, "Is there some difficulty you've encountered? There's no one else here, so you can tell me without worry."

I just can't bring myself to do it!

In times of chaos, such upright people are truly rare.

If he were to act rashly, Ethan felt he would want to slap himself when he woke up in the middle of the night.

"Although it may be hard to believe, she is indeed the rightful heir to the Garlog dynasty."

"You mean she's the old king's illegitimate daughter?"

The captain of the guard was still trying to understand Ethan's explanation. If what Ethan said was true, it would make things even more complicated. The old king had just passed away, and the dynasty was in chaos. The current young king... was also elected by those nobles.

In fact, signing the treaty of defeat and ceding territory was the idea of ​​those ministers.

They valued the power in their hands more than the glory of the dynasty or the integrity of their territory.

Thinking of this, the captain of the guard's expression became somewhat solemn. Fortunately, the helmet that symbolized the glory of the Garlog dynasty always helped him conceal the changes in his expression, avoiding a lot of unnecessary trouble.

He had recently heard some unpleasant rumors in the city. Long before the war ended, some nobles in the Galog dynasty had colluded with foreign tribes, and their actions were partly responsible for the disastrous defeat at the front.

Troop deployments, marching routes, food reserves, and even detailed information about commanders were all leaked long before the war broke out.

Weakhearted.

The captain of the guard could hardly describe the frustration he felt. The enemy had stationed their troops in the capital, and after getting drunk, they had been provoking and causing trouble, making life miserable for the people of the royal city. As the last line of defense for the Galog Dynasty, they were ordered not to fight these troublemakers.

If the old king were still alive...

All these thoughts naturally did not escape the eyes of the gossip king, the Electric Element. Ethan also fell silent along with the Captain of the Guard. He thought of the Empire, where the Papacy interfered in politics and joined forces with many nobles to persecute those who refused to submit to them. Now it seemed that perhaps most dynasties ended up like this.

Moreover, he didn't know how to comfort the Commander of the Imperial Guard.

From a historical perspective, after this winter, the territory of the Galog dynasty would be divided in two, and for the next thousand years, their descendants were unable to recover the lost territory.

Before long, hurried footsteps could be heard outside the prison.

The two guards rushed here and immediately reported to the guard captain that something had happened in the royal city.

The enemy troops stationed in the capital are causing trouble again, but this time it's a little different.

They surrounded the Duke's manor, but the manor refused to open its gates. The rioting soldiers then brought torches, intending to burn the entire manor down.

The Duke was a former official of the old king and a benefactor who had promoted the captain of the royal guard; his subordinates came for this very reason.

Upon hearing this, the captain of the Imperial Guard's expression changed. He quickly instructed Ethan and Vivian to stay here and not wander off, and then immediately led a squad of Imperial Guards toward the city gates.

A brief silence fell over the dimly lit prison. Vivian, who had remained silent, gazed outside the prison toward the place where the captain of the guards had left.

It seems that this is a "careless" prison guard. When he left, he only symbolically closed the cell door without locking it. Is this... encouraging them to escape?
But she doesn't want to escape from prison right now.

Everything happening here at this moment has a great impact on her. For the people of Sivarantin, the Galog Dynasty is a sacred place in their hearts. The history books that Vivian has read all describe the glory of the dynasty in great detail, while the years after the death of the High Guardian Merlin are usually glossed over.

Now, she is witnessing the dynasty's decline firsthand.

“I had heard about the Empire before; quite a few people have fled to Sivarandin.”

Vivian's feelings were complicated. At this time, the Garlog Dynasty was just like the empire not long ago, shrouded in darkness and hopeless. Everyone thought that this corrupt kingdom would soon fall apart. However, the appearance of one person changed the course of history that should have happened.

No one could have imagined that when the Golden Kingdom descended, a catastrophe comparable to that of nature, the Empire and Ophira of the Western Continent would become the last line of defense for the rebels.

And the person who changed the course of history was sitting right next to her at that moment.

"Ethan, what did you do back then?"

Vivian turned her head and asked seriously.

Pope Julius, along with the nobles and the inquisition who colluded with him, and all the rebels were burned at the stake. The empire's situation at that time was probably much worse than that of the Gallog dynasty in 407.

"I also heard that the Pope, together with his associates, launched a rebellion."

She also heard that the rebels had an overwhelming advantage in strength during the rebellion. On the day the rebellion broke out, a spy from Sivarantin brought the news. She also remembered her father pacing back and forth in the courtyard in a panic. Those who knew about the matter believed that the reign of Henry the Great was doomed.

"If you're curious, go and see for yourself."

Ethan didn't answer, but instead made a suggestion.

Vivian's question reminded him that a new plan was taking shape in his mind. Ivy had raised the same question with him when faced with the changes in the capital, which led him to devise a plan.

Slipping out of the prison wouldn't be difficult for them. If Merlin could precisely control the timeline related to the mission, the departure of the Royal Guard might also be part of his plan. After the Royal Guard leaves, the players and the descendants of the Garg dynasty could use this opportunity to escape from the prison and try to get close to the young king.

As the captain of the royal guards left, he also revealed a hidden message to them—he had taken many guards with him, and the patrols within the palace were now extremely weak.

Therefore, the correct "passage procedure" should be that they use the cover of night to avoid the patrolling guards and find a road leading to the king's residence.

Whether the player can persuade the king to share Merlin's legacy with them depends on their eloquence.

But Ethan doesn't intend to do that now.

He chose the opposite direction, taking Vivian with him and heading straight towards the outskirts of the capital.

The Duke's manor was not hard to find; the sky was lit up by flames from a distance, and thick smoke spread throughout the capital. The captain of the royal guard arrived too late. By the time he and his men got there, the manor was already engulfed in flames. More than a dozen guards lay dead at the entrance. The assembled soldiers blocked the royal guards from the manor, completely cutting off their chance to rescue the people.

Through the crowd, one could also see the Duke and his family.

Faced with the laughing enemy soldiers, the Duke did not retreat an inch. He stood in front of the crowd and glared angrily at these outsiders.

The scorching heat had already caused his skin to fester, and the remaining guards showed no intention of surrendering to these outsiders.

His overly upright character was probably the reason for the Duke's misfortune.

He refused to compromise with others and continued to urge the king not to bow to the enemy until the arrival of the enemy delegation. He also pointed out that an internal reform was imperative if the war was to be won.

These soldiers, who appeared to be drunk and causing trouble, were actually well-prepared.

Before arriving in the capital, they had obtained a list of names of people who would cause trouble.

Once these people are eliminated, the gold, silver, jewels, beautiful women, and family members in the manor can be disposed of at will.

The guards were also furious, gripping their sharp blades, waiting for the commander's order. The drunken soldiers were not afraid at all; instead, they laughed and provocatively questioned the approaching guards.

Peace negotiations are still ongoing, and the guards of the Galog dynasty would never dare to lay a hand on them. Once tonight is over, he only needs to attribute the crime to alcoholism, draft a formulaic apology letter, and have it delivered to the Galog royal family through a diplomat. The matter can then be easily dismissed.

After all, many people within the Galog dynasty had long wanted to get rid of this troublesome fellow.

The captain of the guard looked past the soldiers blocking his way and at the Duke who was about to be engulfed in flames. He had received clear orders beforehand that no matter what happened in the capital, he must not engage in conflict with the other side without the king's permission.

Even if they commit arson, murder, and looting in the capital, even if they recklessly provoke the royal guards under the influence of alcohol, they must not lay a hand on them. This is an order personally issued by the king.

The Duke seemed to notice him as well. After a moment of eye contact, a look of relief flashed across his cloudy eyes. Then, he shook his head slightly at the Captain of the Guard.

Vivian saw all of this.

She clenched her fists in anger.

At this moment, just as at that moment.

Before the rebellion broke out in the empire, Pope Julius and his cronies also presided over a public trial.

"At the time, Julius wanted to intimidate Ivy and force her to comply, and he also wanted to burn her father to death in the same way."

"So... how did she do it?"

A hint of surprise flashed across Vivian's eyes, and she asked impatiently.

“She went to the execution ground herself and stood in the first row of the crowd.”

Vivian became even more nervous; her heart was pounding. She asked softly, "Is her father... gone?"

Julius failed.

Ethan said, "Just as the execution was about to take place, a sudden downpour began. It was said to be the heaviest downpour in the Empire in a hundred years, with winds strong enough to blow people away."

Vivian's eyes widened immediately.

A sudden downpour stopped the execution—a scene straight out of a myth!

She looked up at the sky almost immediately, her eyes full of anticipation.

Will it rain heavily now?
However, she was met with the sound of a heavy object falling to the ground. Vivian looked in the direction of the sound and immediately saw the manor collapsing in the flames. Falling beams crashed down, and the scorching heat would soon engulf the people trapped inside the manor.

A cheer erupted from the soldiers; to them, it was like a grand fireworks display.

The captain of the Imperial Guard closed his eyes tightly, and his clenched fists loosened weakly at that moment.

Vivian stood there for a long time, then finally bit her lower lip and lowered her head.

In the actual course of history, the capital city did not experience a downpour on this day, and for a dynasty on the verge of collapse, everything that was happening at that moment was perfectly reasonable.

The sounds of the entire world seemed to be filled with the soldiers' laughter and cheers, until, after an unknown amount of time, their cheers suddenly stopped, replaced by astonished gasps.

In that golden sea of ​​fire, those who should have been burned to death still stood upright.

Even more bizarrely, they seemed to have adapted to the temperature of the flames, and even their festering skin was healing at a visible speed.

The flames became their friends at that moment, transforming into a barrier that protected them.

Vivian glanced at the young man beside her again, knowing this was another of Ethan's tricks.

Ethan is an elemental sculptor, perhaps even more powerful than Merlin.

"According to the customs of my hometown, this can only mean one thing."

If he were just an ordinary elemental econometrician, he should be on his way to meet the young king right now, and none of this would concern him.

But he found a different answer within the established task framework.

Why be so insistent on persuading the king of the dynasty and those corrupt nobles?

Whether they admit it or not, Vivian carries the blood of a dynasty's heir.

"At this moment, destiny is in your hands, Your Highness."

(End of this chapter)