Chapter 495: The Final Pride
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
When General Rexton came around, he felt as if his bones were no longer connected to each other.
His whole body was wet as if he was splashed with a basinful of water. Everywhere of his hurts, but he still managed to open his eyes. It was that moment when he realized that the pain he felt was not even qualified to be called pain.
Before his eyes were the ten mages, the impostor of a king, and their leader.
All of them were staring straight at him, and their eyes…. Well, they were as far from friendly as they can be.
General Rexton immediately decided to use all his might to struggle. However, he realized that his limbs were bound with hemp rope, and it was difficult to even move an inch of his body. It was basically impossible for him to escape.
Then, he remembered what happened before he passed out.
The peculiar shadow trapped him, which led him to become a hostage to these crooks. In an attempt to save him, they suggested a compromise with the wanted hooligans, and then….. And then, he was knocked out by the strong grip of the shadows.
What happened? How did he end up here in this unfamiliar house? Why would the leader of the hooligans, the most difficult of them all, appear before him?
"You finally came to, General Rexton." Benjamin greeted with a smile. In the ears of General Rexton, it sounded like the low murmuring of a devil.
"You…. What are you trying to do?" He could only spit ragefully, his voice so raspy as if he could cough out blood.
"We’re not planning to do anything. We just wanted to inform you of a very important message." The smile left Benjamin’s face. He then continued calmly, "Icor just sent their army and have successfully broken through the defense at the borders of Carretas. The war has begun."
"What? You…."
The blood drained out of General Rexton’s face. However, right after he recovered from the shock, he immediately grew furious again because this damned mage must be lying to him again.
Although he was never stationed at the borders, he still understood the situation of the area. A precarious landscape guarded by almost 80,000 soldiers, penetrating the fort was not an easy task to start with.
Thus, he seethed, "Enough. To dare to weave lies like this, you…."
Benjamin cut him off directly.
"You don’t believe me, right? Okay, follow me."
Before General Rexton could react, a dense, moist, and warm air current twirled over with a wave of Benjamin’s hands. Immediately, the windows of the room were blew open wide, and General Rexton was carried by the current out of the window and elevated him directly to the sky.
"....You…. What are you doing?"
In the air, he was rapidly gaining distance with the ground, the wind billowing past his ears. Rexton was stunned, his voice shaking as he asked.
He never had an experience in flying.
Benjamin, who flew before him, turned to him. He said nonchalantly, "I’m bringing you to the sky, so you could see for yourself whether Icor’s soldiers invaded."
Rexton had no words for that. He just stared with wide eyes.
He never doubted the official letter that was sent to him from Geallore. No one should challenge the authenticity of the royalty. The fugitives appeared out of nowhere and stole the crown and sigil; the king must have been frustrated. How could he allow himself to be cheated by the hooligans, thus adding burden to His Majesty?
Hence, Benjamin and his men were always felons who mastered the art of conning others to him.
However, when the king stood at the entrance of the village, and criticised his whole family, getting the names and details down to the tiniest dot, his faith quaked for the very first time. He could not clearly recall what His Majesty looked like anymore; after all, he has not met His Majesty for years already. Though, Rexton cannot deny that the feeling was quite familiar.
It did not take him long to blame the suspicion in his heart to the opponent’s lying skills. It was not difficult to impersonate a person, and as long as one had the chance to read enough books, they would also know the origins of the royal family, and also the history of his own. That string of statements could not prove anything.
Thus, he was immensely ashamed of the doubt that blossomed in his heart, which fueled his hatred towards these mobsters.
However, presently…..
Setting aside the immense shock that he felt from the fact that he was flying, the unwavering look on the other man once again started to plant the seed of doubt in Rexton’s mind. Could it be that they are speaking the truth? Icor actually attacked the kingdom?
If that was real….. He could not bear to imagine so.
Carretas’s mountains and earth flew past beneath his feet. He glanced down, his thoughts muddled.
He was as quiet as death.
Benjamin was silent as well, he had no intention to speak. Two of the men were high in the sky, and they faced the sunset and flew towards the East, washed in the few last rays of sunlight.
The silence carried on for the next 5 hours.
Suddenly, Benjamin spoke, shaking Rexton from his quiet daze. "Look, those are all refugees who fled the borders." Rexton realized that they were already back on the ground, and it was already night. The hemp rope that bound him was nowhere to be found.
Surprised, he moved his limbs while he looked at the direction.
On the road in front of him were people with their luggage on their back, or pushing a cart. Some of them sat in a carriage, and all of them rushed towards them. They looked worn and weary, their children wrapped on their back, their wives in their arms, their dismal faces coated with a layer of dirt and soot. They looked as if they had trudged on this journey for a very long time, like they were chased by an unknown force.
Rexton stopped in his tracks.
"Why are you all stunned for? Go get someone and ask some questions." Benjamin’s voice was heard from behind him. "Go ask, and find out if we’re lying to you."
Rexton snapped back into attention. He curled his fist and swallowed. He threw a backward glance at Benjamin before he stepped forwards, stopping a pedestrian rushing on his journey.
"You… Where are you going?"
The pedestrian looked shocked and gave Rexton a once over. "What to where? To somewhere where we could live, of course! The people of Icor came and attacked, and it was so scary. Fire and blood were everywhere….. What are you doing, standing here? Run, quick! Are you an idiot or what?"
As he spoke, the pedestrian struggled out of Rexton’s grip, and continued to hurry along his way, dragging his heavy luggage in his wake.
Rexton, on the other hand, stood unmoving like a statue.
He was probably stunned for too long that Benjamin had no choice to come to him. He said, "It’s time for you to realize it, no? When Icor was attacking the country with their army, you were busy laying siege to a village of your own, with soldiers that never belonged to you. You did that on your personal grudge."
"I…. it was not for a personal grudge."
"Is that so?" Benjamin huffed out a laughter. "Be honest with yourself. Are you sure that there was no relation between you leading men to surround the village and the fact that I sneaked into your camp? Are you absolutely sure?"
Rexton was silent once again.
Benjamin continued, "So… What do you mean by your ‘loyalty’? Is it supposed to be you protecting the sovereignty of your kingdom or a mere excuse you came up with to deal with me?"
"I…."
Benjamin shook his head.
"General Rexton, you’re really not worthy of the honor your father worked so hard to gain."
"Enough!" Rexton finally bellowed, unable to face it anymore. "I want to go to Geallore. I want to see the king, and once I meet His Majesty, everything will be clear."
"That’s foolish." Benjamin’s laugh was cold. "What if everything I said was true? That the king in the castle was an impostor? You will be trapped in the castle, and then controlled by the church by some unknown method. Then, the vow that you made before would be cast aside and stepped on like dirt. You will serve the church and the fake king, and the only, true king would have his life and country threatened by your stubbornness and your foolishness."
"I… I will never."
"How could you be sure?"
Rexton took a deep breath, and suddenly took out the command token tied around his waist. Then, he tossed it to Benjamin with excess force.
"This is a keepsake that authenticates the army’s command. I will also pass you a handwritten letter. If I did not resurface after 5 days, you can use them to command my men."
Benjamin held the token with a frown.
"What about you then…"
"Don’t worry." Rexton has a look of stubborn pride on his face, his chin tilted upwards, "If the king in Geallore is fake, I will die before they could control me."