Turning Chapter 895

Chapter 895

"Yuder, have you heard? The people from the Imperial Knights sent by Diarca to watch us have all withdrawn."

"Yes."

"Ah, you already knew?"

Not long after, Kiolle departed. The Diarca House had hoped their youngest son would impress Duke Peletta and the Herne Family by defeating the members of the Cavalry. Unfortunately, none of their expectations were met.

The only solace, perhaps, was Kiolle's quiet handling of the brainwashed Crown Prince's misdeeds, but even that relief was short-lived. Just before Kiolle's party arrived in the capital, Emperor Keilusa detonated a metaphorical bomb, having waited for the right moment.

Where has the Crown Prince, who vowed to investigate those who dared to invade the Imperial Palace, gone? Can we really entrust responsibility to someone who abandons his post without a sense of duty?

The Emperor had feigned ignorance of the Crown Prince's absence, biding his time for this moment. Duke Diarca might have thought that the Emperor would soon restore the Crown Prince's image, but Emperor Keilusa was already aware of their ulterior motives.

At the moment when Duke Diarca felt most secure, the Emperor loudly proclaimed the Crown Prince's unauthorized departure from the palace across the nation. The young Crown Prince might have ventured out of curiosity, but the issue was that he had been tasked with capturing the intruders at the Sun Palace.

The Crown Prince, having taken on an important public duty, left his post without informing the Emperor and Empress. Moreover, it had been days since he left the palace, and the Diarca House kept silent, causing a stir in the imperial nobility.

The topic of imperial responsibility was always a potent one.

Emperor Keilusa, who had suffered under the weight of responsibility for not producing an heir and for his chronic illness preventing him from appearing in public, knew this better than anyone. His efforts to adopt a capable heir instead of a biological child, and his management of state affairs despite not being publicly active, were always overshadowed by this responsibility.

In the past, the reason Emperor Keilusa even became the Crown Prince was due to the health issues of Prince Kishiar, which had brought the topic of responsibility to the forefront.

Now, it was time for Duke Diarca, who had once been vocal critics of the Emperor, to taste their own medicine. In the past, the Four Great Duke Houses would unite in such situations, but this time, there was no one to support them.

After casting doubt on whether the irresponsible Crown Prince was fit for his position, the Emperor did not hesitate to praise the Cavalry and General Gino, along with the people in the southern part of the Empire, for their heroic deeds in protecting the nation.

Their responsible actions in rebuilding the South signify the reconstruction of the Empire itself. May all those with purpose contribute to the South's restoration.

By condemning the Crown Prince's irresponsible actions and then making such a statement, the Emperor boldly sent resources and manpower to the South, leaving Duke Diarca with no grounds for opposition. Moreover, they were compelled to offer resources for the South's aid, seemingly to appease the deeply upset Emperor.

Many were surprised that this was the first time since Emperor Keilusa's ascension that Duke Diarca did not oppose the Emperor's will. It signified the severity of the Crown Prince's actions.

And so, as everyone's attention was focused on the power struggle unfolding in the capital, the Herne Family and the Cavalry, having received supplies and manpower, began to exhibit a slightly unusual activity.

"Come on! Stack it higher! Higher!"

"Aaaah!"

With thunderous shouts, the uniformed individuals exerted their strength in unison. Enveloped in an invisible force, massive stones soared through the air, landing neatly atop the high wall. They were constructing the wall in front of the port that covered a third of Charloin.

Passersby halted in their tracks, astonished by the immense height of the wall, easily surpassing a two-story building.

Children clapped their hands in amazement at witnessing such power for the first time, while the elders were too busy adding their commentary.

A merchant, passing by at that moment, widened his eyes in disbelief.

"Good heavens, what is all this? Are they Awakeners?"

"What? Is this your first time here?"

"Yes, I just arrived yesterday... but what is all this?"

An elderly onlooker, hands clasped behind his back, chuckled and explained to the merchant.

"Charloin recently suffered greatly due to monsters. Can you believe it rained monsters from the sky, hundreds of them?"

"I heard there was some damage, but rain... I'm not sure."

"That's right. But we hardly lost any precious lives. All thanks to those people over there. They're followers of the great General Gino and the wise Duke Peletta."

"Ah... the Cavalry, right? The Awakener group?"

"Not just the Cavalry. There are others following General Gino now. They are quite remarkable."

The elder, who had been proudly discussing the Cavalry and the Imperial Army's Special Forces, smiled as he watched more stones rise.

"When the monster attack and hailstorm destroyed our breakwater here, the Cavalry volunteered to rebuild it. They promised to make it last at least 500 years. It doesn't cost us a dime or any effort, so we can only be grateful."

"I see..."

The merchant finally understood the purpose of the high wall. It was a breakwater to protect against high tides.

"Is it okay to build the breakwater so high?"

"Why not? The South hardly gets rain, but the land is lower than the water level. When it rains, the whole city could flood. We always wanted something like this... I'm glad to see it in my lifetime."

The old man then began praising the First Princess of the Herne House, who had decisively contributed to the breakwater's construction. Despite losing her father in a tragic way, she tirelessly worked for the South, and the old man's expression was filled with pride as he spoke about the young future Duchess.

"That's impressive indeed."

"Indeed, it is. If they relied only on human strength, it wouldn't have been built so quickly. The power of the Awakener is truly remarkable."

With the old man's smile, more boulders soared into the sky.

The merchant moved away from the breakwater construction site and walked down the street. Charloin had always been a bustling port city, but it also had the air of a city of pleasure.

However, today's Charloin was different in many ways.

The streets no longer had people drinking and promoting illegal fighting rings. People walked confidently, their faces bright, hard to believe that the city had recently been attacked by a horde of monsters. Soldiers and knights maintaining order seemed to be more disciplined than ever.

Could this really be the same city he had visited before? The merchant, puzzled, headed towards a tavern that was open from the early hours. As he approached, he overheard some patrons conversing.

"Hey, did you hear? Another strange crack appeared in Mclara. Soldiers came and went."

"They saw it in Sluban and Alsara too."

"I thought we might have to leave the South... but somehow, it doesn’t seem necessary now."

"With the Cavalry and soldiers patrolling the streets and inspecting buildings every day, where else could be safer than here?"

"Yeah, maybe that's why."

People laughed heartily and clinked their glasses. The merchant's face, momentarily altered by the mention of strange cracks, soon returned to an expressionless state.

Sitting alone in a corner, sipping beer, he attracted no particular attention. The merchant listened to the conversations around him while he finished his beer. Then, he placed a scrap of paper on the table and scribbled a message with a piece of charcoal.

The atmosphere here is unlike anything we had anticipated. The land still trembles with imbalance, but the people are not anxious; the streets brim with hope. We have yet to find any trace of Aton. Everyone speaks of the Cavalry as the reason for all this.

Having written thus far, the merchant paused briefly before adding one last sentence.

Could they possibly know what might happen due to the imbalance? I can't believe Aton would betray us, but that's the only feeling I get from the current situation. Anyway, I will continue to monitor the response.

The merchant finished his beer, folded the paper, and tucked it into his pocket. He then stepped outside and gave a short whistle.

A carrier pigeon swiftly descended onto his hand. The merchant attached the note to the bird's leg and sent it off before looking back.

In his view, the Cavalry's southern branch loomed in the distance.