Read Novel Full Chapter 728 - 407: Breaching the City
Chapter 728 - 407: Breaching the City
On top of the palace tower, the wind and rain lashed against the glazed windows, producing a faint "pitter-patter" sound.
The entire Imperial Capital trembled under the night sky, while the silhouette of the new Regent King, Rhine, was reflected on the alchemical copper wall behind the window, appearing increasingly thin and sinister.
In his hand, he held a delicate alchemy telescope, and its lens revealed a scene on the city walls that chilled his soul...
The dark gold dragon flag was being soaked in blood and rainwater, slowly raised atop the main castle tower.
It rustled fiercely in the wind.
That was the flag of the Imperial Army’s spirit... and now it represented the return of the Second Prince.
Rhine’s breath became disordered.
He witnessed his heavily armed elite knights retreating like a tide.
He saw those dragon-blood youths massacring in the blood mist, with the defenses being torn apart piece by piece.
The teacup in his hand shattered with a "crack".
Glass shards pierced into his palm, and blood slowly trickled down through the gaps between his fingers.
Yet he seemed to feel nothing, with only uncontrollable rage and an unacceptable reality in his eyes.
"Madmen..." Rhine muttered through gritted teeth. "All madmen... Kaelin has gone mad... Daring to bring the border army into the Imperial Capital... He doesn’t consider the Empire at all... Traitor! Rebel! Scoundrel!!"
The curses poured out along with his emotions.
The nearby guards were frightened and kneeled: "Your Highness... What should we do now? The Second Prince has already breached the city wall..."
Rhine took a deep breath.
When he raised his head again, his gaze had transformed from rage to a cold venom like a snake.
"What to do?" he repeated softly.
"Since my brother chose to become a monster..." his fingers stroked the cold metal of the telescope, "then don’t blame me for not showing any brotherly affection."
He abruptly stood up and shouted: "Order all Knight Teams in the inner city to press forward! The Fifth Legion, the Eleventh Legion, the Eighteenth Legion—all troops mobilize!
Tell the Legion Commanders, if they hold out tonight! I will grant them the title of Count! The title of Duke!! Grant them each one! Open the national treasury, move the gold bars to the frontlines..."
He raised his blood-stained finger, pointing to the dark battlefield outside the city.
"Kill now, settle now!!"
The guards inhaled sharply.
Rhine was completely absorbed in his logic, still believing: under lavish rewards, there will be brave men.
With three Imperial Official Knight Orders pressing forward, the wall of human and equipment advantage could wear down the Second Prince.
With sheer numbers on his side, as long as they hold... they can wait for the outer city legions to arrive for support. Just endure another half-month, and they can reverse the situation.
The alarm bells wailed throughout the city, but the three lines of defense already flickered like dying fire, illuminating weakly and extinguishing swiftly.
In the inner square, three heavy-armored formations were hastily mobilized, the Eighth Legion, the Eleventh Legion, the Fifth Legion.
Their armors were neat, formations strict, yet their demeanor differed markedly...
The Eighth Legion, with severe discipline and excellent equipment, had been loyal to the Fourth Prince from the start.
The Eleventh Legion, an ancient legion, most of whose officers had followed the Second Prince in the Southern Territory blood battles.
The Fifth Legion had just earned merits on the city wall, with pockets bulging with Rhine’s rewarded gold coins.
The three armies formed an Iron Wall, attempting to block the breached gap.
But in the next moment, the ground trembled.
The Second Prince Kaelin rode a warhorse, striding into the square from the dust and blood mist.
His armor was shattered, his cloak stained almost black with blood, his face full of scars.
Rain slid down the blood marks, making him look like a god of slaughter emerging from a massacre.
Behind him were the ferocious dragon-blood youths and the Border Army Knight Order.
That sight was like a moving hell wall, making anyone in front of it feel tightness in their chest.
An Eleventh Legion Knight Commander, braving fear, raised his longsword: "By order of the Regent King, eradicate the rebel army! All troops... charge!"
But his voice only carried halfway because the other two formations remained motionless.
Kaelin raised the dragon flag, red blood drips slid down the flagpole, slowly sweeping toward the Eleventh Legion’s ranks.
Lifting his arm, his voice tore through the rain curtain:
"Eleventh Legion!! Your legion’s banner, Broken Sword and Red Heart, was personally hung by me twenty years ago in the Southern Territory!! Is your sword now aimed against this banner?"
The Eleventh Legion’s commander felt his grip on the sword hilt tremble slightly.
He looked at Kaelin’s face, almost insane from blood and fire, but another image flooded his mind.
On the Southern Territory battlefield years ago, he had followed this man, carving out a path from mountains of corpses and seas of blood.
And now... he turned his gaze towards the palace’s direction.
Rhine hid deep within the tower, daring only to command from behind the telescope, merely scattering gold coins and shouting slogans.
The overseer officer noticed the troops wavering and roared: "Eleventh Legion! Do you intend to disobey orders?! How much gold did His Highness Rhine spend on you?!"
"Gold?" The Eleventh Legion Commander’s mouth twitched, as if hearing some absurd joke.
The next second, he drew his sword, not pointing it at the Second Prince...
But instead, slashed the sword fiercely into the overseer’s shoulder and neck!
Blood splattered, the overseer fell to the ground twitching.
The commander spun his horse around, raised his longsword high, his roar shattered the chaotic air in the inner square:
"Eleventh Legion!! Welcome the Marshal back to the palace!! Whoever dares to block—kill without mercy!!"
Thousands of knights turned toward Kaelin, uniformly raising their spears, instantly becoming allies of the Second Prince.
This sudden reversal made the Eighth Legion Knight Commander turn pale.
He abruptly looked toward the Fifth Legion.
The Fifth Legion Commander bowed his head, looking at the bulging gold coins in his pocket.
He closed his eyes... the money was plentiful, but life only comes once.
Rhine... is probably already a dead man.
He slowly raised his head and revealed a relieved smile: "Sorry, old pal."