Chapter Seventy-Eight: Surrender

Walking atop the spacious and brilliantly lit royal palace, Kecus gazed at the scenery ahead, his heart filled with melancholy. In the past, though the palace was somewhat subdued due to the king's old age and inability to govern, it still retained its grandeur. Guards were numerous, attendants hurried about their duties, and a noble air lingered within the halls.

But now, though the palace remained vast and the chambers still bright, that aura had vanished completely. Kecus noticed that many of the once-standing fixtures had disappeared, and scattered fragments of stone and debris littered the ground, left untended and unswept for ages. The knights who once stood vigilant in the halls were gone; in the sprawling palace, only a handful remained, their presence casting a desolate gloom.

He glanced back to the side, where a great hall stood abandoned and ruined, as if it had been violently dismantled. Arrows could still be seen here and there, remnants of the fierce battle between the first and second princes that had shattered the hall, which still awaited repair.

Witnessing these scenes, Kecus sighed inwardly, then quietly sensed a warmth in his heart, his resolve strengthening further. Within him, the natural divine power that had long surged now gently fluctuated, as if reaching a critical threshold, ready to break through.

After walking a little farther, he came upon a place where several knights stood, their armor still intact. The scent of blood from days of fierce battle clung to them as they watched him coldly.

"His Highness summons you inside," one knight said, his tone unfriendly.

Yet Kecus merely smiled, seeming not to mind in the slightest.

Inside, the scene changed abruptly. Along the corridor, bloodstained knights stood guard on either side, silently protecting the one within. Kecus sensed powerful auras through his natural intuition, momentarily taken aback. These were the remnants of the second prince's forces, refined through years of accumulation. Though only a few remained after the great battle, they were the most elite, with several earth knights among them.

Most of these men were wounded, their armor shattered, and the scent of blood lingered despite repeated cleansing, making them appear particularly tragic. The aura of seasoned warriors greeted him, and at the topmost seat, Kezel watched Kecus approach with a cold gaze. "Even now, you dare come before me?"

With these words, a murderous atmosphere began to rise, all eyes fixed on Kecus, their expressions icy.

"Why should I not dare?" Kecus responded naturally, smiling in the face of the threat.

"In fact, I saved Your Highness once. Had the first prince not retreated so suddenly, Your Highness might already be a corpse."

"Hmph!" Kezel snorted coldly, his sneer unwavering as he looked upon the unperturbed Kecus. "So you claim that everything that happened before had nothing to do with your schemes?"

Kecus merely smiled and did not answer.

"Enough. State your purpose..." Kezel sighed, his tone weary.

When Kezel asked, Kecus remained silent for a moment, and the hall grew quiet.

"I have come to persuade Your Highness to surrender."

After a while, he looked at Kezel and spoke slowly.

"Courting death!"

The hall erupted in fury. Knights glared at Kecus, murderous intent boiling over, mingled with the flicker of battle energy.

Yet Kezel only sighed, showing no surprise at Kecus's words.

"Go, tell your king that I am willing to surrender."

He appeared dejected, speaking lightly as he calmed those around him.

As Kecus gradually left his view, a scarred middle-aged man quietly stepped forth from Kezel's side. This was Gediel, whom Kezel had rescued days before, now grievously wounded and struggling to walk.

"Your Highness, I do not understand..." Gediel looked at Kezel in confusion, his gaze bewildered.

Kezel only sighed, then looked at the restless knights below and slowly stood.

"Just now, I took men to the temple, hoping to have the High Priest summon the Ancestor God. But when I arrived, the High Priest was gone."

"The altar of the Ancestor God... was shattered..."

He spoke these words slowly, his face pale, bloodless, his eyes still tinged with shock, as if witnessing something unbelievable.

"Impossible!"

"The Ancestor God!"

Knights stared in disbelief at Kezel, shouting in astonishment.

Facing their gazes, Kezel walked slowly outside, silent all the while.

...

That day, Kezel opened the city gates and surrendered with his knights, receiving the title of count from Adis. Using Kezel's influence in Brook and the brutal suppression previously carried out by the first prince, many nobles, compelled by circumstances, surrendered and gathered under Adis's banner.

Adis welcomed these nobles, allowing them to retain their titles while gradually transferring their territories, thus weakening their influence. For the stubborn resisters, Adis ordered Bazel and others to lead troops in suppression, swiftly quelling them with the help of local priests.

Over the course of a month, as disturbances within the territory subsided and the priests soothed the populace, Brook gradually regained stability. Though not completely at peace, at least outward stability was achieved. In time, as new laws took root, the natural order of rule would strengthen.

With the establishment of the Adisian Principality and the conquest of Brook, the surrounding city-states were jolted, emissaries and spies flooding into Adis's domain. Compared to the tumultuous south, the northern region was relatively stable; even the death of a city-state king was a momentous event, not to mention Adis's audacity in annihilating two traditional city-states, each with centuries of history.

In the north, though vast, the land was sparsely populated, unlike the densely settled regions elsewhere. There were only about twenty city-states, and now two had fallen at once, sending shock and even terror through their neighbors.

Despite efforts by priests and followers of the God of Nature to hinder the spread of news, word inevitably reached the surrounding city-states. Details about Adis were sought with desperate intensity, as they tried to uncover his past.

Adis's experiences were legendary—at only fifteen, not yet of age, crowned king, personally overthrowing two city-states. Such brilliance and valor naturally aroused suspicion and curiosity.

One consequence was that every principality began to regard the followers of the God of Nature within their lands with extreme vigilance, implementing measures to persecute or expel them, striving to reduce their influence.

Adis, however, had no time to concern himself with such matters.

With the lords of Brook subdued, the road northward lay unobstructed for Adis. Days later, priests clad in ceremonial robes journeyed deeper north.

Unseen, a vast and chaotic yet singular current of destiny in the north was being drawn by some force from the south, surging, beginning to merge and flow into a slender pillar of heaven, which suddenly shone with dazzling brilliance.