Vlad turned his eyes toward the Azarin Empire, an overwhelming rage invading his heart that urged him to rally all his forces and march into that country, killing everything inside. However, he clenched his fists with all his strength before taking a deep breath, calming his mind and heart.
’I cannot lose control, not again.’ Vlad knew that his state during the Strong Hammer Military Base battle was wrong. As a Depravita, he needed to control those raging emotions, not succumb to them.
Everything turned out all right now, but the same might not happen next time, and people could die due to his carelessness.
"What happened to the people of the Strong Hammer Military Base?" Vlad was not blinded enough to forget the reason he and his Royal Guards marched to meet the soldiers of the Azarin Empire.
"Ultimately, we managed to save two thousand five hundred and sixty-nine civilians. We met with a few hundred Constantine Country’s soldiers once we marched into the Strong Hammer Military Base. All of them were sent back to the Silent Wind Military Base, placed in confined locations, and are being assessed by Chief Counselor Aloz to determine what to do," Jormungandr explained. With Vlad unconscious, the control over the Xaos Kingdom passed to him, and he made sure to live up to the responsibility.
Although they saved over two thousand lives, Vlad could not help but feel his wrath growing again since, according to their reports, there were more than ten thousand civilians in the base. All the others must have perished under the savage massacre perpetrated by the Azarin Empire’s soldiers.
"I will focus on my recovery, and then we will return to the Silent Wind Military Base to plan our next move." Vlad’s voice was cold, indicating the state of his heart and mind before he walked back into the pool of Molten Demonblood Essence.
Jormungandr and Freya watched Vlad’s figure vanish into the pool, and they could feel the wrath inside his heart. The young man managed to keep it under control, but once it was finally unleashed upon the Azarin Empire, the streets would run red with blood.
The young Viking princess and the Depravita of Gluttony glanced at each other before turning to their training. The bloodshed would be terrifying, and dozens of thousands, if not hundreds, would perish, but there was no longer a peaceful path between both nations; that ended with the life of Cazan.
A solemn aura spread across the entire Silent Wind Military Base as a large carriage crossed the streets. Atop it was a large, majestic dark coffin, and inside lay a young man. His eyes were closed, and he had a peaceful smile on his face.
Thousands of civilians glanced at the coffin from the sides, all of them showing respectful stances and pure admiration as they paid their respects to the deceased Royal Guard who perished protecting the Xaos King.
Jormungandr, Grand Marshal Anglius, and Chief Counselor Aloz had decided to organize such a grand funeral to honor the memory and exalt the life of Cazan. While it might seem a little too much, it was important for a kingdom to honor its fallen warriors, ensuring that even in death, one could rise to glory.
Five people stood behind the hearse. They all wore dark armor, and the woman at the lead carried a small white dog in her arms.
Mirena’s eyes were bloodshot from all the tears she had shed over the past month, and the small white dog, Oro, was in her embrace, the sadness on his face evident as he glanced at the coffin.
The group was accompanied by a solemn atmosphere as they reached the final burial ground of the Royal Guard, a place above all others worthy of his status and sacrifice.
Far away from the Silent Wind Military Base, in an entirely different country, there was a massive white stone castle. It was nothing short of majestic, glowing with a powerful energy that seemed to flood the sky.
Outside the castle, thousands of people prostrated themselves, praying every single second, the devotion in their eyes reaching fanaticism. None dared speak too loudly, merely whispering.
Deep inside the castle was a massive hall with a large table and ten people around it. One of them was the old man who had caused the death of Cazan, his face full of rage and hatred.
"Why have we yet to make a move? What are we waiting for to march into that country? We must kill that person as soon as possible!" the old man spat, glaring at the rest of the people in the hall, demanding action.
The people in the room glanced at the old man, many of the generals furious as they heard his words, yet none dared to go against him.
The only one who dared to speak against the old man was a middle-aged figure with a white crown on his head. "Your Holiness Jerom, you took half of the military power of the entire empire and lost them all. How do you expect the empire to charge when there are so few soldiers?"
Jerom clenched his fists, the rage on his face growing stronger as he heard those words. While he dared to shut down everybody else, he knew that the man with the crown was someone he had to be careful around. "Is Your Highness Dimitry stating we should allow the danger to fester in the corrupt country?"
The middle-aged man with the crown kept his composure much better than the old man and calmly shook his head. "Of course not. The Constantine Country’s civilization must be erased as they are an affront to the Goddess, but we must first improve our forces."
A cold light appeared in Dimitry’s eyes as he reached this point, and then he continued in a voice full of disgust and disdain. "Once the armament is completed, we will butcher all those monkeys."
End of Book 2 - The Bloody Path of a World King.