Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Flower petals adorn the ground as sunlight shone upon the temple. The elegantly dressed nobles and armored warriors stood by the sides, as a young choir sang on the stage.
Adonis was lavishly dressed, entering through the room with the most important leaders of the country with an air of confidence. On the other end of the room, dressed in a large red robe with the pattern of the sun on it, Cardinal Peter awaited him, holding the crown.
Rays of light were shining on Adonis’ feet and covering his visage with gold. As he made his way, his feet tread upon beautiful blooming petals. His aura exuded a solemn religious authority, yet the corner of Adonis’ mouth was slightly curled in derision.
Raucous cheers and claps filled the space as the crowd went wild. After all, Adonis was their promised king. As he boarded the platform and lowered his head, he kissed Cardinal Peter’s hand.
Peter looked at Adonis with a complicated gaze, while he delivered his prayers before crowning him. “As the cardinal of the Church of Light, by god’s name, I crown Adonis Mara the King of Mara Kingdom.”
Adonis sat down on the throne, watching the sea of people cheering his good name. As he sat, illuminated by the bright sunlight, he laughed hollowly to himself. Adonis felt as if his own life was but a dream, as if he was playing a role within a fairytale movie.
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Suddenly, outside the city, a large number of people started rushing towards Babus. The merchant caravans and ships outside the city gate were terrified, as the bridge leading into the city was being swamped. Many people fell into the water below, hurrying to escape on their alpacoids. Even their merchandise had been discarded and trampled.
In the distance, a large number of knights appeared. It was obvious that they were not normal soldiers, as their silver armor glistened in the sun. No one knew who these soldiers pledged their allegiance to, or their purpose.
But, it was clear that they were not just out for a leisurely stroll! Thus, all the people panicked and they tried to escape into the city.
“The knights are coming!”
“What happened? Why is the army invading Babus? If it is an enemy army, then why weren’t the alarms sounded?”
“Where did they come from? Why didn’t anyone sense their approach?”
“Scram! I have to get into the city!”
“Get out of the way you peasants! I am a Baron! Let me through!”
The crowd rioted, screaming and yelling angrily as the gates were closed and the drawbridge was raised. With its high walls and the river surrounding it, the city of Babus had been outfitted for siege warfare during its construction. So, even if there were only a few thousand men from the Defense Force with a thousand from the King’s Guard, they would be able to fend off hundreds of thousands of enemies for at least a few months. In the meantime, reinforcements from all over the Mara Kingdom would rush to their aid.
Of course, if there were no reinforcements, any attempt to hold out would be meaningless. Therefore, the Mara family had forged strong alliances with the regional nobles. As such, the decentralized Mara Kingdom was more like a tight chain of alliances.
“An enemy army is attacking the city!”
“With such a large army, this is probably means war!”
Yet, as the army approached the city, not a single alarm went off. Although the soldiers at the city wall still stood guard, there was no sign of panic. This confused the civilians that were rushing home. All of the street vendors celebrating in the city cleared the streets as everyone evacuated.
Many people were pushed to the ground, with many women screaming, their lovely skirts torn by the stampeding crowd. The streets were cleared in record time, now completely bare, from the palace to the plaza to the main avenues to the alleys.
“Emergency warning! No one is allowed on the streets!”
“Hurry home. Do not step outside until further notice! Otherwise, you will be jailed!”
“Everyone go home. This is an emergency notice…”
All of the city guards headed out immediately. They cleared the crowds swiftly, while announcing the emergency protocol throughout all of the streets and alleys.
The fear of war was imprinted within the hearts of all the people. Eyes darted out through the cracks of doors, as the civilians stared fearfully at the patrolling soldiers.
All of the troops were guarding the entrances to the sewers. Several of the entrances had already been sealed during the last few days. The ones that they had left open were either essential to the citizens’ daily lives or were impossible to secure discreetly.
As they were sealing the entrances, many personnel had become infected, then had to be quarantined and treated. During this period of time, the number of disappearances within the city continuously decreased and no more strange deaths occurred.
Meanwhile, the city’s Defense Force was monitoring an entrance near the city center. This was an important channel to the main waterway of Babus. According to Edward’s estimation, it was the largest ghoul lair.
Based on the blueprints of Babus’ sewage, the entire sewage system was a maze. Beneath their feet, under the central plaza, there was a large cavern space that was split into many levels. It was large enough to hold tens of thousands of people. It was via this complicated network of channels that the ghouls were able to find their victims.
It took dozens of men and horses to remove the seal stone of this entrance. After they did so, a gigantic space was revealed far below the entrance. A ring of patterns could be seen circling the stones of the entrance.
This entrance had clearly not been opened since the inception of Babus. As the sunlight hit the opening, monsters emerged, howling.
Scurrying footsteps were heard, as they crawled towards the surface. Eerie beast-like screams from countless bodies also filled the air. The sounds got closer and closer as the monsters gathered.
“Everyone get ready to pour the oil! Don’t let a single one escape!” the Defense Force commander ordered.
The city Defense force was ready. None of them had the intent to descend into or peep inside the hole. They had prepared the oil beforehand, which they swiftly poured into the darkness. This caused many of the ghouls to slip.
Countless carts of the oil were poured, without regards to cost. A soldier stood by the entrance, holding a torching as he looked down. He could already see the sinister scowls of many ghouls below. They scaled the walls like four-legged beasts, each with glowing red eyes and an intent to consume the living.
Their numbers extended far into the darkness. When the first ghoul emerged into the sun, the men threw down their torches all at once.
“Light it up!” the commander shouted.
The flames quickly expanded, then extended downwards and turned the cavern into a sea of flames. The ghouls, now drenched in oil, turned into undead torches, screaming piteously as they fell further down.