“Milton, who was that person just now? How could anyone possess supreme divine power?” Tristan asked.
The initial shock barely lasted a second before a wave of excitement surged through him.
He saw the figure wave its hand and trigger a phenomenon that defied nature itself, clearing away the scarlet mist that had blanketed miles of land. This was beyond human capability, so he thought that person should be a terrestrial immortal.
“It’s too far away, and I can’t get a clear look, Your Highness,” Milton replied, his eyes still widened with barely contained shock.
That figure’s strength was beyond anything he’d ever imagined. It was so overwhelming that he felt as though he was witnessing something otherworldly.
He never would’ve thought someone that powerful could be hiding in a place like Ashen Coast. Such abilities could potentially equal those of Sacred Wrym Summit’s master. He believed that figure could reverse catastrophe through sheer force of will alone.
“Find out who it was. Do it now!” Tristan exclaimed with barely contained excitement.
He added, “We need to track down that person at all costs. If someone of such divine power were to support me, I could definitely claim the throne.”
He felt that someone who had reached the terrestrial immortal realm undoubtedly had the means to go against fate itself. If he could secure such a powerhouse as his backer, he could bulldoze through any opposition straight to the throne.
Matthias sat imperiously in the middle of the hall inside the governor’s mansion in Thornwick with a stone-cold expression.
Over a dozen corrupt officials were kneeling before him.
When the deadly scarlet mist erupted, these corrupt bureaucrats had either done nothing while fleeing with stolen funds or exploited the chaos to extort the people. All of them were guilty of heinous crimes.
Now that the mist was beyond control and Thornwick’s fall was inevitable, Matthias was seething with rage. He needed to execute these corrupt officials to vent his fury.
“Please spare us, Your Highness,” one of them said. “We’re innocent. We did nothing wrong. You can’t pin all the blame on us, Your Highness.”
“That’s right, Your Highness,” chimed another. “We’ve always served the country and the people loyally. Maybe we haven’t done anything remarkable, but we’ve done our part. To abuse your power and execute us like this is unjust and unreasonable. How will you explain this to His Majesty?”
The corrupt officials, already on their knees, cried out for mercy and swore they were innocent. Behind them stood a line of soldiers, holding broadswords and bearing ice-cold stares.
“Innocent? Spare you? Loyal servants?” Matthias repeated. He laughed bitterly as he stood and swept his murderous gaze over the corrupt officials.
He went on, “You filthy scum! How can you even say those words? You’ve taken bribes and robbed the people blind. When disaster struck, you did nothing. Instead, you used the opportunity to stuff your pockets and plan your escape.
“People like you-corrupt to the core-are the rot of this nation, parasites feeding off its bones. You don’t just deserve death, but everyone related to you is going to prison.”
Matthias was truly disgusted by them. Ever since he’d arrived in Thornwick, nothing had gone smoothly.
The outbreak had spread beyond control-information was leaked, causing citywide panic, and conflicts and violent incidents kept erupting everywhere.
Yet these so-called public servants had done nothing to remedy the situation.
Instead, they had undermined him at every turn, creating obstacles and missing crucial opportunities to act.
At first, Matthias had held back because he needed these people to maintain order and attempt damage control. But now he had reached his breaking point. 2
The outbreak had already spread, the scarlet mist was advancing aggressively, and there was no solution in sight.
Even worse, the entire city was in chaos. Citizens were fleeing while casualties mounted continuously. There was nothing left he could do except take out his anger on these scums.
“Your Highness, you can’t blame us for the outbreak.”
“We did everything we were supposed to do. Against a natural disaster like this, there’s nothing anyone could do.”
“You can’t take out your frustration on us just because of a temporary setback. We’re all innocent.”
The corrupt officials continued their pleading, using every smooth word and slick argument they could think of while refusing to accept responsibility.
“Even now, you still make excuses? Seems you really won’t give up until you’re staring death in the face,” Matthias snapped. 1
He laughed viciously, then ordered, ” Guards! Execute these scums and let this be a warning to others.”
Without a word, the battle-hardened soldiers drew their swords in unison.
“Your Highness, I was wrong. Please spare my life.”
“If you kill us, His Majesty will be furious.”
“Matthias, you’ll burn in hell. I curse you to the depths of damnation.”
When the officials saw the soldiers unsheathe their weapons, panic finally set in. Some begged for forgiveness, others tried to invoke Valon’s authority, and a few simply accepted their fate while hurling curses at him.
“Execute them!” Matthias had no patience for more words and swept his hand downward.
The soldiers showed no hesitation and immediately brought down their swords. Steel flashed, and over a dozen bloody heads hit the ground one after another. Blood sprayed everywhere, coating the entire hall.
“Worthless scum! Drag them out and feed them to the dogs!” Matthias barked.
He came from a military background and had always been ruthless in his decisions. To him, corrupt officials who delayed crucial decisions and paid lip service while acting treacherously deserved nothing but death.
