Chapter 121: Subversion (Part 6)

"The person you are looking for is inside the main gate. That is all the help I can provide; the rest is up to you. As I said before, you must be quick."

"Thank you."

It was a chance encounter, and Syndica knew they had already helped more than enough. It was impossible to involve them any further, especially in a matter of life and death, as they were, after all, merely a group of merchants.

Liu Ji led his people away from the palace, taking Khedisirvap with him. Without his cooperation, the plan would be impossible to execute; their numbers were too few, and the palace had more than one entrance. For now, those inside were still unaware of the situation, giving Syndica a golden opportunity to seize the main hall before they could react.

Upon returning to his estate, Khedisirvap found that the masked men had all dispersed, leaving only Kang the Fourth behind.

"Kang, how can I ever thank you?"

"You have already thanked me," Kang the Fourth replied, his tone half-jesting and half-serious. "Let us discuss this once you have become the king of this nation, shall we?"

Khedisirvap understood his implication. Everything was still uncertain, and it was too early to speak of such things. At this moment, his estate was packed with everyone he could muster: his own guards, caravan escorts recruited through the connections of his wife's family, and mercenaries hired on the spot. The entire courtyard was overflowing.

"Can these people outside be trusted?" Kang the Fourth asked, not without concern.

"Time is too short. I have only these men, so I cannot be too picky. Once the deed is done, they will be of no further use."

Only when the moment of truth arrived did Khedisirvap realize the gravity of the situation. The arrow was on the string; it had to be fired. With the help of his servants, he donned a suit of iron armor and stepped out, waving to the men in the courtyard to draw their attention.

"Mountain tribes have revolted and stormed the palace. Our King is being held hostage, waiting for us to rescue him. I want you to charge in at any cost and kill every one of those rebels. Afterward, there will be a rich reward for everyone."

As he spoke, two servants carried a large chest and dropped it before him with a heavy thud. It was filled with various coins, the sight of which made everyone’s eyes light up.

"This is my reward. You may exchange their heads for it—the more, the better."

With a wave of his hand, he led the chaotic mob out of the gates. Kang the Fourth watched the disorder and couldn't help but shake his head. The Warden was right; if he hadn't lent a helping hand, this fellow would never have stood on his own, no matter how much he was propped up. He only hoped that this newfound ruthlessness would be enough to carry out the plan without leaving any loose ends.

***

The main hall was in disarray. The number of people Syndica had brought was small, and after the initial skirmish, there were barely a dozen left. Yet, the hall was filled with the most powerful figures in the country, and they were not about to be cowed by such a small group.

A massacre became inevitable. This was why Liu Ji had chosen to withdraw early. Fortunately, while the other side was numerous, their combat prowess was lacking, whereas Syndica’s group fought with their lives on the line. As one side faltered and the other pressed on, they eventually gained control of the situation.

"Which tribe are you from? What do you want?"

The old King, having some discernment, realized these people were mountain tribes. Connecting this to the earlier commotion in the square, he roughly guessed their intention.

"Are you the King?" The young woman looked terrifying, her entire body seemingly soaked in blood that dripped steadily to the floor. Her hair was matted into clumps by the viscous liquid. She didn't care about her appearance, pointing her scimitar at him and trying to project as much authority as she could. After all, this was the legendary King; even if they were reincarnated, they might never see such a figure again.

"I am your King. If you stop now, everything can be negotiated." The old King tried to keep his voice gentle, though he failed to hide the tremor in it.

Surrounded by his sons, he watched the corpses littering the hall. The princes were trembling with fear, stripped of all regal dignity, and the King himself was no different. Who could have imagined that the palace would be breached by a group of mountain tribes?

Regardless, his top priority was to stall. The city’s military forces were near the square, not far away. As long as they received word, help would arrive. Of course, this required not provoking these people, as he feared nothing more than them killing simply for the sake of it.

"I want my Timo. Hand over my Timo, and you can live." Syndica was anxious; she didn't know if there was enough time left.

"Timo?" The old King looked puzzled. It was an unfamiliar name, as it was to his sons—a mountain tribesman was not worth their notice.

"The one you are about to execute!" Syndica roared, finally making them understand.

"No problem, no problem," the old King quickly agreed. "You may send one person out to deliver the message. They will certainly listen."

Syndica let out a sigh of relief. Without hesitation, she pointed at a man at random. "Go and tell them to bring Timo to trade for these lives. Warn them: if he suffers even a scratch, everyone here will be buried with him."

Perhaps startled by her murderous tone, the man she pointed at took a moment to recover. When he realized he had been chosen to deliver the message, he scrambled to his feet and fled toward the palace gates, desperate to escape what felt like hell.

The old King watched him go and sighed silently. From start to finish, the son hadn't even glanced at him, only caring about his own survival. What hope was there for a man like that?

After all, this was her first time doing something like this, and she was so young. Syndica felt no joy in the success of her plan. Even if they managed to trade for Timo, what could they do next? Unaccountably, she thought of that young outsider. If he were still here, he would surely have shown her a path forward.

***

She was terrified. Of the twenty-some young people who had set out, fewer than ten remained. Many familiar faces would never speak again. No matter how indifferent she had pretended to be, when death was laid out before her and she heard the dying cries of her friends, who could remain unmoved?

Moreover, she was the one who had brought these people here. At this moment, she had only one thought: to see Timo and to hold out until he arrived.

Syndica bit her lower lip hard, clenching her scimitar until her knuckles turned white, struggling to suppress the trembling in her arms. She tried to maintain a facade of composure before these great figures, which only made her look more like a demonic force that could snap at any moment, chilling to behold.

The lucky one chosen by her stumbled out of the palace gates, nearly tripping over the bodies on the ground several times. As the doors slammed shut behind him, he saw Khedisirvap rushing up the steps.

"There is a rebellion, Khedisirvap! They have taken Father hostage!"

"My dear brother, what has happened to make you look so disheveled?" Khedisirvap stepped forward and embraced him, offering comfort. "It is alright. You are safe now. Did you escape alone?"

"Yes, they sent me out to deliver a message. Father is still inside..."

He could not finish his sentence. A sharp, searing pain tore through him, and his mouth was filled with a thick, viscous liquid, preventing him from speaking.

"My poor brother. He was murdered by those rebels. He struggled until the very end, and now he has breathed his last. Do not worry; I will avenge you."

Khedisirvap slowly lowered him to the ground, looking into his staring, lifeless eyes. He leaned down and whispered into his ear, "I will take good care of your women. Every single one of them."

Standing up, Khedisirvap pulled the blade from his brother's heart, raised it high above his head, and shouted, "Charge in! Leave no one alive!"

Clearly, Khedisirvap was much more familiar with the palace layout. He had ordered all exits blocked the moment he arrived, and only now did he issue the true command to his inner circle:

Storm the palace and kill everyone inside.