Episode 245
Chapter 77. The Villain (Part 2)
Swish—!
A sharp, slicing sound rang out as a human neck was severed. Then, thud—Bitura’s head dropped to the ground.
Lani remained frozen in place, sword still raised, her head bowed.
It lasted no more than a second—maybe half that. But in that brief moment after the motion ended, time stretched out like an eternity for Lani.
“Ah… Sir Bitura.”
She wished that eternity would never end.
She wished everything would just stop right there.
From now on, the one she had to mourn was no longer the man who had sacrificed himself for Ayula’s children, but the vile puppet of Ziphl.
Phaak…!
Hot blood sprayed from Bitura’s severed neck, splattering across Lani’s face. A few drops even landed in her eyes. Through her closed eyelids, blood and tears mingled and streamed down.
“Father!”
Her voice cracked as she cried out, staring at the false Holy King.
But the “father” she called out to was likely the real Holy King Miklan, cradled in Ayula’s arms.
“Father, Father! No, this can’t be happening. This can’t be! Father, why… why are you like this…?”
Throwing herself forward, Lani embraced the false Holy King. She immediately cast a sacred healing spell, but the hole in his neck was beyond any human power to mend.
Bitura had finished him for good. The false king’s dormant volcano crown lay soaked in blood on the ground.
Amid the clashing of steel, the shouts and screams of paladins, and the anxious gasps of the crowd, Lani’s desperate cries stood out sharply.
Loyalists, traitors, subjects—none could escape the ominous dread in her voice.
For those who knew the king was an impostor, and those who didn’t, this death was a shock beyond measure.
“Your Majesty! The king has fallen!”
“Commander Bitura Belter has…!”
“Saints, heal His Majesty immediately!”
One of the Dawn Council’s captains called out to the saints. Even though they knew the false king was dead, they shouted orders because the saints in the procession were also Ziphl’s dogs.
With Bitura and the false king dead, Ziphl’s loyal hounds had only one goal left.
They had to secure the survivors of the bio-golem experiments at all costs.
They needed to erase the worst evidence tying Ziphl down, so they could at least partially escape responsibility for the regicide.
Since the king had died in front of everyone, Ziphl would surely protect only those who had proven their worth.
“Clear the way! We must tend to His Majesty!”
Saints from the rear of the carriage began pushing into the battlefield. But the crowd of subjects, having witnessed the false king’s death, started to riot, only adding to the chaos.
In front of Lani, the Golden Shield Order and the Doctrine Guardians of the Dawn Council paladins continued to clash.
“Dawn Council! Capture all heretics alive!”
It was at that moment, as Lani finished the act of holding the false king and sobbing, that she spoke.
“Golden Shield Order! No matter what happens, do not hand these people over to the Dawn Council. There must be a reason Bitura and the Dawn Council tried to kill them, even committing treason!”
“Lani Salome, you dare speak of treason? It’s because you failed to protect His Majesty that he met his fate. Who are you to call us traitors, you wretched woman?!”
“Golden Shield paladins, follow Lani Salome’s orders! Stop the traitors! Protect the subjects near Lani!”
The loyalists of the Golden Shield Order tightened their ranks. Bitura had handpicked these men, and even in the brutal melee, their unity shone through.
“Golden Shields, look closely. Your actions are the very definition of treason. Setting aside the subjects, shouldn’t you at least clear a path for the saints to tend to His Majesty? He might still be alive. If he dies because you fail to treat him… you will pay the price.”
“His Majesty was struck down by Bitura Belter’s dagger, and you who obeyed him will answer for the king’s death.”
“Attack!”
Though outnumbered, the Golden Shield Order was overpowering the Doctrine Guardians.
But the Golden Shields were the ones growing anxious.
Thud thud thud…!
From outside the square came the rumble of hooves.
Heavily armored knights were charging on horseback. Given how far the situation had escalated, this was inevitable—and all of them were Ziphl’s lackeys.
“Kid.”
Murakan, mingled in the crowd, whispered to Jin.
“Yeah.”
“If the religious fanatics can’t hold, should we step in? If something happens to her, not only will I owe a debt of gratitude, but Bitura’s sacrifice will be for nothing.”
“That won’t happen.”
“How can the religious fanatics stop them?”
“They can’t. Not if there’s no one left in the Holy Kingdom to help Lani.”
No sooner had Jin answered than more Doctrine Guardians and soldiers arrived.
There were over a hundred paladins alone, and the ranks of soldiers controlling the civilians were no less.
“Shoot the traitors on sight! Capture Lani Salome and the heretics alive!”
The newly arrived captain shouted, and the paladins formed a tight breach formation while the soldiers pushed the subjects back with spear shafts.
“But the subjects can’t accept this either. Even a fool can see the ones staging the rebellion are clearly the Doctrine Guardians.”
If it had been just a standoff between the Doctrine Guardians and the Golden Shield Order, maybe it would have been different.
But Bitura killing the false king was the decisive factor.
“We must protect His Majesty’s daughter!”
“No! Lani must not fall! Not only did she lose the king, but now you want to take her too? You filthy lackeys of Ziphl… Have you no shame before Ayula?”
“Stop them! Use your bodies to block them!”
Suddenly, the subjects in the square surged toward the battlefield.
The king and his daughter had always been beloved by the people. From their perspective, the Dawn Council were the monsters who killed the father in front of his daughter on festival day.
Moreover, Lani and the Golden Shield Order had acted reasonably and sensibly throughout the ordeal.
The Dawn Council, on the other hand, had openly tried to capture the survivors. They even made the absurd claim that the king was still alive and demanded a path be cleared to treat him.
—It’s true that Ziphl and Kinzel have completely taken over the Holy Kingdom’s leadership, but they don’t control all the subjects. Their alliance has fractured, delaying the period of subject indoctrination.
—We must win the subjects’ sympathy.
—I’ll become a convincingly villainous figure.
That was the conversation Jin had with Bitura last night.
Jin didn’t know that in his previous life, the subjects had already been fully indoctrinated by this point. No one cared about a broken Lani.
Lani and Bitura had grown weary of their lonely fight, abandoned the kingdom, and vanished without a trace.
But now, thanks to Jin, history was changing. The conditions to reveal the truth were fully met.
“What are you doing?! Don’t you know how grave a sin it is to protect heretics? Step aside! I warn you—step aside…!”
The Dawn Council captain’s confident voice began to falter.
There were too many subjects blocking the reinforcements.
The square was filled with subjects throwing themselves in front of Lani. The soldiers pushing with spear shafts were being pushed back, and the paladins were stuck, repeating the same words.
“Step aside!”
If this weren’t the day of the Divine Descent Festival, they might have forced their way through, shedding innocent blood.
But now, doing so would only backfire worse than survivors of the bio-golem experiments testifying.
There were too many eyes watching.
Hundreds of reporters from various nations were among them. To massacre one’s own people in front of them would be sheer madness.
Even with Ziphl’s backing, it was unmanageable.
“Lani, Golden Shield Order! We stand with you!”
“Don’t worry, stand firm! Protect the children taken to Ziphl’s labs!”
“Ayula will judge you all…!”
Few things are more terrifying than an enraged crowd. The Dawn Council paladins dared not approach and looked around nervously.
Lani no longer shed tears.
The dried stains of bloody tears were clear on her cheeks. Soon, her gaze—wiping even those away—fell upon Bitura’s head lying on the ground.
Bitura wore a faint smile.
Amid the countless voices and noise swirling through the square, Lani slowly knelt beside the false king.
Death leads to rest. The soul of one who labored in the heavy, dark world will be free in Ayula’s wide embrace. All past suffering will become a harmless joke, bringing you joy…
A prayer whispered so softly it was almost carried away by the wind.
Like grass bending in a breeze, the subjects who had been screaming one by one sat down and closed their eyes.
“All past suffering will become a harmless joke, bringing you joy…”
“The burdens left behind will be gladly taken up by those like you, becoming the seeds of a new dawn. And those who share that burden will be people like you…”
None of the subjects were unfamiliar with that prayer.
It was a surreal scene. Even outsiders were moved by the prayer, closing their eyes or bowing their heads in respect.
The Golden Shield paladins sheathed their weapons and knelt. Soon, even the Dawn Council paladins, sensing the mood, joined in the prayer.
If it weren’t for the scattered metal shards and drops of blood on the floor, no one would believe a battle had just taken place.
As the prayer was coming to an end, a man quietly approached Jin’s side.
“Master Gong.”
“You’re here, Dino.”
Dino Jaglun.
Now unmistakably known as a rising young journalist in the media world. The moment Jin called, he had rushed to Seongguk to prepare his report.
“The article on the records left by Mutual Silla is ready. I focused on the parallels and connections to the Colon tragedy, emphasizing the actual damage suffered by Seongguk.”
“Good work. Any way for Jiple to slip through?”
“None. There’s too much evidence pointing to direct involvement from Jiple’s top brass to simply pin it on a few scapegoats. And as you said, the fact that Kinsel has Jiple’s leader, Kal Jiple, in custody is the biggest blow.”
Dino smiled and added quietly,
“Maybe this will mark the end of the era when Jiple was seen as the ‘good guys.’”