Level Up Legacy

"Is it because I have grown powerful?" asked Arthur the naked truth. It was blunt and brutal, but he did not shy away from saying it. Miko craned and looked down to meet his eyes, but she did not seem offended, to his surprise.

"This change of yours has surprised me," said Miko. "I sometimes wonder if someone else has overtaken your body. However, who could?"

"You did not answer the question."

"That question does not have an answer. No one would say, and you would never believe anyone who says no. You have something that everyone wants, and you have the proper mindset to suspect anyone who claims otherwise."

pαпdα Йᴏνê|,сòМ "And am I wrong?" asked Arthur as he floated from his seat until his feet landed on the railing. He looked down toward her, and she met his gaze. "You love what I have but not who I am. That has always been the case, Miko. You knew I was the outsider, but Hazel did not. That is the difference."

Miko was silent as she stared at him. Her eyes suddenly glistered in the moonlight, but she turned away and jumped down before Arthur could catch her crying. Then, she opened a portal and left.

Arthur stood atop the balcony, alone again. He knew that what he said might not be accurate and that it hurt her too much. However, it was better to make her lose her feelings if they were genuine. If not, then he told the truth.

"And they call me noble?" muttered Arthur with a smirk. It was laughable that he was considered the savior. He was naïve once and trusted everyone, but after obtaining this strength and the world knowing it… "I can never think this strength is not the reason for their friendship."

Arthur might be able to use a rune to give him a similar ability to Aurora, allowing him to see into people and their hearts. However, he would never do it. The reason was simple: he dreads seeing their true nature.

***

Helios was once again sieged. This time, the armies did not belong to the commanders or the rebels but to a different entity. It was the nobles. This incident happened a few days ago when several nobles were arrested, regardless of rank.

Nobles needed to stand together against the crown and the public. Their unique entity and wealth protected them against harm, making not even the emperor dare touch them. However, the nobles would cease to exist if such arrests became a norm.

Thus, all nobles throughout Ilios gathered their armies around the capital. It was not an open rebellion but a protest led by the nobles of this nation. Of course, that was in fear of what might happen.

Zonas Mantra stood at the city gates with his armor on. His gray hair was tied behind his back, and his heroic aura gave courage to the knights. Then, he rode through the gate atop his gigantic multihorned horse. The knights followed, advancing in unison.

The nobles sent a representative of their own. It was a fat man who looked no older than twenty-five. However, he was also muscular and tall, with blonde hair and a crooked nose. As soon as Zonas saw him, his rage could not be unmasked.

"No need for all this anger, uncle," said the man with a smug smile as he rubbed his belly. "You should warmly greet me since we haven\'t met for so long."

"Call me uncle again, and I will rip your tongue out," said Zonas Mantra with a ferocity that no one questioned his words. "Your dog of a father is on the loose, yet the pup still barks around. From where did you get the courage to lead these nobles?"

"Since my father was the Nobles Commander and their protector, I would naturally fill the role in his absence. A true tragedy what happened to our beloved emperor."

"You have sworn to follow a new one now," said Zonas Mantra as he placed his hand on the hilt. The guards all grabbed their weapons, ready for a fight. "Remember your vows, or you will be thrown into prison."

"Ah, forgive me," said the man with a grin. "However, can you please tell me how this new ruler differs from the last if I would lose my tongue just for talking against them?"

Zonas Mantra was silent. This tactic was often used when someone wanted to undermine a peaceful emperor who could not take extreme measures. Thus, in the end, their authority would be questioned regardless.

"Traitors deserve no mercy," said Zonas Mantra as he retracted his hand. "However, since you are the bannerman of all these nobles, we decided to forgive you for your father\'s crimes. And yet here you are, leading the nobles against the crown. Is your name that powerful to have this audacity, Paolo Delano?"

"We want to voice the injustice that befell us," said Paolo as he placed his hand over his heart before throwing his arm toward the rest of the nobles standing around them. All of them sat in luxurious carriages, shielded from the sun. "Our numbers have been dwindling for a few days now because of this new division."

"If you are talking about the Civil Rights Platoon, their job is to carry out justice, not the opposite. They will handle investigating and arresting all those who abuse their authority, thus violating the civil rights of others."

"This is no less than tyranny, masked with the face of justice! What would happen to the court of law if such a platoon was given such authority? What happened to the council of wisemen?"

"The wisemen were selected based on their rank of nobility. Since the nobles are arrested in this case, we cannot let them stand in court. Thus, our empress chose a proper leader for this platoon."

"And who might that be?"

"Witch of Hearts, Aurora," said Zonas Mantra, making the crowd gasp. They all knew the infamous witch, who had once become a legend in Ilios for knowing everything. It was once said that Aurora would find it if someone lost a penny.

"A criminal!" shouted Paolo with outrage as he took a dramatic step back. "The previous emperor has imprisoned her for aiding…."

"She was arrested for aiding my father, Morgan Mantra, who discovered the dark secrets of the imperial family. He died carrying that knowledge, and Aurora was imprisoned. Are you going to lecture me about the history I lived through, kiddo?"

Paolo was stunned, speechless, as his face turned red. Zonas looked down on him, and the difference in their age and experience began to show throughout their talks.

"Even if Aurora is innocent, she cannot be given such authority over the nobles! Ilios cannot stand without the wealth we generate. Our lands and businesses keep Ilios from crumbling into an economic crisis!"

"There is a new empress in Ilios," said Zonas Mantra before grabbing his sword. He unsheathed the translucent Mantra Sword, which he reclaimed from his son. Then, he raised it toward the sky, making the guards pull out their weapons. "And your crimes will no longer be overseen."

Zonas Mantra raised his sword toward the sky. As the crowd stared at it, they could see the shadow looming above Helios get darker until it pierced through clouds. Once the Runic Dome appeared, most nobles lost the will to fight.

"Ilios has become a slave of Arthur Silvera!" shouted Paolo as he pointed at Zonas Mantra. "And you… you have lost all honor and reason! Ilios cannot survive without its nobles!"

"That might be the case, but… if the roots are rotten, then we need to cut them off," said Zonas Mantra as he brought down his sword. A slash cut through the air under the prepared eyes of the guards, but they found themselves unable to strike it.

Their weapons clashed against each other as the guards tried to strike the attack down. The arc of sword intent cut through their weak points like an arrow before reaching Paolo Delano. As the man stumbled backward, it grazed his head before dissipating.

Paolo did not die, but his hair fell on the ground as the attack shaved it clean. Silence descended on the crowd as the blonde hair he had started falling, leaving him with a spotless egghead.

"…pft…"

Someone laughed, but it did not matter who. Once the silence was broken, laughter boomed throughout the crowd. Knights and nobles alike laughed at how he now looked, and Paolo boiled with rage until his face turned purple.

"Attack!" roared Paolo. "Kill them all!"