Chapter 176: Return of the Devil

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Lu Zhiyu and Eva stood in the crowd and watched the brown-haired middle-aged knight pass by on the King’s Road. There was an air of gravitas and dignity about him as he headed to the palace.

As the group traveled along, the crowds surged forward, trying to catch a glimpse of the legendary Holy Knights and the famed Northland Cavalry.

“Master, do you know the person at the front?” Though everyone else was watching the cavalry and the Holy Knights, Eva’s focus was on Lu Zhiyu’s suddenly changed facial expression.

Lu Zhiyu tilted his head and looked at Eva. “You know me very well! Did you guess by looking at my expression?”

Eva nodded. “Master is usually always smiling. However, when something is on your mind, or you are reminiscing about something from the past, you tend to have a placid expression no your face.”

Lu Zhiyu wasn’t too happy to hear her words. “Hmm? I smile from my heart, so it sounds I seem insincere in your opinion...”

Eva didn’t speak, her silence basically affirming this notion. Lu Zhiyu then rolled his eyes and said, “I have met him once before. At that time, he was just a very young boy, but...”

Lu Zhiyu’s words trailed off, then he was silent for a long time, while watching Allen Yi Wensi pass by. Allen Yi Wensi did not lower his gaze or notice the two. Lu Zhiyu looked on as Allen Yi Wensi headed towards the palace, then he finally spoke.

“Looks like the Crete Empire will be thrown into a flurry!” he said.

Lu Zhiyu had met Allen Yi Wensi, while he was a guard for Elias’ merchant caravan. Elias had taken pity on him, hiring him when he was less than twenty years of age and had a face that seemed worn far beyond his years. Now that the man had become middle-aged, he seemed sharper and more reserved than ever.

The owner of the caravan, Lu Zhiyu’s old friend Elias, had long since died. Since then, Allen Yi Wensi had become a Holy Knight of the orc’s Holy Seville Empire and the Commander of the Northern Army. He also just happened to be one of the leading figures of the land of the orcs.

Moreover, Allen Yi Wensi was the youngest son of Count Yi Wensi, the former prime minister of Crete Empire. Count Yi Wensi was once an influential figure of the Crete Empire during the reign of Elliot VII. After the ascension of Elliot VIII, he had been promoted and given a generous pension. During the entire reign of Elliot VIII, he had been the prime minister of Crete and stood among the top powers of the Crete Empire.

However, he had participated in the Gathering of Nobles and launched a conspiracy against The Church of Light. In the end, he had been made a scapegoat, being sold out by Duke Vortigen.

After the coup, Duke Vortigen successfully took over as the emperor, while Count Yi Wensi followed Emperor Elliot VIII into death. Most of Yi Wensi family was also slaughtered, with only two of Yi Wensi’s sons surviving. The older son, Pazak, died in an accident in the empire of the orc, which left only the young Allen Yi Wensi to carry on the family legacy.

Allen Yi Wensi had often dreamed of returning to his home city, as Nia was where he had grown up. Yet, at the same time, this place was the origin of his nightmares, the reason why he woke up in horror amid so many sleepless nights.

Looking at Nia, he was flooded with memories. Since his childhood days spent there, many decades had passed. Countless buildings had undergone renovations. The difference was immense. Even the King’s Road had been expanded, although traces of its old form could still be seen.

Allen·Yi Wensi had thought about his return many times, but he had never thought that he would return to the Crete Empire as an ambassador of the orcs. Right now, he felt like a complete outsider, as he was not representing the humans, but the orcs empire.

“The Holy Knight leading the orcs doesn’t seem to be an orc!”

“I heard that the ambassador is a human!”

“How is that possible? How could a human being become a dog of the orcs?”

“Why else? For the sake of power! Some people would even sell their parents for power, so why would it be strange to sell out to the orcs?”

After finally arriving at the palace, Allen Yi Wensi dismounted amid the fierce murmurings of the crowd. His eyes were filled with a sinister darkness as he looked upon the magnificent palace hall and the prosperity of the kingdom.

The faces of all of his slaughtered relatives appeared before him, the bloody faces of his father, uncle, aunt, mother and brother. He had never forgotten the grievances that the Crete Empire had dealt upon House Yi Wensi under the rule of Emperor Vortigen and the persecution from the Church of Light.

Allen Yi Wensi remembered clearly how Vortigen had ascended the throne by stepping over the dead bodies of his family, and how the Knights of Light had hounded his mother and brother, forcing them to flee to the lands of the orcs. Finally, he could not forget how his mother gave up her life in order to save him and his brother.

Each memory was like a knife stabbing into his heart. In fact, these acts of injustice were the driving forces for his continuous advancement. He had been working hard for decades, awaiting this very moment.

As he crossed the King’s Road, Allen Yi Wensi’s mouth curled up. His head lowered as he remembered the deaths of his mother and brother. His brother had uttered these last words before he had perished: “When I return, darkness will hang over the entire Crete Empire. The earth will be torn apart, and blood and fire will stain the heavens!”

The closer he got to the palace, the more genuine the smile on Allen Yi Wensi’s face became. His mount was stopped at the palace entrance, where the Prime Minister of the Crete Empire, Tembor, stood waiting to personally receive him at the top of the palace steps.

Allen waved his hand, and all of the knights dismounted neatly in sync. At the same time, Allen took off his gloves and walked up the steps to greet the waiting Prime Minister Tembor.

“Hello, Lord Holy Knight Allen, His Majesty is waiting for you.” Tembor was a fat middle-aged man, but he was charismatic and polite.

Allen Yi Wensi looked at Tembor and recognized immediately that he was the real power behind the current Crete Empire. In fact, it was already commonly said that he had more power in the Crete Empire than even Emperor Zolman II himself!

“Duke Tembor. Our Holy Seville Empire came here bearing the flag of friendship. We hope to resolve the trade dispute and thus end the friction between our two countries. This is a win-win situation for both of us. As such, we hope to get the full support of the Duke,” Allen said, while he shook Tembor’s hand.

Duke Tembor replied calmly. “Of course, His Majesty also hopes to be a friend of the Holy Seville Empire. He will be hosting a banquet for you tonight. We hope that you will attend.”

historical

Allen Yi Wensi nodded happily. “I would be very honored!”

“Great, the emperor is waiting inside!” Tembor said.