NOVEL NEXT Chapter 280: The Five Leaders (part 1)
A wide chamber glows dimly under the soft light of crystal lamps. Maps and scrolls litter the obsidian table at its center, their inked lines showing the empire's domains and the scattered forces that once swore loyalty to it.
Alix sits at the head of the table, his posture relaxed but his presence pressing down on the room like a weight. The dark aura that clings faintly to him makes even silence feel alive. Across from him, Gander leans forward, his hand resting on the edge of the table, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction.
"Your Majesty," Gander begins, voice low but firm, "your plan works. The flames of surrender spread faster than fear itself. Five forces have already contacted us through secret messengers. Each of them has offered to bend the knee in exchange for their survival."
Alix's gaze doesn't shift from the map. He taps one finger against the symbol of a fortress marked in the southern frontier. "Which ones?"
"The Ironfang Clan, the Blackspire Kingdom, the Wesian Kingdom, Calon Clan, and Raedel Kingdom" Gander lists smoothly. His tone hardens as he adds, "They all see what happened with the Ashedge Clan. No one can ignore it."
Alix leans back slightly, the faint glimmer of thought passing behind his cold eyes. "Five already. That leaves only the top ten."
"Yes," Gander nods. "The strongest clans. The most stubborn kings. They still cling to the empire's silence as if it were a shield." His lip curls, almost amused. "But that silence has become their greatest fear. The emperor does not move, and so they wonder if they've already been abandoned."
Gander's words hang in the chamber, thick with unspoken weight.
Alix finally lifts his gaze from the map, the dim glow of the crystal lamps catching the sharp edge of his eyes. He drums his fingers once against the obsidian surface, then stills them.
"My lord," Gander continues, lowering his head slightly in deference, "they will arrive tomorrow. Their leaders will personally come, desperate to offer their submission before the tide drowns them as it did the Ashedge."
Alix's lips curve faintly—not a smile, but something colder, sharper. "That is good."
He rises from his seat, the hem of his cloak whispering across the stone floor. His voice, calm yet commanding, carries through the chamber without the need for force.
"Prepare feasts. Offer gifts. But what they must see is not our hospitality… but our strength."
Gander inclines his head, a flicker of approval glinting in his eyes. "Understood, your Majesty."
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The next day.
The gates of Zark City groan open under the pull of massive chains, the sound echoing like a war drum. Dust rises as five processions approach, banners lowered, guards tense. The leaders of the Ironfang Clan, the Blackspire Kingdom, the Wesian Kingdom, the Calon Clan, and the Raedel Kingdom ride at the front of their entourages, each face carved with unease though their backs remain rigid with pride.
They expect to see cruelty, chains, and humans beaten into the dirt. They expect the proof that surrender means disgrace.
Instead…
Their eyes widen as they pass through the gate.
The streets are alive—not with fear, but with order. Merchants call out prices at their stalls, smiths hammer steel in steady rhythm, children carry baskets of bread. Humans move quickly, bowing their heads whenever a monster passes, but not one of them carries bruises, not one wears chains. If anything, there is too much respect. Every human they see bends deeply, not out of terror from a whip, but as if reverence has been drilled into their bones.
The queen of Raedel mutters under her breath, "This… I didn't expect this at all."
The Blackspire king narrows his eyes, watching a human baker hand bread to a towering ogre. The man bows low, voice steady, even warm. "May strength continue to guide your day, sir." The ogre grunts, nodding once before moving on. No blows. No insults.
The Ironfang chief's jaw tightens. "They're not slaves…" His gaze sharpens. "They're like a loyal dog or something."
The Wesian king scoffs, though the sound is thin. "Loyal? Look at them. That's not loyalty. That's fear polished into obedience."
Lord Kaelen of Calon clan leans from his saddle, eyes sweeping across the avenues where monster patrols march in perfect formation, armor gleaming, their presence heavy but controlled. His lips press into a line. "Call it what you will. Fear or loyalty… it is effective. And it binds them tighter than chains."
The leaders continue deeper into Zark City, the sound of hooves muted against the polished stone roads. Their entourages glance nervously at the monsters lining the streets—hulking ogres, sharp-eyed harpies perched on rooftops, even insectoid warriors carrying spears taller than men.
But what truly shakes them isn't the number of monsters. It's their strength.
Many of the monsters they pass radiate the aura of tier 4. Some glow even stronger. On one corner, a band of adventurers laugh together outside a tavern, their equipment well-maintained, their movements confident. The leader, a silver-haired beastman in blackened steel, carries himself with the effortless pressure of a tier 5. Around him, his companions—all tier 4—carry blades, bows, and staves with an ease that marks them as veterans.
The humans bow as they pass, offering small tokens of food and drink. The adventurers accept them with nods—not lording their power over the humans, but standing above them like guardians.
The sight sends ripples through the five rulers.
King Ravok pulls his reins tighter, his lips thin. His eyes linger on the adventurer band as they disappear into the crowd. "Monsters this strong… walking the streets as common folk. A tier 5 adventurer, leading a group of tier 4s, casually drinking in the open…" He shakes his head slowly. "These monsters truly are from another continent. And this kingdom…" He exhales sharply. "…it looks more powerful than the empire itself."
Queen Selira of Raedel glances sharply at him. "Careful with your words."
But Ravok doesn't relent, his gaze still burning into the streets. "Tell me I'm wrong. Look around you. In the empire, a single tier 5 would be scouted nonstop. Here, they are adventurers. Just another group among many."
Chief Gorvak of the Ironfang Clan grunts, his tusked mouth curling downward. "He's right. My clan has a fifty tier 5s in total. And they guard our stronghold. Yet here… they roam freely, buying ale."
Lord Kaelen of the Calon Clan narrows his eyes. His voice is calm, but there's a tension beneath it. "That is the difference. The empire hoards its strongest as symbols. But here… strength flows everywhere. Common soldiers, guards, adventurers. It is not centralized—it is alive."
King Malrik of Blackspire remains silent for a long while. His dark gaze sweeps over the sight before him—the disciplined monster patrols moving with precision, the humans bowing low not out of terror but with a strange, steady reverence. Fear and respect, woven seamlessly together.
At last, his voice slips out, low and bitter, meant more for himself than those beside him.
"If this is what we are fighting… then to resist is nothing but madness."
The others hear the words but do not answer. The truth of them sits heavy in their chests.
Ahead, the shadow of the castle looms larger, its black spires stretching toward the sky like spears. The banners of the Monster King ripple in the wind, and the closer they draw, the more they feel it—that oppressive weight, that presence—as if the city itself is preparing to remind them why they are here.
The palace rises before them like a living fortress, its obsidian walls veined with glowing runes that pulse faintly, as though the entire structure breathes. Twin statues of winged beasts guard the gate, their stone eyes burning faintly with enchanted fire. The air here is heavier, charged, and even the entourages lower their voices to hushed murmurs.
At the foot of the massive stairs, a figure stands waiting.
A towering soldier in crimson and black armor, his helmet crowned with jagged horns. The pressure radiating from him is suffocating—tier 6, unmistakably. His mere presence makes their horses snort and shift nervously, and the entourages instinctively bow their heads to avoid his gaze.
The soldier's voice rolls like thunder, calm yet filled with weight.
"Leaders of Ironfang, Blackspire, Wesia, Calon, and Raedel…" His crimson eyes narrow within the helm. "You stand at the threshold of His Majesty's domain. From here on, your words are your bonds. Tread carefully."