Chapter 2: New Century (Epilogue)
The retreat of the demons and orcs sparked a cheer from the defenders of Hades City.
Soon, two mages from the legion rode over on warhorses. They halted before Aryk, first glancing fearfully at the bald head suspended in mid-air. Seeing that the bald head showed no inclination to attack, they dismounted with trembling legs.
“Thank you for aiding Hades, my lord.”
The two old mages’ eyes welled up with tears; they had truly thought Hades was on the brink of destruction. They had never in their lives seen so many demons, let alone an allied force of hundreds of thousands of demons and orcs.
“It is my duty,” Aryk nodded, then quickly added, “and Hades is my city.”
“This…” The two old mages exchanged glances, unsure of Aryk’s intention.
“The Kalunka Empire’s royal family has been wiped out by the Wintery Empire. King of Winter has appointed new lords to take over the territories and cities of the Kalunka Empire. I will be taking over Hades.” Aryk once again presented the emblem bestowed by the King of Winter, but this time, it did not summon the phantom image of the King of Winter. In truth, even if it did, it would have been meaningless, as these two old mages were clearly still kept in the dark.
“Have you not heard about what happened in Lapland?” Aryk asked.
“Uh… we have heard some news,” one of the mages stood up, bowed slightly, and replied, “About a week ago, the City Lord received a message from Lapland. At the time, we only noticed the City Lord’s displeased expression and didn’t think much of it. Later, we heard scattered news about Lapland being conquered by the King of Winter. We sought out the City Lord for his opinion, but he vehemently denied it and berated us.”
Hearing the mages’ words, Aryk immediately understood the situation. “He would certainly deny it, as such news would cause unrest in Hades City, and he wanted to do everything he could to preserve his position as City Lord. He just didn’t expect the attack from the demon and orc allied forces, or to be eaten by a Legendary-grade Hell Three-Headed Dog…”
His words were tinged with a hint of melancholy. Aryk briefly empathized with the former City Lord, feeling as though he had met with an unprecedented string of bad luck. However, all of this now benefited him.
“Now that the former City Lord is dead, it saves us some trouble. From today onwards, I will be taking over Hades. I trust none of you have any objections?” Having followed the King of Winter for some time, Aryk narrowed his eyes, mimicking the King of Winter’s signature half-smile, which exuded a considerable aura. Of course, the primary factor was the bald head beside him, constantly emitting a ferocious aura. The Champion Level oppressive aura, like a sharp sword, hung over the heads of the two Magi, preventing them from making any move.
The two old mages exchanged a look. One of them reacted swifty, immediately bowing and pledging allegiance: “My lord, you saved Hades City, and you are naturally the most suitable candidate for the new City Lord!”
The other mage quickly echoed, his face full of fawning respect, “Indeed. The residents of the city will also support your reign when they hear that you alone repelled the demon and orc allied forces. The warriors of Hades respect powerful individuals like you even more. The City Lord’s Mansion is on the uppermost floor; we will lead you there!”
Aryk listened as the mages attributed the victory over the demon and orc allied forces entirely to him. Although it felt a little embarrassing, he shamelessly accepted the credit. After all, the King of Winter was his superior; riding on his superior’s coattails was nothing to be ashamed of!
…
Half an hour later, Aryk smoothly took his seat on the City Lord’s throne. Those two old mages were actually personal guard captains to the City Lord, commanding a Mage Regiment of over a thousand men.
Currently, Hades City housed over ten thousand Golem Soldiers, more than three thousand ordinary human warriors, nearly two thousand mages, and about a hundred knights. From Hades City, one could clearly observe the structural differences between the armies of the North Continent and the South Continent.
In the South Continent, knights were a rare breed, yet they did not enjoy a high status due to their scarcity. In the magic-rich South Continent, many ordinary people were born with elemental affinity, allowing them to pursue a path of magic. This path became increasingly accessible with the enhancement of the Magic Net, and only those with no other recourse chose to become knights. Consequently, knights were a discriminated group within the South Continent’s empires.
However, knights and warriors remained indispensable. They served as the shield formations in the legions, buying time for the mages to cast their spells. The closer one was to the border, the more equitable the mages’ view of knights became. Due to frequent warfare, many mages understood the significance of knights and warriors, thus harboring less prejudice. Therefore, Aryk becoming the City Lord of Hades as a knight was not something to be gossiped about.
[You have acquired a territory. Detecting!]
Aryk hadn’t been seated on the Lord’s throne for long before the system prompt appeared.
[Detection complete. Your territory is Armageddon, with Hades as the main city. Please confirm the placement position for the Resurrection Crystal.]
A blueprint of Hades Castle appeared before Aryk. After a moment’s hesitation, Aryk placed the Resurrection Crystal in the plaza in front of the castle.
