Hunter of the Evernight
Chapter 264: All of you

Chapter 264: All of you

A large airship floated in from the distance before landing on the airstrip prepared for it within the walls of Reburn.

About the airstrip were gathered an entourage of armed soldiers donning wreaths of lilies alongside Royal Blue and nobles who wore garlands of carnations.

Seconds passed before the door of the airship opened and stairs were laid after which specially armored men wielding swords and carrying a frightening aura emerged and then stood on two opposing lines.

Once these men were in position, the emperor emerged.

A blonde-haired man looking to be in his thirties with blue eyes, fair skin, and a toned physique, draped in red and gold, the official colors of Zion.

He walked confidently, his gaze filled with warmth as he gazed upon his people.

A smile lingered on his lips as he stood at the top of his stairs.

"Glory to the Emperor!"

"Glory to the Empire!"

"We welcome his imperial majesty!" The soldiers shouted in tandem, their arms raised in salute.

The Emperor, his imperial majesty, Enoch X, regarded them for a moment before he slowly raised his right hand, causing the soldiers to drop theirs.

"We are victorious!" He echoed, his voice filled with the charisma becoming of a ruler.

"May the Empire reign forever!"

Nodding in satisfaction, he slowly made his way down, each step he took radiating an aura that made everyone about him lower their head in submission.

Once he’d gotten down the stairs, the specially armored men quickly followed after, their eyes dancing about while searching for potential threats.

Enoch made his way to the nobles gathered at a corner, a certain middle-aged fellow with a slender physique and a head full of white hair, served as their leader.

Dressed in a black suit with a monocle on his left eye, he remarked with a bow. "Welcome back, your Majesty."

"Albert my friend, has all been well?" Enoch inquired.

"Indeed, your Majesty. All thanks to your hard work."

Enoch chuckled. "We all have our parts to play and as long as we play them well, nothing shall ever cause this great Empire of my ancestors to fall. Please, come along, it would seem the people are waiting."

"As you wish."

With that, Enoch was ushered to a carriage but instead of entering, he opted to ride a horse instead.

Of course, Albert thought nothing of this as the Emperor had long since been known to be a rather eccentric man who didn’t care for ostentatious living.

Once they were ready, they quickly moved toward the streets where the citizens erupted into cheers and sprayed red poppy petals on the road to celebrate the Emperor’s return.

Enoch waved and smiled, even stopping to share a few words with those that caught his eye.

"This is for you, your Majesty." A young girl, looking no older than 8, handed over a marigold bouquet that Enoch collected once he’d got down from his horse.

"For me?"

"Mn, my mom says you take good care of us and it’s because of you that I get to go to school." The girl replied.

Enoch patted the girl’s head as he remarked. "Well, thank you. I will cherish this. Now, run along, be careful not to fall."

The girl turned and rushed back into the crowd with Enoch watching her leave.

Once done, he got back on his horse and continued on his way, repeating the same thing until they arrived in the inner city.

Reburn was divided into the outer, middle, and inner sections with the royal palace located in the inner city.

Once he’d managed to get away from the clamor of the crowd, Enoch finally let out a tired sigh, clearly exhausted, though still pleased at the welcome.

"A wonderful place." He muttered as he walked up the stairs leading to the residential building in the palace, his guards following closely behind.

Reaching the doors, Enoch turned to regard the men escorting him. "Tell me, when is the main force expected to arrive?"

"In roughly 4 to 5 weeks, your Majesty." The guard in the lead replied.

Enoch nodded. "Alright then, for the time being, I would love to be left alone so I will put you in charge of ensuring that they are served well once they return. They have done well to protect their people, it is only right that they are rewarded."

"I will make sure of it, your Majesty."

"Good, now you all can go."

"But your Majesty..."

"We just came back from a great war, just like me, you all must be weary. Take some time to relax, I doubt anyone would attack me in my palace."

"... As you wish, your Majesty."

Dismissed, the guards quickly retreated, allowing Enoch some reprieve from their presence.

He sauntered into the building, entering into a large hall occupied by incredible stone pillars and an assortment of furniture.

Stained glass windows were used, causing the golden rays of the Lightbringer to be fragmented into multiple colors as they illuminated the hall.

Enoch stepped in with the doors closing behind him, taking a few steps forward before muttering softly. "You may come out now."

The appearance of one of the stone pillars distorted before Albert emerged, a look of anticipation on his visage.

"Your Majesty."

"Is everything okay, Albert?"

Albert nodded. "Indeed, your Majesty. It’s just..."

"If you have something to say, then say it."

"Was it a success, your Majesty?"

"... As was anticipated," Enoch remarked, his expression taking a strange turn as he glanced ahead.

"This is wonderful news, your Majesty. This means we can quickly begin preparations to carry out the next step."

"No." Enoch calmly said, causing Albert to pause.

"Your Majesty?"

Enoch turned to face Albert as he inquired. "Any news from Cance?"

"No, not yet, your Majesty, but we can be assured that everything will be executed properly."

Enoch shook his head. "I can’t risk it. Once it’s assured, then we can begin. In the meantime, I will hold off on accepting the rewards for the completion to avoid losing myself."

"... I understand. I will get to work by contacting them."

"Alright. You may take your leave."

Albert didn’t hesitate to step back into the pillar, quickly disappearing as though it were a portal to another world.

Letting out yet another tired sigh, Enoch took steady steps, quickly traversing the hall and coming across the maids and guards tasked with watching and caring for the various branching sections of the building.

All regarded him with love and respect, their eyes filled with reverence for Enoch.

Finally, stepping into his room, Enoch breathed a sigh of relief before collapsing on his bed, his gaze transfixed on the painted image of a woman on the roof.

His expression quickly becoming melancholic, he muttered. "It is tiring being a good Emperor, but I guess, being a bad one wouldn’t have gotten us to where we are now. Regardless, I believe the time before we are once again reunited is close.

"So many years apart from you and my heart grew fonder. Knowing that my goal is so close, I can’t help but feel happy that I will once again be able to gaze upon your beauty. I hope you know that I will always love you. Wait for me... I’ll soon save you... All of you."