Hero of Darkness - Chapter 1162: The Chosen

Chapter 1162: The Chosen

Rathnaar Whitlock, the First Emperor of the Rakos Empire, recounted the annals of the history that had been forgotten by now. He told a tale of how the origin of the empire started from the very beginning.

“Enemies came because now that the war had settled, plenty of territories needed resources to survive, also people to rebuild their lands, and since the war had left many ruling houses and clans devastated.

The territorial expansion to gather more resources was the only option, since agricultural resources needed a lot of time.

Thus, many lords and counts began to eye neighboring lands.

Unfortunately, even our isolated territory came into their sights. And seeing that we were thriving by then on our own as well as had enough residence in our barony, they gathered whatever forces they had to attack and enslave us.

For the first time, I had to step into war myself. Our first ever battle ended in victory because we took advantage of the terrain, but at least half of our capable soldiers died because we lacked weapons, armor, and proper training, unlike the enemy.

I had become a Master Swordsman, and Lezron had become a Master Elemental Mage by then. It helped in changing the direction of the battle, but both of us knew that sooner or later, a stronger opponent and even bigger enemy force would eventually show up.” he revealed the events of the past.

Rathnaar’s face then turned sullen.

“The irony of war is that to protect peace… You must cause another massacre.

To protect lives, you have no other choice but to take just as many.” he spoke with a despondent countenance.

Rathnaar then explained how incessant battles hardened their land, and to protect his own people, Rathnaar also had no choice but to expand territory.

He was forced to do exactly what his enemies were doing.

“Just like that… decades had gone by and we had become a kingdom.

The Rakos Kingdom of that time had become a scorn in the eyes of neighboring empires.

Mainly because we weren’t a Theocracy or had accepted any God or Religion.

To all of them, we were barbarians without a culture, a society, or faith in gods.

So as you would expect… we not only became a target, but a mortal enemy whose existence in itself defied their identity since we had different ideology.” he iterated with a calm tone.

Rathnaar then explained how he took in other oppressed people from those empires.

The ones repressed by the majority because they had either a different skin color, race, species hierarchy, or any element that was forbidden in those particular empires.

“Millions of people persecuted for any of such reasons had come to know about our existence.

Since we were considered heretics and blasphemous by these civilizations… their collective hatred was enough to spread our name like an uncontrollable wildfire.

As years passed, millions of people had flocked to the Rakos Kingdom, and both I and Lezron had gained the means to become even stronger than before.” he intentionally revealed a hint.

Among the audience, only the top of the society knew that the fortuitous encounter Rathnaar was talking of being none other than the Tablet of Arcana, one of the six divine artifacts left by the Demi-Gods from various eras in the history of the world.

“But since they were recovering from brutal wars themselves, many empires did not have the necessary manpower to start another full-scale war on us.

As a century passed and both I and Lezron had become very powerful saints ourselves… We bided our time for another war that we knew was headed our way.

When both of us had become 3rd-stage saints, the Zivot Empire, one of the oldest existing empires in recent history… declared war on us.

Even the neighboring Falkor Empire was showing signs of attacking us from different fronts.

We had no allies, and our civilization had finally stabilized itself. Although the Abyss Empire of that time wasn’t an enemy, we had to be wary of them too.

So how did we, who neither had the history nor the technology compared to other empires, endure?” he raised the question, making everyone anticipate his answer.

“It was simply the unfathomable will to live. And when you are forced into a corner… even the defenseless animals fight back.

What became our biggest boon was that we had accepted plenty of Elves, Dark Elves, Demi-humans, Beastkins as well as Dwarves, in our society by then.

That was the birth of our first industrial revolution as well as our military establishment.

These people originated from those empires themselves, knew about their societies, and had skills as laborers, craftsmen, stonemasons, and artificers. Many also had bloodline and innate abilities that could be used in a battlefield such as dormant powers, ability to use particular elements or parts of enviornment and some also excelled in controlling magic even better than other species.

When the bad times struck, these people did not hide… no, they chose to contribute to defend their new homes even every possible way.

We accepted everyone out of pity, but now they have become the pillars of our kingdom.

It was then, we declared ourselves as an Empire!” spoke Rathnaar.

How the Rakos Empire was properly established finally became known to the masses.

People were perplexed, but a hint of unity and kinship echoed in their hearts as they learned how their ancestors unified to defend their empire.

“While the wars did occur for a couple of decades, we were able to fend off our empire adequately as our enemies undermined us due to their pride and ignorance.

And it was enough time for me and Lezron to become 7th-stage saints ourselves. Both of us also gathered and trained new talents, creating over 40 saints in our ranks as well.

We became a force that could not be looked down upon by our enemies.

By then, 200 years had already passed since our little barony had turned into an empire.

Yet this would not be the end of our worries and hardships.” said the first emperor, dropping another curveball.

“The Firebornes had overthrown the Humans in the Falkor Empire and named it the Vulkan Empire.

The Zivot Empire’s emperor had died due to old age, and the High Elves had plunged their empire into a Civil War.

The Abyss Empire also had its imperial family massacred in a coup, while we also suffered from rebellions across our empire.” he stated.

“I’m not a righteous warrior. I had no choice but to rule with an iron fist because if the house itself is infested with traitors… You do not need an outsider to break into your home.

Do you know why those rebellions occurred by then?” he stated sternly.

Rathnaar gave a serious look and continued…

“I myself have nothing against who chooses to believe in a god or any religion. But as the reigning emperor… it becomes my problem with people start killing each other just because their neighbors believed in a different god or way of life.

Hatred bred from superficial reasons or differences of opinions is nothing to be proud of.

Yet people would go as far as to kill each other over it.

Thus, I barred the practice of religions or any god’s doctrine in the Rakos Empire.

Because the bloodshed had gone too far to the point we had no other choice but to cull out our people just to keep the society and the future of the empire intact.” he revealed a dark Chapter in the empire’s history.

Rathnaar then spoke with a grim tone.

“People called me a fascist, a dictator, a mad tyrant back then. They said I craved nothing but the blood of my own people and would destroy the whole world one day.

I bloodied my hands for the sake of our future. But there’s no justification that could defend my actions either. ” explained Rathnaar.

People were shocked. But the older generation was already aware of those historic events recorded and taught in their history books for centuries to even now.

Rathnaar openly admitting to it added even more credibility to his image.

“They called me a madman. But I was just a man who did what had to be done.” iterated Rathnaar with a stoic and firm stance.

“And the result… we stood unified again. To fend off even bigger threats.

When all the empires that served under different Gods and Goddesses declared the Rakos Empire as the nation of heretics… I fought against them with the proud people of the empire.

This time, we were not the ones to be messed with.” he iterated in a foreboding tone.

“We not only led our empire to fend off against multiple empires at the same time…” stated Rathnaar before he made the big revealation.

His eyes carried an intense yet commanding aura, as if gazing into the souls of all the citizens of the Rakos Empire as he declared…

“I also killed 9 Heroes of the Gods.”