Oblivion's Heir: Rise of the Sovereign - Chapter 37: Lucien

Chapter 37: Lucien

It didn’t take long for the person who managed the citadel himself to arrive.

And Ren finally noted the person who had built the last line of defense inside a city all by himself.

There was not a single retaliation against him by the players, the people who didn’t even hail from this world, and although he made such a discriminatory system, the showers of praise he received from the awakeners and denizens of Ashenhold weren’t something Ren could describe in mere words.

He was surrounded by four guards, all covered in armor from top to bottom.

Lucien muttered something to the guard beside him, and the protector pointed his finger at Ren.

Nodding, he shifted his attention to Ren, and their eyes locked with each other.

Ren didn’t show any reaction, nor did he ask for mercy right from the start because he knew there was no proof that could be used in his favor. The only thing he was curious about was the strength of the person standing right in front of him.

Lucien’s gaze betrayed no emotion, but it wasn’t similar to his.

Ren looked like he was lost in thought, but Lucien’s face signified something else, it was like he was looking at a man built from experiences, one who wouldn’t falter even if a mountain blocked his path.

Lucien turned his head and nodded at Kael, who pushed Ren slightly and told him to go forward.

Throughout this, Ren’s hands were tied by a piece of the robe made from the torn fabric of Luna’s cloth.

It was the best thing Kael could find to immobilize him, though Owen didn’t agree to it easily as the cloth was of Luna’s tunic and his disgust for Ren increased even more after seeing him showing no reaction while getting tied down.

“Come with me,” Lucien spoke, and giving a glance at Kael, he started to return to where he came from.

Kael hesitated for a moment, but sighed and untied Ren’s hands, which he himself knew could be untied easily if Ren wanted to. It was due to the strength they currently had which was multiple times stronger than an average Joe.

’He wants to kill me or what?’ Ren pondered, while following Lucien.

The captain towered over him. Probably even crossing six and a half feet in height. But his frame was what surprised Ren.

He wasn’t buffed. His body was lean just like Ren’s, though the thickness of his muscles on his chest and forearms made Ren look small. He looked to be around thirty.

They crossed a pathway multiple times grander than the previous one that allowed the guards and players to enter the players’ training area.

Chandeliers hung above with lights emitting from them.

Pristine white marble lined the walls just like the floor Ren walked upon, and the paintings on the sides complemented the whole look even further.

’How is the difference so big?’ Ren had discerned the difference in architecture easily, but he didn’t expect the citadel itself to display the same design as Highcrest.

’The one who got this stronghold made should be a worker through and through.’

It was somewhat astonishing that the citadel also displayed the same discriminatory system in the same manner as the Inner Keep and the outer region.

Yet Ren wasn’t very sure about that as the citadel could have been different before the apocalypse and things had to change to how they are now only because of the city captain managing the citadel.

“Ren, do you wonder why I have created this discriminatory system?” He stepped out of the broad pathway.

“Sometimes… ” Ren’s voice decreased as he too exited the pathway a second after Lucien, and what greeted him were rows of doors, lavish in looks and decorated with designs.

“Are the—?” Before he could finish his sentence, Lucien spoke.

“These are where the players live. I know you think the difference between the living facilities is greater than a chasm. But that’s how things work, and that is how the city itself worked in the past.”

Ren threw a bewildered look at him, which Lucien ignored completely.

Wasn’t he supposed to be executed or something? Why is this guy lecturing him?

“There used to exist three noble houses. And from one of them hailed a kid who was just like you… No, even comparing you to him would be demeaning his actions. He was a devil in a human form.

And the entirety of the third noble house fell due to his actions. Hundreds of innocents died because of him when the house fell, not to mention those women who were defiled and slaughtered by his hands.”

He exhaled a heavy sigh through his nose and continued.

“The other two noble houses swallowed the third house wholly. Though they themselves didn’t last long.”

“Where are you going with this?” Ren narrowed his gaze. He was slightly cautious of Lucien and despite hearing his words, his attention was fixed on Lucien himself.

“When the apocalypse descended, the other two noble clans fell down with it, not sparing a single member from it.

But Ren, a kid like you should also have been swallowed by it. Still, you survived, likely because you didn’t hail from this world from the start.

So I will allow the apocalypse to swallow you.

From here on, you are exiled from this citadel, pack your things and go away.”

Without glancing towards him, Lucien decided Ren’s future in a single breath.

’He’s letting me go… ?’ Ren couldn’t comprehend the figure standing before him.

And he didn’t have the time to. He turned back and returned, to say bye to the only people he knew… if they still considered him their friend.

***

“Sir, I don’t understand, why did you let him go?” A guard escaped from Lucien’s shadow and asked politely.

If Derek was here, he would be surprised to the core at seeing someone who could hide in a shadow better than himself.

“You don’t understand, Dorian. He didn’t commit the crime, and all we have is an accusation from two people, one of them being Derek. So I immediately sensed something was wrong, but when I found out the victim herself blamed this kid, I knew either he actually tried to molest her or Derek had manipulated that girl.”

Lucien’s face finally revealed a worried expression as he looked at Dorian.

“And the resistance from the survivors would be too intense if I protected the kid, but at the same time, I can’t get him killed just based on suspicion and an attempt to molest. He didn’t do it. So execution could backfire on me.”

“I see… ” Dorian nodded and returned back to the shadow of Lucien.

They both suspected Derek to some extent, but Dorian himself wasn’t sure that he wouldn’t be caught spying on Derek.

Their abilities were a lot different, despite looking eerily the same, which prevented Dorian from taking the risk. This was the reason why Lucien couldn’t take any action against him.

And Lucien still had some plans for which he needed a scapegoat.

And for him, Derek was the perfect choice, so he let him live till now.