Chapter 766:Imperial Capital Under Lockdown

Chapter 766: 766:Imperial Capital Under Lockdown

Ethan had expected the question. He smiled and nodded.

"Yes, I don’t want to be Emperor."

"In that case, what would happen to Blanks?" Rathlos asked. His expression became slightly tense as he waited for the answer.

"It’s gonna be taken over by the Eldorian Empire." Ethan answered calmly.

"That’s bad."

"Huh!" Ethan frowned when he heard Lancelot’s words.

"What’s bad about this?"

Lancelot’s face remained serious. He leaned back slightly in his chair and looked at Ethan.

"Because the mess isn’t over, and it’s gonna be very troublesome now."

Ethan, Duke Osantra, and Rathlos all frowned. Their eyes turned toward Duke Lancelot with questioning expressions.

"What do you mean?" Osantra asked.

"Ethan becoming an Emperor won’t cause much chaos because he had a righteous cause, and people will support him, but since he won’t, the nobles who might have survived this might start their own region."

Rathlos slowly nodded, but he still looked doubtful.

"Most of the nobles are already defeated and are on the battlefield. Who will move?"

"The five families."

Ethan’s eyes widened as soon as he heard those words.

"The five families."

He had completely forgotten about them.

His expression became serious as he leaned forward slightly.

"But didn’t they too spend a lot?"

"Hehe... You don’t know anything, kids. Do you really think that’s all they have?" Duke Lancelot snorted.

His expression became slightly cold as he looked at Ethan and Rathlos.

"Why do you think these five families exist even if they don’t have noble titles?"

He paused for a moment before continuing.

"It’s because they have foundations even older than the Arcadia Empire, and Arcadia has always been unstable for the last few years, so it can’t exert power to uproot them and cause nationwide chaos."

The room became quiet.

Ethan slowly leaned back into his chair as he thought about Lancelot’s words. He had dealt with many powerful forces during the war, but the five families had always remained in the background.

If what Lancelot said was true, then their defeat was far from certain.

Just then, Rathlos suddenly coughed.

"Gentlemen, I have something to report."

Everyone turned toward him.

"What is it?" Ethan asked with a frown.

Rathlos adjusted his glasses and looked at the report that had been placed on the table.

"This report came a few hours ago. I didn’t think it would have a great impact prior, so I waited for Lord to appear before relaying it."

"Is it grave?" Duke Osantra asked.

Rathlos slowly nodded.

His expression became cold as he looked at everyone in the room.

"The Imperial Capital had been surrounded."

The words struck like thunder.

.....

The Imperial Capital was under complete lockdown.

The once busy streets had become almost silent. Shops were closed, markets had been abandoned, and the roads that were usually filled with people had been cleared. No one was allowed to move around without permission. Guards stood at every major road, while patrols moved through the smaller streets and checked houses one after another.

Most of the original Imperial Army had either been killed during the recent battles or replaced. Their familiar banners were nowhere to be seen. Instead, new warriors wearing heavy armor had taken control of the streets. Their armor was dark and clean, and each of them carried weapons that were ready to be used at any moment. They stood in strict formations at every important location and maintained complete control over the city.

People stayed inside their homes with their doors locked. Even speaking too loudly near the windows could attract the attention of the soldiers outside. Families gathered together in fear while rumors spread quietly from one house to another. No one knew what was happening inside the Imperial Palace, and that uncertainty made the situation even worse.

The Imperial Palace itself had also changed.

The grand halls that once welcomed nobles and ministers were now filled with armed warriors. Guards stood at every entrance, and even the servants were watched closely. The palace no longer felt like the heart of an Empire. It felt like a place that had been occupied by force.

Deep inside the palace was a private residence where the Crown Princess and her children had once lived. The rooms were large and beautifully decorated, with expensive furniture, tall windows, and paintings covering the walls. Yet the beauty of the place could not hide the fear that filled it now.

Inside one of those rooms, Crown Princess Elena was on her knees.

Tears covered her face as she looked toward the man standing in front of her.

"Please... spare my children."

Her voice trembled as she pressed her hands together.

"I beg you. Whatever you want, take it from me. Just spare them."

She tried to move forward, but the guards standing nearby immediately blocked her path.

At the opposite side of the room stood a man with his hands folded behind his back. He looked calm as he watched the scene before him.

In front of him, several guards held a young boy.

Prince Charles struggled against their grip, but he was too young to break free. His clothes were slightly dirty, and his face was filled with anger and hatred.

He stared directly at the man.

"What do you want, you dirty rebel?" the boy spat in disgust.

The man stared at him for a moment before chuckling softly.

"You certainly inherited the courage of Royals, Prince Charles, however..."

He slowly walked toward the boy.

The guards tightened their grip as the man approached, but the boy continued staring at him without lowering his head.

The man squatted down in front of him and grabbed his chin, forcing the boy to look directly into his eyes.

"For you not understanding the situation and showing a strong back, it’s useless because your Father and Grandfather have already departed to heav... Oops, sorry for the mistake."

A cold smile appeared on his face.

"They seem to have committed too many sins, so there is no place for them in heaven."

Elena’s face turned pale.

"Don’t you dare speak about them like that!"

The man ignored her and continued looking at the young Prince.

"By now, they should be rotting in the prison of Hell... Hahahahahahahahahah!"

A gruesome laughter spread all around the place.

The guards remained silent as the laughter echoed through the room.

Prince Charles clenched his small fists and continued glaring at the man with hatred, while Elena could only look at her son with tears running down her face.