Multiversal Ascension-Chapter 121: The Adamant Guards on the Move

Even the king's expression darkened. He turned toward Amelia, a look of 'righteous anger' settling onto his face. "I was unaware of this treachery," he declared, his voice rising. "Divine envoys, you have my word—these nobles will be punished for their crimes. For not only betraying the kingdom but for committing heresy against Seraphis herself."

The chancellor, who had been momentarily frozen in shock, snapped back to reality. His horror at having an arrow pointed at him was quickly overshadowed by an even greater fear—what the king had just declared.

"Your Majesty, you can't!" he protested, stepping forward. "This goes against the kingdom's laws! These nobles have contributed greatly to the realm—you cannot simply execute them without due process!"

But King Alden IV did not waver.

He did not care if this decision would be seen as impulsive, or if it would create political turmoil among the nobility. All that mattered now was proving his devotion to Seraphis—and ensuring that, after his death, he would be granted a place in her divine realm.

"Adamant Guards, heed my command!" King Alden IV's voice rang with unwavering authority. "Lord Eldric Valmont, Duke Alistair Ravenshire, Marquis Lucien Dorne, Lady Evangeline Rosethorne, and Countess Ophelia Duskbane—guilty of treachery and heresy. They are to be captured and executed! Their titles are revoked, their lands seized, and their entire families condemned alongside them! By royal decree, effective immediately."

A tense silence settled over the throne room as his words echoed. Then, without hesitation, two Adamant Guards stepped forward and seized Lord Eldric Valmont. Gone was the deference usually afforded to nobles; they handled him like a common criminal, gripping his arms tightly as he was wrenched from his place.

His complexion, already deathly pale, turned even whiter—if such a thing was possible. His breath hitched in sheer terror. Then, desperation overtook him.

"I beg for mercy, Your Majesty!" he pleaded, his voice trembling. "I never intended to rebel against the Goddess or the Crown! This is all a misunderstanding!"

King Alden IV, however, was unmoved. He was about to signal the guards to drag Valmont to the dungeon when Amelia suddenly spoke.

At first, she had been blinded by anger, but upon hearing the king's decree—the execution of not just the accused nobles but their entire families—her rage gave way to clarity.

She frowned. Countless lives were about to be lost, and most of them had likely played no part in this treachery.

"There is no need for such severe punishment," she declared.

Lord Eldric Valmont's eyes lit up with hope—only for that hope to be crushed an instant later.

"Capture the five nobles I named," she continued. "Interrogate them thoroughly. Once they reveal all those involved in their schemes, then you may carry out their execution and the ones of those involved. As for their families—there is no need to punish them if they are innocent."

King Alden IV nodded. "You heard the divine envoy. Follow her orders."

The Adamant Guards, who had momentarily paused at Amelia's intervention, resumed their task. Cries of protest filled the air as the noble was dragged away.

"No! I am innocent!" Lord Eldric Valmont screamed, his frantic pleas fading into silence as the throne room doors slammed shut behind him.

The king turned his gaze back to Amelia, his tone eager to please. "Is there anything else that troubles you, divine envoy?"

Amelia thought for a moment before responding. "Everything has been said. Just ensure that the two armies we discussed yesterday are ready by 1 PM."

With that, Amelia and the three other divine envoys exited the throne room, their steps calm and unhurried—as if nothing of consequence had just occurred. But everyone present knew otherwise. The events that had unfolded here would send shockwaves throughout the capital.

***

Meanwhile, across the city...

"What do you think you're doing? This is Duke Alistair's estate! You can't just barge in like this!" a frantic voice protested.

The Adamant Guards ignored him. They stormed into the mansion without hesitation.

The estate's guards, upon seeing them, instinctively reached for their weapons—but then froze. Opposing the Adamant Guards was akin to opposing the king himself. No matter how loyal they were to their master, no matter how bold, this was a fight they could not win.

One by one, they stepped aside.

The Adamant Guards swiftly searched the estate before emerging moments later, dragging a struggling middle-aged man in their grasp.

"I am Duke Alistair Ravenshire! Release me at once!" he snarled, thrashing against their grip. "You have no authority to arrest me!"

One of the guards scoffed. "By order of His Majesty, you are under arrest for treachery and heresy. You will be imprisoned and, upon confirmation of your crimes, executed."

"No! You have no right!" the duke shouted, his face contorted in outrage.

His protests fell on deaf ears. The Adamant Guards tightened their grip and continued dragging him toward the dungeons.

And this was not an isolated event. Similar scenes played out across the city.

Nobles who had long believed themselves untouchable—who had once lorded over commoners with unchecked arrogance—were now the ones being dragged away, stripped of their titles and dignity.

The rest of the noble class was left in shock and fear. Whispers spread like wildfire.

"Did you hear? They took Duke Ravenshire."

"Marquis Dorne as well."

"Lady Rosethorne, too."

A hushed silence fell upon the nobles who had entertained thoughts of stalling the war effort for their own gain. Seeing the fates of their peers, they abandoned any such notions without hesitation.

Defying the divine envoys was no longer an option.

And the news did not stop at the noble estates.

It spread beyond the palace walls, beyond the mansions of the elite—reaching the streets of the capital.

***

In a bustling tavern...

"Serves those arrogant bastards right!" a man in ragged clothing spat, slamming his mug onto the table.

Beside him, a middle-aged man took a sip of his beer before nodding in agreement. "Justice has finally been served. True, uncorruptible justice—the will of the Goddess herself."

The first man leaned forward, eyes alight with excitement. "It feels like a dream, doesn't it? When I heard the Pope's declaration this morning—that the Goddess had sent divine envoys to help us win this damned war—I thought it was too good to be true. But now, to see those corrupt nobles fall one after another..."

He raised his mug. "To the divine envoys!"

The middle-aged man grinned and lifted his own. "To the divine envoys!"

The two clinked their drinks together before taking a long sip.

And they were not alone.

Across the capital, similar celebrations erupted. The morning's news had already sent a wave of joy through the city—confirmation that the divine envoys were real, that the Goddess had not abandoned them. But now, with the revelation that corrupt nobles were being purged, the people's joy turned into outright elation.

For the first time in a long while, the common folk felt hope.

The Goddess was watching over them.

And with her divine envoys leading the charge—perhaps, just perhaps, they would finally win this war.

Morning gave way to the early afternoon, the tension in the air thick enough to cut with a blade. The four divine envoys once again arrived at the Adamant Guards' headquarters, but this time, the atmosphere was completely different.

What had previously been a near-empty barracks was now transformed into a fortress of steel and discipline. Hundreds of Adamant Guards stood in formation, clad in heavy armor, their weapons gleaming under the sunlight. Each soldier emanated the aura of a battle-hardened warrior, their presence alone exuding power and unshakable resolve.

Mikael and the others exchanged brief glances before separating as planned. He and Amelia swiftly made their way to the section where fifty Adamant Guards awaited them. Mikael spotted their commander and, after a quick yet firm exchange, the unit moved out. Their destination? The war camp stationed outside Blackthorn Fortress.

On the other side, Lyra and Kiara mirrored their actions, though the difference was stark—where Mikael and Amelia led only fifty, Lyra and Kiara commanded an elite force nearly a thousand strong.

Lyra hesitated for a brief moment, momentarily overwhelmed by the sheer number of troops standing at attention before her. The sheer scale of it all—the countless armored figures, the disciplined silence, the weight of expectation in their eyes—was daunting.

Kiara, however, didn't spare them a second thought. Annoyed at being separated from Mikael while Amelia got to remain by his side, she pushed forward with sharp efficiency, her tone clipped and unwavering as she gave orders. Every action was calculated, every decision fueled by a single thought—the faster she got this done, the faster they completed their objective, the sooner she could return to Mikael's side.

Under her unwavering lead, the thousand-strong army of Adamant Guards surged forward with precision and purpose. Their destination? Redgate City.

As the capital's citizens bore witness to the mobilization, an electrifying wave of anticipation spread through the streets. First, a smaller unit of fifty Adamant Guards, led by two youthful figures, exited the city gates. Not long after, another, far grander procession followed—nearly a thousand elite soldiers marching with unwavering discipline behind two more divine envoys.

Realization struck the onlookers like a divine revelation. These were the warriors sent by the Goddess herself. The ones destined to bring an end to the war that had plagued their kingdom for far too long.

A roar of acclamation erupted from the gathered commoners. Cheers and prayers filled the air, their voices raw with hope and desperation. They called out to the divine envoys and the Adamant Guards, their cries filled with pleading faith.

"End this war!"

"Bring us victory!"

"May the Goddess bless you!"

The warriors marched on, their backs straight, their pace steady, as if the weight of thousands of hopes resting upon them was nothing but a feather. ƒгeewёbnovel.com

They continued forward, unwavering, until they passed through the grand gates of the capital and left the sight of the gathered crowd. Beyond the city's walls, where prying eyes no longer reached, a brief interlude took place at a secondary headquarters of the Adamant Guards. The outpost, strategically positioned outside the capital, served as a staging ground for military operations.

There, each warrior received a horse, and soon after, they were joined by additional personnel—logisticians, quartermasters, and supply officers. These individuals would be responsible for ensuring the smooth movement of the army, a task as crucial as wielding a weapon on the battlefield.

Once the smaller force of fifty and the larger army of nearly a thousand men were fully equipped and prepared, they departed from the headquarters. At first, both groups moved together, their formation disciplined as they advanced northward. This continued for a time, ensuring that any potential spies lurking within the capital's reach would report only what they were meant to see.

Then, once they had traveled far enough to escape prying eyes, the true operation began. Without hesitation, the two armies split, each veering toward its actual target, marching in opposite directions as planned.

As the towering walls of the capital faded into the horizon, the rhythmic thunder of hooves against the earth echoed across the open plains. In this way, the Rithen Kingdom's counteroffensive was set into motion.

Author Note:

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