“Alexia!”
Terrence threw his head back and unleashed a soul-shaking, terrifying roar.
This caused Simon’s advance to slow slightly, but did not truly affect him.
However, the Undead guards around him seemed to go berserk, their combat power suddenly surging.
The speed that had been unable to touch Simon abruptly increased.
Caught off guard, Simon’s armor rang with a sharp clash.
This instantly made Simon realize that Terrence’s roar was not directed at him or Alexia, but was meant to empower the surrounding Undead guards.
At the same time, a squad of Blood Knights suddenly appeared outside the grand hall’s gates.
They stood in formation, advancing steadily toward the hall’s interior.
“Knight Commander, urgent military news!”
“Deputy Miloya sent us to inform you: a mysterious armed force has suddenly appeared in the outer city of the Imperial Capital. They’re trying to break through the Barricade Spell Arrays between various districts, heading toward the Imperial Palace.”
“The black mist seems to have the ability to interfere with magic. At present, we can only partially restore communication with outposts outside the palace. It’s impossible to contact scattered teams outside, let alone communicate with the rest of the Imperial garrison.”
“The Church of Light has fully intervened in the current situation within the capital, and the horns of military assembly are already sounding outside the city.”
The opponent’s hoarse, desperate report let the two people who had remained inside the hall understand the dire situation facing the capital.
It also made them realize they had to end this battle as soon as possible.
The appearance of the Blood Knights effectively eased the pressure on Simon’s side, forcing Terrence to divert part of his Undead guards to resist the assault at the gates.
This allowed Simon’s advance to become even swifter.
Moreover, he no longer needed to focus on protecting Alexia.
With her firepower fully unleashed, Alexia was even more fearsome than Simon.
Her magic was more effective against Undead creatures than Simon’s blade.
This scene left the Blood Knights at the entrance of the hall dumbfounded.
They had never imagined that the Empress they were protecting possessed such powerful magic.
Very soon, Simon wiped out all the Undead guards ahead.
Alexia stood before the unguarded Terrence.
She softly sang the Soul-Calming Song, a few tears slipping down her cheeks despite herself.
If Terrence had been a stranger, she wouldn’t have shed a single tear.
But he was the person she had once worshipped most.
Ascending the throne had, in a sense, been her way of proving her ability to Terrence, even though the Empire had better options at the time.
To bid farewell to a loved one with her own hands—this was the second time.
A final farewell she could hardly bear deep within her heart.
Up to this moment, nothing unusual had occurred within the grand hall.
“Alexia…”
Terrence looked straight at Alexia, the soul-fire in his eyes flickering, revealing the turmoil of his emotions.
“Father, I…”
Alexia tried to speak, but the instant her eyes met Terrence’s, her entire body froze.
Her consciousness seemed to be dragged back by some force, rapidly shrinking.
The world plunged into absolute silence.
As if only she and Terrence remained.
Amid a field of white, a black tide surged in the distance, rushing toward them.
“Alexia…”
Terrence’s voice was no longer hoarse, gradually regaining its former timbre.
His Undead form swiftly transformed into his appearance as a middle-aged man in life.
“Only after seeing you did I realize what a mistake I had made.”
Hearing Terrence’s voice again, Alexia felt as if separated by worlds, rooted in place.
She had always been skilled at taking the initiative, but for the first time, she felt completely lost.
“Father…”
Terrence interrupted Alexia.
“I don’t have much time to talk with you, so listen to me.”
His chance at lucidity was limited to this one moment.
The time he could see and speak with Alexia was extremely short; clearly, it could not be wasted on small talk.
“I admit, after becoming an Undead, I tried to reclaim the throne with my old subordinates, to restore order to the Empire.”
Even after death, he had hoped to save the Empire that had plunged into chaos due to his own incompetence in his later years.
“But when I saw the current state of the Empire, I realized this idea was likely wrong. Yet I could not turn back, because I am no longer my own master.”
His will was not his own, forced to obey another’s commands.
The current state was only a fleeting clarity, cleverly exploited by him.
In truth, the Undead were never meant to appear at this moment; they were to wait for greater chaos in the capital before moving in.
But he could wait no longer.
In his eyes, the Empire under Alexia’s rule was full of flaws, and she seemed unchanged.
If things continued like this, the Empire would be doomed.
“Thus, I launched a ‘Rebellion’ within reason. I knew it would cause the deaths of many innocents, but I had no choice.”
“Alexia, your rule is on the brink. I don’t know what foolish things you’ve done during your reign, but what I must tell you is: you’re going to die.”
He had to consider the Empire as a whole—and Alexia.
Listening to Terrence, Alexia was silent for a moment before suddenly raising her head and shouting in anguish.
“Then what am I supposed to do?! You tell me! What should I do?!”
She cried helplessly to her father before her, just as she had once sought her king’s comfort.
“Brother is gone. Sister is no longer here. Even you, Father, have left me. When I took the throne, almost all the pillars of the court were gone. The remaining ministers not only defied me, but even resented me because of your suppression—they wouldn’t obey my commands.”
“I could only kill them… Kill… Kill, kill! But what use is killing?!”
“You left me with this mess, and still blame me for not doing well enough? What does ‘well enough’ even mean? Am I supposed to recreate your glory from back then?!”
“Can’t you let me catch my breath for just a moment?!”
“Father, I’m really tired! I never wanted to be Empress of this Empire!!”
Terrence remained silent, letting Alexia vent her frustration.
Behind him, the black tide pressed closer, about to engulf them both.
He still wanted to say more to Alexia, to tell her he was sorry, but time had run out.
“Alexia, my pride—you are a worthy Empress. That’s why I believe you can see the Empire’s true enemies.”
He risked the complete loss of his sanity to create this chaos, only so Alexia would end this meaningless strife and turn her attention to more important matters.
Was it the ideological conflict between Alexia and Pandas?
Or the confrontation between the Empire and the Witch Council?
Or was it the terrifying presence lurking in the shadows that had turned him into an Undead?
Or perhaps the unification dream of the founding Empress, Lothurn?
None of these!
But he was willing to bet that his daughter Alexia could see the truth.
“This time… this may be our last real conversation. From now on, the world may only know an Undead Puppet called Terrence.”
“One last piece of advice—I don’t know why, but That One is unusually wary of Simon’s existence. So no matter what happens next, trust your knight…”
As his words fell, the black tide engulfed Terrence completely.
The entire space became pitch black.
Just as before, she was pulled forward by some overwhelming force.
In her ears, she faintly heard Simon’s voice calling her name.