When the surrounding crowd scattered in fear, Simon didn’t give those holding weapons any chance to explain.
He swept through them like a storm the moment he landed.
Blood sprayed into the air like a crimson mist, spreading terror to everyone it touched.
These people had neither the equipment of the previous Undead Guardians, nor their strength, and certainly not their ability to resurrect.
Against Simon, they stood no chance.
The moment they chose to raise their blades against innocent civilians, their fate was sealed.
Simon couldn’t kill everyone, but taking out some was within his limits.
Even if these people were left alive, they would only become a burden to the Empire in the future, a hidden threat for Alexia.
After the last person fell to Simon’s hand, the entire street became empty, with no trace of anyone remaining.
Even the occasional undead seemed to avoid the street, unwilling to set foot there.
After dealing with this group, Simon quickly returned to Chimera and flew toward another location.
After Simon took care of several teams in succession, an unexpected communication rang in his ear.
“Knight Commander, we’ve found Pandas and the others…”
Miloia’s voice came from the other side, tinged with disbelief.
“Found? Not captured?”
Simon asked in confusion.
From Miloia’s tone, it sounded like she didn’t believe she’d caught the real person.
“I’m afraid there’s no need for us to capture them. You’ll understand when you see for yourself.”
Following the coordinates sent by Miloia, Chimera carried Simon swiftly to the Northern City.
A squad of Blood Knights had already been waiting there for some time.
After Simon landed, one of the Blood Knights pointed to a house.
Simon entered, and when he saw the disheveled Pandas and his companions inside, even he showed surprise.
“Pandas?”
Simon looked at the bruised and swollen face of Pandas.
“What happened to you?”
When Simon hadn’t seen Pandas among the previous uprising teams, he had wondered what he was up to.
Now it seemed Pandas had been excluded from the start.
Thinking about it, it made sense.
Given Pandas’s personality, even if he incited people to oppose Alexia, he would never commit such cruel acts.
He opposed the flawed system of the Empire, not the Empire itself.
“They lost control.”
Pandas gave Simon a bitter smile.
“The moment the black mist rose over the Imperial Capital, everything fell apart. They wouldn’t listen to a word.”
Then he looked up at Simon.
“Let me guess—you’ve already subdued those guys, haven’t you?”
Simon shook his head lightly.
“Not completely suppressed yet, but the situation in the Imperial Capital is basically under control. Only the black mist enveloping the city is still an unknown.”
Pandas nodded in understanding.
“As I expected, how could such a disorderly mob ever contend with Alexia?”
“Why are you here?”
Simon asked Pandas.
“Me? Isn’t it obvious? Of course, I was locked up here by them.”
Pandas spoke as if he had nothing to do with any of it.
But the marks on his face and the injuries of those around him made it clear what they had suffered.
Simon was silent for a moment, unsure of what to say.
“Got a smoke?”
Pandas asked Simon.
“Alexia doesn’t like the smell.”
Simon replied, but still pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and handed them over.
“So you came prepared! Clearly, you came looking for me today.”
Pandas took the cigarette without hesitation and lit it from a nearby candle.
After a few puffs, he sighed softly.
“I didn’t think today was a good day for an uprising, since I hadn’t figured out how to get past you and the Blood Knights yet.”
“But those guys couldn’t wait any longer. The appearance of the undead destroyed everything we’d planned, and the black mist cut them off from outside information, completely ruining our plans.”
In such circumstances, even if Pandas wanted to organize people, he could only gather those around him, unable to control everyone as before.
Everyone was trapped in the illusion that they were alone in the world.
And since they weren’t proper citizens, if they were found by the Imperial Capital Guard or the Blood Knights, being caught was lucky.
More likely, they’d be killed on the spot.
“For survival, those guys would do anything. No matter how much I tried to persuade them, they refused to listen.”
Pandas glanced at those around him.
“At least the people with me were still willing to listen.”
“And I don’t understand. Normally, they weren’t this stupid, but now it’s like they were driven insane, as if under some influence.”
Pandas thought back and felt something was very wrong.
“If doing nothing could save some people, why insist on dragging everyone down?”
“Pandas, you might be underestimating humanity’s will to survive.”
Simon commented from the side.
“To stay alive, people really can do anything. Don’t impose your beliefs on others.”
Pandas’s resolve was strong, but that didn’t mean everyone else was the same.
Opposing Alexia was, in essence, treason.
If they succeeded, history would praise them; if they failed, it would be a mark of rebellion.
“Especially for those with little chance of survival—if they can’t live, why not take others down with them?”
Adversity reveals true character. Until the end, never underestimate human nature.
“An uprising at least offers a fighting chance. What if it succeeds?”
“Success?”
Pandas couldn’t help but laugh.
“How could such a disorderly mob possibly succeed?”
He hadn’t expected to be defeated by his own people.
“Looking back, it’s clear the late king had his reasons for sparing these people—not because they were good at choosing sides or out of pity, but because they were too stupid! So much so that the late king never considered them a threat.”
When his cigarette burned out, Pandas crushed the pack and tossed it to the floor.
“I lost. Utterly defeated.”
Pandas looked firmly at Simon.
“But I’ll still say it—Alexia is wrong!”
“No matter what, wrong is always wrong. It can never become right.”
“That’s your view. I won’t correct it.”
Simon said softly.
“Even during execution, it doesn’t matter if you shout it for all to hear.”
He continued.
“What I want to discuss with you is about Madam Pandas and Belinda.”
Simon could only hope that Pandas was still sentimental; otherwise, the task Alexia gave him would truly be impossible.