Seizing Eighbury

Two hours had passed since the purge and the state of the lord's mansion was now in a panic the moment they had learned the news that the Lord's forces were killed one-sidedly by the United National Socialist Party's Police Squadron.

The six families, who were pro-empire, started to get terrified as they discussed immediate action from their lord.

"Your Grace, we need to evacuate. They might come here and kill us!" Urged one in anxiety.

"Yes, we don't have much time."

"Why don't we just request aid from the Duke Elm's land, I'm sure they would be more than happy to crush this rebellion."

"You stupid! It'll take three days for the messenger to get there and three days back. You're not thinking clearly!"

"We are all not thinking clearly! We are in our inevitable death! I never knew that the United National Socialist Party would grow stronger."

"And what weapon did they use? A sword? If that is so, then our knight will easily crush them."

"But they didn't!"

"Then what is it?"

Desperate to find the answer, the pro-empire families faced the knight who survived the onslaught. However, as they looked into his depressing and shocked face, they gave up immediately.

"Okay."

"Everyone, I have an idea!" One of the families stood up with a bruise. His name is Lex. "Why don't we use the emergency tunnel in this mansion and get away from here?"

Hearing that, the families nodded at his proposal.

"Yeah, we must leave through that."

"What happened to your face anyway?"

"I fell on the stairs."

"Your Grace, what do you say?"

Everyone faced Enrico, desperate to accept his suggestion.

Luckily, Lord Enrico is just as scared as them.

"Okay...we must leave this shitty city and evacuate to Duke Elm's land. We will take back what's ours!"

Hearing his answer, the six families cheered and began their escape. Using the secret tunnel that has been built for over a century for the purpose of escaping when a city was overrun. This grants them safe passage.

They exited the tunnel and quietly made their way through the outskirts of town. However, as soon as they left the tunnel, it was already surrounded by the National Socialist with a wooden stick aimed at them.

"Your Grace, run..." One of the nobles uttered those words stopped abruptly on the tip of his tongue.

There was no need for any explanation at this moment. The enemies had apparently planned out everything long before. They launched a perfect ambush and encircled the six of them, blocking all possible exits through which they could flee for their lives.

Enrico's heart turned cold. He knew there was no escape.

The question in Lord Enrico's heart is how did they know.

One person walked forward, a young unarmed man. He glanced at them with indifferent eyes.

"Hmm, how pathetic. To run for your lives when your city has been overrun by liberators. You don't want to get liberated do you?" Ernest asked coldly.

"We aren't going to listen to any of your words." Enrico countered.

"Words? I'm not going to waste my breath on you." He glanced around once more, and his expressionless smile turned curled into a smirk. "Is this all of them, Lex?"

Lord Enrico and the noble families hardened at what they just heard. Lex? They turned and faced Lex in shock.

"Yes Sir…" Lex said in a low voice, clenching his fist. "I've successfully led them here and completed the end of my bargain, so where is my family?"

Ernest glanced at one of his police squadrons, indicating to them to bring his family.

"Lex, you fucking dirty traitor!" One of the nobles hollered.

"Turncoat…" One of the nobles muttered.

"I have nothing to say to all of you. My family comes first." Lex reasoned, "I'm sorry."

"You fucking shit!"

"Papa!"

A young girl's voice resounded, Lex turned and hurriedly ran towards her and hugged her tightly.

"I'm sorry my angel…" He burst into tears, "I'm sorry If I couldn't protect you yesterday."

"Honey…" A maiden's voice sounded. Lex struck his head upwards and saw his wife.

"Alexa!" Lex rose and hugged her. "...I'm sorry."

"What a touching reunion," Ernest commented,

"How can you betray us!" Enrico demanded an answer. Ernest answered in his stead.

"You know you can take everything from a man but not his family," Ernest said. "Any man would be devastated as soon as they know their family is in danger…"

"You dirty shit!" Enrico hollered.

"Say what you want, swine, you're going to die later." Ernest coldly declared.

…

Interlude.

After the meeting of the six families, Lex immediately went home. But as soon as he entered the door, he saw something strange.

The light was not lit and her daughter who always welcomed his arrival didn't happen.

"Angel?" Alexa! I'm home."

Suddenly—the door behind him shut loudly as two men approached from behind. Before Lex could turn around and check, his head was directly hit by a swinging fist of an unknown man, knocking him out instantly.

Several hours later, Lex slowly opened his eyes, he can still feel the excruciating pain in his face. It was blurry at first but a second later, his vision focused, only to see two people gagged and tied in front of him.

His eyes widened in shock as he recognized the face of two girls who were stained by tears.

He wanted to shout out their name but he realized that he was gagged up as well.

A young man stood before him. He recognized the man. He was the leader of the United National Socialist Party. Ernest Gonzales.

"I hope I'm not...disturbing your family." He said ironically. "Now that you are awake and see your surroundings, I think you understand your situation," Ernest said, playing with his gun.

"Tomorrow, I'm sure the city lord will send forces to stop my speech. But it will also be the perfect opportunity for me to topple your lord out of power. So I'm sure that when things go wrong you have some sort of exit tunnel right?" Ernest asked, he waited for an answer but he realized he was gagged. "Oops, I'm sorry…" He leaned closer and whispered. "Don't be loud, okay?" He removed the rope gagging his mouth.

"Wha...what do you think you're doing."

"That's not the answer I was looking for."

—Gugh.

One of the guards punched him in the face, blood trickled down from his mouth. His daughter and wife wept but it was suppressed by a rope gagging them.

"I will never...betray my lord."

"Wrong answer."

He was met with another punch in the face. He groaned in pain.

"This is not working…" Ernest noticed, "I think that this is not effective, let's try another method."

Ernest cocked his gun and turned to Lex's daughter. The gun cocking is also a signal to his squad and they acted immediately. A table with a watermelon on top was set in front of Lex.

"You may not know this weapon but I can demonstrate what it can do," Ernest said and fired one shot.

The gun roared loudly as its bullets pierced the watermelon and splattered everywhere, creating a mess.

His family shivered in fear after seeing the power of his weapon.

"Now do you want it to happen on your daughter's head?" Ernest said indifferently as he aimed his gun at his daughter's temple.

"No no no! Please don't hurt my daughter! I beg you!" Tears trickled down his face as he pleaded for his daughter's life.

"Or how about my guards having a taste of your wife?"

One of his protection squadrons stripped off her clothes using a knife and traced its body with its sharp blade.

His wife and daughter's bodies trembled in fear, any more of this could lead them into shock and pass out. Lex forced his hand.

"I think it's time to decide what matters most. Your family or your lord?" Ernest asked one last time. "They say family makes a man whole. What do you think will happen if I take them from you?" Ernest pressed the temple of Lex's daughter with the muzzle.

Now anyone who's in Lex's position would probably choose their family, but this is similar to medieval-age, will he still choose to be loyal to his family or to his lord? Ernest was somewhat excited to know the answer.

"Okay okay! I give up! I don't know where the secret tunnel is but I can lead them to use it." Lex said.

"So it's family," Ernest muttered under his breath. He holstered his gun and looked to one of his protection squadrons, indicating him to stop.

Since the guard had stripped his wife's clothes, she is partially naked, only a garment that is protecting her private part is left. Ernest covered them with a blanket and proceeded to remove their restraint.

"Do you know where the exit of that secret tunnel is?"

"Yes sir."

"Good. Tell it to me and I will ensure that no more harm will befall on your family."

…

With the captured lord and nobles except Lex, Ernest heads back to the Grand Plaza of Eighbury.

"Well… look who's kneeling now, my lord," said Ernest, extending his hand.

The nobleman bristled. Though he was barely injured, his hatred for Ernest remained intact.

"I'll not cower before the likes of you."

"Good," said Ernest. "Because I wouldn't want you to miss this."

In minutes, all of the noblemen and servants of Lord Enrico were lined up on top of the stage, their hands bound. Ernest paced the line, individually acknowledging each captive.

"I ache for you all. I do," said Ernest. "You are merely cogs in their wheel."

Ernest paused, his tone shifting harshly, as he gestured to the bound nobleman.

"But you chose to serve them… and thus, serve their cause."

He turned to his band of people, loudly offering a question.

"Brothers and sisters—these folk work in the service of swine. What does that make them?"

"Swine!" replied the people.

"Should we allow them to go free?"

"No!" yelled the people

"What if they have a change of heart? Promise never to bother us again?" asked Ernest, with a coy smile creeping across the corners of his mouth.

"They'd be lying!" yelled from all directions...

"They can't be trusted!"

"Then what is to be done with them?" asked Ernest.

"They must die!" shouted Wayne, his hatred beyond his years.

Others yelled out in the agreement until the phrase echoed across the Grand Plaza: "Swine must die!"

Just like what happened in the restaurant.

Ernest nodded as if he were slowly being persuaded by their words.

"So it must be." Ernest beckoned his police squadron to aim their guns and shoot.

"You will regret this. The Empire will crush all of your futile resistance." Said Lord Enrico.

But Ernest confidently replied: "It pains me that I cannot show you the beautiful world to come."

And thus.

*Bang Bang Bang.

The sound of a gunshot echoed, signaling the end of their cruel ways.

"My people, don't be discouraged at the sight of these dead swine. Their fortunes are built on your suffering. They must be exterminated."

And as soon as all the pro-empire nobles died. A powerful cheer resounded across the city.

"Glory to Ernest!"

"Ernest! Ernest! Ernest!"

The city of Eighbury is now under United National Socialist Party.