Speech of assurance

Dusk was setting in rapidly when the men of Camelot set off for home. Six hours later, they arrived outside the western walls of Mainland Camelot. Camelot had other cities that weren't on the mainland; an example was Aja City. Just like the Barbax kingdom, Mainland Camelot was fenced in by very tall walls. Except that its height exceeded that of Barbax's by 20 metres.

Aja City was located west of Mainland Camelot. The emperor and his troops had left through the western gates and returned through them. The city behind this wall was called Stoßzahn City. He and his men marched towards the city's square. It was around 9 p.m., the streets of the city were glamorously lit by mana-fueled lamps, and people went about their business with the same vigour as they did during the day.

The majority of the city's structures were either one-story buildings or bungalows. They all featured clay tile roofing and awning windows.

"Soldiers of Stoßzahn City, tell the people to come out to the square; your emperor has returned victorious!" Emperor Gerald exclaimed as he marched through a narrow, tiled street flanked on each side by a slew of one-story buildings.

His voice could be heard in the next three streets on either flank. Before he could march into the square, it was already crowded by eager residents who relentlessly chanted, "Glory be to the Emperor!"

Via a flight of stairs, the emperor walked onto an elevated platform that was positioned moderately north in the square. He put his hands in front of and above his head and waved them sideways, which left a temporary, big, horizontal, dazzling trail of golden flames in their wake. The people were awed. Then they gave the emperor a round of applause and fell silent.

Emperor Gerald began his speech by saying, "A big thank you goes to everyone living in Stoßzahn city who came out tonight, who prayed for us to triumph over our enemies, and who just dwells as a good citizen."

The people applauded the emperor. His voice was loud enough to be heard around the square without enhancing devices.

"These valiant men," he said, gesturing at his troops who stood in front of the platform, "marched with me to intercept and stomp down invaders from the Barbax kingdom."

The people cheered on hearing this news.

"Unfortunately, we lost Aja City to these invaders. Don't get me wrong; Aja city is still ours, but it was razed by the invaders. I promise to rapidly rebuild Aja city so that the displaced people can return without creating upset for other people."

Only some people cheered this time. They were undoubtedly Aja City's displaced residents. The rest of the crowd had concern on their faces. Emperor Gerald wasn't oblivious to the reaction.

"Don't worry, people of Stoßzahn city, I will not increase the tax rate," he assured. "Instead, for the six months that I intend for Aja City to be rebuilt, taxes will be reduced by thirty percent."

Cheerful screams accompanied a round of applause. The emperor waited for the noise to die down, and he continued,

"Resources from tributaries will be used in the reconstruction. And with the guidance of the census board, survivors will be actively involved in the planning and reconstruction of Aja."

The applause graduated into chants. The people relentlessly chanted, "Long live the Emperor Gerald."

The emperor descended from the platform. He and his troops marched out of Stoßzahn and into the city on its eastern border. The name of this city was Der Stolz des Drachen (Pride of the Dragon). The men were marching in a straight line to the capital city. The capital city was named Camelot City. They had to pass through four cities before arriving in Camelot City.

At Der Stolz des Drachen's city square, the emperor gave a speech similar to that of Stoßzahn. The difference was that he received a very welcoming reaction from the people. There was no worried reaction at any point from the citizens.

Emperor Gerald inhaled the cool air, and he was pleased. It was because of the heartwarming scent that was around the city. It was the scent of jasmine flowers. As he marched to the square earlier, he observed that houses in the city looked lavish. This was courtesy of the brilliant combination of blue and yellow or white and black colours for the buildings' façade, the colour combination of the clay tiled roofs or brilliant craftsmanship for thatched roofs, and the pots of jasmine flowers that lay around every one of the buildings.

'The pride of the dragon indeed,' he mused.

Most of the soldiers didn't continue the march with Emperor Gerald. They politely asked to leave for their homes, and it was granted. Most of them lived in Stadt der Eroberer, which was a city south of Der Stolz des Drachen.

Emperor Gerald and a few soldiers marched through the other two cities. Their names were Eisenfaust City and Das Eiserne Herz City. The emperor delivered the same speech he gave in the previous two cities. The people of these latter cities responded the same way as the people of Der Stolz des Drachen.

The Emperor and his troops arrived at Camelot City by 12:00 p.m. At this time, the capital city was quiet. The residents had all retired to their beds, and only the soldiers that watched over the city at night were awake.

After taking more than a hundred steps from the main gates of the city, the emperor halted. He turned to his men and said,

"You all should retire to your beds. You have done noble."

"May your reign be remembered for good," the soldiers praised him.

The soldiers departed into the city except for the legate, who still stood with the emperor.

The legate asked, "My lord, how do we go about disposing of our fallen men?"

Emperor Gerald replied, "I will go now to bring back the bodies behind the wall."

"My lord," the legate sounded astonished, "you mean that you aren't going to rest? It has been a long day. Grant me permission to...

Emperor Gerald interrupted, asking, "Venerable, what is your name?"

"My lord, the name is Werner Kolarov."

"I command you, Werner," the emperor said, "to retire to your bed with no further words spoken to me."

Kolarov bowed his head to the emperor and departed into the city.

A bolt of red lightning from the sky descended on the emperor, enveloping his figure. The instant the flash was gone, he was gone.