The Flames of War - I
The Zenith Empire is one of the weakest empires on the blue planet, controlling the Zenith Continent, which has 12 cities. The Zenith Continent holds the precious land where most of humanity's population resides. This land is the only place that humanity now calls home, and the entire continent is currently facing war with extremely low chances of winning.
In this war, the Zenith Empire is confronting many enemies simultaneously. Currently, one of these enemies stands in front of the capital city of the Zenith Empire – Lake City, also known as the heart of the Zenith Empire.
However, surviving in this world requires power, and the Zenith Empire has sustained itself for five centuries and continues to do so. Despite being one of the weakest empires, it possesses enough power that no one has directly invaded its capital city.
The Zenith Empire is under the sole control of the Zenith Royal family, descendants of the hero Adam Zenith, who secured this continent through sacrifice and victory in a war 500 years ago.
Another reason for the Empire's continued sustenance is the Dragon King Pact. This pact is upheld by the Dragon Empire, aiding and supporting the Zenith Empire to this day.
[Capital of the Zenith Empire - Lake City]
[Royal Palace - Throne Room]
In the grandeur of the throne room stood a middle-aged man, his eyes reflecting a lifeless gaze that bore witness to the many facets of the world. His long black hair cascaded down, framing a face devoid of emotion, adorned by slightly brown eyes that seemed to hold untold stories. The pallor of his white skin hinted at a countenance weathered by time and experience.
As he occupied the royal seat, a suffocating aura of transcendent rank emanated from his very being, enveloping the space with undeniable regality. The air itself seemed to bow in deference to the weight of his presence.
In the throne room, the sovereign presence belonged to none other than King Rudas Zenith, the ruler of the illustrious Zenith Empire. His commanding stature emanated from the noble bloodline of the first hero of humanity, an ancestral legacy that carried the weight of history.
Despite being the weakest empire on the blue planet, every empire has its own story and fair share of war and suffering, yet they manage to sustain themselves. The Zenith Empire, with the lowest standing among all the empires on the blue planet, continues to thrive due to the foundation and principles established by the first hero of humanity, Adam Zenith, for his people.
"Your Majesty, our neighbor, the Reven Empire, is attacking our 12 cities simultaneously, and now demonic beasts and Royal demons are detected by our city defense system," Black Shadow said with a serious expression.
King Rudas gazed at the being kneeling in front of his throne, dressed entirely in black clothes and adorned with two horns on his head.
"Stand up, Veldora. How many times must I tell you? You don't need to be so formal in front of me. You know you're my only friend, and it's difficult for me to see you in this state," King Rudas said with his deep and slightly sad voice.
"Your Majesty," Veldora stood up and observed the man in front of him, deep in thought.
[ Flashback ]
"Mother, why do we have to serve the weak humans?" young Veldora questioned his mother.
"Veldora, my child, you must not speak in such a way. You know our ancestor, the Dragon King, made a pact with humans. We are obligated to follow the pact and send one of our royal children to the Zenith Empire to serve the crown prince who will become the king," she explained.
"Why should we follow this stupid pact? We are noble dragons. How can we serve the weak human race?" Veldora expressed his anger and pride.
"Veldora, you are disrespecting your elders. Go to the punishment room and don't come out until I call you," she scolded him.
"Yes, Mother," Veldora left the room.
"I'm sorry, my child, but this time you have been chosen to serve the newborn crown prince Rudas Zenith," she said with a sad expression.
"Because of the prophecy, we have to continue the pact with humans. It doesn't make sense how a human could be our savior and lord. But if the prophecy comes true, our Walker family will be reborn," she thought.
[ Flashback End ]
Veldora looked at the man in front of him, someone who had never treated him badly and always referred to him as a friend. Veldora had followed him since childhood, making him the person who knew the man better than anyone else in the empire. Eventually, he began to accept Rudas's feelings and acknowledged him as a friend, though he still adhered to formalities.
"What are you thinking, my friend? Do you believe we have a chance of winning the war?" King Rudas inquired.
"You already know that our chances of winning the war are extremely low. One of the spies sent a message that the Demon Empire is also planning to attack our empire. They want one of our cities near the Reven Empire," Veldora responded.
"Demon Empire has always coveted Silvermoon City, and the reason behind it remains unknown. Send one of the Guardians to Silvermoon City to aid the city lord, Isolde Moonshadow," King Rudas instructed.
"Additionally, there's more bad news, Your Majesty . My family cannot assist in this war. Our Dragon Empire weakened a century ago, and our neighbor, the Demonic Beast Continent, keeps our empire occupied, preventing them from sending any aid this time," Veldora said with a solemn expression.
"Don't worry. Gather all the Guardians of the Royal Palace and prepare for the war. Our chances of survival are very slim this time. This conflict might just be the beginning; we still have to face the Vampire Lord. However, we cannot afford to lose our will to fight," King Rudas emphasized.
"Also, Veldora, tell the crown prince to meet me before we leave for the battlefield," King Rudas commanded.
"As you wish, Your Majesty," Veldora replied and disappeared.
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[Outside of Lake City]
In the sky, four people floated, witnessing everything unfolding before their eyes.
"My lord, why don't we crush this city? Why are we using demonic beasts and the Royal Demon Duke Belilar from the Reven Shield Royal Family as cannon fodder?" Isabella questioned.
"Isabella, don't lose patience. This is just a way to assess the strength of the enemy we are facing. This empire has sustained itself for five centuries and is still standing before our eyes, so some sacrifice is needed to understand our enemies," Armand stated with a serious expression.
These four vampires controlled the Reven Empire for centuries from behind the shadows. They were part of the Vampire Empire, the largest force dominating the blue planet. The Vampire Empire already controlled the Reven Empire, and now they sought to control the Zenith Empire. However, there was another motive behind this sudden attack, a direct order from their holy land.
They received an order from above that the Zenith Empire had been hiding a child with a mutated soul, which was deemed even more valuable than a planet itself. The full details were unknown, but they were instructed to capture the child alive. To avoid raising suspicions, they needed a valid reason for the attack.
They found the perfect excuse by claiming that their Reven Empire Prince, Lysander RevenShield, was assassinated in the Zenith Empire. This fabricated incident provided them with the ideal pretext for launching their attack without drawing attention to their true motives.
They're using the red-haired prince from the RevenShield family, Lysander RevenShield's death as an excuse for attacking the empire, so they don't raise any suspicion about the attack.
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[Author Note: You can now check the Cultivation rank and clearly understand the power level of this novel in the Auxiliary Chapter. If you like my novel, then consider adding it to your collection. If you have extra power stones, you can also support me, as it will provide me with motivation to continue working. Who knows, I might even give you bonus chapters.]