Chapter 30

"Charge! Enter the city before the gate closes!"

I shout as Willem blows a war horn while we are charging forward. With a spear in my hand, my horse charges forward alongside my unit. Our target? The Lysene Soldiers. They are fighting the slaves who are holding the gate open for us.

My horse crashes into them, and my spear pierces the head of the soldier in front of me. I can see some of the soldiers run toward me with their swords and attack my swords. Sadly for them, my horse is wearing diamond horse armor I got from the Nether Fortress.

I thrust my spear to kill the enemy on the right and take out a sword from my inventory to kill the one on the left.

"Take over the wall! Freedom! Freedom!"

I shout and raise the slaves' morale. I know that it is more dangerous for a leader to lead his people from the front, but the morale boost from seeing your leader standing by your side is more important than getting hurt.

They need to know I am a leader who will go alongside them through hell. And how can I do that? By fighting alongside them.

"Rally to the lord! Rally to the lord!"

Ser Willem roars as he orders the others to gather around me as I thrust my spear at the enemies around me. While I fight the enemies on the ground, our infantry enter the city and quickly fight their way to the wall.

"Attack!"

I look to the side and see another wave of people running toward the battlefield. They are a ragtag group of people wearing mismatched armor and holding all kinds of weapons. Some held sickles, some held chopping axes, and others held spears with daggers tied at the end of the pole.

The one leading the group is the only one wearing proper leather armor and holding a sword. They are attacking from the other side of the wall and attack the rear of the enemies on the wall.

With another boost in morale, my people release another roar, and we push our enemies to the corner. I keep thrusting my spear at the enemy that manages to slip away from the infantry around me.

It does not take long until I hear a roar from the wall and see one of my men waving a head on a spear. It was the head of their commander.

My grin gets bigger, and I take a deep breath.

"Soldiers of Lys! Put down your weapon, and your life shall be spared! Anyone who is still holding their weapon shall be killed! Choose!"

It does not take them long to put down their weapons, and I raise my spear high.

"Victory!"

My people roar in happiness as I look at Ser Willem and say.

"Ser Willem, take care of this battlefield. I shall take the others to capture the Magisters and release the slaves."

"No, Your Highness! I will come with you. I am your sworn guard, and I will uphold my duty until the day I die."

I release a sigh and say.

"Very well. Tell someone you trust to command the army and tell our unit to prepare to attack their palace and mansion. The rest of them can follow us."

"Yes, Your Highness!"

Ser Willem nods his head and talks to the others. While waiting for him, the one leading the second group walks toward me and now.

"Your Highness!"

"Raise your head and tell me your name, my friend."

He looks at me in shock before quickly saying.

"I did not deserve to be your friend, Your Highness! I am just a lowly farmer."

"A farmer who put his life in line to fight alongside me. That means you are my friend."

I can see him blush at my praise, and I only smile at him.

"So, what is your name?"

"Ah! My name is Harlan, Your Highness!"

"I see. So what do you want, Harlan?"

I raise one of my eyebrows when I see his expression change into a serious one. There is even a fire behind his eyes that I am familiar with—the eyes of an Avenger. There are many of them in Solaris when I tell them about attacking this place.

"Take me with you, Your Highness! Take me with you to the palace and mansion of the magister!"

I look at him for a couple of seconds before saying.

"Who is it? Who do they take from you?"

He stays silent for a second before saying.

"My wife and daughter."

I nod and say.

"Very well. You can kill them. However, make sure to capture them first. Many of you want to see them executed. You will be the one executing them. Can you do it?"

He looks at me with determination and says,

"Yes!"

"Good. Follow my lead."

I nod at Ser Willem, who is ready to go, and we march deeper into Lys. After a few minutes of marching, we arrive in front of another wall and gate, but just like before, it is already open, and I can see a familiar face waiting for me.

"Melisandre, it is good that you guys are already done as well."

Melisandre smiles at me and says.

"Of course, my lord. It is easier when we have an insider."

"Good. Are they the ones?"

"Yes. They are all Slave Merchants, Magisters, Slave Poachers, and owners of Slave Pillow Houses."

I look at them and say.

"Prepare for execution. Take them away for now."

===|||===

The others build a platform for the execution. I walk toward the First Magister of Lys, who spit on me. I raise my hand to stop Ser Willem from killing him and say.

"Any last word?"

"You are nothing but a coward, barbarian! You fought for your so-called freedom with nothing but a cowardly move! If you fight us face-to-face, you will not win! For our army is honorable and brave!"

I can only take a deep breath at his rambling of madness. He knows that he will die today and can only insult me. I can also hear the other magisters yelling at me with the same words. Insulting my way of fighting. Insulting us for not fighting them head-on.

Do they think that the army that surrendered will rebel and set them free if they say that?

I look at them with contempt.

"Listen to your and your fellow magisters telling of courage and honor. Courage and honor! COURAGE AND HONOR!"

I look at them with all the anger I can muster and raise my house, silencing them and the people watching us.

"Courage is fighting the kingdom that enslaves you no matter whether their army overshadows yours two to one! You know nothing of courage! Honor is resisting a tyrant when all others suckle and grow fat on the hypocrisy he feeds them. You know nothing of honor!"

I turn around and look at the people in front of me. Most of them are the people who fight alongside me and their families.

"They are the ones who have honor and courage! They fight for their freedom! They show their courage by raising their banner against an odd! They are the ones who fight against a tyrant who has terrorized them for years! They are the ones who have honor! They have the honor to move forward and fight for a better future!"

I look back at the fat bastard and say.

"They are the ones who have honor and courage, not you. You are nothing but a fat tyrant who thinks of himself as a brave and honorable king, but in truth, you are nothing but a pig who grows fat from the suffering of the people."

I look at Harlan and say.

"Put them down like the animals they are."