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Chapter 176 – The Holy City of Torra (3)

The damp winter wind shook Juan’s hair and blew away his foggy breath.

Juan stood alone on the slope leading toward Torra and faced the Great Walls. He looked terribly small and precarious compared to the Great Walls. Both the inside and outside of Torra were so quiet that even Juan’s footsteps as he walked on the slope sounded loud.

Sina realized that she was just staring at Juan as she forgot to breathe. However, upon looking around, she could see that she wasn’t the only one holding her breath. Everyone, including the refugees from Torra, the soldiers, and even Nienna, was watching Juan while holding their breaths.

No one could speak a word ever since Pavan had visited. An unknown energy was carried by the wind, forcing them into a suffocating silence. It felt as if the entire universe was watching only Juan.

‘What is he planning to do?’

Sina thought as she looked at Juan walking toward the Great Walls in silence. Everyone had the same question in mind.

Hela was worried about the siege from the walls, and Pavan even expressed his willingness to surrender.

However, Juan accepted neither.

Then Sina inadvertently recalled the joke someone made, that the Great Walls would collapse if the emperor said ‘collapse,’ since they were built by the emperor. She thought that it was a ridiculous joke; there was no way that the emperor would have built a wall in the capital city that would easily collapse with just one word.

However, Sina realized that her expectations were completely out of line upon seeing what happened soon after. That was not just a ridiculous joke.

While it wasn’t completely accurate, it wasn’t far from reality either.

***

Juan looked up at the Great Walls.

Compared to the time when he used to be the emperor, the traces left by the passage of time were evident, due to the moss and rainwater wearing down upon it. In addition, there were some burn marks left after being recently struck by lightning.

However, the walls still remained thick and firm on the spot, just as they used to be.

“Everything in the world has changed, but you are still the same.”

The Great Walls were built by Juan himself. Ever since he built those walls, he had never once thought that one day, humans would be his enemies. He had built them while considering the gods that might someday return after he was gone, the unpredictable enemies from beyond the Crack, or something unknown he had never seen.

Juan had made the Great Walls such that it was an army in itself—one that would prevent disasters and be the last bastion of humanity for thousands of years to come.

Unfortunately, Juan had died before he could tell everyone about it.

But now he had returned.

‘I have returned.’

Juan felt that the end of his long journey was near. Beyond these walls were the secrets related to his assassination, his original body, as well as a man who had destroyed the empire he built.

The white foggy breath flew away in the cold wind. Compared to his life as the emperor, his journey was quite short. He met a lot of people and shed a lot of blood with his hands. Even though it was a short time, Juan felt that he had changed more than when he became the emperor.

Juan felt that he was more distant from the title of ‘emperor’ than ever before. Juan had a feeling that perhaps he couldn’t become the emperor just by simply claiming himself to be—it was just like Sina said. Even Juan had to agree to that when he recalled the difference between himself as the emperor and his current self.

When he thought up to this point, he suddenly felt that maybe it was only natural for Dane, who was his teacher, to ‘fix’ him. He also understood why Hela was so worried about him. She may not be aware of it herself, but she already thought of Juan and the emperor of the past as two separate existences.

In a sense, Hela could be said to be right, since Juan also felt that he was completely different from his past self now. Perhaps the emperor really did die on the day Gerard stabbed him in the back.

‘But what does that matter?’

He didn’t know about the emperor, but Juan himself was here right now.

He took a deep breath, and air filled his lungs.

Then, Juan shouted, imbuing his powerful will into the voice.

“I have returned!”

The Great Walls trembled at the cry, shaking all of Torra. All those who were watching Juan fell to the ground with their hands covering their ears. At the same time, everyone inside Torra had also heard his voice. Even all those who had locked themselves inside their houses with their windows closed due to the Pope and the Templars also looked outside, wondering what was going on.

“I have returned!”

The walls trembled once more.

The Templars and Priests from the Church looked toward the East as if they were possessed. There were a few Templars who knelt down and began to recite a prayer as soon as they heard the first cry. The Templars, who were wandering around due to the slaughters they have committed against their wills, also collapsed, blankly muttering the name of the emperor.

Helmut hurriedly ran out of the Imperial Palace and looked toward the eastern walls. A cry that almost made his head explode echoed inside his head. At the same time, all the Priests were either crying or praying while lying on their stomachs.

Upon seeing such a sight, Helmut muttered even before realizing it.

“Your Majesty, have you truly returned…?”

Juan took in another breath and shouted at the top of his lungs once more.

“Get up and welcome your master!”

Paven Peltere saw the Walls quivering every time Juan shouted and had to wonder if they would collapse just like that. The walls were now shaking as if there was an earthquake. The houses built atop the walls collapsed, while all the moss fell off at once. The war equipment and bricks piled up on the walls began to fall down helplessly.

“Th-the walls are collapsing! Everyone back off!”

Pavan doubted whether it was even possible to break down the huge walls with just voice alone. However, his doubts were cleared soon enough. It was not only the eastern wall that would tremble whenever Juan shouted. The entirety of the Great Walls that surrounded Torra would shake and vibrate with his voice.

Pavan shut his mouth; he didn’t know how to warn the people. Instead, it was the soldiers who were screaming and warning the people with perplexed expressions.

“The walls are collaps— it’s… rising?”

The walls did not collapse; they only broke the long silence and raised themselves up according to Juan’s order.

The Great Walls, which were managed by humans for a long time, were covered with many different equipment and constructed buildings.

However, everything covering the Great Walls had fallen off as the Great Walls raised themselves up, and only the true?

walls themselves were revealed. Huge human-shaped stone statues that measured more than a hundred meters tall were surrounding Torra. Even beyond the vast clouds of dust, their silhouette was clearly visible.

Anya trembled with her hand covering her mouth.

“Golems… the arms that support the empire…”

Anya still clearly remembered the first time she met Juan. Anya had tried to figure out how to control the Golems by watching Juan control one at the Ash Tower. This was because she thought it would be easy to destroy the empire if she could find and control the Golems who actively fought against the gods during the Founding Era.

However, Anya had thought that the Golems would be either hidden in the mountains or somewhere underground, since no one knew where they were.

Only now did she realize that her expectations had been completely wrong. The Golems had become the walls of humankind after they drove out the gods and lost their purpose.

More than three hundred Golems, the most powerful allies of humanity in the Mythological Era, were now surrounding Torra. All the residents of Torra could also see them as the dust cloud subsided. It was a landscape where everyone could feel the majesty of the golems.

Anya couldn’t tell whether the reason why she was shaking was that she was deeply touched or she was scared. Juan probably didn’t even remember their first encounter, but in the end, Golems had become the decisive factor in destroying the empire.

It was almost as if someone was telling Anya that the path she chose wasn’t wrong.

***

The soldiers of the Imperial Capital Army who were surrounded by the Golems completely lost their will to fight.

Their motivations had already hit rock bottom in the first place, but now, even the weapons they held in their hands felt burdensome. They had been living in Torra for decades and had always been proud of the Great Walls that were protecting them. However, never once did they think that one day they would become a threat to them.

There would be no way to resist if the surrounding ‘Walls’ stood up, turned around, and began to attack them. Even the ground where the soldiers were stepping on seemed as if it was about to stand up at any moment.

The Golems surrounding Torra were silently looking down at Torra with their shining red eyes, but did not move—the same was also true of the soldiers and knights.

However, unlike the Golems, they were thinking that they would be recognized as enemies by the Golems and trampled to death if they took even a single wrong step.

At that moment, some of the Golems suddenly turned and made a movement. Screams immediately broke out among the soldiers, but the Golems did nothing other than move a little bit.

A man emerged from among the Golems.

It was Juan.

Juan walked amidst the Golems in a calm manner and approached the Imperial Army that was on standby. Only the sound of Juan’s footsteps could be heard in the center of silent Torra. Where the Imperial Army stood was a boulevard that extended toward the Imperial Palace. If the soldiers backed down, it would directly open up the path toward the Palace.

While the soldiers were hesitating because they didn’t know what to do, Juan was getting closer and closer.

Then, at that moment, a cry came from somewhere.

“All—attention!”

The soldiers reflexively followed the order. The Imperial Army turned toward Juan in unison and took a stand. However, the voice that gave the order was one they had never heard before. The soldiers soon realized that it was neither Pavan or another Templar who uttered the cry, but one of the newbie officers whose name was unknown.

The officer shouted once again in a trembling voice.

“Salute to His Majesty!”

It was an order from an officer who did not even have a direct subordinate, let alone the authority to command anyone, but all the soldiers felt rather relieved in a situation where both the knights and the captains of the knight orders maintained silence.

The soldiers shouted in salute without any complaint.

Juan stopped for a while upon seeing the loud salute. He briefly accepted the salute and continued to step forward.

Then, the Palace entered Juan’s eyes amidst the soldiers who had split up to open the way for him.

There was no one stopping Juan.

***

Helmut looked at the long road from the east entrance to the Imperial Palace open up without a word.

Without shedding a single drop of blood, Juan had gained full control of the Imperial Army. No one seemed to be daring enough to stand up to Juan.

None of the people from the Church seemed to be in their right mind either. All the Bishops, Priests, and Templars were lying on the floor and constantly reciting prayers.

Helmut felt like the floor was falling apart.

“Stolen goods must be returned when their owner comes back to get them.”

When Helmut turned toward the voice he heard from behind, he saw Barth Baltic stroking a pillar of the Imperial Palace.

“Your expression seems to ask me when I entered the Imperial Palace. You probably only know of the main gate since you rarely have the chance to visit the Imperial Palace, but at one point in time, I used to almost live here. I know of many doors and roads. I decided to pay a visit since the veil of benevolence was lifted. I also have something to talk about with someone who will be arriving here soon,” Barth said.

“You bastard… you are betraying me too?”

“Betray? You are being ridiculous, Helmut.”

Barth Baltic spat as if he was disgusted by the mere fact that he had to speak Helmut’s name.

“We only used each other for a common purpose. I find it utterly unpleasant that I was involved with someone like you, but I still don’t think what I’ve done is wrong. But a sin is a sin. I am ready to pay the price for my sins. I hope that’s true of you as well.”

“I… I am the representative of His Majesty! His Majesty is the only emperor, and only His Majesty who is sitting on the Eternal Throne is the true emperor of the empire! The rest are all nothing but fakes!”

“You sound like a parrot, repeating the same words over and over again.”

Upon hearing Barth’s ridicule, Helmut shouted and summoned a strand of Telgramm’s lightning and swung it at Barth.

Powerful lightning immediately stuck Barth, but he simply stamped his foot and directly faced the lightning with his head.

The lightning bounced off just like that and then hit the ceiling of the Imperial Palace before scattering away.

Meanwhile, Helmut looked at the sight as if he could not believe it.

“I’m not as strong as I used to be, perhaps because my horns have been broken. But wielding the power of Telgramm toward a member of the Hornsluine is utterly foolish. After all, it was Hornsluine who created Telgramm in the first place to…”

Barth couldn’t finish his sentence and quickly turned around. A spear that suddenly flew toward him obliquely pierced the right side of his chest.

Splat!

With a terrible ripping sound, Barth’s tough flesh was torn apart, and blood spurted up from the wound. It was a dangerous attack that would have been fatal if Barth hadn’t been able to respond in time. However, he was already hurt so badly that he couldn’t even move properly.

‘Damn it, I let my guard down.’

Barth was out of shape due to his recent fight with Juan, but he still felt himself to be pathetic for being injured by Helmut.

“Your Holiness!’

“Who, who is it?”

At that moment, someone showed up at the end of the corridor. They, too, seemed to have entered the Imperial Palace through the back door, just like Barth Baltic.

The first one running toward Helmut in lead was Imil Ilde, the head of the Ilde family. But Barth Baltic was focused on those standing behind him.

Knights in crimson-colored armor with the symbol of a bloody hammer were approaching. One of those knights was so huge that one would question whether there was another Hornsluine still alive within the empire.

Barth Baltic groaned upon seeing their armor. They, who were reluctant to intervene even after hearing the news of the emperor’s return, had finally arrived in Torra.

The giant knight ignored Barth and walked past him after checking that it would be difficult for him to move. Then he bowed his head toward the Pope and opened his mouth.

“I cannot allow the hands of the apostates to stain His Majesty’s body. We will protect you, Your Holiness.”