Power of the Emperor

Thirteen minutes - that was how long it’d taken Castle Kelsey to fall.

With ruthless efficiency, the Machai cut through the guards, captured the servants and fought their way to the lord’s chambers.

Now, the castle was entirely under David’s control and the survivors had been dragged into the courtyard by the Machai and his generals. The demons surrounded them, fresh blood still on their weapons, and the survivors cowered in fear.

“Fifty-eight survivors, Master, including the guards,” Mania reported. “Mímir sent word that no one saw the attack from the outside either.”

“No alarms were raised and all parts of the castle have been thoroughly searched,” Abaddon added, bowing to David. “This castle is yours, Lord Emperor.”

“Excellent. Abaddon, tell Mímir to keep lookout in case, then take a few Machai and sweep the castle once more to be certain. Do not harm any survivors you find.”

“As you command, Lord Emperor!”

The general left with three Machai.

With a purr in her voice, Mania asked, “Master, what shall we do with the prisoners?”

In his heart, David didn’t want to spill any more blood tonight, even if he hadn’t personally taken any lives.

As he gazed upon the survivors, many of whom were sobbing or begging for their lives, he felt nothing but despair.

Eris might have wanted me to kill someone tonight, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it in the end. I was scared that she’d punish me for breaking one of her rules if I didn’t, but she hasn’t shown herself yet. Maybe it’d be more like a Demon Emperor to not take their lives and say something like: “You aren’t worth my time”?

However, that didn’t solve the issue before him.

Twenty-seven servants, three nobles and twenty-eight guards.

How many of them can I save whilst still following Eris’s rules?

“W-who are you? What do you want from us?!”

The Machai hissed and several brandished their weapons towards Lord Anthony, making the other prisoners scream.

“How dare a worm speak like that to my Master?!” Mania cracked her whip.

Lord Anthony shrieked and shuffled back, but a Machai kicked him hard, knocking him onto his front. The Machai then leant over him, pressing his blade against the lord’s throat.

“Dear!”

Rebecca, while shocked, said nothing and adverted her eyes.

“Stop.”

The Machai stood back and lowered its weapon.

“I shall forgive your impudence this once.” David and Mania walked towards the Kelseys. “However, if anyone else dares to speak out of order again, you will suffer the appropriate consequences.” He leant down to the lord and stared deep into his eyes. “Is that understood?”

“Y-yes!” Lord Kelsey nodded repeatedly, tears in his eyes, and dropped onto his hands and knees.

“Good. Lord Anthony Kelsey, I presume? Lord of the Northern Hills?”

“Y-yes, your lordship-majesty! P-p-please don’t-!”

The Machai kicked Lord Anthony again, much harder this time, and the crowd screamed again. David roughly pulled Lord Anthony by his head and dragged him into the centre of the courtyard, throwing him hard onto the ground.

“Do the lords of Themis not know what respect is?” David dug his boot into Lord Anthony’s back; the man cried out in agony from the crushing weight pushing on his spine. “Perhaps none of you deserve my mercy if you cannot pay me the respect I deserve. Mania, what do you think?”

“Master, I would prefer it if you had a Machai pinning that filth to the ground.”

“Oh? And why is that?”

“That insect doesn’t deserve to touch your boot.”

With a booming chuckle, David stepped off Lord Anthony. “No, he doesn’t, does he?”

The moment David had moved, a Machai eagerly stepped forward and pushed Lord Anthony’s head into the ground with its foot.

Internally, David felt sick.

He was desperately trying to push down the growing disgust in his heart, but it threatened to overcome him.

However, he couldn’t let it, not yet at least.

A Demon Emperor couldn’t appear weak.

He had to keep this act up, not just to please Eris but to keep his own sanity as well.

“Now, I have other questions I want to ask you all and I expect nothing but the truth, otherwise your lord dies. You, guard.” He pointed at a random one in the crowd. “Tell me, what sort of territory is the Northern Hills?”

“…I…I…”

“Answer him, or your lord dies!” Mania screamed. “Aren’t you charged by God to protect and serve your master. Answer Master now!”

“…Let him die,” a small voice mumbled.

Mania, furious, went to strike the woman who spoke up, but David held her back.

The woman who’d spoken up was a blonde-haired maid, her eyes were downcast and wet with tears, and she was sitting on her knees. The Machai near her head gone to strike her, but they pulled back after David told Mania to stop.

He walked over to her and crouched beside her, before gently putting his fingers on her chin, forcing her to look into his eyes.

“Repeat what you said.”

The maid, though terrified and shivering, scowled and said in a much clearer, and louder voice, “Let the bastard die.”

The guards, Anthony and his wife gasped, but the lord’s daughter and servants did so.

Interesting.

“Don’t think I won’t do it because you stood up to me. I could snap his neck like a twig. I could kill every last one of you before you drew your next breath.”

“That man deserves worse,” the maid said firmly, not breaking her gaze. “If he and his wife die, then I’m okay with that.”

“You insolent wench!” Lord Antony cried.

“How dare you speak ill of the lord and lady like that?!”

“You bitch! How dare you say that about my husband!”

They continued to voice their hatred until David ordered silence.

David let go of the maid’s chin and stared into her eyes for a few more seconds, the air still and quiet around them, before he laughed quietly to himself.

“You truly meant what you said, didn’t you?”

“…I do.”

“Is he that terrible of a master then?”

She nodded. “He is.”

“My people have been watching this castle for the past few days and have searched everywhere, yet we have not seen anything that would warrant such a response. What sins have they committed?”

The maid spat. “If you can say that after seeing what he did to that poor girl in the dungeons, then I-”

“Dungeons?”

The maid, confused, said, “You said you searched everywhere.”

A deafening silence.

For the first time, the prisoners could see the look of fear on Mania’s face and the uneasiness of the Machai.

A sinister aura began to develop over David’s body as he ground his teeth.

“Mania.”

“M-master?”

“I was informed that we had searched everywhere. Thoroughly.”

“W-We did, but-!”

“But what?” David glared over his shoulder at her.

Mania flinched and took a step backwards. “…One of the Machai that went there said there was only a corpse in the dungeons.”

The servants gasped in horror.

“That’s impossible! She was alive an hour ago!” The maid yelled.

“You dare speak to me that way?” Mania roared.

“Mania.”

She shrunk back. “Master?”

“Raise the dead guards and search this castle very thoroughly this time. If there are any other survivors, bring them here. And tell Abaddon that I want to see him after his thorough search is completed.”

“A-at once, Master!”

Dark magical energy flowed from her fingertips over the dead bodies. The flesh on their corpses disintegrated, leaving only their bones behind. Then, the skeleton soldiers began to rise and Mania quickly gave them their orders.

“Now, maid.” David turned back to the woman before him. “All the other servants seemed to be just as horrified as you about this woman in the dungeons. Elaborate.”

“Might I explain, my lord?” A gentle voice asked.

It was Rebecca, the lord’s daughter, who stood up and slowly approached David.

A few of the Machai moved to stop her, but David waved them off.

Once she was five feet from David, she curtsied and sat down on her knees.

“Please forgive my rudeness, my lord. I am Rebecca Kelsey and I have witnessed my father and mother’s crimes against our servants.”

“I hope for your sake that you aren’t lying to me.”

“S-she isn’t, my lord!” The maid, in her desperation, had grabbed onto David’s arm. Realising her mistake, she let go and prostrated herself before him. “F-f-f-forgive me, please, my lord!”

The nearest Machai growled at her, ready to strike her down, but David shrugged it off.

“I will hear what Lady Rebecca has to say first; then, I shall deal with you.”

The maid whispered many thanks to David.

“Thank you, your majesty, and I hope you can forgive her disrespectful actions. My father has not ever once hired servants to work at this castle; they are all slaves bought at Stonefall who he forces to serve us.”

“Is this true?” David asked the servants.

“It is, my lord!”

“Tis!”

“Yeah, milord!”

All of the servants quickly shouted their support to Lady Rebecca, ignoring the threatening glares from their former masters and their thugs.

The guards had started to turn white as Lord Anthony and his wife cursed at their daughter and servants.

Well, even if they’re lying, I can still recover from this later.

“Then, that makes this easy. Kill the guards.”

The Machai acted instantly.

Brutally, they executed the guards.

A horrific, bloody scene played out as David and Rebecca kept their eyes fixed on each other.

Her body might have been trembling, but Rebecca didn’t flinch once as people died all around her.

As expected of a noblewoman’s daughter.

In his peripheral vision, he could see her fingers tightly wrapped around her skirt’s hem.

“I trust you don’t object to what I’ve just done.”

“…Of course not, your majesty. I only ask that you spare at least the servants from your wrath; in exchange, I shall give you anything you want.”

“Anything?”

Rebecca dug her nails into her thighs. “…Yes, anything.”

Yes! This is what I was hoping for!

“Quite a generous offer, one I might even consider accepting. If you were to uphold your end of the bargain, then I wouldn’t harm a single servant in this castle. I would give you my word if you give me yours.”

“…And what of my parents, my lord?”

David folded his arms. “What would you do with them?”

Lady Rebecca held her head lower in shame. “…I would make them confess first and…give them a proper punishment.”

“Well said. Mania, have the Machai escort Lady Rebecca to her bedroom for the time being and see to it that her needs are attended to. Have someone handle that filth over there.”

He lazily waved his hand at Lady Rebecca’s parents who were then dragged by their necks away, cursing and begging for mercy.

“As for the servants,” David started to say, but he cut himself off.

The last thing I need is for them to fear me even more than they already do. It’d be better in the long run if I took a carrot and stick approach.

“Show them to the guest bedrooms and have the skeleton soldiers see to their needs. While I don’t know how your former master treated you, but you deserve better than that, I’m sure.”

The servant’s all looked slightly comforted, but the most relieved one was Rebecca.

Before the servants were led away, David stopped the blonde maid with his arm.

“Show me the girl in the dungeons.”

“…As you wish, my lord.”

***

“Tell me what life was like here before.”

“…As you wish, my lord.”

“Your majesty.”

“I’m sorry?”

“I am no lord; I am an Emperor and you will address me as such from now on. Understood?”

“…Yes, your majesty.”

“Good. Now, what is your name?”

“Eva, your majesty.”

“Eva, huh? While I have no doubts you are suspicious of me and my people, I assure you that as long as you cooperate and work like a normal servant, then no one will suffer. You have my word.”

“Thank you for your kindness, your majesty.”

“Tell me everything you know and do not lie to me.”

“I was originally from a village called Loggers’ Cross. I was seventeen when I was first kidnapped and forced into slavery. Some bandits raided us and I was one of the girls taken on wagons to their camp. From there, we were taken to a smugglers den where they ‘stored’ us before taking us to Stonefall.

“We were then sold to the highest bidders and sent all across the country. I had been sold to a few other lords before being sent to Lord Kelsey’s after the others had…used me enough. After three years of being passed around at auctions and between nobles, Lord Kelsey’s wife picked me out at an auction in Stonefall and brought me here.”

“…I see,” David mumbled, grinding his teeth together.

I have to get better at controlling my emotions.

“How long have you been here for?”

“Almost five years now, your majesty.”

“And how bad was it here compared to the other places you were enslaved?”

Eva stopped.

“…Worse, your majesty,” she whispered. “At the other estates, I was at least paid and given a proper bedroom, and looked after if I fell ill, but there was nothing like that here. I have been beaten, taken, abused, left to starve, left locked out in the rain, forced to work whilst ill and more. Those of us who couldn’t do that and live up to the castle’s standards were taken to the dungeons as their ‘plaything’.”

“Not a single person in this castle helped you, not even once?”

Eva shook her head. “Lady Rebecca tried her best to, but her parents would hit her if she raised any objections to them and none of the guards wanted to help her. Why would they?” Eva clicked her tongue. “I wish they hadn’t died so quickly.”

“And the girl in the dungeon was their last plaything, correct?”

“Yes, your majesty.”

“What do they do to them?” Eva said nothing. “No matter. I will soon see for myself.”

“…Yes, your majesty.”

Upon seeing her downtrodden expression, David frowned.

You know what, I can’t stand this. Even if it’s just for one person, I hate just being called your majesty or Master or things like that. I want someone at least to call me by my name, but I can’t use my old one.

Then, he remembered a time in his old life, five years ago when he played an RPG with Hailey, a time he held fondly in his heart.

“Allaric.”

“…Your majesty?”

David sighed. “Call me Lord Allaric instead. I have put you in an uncomfortable position and no doubt made you more terrified of me than I had intended.”

“You intended to scare us, your majesty?”

“Of course. If you didn’t fear me, you could act against my interests. I do not wish to rule as your former master did, so, I grant you and Lady Rebecca permission to call me ‘Lord Allaric’. Is that understood?”

“Yes, your maje-I mean, Lord…Allaric,” Eva nervously whispered.

The Machai following them didn’t react which made David relieved.

“Inform the others of this when you see them,” David told the Machai.

The two soon found themselves in a dirt, dimly lit hallway with a thick wooden door at the end of it.

“Is this it?”

“…Yes, Lord Allaric,” Eva said, biting her lip. “May I go first so we don’t startle her?”

“You may. Machai.”

The Machai handed a torch to her. Eva pushed her entire body against the door and struggled to force it open. She walked into the room and lit the four oil torches in the room before returning to the door.

When David walked in, his eyes shot wide open.

In that dark stone chamber, trapped in an iron cage, sat a lone, naked woman with chains wrapped around her limbs.

Across the woman’s chest were countless wounds caused by cuts and burns, some of which looked fresh and had puss oozing from them. The skin around her neck was completely scarred; her left eye was a constant blood-red and she had a long mark on that side of her face as well.

Her hair was so dirty that David couldn’t even tell what colour it was meant to be.

Her entire right arm had a horrific burn mark on it, and she was severely malnourished.

How is this woman even still alive after everything they’ve done?

“What’s her name?”

“…I don’t know, Lord Allaric. We…we were never told.”

David had to fight the urge building inside him to kill Lord and Lady Kelsey himself.

Is this another one of your schemes, Eris?! To make me feel this way so I could kill people myself? All to help me become your Demon Emperor sooner?!

“Are there others?”

“…Not anymore, Lord Allaric. The others…were…left in the old quarters outside the castle…for the birds.”

“…I see.” David grabbed the metal cage’s door and ripped it off, throwing it with great force into the wall. “Eva, see to it that this woman is looked after. See to it that she recovers and no harm is done to her.”

“Thank you, Lord Allaric.”

“Machai, assist her with whatever she needs to tend to this woman’s wounds. Tell Mania to treat them both kindly and not to harm them. Understood?”

The Machai nodded.

“Eva.”

“Lord Allaric?”

“You are now the Head Maid of this castle. Do your duty well and no harm will come to any of you. You will be given proper working hours and compensation which we’ll discuss another time. However, you cannot leave this castle, nor can any of the other servants, without my permission. If even one of you did, I’d kill the rest of you. Understood?”

“…Yes, Lord Allaric.”

“Good.”

The three left, leaving only David behind. He took several long inhales and exhales.

“Raven.”

“Yes, Master?” The figure asked, emerging from the darkness.

“Tell Mímir to find out exactly what they did to this woman. I want to pay them back tenfold.”

Author's Note:

Hi everyone, I just wanted to quickly say why these last two chapters came out on a day that I didn’t list as an official update day. Basically, I made that schedule after I considered how long I thought this story was going to be, as well as my writing speed.

I was well-off on both accounts.

Writing this has gone better than I ever expected it to, so I’ll be posting at least 2 chapters daily until the book’s done AND there should be just over a hundred chapters in total before the story’s done (if all goes according to plan).

Thank you guys so much for reading the Children of Eris and I hope you’re all excited to see where the story goes.