"Impossible!" A shocked gasp escaped the lips of the old General as soon as he saw what was inside the bag.
He was so shocked that he even fell as he moved back.
"I told you, that is the reality. Michael is dead, and he won't come to save you. The only chance you have of being saved is through me." Azekiel reached out his hand to help the old man up.
"Who killed him?" The old General asked, seeing the knives mark on the body of Michael.
"I have no idea. Maybe one of his men. I found his body when I arrived here. Michael was a dear friend to me. That's why I came here to help you," Azekiel answered, hiding his real intentions.
Since he had committed so many sins already, he didn't see anything wrong in telling some lies.
These people were very loyal to Michael for some reason. If he said he killed Michael, he could still convince these people to go with his plan, but he couldn't foresee if one of them were going to betray him later.
He chose the easier way this time. Bring these men to his side and then watch the show unfold.
"This must be the work of some assassin," he continued with his lies. "He is stabbed in the back. If another King fought him, I doubt they would attack from the back, so it can't be the personal work of the King of Greed. Most probably, he sent an Assassin to kill your King."
With a straight face, Azekiel continued telling lies that were just too believable.
"The assumption is further proven by the fact that the King of Greed decided to attack you at this time after so long. If Michael was alive, he couldn't have dared. That meant he knew Michael was dead. It hadn't been long before Michael died, yet Elijah knew about it immediately? It's certainly his work. Don't you think so?"
The General gazed at Azekiel, observing his earnest expressions before glancing at the dead body of Michael. What Azekiel said did make sense, but still, something wasn't adding up.
"But if you're a friend of Michael, why were you attacking our army on the battlefield as well?" he asked.
"Because I wanted to give the other side an impression that I'm a neutral party. If not, they would've known I'm with you. And if Elijah were told that I'd be with you, he would be even more alert which would make things difficult for everyone. So I had to sacrifice some of you as well," Azekiel explained. He had already thought about an explanation along the way.
This was the plan he was discussing with Raphael on the way. Through the combined intelligence of both of them, they came across a perfect explanation with no loopholes. Meanwhile, Lia acted as an outside point of view who confirmed that the story made sense.
It was only after everyone agreed on a story that the plan was approved.
The old General held his hands and got up, believing Azekiel. He had no other option but to believe him after all.
"So our King is dead, and the enemy knows it. No wonder they choose to attack us at this time." The General let out a heavy sigh. "Thank you for siding with us in such a rough time. We could really use your help in battles."
"You're wrong; I can't help you in battles. That, you'll have to do on your own. I can only give you the strategy you can use to defeat your enemy, but even that will need some sacrifice from you."
"What Sacrifice...?"
****
At the Border of the Empire of Greed which was closest to the Empire of Pride, a massive army had been prepared.
Only slightly more than twenty-four hours had passed, and all the army was already recalled to this border for a new battle. Only the army knew how they traveled this much in such a short time.
"My King, this is half of the army. The other half is still on the way as they are coming from the most distant parts of the Empire. It might take a little longer for them to get there. They should be here by tomorrow," The General told Elijah.
Elijah gazed at the middle-aged General. "Didn't I tell you I need the army here within a day?"
"I-i tried, but it's not physically possible to get them all here in such a short time. I'll need some more time," the General answered.
"Time... Time is exactly what we don't have at the moment." Elijah hit the wall in frustration, leaving a crater in the wall with his brute strength. "Azekiel is here, and we don't know what he's doing. He's like the dark horse at this time. The more we wait, the more time he'll have to become a thorn in our path."
"He's an unknown factor, and before he does something stupid, I want the Empire of Pride under my control. You understand?"
The General gazed at the army through the balcony, seemingly concerned. "I understand, Your Majesty, but it's still impossible to get them here right now. The soldiers are traveling without rest. Even the soldiers who are here haven't had proper rest. I don't think they can give their hundred percent in the battle."
"It doesn't matter if they can't give their hundred percent. I will crush the Empire of Pride with sheer quantity. Tell the soldiers to be ready! We will depart in an hour." Elijah turned his back on the soldiers and started going back to the castle.
"What about the rest of the Soldiers who aren't here?"
"They can be the reinforcements that come later. It'll give the enemy an illusion that they only need to defeat this army, but when they see the reinforcements, their morale will go down. They might even surrender. As I said before, get the soldiers ready. Don't think too much. You only have one hour."
"Y-yes, Your Majesty."
"Good. I don't want the Empire of Pride to see the day after tomorrow. By then, that place should be a part of the Empire of Greed," Elijah declared, gazing at the old-looking book he had been carrying.
