Chapter 285: Star Performance

Behind the family, without any of them having heard him approach, a tall silhouette materialized, covered from head to toe in a dark robe.

"Sorry for coming in without warning," a calm male voice said from beneath the hood. "Is everyone alright?"

"Y-yes..." the father said with difficulty.

"My husband is hurt!" the mother exclaimed, kneeling back down beside him. "That monster got him and he’s losing a lot of blood! Please, I beg you, can you help him?"

The elf lay on the ground, pale, his breathing ragged, a dozen open wounds scattered across his body.

Mark gave the wounds a quick look, then turned slightly toward Aria.

"Heal him," he ordered.

"Right away, Master."

Aria approached the injured elf, rolled up her sleeves, and studied her own hands with a thoughtful expression.

"You’re lucky I stored a mid-level healing spell in one of these before we left," she commented, turning one of the rings on her fingers. "So hold still for a moment... this won’t hurt."

A warm, greenish light poured from her palms, enveloping the injured elf.

And before his family’s astonished eyes, the cuts began to close, the bleeding stopped, and color slowly returned to the father’s face.

When the light faded, the elf sat up slowly, touching his chest, where a deep wound had been just moments before and now only unbroken skin remained.

"I’m... I’m healed," he murmured, incredulous. "The wounds... they’re completely gone."

"Thank you!" the mother exclaimed, tears in her eyes. "Thank you so much! I don’t know how we could ever repay you!"

"There’s no need to pay anything," Aria replied with a kind smile.

But the moment of calm didn’t last long.

"My lord."

Alice returned inside the house with a serious expression.

"The village’s defenses just collapsed," she reported, glancing at the elven family. "The warriors are being overrun on the northern flank, and if we don’t do something, within minutes the demi-humans will have wiped out everything."

"Then finish them," Mark ordered in a calm tone. "Make them drown in their own blood, and let them learn, in their final moments, the mistake they made setting foot on my lands."

"Your wish is my command, my lord."

And without another word, Alice turned and shot out of the house, disappearing into the smoke-filled streets of the village.

"Aria, you go too," he said, turning toward the blonde. "I want you to go out and support the warriors who can still fight."

Mark took a few steps toward her.

"Use your support spells and help them organize a defensive perimeter around the village while Alice handles the bulk of the army... I don’t want anyone else dying if we can avoid it."

"Understood, though... from what I could see on the way here, there aren’t that many warriors still standing," Aria reported, looking outside the house. "Most were already at their limit, and I’m not sure how much I can do with what’s left."

Mark considered it for a moment.

"Hmmm, true," Mark said, putting a hand to his chin. "In that case, I’ll lend you a hand with that."

Then he extended a hand, pointing outside the house.

"Rise Skeleton Army."

Before the astonished eyes of the elven family, the ground outside began cracking open in dozens of spots at once.

And little by little, dozens of skeletons rose out of the earth, armed with old armor and rust-covered weapons.

Within seconds, they formed perfectly ordered ranks, motionless, awaiting an order.

"There’s your reinforcements," Mark said, turning back toward her. "They should be more than enough to set up a defensive perimeter."

Aria looked at the skeletons for a moment, then gave him a smile.

"Thank you so much, this will make everything much easier."

And with that, Aria left the house, followed by the horde of skeletons that marched out after her, obeying her orders.

Once alone with the hooded figure, the elven family stayed silent for a few moments.

None of them seemed to know quite what to say or how to approach the situation.

In the end, it was the father, now fully recovered, who took the initiative and decided to speak.

"My lord... we have no words to thank you for everything you’re doing for us," he said, getting to his feet. "You saved our lives, and thanks to you, our village also has a chance to survive."

He hesitated for an instant.

"But... if I may be so bold as to ask... who are you? Who do we owe so much to?"

"My name is Mark," he replied, pulling back his hood. "Though I suppose you know me better by another title. The Emperor of Death."

The effect of those words was instant.

The entire family froze, and the color drained from their faces as they realized, with a chill, who the person standing before them truly was.

And then, without wasting another second, all four dropped to their knees, pressing their foreheads to the ground in a bow.

"We beg your forgiveness for not recognizing you immediately, Your Majesty!" the father exclaimed, his voice trembling. "We never imagined our sovereign would come in person to a place like this! Meeting you is an honor we do not deserve!"

"Forgive us, Your Majesty!" the mother repeated, gently pushing her children’s heads down to bow like her.

"Get up," Mark ordered in a calm tone. "There’s nothing to apologize for."

His tone softened, taking on a warm, friendly air.

"And as for why I’m here, it’s fairly simple," he said, looking down at them. "The moment I found out the wild demi-humans had organized and were threatening my subjects along the border, I couldn’t just sit back and do nothing."

The words had the desired effect.

All four elves looked at him with wet eyes, deeply moved, as if they had just witnessed the goodness of a saint made flesh.

’They bought it completely,’ Mark thought, maintaining a calm expression. ’Seems like playing the ruler who cares about his people is a lot easier than I imagined... I definitely have a knack for this.’

Of course, that thought would stay with him alone.

The image of a just and compassionate ruler had a value Mark had no intention of wasting.

A few words, the right gesture, and people could start trusting you.

He was about to add something more when hurried footsteps approached the house.

It was the druid who had transported them there, already back in his humanoid form after leaving the hippogriff behind.

"Your Majesty, I bring news," the druid said with a quick bow. "The village has been completely cleared, and Lady Alice is about to finish off the last of the demi-human vanguard."

He paused to catch his breath.

"Also, the surviving warriors have gathered in the central plaza, waiting for you."

"Excellent news," Mark replied with satisfaction. "Tell them I’ll be there in a moment."

The druid bowed again and hurried off to relay the message.

Mark turned back toward the elven family one last time.

"Well, I’m afraid duty calls," he said with a faint smile. "Take care of yourselves, and take care of this village... you’ve all been through enough for one day."

And with that, he pulled his hood back up and left the house, leaving behind a family that would never forget the day the Emperor of Death himself descended from the sky to save their lives.