Chapter 756:Power Really Corrupts Everything

Chapter 756: 756:Power Really Corrupts Everything

Duke Lancelot’s eyes remained closed as the old memories continued to pass through his mind. The image of the young Alaster standing before him was still clear, even after all these years. The anger in his eyes, the frustration in his voice and the determination he carried had been something Lancelot could never forget.

Back then, Alaster had only been a young Crown Prince who had seen the miserable state of Arcadia with his own eyes. After spending days among common soldiers, eating the same poor food and sleeping on the same hard ground, his anger had finally reached its limit.

One evening, Alaster suddenly stood up and slammed his fist against the wooden table.

"Damn those rotten nobles!"

His voice shook with anger as he stared at the reports spread across the table.

"Look at this country! Look at what they have done!"

His hands trembled as he picked up another report and threw it aside.

"Rebellions everywhere. Nobles fighting for power. Villages were starving and the soldiers dying because there wasn’t enough food or equipment. People are losing their homes while those bastards sit in their mansions and fight over titles!"

Lancelot stood quietly beside him and listened.

Alaster’s breathing became heavier, but his anger did not fade.

"This isn’t what Arcadia was supposed to become."

He clenched his fists.

"This isn’t the Empire that Arcadia wanted to establish."

His voice became firmer as he looked toward the dark sky outside.

"I will change all of this."

"I will turn Arcadia into an absolute powerhouse."

"I will crush every rebellion and every force that threatens this nation. I will remove the people who are only interested in their own power and bring this country into an era of prosperity and happiness."

His eyes burned with determination.

"I swear it."

"I swear it from the bottom of my heart."

He slowly turned toward Lancelot.

"Lancelot, you are the one who saved me and showed me the world. Your value in my journey has been quite important, so please."

Alaster stepped closer and placed a hand on Lancelot’s shoulder.

"Please lend me your strength. All of the things I said can’t be achieved easily. I need someone to stand by me and see it."

His expression became sincere.

"As you are the closest person to me right at that moment, I want you to witness and become the evidence of how the world changes."

Lancelot could never shake that image from his mind.

The righteousness and bravery of Alaster carried an unfathomable charisma. At that time, Lancelot truly believed that this young Crown Prince could change Arcadia.

He had been deeply moved by those words.

So he swore by his name that he would serve Alaster in nation building as long as Alaster rebuilt the Arcadia of his dreams.

That was how their journey started.

Slowly and steadily, they crawled up from the bottom. They cleared out the rebels one after another and brought many of the scattered forces under control. What helped them the most was their strength.

Alaster’s rise wasn’t unexpected but nobody expected Lancelot’s rise to be so rapid.

With each day Lancelot’s strength was rising by leaps and bounds.

Both Alaster and Lancelot were known as foremost geniuses of the Empire, which attracted quite a number of powerful forces to their side. They also received protection and support from the Empire, giving the newly formed Arcadia enough time to establish itself.

At first, Alaster did exactly what he had promised.

He managed to eliminate the secondary forces and finally brought the scattered territories under his own rule. Farming and trading were given high priority. Roads were repaired, villages were rebuilt and the flow of goods slowly returned.

Things started to improve.

Arcadia truly began to usher in peace.

For a while, Lancelot believed that everything was going according to the promise Alaster had made that day.

But the turning point came when the other four Emperors refused to accept Arcadia as an Empire.

Alaster took the news badly.

He looked at the map of Arcadia and slowly realized something that had been bothering him for a long time.

Even with all their strength, the current Arcadia did not even have one fourth of the territory of an Empire.

That realization planted something dangerous inside him awakening the Greed of a ruler.

The more a person sits on the throne,the more he wants to seize power and expand his sphere of influence.

Slowly, various plans were created in secret.

One kingdom after another fell.

Arcadia continued expanding its territory, but the price was heavy. The pressure placed on farmers and commoners became greater. Taxes were increased, and those who refused to pay were dealt with severely.

The Alaster Lancelot once knew slowly disappeared.

He became colder then crueler.

The man who had once burned with anger at the suffering of common people started causing suffering himself.

He became a truly calculating and bloodthirsty human.

Lancelot could only watch as the man he had once sworn to serve changed in front of his eyes.

He had made his vow clearly.He would serve Alaster as long as Alaster remained true to his words.

But Alaster had changed so it was time for Lancelot to depart.

When Alaster learned about his decision, he did not say much.

He simply granted Lancelot the fief of Ruthiana and allowed him to control it.

That was how Lancelot left.

And now, after all these years, those memories still remained inside him.

Duke Lancelot slowly opened his eyes.

His gaze returned to the crystal ball.

He looked at the current situation and a subtle ache appeared in his heart.

Though the two had been estranged,at the end the two held each other back for decades.

So much had changed.Yet the memories of the man Alaster once was had never truly disappeared.

The others also heard Lancelot recounting the tale of Alaster. The room remained quiet for a while as everyone processed what they had just heard.

The story had not been easy to listen to, especially for those who hated the Emperor to the core.

They found it hard to imagine the current figure of Alaster to the past.

"I didn’t know he was such a man." Duke Osantra spoke with a frown, and then added, "Power really corrupts everything!"