Starting With an SSS-Rank Swordsmanship Talent

Chapter 458: Taking Control of Atarkan

At the main hall of the mansion, the revolting stench of blood lingered in the air. Dozens of corpses could be seen scattered on the floor. Most were intact, but there were some with their insides sticking out.

It was a gruesome scene, but Caecus didn’t even flinch at the sight of this.

One of the warriors at the main hall sensed his presence and immediately greeted him with respect.

“Sir, we have eliminated all enemy forces inside the mansion.”

The other warriors also saluted Caecus, their faces filled with reverence.

On their way to this mansion, they had witnessed Caecus’s terrifying power.

He could kill a group of cavalrymen noiselessly in just a matter of seconds.

He was like a specter of death, silent and deadly!

Caecus calmly nodded his head.

“Great work. You guys deal with the rest here. I will find His Highness to report the situation.” He instructed in a low voice.

“Yes, sir!”

Caecus turned around and jumped out of the mansion through the window.

Whoosh!

…

Alaric headed to the central district of Atarkan with his troops.

Along the way, they encountered the other troops of Astania, cleaning up the streets.

The glorious city had become a land of ruins. The tall buildings had collapsed and some big houses were engulfed in flames.

“Your Highness, there are civilians up ahead. How should we deal with them?” Redden’s voice suddenly drifted into his ears.

Alaric was immersed in his thoughts so he didn’t discover the civilians.

Focusing his eyes, he saw a large group of civilians hiding on the second floor of a collapsed building.

Some of them possessed traces of mana, but it was so negligible that they were almost no different from an ordinary person.

Alaric raised his hand and signaled his troops to slow down. He then pulled the reins of his horse, urging it to take a turn.

“Follow me and don’t make any rash moves.” He reminded his subordinates.

“We obey!”

Although the people hiding were civilians, Alaric didn’t let down his guard. He kept his eyes on them, watching their every move.

Soon, they arrived at the said building and the people inside were terrified.

“You don’t need to hide. We have no intention of killing you. Quietly follow us and I promise that you will not be harmed.” Alaric shouted.

Their goal was only to occupy Atarkan. There was no need for them to kill ordinary civilians. It was also against his principles to harm defenseless people.

A moment later, someone showed himself. It was a middle-aged man with tattered clothes and a bedraggled appearance.

With a hesitant face, he opened his mouth. “Are you telling the truth?”

Alaric nodded. “I swear upon the name of my family.”

Hearing this, the middle-aged man’s expression eased a bit. “There are only ordinary residents here. I hope you are not lying to me.”

Half a minute later, more than twenty people exited the collapsed building.

They looked scared, but they seemed to trust the middle-aged man unconditionally.

Alaric became curious about the man’s identity so he used his Appraisal on him. However, there was nothing special about the man. He wasn’t even a Knight Apprentice and his attributes were ridiculously low.

The only noteworthy things about him were a few art-related traits.

“Greetings, my lords! I am…” The man introduced himself, but Alaric wasn’t interested in listening so he waved his hand indifferently.

“My subordinates will take you somewhere safe. As long as you don’t do anything wrong, we will ensure your safety.”

Just as his words fell, a young boy, about the age of seven or eight, stepped forward. He was holding a dagger with shaking hands, his eyes filled with tears.

“You killed my father! I will not forgive you!” The boy shouted emotionally.

Alaric’s subordinates frowned at his words and some of them even grabbed the hilts of their swords, preparing to take action.

Sensing the tension rising, Alaric raised his hand, signaling his troops to calm down.

A woman also tearfully grabbed the boy and repeatedly apologized.

Alaric sent the mother and son a deep look. He offered no words of apology.

“Boy, if you want to blame someone, blame it on the imperial household of Harune. If it weren’t for their stupid actions, we wouldn’t have set foot on your lands.” He muttered coldly.

After saying those words, Alaric called five warriors and told them to escort the civilians to a safe location.

“Bring them somewhere safe and coordinate with the other troops to find other survivors.” He instructed.

“We obey your commands.”

Alaric didn’t linger after dealing with the situation and left.

The five warriors approached the civilians with cold gazes. “Follow us.”

“You’re lucky, kid. If it were someone else, your head and your mother’s head would have already rolled on the ground the moment you uttered those words.” One of the warriors told the boy.

Hearing this, the terrified boy grabbed his mother’s hand.

…

At this moment, Alaric noticed the unusual silence of his subordinates.

“Do you guys feel pity for him?” He asked while keeping his eyes on the road.

The warriors were silent.

Alaric let out a sigh. “That boy and his mother are pitiful people, but it would have been your families grieving if Harune’s troops had attacked us once more. Do not regret your actions. We did it for the sake of protecting our nation and to ensure the safety of our families.”

It would be a lie if he said that he didn’t feel pity for the boy, but there was nothing he could do.

The warriors seemed to have relaxed upon hearing his words.

Twenty minutes later on their way to the central district, Alaric subconsciously grabbed onto his swords.

I sense someone!

He narrowed his eyes, but when he felt the familiar aura, he let go of his swords and let out a relieved smile.

Caecus…

At this moment, a figure suddenly appeared on top of a broken building.

It was Caecus.

Caecus stopped in front of him and lowered his head.

“Your Highness, we have eliminated all the highest-ranking nobles in the central district. All that is left are some remnants of the aristocratic and martial houses. What should we do with them?”

Alaric was taken aback. He didn’t expect Caecus to complete his task in just a short amount of time.

He gathered his thoughts and gave Caecus a pleased look. “You have done well. The remaining forces will be handled by the other troops. For now, we should look for the civilians and bring them to a safe area.”

“I understand. I will go and inform my subordinates.” Caecus nodded to acknowledge his command.

Now that the central district had been taken care of, it was safe to say that Atarkan was already under their control.

I wonder what the situation is on your side, Leighnard…

…

In the dense jungle outside of Atarkan, two hundred thousand Astanian warriors were headed to Halona, a city located north of Nacalub.

Why do I feel strangely unsettled?

Steven furrowed his eyebrows, looking at the trees cautiously.

After they split with the main force, he had a feeling that he was being watched, but he didn’t discover anything unusual no matter how hard he looked.

This strange sensation continued for the next few days, and the feeling intensified, the closer they got to Halona.

Did someone discover my identity?

Thinking about this, he gripped the reins tightly.

Just a little bit more… Once we pass by this jungle, Harune’s troops will destroy these guys!

He had been secretly sending letters to Harune’s military, informing them about the movements of Astania’s troops.

The last letter he sent was to inform Harune that a separate army was heading to Halona.

Steven was already imagining himself being rewarded handsomely for his efforts which made him unable to contain his smile.

We are almost there! Hahaha!

He could already see the end of the jungle and he almost failed to hide his glee.

“You seem to be in a good mood, Sir Steven.” An amused voice echoed behind him, startling him.

Hearing the familiar voice, Steven turned his head.

“Your Highness? How… I mean… why are you here? Aren’t you supposed to be leading the battle in Atarkan?” He was stunned when he saw Leighnard closely following him.

Leighnard’s presence made him feel uneasy.

The crown prince let out a playful smile. “Why? Does it bother you that I am here?”

Steven nervously chuckled. “H-How could that be? I feel reassured that you are here.”

“Is that so?” Leighnard sent him a mysterious look.

Shit! Why is he here?!

I should run!

He felt disturbed the more he thought about it.

Harune’s troops are waiting beyond this jungle. As long as I can get there, everything will be over.

After some hesitation, Steven squeezed his legs, urging his horse to move a bit faster.

“Sir Steven, slow down!”

Someone called out to him, but he didn’t listen.

In the next moment, he finally stepped out of the jungle.

However, he saw something that made his face darken with trepidation.