Witch, Fireball and Steam Evil God

Chapter 434 The Heart of Silver
"Who dares to kill me? Who dares to kill me!"

The eldest prince's bloodshot eyes, coupled with the noble rapier he kept brandishing, were indeed intimidating and calmed down the hot-blooded prisoners.

Why do they follow the hero?
Is it to declare war on the royal family, or to burn the city to ashes?

Most of them didn't have such noble aspirations; they just wanted to seize what might be their only chance in this life, placing their hopes on the hero and praying that he might really lead everyone to fight their way out of the prison.

As for what happened after that, most people didn't think about it carefully.

But if they kill the empire's crown prince here, the situation will change. It will put them in a life-or-death situation with the empire. Waiting for them outside the prison is the imperial army, and the royal family may even send out the Golden Fleet in a fit of rage.

"Perhaps...we should take him hostage."

Soon, one of the prisoners spoke up.

"As long as the prince is still in our hands, the royal family will not dare to make any rash moves against us."

He opened everyone's minds, and they all racked their brains. The prison riot was undoubtedly a success. They not only broke through the guards' defenses, but also captured the empire's eldest prince alive. They would not believe any promises made to them by the imperial nobles, but they could use the eldest prince to escape the capital.

After escaping, they naturally went their separate ways, and whether they could hide their identities and escape the empire's pursuit depended entirely on their own abilities.

As the Demon King, Melia wouldn't tolerate the First Prince. She flashed in front of him, ignoring his constantly waving sword, and kicked him hard in the knee. His frantic scream instantly turned into a cry of pain, and the First Prince fell to the ground in a sorry state, his face making intimate contact with the cold floor.

Not satisfied, Melia didn't give the Crown Prince a chance to continue his angry rant. She stomped hard on the back of his head, silencing all his threats and curses, leaving him only able to utter muffled sounds.

The eldest prince listened silently to the jailers' conversation. Although he was extremely frustrated, he calmed down.

If he followed the suggestions of these traitors, he could leave the prison alive, and when that time came, the guards would surely be able to rescue him.

This time, he will personally command the Golden Fleet to turn all the rebels' hiding places into scorched earth.

After a heated discussion, everyone's attention turned to Solan.

The same goes for Melia.

He was very curious about what Solan would choose.

If it were the same righteous and courageous person from the past, no matter what sins the other party had committed, as long as they wept bitterly in front of him and claimed that they had repented, he would choose to forgive them.

This is what she dislikes most about Solan.

In such a world, his sense of justice and kindness always seem utterly hypocritical.

To burn this city to ashes, it takes more than just words; he must make a decision, even if that decision might bring destruction to those around him and even to himself.

"Your Highness, now that things have come to this, do you feel any remorse for your actions, or for the actions of the entire royal family?"

Solan asked.

He looked down at the First Prince, who was being trampled under Meria's feet and was trembling all over.

This was a situation the imperial royal family had never experienced before, but it was the life of most people in the Silver Glow Empire. In order to survive, they abandoned their dignity and their thoughts. If necessary, they would grovel before the nobles like this, begging for forgiveness and mercy.

Clearly, the eldest prince was not familiar with this situation.

After a long silence, he finally managed to squeeze out a barely perceptible "hmm".

"Then, are you willing to admit the crimes committed by the royal family before the people of the empire, and clear the names of those who have been unjustly imprisoned?"

"……I see."

The conversation between the two made Melia's face turn half dark.

She never expected that after experiencing so many changes and witnessing the darkness of the Silver Empire, Solan still hadn't made any progress.

The conversation between the two continued.

"More importantly, can you clear Lord Balmont's name, and indeed the entire Violet Commune's name? Can you give them a fair evaluation?"

Upon hearing this, the old woman who was urging the doctors paused for a long time, then gave Solan a meaningful look.

"……understood."

They all knew that the royal promises were utterly unreliable, and that once the eldest prince was rescued, they would face retribution—just as Henry VI had done to the Violet Commune.

“Grandma, Mr. Balmont is very weak and needs more professional treatment.”

Solan glanced at Balmon, who was lying unconscious on the bed, and said, "Your Highness, I hope you will keep your promise."

At his instruction, two prisoners put their arms around the eldest prince's shoulders.

His knees had been shattered by Melia's kicks, and he could only walk with the help of others.

After his conversation with Solan, the Crown Prince felt a little relieved.

Yes, he almost forgot that Solan was a hero they had carefully selected, a messenger of justice and kindness, and also the most foolish person in the world. Now even he had to take a fresh look at Solan's foolishness. Even now, Solan was still fantasizing that this matter could have a "happy ending".

That's probably what Solan has always dreamed of.

On the very first day of his adventure, he sincerely hoped that everyone could find their own happy ending.

So stupid.

There are actually people who believe that someone can die peacefully after attacking the imperial family.

The eldest prince was carried by prisoners, dragged along by them.

They left the fifth level and headed towards the prison entrance.

The journey was extremely quiet, and when they reached the third level, they still did not encounter a single jailer.

An atmosphere of unease spread through the crowd.

Everyone felt the sudden drop in temperature. When they reached Level 2, they found that the prison's iron bars were covered with a thin layer of ice, and puddles of water from melting ice were frequently seen on the ground. As usual, they did not encounter a single prison guard.

But everyone knew they were getting closer and closer to the exit.

The prisoners never imagined they would one day leave this place, and when they stepped onto the icy road leading out of the prison, they were so excited that they were almost in tears.

Then, they saw the view outside the prison as they had hoped.

The evening breeze carried the smell of burning, and a row of lanterns illuminated the road in front of the prison.

Blocking their way was a dark mass of people, clad in silver armor and wielding long shields, with countless muskets locked onto them. And within that mass stood a figure that chilled them to the bone.

His short red hair fluttered in the wind as he slammed his greatsword into the ground, blocking the only path leading out of the prison.

That was Cedric Thorne, the commander of the Imperial Army.

Behind him, in the night sky, floated a series of aerial castles. All the magical weapons had locked the prison within them. Perhaps the only reason they hadn't bombarded the prison was that His Highness the Prince was still inside.

After the Imperial Army, the residents of the capital were awakened from their sleep and followed the crowd to the prison. When they saw the First Prince being held down by prisoners, their expressions changed.

These vicious thugs dared to attack the royal family!
But soon, the common people spotted a familiar figure at the very front of the crowd.

"Brave."

"He is a hero!"

"Why is he hanging out with the prisoners?!"

The crowd buzzed with discussion; this was beyond everyone's comprehension. The Crown Prince, of course, also saw Cedric Thorne and the Imperial army that had heavily surrounded the prison behind him, and a victor's smile finally appeared on his face.

"Your Highness, it is your turn to fulfill your promise."

Solan's voice reached his ears once again.

"Yes, I did make that promise..."

However, his gaze did not linger on Solan for even a second longer, but instead fell upon Balmon, who was still unconscious on the trolley.

It was such a pity; he really didn't want this man, whose blood was stained with evil, to miss what was about to happen.

Nothing is more despairing than falling from heaven to hell. Balmont's father had experienced this moment as well. As a mortal, he was outstanding enough to be the first mortal to come into contact with the secret of the "fire." After that, true despair descended.

The eldest prince looked at Cedric Thorne.

That's right, his promise was to let Balmont witness all those who tried to help him being skinned alive before he died, and that promise still stands.

“Cedric—”

Kill them.

The words that rose to his throat were cut off by a sudden, sharp pain that came from his other knee. The prince turned his head in disbelief. Without the support of the prisoners, he knelt before everyone in the most humiliating way.

Facing the Imperial Army, and the Imperial residents who came to watch the spectacle, blocked behind the Imperial Army.

In an instant, all the discussions ceased, and time seemed to freeze at that moment.

Even Melia looked at Solan with shock. She would not let the Crown Prince go, but she did not expect that Solan would be the one to make the first move.

Without the slightest hesitation or holding back, he smashed the prince's kneecap with his shield.

She met Solan's eyes.

Melia saw a hint of relief in his expression.

"Wouldn't it be too easy for him to just die in a corner of the prison?"

She looked at the longsword that Solan held high, a sword that had been proof of his battles against the Demon King and a symbol of justice in the eyes of the people of the Empire.

"Your Highness, no, Edward Henry—"

In what seemed like a frozen moment, under the watchful eyes of the Imperial Army and all the civilians, the raised sword fell cleanly and decisively toward the Crown Prince's neck.

"Apologize for what you've done!"

Solan was well aware of the consequences of his actions, but he had no intention of considering them any further.

He listened carefully to Melia's "Combat Power Classification." What kind of waves could a mid-stage third-tier and mid-stage fourth-tier superhuman stir up in such an empire?

For the empire's royal family and nobles, the hero and the demon king were ultimately nothing more than a political game played on a card table.

But now, they've overturned the card table.

He could hear heart-wrenching screams.

Solan saw the Crown Prince's face contorted with fear.

It seems that when faced with death, even the empire's princes are no better than the mortals they despise.

"Cedric, what are you waiting for—"

The screams stopped abruptly with the arrival of the person in white armor.

Cedric has arrived; the empire's true strongest man has come before them.

Fourth rank, or has he already stepped into the realm of a saint?

This time, however, Cedric's gaze was solemn, no longer the look he gave a pebble on the roadside.

Cedric never imagined that Solan would come this far.

He swung that sword in front of the Imperial Army, the Golden Fleet, and everyone else.

Brave.

This was the first time Cedric had taken a close look at the name, and at the same time, his sword was already aimed at Solan's neck.

In the blink of an eye, the Crown Prince's expression and emotions changed several times. For a moment, he really thought he was going to die, but Cedric had already brought him before him.

How could a mere chess piece's sword possibly outrun the commander of the Imperial Army?

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but found that the sound was stuck in his throat, and the only thing he could make was a hissing sound like a wind chime.

His vision gradually turned red, and his perspective changed accordingly.

The scene before him was completely upside down. He heard the sound of a heavy object falling to the ground. After the object rolled several times on the ground, the dizzying spinning finally stopped.

The eldest prince saw Solan and Cedric facing off, and...

Before them knelt a headless body.

"Well done, young man."

A familiar murmur reached Solan's ears, and a few drops of blood drifted down and dampened his cheeks in the evening breeze.

The expected death did not come. When he came to his senses, he found that the woman with fiery red hair was standing in front of him. The blade aimed at his neck was held in the woman's raised right hand. The few drops of blood that were blown away by the evening wind came from the wound in the woman's palm.

Cedric stared blankly at the headless body and the head that had rolled to his feet.

The prisoners, the Imperial soldiers, and the civilians watching all gasped in disbelief.

Someone has killed the empire's eldest prince!
Of course, in front of everyone, the Imperial Army beheaded the Crown Prince with a single sword strike!

"at this point."

The first to recover from the shock was Melia. She transformed into a shadow and charged straight at the Imperial soldiers blocking her way. Her loud shouts awakened all the prisoners: "Brothers, fight them!"

Cedric's greatsword was immobilized, and he could only watch helplessly as Melia and the prisoners passed him, while Soran, who should have died by his sword, charged once again into the endless crowd.

He also saw cracks on the blade, extending from the edge to the hilt.

This was the opponent he had been dreaming of, and this time, the other side no longer looked at him with a nonchalant attitude.

It was an incomparably dazzling golden light that evaporated her hand, which had been slashed by the blade, and also evaporated the scattered drops of blood.

As the other side exerted its power, the giant sword that had accompanied him for countless years shattered before his eyes.

"Cedric Thorne".

What came into view next was the other side's clenched fist. "We really don't have even the slightest similarity between us."

The next moment, the figure flew backward, passing over everyone and crashing straight into the Imperial Army's formation.

Before the still-shaken Imperial soldiers could react, the golden streak that had soared high into the air fell upon them like a falling sun, and the shockwave from its landing sent dozens of people flying.

"Then so be it, let's settle things right here!"

(End of this chapter)