Chapter 1877. Asserting Dominance

1877 Chapter 1877. Asserting Dominance
Jonathan and Arlcard traveled to the nearest Hydrurond town not yet occupied by the underworld forces. The town was mostly deserted. Several stubborn civilians who refused to leave were seen gathering their things to prepare for leaving. They had heard how close the demon army was. They finally decided this catastrophe wouldn't go away by itself. They would be slaughtered if they stayed.
Jonathan and Arlcard went to the town's zone portal. The state of war did not block teleportation to the outside of the warzone. They used this zone portal to teleport directly to Vacharest. Arlcard didn't pay anything to use the zone portal. As an outworlder's companion, he enjoyed the same benefits as outworlders.
When they exited Vacharest's zone portal, the scene before them was completely different from the Hydrurond town they left behind. This capital was bustling with crowds. Crowds that were even more than what this capital used to have.
Many dwarfs were seen on the streets. These dwarfs were refugees from Palgrost. Due to the train system between Sangrod and Palgrost, the evacuation proceeded much smoother compared to other countries. Almost all Palgrost civilians had now moved into Sangrod's cities. Their number was so many that they needed to build camps on the streets as temporary living quarters.
On their way to the palace, Jonathan and Arlcard saw that everyone displayed a sour face. With a sudden burst of population, this capital's original inhabitants were agitated. They felt their comfort was disturbed. Seeing all these refugees also hammered in the fact that they might suffer the same fate when the demons came stomping into this country.
With this population boost, the capital should have hit the population limit and upgraded to a megalopolis. If it did, the capital would enlarge, giving the refugees enough space to use. Unfortunately, it didn't happen. Palgrost refugees were not considered Vacharest's official population. Vacharest remained a metropolis.
Jonathan saw at least three quarrels on their way to the capital, with one developing into a fistfight. The quarrels were always between the two different races. The guards did all they could to stop these quarrels, but they were short of manpower. The guards remaining in the capital were all recruits. The real soldiers were out there fighting the underworld forces. 𝘧𝓻ℯ𝑒𝑤𝓮𝒷𝓷𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝓬𝓸𝓂
There was nothing Jonathan and Arlcard could do. They ignored those quarrels and continued to the palace. Arlcard was silent along the way, but his eyes absorbed all the expressions from the civilians.
The palace guards let them through. Jonathan was a trusted aide to Horatio and had frequented the palace often. When they entered the courtyard, they again saw a crowd. This crowd was from a different breed, though. They were all vampire nobles, and they were bickering.
Their quarrel seemed to almost tip over to fisticuffs. The leaders were shouting at each other at the top of their lungs. Each noble brought their private guards. These guards were at the ready. Their hands were on their weapons. Everyone was at a boiling point.
Jonathan looked around the courtyard until he found the person he was looking for. He approached that person, who was standing at the palace's entrance with a squad of soldiers.
"What's going on here?" Jonathan asked.
The person he asked turned to him. This person was Caleb Lucien. Caleb was one of the court advisors. Before Horatio left for war, he appointed Caleb to be the one in charge of the palace.
"The news of His Majesty's demise has reached the noble families," Caleb informed Jonathan.
"I guess these sharks are here once they smell blood, eh?"
Caleb chuckled. "If only I can order what soldiers I have here to chase these people out, I would. Unfortunately, only a portion listens to my commands. With no one in charge of the thrones, most soldiers don't know what to do. They certainly won't dare oppose these nobles."
Jonathan looked at the squad standing behind Caleb. "These are all who listen to you?" He asked.
Caleb nodded.
"If those crowds decide to storm into the palace, you won't be able to stop them," Jonathan said.
"I know. The only thing stopping them from doing that is each other. They are now quarreling about who has the most right to the throne. From the look of it, they are ready to use force to take it. No one is willing to draw the first blood because it will benefit the one who stays on the sidelines, but it's just a matter of time before they start fighting. Help me defend this gate, will you? Some will try to charge through in the commotion."
"I have a better suggestion for you," Jonathan replied to Caleb's request. "Bring my friend to the throne, and we will settle the disorder here."
"What friend?" Caleb asked.
"What do you mean what friend? I come with only one guy. He is… Where the hell is he?" Jonathan looked around until he saw Arlcard walking toward the quarreling nobles.
Arlcard walked right next to them, but they didn't register his presence. They were too busy shouting at each other's faces to notice one stranger came to their side.
"QUUIIEEETTTT…!!!" Arlcard's voice boomed across the courtyard.
His voice was powered by mana manipulation. All the yells and shouts from the nobles were drowned by his voice.
"Every capable soldier is fighting on the battlefield to protect this world and this country you live in. Even the emperor died in the battle. Yet, here you are. Quarreling among yourselves for your pitiful ambition. Have you no shame?!"
The nobles were all stunned into silence by Arlcard's shout. They were all looking at him. The first one who came out of their trances scolded him in return.
"Who the hell are you?! How dare you speak to us like that? Do you know who we are?"
"A bunch of cowards! That's who you are!" Arlcard exclaimed.
"I will not suffer this insult!" The vampire noble drew his sword. He also signaled for his men to attack. "Kill this bastard!"
"If you are prepared to die for laying a hand on your future emperor, then go ahead!" Arlcard yelled.
While they were still registering what Arlcard was saying, Arlcard's body exploded with a dark aura. He had used Dark Lord Incarnation. This took everyone aback. He floated up. The wings of his dark form spread all over the courtyard. It was as if a dark cloud had covered the entire place. With that display, Arlcard's voice continued to reverberate.
"I am the last of the Maxius. The sovereign's bloodline runs in my veins. The throne of Sangrod is rightfully mine!"
"Maxius…?"
Arlcard's display of power stunned the nobles back into silence, but the mention of the Maxius family caused the nobles to use Inspect on Arlcard. Learning Arlcard's name put them into a state of disbelief. Some even used their Inspect two to three times to make sure they didn't read wrong.
Caleb was also shocked by the revelation. "A hidden Maxius…? Why have I never heard of him? Where did you find him?" Caleb asked Jonathan.
Though the fact was before them, some were still unwilling to accept defeat.
"Arlcard Maxius? There is no one with that name among Marcus' heirs. You must be a fraud! You must be using a disguise tool to mask your true name!"
"I'm not Marcus' heir, but I'm a Maxius. I was turned into a vampire by Aubelard Maxius," Arlcard stated.
"Aubelard? The traitor?! Then you are not fit to be our sovereign! We can't let a traitor's offspring sit on the throne!"
The others joined in on the clamoring. A minute ago, these nobles were ready to tear each other apart. Now, they banded together when they faced the same foe.
They continued to shout and yell, expressing their objection. When Arlcard said nothing in response, they thought their united voices had intimidated Arlcard into silence. That was until they noticed Arlcard's expression.
Arlcard was smiling. Under the Dark Lord Incarnation's effect, the dark aura covering him made his grin look extremely sinister.
"You are all ready to fight each other to claim the throne," Arlcard said as he drew his rapier. "Let's do it this way. Anyone who wishes to claim the throne may fight me. You can all come at me together. I don't mind."
Arlcard was a level 91 eternal vampire. No one here was his opponent. He was even stronger than the country's strongest combatants, the relic marshalls.
The nobles of this courtyard were the ones who refused to join the war. They sent their private army but were otherwise unwilling to risk themselves. How would they be willing to fight Arlcard, who was much more powerful than them? Even so, their greed compelled them not to give up. So, they did what they were always good at, commanding others to risk their lives for them.
"Kill him!" One of the nobles commanded his guards.
"Take him down!" Another did the same.
Others also gave orders to their private soldiers.
The soldiers looked at each other. It was clear from their expressions they didn't want to fight Arlcard, but they also didn't dare disobey their masters. They gripped the hilts of their weapons and gritted their teeth. But before they unsheathed their weapons, multiple giant black swords fell from the sky. These black swords formed a fence that separated the nobles from their private guards. Arlcard landed among these nobles.
"You, pathetic weaklings. You are not only cowards for refusing to face the underworld forces. You don't even dare to fight me with your own hands. Sangrod's throne will be tarnished if any of you sit on it. I will give you all a chance! Bow to me on the count of three. Anyone who refuses to do so will not receive my mercy!"