Countless people watched the reactions of those few nobles, puzzled, and walked out one after another.
But the scene before them made their eyes widen.
They simply couldn't accept it.
Inside one massive carriage after another, countless corpses were piled up.
Those bodies had been almost forcefully stuffed into the compartments, the stench of blood and rot sealed within.
Several soldiers, expressionless, stepped forward and opened the carriages one by one.
The corpses that had been crammed inside tumbled out onto the grass the moment the doors were opened.
The smell of blood and decay quickly spread through the vast courtyard, the foul stench rushing upward into the air.
The rotting odor, along with the falling corpses, surged toward the crowd.
Like the sticky, reeking tongue of a beast, licking across their bodies.
Countless nobles looked at the scene before them, their stomachs churning uncontrollably.
They covered their mouths and quickly turned away, but they couldn't stop their bodies from trembling.
Why were so many corpses suddenly brought here?
Their bodies looked as if they had been specially preserved, showing no signs of decay.
As if the grievances within each corpse had been forcibly sealed inside those lifeless, bloodless shells.
Pile after pile of corpses continued to fall into the courtyard.
The nobles stared at the ground covered in bodies, their faces pale as paper.
At this moment, Aurelian also walked out along with the twelve ministers.
When she saw the countless corpses piled like a mountain, she felt a wave of intense nausea.
The twelve ministers from the Empire also narrowed their eyes, pressing their foreheads as they tried to suppress the urge to vomit.
Finally, August slowly walked out, his expression calm.
Looking at Aurelian, who couldn't hide her disgust, he smiled and said, "My apologies, Your Highness. This may have frightened you."
"But please rest assured, this matter will not involve you."
'What does that mean?'
The atmosphere around them was silent and tense.
Although August's words weren't entirely clear, several nobles still rushed toward him in anger, shouting, "August! What exactly are you doing!"
"A perfectly fine diplomatic banquet, and you've turned it into this!"
Those words were like a fuse being lit, and anger spread rapidly through the crowd.
Their dissatisfaction and fury toward August erupted like a volcano.
But August listened to their accusations and looked at their anger, his expression still calm, "No need to get so worked up, everyone."
"Why don't you take a closer look and see if these people feel familiar?"
The nobles stared at the corpses, and suddenly many of them were too shocked to speak.
Most of these bodies were guards who had died in the previous demi-human attack on the city, along with civilians who had been caught up in it.
That day, the royal city had fallen.
Countless lives had been lost under the iron hooves of the demi-humans.
Originally, these bodies should have been respectfully cremated, their ashes returned to the soil of the kingdom.
But now, they had been brought here.
'Why…?'
'Could it be…?'
"Because I need these corpses."
August's smile stretched almost to his ears as he chuckled, "Do you know what kind of bodies are needed for a blood sacrifice? That's right... warriors who did not die naturally."
"These honorable fallen bodies are the most suitable offerings for a blood sacrifice."
The moment his words fell, the nobles seemed to suddenly understand something.
The chaos in the royal city had been caused by the demi-human invasion.
But those organized, disciplined demi-humans... why had they chosen such a perfect moment, when the city's defenses were weak, to attack?
Why just then had the king been without guards?
Everything was far too coincidental.
Countless nobles widened their eyes.
They finally understood... understood how all of this had happened, and who had been behind it.
But now, all they could do was watch the nearly insane king, his eyes blazing with fanaticism, laughing wildly.
He spread his arms and declared to everyone, "Bear witness to this."
"The blood sacrifice is about to begin."
A crimson light pierced through the heavy clouds, gently embracing the bright full moon.
The moon looked as if it were submerged in a sea of blood, its pure white stained red, like a scarlet eye.
Blood-colored light fell from the sky like rain, casting a glow over the barren ground.
Above the vast courtyard, a crimson and obscure formation appeared.
The intricate patterns resembled dried riverbeds, surrounding the motionless corpses.
The crimson formation seemed alive, its red lines pulsing in the light like slowly flowing blood.
The formation stretched out like tentacles toward the corpses, while strange runes crawled over them like ants, marking both bodies and ground.
The courtyard reflected the crimson glow, bathing everyone present in a layer of blood-colored light.
The nobles stared nervously at the bizarre scene before them and cursed August loudly, "August, you beast!"
"You did this on purpose! You let those demi-humans into the city and allowed it to be destroyed!"
"All those innocent soldiers and civilians died because of you, their king!!!"
August looked at the furious nobles and gave a calm smile, "Yes, I did it on purpose."
Hearing his calm tone, all the nobles were stunned.
Under the crimson moonlight, August's shadow stretched long behind him.
The blood-red glow made his face even more vivid, and the burning light in his eyes even more intense.
He slowly raised his head, his deep gaze sweeping over every noble present, and spoke flatly, "You've never accepted me, even though I am your king."
"You despise me, yet you have to show me respect because of your so-called duties."
"Otherwise, the Grand Duke's punishment would fall upon every one of you."
Many noble lords looked at each other, but no one said a word.
Indeed, the older generation of counts and marquises who had followed the previous king were exactly as August described.
None of them truly accepted him.
After all, they had already been lords before August took the throne.
And August had not achieved much that earned their respect.
More than anything, it was because Duke Festan Barlow served the royal family that these old nobles had no choice but to show him respect.
What they feared was the Grand Duke, not August.
So what August said was the truth.
At this moment, August slowly narrowed his eyes and spoke, "But now, I no longer need to care about your attitude toward me."
The tentacle-like patterns of the formation had already passed through all the corpses, and from the blood moon in the sky, a thin red thread slowly descended.
Following the crimson light, it gradually connected to the countless corpses.
A faint blood-colored aura seeped into them.
Then, they began to move, their limbs struggling as they crawled up from the ground, as if regaining consciousness and coming back to life.
The nobles widened their eyes, the stench and blood rushing into their noses, making them nauseous, "Und… undead magic!?"
"No."
August smiled faintly, "They are blood slaves."
Finally, a noble count could no longer endure it. He drew the cold gleaming sword from his waist.
Wearing a lead-gray robe, it fluttered in the air as his face showed determination.
"August! Your crimes must be punished!"
He was full of confidence, firmly believing that his fourth-tier strength would easily defeat August.
He stomped the ground, and with a sharp whistling sound tearing through the air, he charged straight at August.
The cold flash turned into a silver meteor in the blood-red night sky, instantly piercing through August's body.
Dust rose, slowly settling around them.
The people present didn't even have time to react, the scene before them leaving them stunned.
August stood there, eyes wide, his face full of disbelief as he looked at the blade embedded in his body.
His body trembled, and warm blood spilled from his mouth.
"You…"
Everyone stared at this violent regicide in shock, even Aurelian was completely stunned.
Only Count Laurien remained calm, as if nothing had happened.
After stabbing August, the count remained composed.
Suddenly, as if he had realized something, his eyes widened in terror.
He exerted force with his arm, but found that the blade had become embedded in August's body, impossible to pull out.
August suddenly raised his head, smiling, blood at the corner of his mouth.
"You actually believed that?"
"I lied."
Swish!
Two flashes of cold light streaked past. Of the three swords that had been at August's waist, only one remained.
The count felt a chill at his neck, and the world before his eyes began to spin.
Time seemed to slow, and he saw the shocked expressions of everyone around him.
Soon, his vision froze on two bodies.
'Strange… why does August look so tall?'
'And this body… it looks so familiar. Whose body is that?'
'They're so tall… so tall.'
'What's going on?'
'What is that warm liquid dripping onto my face?'
'Oh… that's my body.'
Bang!
The body in the lead-gray robe collapsed heavily onto the ground, blood soaking into the grass, spreading into a crimson stain.
And August's two swords returned once again to his waist.
He gently pulled the blade from his chest, not feeling the slightest pain, "I almost forgot to tell you, I was the most talented student in the history of the Starlight Academy."
"It's just that such achievements don't help much in becoming a king."
He licked the blood from the corner of his mouth, the crimson in his eyes growing even more intense, "What a pity. You never tried to understand me."
"Without strength, how could I possibly become king?"
In the next moment, countless blood slaves struggled up from the ground, dragging their twisted bodies. Behind them, blood-red threads connected them to the crimson moon.
August stood before the blood slaves, his eyes gradually filling with the red glow of the blood moon.
Amid the shocked gazes of the nobles, he slowly dropped his smile.
"Everyone, our banquet isn't over yet."
Facing Count Laurien's massive mansion that resembled a castle, and the blood moon in the sky, he spread the arms hidden beneath his robe.
Behind him, the blood slaves also stretched out their shriveled, twisted hands.
As if craving blood, they leaned forward, tearing their throats hoarse, together with August, "Praise the moon."
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