Part 3The Brothel and the Battle

As I pondered this, several of my Senior Officers burst into the room.

“Commander Arthur! The enemy is upon us! Why are we still not engaging?”

Their faces were a mixture of panic and fury.

I took a slow sip of wine, my gaze dismissive. “The Imperial Guard, who are responsible for the city’s safety, haven’t moved. Why are you so frantic?”

One of the officers roughly kicked aside a courtesan who was playing the lute. “The enemy is practically at our gates, and you’re here indulging in drink and pleasure? Are you still the Commander we revered? This is war! Not a theatrical performance!”

I glanced at his sheathed blade. “Did His Highness Prince Lysander permit you to carry arms within the city? The Imperial Guard knows the city’s layout better than we do. If you insist on fighting, you should follow Prince Lysander’s orders.”

The officers gripped their sword hilts, their voices low with fury. “Commander, what do you take us for? What do you take the lives of the city’s people for? How dare you privately transfer military authority!”

“Outside are regular army units! The Imperial Guard alone cannot possibly withstand them!”

I leaned further into Elara, playing the part of a defiant wastrel. “As you can see, I have a beautiful woman in my arms. How can I possibly leave? Now that I’m back in the capital, I realize I suffered too much in the borderlands. I’m actually considering resigning my commission to His Majesty and living as a carefree lord. How wonderful that would be!”

Lysander’s face was etched with pain. “Brother Arthur! When I suggested your posting to the borderlands, it was only to temper you. I never imagined you would harbor such resentment towards me. Had I known, I would have simply allowed you to remain a powerless lord!”

Seraphina choked back tears, her voice trembling. “To think that the hero I once admired is nothing more than a spineless coward with no ambition! You tormented prisoners and plundered villagers in the borderlands, then threatened me into silence. All of it, it seems, was to vent your resentment against the Imperial family for sending you away!”

Seraphina then produced a scroll bearing the blood-sealed grievances of ten thousand villagers from the borderlands, displaying it for all to see. Everyone in the room turned to me, their eyes filled with a mixture of pity and disgust.

In my previous life, Seraphina had endlessly produced such ‘evidence,’ constantly denouncing my cruelty and selfishness to the world, placing all the casualties of the war squarely on my shoulders. In an instant, the army and the populace were consumed by hatred for me. Nothing short of my death would quell their outrage.

When Lysander had hacked at my limbs, the exhilaration and wild triumph in his eyes had been barely concealed.

I narrowed my eyes, watching Seraphina’s performance. At this moment, her eyes were filled with fury and disappointment, but the faint upward curve of her lips betrayed her true feelings.

Everyone in the room stared at me, their eyes bloodshot. “Commander, do you respect the armor on your back? Do you respect those who have followed you through life and death?”

“We misjudged you! We chose the wrong master!”

“If the enemy breaches the city today, every life lost will be because of you!”

“Upon our return, we will inform everyone of what transpired here today. We will collectively petition for your court-martial!”

I calmly poured myself another glass of wine. “Are you quite finished? You stand here, condemning me, yet you still haven’t moved to face the enemy. If they truly breach the city, won’t you share in the responsibility?”

I raised my cup to Lysander. “Your Highness, the primary responsibility for Veridian City’s safety lies with the Imperial Guard under your command. At such a critical juncture, you’re not on the front lines but here, judging me. I can’t help but question your true intentions.”

Lysander pointed at me, his voice a furious snarl. “You are truly twisting truth into lies! You are beyond reason!”

I offered a cool smile. “I rather think it is you who is twisting truth into lies!”

Lysander glared at me, a smirk playing on his lips. “I will lead my forces now. But I wonder how you will explain yourself to His Majesty later!”

Lysander and his men hadn’t even left The Nightingale’s Nest when a voice boomed, stopping them in their tracks.

“The Emperor is here!”

Everyone immediately rose to offer their respects. Panic flickered in Lysander’s eyes.

“Father, your son is rushing to meet the enemy. I fear I cannot attend to you here!”

Seraphina looked at me triumphantly. “Your Majesty, have you come to punish Arthur? As a Commander, he has utterly disregarded human lives!”

Emperor Sylas frowned, then glanced at his head eunuch, his presence commanding without needing to raise his voice. He walked to the central seat and settled down. Everyone present looked at me with a mixture of pity and schadenfreude. Lysander no longer seemed in a hurry to leave.

“Father, your son specifically came to ask Brother Arthur to dispatch his troops to face the enemy. I never imagined he would claim he was too busy indulging in revelry to leave. It is truly disappointing.”

Seraphina quickly knelt, presenting the scroll of blood-sealed grievances. “Your Majesty, your humble servant also wishes to present evidence. I implore you to thoroughly investigate Commander Arthur! Deliver justice for the people of the borderlands, and for the people of Veridian City!”

I suppressed my anger, rising to my knees before Emperor Sylas. “Your Majesty, I beg your forgiveness! Your son was compelled to seek your presence in this lowly establishment! Because Prince Lysander has committed treason and colluded with the enemy, time is of the essence!”