The Empire’s high nobles all belonged to the ruling class, but that did not mean they shared one heart. Every great family had its own thoughts, its own schemes.
There had long been rumors that nobles stood behind the rebels. The Empire’s upper ranks, of course, denied it completely.
But sometimes, rumors were the truth.
Some people wanted the Empire to fall into chaos.
The more chaotic, the better.
Only in muddy waters could they fish for profit.
The Empire’s upper ranks did not want the extermination of the Saliver family to spread. They wanted to preserve the dignity of nobles, to keep that image of untouchable authority intact.
Yet someone insisted on tearing the matter open.
Not long after the high noble meeting ended, the truth behind the Empire’s fury spread everywhere. Almost everyone came to know that the Saliver family had been wiped out.
An entire family, along with guards and servants. Four to five hundred people, not a single survivor.
Caelum had killed them all by himself.
Not only that, the Saliver estate had been burned into ash.
The truth was so shocking that it frightened everyone.
Its brutality made the nobles tremble.
For the commoners, however, it was a release so satisfying they could hardly help clapping and cheering.
At the same time, they were shaken by Caelum’s courage and daring. He had actually touched the reverse scale of the Empire and the nobles.
Soon, people began worrying about what would happen to him.
They hated the Empire’s cruel rule, but they still had to admit one thing.
The Empire’s powerful combat strength was not something ordinary people could resist.
In secret, some people began calling Caelum a hero and warrior who stood against the noble class.
His prestige rose in a short time until it was nearly equal to Tekular’s.
Throughout the Empire’s history, many heroes with the spirit of resistance had appeared.
Under the Empire’s oppression, however, none of them had ended well.
Would Caelum become a rising sun, or a shooting star gone in an instant?
Everyone was waiting to see where this incident would lead.
Lately, tavern business had been unusually lively.
"Hahahaha, that kid did well. I have not been this happy in ages. Those nobles should all be slaughtered!"
"Exactly!"
"Boss, another drink!"
A heavily drunk burly man slammed his cup onto the table and gritted his teeth.
"The only pity is that kid probably will not end well."
"He will likely be sent to the execution platform."
The person beside him sighed and downed a cup of liquor.
The strength the Empire had accumulated over a thousand years had left a deep brand on the minds of the common people.
In their eyes, the Empire could not be defeated.
Anyone who dared resist it would ultimately die.
The tavern quieted for a moment.
Then the noise returned.
No one wanted to think too much. For now, they only wanted to drink to the Saliver family’s destruction.
A young man sat casually nearby, holding a bottle of wine.
His gaze rested on the wanted posters on the notice board.
More accurately, on Caelum’s newest wanted poster.
"A bounty of 5 million..."
He took a drink and murmured to himself.
Then he rose and left.
A drunkard stared at the young man through blurred eyes. His tongue was thick with alcohol, but he seemed to remember that face.
"Was that..."
After a moment of thought, the drunkard sobered all at once.
"Mavren!"
Mavren.
A young man who had only recently begun to make a name for himself.
Before this, he had no fame at all, but his strength was astonishing. He was one of the Empire’s Calamity candidates.
It was said that his true strength stood above the Empire’s five Legion Commanders.
Even among the Calamity candidates, he was an exceptionally dazzling figure.
His most striking feature was the tattoo on the left side of his face, shaped like dragon scales.
His pupils were also different from ordinary people.
They shone like flowing gold.
Compared with the Calamity Meeting, Mavren was more interested in how Caelum would deal with his current situation.
Did he possess enough strength to repel the Empire?
"I want to see whether you have strength worthy of that bounty."
Curiosity moved beneath Mavren’s golden pupils.
There would surely be a battle between Caelum and the Empire.
He wanted to witness with his own eyes how strong both sides could be.
To capture Caelum, would all five Legion Commanders move?
Perhaps even an Imperial Grand Marshal would step onto the stage.
Just thinking about it was enough to make his blood stir.
After the Blackwood City Incident, the extermination of the Saliver family once again drew the entire Empire’s attention onto Caelum.
With his strength alone, he had raised towering waves across the Empire.
Commoners.
Rebels.
Imperial nobles.
Calamity candidates.
From this moment onward, Caelum had become the center of the Empire’s vortex.
And beneath that vortex, hidden currents were surging.
An unprecedented storm was about to arrive.
As for the leak regarding the Saliver family’s extermination, the Empire’s high nobles were furious.
But that was all.
They had no idea who had leaked the news.
"Marshal Garran, the rebels seem to be moving."
"Who?"
"Tekular, commander of the Second Regiment of the Third Army. Their target appears to be Owl. This may obstruct our capture operation."
"Have that kid from the Norvind Legion go south with the Executioners. If the rebels dare take the chance to move north, make sure they suffer a heavy blow."
"Yes!"
Garran bit a cigar between his teeth and exhaled smoke, his fingers tapping lightly on the desk as he sank into thought.
Caelum had crossed paths with Tekular in Blackwood City and had saved Tekular’s life.
It was not strange for Tekular to make a move.
What Garran feared was Caelum joining the rebels.
If Caelum joined the rebels, things would become troublesome.
He only hoped the situation would not develop in that direction.
"Where is the Executioner Unit now?"
"They are in Kingfisher Town."
At the same time.
Kingfisher Town.
Townspeople holding weapons lay dead everywhere.
The fear and tears frozen on their faces made clear how desperate they had been before death.
A sturdy swordsman was being stepped on by someone, his head pressed into the mud. He looked utterly wretched.
The one stepping on him was a man with an icy face.
This man was the leader of the Executioner Unit.
His name was Kukured.
He looked down at the swordsman under his foot from above, his face filled with arrogance and contempt.
"Listen well. All the townspeople of Kingfisher Town committed the grave crime of murdering nobles. Unforgivable. I hereby sentence every one of you to death."
The swordsman in the mud glared viciously at Kukured.
His eyes were bloodshot, his teeth clenched.
"Those few deserved to die. All nobles deserve to die!"
"A boring final word."
Kukured brought down the blade in his hand and cut off the swordsman’s head.
Blood poured into the mud, staining it black red.
An Executioner beside him turned toward the distance.
"Reinforcements are here."
"A swarm of ants who do not know their own limits."
As Kukured spoke, black and red lightning suddenly erupted beside him.
Powerful Conqueror Haki wrapped around his blade.
He slashed toward the distance, sending out an enormous arc.