The Offering Ceremony took place in a field outside the Thrones City. There was simply no way to fit all the audience inside the city.
As his wagon was navigated toward the field, Prince Leon looked out of the window. There was a river adjacent to the field on one side. He couldn’t see the river itself, as the river bank went deep below the horizon, but he could hear the sound of the river flowing.
Moon soldiers in blue armor have been posted all the way from Throne City to the field. Their armors were ceremonial as part of their job was to showcase the prowess of the Empire of the Moon. Countless civilians formed a horde as they slowly made their way toward the field. They didn't have the wagons of the wealthy, but there was no way they’d let that stop them from witnessing what might be one of the most important events in their life.
In fact, people from all over the Empire were coming over. Some have traveled for days and depleted their wealthy to become an audience of the glorious process.
The wagon continued on. It made its way through layers and layers of Moon guards before coming to a stop. Prince Leon stepped out of his wagon. As a prince, his position was decently close to the altar, where Emperor Benedictine would be delivering his speech to tens of thousands of audience. He might be one step away from being a prisoner, but Emperor Benedictine made sure everything looked normal on the surface.
A few Emperor Guards were positioned around Leon.
People kept on coming in, but there was no sign of Emperor Benedictine. Leon wasn’t surprised. The most important always comes in last.
More and more people arrived. Leon could see some smarter businessmen setting up counters, selling food and water to the exhausted audience under the scorching sun.
The wealthy and the powerful have already retreated into their wagons, enjoying the food and liquor delivered to them by their maids.
Finally, after a full hour, a thunderstorm of footsteps came in from the direction of the Throne’s City. It was so loud that all the audience gradually quieted down in anticipation.
A river of blue cut through the audience and slowly pushed them to the side, forming an open path at least five meters wide. They proceeded to stand guard at the path, facing the audience.
Finally, as all the preparation was done, a horseman rode down the trail.
Leon frowned as his fists closed in tight. It was obvious who the rider was. Emperor Benedictine obviously did his homework. He wanted to create an image of power and strength, and his clothing certainly helped. He wore a blue armor with the carvings of a beast on his forehead. Sharp blades stuck out of his elbows. He rode slowly but confidently, showcasing his ability as an elite horseman. A well-decorated sheath rested on his belt.
Mounted Emperor Guards followed him in pairs. Their blue cloaks moved in symphony with the steps of the horses.
The audience cheered as the Emperor reached the altar, dismounted, and walked to the top of the elevated space.
Leon’s heart sank as he watched Benedictine get into position. If he had an army with him, he wouldn’t hesitate to throw them in now and either win or die, but he didn't have an army. He was alone, and a single squad of Emperor Guards could bring him down. He had no choice but to keep his anxiety quiet.
Benedictine started speaking. His voice was deep and confident. His entire figure radiated of strength.
“Men of the Empire, hear me!”
“I know a lot of you see me as an oppressor. A conspirator. A usurper. I have killed a lot of people, some of whom are of my own family, to keep the throne, and I don’t deny it!”
The crowd exploded into a wave of conversations. It wasn’t quite normal for someone like the Emperor to expose himself like this. Most leaders preferred to keep their dirty dishes under the table. Although the powerful knew what Emperor Benedictine has done, the majority of the civilians didn't.
Benedictine waved his hand, knowing he couldn’t let this fester, and all the Moon guards simultaneously slammed their spears into the ground. The uniform stomping went on for three times. By the time they were done, the audience were quiet.
“I don’t have a choice, men! A terrible conspiracy has wrapped itself around the Empire! It is the same conspiracy that sent my predecessor at war with the Empire of the Sun, and it is the same conspiracy that murdered the former Crown Prince! Tens of thousands of our people have been sent to die for a reason no one knows!”
The Empire Guards stomped three more times.
“I have reasonable evidence suggesting the Empire of the Sun never murdered the former Crown Prince! Instead, the assassination was carried out by an entity that seeks to use us against their own enemies! The glorious empire was treated like a mindless weapon!”
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“I don’t know if my brother was fooled or not, but I do know things are going to change. I am on the throne! As the Emperor of the Moon, I hereby declare that I will not be manipulated the same way my nephew was! And, whoever you are, if you show your face in this empire again, you will be hunted down and you will be terminated!”
In the audience, Leon smirked. How clever of Benedictine. All he had to do was declare that a mysterious enemy was lurking inside the empire, and now he has the justification to label anyone he viewed as a risk as a member of the conspiracy. He could already hear the crowd around him growing restless as they screamed words of support to the Emperor.
The poor soul had no idea Benedictine was actually onto something.
Benedictine didn't show his so-called ‘reason evidence’ to the public, but the war against the Empire of the Sun has been costly. Many members of the crowd have lost people because of that. Fathers. Sons. Husbands. Pinning the blames of all the suffering on a single mysterious organization served to unite the country and give the people someone to hate. In a sense, it was similar to what Hitler did with the Jews.
Manipulative, but also effective.
The people simply wanted an enemy. They didn't want a scientific paper detailing why the enemy was labeled as the enemy.
“I have signed a conscription order of 50,000 more men.” Benedictine went on. “The Empire must be protected, no matter the cost! I understand the consequences of this order, but it must be done. As citizens of the Empire, you must obey your duty. Anyone questioning that is a traitor. I hereby declare that anyone obstructing the conscription order can be executed on sight without delay or trial.”
This time the audience wasn’t as supportive, but three more stomps from the Emperor Guards silenced that.
With the announcement over, Benedictine took a step back. It was time for the ritual to begin. A man in blue cloak was ready to step onto the altar. He was a member of the Moon priests. His entire job was to brainwash the people into supporting the Empire’s policies.
Within moments, all the audience would be too convinced by the power and glory of the Empire of the moon to protest the conscription orders.
“Whoosh.”
That was when an orange blast came in from the crowd and hit the Emperor in the chest, knocking him off straight the altar.
“Assassin!” The Emperor Guards cried as they activated their runes.
Leon gulped as he turned to the audience, searching for the assassin. He didn't know what the shot was exactly, but it was obviously aiming to kill Benedictine. Was it successful?
Was he going to become the Emperor?
The crowd was immediately overwhelmed by chaos. Some knew what was going on and immediately tried to extract themselves from the situation. Others were frozen, confused.
Suddenly, dozens of Moon soldiers standing guard across the field drew their swords. But they didn't see the assassin. Instead, they turned on their comrades. Hundreds of people in the audience pulled out weapons from their seemingly innocent baggage. Swords. Daggers. Spears. They let out war cries and charged toward the Moon guards.
One man took out a crossbow and shot an Emperor Guard in the head.
Moon guards were caught by surprise. There were 3,000 Moon soldiers in the field, not counting the Emperor Guards, but they were spread across twenty thousand civilians. Calling them disorganized was an understatement.
Many Moon soldiers were still trying to figure out what happened before running into a civilian or a fellow soldier. The thoughts that these were just accidents were quickly crushed by stabs and strikes to the chest. The assassins were equipped with expensive, highly runed weapons. Moon armors crumbled like paper in front of them.
Within moments, at least a hundred Moon guards were on the ground, lifeless.
It was a mess. The crowd did everything at the same time. Some closer to the center wanted to get out. Others closer to the borders wanted to go in and see what was going on. Families were separated. Many people tripped and fell and never had a chance to get back up. People controlled by fear rarely watched where they were putting their feet. Even if someone saw the people in distress, kneeling down and pulling them up could be dangerous to even the good samaritans.
Screams, groans, and cries covered the field that was so cheerful moments ago. The good looking Moon soldiers ran around like headless chickens. Hoping that they could save the day was just stupid.
At this time, the Emperor Guards showed why they were called the best warriors in the Empire. These battle-hardened soldiers quickly dismounted and formed a wall around their fallen Emperor. In a situation like this, horsemen were stripped of their mobility and were no more than giant targets. Infantry would fare much better. They positioned their shields and themselves to cover the Emperor from all angles.
In the midst of the chaos, Prince Leon’s first instinct was to run. This assassination might be staged by the mercenary who visited him a week ago, but he doubted the common foot soldiers knew who he was. If one of them decided to come after him...it would be a dumb way to die.
He went for his wagon, but just before he could get on, another wagon whose driver was not looking at where he was going ran into that of Leon. Both wagons screeched and were stuck from the collision. The driver of the other wagon was about to get off before an arrow came in from nowhere and penetrated his neck.
Leon gulped and backed off, looking for a way out. Four Moon guards were still around him. Suddenly, one of them drew his weapon and cut one of his comrades open across the neck. The sudden betrayal caught the other two men by surprise as they turned and faced him. The second man let out a war cry and charged forward. It was a good move, if it wasn’t for the fact that the third man stabbed him in the back.
In moments, two of the four guards were down and the other two were now enemies.
All around them, Moon guards were being overwhelmed and slaughtered. They were out in the open and the assassins could literally be anyone. Leon would be lucky if more hostiles don’t join the fray against him. Seeking help from the Moon guards was just impossible.
At the moment between life and death, the prince silently rested his hand on his sword. He wasn’t going to die here, not when he was so close to the throne. If these men wanted to kill him, they would need to fight for it.