The Third Prince Of Darkness

After kissing Roxanne on the forehead and leaving her inside, I stepped out of the carriage. Among the soldiers in pieces of armor, I noticed a few men dressed elegantly. They carried neither weapons nor armor, nor anything threatening. They truly looked like emissaries, and the fact that Alpshar sent them without any protection could only mean something good.

After all, this showed he bore no hostility toward me.

"Are you emissaries of Alpshar?" I asked, using the southern dialect.

The Southerners and Northerners technically speak the same language, but over time, the language has split into two. A Northerner might understand a few words when they hear the southern tongue, but sometimes they won't comprehend it at all.

The similarity of the languages used in the North and South is because of a handful of humans who survived the great demon massacre or genocide that happened on this continent thousands of years ago. So, both Southerners and Northerners are essentially of the same race, but over time, this race split into two.

In fact, many micro-races formed, one of which is the people of the Tiamat Empire or the eastern race, which includes the Asina Kingdom. Of course, the sharpest divide was between the North and the South, and this racial split is also reflected in the language.

"Yes, we are emissaries. We have come to inform you that the highest of the high, the last emissary of the gods, the sacred wolf of the South, and the earthly representation of the sun, the great emperor Alpshar, wishes to meet with you," one of the emissaries said in a flawless southern accent.

It seems Alpshar has quite a few titles. Well, after so many accomplishments, that's only natural. The great emperor united the South under one flag and one roof faster than even the conqueror, Ogedion. Honestly, sometimes I can't help but feel a little envious of Alpshar. But what could be his reason for wanting to meet with me now?

If he does something to me, I could escape into the dark realm, but I can't say the same for Roxanne. However, I can't refuse Alpshar's invitation.

"Of course, I gladly accept His Majesty's invitation. But would it be a problem if I came alone?" I asked. For now, I need to conceal my relationship with Roxanne, or even the fact that there's a woman in the carriage. On second thought, it's not exactly normal that they found me so easily. We've likely been followed ever since we entered the southern empire in this carriage.

Considering that the mercenaries I hired were the best I could find, I must admit that those tracking us are incredibly professional. In fact, it's likely that even now, Alpshar's spies are watching to see how I react from afar.

This is quite unsettling. If Alpshar has an intelligence network more extensive than I thought, it could become a significant problem in the future. As a former historian, I know very well how effective intelligence and espionage have been throughout every period of human history.

Especially when considering that even the Servant's Guild hasn't established a stable presence in the South, it's not far-fetched to think that Alpshar has the best intelligence force on this continent.

"It's no problem for us. You can come alone or with your guards, as you wish," the emissary replied.

"No need, I'll come alone," I said, and began preparing the horse I'd acquired earlier. Since I could sense Roxanne's worried gaze on me, I entered the carriage. She was still looking at me with her sweet little nose flushed.

"Don't worry. If I feel something's wrong, I'll teleport to where you are immediately. In the meantime, do as I showed you earlier and wear the black clothes that block light, okay?" I said, stroking Roxanne's hair.

"Okay... be careful," Roxanne replied.

After kissing her pink lips, I stood up. "I will. Dont worry" I said before leaving the carriage and mounting my horse. After instructing the mercenaries where to go, I set off with the emissaries. I wasn't too worried about Roxanne because we'd had plenty of time to talk during this long journey, and I now knew just how strong she was. A few mercenaries would never be able to harm her.

But I hoped nothing unexpected would happen. We're probably heading to the military camp set up by Alpshar. Since he's dealing with a rebellion, it's likely that he's not in his palace. We're closer to the rebellion zone, anyway.

After an hour of traveling, we finally arrived at an area with more white round tents than my eyes could count. This was where Alpshar's army was stationed, and the rebel army's camp was probably only a few hundred meters away. After all, according to the information I had, Alpshar had set out a few days ago to suppress the rebels, so his army had likely just arrived and set up here.

We approached a large tent perched on a hill with the emissaries. To be honest, calling it a tent might not be accurate. It was more like a palace made of fabric. Of course, throughout history in my old world, large tents like this had been used as homes, especially among nomadic peoples.

The emissaries and I stopped at the top of the hill and dismounted our horses. The hill was quite high, and the area was open, making it easy to see what was happening in the distance. I dismounted and looked in the direction where the rebel army was likely camped. After all, the layout of a military camp isn't random, or at least it shouldn't be for an army of this size.

If the enemy army were to launch a sudden night attack, or attack before the camp was ready, the tents would be a significant hindrance for the army. Also, tents could slow down the army's quick repositioning in case of an urgent command. That's why even the placement of the tents follows a certain order, and each tent is carefully controlled.

From up here, I could see the orderly arrangement of the tents below. Then, narrowing my eyes, I looked even further toward where the rebel army was supposed to be...

"What the fuck is that?!" I muttered, shocked by what I saw.

The sight before me was nothing short of terrifying. There were towers a short distance from the tents, but even from here, it was clear that these towers were made of human skeletons. It was such a horrific sight that it made my hair stand on end. There were probably thousands of human skeletons and skulls stacked on top of each other.

"What's the matter, Prince?" one of the emissaries behind me asked.

"What is that?" I asked.

The emissary looked where I was looking, then smiled. "Ah, that? Those are the ones who committed the greatest crime by rebelling against the earthly representative of the Sun, our merciful emperor, and no doubt, His Majesty showed his greatness of heart by granting them a swift death! Long live the sacred wolf of the South!" the emissary said joyfully.

But this only deepened the horror I felt.

The emissary's words echoed in my ears as the sight before me made my stomach turn. I was certain that those towers were made of human bones, and I had never before seen Alpshar's power and ruthlessness manifest so tangibly. The word "merciful" sounded hollow and mocking, even as it came from the emissary's mouth. I tore my gaze away from the towers and took a deep breath.

Not only did I have to survive this, but I also had to protect Roxanne.

"I see," I muttered coldly. I forced myself not to reveal what I was feeling. The nausea I felt was not because thousands of people had already been killed. Just seeing the tower made of thousands of skeletons was a bit disgusting, but I felt better now. Underestimating the enemy in front of me would be a grave mistake.

Alpshar's intelligence and cruelty had allowed him to unite the South under one banner. But now, was I am threat to him or a potential ally?

As we neared the entrance of the tent, my sense of unease grew. If there was a trap inside, it would be difficult for me to get out alive. But I wouldn't know the truth until I entered. As I had promised Roxanne, if something went wrong, I would teleport out, but that would be my last resort.

One of the emissaries opened the tent's entrance. Inside were a few men, and at the head of a large table sat a young man with long red hair, wearing a grand dark fur cloak. His dark eyes, reminiscent of the darkest part of the night, met mine as I entered. Of course, I knew what Alpshar looked like, so I recognized him immediately.

With his long, blood-red hair and stern yet handsome face, he had a presence that stood out in any crowd. Alpshar looked at me for a moment, and then his cold expression changed as his lips curled into a smile.

"Everyone leave. I wish to speak with my guest alone," he commanded in an authoritative and oppressive voice.

For some reason, my heart was pounding fast—faster than it had even during sex. And to be honest, the reason my heart was beating so fast probably wasn't fear or anxiety. It was excitement. As a former historian, I was excited to be standing before someone who would likely go down in history as a legendary figure. But just think about it.

Imagine that Alexander the Great or Genghis Khan was standing in front of you. How would a person react to such a thing? I don't know how others would respond, but if I experienced something like that, I probably wouldn't even be able to speak from the excitement. It's embarrassing to admit, but if Alpshar were a woman, I might have had an erection. Thankfully, he's not a woman...