Emperor's Reckoning

Inside the bar of the alleyway, Tuey took a peek from the door with Malik standing in front of her to cover her presence. Her eyes had a hint of worry as they saw a group of white knights on a march toward the palace above. 

"Ho?" one of the knights caught a glance at Malik who was standing with a smile on his face.

The man approached Malik with the clanking noise of his armor before standing right in front of him. With how towering Malik's figure was, the knight stood no chance of giving pressure.

"Long time no see, Ex-commander Malik."

The latter put on more emphasis on the title that he referred him to.

Malik crossed his arms with a quick glance against the red armband on the knight's arm, "Indeed, haven't seen one of you guys in a while still enjoying the job?"

The knight laughed against Malik's sarcastic tone, "What are you talking about? Of course, we enjoy the job, this is the greatest prestige ever, second only to your old job."

"Oh is that so? Looks like you guys have it easy huh?" asked Malik with a smile.

"No kidding, who dares to offend the princes in this world? Even the Abyss Tower had to think twice hahaha."

Malik only smiled at his words before the knight caught a glimpse of Tuey who was peeking from the bar's door. 

"Hmm? The bar got a new employee huh?" the knight smirked before he said with a glint of lust in his eyes, "I suddenly felt thirsty, please accompany me to drink would you."

Tuey furrowed her eyebrows before her jaw slightly moved, "Ptui!"

She actually spat on the floor to his surprise. The latter immediately gritted his teeth before he reached out her neck.

"Hands off!"

Malik slapped his hand away.

"Malik! What are you doing?! Why are you protecting this slave?"

"I am not a slave! I'm a healer!" shouted Tuey in contempt.

"What did you say?" the knight darted his glance toward her neck before he noticed what's going on, "Ah I see, you are of the new batch huh, I bet you wouldn't be as cocky as you are right now once you wore the collar."

"Enough, back off!" Malik pushed the knight to the ground with a single push to his chest. 

The knight fell with a thud in disbelief before he pointed out his trembling finger against Malik, "J-just because you are an ex-commander, doesn't mean you can do as you please in this town! How dare you chose to support demi-human trash rather than a noble knight?!"

Tuey was about to speak another word but Malik stopped him with a gesture from his hand.

His shout was heard by the group of knights he was in. They all wore the same red armband before they approached their ally. 

"What's going on here?" asked one of the knights.

"Noble? You? Please, you all have forgotten the emperor's way. Is that something a noble would do? You people have failed the emperor!" reprimanded Malik.

"Stop saying bullshit Malik, we are all humans! A superior race! Why would you protect that demi-human? She is not even your slave!"

"I'm nobody's slave! I'm me! I'm a healer named Tuey!" said Tuey. She didn't even know where did she pull out that attitude. Lyon's influence was far greater than she would have imagined it to be. They didn't even spend a week before it rubbed off on her.

Malik opened his eyes wide as she looked at the girl that was about one-third of his size. For someone that small to have courage greater than the knights in front of her, his lips turned a grin. "Wow young lady, that's what I call courage!"

"Eh. Eh..." Tuey suddenly meeked out as her cheeks blushed. 

"Anyway, you should back off now before I'm mad. You are scaring my customers here."

The knight raised his eyebrows, "You owned the bar?"

"Of course I own the bar, why wouldn't I own a bar? I'm an ex-commander and booze is what I sleep with. C'mon then, shooo shooo.," said Malik as he gestured with his hand before turning around.

"Hehe, do you think you wear the right attitude now Malik? What would the prince do if he were to hear that we got rejected in a bar over a demihuman."

Malik halted before he muttered, "A prince huh? Are you really sure you guys are serving a prince?"

"You!"

*bang

Malik closed the door before he said to the customers, "Drinks on me fellas!"

They wanted to roar a happy tone but were afraid that the knights would hear so they tapped their glass on the table as an answer. 

"T-thank you," said Tuey with a blush on her face. This was the second human that she met after Lyon that didn't treat her like something from below.

Malik nodded, "En, just sit anywhere you like, oh, is juice alright?"

Tuey slightly nodded though her finger was fidgeting. Malik smiled as he went behind the bar and picked up a glass and poured an apple juice in it. With a tap of the glass to the table, he said, "Are you worried about him?"

His question caught her by surprise before the latter nodded, "Older brother is really strong but, he is quite reckless sometimes."

"Hahaha! Do you know that there are people who appeared to be reckless on purpose?" asked Malik.

"Huh? Why would someone do that?" asked Tuey as she sat down and looked at the juice in her glass.

"The art of deception, the ultimate art of war."

Tuey drank the juice with a gulp as she looked at Malik's eyebrows furrowed before the latter rocking the glass slowly.  (The ultimate art of.. war?).

"When someone entered a fight or a battle or even a war, their heart beat faster than it should. The adrenaline of surviving is enormous and their brains exerted faster commands than they were able to comprehend the true situation. It means that most people couldn't come up with more than five solutions in life and death situations because time is not on their side."

"F-five solutions?"

"Hahaha, don't be so surprised. I just made the numbers out of my own imagination, I used no journals to prove this hahaha," chuckled Malik before his voice suddenly turned deep, "but even so, it is true, the calmer you are, the more dangerous you are to the enemy."

Tuey blinked twice as she remembered that the older brother she was always referring to in battle, always crossed his arms and had a smirk on his face. He didn't seem too worried at all, even though the opponent he faced was of a higher level than him.

----------------

Meanwhile outside the bar.

"Should we cuffed him to prison?" asked one of the knights.

"Without a formal order from the prince? You want us to be beaten black and blue and humiliated in front of the crowd? He is Malik, don't be stupid. For the moment let's enjoy a stroll, after all, it's been a while since we are here. The prince would take a week probably before coming out of the palace."

----------------------------

The palace.

The prince was about to open the door before he halted as his hands touched the door. 

"Oh right, you should punish those two guards that are guarding the gate, they were all drowsy. I don't want to lay a hand on such dirt, so you do it."

The black knight nodded before the prince pushed the door. The latter looked down and saw the ugly red carpet as he smiled with contempt. He closed his eyes as he walked forward and opened his arms as if he was in heaven.

"Oh, Faaaather... how I miss you!"

He felt something was off. Usually, the old man would already insult him, but the usual profanity was not present.

"Oi old man, don't tell me you d—?!"

His eyes opened wide in disbelief as he saw what's in his view. A magnificent chariot was presented right under the throne and something was floating while being covered up by feathers. However, the most important thing was someone that sat on the throne. It wasn't the old emperor but rather someone young who might be even younger than himself.

"Who are you! Reich! Who the fuck is he?!"

The black knight raised his eyebrows and turned around before he saw Lyon was sitting on the throne.

"You! What are you doing there! Get down this instance!"

"I thought the emperor told you to guard the door," Lyon's voice turned deep before killing intent started to envelop the black knight's entire figure, "AND NOT TALKING BACK TO ME!"

*bang

His knees immediately slammed the floor in disbelief as mountainous pressure forced his forehead to kiss the earth. He was struggling to get up but couldn't find the strength as he felt his soul was strangled by a million blades. His pride was immediately put down as he couldn't even look up and stayed in prostrating position.

The prince raised his eyebrows in disbelief, "GhGHghGH!"

He didn't even notice the movement before Lyon grabbed him by the neck like a chicken ready to be chopped.

"Did you think you would survive after what you've done to my charioteer?"