BXBX NOVEL Chapter 519 Two Choices
"Despicable!" Kazimir and Antoine could only shout in anger the moment they realized that the other party was really set on harming their loved ones.
"Tsk.. tsk.. tsk! Calm down or else, I might accidentally give my subordinates the go signal~" Crown Prince Ranon revealed a playful cunning smile while he was enjoying the panicked expressions of the two.
Soon the Lieutenants and the rest of the ambush troops line up around the gorge. Only then did Mishael, Kazimir, and Antoine's team realize how far-fetched their aim for survival was.
There was simply no way for them to survive at the moment!
'Are we really done for?' The men who could only look up to their opponent's triumphant faces thought.
They were now alone in the wilderness, surrounded by countless enemies. Their leaders were forced to a halt because of such a despicable chip used against their morals.
"Leave them alone, Ranon!" Kazimir gritted his teeth and no longer used honorifics to refer to Crown Prince Ranon. If his glare could only kill, Crown Prince Ranon and all his accomplices would have been killed a thousand times.
"Uh-oh… that's not how it works, you poor first prince! I will tell all of you how it works!" Crown Prince Ranon replied.
"Drop your weapons and kneel! No one is to give us an ounce of mana and submit to us peacefully." He demanded nonchalantly.
"I leave you with the choice… in exactly one minute, you are to answer me or else, my men will kill your loved ones before your indecisive eyes!" Crown Prince Ranon looked at the people below with cunning eyes.
One minute… that is even relevant for Kazimir and Antoine or any person on their side to decide on things. Most of all, the options are no better than the other.
If they chose to surrender not only that they will surely die, but there is no guarantee that the Crown Prince will uphold his promise.
Besides, if the war started to spread then the Crown Prince's side was at an advantage because his men had already infiltrated the imperial family.
Should they choose to surrender, their loved ones will surely be killed and there would be a possibility that not only them but the people inside the empire would be killed as well.
Either way, they will all fall into the enemy's hands!
"... is there any way to end this without bloodshed?" Kazimir asked in dismay.
"Hmm~~~ who knows?" Crown Prince Ranon smiled and did not even hint anything to help Kazimir come up with a decision, "Thirty seconds…"
Antoine clenched his fist tightly, he could no longer bear to remain in the situation. He did not want to disappoint his colleagues and his fallen men by surrendering nor he did not want to disappoint his family by doing nothing.
But at this moment, is there really a right answer?
"Speak! What is it that you really want?" Kazimir asked once again, not giving up to find an alternate solution other than choosing between the options.
"What is it that I want? Hmm… I'd rather see you all kneel and play with me… However, it's not about what I want… It's about what 'he' wants…" Crown Prince Ranon replied rather cryptically.
Antoine, Mishael, and Kazimir caught the meaning behind his words. Their decisions did not matter at all, and both sides were in danger of being killed. The mere reason for the crown prince to let them choose an option was to just entertain himself!
Because someone behind them was on top of these things that are happening to the Seirende Empire!
"Alright, time's up! Gentlemen, let me hear your answers~~" Crown Prince Ranon clapped his hands and announced.
But the two princes remained silent with their heads lowered, not wanting to answer at all. From above they looked down cast like they were in despair and on the verge of surrender.
But from the perspective of their soldiers, it was a different scene.
They saw their princes, the leader of their teams, extremely unwilling to surrender and angry. They wanted to fight their way to survival but not at the expense of the innocent.
The knights were equally angry as well, heaven knows how conflicted could their leaders feel at the moment?!
"Eh… it seems like you refuse to answer as well?" Crown Prince Ranon mocked as he continued his monologue.
"Very well… I'll choose for you then!" With a flicker of his hand, Arabella opened her mouth and announced.
"Big Brother… do it!"
Antoine, Kazimir, and Mishael closed their eyes… they could not bear to look at the projection stones and see what would happen to their respective loved ones.
In the projection, the shadows moved and finally materialized behind the queens and consorts. Nikolai and his men emerged and sneakily approached the unsuspecting people.
They lifted their hands where their respective weapons pointed at the necks of the women of the palace. Once it hits, their deaths will be certain!
"No!!" The knights from Kazimir's team shouted in agony as if they channeled the unwillingness of their leaders who did not have the courage to express their own thoughts.
But their shouts were not enough to stop the killers from their actions nor warn their monarch to flee.
Watching from the top of the gorge, Arabella wore an excited smile as she looked at the people about to face the danger.
Crown Prince Ranon also looked with interest, as if the scene that was about to happen had nothing to do with him. It was like he was just watching a play unravel as time passed.
With the daggers about to pierce the necks of the Imperial women, a sudden change of expression flashed on their faces.
In an instant, their innocent and graceful demeanors changed into vigilant expressions. Out of nowhere, they faced their assailants with weapons in their hands!
Clang! The blades clashed so strongly that it was even heard loudly from the projection broadcast.
The faces of the ambushers, especially Arabella and Crown Prince Ranon changed. They did not expect that the women of the palace were able to retaliate.
"Do you honestly think that the women of the Imperial Family were just dolls for display? Heh… we are the Seirende Family! We aren't weaklings!"
From the projection stones, Queen Tehila's valiant voice rang in the entire gorge with her hands quickly moving to wound her assailant, the unguarded Nikolai, with her own hands!
Similar to her situation, Queen Lucia, Princess Arielle, and Evelyn also managed to detect their attackers and initially wounded them as well.
A smile bloomed on Kazimir and Antoine's faces. Indeed, having Lady Eli interact with them had caused the Imperial Family women to also change for the better.
They did not know how Eli managed to convince them, but after the announcement of their engagement, the women of the Imperial Family started to engage in different activities and become active.
From teaching and participating in the tournament as mentors, they also started to train secretly with combat skills. They were even taught by the best teachers of the Imperial Sky Knights.
Who knew that it would become useful at this very moment?
Even they themselves were still in doubt while they were waiting earlier. But then, they prayed that the women could stand for themselves when they are away, or should they die in war.
At least they now witnessed that they can stand their ground… and their hearts became rest assured for whatever outcome it will be when the war comes.
To add to the scene, Kazimir, and Antoine's sons also moved cleverly, reaching out to the distress bells and immediately summoning Governor Fidel's men.
In an instant, a fight ensued on their side and it was no longer certain who was winning or losing.
The entire gorge became silent, and all eyes were now moving in Crown Prince Ranon's direction.
Crown Prince Ranon and Arabella's expressions were not good either. There was a trace of ruthlessness and frustration on their faces as they watched the scene unveil.
Even so, Crown Prince Ranon is not willing to be humiliated and so he immediately ordered,
"Finish the mission, leave no one alive!!!"
"Retrieval group, move and get the prisoners!"
"I want everything to be done before the sun sets!"
Hearing the orders, the one thousand and so men shouted in their battle cries and jumped into the gorge.
Arabella also jumped into action, she pulled out a purple crystal bottle and drank it swiftly. Then she started to summon her curse power once more.
Roar!!!
In an instant, several cursed puppets, the same beastly monsters that appeared both during Eli's ambush in the forest and during the hunting, joined the battle.
Their presence immediately put pressure on Kazimir's side as they were already outnumbered.
Their hearts started to waver, how could they ever last in this kind of battle?!
However… suddenly a swift dark shadow flashed and immediately pierced Arabella's unguarded back.
Arrooo!!! The beasts howled in agony as they slowly disappeared just a few minutes after they were summoned.
Arabella spat a mouthful of blood as she turned her head and looked at the person who attacked her from behind.
Her pupils constricted to finally recognize the face of her attacker.
"It is a shame that I cannot kill you right now… I promised my good friend to let you live for his revenge…" The attacker said in his cold voice as he met Arabella's shocked expression.
It was none other than Leon, who was reported to have been severely injured a few days ago!