Kingdom Building Game: Starting Out With A Million Upgrade Points!-Chapter 120: And So It Begins

Arkanos’ aura gradually settled.

The next moment, he swung himself onto his horse, his crimson cape billowing behind him.

His eyes burned with cold resolve.

Seraphine stepped forward. "Shall we mobilize, my lord? Where are we headed?"

Arkanos’ gaze hardened. "No."

"I will handle this alone."

Ivan furrowed his brows. "My lord, pray tell—why have you decided this?"

Abaddon, still war-hungry, grinned. "Yes, I too am intrigued. If this defiant mortal has dared to take your beloved, would it not be best to remind him of the empire’s might?"

"Silence," Arkanos commanded.

"Herald has challenged me. He has dared to demand I come alone, threatening the life of my concubine should I not comply."

Abaddon scoffed. "With my speed, I could be in and out with her before the fool even takes a breath."

Ivan nodded. "Indeed. My liege should know that my presence cannot be detected, no matter what they—"

"Enough."

Arkanos’ words were calm yet sharp, his presence suffocating.

"You do not understand the gravity of the situation."

His fingers tightened on the reins.

"That fool has trampled upon my pride. Not only has he stolen my consort from my castle, but he now dares to bar me from bringing my forces, believing that I am nothing without them."

His glare burned.

"I go alone—not because I fear him or his threats—but to make it clear: with or without an army, I am the emperor. I do not falter. I do not break. And I will not fall, no matter what stands in my path."

Without another word, Arkanos dug his heels into his steed’s sides, the beast rearing before galloping off into the night.

As Arkanos rode off into the distance,

Utilia exhaled softly before speaking. "You all saw that, didn’t you?"

Abaddon chuckled with admiration. "Indeed. That was not the gaze of a mere emperor… that was the gaze of an angered god." His grin widened. "The sheer coldness in his gaze—I dare say it could freeze hell solid."

Sylvana stepped forward. "And yet, there wasn’t a single trace of doubt or fear in him."

"Only certainty. He speaks not as if he is marching into battle, but as if the battle has already been won. As though the outcome is inevitable."

Already beyond the capital walls, Arkanos rode through the plains, his crimson cloak billowing behind him.

He then called out to the system.

"System, display the map of the empire. Mark a path to the Ashen Peaks."

〘 ⋄ Acknowledged. Displaying the imperial map… ⋄ 〙

Before his eyes, a green translucent projection of the empire unfolded, every city, mountain, and river laid in fine detail. A glowing path illuminated his course toward the distant Ashen Peaks.

"Mark the entire area. We’re going to be building a wall soon... A very tall wall."

Indeed, a wall not for himself, though—no, but to ensure the fools would have nowhere to run, for he would be carrying out a massacre, and he did not plan on leaving any survivors.

〘 ⋄ Confirmed. Mapping complete. Warning: The Ashen Peaks’ terrain is highly volatile, and potential enemy presence detected over level 300. Proceed with caution. ⋄ 〙

Arkanos’ eyes flared with green mana as he heard the warning.

"Caution is for those who fear failure. I do not."

With a flick of the reins, his horse surged forward, tearing through the night.

---

A throbbing pain pulsed through Kaela’s skull as she stirred awake.

The air was damp and heavy, with the scent of dust and something metallic—blood?

She shifted, only to feel the bite of rough rope against her wrists, tightly bound behind her back.

Her vision was hazy, darkness surrounding her, but as her eyes adjusted, the faint flicker of torchlight illuminated a figure before her.

A man sat casually on a wooden chair, one leg draped over the other.

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His face—sharp, angular, almost fox-like—had a smirk that sent a shiver down her spine.

"Awake at last, Lady Kaela," he mused, his eyes gleaming with amusement.

Kaela swallowed hard, forcing herself to steady her breathing. "Where am I?" she asked, her voice hoarse.

Herald leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand as if entertained by the question.

"Where do you think?" he chuckled. "You’ve been kidnapped, my dear."

Her fingers curled into fists. "Why?"

His smirk widened. "Bait," he answered simply. "For the emperor. He’s a stubborn one, isn’t he? I needed something to ensure he comes running straight into my hands."

Kaela’s chest tightened. "Arkanos will kill you."

Herald laughed at that, shaking his head. "Oh, I know he’ll try," he admitted. "That’s why I didn’t do this alone." His voice dropped slightly, a conspiratorial edge creeping into it. "I’ve allied myself with a rather… resourceful group. Ever heard of the Angels of Ruin?"

Kaela gritted her teeth but remained silent.

Herald took her silence as confirmation that she knew nothing.

"They want two things—Arkanos’ corpse and the ring his father took to the grave. I made a deal. If I delivered him, they’d give me exactly what I need… protection, power, a future beyond this war."

He spread his hands. "With the siege on the capital failing, I have no choice but to fulfill my end of the bargain. If I don’t, well…" He shrugged. "Let’s just say I don’t intend to die alongside this crumbling empire."

Herald exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair as he leaned back in his chair.

"You know, Lady Kaela,"

"I really didn’t expect things to come down to this. My plan was perfect."

He pointed vaguely, as if envisioning his past schemes playing out before him.

"Every move was calculated. Every piece placed exactly where it needed to be. The people of the capital hated the emperor, the nobility feared him, and his discarded generals wanted revenge."

"It was perfect. All I had to do was place the final nail in his coffin."

He let out a low chuckle, though there was no humor in it.

"And then he—that damned emperor—had to start getting wise on me."

Herald’s eyes darkened as his smirk faltered.

"At first, I thought it was just a few setbacks, a few unexpected moves. But no—he knew. He saw through it. The people began to love him. The nobles began to reconsider after the word of him being chosen by the goddess of justice and purity. Things were slowly falling out of place."

He shook his head, his fingers tapping idly against the armrest. "You have to understand, I wasn’t supposed to have to resort to this. The empire should have already been mine. Arkanos should have been assassinated at that wedding, his forces would have easily given in, and I would bring forth a new era. And yet, here we are."

His gaze flickered toward Kaela, a loom of something intense passing through his expression.

"I put all my resources and forces into this. Now, I have no choice but to play this last card," he admitted, sighing. "Arkanos may have outmaneuvered me, but this time, it won’t matter. He’ll walk straight into my hands, alone. And when he does…" A slow, dangerous smile returned to his lips. "The Angels of Ruin will finally get what they want—his corpse and the ring his father took to the grave."

Kaela struggled against the tight ropes binding her wrists, her breath coming in sharp, furious bursts. She glared at Herald, her blue eyes burning with rage.

"You’ve lost your mind," she spat. "You think this will work? That you can actually kill him? Arkanos isn’t some fool to be lured into a trap like this! He’ll crush you—all of you—and you know it!"

Herald chuckled, the sound soft and full of amusement. He tilted his head, his fox-like grin widening.

"No, I admit I underestimated him before," he murmured. "But I always learn from my mistakes. This time, I will succeed for sure."

With a lazy motion, he turned to the left, gesturing toward the shadows. "I made sure to get more than enough help."

A cold presence filled the air as a figure emerged from the darkness. The man who stepped forward was draped in long, tattered robes, his face gaunt and pale, his eyes sunken yet gleaming with purple light. His very presence seemed to leech the warmth from the room, an oppressive aura pressing down on everything around him.

"Ah, Lady Kaela, I am Vakemore, a Seventh-Circle Necromancer," the man spoke. "Do not trouble yourself with such futile hope. Even if your dear emperor were to somehow escape death’s grasp, I will ensure he does not remain unclaimed for long."

His skeletal fingers twitched as he clasped them together, a thin smile curling at his lips. "Once his life is extinguished, I will preserve his corpse in pristine condition—a perfect offering for the Angels of Ruin." His gaze flickered toward Herald with amusement. "After all, they do have their requests, don’t they?"

Herald smirked. "They do indeed. And all we have to do is wait two days. By then, he’ll have ridden himself ragged—all alone, exhausted."

Vakemore nodded. "And when he arrives, weak from the journey, we will overwhelm him with the dead. An army that does not tire, does not waver." His voice dropped to a whisper, filled with sinister delight. "Arkanos Bloodbane will drown in a tide of the fallen."