My Love Debts Are Everywhere!

"What did you say? The capital is surrounded by rebel forces?" Velix's eyes widened in horror as the words struck him like lightning.

The soldier nodded gravely, confirming, "Yes, Your Majesty. The capital is surrounded. The rebels arrived after successfully conquering the four golden quadrangular cities. Their goal now is to take the capital."

Velix fell silent, frozen on his throne with a pale face. Just minutes ago, he had received news of the fall of the four cities, and he had feared that the rebels might target the capital next.

Now, his fears had been proven true, and they were arriving faster than he had anticipated.

"Damn it... how did this happen?" Velix muttered, his expression dazed.

The rage that had once consumed him had faded, replaced by a sense of despair and confusion.

The rebels' movements were astonishingly swift—too swift to be logical. With such a massive force, there should have been a report long before they reached the capital.

Yet, it was only ten minutes ago that he heard the news of the fall of the four cities, and now, just moments later, the capital was surrounded.

This could only mean one thing: they hadn't just conquered the four cities recently; the conquest must have happened yesterday—or even a few days ago!

"Bastard! Is there a traitor who dares to deceive and play tricks on me?" Velix suddenly snapped back to reality, his simmering anger exploding once more.

The only plausible explanation for the rebels advancing towards the capital and laying siege was the presence of a traitor who had intentionally withheld the news. He couldn't fathom any other reason.

"Your Majesty, how should we respond to the siege?" The soldier asked hesitantly, pulling Velix out of his reverie.

He frowned, deep in thought, before suddenly recalling Albert.

A bright expression spread across his face, and with renewed excitement, he replied, "Order Albert to mobilize the Palace army immediately. I've given him full military authority in the capital, and with his skills, he should be able to negotiate with the rebels." Stay connected with empire

Albert was the supreme military leader, closely connected to the army. With that bond, Velix was confident that he could handle the rebel soldiers effectively.

Though convincing the rebels to surrender might be challenging, getting them to retreat was well within Albert's capabilities.

However, upon hearing Velix's words, the soldier's expression darkened.

He clenched his fists, lowered his head, and spoke in a low voice, "I'm sorry, Your Majesty, but that may not be possible."

Velix was stunned by the words, staring at the soldier with a mix of anger and confusion. "What do you mean?"

The soldier hesitated for a moment, then looked up and answered in a trembling voice, "Supreme Leader Albert hasn't been seen since this morning. I searched the entire capital, but I couldn't find him."

"What did you say? Albert... he's disappeared?" Velix was taken aback.

"Yes, Your Majesty," the soldier replied, his voice tight with frustration. "And there's something else. Yesterday, Supreme Leader Albert issued a warrant in your name and ordered all the remaining soldiers in the capital to go aid the four cities of the Golden Quadrilateral. Now, there isn't a single soldier left in the palace except for me... and him."

The soldier turned toward the comrade who had entered the throne room earlier, gesturing to him. Then, with a resigned tone, he added, "So, we can't mobilize our forces or confront the rebels outside, Your Majesty."

Velix felt his head spin as he absorbed the words. He stared blankly at the ceiling of the throne room.

Once the information sank in, he knew without a doubt who the traitor was.

"Why did this happen? Albert betrayed me? What was his purpose?" Velix ground his teeth together, his body trembling violently.

He had trusted Albert, appointing him as Supreme Military Leader. After returning from the Desert of Chaos, he had even restored his authority—no, he had given him even more power than before.

Yet now, Albert was the one responsible for withholding the critical information about the rebels' arrival at the capital.

'Does this mean he's been working with them?'

The thought struck Velix like a blow, causing his breath to quicken. An overwhelming aura erupted from him.

*Boom*

The force of the explosion made the entire palace tremble, causing the two soldiers nearby to kneel in fear. Only the black-cloaked man remained standing, though his legs trembled as if he might collapse at any moment.

He gritted his teeth and glared at Velix. "Velix Larrison, control your aura! If you don't, you'll bring this entire palace down!"

But Velix, consumed by rage, ignored him.

Seeing Velix's lack of response, the black-cloaked man's anger flared. A growing urge to flee gnawed at him.

Unfortunately, he couldn't escape. If he fled, the Temple of Twilight's plan to cooperate with Velix would be ruined. He had to first calm Velix and help him overcome the rebel siege surrounding the capital.

"Velix Larrison, you don't need to worry about the rebels. I am here, and I have promised to help you," the black-cloaked man said in a calm, reassuring tone, resisting Velix's overwhelming pressure.

Hearing this, Velix's anger gradually faded, and he quickly withdrew his aura.

The two soldiers and the black-cloaked man finally exhaled in relief as the pressure lifted.

Velix stared at the black-cloaked man with a detached expression and asked, "Are you really capable of dealing with all those rebels?"

The man nodded with confidence. "Of course. This time, I will keep my promise. You can trust me."

Velix fell silent for a moment, narrowing his eyes. If asked whether he could trust him, he would answer no without hesitation. His trust in both the man and the Temple of Twilight had been shattered.

Yet, the dire situation forced him to place some faith in them once more. While he wasn't certain they could truly help him defeat the rebels, at least there was a glimmer of hope.

Taking a deep breath, Velix gave a small nod and said coldly, "In that case, I'll place my trust in you."

...

Outside the capital's walls, hundreds of thousands of soldiers had assembled in an orderly formation. At the front of the army, four middle-aged men sat proudly on their horses.

They were the leaders of the noble families who had allied with humanity's soldiers to ignite the rebellion in the four cities of the Golden Quadrangle, successfully conquering them.

"Robert, how is the rebellion progressing in Atheris? Is everything going according to plan?" A middle-aged man with blond hair and a striking appearance asked the man beside him.

The man named Robert smiled with pride and replied, "Everything is going smoothly, Jacob. With the support of humanity's elite troops, conquering Atheris was a breeze."

At his words, Jacob and the other two men exchanged glances and grinned widely.

"And what about you? Did the conquest of Valdor, Norathis, and Thavalor go just as well?" Robert asked, his curiosity piqued.

The three men nodded enthusiastically and answered in unison, "Yes, everything went perfectly."

"Good!" Robert nodded in satisfaction, laughing. "With the fall of these four cities, the capital is completely isolated. It's only a matter of time before we seize control."

His words brought laughter from the three men. In the past, they and the noble families behind them had been among the Empire's most powerful and influential.

Whether in the government, legal, or military sectors, they had held significant influence. It was no exaggeration to call them the most powerful figures after the Holy Emperor.

But since Velix ascended the throne, all their glory had vanished, replaced by misery and humiliation.

Velix had usurped their positions and stripped them of their power, subjecting them to suffering. Though they still managed their territories, it was clear to any fool that they were merely working for Velix without reward.

Their hatred for Velix was immeasurable. There was only one thing in their hearts—to overthrow his rule and seize the Holy Empire of Elysium for themselves.

In the past, they would have kept such thoughts buried deep within. But now, the opportunity had arrived, and they no longer needed to hide their desires.

"By the way," Jacob spoke up, observing the three with careful attention. "I still don't understand why Albert, the Supreme Military Leader of the Holy Empire of Elysium, would be behind this rebellion. Do any of you know what his intentions are?"

Though they were no longer in the capital, their spies often kept them informed about the situation there. Albert Lennister was Velix's most trusted subordinate, and they all knew it well.

Yet, suddenly, Albert had approached them, seeking their cooperation to rebel and overthrow Velix—something that had puzzled them all from the start.

The middle-aged man named Frans, sitting on his horse beside Robert, narrowed his eyes slightly and replied calmly, "I don't know his exact intentions, but one thing I'm certain of: he must have a grudge or some dispute with Velix."

"Yes, you're right," Lucas, sitting to Frans' left, responded with a deep breath, his expression serious. "But what we should be concerned with now is how to deal with Albert after Velix falls. We can't let him seize control of the Holy Empire of Elysium on his own, can we?"

At this, Jacob, Robert, and Frans exchanged surprised glances before their faces hardened with caution.

The reason they had joined the rebellion was to reclaim their families' power. Although they hadn't directly expressed this to Albert, he must have understood their motives.

However, if Albert intended to take control of the Holy Empire for himself after Velix's downfall, they would need to be prepared and have a backup plan.

"Let's think this through," Robert began, but before he could finish, a calm voice interrupted him.

"What are you discussing?"