My Love Debts Are Everywhere!

"What are you discussing?"

At the sound of that voice, Robert, Jacob, Lucas, and Frans flinched in surprise. Their heads snapped forward to see Albert atop his horse, accompanied by four other riders trailing behind him.

"A-Albert?" Jacob stammered, momentarily stunned before quickly regaining his composure. Forcing a flattering smile, he greeted, "Welcome, Supreme Leader Albert. We weren't expecting you to arrive so soon."

Robert, Frans, and Lucas quickly followed suit, offering respectful smiles and greetings.

Albert gave a slight nod, his expression calm and indifferent, before asking, "What were you discussing just now? Mind if I join?"

A wave of cold sweat ran down their backs as the four men exchanged uneasy glances, their smiles growing visibly strained.

"Ahem!" Robert cleared his throat awkwardly before responding. "We were just discussing the successful conquest of the cities of Atheris, Valdorn, Thavalor, and Norathis. If you'd like to join, we'd be more than happy to have you."

In truth, they were about to devise a contingency plan in case Albert intended to claim sole control of the Holy Empire of Elysium after Velix's fall. Naturally, they wouldn't dare reveal this to him—doing so would undoubtedly seal their fate.

Albert cast them a meaningful glance, a faint smile playing on his lips as he subtly shook his head.

"I see. Well, that sounds rather dull. I think I'll pass," he remarked calmly.

Albert wasn't fooled. He knew the four men before him were discussing matters related to the distribution of power after Velix's fall. But he couldn't have cared less.

Once Velix was defeated, the Holy Empire of Elysium would merge with the Holy Orthodox, creating a singular, absolute power under the rule of the Holy Orthodox Saint, Arshley.

As for the four men and the noble families involved in the rebellion across various cities, they would receive no share of the power.

Albert's true goal, along with Leon and Luna, had always been to use these noble families as expendable labor and scapegoats for the rebellions that took place.

Once the rebellion succeeded and Velix was overthrown, their usefulness would come to an end, and Albert planned to eliminate them without leaving a trace.

Robert, Jacob, Frans, and Lucas, completely unaware of Albert's hidden motives, exchanged uneasy glances at his words.

But their discomfort was soon overshadowed when their attention was drawn to the four figures behind Albert. Their eyes widened at the sight of one tall, burly man with a cold, indifferent expression.

"Spear Hero Valen?" They gasped in shock.

Previously, their attention had been entirely on Albert, to the point where they hadn't noticed the four figures behind him. But now, they finally realized there were two heroes, along with an extraordinarily handsome man and an exceptionally beautiful woman.

Valen raised an eyebrow, fixing the four men with a cold, piercing gaze.

"What's the problem? Does my presence bother you?" He asked indifferently, his eyes narrowing slightly.

A heavy, intimidating aura radiated from him, pressing down on the four middle-aged men.

"N-No, Spear Hero Valen! We didn't mean it like that!" Robert stammered, shaking his head.

"Exactly! We were just surprised to see you, Spear Hero Valen!" Jacob added, forcing a smile.

Frans and Lucas, who were seated on horses beside them, quickly nodded in agreement, their bodies trembling slightly.

"Humph!" Valen snorted coldly and withdrew his aura, causing the four men to visibly relax.

Meanwhile, Leon, Luna, and Athena remained silent, as if unaffected by the scene.

Leon then turned to Albert and asked calmly, "Albert, are there still soldiers inside the capital?"

"Don't worry, Sword Hero Leon. Yesterday, I issued a false order in Velix's name, sending all the soldiers to the four cities in the golden quadrangle. Now, there isn't a single soldier left, except for a few guarding the throne room and treasure room," Albert replied respectfully.

He paused for a moment, then added carefully, "Additionally, we've evacuated all the people and merchants to Atheris, the closest city to the capital. So, the capital is completely empty, and we're well-prepared in case of a major battle."

Upon hearing this, Leon couldn't help but smile and nod in satisfaction. While it might have sounded naive, he genuinely didn't want any casualties in this siege.

After all, they were all comrades, and losing a soldier would be a significant blow. Thankfully, Albert had taken smart precautions to avoid any unnecessary losses.

Meanwhile, Jacob, Robert, Frans, and Lucas, who overheard the conversation, exchanged shocked and disbelieving glances, their hearts racing.

"Sword Hero Leon?" they murmured in disbelief.

Leon, the Sword Hero, was rumored to have died at the hands of the Demon Emperor, with the Palace confirming the news. It had spread quickly, throwing the cities of the Holy Empire of Elysium into chaos.

However, they didn't expect that the figure rumored to be dead was actually still alive!

Furthermore, given Albert's polite and respectful manner, they began to suspect that he was likely behind the rebellions.

Leon took a deep breath, turned to those closest to him, and then addressed the soldiers, his voice ringing out loudly, "Everyone! Let's move forward and enter the capital! We will overthrow Velix's rule and usher in a new era for mankind!"

"Yes!" the soldiers responded in unison, their voices filled with respect.

The sound of their collective roar echoed for hundreds of meters, sending a ripple of fear through anyone who heard it. Experience tales with empire

Leon nodded in satisfaction. Just as he was about to urge his horse forward and lead the army into the capital, a shocking sight unfolded.

The once-clear blue sky suddenly darkened as thick black clouds, of unknown origin, gathered, forming a sinister vortex overhead.

*Boom!*

A powerful bolt of black lightning erupted from the vortex, and the thunderous sound sent a chill through the souls of everyone who heard it.

"What's happening? Why is there a black cloud?" one soldier asked, his voice filled with worry.

"I'm not sure. Could it be an enemy attack?" His comrade responded cautiously.

A ripple of unease spread through the soldiers witnessing the phenomenon, and many drew their weapons, bracing for a possible hidden assault.

Meanwhile, Leon, Athena, Luna, Valen, Albert, and the four middle-aged men quickly adopted a defensive posture, wary of the strange occurrence.

"Athena, do you know the cause of that black cloud?" Leon asked in a serious tone, turning to Athena beside him.

"Give me a moment; I'll check," Athena replied calmly, her gaze fixed on the ominous clouds.

*Buzz!*

Her eyes suddenly glowed bright red, and her serene expression shifted, a hint of concern creeping onto her face.

"Leon, this black cloud is the result of a massive magic formation! We need to retreat immediately!" Athena shouted suddenly, startling everyone.

Leon's heart raced. Just as he was about to speak, a panicked cry came from behind them.

"Damn it! A monster is coming out of the ground!"

They all turned quickly and saw a terrifying creature emerging from the ground, gripping the leg of a soldier's horse. The horse reared in fear, neighing wildly.

"A monster? How is that possible?" Albert exclaimed in horror.

Before they could process the situation, the screams of more soldiers filled the air. Similar monsters were surfacing from the ground, grabbing onto the legs of horses.

Chaos erupted through the ranks, and the once-tight formation quickly disintegrated.

"Argh!" Several monsters emerged from the ground, grabbing onto the legs of the horses belonging to Leon, Luna, Albert, Valen, Athena, and the four middle-aged men.

"Damn it!" Jacob shouted, drawing his sword to sever the monster's grip and pulling his horse away.

Robert, Lucas, and Frans followed suit, quickly pulling their horses away from the creatures.

However, the monsters kept emerging, appearing from various spots on the ground, intensifying their frustration.

"Sword Hero Leon, what should we do? These monsters are eerily similar to the ones in the Desert of Chaos!" Albert, his expression grim, drew his sword and slashed at the two monsters that appeared beside him.

The memory of the monsters from the Desert of Chaos was still fresh in their minds. That event had forced both the demon army and humanity's forces to halt their battles and join forces to eliminate the endless swarm of monsters.

Although these monsters weren't as terrifying as the ones in the Desert of Chaos, the situation felt strikingly similar.

Leon didn't answer Albert right away. He drew his sword and swiftly decapitated the three monsters approaching him.

*Slash!*

With a single swing, their heads fell to the ground, lifeless.

Leon frowned and glanced at Albert, Luna, Valen, and Athena, each battling the monsters around them.

"Albert, Luna, Valen, these monsters are the result of a magic formation, most likely within the Palace. I believe this is Velix's final move against us," Leon said, his voice serious. "I need you to hold off the monsters here and in the capital. Athena and I will head to the palace to destroy the formation. Do you understand?"

They nodded firmly and replied in unison, "We understand!"

"Good!" Leon nodded in satisfaction.

Having already confronted the relentless waves of monsters in the Desert of Chaos, Leon remained unshaken by this similar situation.

While he wasn't sure how Velix had orchestrated it, he suspected it was linked to one of the Apostles of the Twilight Temple—the Fourth Apostle.

Leon quickly turned to Athena, who was twenty meters away, and shouted, "Athena, come with me to the palace."

Athena, holding a monster's head and crushing it, flashed a faint smile and nodded.

"Okay."

In an instant, her body vanished and reappeared right behind Leon. She pressed her face against his broad back and wrapped her arms tightly around his waist in a playful, spoiled manner.

Seeing this, Luna gritted her teeth, her gaze filled with jealousy toward Athena.

"This damn woman is taking advantage of Leon in a moment like this!" Luna muttered, full of resentment.

*Argh!*

A monster's roar suddenly echoed beside her, charging at her with ferocity. Albert was about to call out a warning but stopped short when he saw Luna punch the monster into pieces, not even glancing to the side.

Albert: "..."