The Two Faced Emperor

And in the other direction… after walking for about half an hour, they arrived at the promised place… a vast but ruined orchard, with a small protected house a bit far from the crops. The land was open and wide, with small hills and mountains.

"Looks like this is the place," Faithless said with an excited tone.

He looked toward the two girls and said in a calm voice:

"Lily, Lulia… go set up the tent over there, near that small clearing surrounded by trees."

The two girls stood straight and responded sweetly and eagerly:

"Understood, Sovereign!"

Faithless smiled as he looked at them. Marianne approached him, carrying a sarcastic smile. Faithless looked at her, puzzled:

"What's with that weird grin?"

"I don't know… but you look like a father gazing tenderly at his children," Lady Marianne said mockingly.

"Honestly, those two girls resemble Julianne in their strange movements and behavior… also, this is a good chance for Julianne to meet new friends." Faithless smiled faintly.

Lily suddenly called out to him loudly:

"Sovereign! We've finished setting up the area."

"Let's rest here and wait for nightfall," Faithless said calmly and headed toward the tent.

They sat on a tree trunk, took out some food, and ate. After about half an hour, Faithless turned toward the two girls who were sitting on the ground, looking at him.

"Lily, Lulia… I have a question for you."

"Umm, what do you want to know, Sovereign?" Lily replied, a bit surprised.

"Why did you attack us in the forest? And… do you have a family? Where are you from?"

Both of them felt shy and sad from the question. Lulia responded in a sorrowful tone:

"At first, we weren't killers. We were just trying to get food… My family and I moved to the Lost Emerald City a year ago, but we had to leave because of the crimes happening there…"

Then Lily continued the story, her voice breaking:

"We decided to head to the capital. But on our way, a group of five bandits ambushed us. They stopped the horse and killed it. My parents tried their best to protect us so we could escape."

Lulia continued the story:

"We kept moving from city to city, looking for work or even just food for dinner… but we failed. Eventually, we resorted to stealing."

Lily went on:

"While we were in the Black Crescent City… we were walking quietly at night, looking for a place to sleep. A group came out of nowhere, tried to kill us and steal what little we had. They even tried to kill my sister… so I pulled out the poisoned dagger I had stolen from a weapons shop… and I killed them brutally."

"After I killed that group, I thought murder was the only way to survive… until we met you."

Faithless was deeply immersed in their story… until Lady Marianne gently grabbed his shoulder. Faithless shook his head. She spoke to him:

"What's wrong? You looked like you drifted into another world."

"Oh… I got lost in the story. Also, hearing it brought back memories from the past. I'm sorry for what you've been through. Losing family is painful… Killing is not born, it's created by the monsters of the world." Faithless spoke with a sorrowful tone as he looked at them.

He added in the same tone:

"From this moment on, you'll be with me, and I'll make sure nothing ever happens to you while I'm around…"

The girls were overjoyed and thanked him with great enthusiasm. Faithless waved his hand, signaling them not to do that. As for Marianne, she was looking at him and whispered to herself:

'Seems like even in darkness, safety can be found.'

"Oh, and I almost forgot. Are you two from the Beast Tribe? You mentioned 'brutally'…" Faithless asked calmly.

Both shook their heads, and Lulia answered sweetly:

"Yes, we are from the Beast Tribe. But why do you ask, Sovereign?"

"But I don't see your ears… Also, do you know a girl named Julianne?" Faithless asked with a smile.

Lily raised her ears, which were the same color as her hair—so well-hidden you wouldn't notice them unless you touched them. She spoke with surprise:

"In the last hundred years, the Beast Tribe has scattered across distant kingdoms and continents after the massacre in the Beast Continent by King 'Sulvera'…"

She added in the same tone:

"And about your question… we don't know anyone by that name."

"I see." Faithless stood and patted their heads gently while smiling.

"I'll make sure you meet Julianne… she's as cheerful as both of you."

"You sure like patting heads, huh?" Marianne said sarcastically.

"Don't be ridiculous… anyway, we need to wait for nightfall to face those creatures." Faithless spoke calmly as he sat near Marianne.

Eight hours later, night had finally fallen. The atmosphere was dark, and the moon was the only source of light, casting its glow onto the earth like a curtain through the clouds.

Faithless gently woke Marianne and the two girls.

"Marianne, the night has come. We must prepare."

Then he turned to the girls and said:

"Gather all our belongings and stay behind me. I will make sure nothing happens to you."

Both nodded with beautiful expressions. The four of them walked toward the orchard. As they got close, they noticed the creatures—moving in a tilted, twisted manner, carrying a segmented sword that resembled a skeletal frame.

These were creatures with bizarre appearances: long black hair with some strands soaked in blood. Scarlet horns dripped blood from their eyes. They wore long coats over tight white shirts with scratch marks, exposing their chests. They had high-heeled boots…

"They look somewhat like the creatures of the Scarlet Forest…" Faithless was surprised by the strange resemblance.

"I think these are a more aggressive breed than those forest dwellers." Marianne smiled, drawing a blood-coated sword from her right hand.

Faithless looked at her and uttered the word "Rebliwam", summoning a sword that screamed into his ear: "Two-Faced!"

He pulled back his hair and spoke with excitement tainted by madness:

"Tonight… only the sounds of swords and screaming will be heard."