Chapter 554: Fall of City of Freedom
****(POV)
They say all good things come to an end eventually. Well, my reign has been shaky at best from the very start.
I established the City of Freedom in the most ballsy way possible. I could have worked too with the necromancer's blessing and many hard-working subordinates.
But now, the city is about to fall. Our food supply has run dry, our troops are starting without the energy to fight, and our series of conquest has ended.
As soon as we stopped conquering, we were doomed. We are nothing but a hungry, ravenous beast now, one that nears the end of its life.
At first, I was hoping that the man called little Bai would stay. But, as soon as the slime threat was resolved, he bounced out. He didn't have anything to do with the city anymore. This much is understandable.
The once proud and strong army is dissolved. Of us only remain shattered dreams and hungry ghosts stuck here. My close aides are stuck here, tainted by their previous allegiance.
We are simply alive because the other sects want to use us as a shield against Eaglevein. I was in way over my head.
Recently I've been analyzing all that I have done. My failure mostly comes down to one mistake. I repeatedly ignored the signs for the King Slime. There had been sewers cleaning organized, but somehow we never found it.
Plus,m it turns out the slime was created out of rage by a man that wasn't paid a few silvers. Risible, isn't it? A few silvers caused the fall of my empire.
On the side is the woman that's been through a lot with me. She is peacefully reading a book right now. She, too, is simply waiting for death like I am. That is when my military chief comes running with a report.
"Sir! There is an army approaching! It seems to be the Bright Flame Sect! They want to purge us entirely because they heard that we have a relationship with the necromancer! They'll be here in a few hours at best!"
That's one more bad news. At this point, does it even matter anymore? I seriously think it doesn't. I sigh:
"At least the end will be quick. There is no way we can resist."
"Sir, they are actually renowned to torture their prey for extreme durations until they finally die. The end will most likely be long and agonizing!"
"Thank you for that. Alright, I have decided. It is time for the last speech of my career. Prepare a stage for me in the central plaza. I will be making an appearance soon."
That is when I turn to the woman I love.
"I am sorry. If I knew it would end like this, I would never have undertaken this path. If I could go back in time, there are so many things I'd do differently. Now, even my death only has value for crazy people."
She simply stares at me before sighing and nodding. I can feel so many reproaches in her gaze, but also forgiveness.
I don my most beautiful suit. Ironic how we still have beautiful clothes and jewelry but close to no food since that's the first thing the slimes targeted. I look really dashing, well, except for my sunken dark eyes.
The worry, stress, lack of sleep, and malnutrition have rendered me a shadow of my former self. I've barely been eating enough to sustain my life. Part of me just wanted to end it and give my part of the rations to someone more deserving.
But I still kept myself alive, if nothing but in atonement. Guess I was waiting for a miracle that would never come. Hope has long died.
That's how I slowly make my way toward the plaza, looking defeated but still standing. I make a detour by the stall of an old friend. I have organized for him to leave soon, but I have also asked him to stay a tiny bit to help make the ending sweeter.
Even with a lack of ration, he managed to make trash somehow taste good. If that's not a miracle, I don't know what is. Then there is that one last thing that I dreaded to use, but now is the time.
I task a soldier with bringing boxes and boxes of a little something to the noodle cart. Then I step up to my old friend.
"I have one last task for you. Will you help me once more?"
He gives a sad nod. He probably knows what I will request of him.
"Today is the day the City of Freedom perishes all and for all. I want everyone that still has a chance at survival to leave together. I will beg mister Necromancer to take them with him."
"As for the ones that are bound to this place, I want to give them a farewell feast. In these crates are tons of poisonous ingredients. Many of which are as delicious as deadly. I was hoping you could use your skills one last time. Can you do it for me?"
"Yes, I will."
Before long, I'm standing alone on a small platform. I can see my life flash before my eyes. All the silly dreams I had in my youth, all the mistakes I committed afterward, the small moment of true happiness I felt upon building a better future for my people.
Now it all comes to an end. That's when I open my eyes once more. There are tons of emaciated people in front of me. They looked so heroic not long ago, well they still look valiant to me.
I slowly look at all of them.
"I am sorry, all of you. Tonight will be the last feast. I have asked my friend to bake us the best noodles ever. One taste will literally send you to Heaven. Thank you for everything, and once more, I am sorry."
We all get some noodles, but just as we are about to dig in, comes a loud bellow:
"FOOD!!!"
That's when comes a mountain of flesh out of nowhere. Before I can even make sense of the situation, it has dashed with speed far too high for its size and is already eating the poisoned noodles!
"Wait, this is poisoned! We need it too!"
"Please,m I'm so hungry! This is so delicious. I'll pay you back somehow. I'm very strong. But right now, I'm eating no matter what!"
Wait…a follower of Gluto?! A very strong one to boot! Is this the miracle I was hoping for?!