My Students Regret It After I Retired - Chapter 97



96 – We Have Won

With the death of Keltazar, the operation began to gather momentum.

Fearless, they advanced straight to the front of the Imperial Palace.

“Hold them back! I said hold them back!”

Knights and their commanders screamed, trying to stop him, but no one could stop Leos. It was a given. All of the Heavenly Society’s ability users who sided with the Emperor were part of the Imperial Sword Corps, and those b*stards were all dead.

Ordinary knights couldn’t resist Leos’s Five Swords.

Lakart wiped away the splattered blood and spoke to Leos.

“I didn’t think the knights would be so utterly defeated.”

Paron agreed.

“Seeing the core forces of the Peren Empire die like bugs… it’s a mix of emotions.”

They were once part of the Peren Empire’s Imperial Palace. They knew better than anyone how powerful the Emperor’s forces were. But seeing such a massive force being swept away by a single person was unbelievable.

“Fall back.”

Leos had slaughtered hundreds of knights who were blocking the palace entrance with his Five Swords, and to finish off the remaining ones, he abruptly retreated with his companions. The reason was none other than to use Bloodfall, the power of the Blood Scythe.

So many people had died, and the Blood Scythe had absorbed as much blood as it could. Thanks to that, enough energy had been gathered to use Bloodfall, and Leos didn’t miss the opportunity.

‘We’d be at an advantage even fighting like this, but we will win decisively.’

Since there were no knights who could stop Leos’s Five Swords, even if they continued to fight in the same way, the knights would have no way to defend themselves. But Leos didn’t want to create variables. He didn’t want even one of his companions to die. That was why he looked for a way to win perfectly, and that was by using Bloodfall.

Bloodfall, when activated, unleashed a torrent of blood that instantly killed all living things. It was a waste to use on mere knights. It was like a trump card to be used in case members of the Heavenly Society suddenly joined the fight.

‘The Heavenly Society Master is watching me from somewhere, at any time. Therefore, she must have known about this invasion of the Imperial Palace beforehand. The Heavenly Society will not participate in this battle. If she intended to participate, there’s no way she wouldn’t have sent any forces.’

The thought didn’t last long, and the conclusion was simple.

[Bloodfall is activated.]

The screams of people began to echo, endlessly.

*

After a long while, the waterfall of blood had subsided, and the throngs of soldiers that had swarmed the Imperial Palace were gone. Where the blood had washed through, not even bones or scraps of corpses remained, leaving behind only the bizarre, red-painted facade of the palace as if no one had ever been there.

Leos, Lacart, Pharon, Bendict, Bartier—

the five of them began to enter the palace without hesitation. As they stepped inside, defensive artifacts activated, unleashing a torrent of attack magic from all directions.

*Thwack!*

But Leos easily blocked it with his five swords. The Emperor still seemed unaware that magic or barriers, poured out by mere artifacts, could not overcome his ability.

*Thud*

*Thud*

As Leos walked quietly, his footsteps began to echo through the vast palace. A palace where no human breath could be heard. On the floor of that grand palace, the blood on the soles of Leos’s shoes began to mark a trail.

With each blood-soaked footprint stamped across the palace, the Emperor’s hidden heart began to race uncontrollably.

‘Fuck…how dare…how dare they…! I am the Emperor of the Peren Empire!’

The Emperor was hiding in the underground treasury, surrounded by artifacts and treasures. There were no soldiers left. In case of the worst, the Emperor had ordered all his troops outside to fight.

‘Maybe I can survive. Maybe I can protect this vast treasure and artifacts.’

The palace’s underground treasury was a space that few knew about.

With a sliver of hope that the enemies might not find him, the Emperor began to hold his breath like a cockroach.

But contrary to his desires, an explosion resounded.

*BOOM!*

A massive explosion.

Leos used artifacts to break through the walls with mana bombs. After numerous explosions, they reached the treasury where the Emperor was hidden.

“Hieeek!”

The Emperor shrieked in a bizarre tone, grabbing the treasures clutched in his arms and dashing towards the piles of more treasures. As he ran, he ruthlessly unleashed attack artifacts.

* * *

*Fshhh! Bang!*

The vast torrent of mana pouring from the artifact surged towards Leos, but without even breaking stride, he simply walked forward, using his Ogeom to obliterate it all.

“Get…get away! Impudent! How dare you approach the Emperor of the Peren Empire…!”

The Emperor trembled, arms and legs shaking, trying to scramble away from Leos, but Leos slowly walked until he stood right before him.

“What do you want? I…I’ll give it to you. If it’s treasure you want, I’ll give you that, and if it’s power you seek, I’ll bestow upon you the highest rank in the Imperial Palace.”

*Thwack!*

Without a word, Leos struck the Emperor’s thigh with the hilt of his sword. The Emperor gasped in pain, collapsing to the ground.

“Ugh… Grrr…”

Overwhelmed by the sudden pain, the Emperor groaned and writhed on the floor. Tears streamed down his face as he cried out to Leos.

“Spare me… I…I was wrong… Please, please…”

Gone was his arrogant demeanor; now, the Emperor begged for his life.

Observing this scene, Rakart and Faron had quietly moved closer. Rakart then spoke.

“Emperor Bermon, I only want to ask one thing. Why were you so selfish? Just for the sake of treasure, abandoning your people, treating them like disposable tools, and driving countless men to their deaths all for your own safety. Do you even feel a shred of guilt?”

“I regret…I truly regret it! Give me a chance. If you give me a chance, I’ll return the Peren Empire to its glorious past. I will… I absolutely will!”

Rakart gave a sardonic smile and plunged his sword into the Emperor’s abdomen.

“Kuh-ugh… Guh… Gaaah…!”

The Emperor’s entire body began to tremble. He looked at Rakart with eyes that seemed to ask why he’d been stabbed. Rakart answered the Emperor’s unspoken question.

“Bermon. Do you really think I wouldn’t know you were lying? You’re a monster. A monster capable of killing hundreds of thousands of knights without a second thought, all for your own sake.”

“Khuhh… Ughh…”

Emperor Bermon writhed in pain. Leos gently pulled Rakart back, then spoke.

“Vermon, listen. If I judge anything you say to be a lie, I’ll slice your throat. Answer truthfully. Understand?”

At Leos’ words, Vermon nodded. Soon, Leos’ question followed.

“Has the Celestial Assembly been controlling you until now?”

Vermon was about to nod, but he paused, looking at Lacart beside him. Then, changing his mind, he spoke with difficulty.

“It’s… it’s true that the Celestial Assembly approached me.”

Leos’ expression began to harden.

The emperor didn’t just get manipulated, unaware of the Celestial Assembly’s existence. He knew of them and was directly involved with them.

“The Celestial Assembly approached me and they proposed. They said if I carried out only some of the things they desired properly, I wouldn’t lose the throne for a long time, and they’d even promise me countless jewels in the world, and that if war broke out, they’d intervene and lead us to victory. At first, I didn’t believe them. To kill them, I gathered the knights nearby, but with an ability similar to what you used, Leos, they killed my forces in an instant. Having no other choice, I followed them.”

Leos walked right up to the emperor, looking down at him and asking,

“You followed them because you had no other choice?”

“T-that’s… correct.”

“Just before today’s battle, all the Celestial Assembly forces in the Imperial Palace died. All that remained were the Empire’s knights.”

The emperor, sensing an ominous aura, crawled backwards to escape, but Leos slowly followed him, step by step, adding,

“The Celestial Assembly had no room to intervene today. So then, after deploying all your forces outside, you, on your own, secured countless jewels inside, did nothing, and only wanted to protect the treasure. That selfish act was entirely your own.”

“D-don’t… Don’t do it! Don’t!”

Leos sent his Five Swords flying in all directions. Then, with a gesture, the Five Swords charged at Emperor Vermon in an instant.

*Thwack!*

As Leos’ Five Swords reached Emperor Vermon, he no longer screamed or ran away.

Weakness overtook Emperor Vermon’s body, who was clutching the treasure until the very end, and the numerous treasures he was holding tumbled out with a crash.

Leos, looking at the corpse, spoke.

“We have won. The Ferren Empire’s Imperial Family is, as of today, annihilated.”