Chapter 215 — Day of Divine Punishment

The Day of Divine Punishment—this was the name given by the common people to the day when the war between the gods occurred.

In their opinion, everything—the trembling of the continent, the rain of blood, and the devastated land around the capital—was nothing else but the sign of Divine Punishment.

"The Royal Family committed great sins under the tacit agreement of the nobles below them. That day, the Gods of the Divine Realm could no longer watch it happen."

"After an agreement, they decided to bless the human race once again."

"With a mere wave of their hands, they destroyed the capital, the sinful hometown of the Royal Family, and with another, they took back their power."

In a tavern, an old storyteller was telling a story, only pausing to take a sip from his drink from time to time.

"Old man, you dare to call this a blessing? I heard that the path of Knights is over! No person can ever become a Great Knight again!"

"Our dreams of obtaining extraordinary power are over!", a youthful, angry voice echoed throughout the tavern.

When the storyteller and audience turned their heads to look at its source, they discovered that it came from a young man.

Wearing thin leather armor and having a wooden sword hanging on his waist, it was clear that he dreamed of becoming a famous Knight and roaming the Empire.

The storyteller was not angry to have been interrupted by the young man. Instead, he shook his head and chuckled.

"Hehe. You wouldn’t understand..."

"Is it really such a bad thing that people can no longer become Great Knights?"

"How many people have faced the oppression of those so-called nobles, and how many families have been ruined as a result of them? Women have been kidnapped, innocents have been killed, while others have become sacrifices!", the old man said.

"The only reason why Knights were needed is because of the danger brought by the beasts. But now that the Gods have taken action and trapped them within the Ancient Beast Wilderness, there is no longer a reason for Knights to exist!"

"We, the common people, will no longer be oppressed by the nobles!"

"Our fate will be in our hands!"

The old man’s voice was thunderous, and his passionate words resonated with most people.

That’s right!

Why should they be bullied just because they can’t become Knights?

Why do they have to work hard just to survive, while the nobles can live a life of luxury just based on their ancestors’ glory?

Most importantly, why can others possess powerful strength while they can not?

Although no one openly voiced the final question, many of them knew that this was the real reason behind their dissatisfaction.

It was not that they hated nobles and Knights. Rather, what they hated was the fact that they were not part of the lucky "class".

Hearing the old man’s words and sensing the malicious gaze of the audience around him, the young man’s face turned red. He wanted to retort, but in the end, he had no answer.

After he struck the table with his drink with feigned anger, he hastily got up and walked out of the tavern.

No one chased after him.

After they shook their heads and mocked him for his naivety, they shifted their attention back to the storyteller, who had already resumed telling the story.

"As everyone knows, after the Day of Divine Punishment, the continent was divided into four parts."

"The Land of the Human race, the Land of the Beasts, the Forbidden Area of Sin where the capital used to be, and finally, the Blood Sea at the south of the continent."

The audience held their breath and waited for the storyteller’s next words.

Only one person stood out among them.

With long blonde hair and wearing a veil that covered her face, a woman shook her head and stood up.

After tossing a few coins on the table, she left the tavern.

As the wind blew across her face, the thin veil covering it fluttered.

Her face was revealed.

With shining gem-like eyes, a serene expression, and a picturesque face, she was none other than Eleanor.

"It’s already been half a year.", Eleanor couldn’t help but mutter.

She raised her head, looked at the blue sky above her, and fell into thought.

After a few seconds, she moved her hand and smoothed out the veil.

Then, she left the city and entered the wilderness outside.

--

It was only a few hours later that Eleanor returned to an inhabited place.

It was a giant city with high walls made of precious materials and luxurious buildings that could be seen from far away.

If anyone took a deeper look, they would discover that it closely resembled the capital of the former Iron Armor Empire.

As Eleanor entered through the gate, she was stopped by the guards and asked to present an object of identification.

However, when the older of them noticed the insignia on the left side of her chest, he whispered something to his companions and let her pass with clear panic on his face.

Eleanor remained indifferent to this.

With quick steps, she wandered through the city and soon arrived at its center, where a brand-new imperial palace had been built.

Just like the entrance, the palace was filled with powerful armed guards.

When they saw Eleanor’s figure, however, their expression became solemn. Being Royal Guards, they knew more than the people tasked with guarding the city’s entrance.

Hence, they immediately saluted respectfully, allowing her to enter the palace’s interior.

Soon, Eleanor had arrived at the palace’s main hall.

After exhaling softly, she sat on the throne and removed her veil.

She tapped on the armrest and was about to summon someone over when an excited voice reached her ears.

"Sister, you’re finally back."

When she turned her head, Eleanor saw that it was her own brother.

Although quite some time had passed, his face and voice were still immature, filled with naivety and cowardness that didn’t match his status.

Eleanor would have ignored it if it were the past.

However, this time, her expression turned stern. Unbeknownst to everyone, a trace of crimson flashed in her serene blue eyes.

"Haven’t I told you that you should act according to your status? Do you not understand? You’re no longer a child nor a mere Earl! You’re a King! A King!", she scolded angrily.

At the same time, an oppressive aura spread from her as the center and landed on her younger brother, sending him flying.