Born in Blood

Chapter 427 Good Haul

Not all the Imperialists were aware of who the Reaper was.

After all, not everyone had participated in the war. Just a small portion of them did.

But as soon as Liam came into view, shouts of all kinds spread among both the Couragists and the Fearists.

They weren't saying nice things.

In fact, they were cursing him pretty badly. After all, it was Liam's fault they lost!

Both sides!

The Fearists thought that the Reaper was on their side, but turns out, he wasn't.

And the Couragists… well, they always hated the Reaper.

Both sides equally hated him.

Liam inwardly braced himself.

He made an oath to himself not to make any grand speeches.

None!

But now…

With his voice amplified to an ear-splitting volume, Liam spoke in an matter-of-factly, authoritative tone:

"The Emperors are dead."

The two limp bodies to Alucard's sides were evidence.

"You no longer have a home, nor a leader. You're divided. Lost."

Kuan and Alucard slowly realized what Liam was attempting to do.

And they didn't like it.

"The Temple of Shadow extends a helping hand. Fearist or Couragist. I couldn't care less."

"You won't have to worry about marital quarrels or waging pointless wars. I won't send you to your death."

"As long as you obey, of course."

The reactions were varied.

"You cloaked runt! You kill our Emperor and try to take his place?! Never!"

"We follow an Empress! Not a snake! You deserve to hang for your crimes!"

However, that was actually the minority's reaction.

They were among the strongest, and by extension, the closest to the powerhouses.

The majority were silent.

It was true.

With an army as vast as them, there was no way for a single leader to rally such a powerful army.

Besides, they weren't one faction. They were two.

Each Imperialist had a life of their own.

In fact… the Fearists and Couragists shared those lives.

Love, they called it.

Unity was incredibly hard to achieve, especially when in war.

And yet… the Reaper offered them the shade of his banner. Sure, he'd caused the death of the Emperor and Empress.

But what kind of leaders waged an artificial war over a dagger?

And it wasn't the first time they did so, either. It was sadistic. It was cruel. And it wasn't fitting for a leader.

Some Fearists flew forward.

Some Couragists moved forward.

The Rank 5 leaders of the Fearists and Couragists had their eyes widened in shock.

"Traitors!"

The leaders instantly intended to attack the deserters.

But then, they saw Liam looking at them with blank eyes. Daring them to do it.

They couldn't bring themselves to. Liam was allied with Alucard and thousands of other cultivators.

Before long, swarms of Fearists and Couragists were switching sides!

Storms of curses and abuses flew behind them from those still loyal to the Empires.

Temple Elders welcomed them with open arms, making the transition even smoother than Liam realized.

Ryu had a broad smile on his face as he welcomed the Couragists. He and them were cut from the same cloth.

Jane, Aki, Orisa, and Kitsu, herded the Fearists.

Turns out, his clan was pretty damn good at managing themselves.

Zeniths poured in by the dozens, guilty and pained looks on their faces.

They didn't want to do this.

This wasn't a good thing.

They weren't happy.

But this was an easy way out of a difficult situation.

'No Rank 5's want to join?' Liam thought. 'Shame. I could have used—'

Just then, a Rank 5 Fearist flew to Liam's side.

The Fearist was a graceful woman with long white hair and tanned skin. Her blind eyes were hooded, and her features sharp.

Liam recognized her.

She was the lead fighter within the Rank 5 war for the dagger, and a formidable one at that.

A fire elemental.

She probably knew what Liam did to seize the star and the sky, and possibly respected him for it.

However, this didn't mean Liam could trust her, or any of the Imperialists joining their clan.

Not yet, at least. Not until they were accurately assessed.

"Name," Liam asked curtly, "and reason for joining."

"Kerian, Sire," the woman responded, lowering her head in respect. "My husband died in a pointless war. I have not a shred of loyalty remaining for the Empire."

"I pledge my undying allegiance."

There was a moment of silence.

Liam nodded at her.

"You may leave."

Immediately after, she joined the crowd.

As Kerian joined, so did a chunk of low to mid ranking Fearists and Couragists.

They no longer felt guilty about it!

But unfortunately, no other Rank 5's joined the Temple.

'Probably for the best. If too many of them join, they could easily stage a coup and get revenge.'

59 Zeniths and 6,000 Mortals.

One Rank 5.

A solid haul.

The rest had scattered with the wind, their motivation broken and their leaders reduced to corpses.

It was done.

Liam lowered his dragon back to Alucard and Kuan, who looked just a little more annoyed than usual.

The power dynamics had changed a bit more.

This time, Liam wasn't as backed into a corner!

"I don't think the island can suffice anymore," Liam said to Kuan, sighing.

Kuan let out a deep breath. "Fine. I'll give you a better place."

"And I get to keep the island," Liam added.

Kuan took another, deeper breath.

"Fine."

WHOOM!

A flash of light reflected in Liam's eyes.

Kuan had taken out a light-made sapling, brightening and dimming in slow breaths.

He threw the sapling over to Alucard, who promptly waved a hand and caused it to disappear.

Alucard got the Sacrosanct Tree.

Kuan got the Dual Empire's lands.

And Liam had a… dagger.

But the trades were not over.

"You can let us be," Alucard said to Kuan. "You've got what you wanted."

Kuan scoffed.

SHING!

A moment later, he teleported away, leaving just Alucard and Liam.

"The dagger," Alucard said. "What'll you take for it?"

A pause.

"One of their bodies," Liam gestured to the Emperor and Empress.

Another pause.

It was longer than usual.

Alucard let out a tired sigh.

"I'm keeping their space rings. Choose which one you want."

Liam felt like a kid in a candy store.

Except, he had just two choices.

A long, long silence of contemplation followed.

"Give me the Empress."