Chapter 358: Let them bleed.

“…”

“…”

Silence.

Absolute silence fell over the place.

For a good while, everyone just stared without uttering a single word. None of them knew how to react to it.

Until finally,

“V-Vice Commander….”

One of the guards called out.

“Hm?”

Kayden muttered, still staring in the direction he had been staring at before.

“Can you do that…?”

The guard questioned.

It wasn’t just him—the rest of the guards were the same.

“I-I do not think so.”

Kayden shook his head.

“The two started with a hug. There are no rules that stop the guards from hugging anyone, even if they are on duty. There were even cases of couples joining the Watch because they wanted to stay with each other and spend time together.

Those people often hugged each other when they weren’t on watch but…

I don’t think you are allowed to leave the Watch like this no matter how… aroused one is.”

The Vice Commander spoke with a strange look on his face.

Yes, they had seen everything that happened.

Kael was a Dragon Rider who defeated the Vice Commander so convincingly that any guard who watched that battle couldn’t get the sight out of their mind for days.

Lavinia, on the other hand, was one of the most beautiful women these men had ever seen. When the two were together, they attracted attention.

Even if the guards did not show it, they did secretly keep an eye on them. Kael and Lavinia knew it as well. This was the reason they used a Silencing Barrier every time they talked.

For the guards, seeing the two talk without being able to hear them had become a common sight, despite this only being their second day here.

But…

Never once in their wildest imaginations did they think the two would wrap their arms around each other so… intimately and then just… leave.

Kayden too was taken aback—no, actually, he was affected by it the most. From Kael’s actions, he knew the Dragon Rider did not like his first greeting. All this while, he had made it clear by pulling Lavinia close to him every time he was around.

But even he wasn’t expecting Kael to act like this.

’Did he know I was watching?’

Kayden wondered.

His questions, however, did not end there.

Where are they?

What are they doing?

What was he supposed to do here?

Should he take action against them for abandoning the Watch without permission?

Or was he supposed to stay silent about this?

The more he thought about it, the more questions appeared in his head. That was the only thing he could think about.

But then—

“T-That wasn’t what I was talking about.”

Suddenly, the guard who called him first muttered, instantly pulling Kayden out of his reverie.

He turned to glance at the guard and realized he—and every other guard—was staring at him with somewhat confused looks on their faces.

“What are you talking about?”

Kayden questioned with a frown.

“Did you not see?

That man…

H-He was flying.”

The guard spoke as he then looked at Kayden and—

“Can you do that…?

Can anyone do that?”

He questioned. He and the other guards didn’t even think about the fact that Kael and Lavinia had left together. Unlike Kayden, most didn’t care about it—not compared to when they were seeing a man literally flying in the air.

“…”

Kayden turned silent.

He had completely ignored the fact that the Dragon Rider was flying…

Even…

Even his mother could not do that…

’Just what is with that monster.’

He cursed inwardly. Just before, he was talking about how he was going to surpass and defeat him but…

How was he supposed to defeat a monster that could literally fly in the air?

None of his attacks would even reach him, and he could bombard all the attacks he wanted at him without caring about the consequences.

Use his Bonds to fly in the air?

Sure, that could be one of the options—if he was facing a normal person, that is.

An aerial battle with a Dragon?

His poor friend would start cowering in fear just at the mere sight of that large Dragon’s gaze. Kayden couldn’t help but recall how both Lavinia and Kael shook their heads and directly told him he would never surpass Kael. That time, he saw it like a challenge—he wanted to prove them wrong, but…

’Can I… really never defeat him?’

He muttered inwardly, but before he could think too much—

WOOOOOOOOOOO

A low, deep-toned siren echoed throughout the Wall, instantly pulling him out of his reverie. In an instant, his expression changed, his muscles stiffening as his instinct took over.

And it wasn’t just him—everyone else around him was the same.

It was like the Wall around them had come to life.

Men and women stood from their posts, conversations stopped mid-sentence, spoons were dropped, cards folded, jokes died on lips. The guards standing with him talking about Kael and Lavinia instantly dropped the topic and stared at him, waiting for the orders.

Kayden himself glanced at the West Tower, where the horn had flared.

One long, three-second call.

And it did not stop.

WOOOOOOOOOOO

It paused and then continued.

WOOOOOOOOOOO

Again.

WOOOOOOOOOOO

And again.

WOOOOOOOOOOO

And again.

It was the Summon.

The Summon.

The signal that meant—

Gather now.

He glanced at his men one last time before he clenched his fists as his jaw tightened.

“Move.”

“Yes Sir!”

He ordered, and they started walking.

The guards followed. No one ran, no one panicked. None of them knew what had happened—even the guards on Watch Duty did not know—but it didn’t matter.

The siren meant they were being summoned,

So every man of the Watch except for the ones on Watch Duty and 10 groups after theirs prepared to move.

Within the next 10 minutes, Kayden, together with around 400 armed men, stood in formation under the open sky in front of the West Tower, their eyes staring at the Command Platform, waiting.

And the wait wasn’t long.

Clack Clack Clack

The echo of boots that had walked through wars was heard. Korvath Velmourn, Commander of the Watch, stepped forward.

His short silver hair looked clean, his cloak of ash-gray fur continued to sweep behind him. His armor bore no embellishments—only age and wear.

The moment he appeared, the murmurs died. Every soldier stared at him with their backs straight and chests out.

Korvath’s sharp eyes swept across the assembled soldiers.

Then, his measured and cold voice rang out.

“Dragonborn ships have been sighted off the Eastern Coast.”

He revealed, and in an instant, the soldiers reacted.

Most were too stunned to say anything, some clenched their fists, and some… panicked.

Korvath noticed it all.

He noticed their sharp breaths. He noticed how their stance shifted. Heck, he even noticed how their hands clenched tighter.

“After all this time…?”

One soldier whispered under his breath, unable to believe it.

“Why now…?”

Another muttered weakly.

Korvath raised his hand, quieting the unrest and attracting all attention.

“Ten ships. Full sails. Their insignia clear as dawn. They are coming straight for us.”

The Men of the Watch stared at him with grim looks on their faces. Kayden could feel the palpable tension in the air.

However, Korvath did not stop.

“This is not a mistake.

This is not a wandering vessel blown off course.”

He took a step forward, his voice growing colder.

“In twelve hundred years—not once have the Dragonborns dared set foot near our skies. Not once since the Treaty of Vorgath, when they banished our bloodline to this cold coffin.”

Those words were hurtful, affecting every soldier without exception. They weren’t even alive when all this happened, but it still felt like their old wounds were being scratched open.

“I do not know why they came here.

There was no warning.

There was no messenger.

And there was no herald.

What I do know, however—”

The Commander paused, voice low and bitter.

“—Is that no one sends ten warships for diplomacy.”

Korvath spoke, and the soldiers’ eyes darkened. None of them approved of this action. The Dragonborns were clearly looking down on them.

“They want us to see them. They want us to feel their presence bearing down on our skies.

Ten ships… That is not a visit.

That is not an envoy.

That—”

He growled,

“—is a threat.”

Once again, a wave of dissatisfaction washed over the soldiers. It was humiliating, and the more they thought about it, the angrier they got.

Korvath’s words were affecting them. Kayden could see how the panicking soldiers now seemed prepared to fight. For a moment, he stared at Korvath and couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed.

To do all this with just a few words…

“They may speak of peace.

They may wave parchment and titles and speak of the Treaty of Vorgath.

But let me tell you this, men of the Wall—

If they came here to test our will, they will find iron.”

Korvath declared, his words motivating the soldiers.

“If they came here to break the Treaty…

Then so be it.”

Korvath straightened his back, the full force of his presence bearing down, overwhelming and preparing every single man present here.

Then, he began.

“We will not kneel.

We will not flinch.

We are Velmourns.

We may be exiled, we may be forgotten.

But we are not broken.”

“YEAAAAHHHHHH!!!!”

The soldiers raised their voices.

“For twelve hundred years, they let us rot on this island, thinking we’d fade.

Let them see what we’ve become in that silence.

Let them see that the Velmourns haven’t perished.

Let them recall the fear that once made them cower.”

Korvath then raised his voice and—

“Let them see the men of Ashen Heights.

Let them see the sons of the Wall.

Let them remember our name when their banners burn and their blades rust red.

Let them bleed!”

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