Emperor's Reckoning



The little girl broke the silence as she bashfully said, "Um, thank you!" she bowed.

The atmosphere seemed to soften as the little girl's voice cut through the lingering tension. Her words were simple, yet they held a profound weight that resonated with those around her. Lyon's gaze shifted from the distant horizon to the girl before him, his expression warm and reassuring.

A gentle smile tugged at the corners of his lips as he watched her bow, her cheeks slightly flushed with a mixture of embarrassment and gratitude. "You're welcome," Lyon replied, his voice carrying a soothing undertone. "You showed remarkable courage."

Cecile, who had been standing nearby, crouched down to the girl's eye level. A playful glint danced in her eyes as she spoke, "Facing a charging hellboar is no small feat. You should be proud of yourself."

The little girl's shy smile widened as she glanced between Lyon and Cecile. "I-I just... I didn't want to get hurt," she admitted, her voice carrying a touch of humility.

Kesya with her hands on her waist chimed in with a grin. "Hey, there's no shame in wanting to keep all your limbs intact. Survival instincts are a powerful thing."

Karina approached the girl with a reassuring smile. "Remember, courage doesn't mean the absence of fear. It means taking action despite being afraid."

The girl's eyes brightened with understanding, her gratitude deepening as she absorbed the wisdom imparted by Lyon and his companions. Her heart swelled with a mix of emotions – relief, awe, and a sense of kinship with these individuals who had come to her aid.

Selena stepped in, her sharp cold glance immediately made the girl uncomfortable. However, the latter knew deep down that she too was a powerful being.

"Umm.." she fidgeted, "I wonder if you would like to come have lunch with me?" the little girl asked Lyon.

Lyon nodded, "Of course."

"Great!" her excitement immediately washed over her anxiety as if she had never been nervous in the first place. "Don't worry, my mother creates the best soup in the village! I'm sure that you will be drowning with delight!"

"That would be quite a monumental task, you know, I was called a god-tongue," said Lyon as he pointed at himself with his chin raised. "I've tasted a lot of delicacies in my life."

"W-What? You're a god of tongue?" the little girl was mesmerized.

"Yes, I am!" said Lyon as he put his hands on his waist and laughed at the sky. "My review bears significant weight in the culinary world you know."

"So that means, i-if you say the soup is great, then my mother is a goddess of cooking?" asked the little girl with her hands praying and her eyes begging for an answer.

The other girls silently sighed but Lyon was enjoying the moment.

"She will have a seat in the galaxy of great cooks!" said Lyon before he swooped his hands into her underarms then lifted her up and let her sit between his shoulders.

The little girl pursed her lips in excitement.

"What's your name?" asked Lyon.

"Aurora..." said the little girl.

"Aurora, that's a really nice name," said Lyon.

"Really?"

"Show me the way, Aurora!" said Lyon

"Right!" she pointed with her finger before Lyon dashed right to it as he held her legs against his chest.

Cecile sighed as she shrugged her shoulders and shook her head, "He just went with her."

"Hahaha," Kesya laughed, "Wee!!" she rushed and followed her master.

"I guess we should follow him," said Karina.

"En," Selena nodded.

The sun was beginning to dip below the horizon as Lyon carried the little girl on his shoulders, making their way toward a humble village nestled in a picturesque valley. The warm hues of twilight cast a soft, golden glow over the landscape, turning the thatched rooftops of the village into a scene of rustic beauty.

Lyon and Aurora entered the village, they were met with curious gazes from the villagers who had gathered to see them. The children, their eyes wide with wonder, approached Lyon without hesitation, their innocent smiles lighting up the scene. 

However, as the initial surprise of his arrival began to settle, Lyon sensed a subtle shift in the atmosphere. The once-welcoming expressions of the villagers began to morph into guarded glances, and a hushed murmur spread through the crowd.

The children, oblivious to the change in mood, continued to cluster around Lyon, their excitement undiminished. They chatted animatedly with him, their questions about his travels and the outside world flowing freely. Lyon responded with patience and genuine interest, enjoying the unfiltered curiosity of the young ones

But while the children were unfazed by Lyon's appearance, the elders of the village reacted with less tolerance. Lyon could see the disapproving scowls etched on their faces as they exchanged wary glances. In a swift and almost synchronized motion, the elders moved to gather the children, their gestures urgent and protective.

With a sense of unease, Lyon watched as the elders ushered the children into their homes, their expressions growing stern.

"Hmm.. what's wrong with everyone?" asked Aurora.

Kesya stepped in with her hands behind her head. She whistled before saying, "Something is a miss."

"You think so..." said Lyon before he caught a door opening. 

A mature woman sharing the same features as Aurora appeared with worry in her eyes. She scanned the village before quickly finding Lyon and Aurora. Her breath turned cold as she covered her mouth.

Aurora raised her brows before she grinned and waved her hands, "Mother!"

"Oh, she is the about-to-be great cook?" Lyon teased.

"Sure will!" she nodded.

Stepping forward with a no-nonsense demeanor, her mother addressed Lyon in a firm tone, "Put the girl down."

"M-Mother?" Aurora frowned.

Lyon albeit hesitant, put Aurora down as she told her to.

Aurora, her youthful innocence shining in her eyes, quickly tried to explain to her mother that Lyon had saved her from the charging hellboar.

"Mother, please listen! This kind man saved me from the hellboar! He's not a threat," Aurora pleaded.

Her mother's expression remained stern and unyielding. "Aurora, I don't want to hear it. Come with me, NOW!"

Aurora's heart sank, and she cast a fleeting glance back at Lyon, a mixture of gratitude and disappointment in her gaze. Lyon watched them as they retreated into their home, his brow furrowing in concern.

"Should we explain to them?" Kesya whispered to Lyon.

"Hmm, maybe the approaching cat people are going to explain something to us instead," Lyon smirked as he saw three people with the same features as the rest of the village come forth.

"Hmm... what's going on?" Cecile asked as she, Karina, and Selena just arrived at the scene.

"Well, I was wondering what's going on, but it looks like a human popped into our village," said the one in the center. "Are you here to beg for food? For scraps? Are you here to rob? Why don't you go back to your hideout and rot before I make you crawl back?"

"What a warm welcome," Kesya muttered, "So warm, that I can already see what they looked like without a skin."

The left one frowned, "Wait a minute, you're a half-elf and half-dark elf, why are you joining the human side?"

(That's the chief! ) Aurora's heart raced as she watched Lyon being confronted by the stern head chief of the village. From the window, her worry grew, and without a second thought, she burst open the door and rushed outside. Her mother's startled call echoed behind her, but she couldn't be deterred. She came to a stop right between Lyon and the head chef, her small arms outstretched, a determined fire in her eyes.

"He is not a bad guy!" Aurora's voice quivered slightly, but her conviction was clear. She looked up at the head chief, challenging him with her gaze.

The head chief's scowl deepened, his gaze shifting between Aurora and Lyon. "Aurora, step aside. This is not your concern."

"No, it is!" Aurora's voice strengthened. "He saved my life! He's kind, not a threat!"

Lyon watched this unfold, his heart warmed by Aurora's bravery. He respected her courage to stand up for him despite the villagers' suspicions. His gaze shifted between Aurora and the head chief, waiting to see how the situation would unfold.

"Aurora!" the mother called out from the door

Aurora's ears lowered as she looked at her mother. Her tail down but the top of her head suddenly being greeted by the gentle warmth of a palm. "Go back to your mother."

Aurora looked up and saw Lyon nodding at her with a smile.

"Get your filthy hand off her!" the right one from the chief swiftly swung his arm to swat his hand off.

"Noo!" Aurora jumped to push Lyon before her little body was struck instead.

In that frozen moment, time seemed to hang by a thread. Lyon and the others watched in horror as Aurora was accidentally struck by a sudden force. Before their eyes, she was sent flying through the air, her small form tumbling and rolling across the ground.

The one responsible for the accidental strike seemed to realize his mistake all too late, his exclamation of "Oh crap!" echoing through the air. 

"Aurora!" her mother quickly rushed to her side, She cradled her in her arms, but she was unresponsive and her eyes closed. However, her mother quickly noticed the heave.

In the midst of the stunned atmosphere, a sudden, sharp sound pierced the air like a blade slicing through silence. The one responsible for the accidental strike turned his head in the direction of the sound, his eyes widening as he saw Lyon, his expression dark and resolute, brandishing a darkened sword.

A shiver ran down the man's spine as he caught sight of Lyon's glare. The air seemed to grow heavy with tension as Lyon's voice, low and chilling, reached his ears. "One slash, One hundred cuts," Lyon murmured, the words carrying an ominous weight.

"Gh?!" his feet alighted as a random visible part of his skin turned into small valleys with blood as the river. His robe was torn revealing a horrific cut wound before bursting into the air. His eyes rolled up even before the village heard the sickening thud.

The chief and the one beside him had their pupils tremoring whilst Lyon's sharp eyes looked down on his victim.