Knight: Becoming King of the World

The members of the Security Team were shoved aside by Henry’s soldiers. Anyone who didn’t know better would have thought this was Henry’s territory.

Two of his men stood guard at the door to the room, prohibiting anyone from entering.

Henry didn’t waste words. He walked straight up to a man who looked like the leader of the gang and asked in a cold voice, "Speak. Who sent you?"

Henry’s gaze was as sharp as a razor’s edge. His eyes swept over the gang members before finally landing on the most powerfully built man among them.

The man had a vicious scar across his face. Henry said nothing, merely waving a hand. Behind him, Bain and Leon immediately understood his meaning.

They dragged the man over to a set of torture instruments. It was a simple wooden frame, hung with various iron tools: from whips to pliers, from chains to branding irons. Each one was enough to inflict unimaginable pain.

Henry picked up a whip. He swung his arm, and the whip cut an arc through the air with a sharp WHOOSH before viciously lashing across the man’s back.

The man’s muscles instantly tensed. His body trembled, but he clenched his jaw and made no sound.

’Oh? A tough guy, are we?’

Henry sneered. He knew the endurance of men like this, but he had plenty of patience and plenty of time.

He swung the whip again, this time with even more force. It left a deep, bloody welt on the man’s body.

Cold sweat beaded on the man’s forehead, and he’d bitten his lip until it bled, but he still remained silent.

’Still holding out?’

Henry put down the whip and picked up a pair of pliers. He walked slowly toward the man, the tips of the pliers glinting coldly in the firelight.

He brought the pliers to the man’s fingers and then squeezed shut with a sudden CRUNCH.

The man finally couldn’t hold back a strangled scream. His finger was crushed and misshapen, blood dripping from the wound.

"Speak. Who sent you?" Henry’s voice was ice-cold, devoid of any warmth.

The man gasped in pain, his eyes filled with terror, but he just said his boss had ordered them to do it and claimed he knew nothing else.

Henry didn’t hesitate. He continued to use the various instruments, each time more cruelly than the last.

The man’s agonized moans echoed through the cell. His body was tortured beyond recognition, but until the very end, he didn’t reveal any useful information.

Henry looked at the dying man. He knew this person truly didn’t know anything.

He wasted no more time and immediately turned to another one. The gang member he focused on instantly began shaking like a leaf in the wind.

The process repeated over and over. Henry’s technique grew more practiced, and his heart grew colder and harder.

’Are these guys really just simple thugs?’

After brutally torturing more than ten men, the cell was filled with the stench of blood and the sounds of pained groans.

Henry’s face was expressionless. He was like a cold machine, endlessly repeating the same operation.

The Great Memory Recovery Technique was tried and true; it was impossible that he’d get nothing out of it.

Finally, from the fourteenth man, Henry got a name.

This man had broken under Henry’s torture. He was crying and trembling, but under Henry’s intimidating presence, he finally spoke a name.

Henry’s heart skipped a beat. The name was like a clap of thunder exploding in his mind.

His eyes went wide, his expression shifting from coldness to shock, and then to utter disbelief.

That name—a name he never would have imagined had any connection to today’s events—had just been uttered by this gang member.

’No, is this for real? It’s impossible. It makes no sense...’

Henry muttered to himself, his thoughts instantly thrown into chaos.

That old geezer had always stayed deep in the mountains of Battania, seemingly content with the world, enjoying his vast domain and power. Why would he suddenly make a move in Lukaron?

Countless questions flooded Henry’s mind. ’Has that old fox finally gone senile?’

’Or does he have a deeper plot, a greater ambition?’

’What, you want to be emperor, too?’

This old geezer was known for his caution; every move he made was carefully considered.

Therefore, this action couldn’t have been a momentary impulse. There had to be some deeper reason that Henry hadn’t yet perceived.

That’s right, even back when he was at the academy, there were rumors that this old man often sent his subordinates to randomly ambush large merchant caravans in the forests. The army under his command numbered four whole Legions.

’He must be obscenely rich! His army is on par with the emperor’s!’

Henry’s fists clenched unconsciously, his knuckles turning white from the force. ’That old bastard is really tired of living.’

"Good. Good. Good!" Henry repeated the word three times, each one seemingly squeezed through his teeth, brimming with killing intent.

"Since you’re looking for death, I’ll be happy to oblige!"

A vicious glint flashed in Henry’s eyes, and a cold smile touched the corner of his lips.

If that old fox really had ambitions for the throne, he could have just declared war on the emperor directly. With his strength, his claim to the throne, and an alliance with other nobles, he would have had a decent chance of winning.

After all, he also had royal blood flowing through his veins.

But instead, he chose to plot against Henry from the shadows. This method displeased Henry immensely.

’Only I get to scheme against others. Who dares to start trouble on my turf? This old bastard really has a death wish.’

’Since you want to play dirty, then I, Henry, will play with you to the very end.’ Henry’s voice was low, seeming to rumble directly from his chest.

Since this old geezer dared to provoke a tiger, Henry felt it was necessary to show him what it meant to play with fire and get burned.

Henry walked out of the dark cell. The sunlight was harsh, and he narrowed his eyes. Time had quietly slipped by; it was now afternoon.

He led his men straight to the emperor’s palace. As for the Governor and court nobles he had left behind, ’they can go find somewhere to amuse themselves’. He needed to discuss this sudden conspiracy with the emperor face-to-face.

As Henry departed, the members of the Security Team in the prison collectively breathed a sigh of relief.

They stood in place, listening to the wails and curses from within the cell gradually subside, an involuntary chill running down their spines. This plague-bringer was even more cold and ruthless than they, who prided themselves on being tough characters, could ever be.

’He really didn’t hold back!’

They exchanged glances, and after entering the room, they all sucked in a sharp breath.

HISS... All they saw were fourteen human shapes, barely alive, twitching faintly on the floor.

Henry mounted his warhorse, his Cavalry close behind. The procession moved with imposing momentum through the streets, heading straight for the imperial palace.

Pedestrians on the street quickly made way, their eyes filled with awe and fear.

Henry’s heart remained untroubled. His thoughts were entirely focused on the upcoming conversation with the emperor. He wondered if it was Khorne’s influence, but he felt himself growing more and more irritable.

Khorne: Why am I getting blamed for everything?

When he reached the imperial palace, the guards immediately recognized the newly appointed Count. They quickly opened the gates, allowing Henry and his Attendants to enter.

The Cavalry had to wait outside. No matter how favored Henry was by the emperor, he couldn’t bring an army into the palace.

Henry dismounted in the palace courtyard and strode toward the emperor’s council hall.

The conversation that followed would decide many things. Henry walked into the council hall. The emperor was seated on his throne, awaiting his arrival.

"So you decided to show up?"

Henry gave a slightly awkward smile. He hadn’t expected the emperor to actually be waiting for him; he had thought he would be the one kept waiting.

Henry dropped to one knee in a standard Knight’s salute. ’He’s my sworn brother, and he was my headmaster. It’s just kneeling on one knee. I’ll do it for the Dinars.’

Henry raised his head and looked the emperor directly in the eye, prepared to lay out everything he knew. He believed the emperor would make the right judgment.

The emperor nodded slightly. Seeing Henry was about to speak, he said, "I know what you’re going to say. Don’t say it yet. Come, sit here beside me."