He knew that Robin was no saint. Saints do not become generals.
To other countries internationally, this Robin was simply a butcher, god of death, devil incarnate.
Perhaps he really dared to massacre this imperial court to quell Kisia’s fury.
After all, Kisia had not provoked anyone. Kisia was peacefully staying home when they were suddenly attacked, countless people killed, and the entire South Province shattered. In this situation, who could contain such rage?
Not even with his life could he contain it.
“Perhaps I should not have chosen Kisia as my primary target. Maplia would not have been a bad choice either,” Whiteford’s mouth twitched with self-mockery.
If he had not chosen Kisia initially and went with Maplia instead, perhaps there would have been a sliver of hope for survival.
…
St. Sunday.
In an old house, an old man in plain clothes was watering flowers with a shower head, looking very relaxed and leisurely.
Just then, another old man carrying a bird passed by. He glanced at the man and said, “Marley, want to go out for a stroll? I heard there’s a group of dancers performing in the square.”
He kept gesturing with his eyes.
Marley just shook his head: “No, someone will come looking for me soon. I may have to leave this place.”
“Going back to your children? That’s good too. An old man living alone here really isn’t safe. Going back is better. If we’re fated, we’ll see each other again in the future.” The old man waved and left, still carrying the bird.
“Children? I’m all alone now,” Marley sighed.
Then he looked up at the sky with complexity. “Defeated. Even a foundation this enormous ultimately could not withstand that man?”
This was none other than Maclean Lyons.
The erstwhile first minister of South Land, the unparalleled Maclean Lyons.
After that war, he had been captured by Robin. His entire family was also massacred by Whiteford. Although Robin did not restrict his freedom, for a time he was at a loss for where to go.
Eventually, with the little money he had left, he rented this old house.
He took on the alias Yu Fu and became a part of this neighborhood community.
He had even become well acquainted with these people.
Otherwise, that old man would not have called him along to watch the dancing girls.
That old man could probably never imagine that this unassuming neighbor was once the mighty Maclean Lyons who nearly massacred them all. Back then, Maclean Lyons still had great ambitions and wanted to establish exploits, to kill. He dared to do it then.
And he still dared to now.
But there was no need anymore.
Just then, a group of people arrived outside, led by Maclean Lyons, currently the highest-ranking commander in St. Sunday. This was quite an honor shown to Mr. Lyons.
“Mr. Lyons, Primus has ordered you to govern South Land,” said Maclean Lyons.
“May I refuse?” Maclean Lyons stroked his beard and asked.
“You may.”
Maclean Lyons nodded. Then he continued, “But Primus has decreed, if you refuse, he will massacre one South Land city for each day you refuse, two cities if you refuse for two days, and so on, until South Land is annihilated.”
“As expected of a butcher.”
Maclean Lyons smiled self-deprecatingly, “I wonder how His Majesty steeled himself to go to war with Kisia in the first place. A rare butcher in this world. Oh well, I shall take up this position.”
Although his entire clan was wiped out, he was still a man of South Land in the end. He could not stand by and watch South Land be slaughtered.
“Help me buy this house. If one day Robin no longer needs me and I return here, at least I’ll have a place to live out my old age in, so I won’t be completely homeless.”
Maclean Lyons put down the shower head and went with them in his plain clothes.
He headed for South Land.
There was no one more suitable than him.
His entire clan was wiped out by Whiteford, so he could never aid Whiteford again. Yet in South Land, he still held enormous prestige and could swiftly stabilize the situation. As for what would happen if he gained control of South Land and repeated Whiteford’s actions, that would naturally be handled by Mr. Collins and company.
Maclean Lyons was ultimately just a puppet to tide things over for a few years. Maclean Lyons understood clearly that Kisia would never truly let him hold power, Kisia would not allow a second Whiteford to appear.
In a few years, he would have to return to this St. Sunday.
By then, he could really join those old fellows heading to the square to admire the dancing beauties.
That afternoon, Maclean Lyons arrived.
All matters had been arranged.
An announcement was also spread across the world, stirring up great shockwaves. South Land now truly belonged to Kisia, no one could stop it anymore. With Robin here, Kisia was like a rising red sun that could not be halted.
It was unstoppable now.
And with a thud, Whiteford drew his sword across his own neck and collapsed onto the ground. In a rare moment of warmth in Whiteford’s eyes, he went to accompany Walton Myers.
No one knew that the two were actually childhood friends.
An emperor and top general had both perished.
The South Land affair was finally settled.
What came next for South Land would no longer be Robin’s responsibility, the three elders would handle it.
In a corner, Robin did not stand before the media. He disliked that sort of thing, disliked excessive publicity stunts. He only liked to live a quiet life.
Just then, Robin’s phone rang. When Robin looked at it, his hand trembled a little. One must know, when facing an army of millions, Robin had been domineering and unmoving. Yet now, his hand shook.
In this world, only one person could make him react this way.
“Wife…”
Robin carefully answered the call and said gently.
Yes.
The only one who could elicit this reaction from Robin other than Elise was… no one.
“So you’ll answer calls now? Hanging up on me every day, what are you trying to do, ascend to heaven? Do you know Leslie asks me every day where Daddy went? I don’t even know what to tell her, when are you coming home?”
Elise’s longed-for voice came through over the phone. Starting off seeming like she wanted to vent her anger, her words soon softened until all that remained was deep yearning and longing.
Elise missed Robin.
Missed him every day.
Longed for him daily.
Yet Robin never answered her calls.
Now he finally picked up. She wanted to give him a piece of her mind, but couldn’t even work up the slightest bit of temper. She just really missed Robin.
“Wife, I just have a few odds and ends left to tie up here, let me take care of it and I’ll be right home, okay?”
Robin wanted to go back now too.
Very much.
Extremely.
But he really did have some loose ends left, dangers to Kisia existed beyond just South Land. There was also the Harding family. If the Hardings were not annihilated, there would always be hidden threats.
Besides, this clan deserved death!
Colluding with foreigners was a capital offense.
This had always warranted the death penalty throughout history.
“Okay, you promised, I’ll be waiting at home. If you don’t come back, I’ll bite you to death. Not just me, my daughter too. You have to be taught a lesson for having a home and not returning. Hmph.”
Elise acted a little indignant.