Hacking the Game Didn't Go as Intended

CHAPTER 179: Oaths and Atrocities

The mausoleum.

This architectural marvel was nestled just north of the palace and radiated a serene yet striking presence. Its white marble walls featured carvings of celestial patterns and golden inscriptions that paid homage to Altherion Arcanis Aurelian Ainsworth—the benevolent founder of the Arcanium kingdom, and a ruler who had been seen as a god during his reign.

The gilded domes atop the mausoleum glimmered under the sun. The sapphire accents along the roofs and arches mirrored the heavens. A sprawling stone courtyard flanked by fountains and manicured hedges led to the entrance of the mausoleum. Here, golden doors embossed with the emblem of the kingdom stood tall and unyielding.

Surrounding the sanctuary were vast burial grounds stretching across several acres, with rows of white marble gravestones for the people of Lunarel.

The mausoleum itself served as both a tomb and a sanctum for prayer, its halls echoing with silence and reverence. Inside, the central chamber housed the founder's sarcophagus. It rested beneath a massive stained-glass dome that cast iridescent light across the polished stone floors. The inner sanctum was reserved for royal and noble burials where the achievements of the deceased were immortalized in engraved plaques along the walls.

Former Commander Leopold's gaze trailed along the line of portraits paired with each plaque until his eyes eventually settled on the vacant tomb prepared for the current king.

A bitter taste filled his mouth at the sight. To see the man's final resting place so meticulously arranged felt almost like an admission of defeat. Yet, unless the king mustered the strength to cast off the demons that bound both him and his sovereign, the tomb's occupancy was only a matter of time.

Shaking off the unsavory thought, Leopold turned his focus forward. The air grew heavier as he strode purposefully toward the rear of the mausoleum that served as mortuary.

"Commander, wait up!" a young man called out, struggling to match his superior's brisk pace in their heavy, full-plated armor. "What's the rush?"

"Lieutenant Blazin—or perhaps I should simply call you Blazin now," the older man replied without breaking stride. "You were my most trusted and capable officer during our service to Lord Alaric, and while I've always appreciated your untiring loyalty, there's no reason for you to keep following me."

Blazin frowned. "But Commander—"

"Most of the soldiers willingly pledged their loyalty to Lord Ignatius when our lord's estate and lands were handed over to him," the man interrupted. "You shouldn't hesitate to do the same. You're the sole provider for your siblings, and I promise, I'd never hold it against you."

Blazin offered a faint, melancholic smile, his chest tightening at the thought of such dishonor. "I won't bend the knee, especially with the war approaching," he said, his voice heavy. "After my parents passed, I stayed in the military only because of you and Lord Alaric. But now... everything's changed."

"I understand," Leopold said quietly, his tone softening. "So, what will you do now?"

"I'll pursue my passion for carpentry," he replied firmly. "It'll allow me to stay close to my siblings. They've already lost our parents—if something happens to me on the battlefield, they'd have no one left." He straightened his back, meeting Leopold's gaze with quiet resolve. "So, Commander, once we've finished laying Lord Alaric and his family to rest, that's where our paths will diverge. I regret that I won't be able to stand by your side for whatever you have planned next."

Leopold tilted his head back, his gaze fixed on the glass mural stretching across the vaulted ceiling. In all honesty, fury churned within him at how readily the other soldiers had pledged fealty to Lord Ignatius, despite the man's underhanded tactics to bribe and disgrace Alaric Beaumont.