Chapter 18 - End Of The Commanding Officer

"Your Imperial Majesty, what are you doing in this filthy place? This place is not for you to step in," The commanding officer asked while his hands were clasped together.

Elliot stared at the commanding officer, scanning who he was. From the uniform he wore, he looked like someone of importance. He must be the commanding officer, Elliot thought.​​

His eyes then shifted at the walls and the iron bars. This is a prisoner, a place where the walls should be firm and sturdy. But instead, they were all worn out, and that included the rusted bars.

He didn't know what else to say, but that commanding officer dared to tell him not to be here. Elliot owns this place, so why can't he be here? Unless they are hiding something here.

"Are you implying that I can't be here?" Elliot asked, while the commanding officer shuddered after hearing his cold tone. The commanding officer immediately shook his head, and while stuttering, he said, "N-no H-His Highness is free to do what he wants." The commanding officer bowed all the way down and wiped the sweat that formed on his forehead.

Still, in a bowing position, he clenched his fist as he felt humiliated in front of his juniors. He wanted to rage out loud, but Elliot was there. One wrong move can have his head cut, and the only thing he could do was to bear with it.

"Air, how much budget is placed into this prison?" Elliot asked the grey-haired man who was standing behind him. "Around 3 pockets of gold, Your Majesty," He said while his head was slightly bowed.

Three bags for a prison? It was enough to buy a fully furnished mansion and a lot around 5,000 square meters. Three pockets are a lot, but why is this place not being fixed? This is a prison, a place where criminals are stored. If one escapes prison easily, it means this place is nothing like a prison but garbage.

A sigh escaped from Elliot's mouth, and the soldiers present stiffened. It was a sigh of disappointment. It will be over for them if Elliot explodes. They must do something to cool his mind. If not, their heads will be off by then.

"Three bags? And what happened to them?" Elliot asked as he stares down at the commanding officer. Though he already knew they used it for their own goods. "Alan, find Ayfara and that girl," Elliot commanded, and Alan bowed his head before finding them.

The commanding officer slightly raised his head and took a close look at Elliot, who later realized he was being looked at. "Did I say you could lift your head?" Elliot glared at him, making the commanding officer sweat more buckets.

"I-I apologize, Your Majesty," He lowered his upper body once more but couldn't hide his wobbling legs. Elliot saw the commanding officer's wobbling legs and wonder why he is in a high position. He can't even hold himself up.

Elliot's eyes shifted at the two soldiers who were making their rounds. They were both talking to each other and had not realized the presence of their emperor. The only time they stopped talking to each other was when they bumped into Air.

Their eyes widened, seeing the familiar black-haired man who was none other than the emperor himself. They greeted Elliot with their voice trembling, and they didn't dare to meet his golden eyes at all.

Their arrival made Air's eyes open as he smelled something familiar. This smell must be it. It looks like his reports and speculations weren't wrong at all.

One of the reasons why they came to the prison was to make an investigation about the commanding officer and a few soldiers growing weeds inside the prison. The other reason was to bring Emelia to the palace.

"Are you perhaps growing weeds inside the prison?" Air asked the two soldiers, who froze in the spot. They knew they couldn't lie, but if they don't, the commanding officer might deduct their wages. "N-no, You must be wrong," Answered the commanding office. While Enoch pointed his spear towards the commanding officer.

"Sir Air wasn't asking you," Enoch said. But Elliot raised his hand, signaling Enoch to lower his blade.

"You're basically saying, Air is wrong. Don't you know who he is? You can't fool him, and neither can you fool me," Elliot kicked the commanding officer onto the ground while the other two soldiers took a step back.

Air Deuson, the most intelligent man in the Vivan Empire and is called the "Brains Of The Emperor." That's right, Elliot gave his loyal servants a title. For instance, Alan is called the swords of the emperor. And Enoch, the younger brother of Alan, is called the spear of the empire. Overall, five loyal servants only have this title. If others use this title as if it's theirs' they will be executed.

"I sincerely apologize," The commanding officer stood back up. Elliot raised a finger, signaling Air to continue what he was supposed to say. "It's the smell of weed, and the smell isn't going away. Are you perhaps growing them here?" Air asked the commanding officer, who, of course, denied his speculations.

"Are you sure about that?" A woman asked as footsteps echoed the hallways, coming closer to their direction. A black-skinned girl smirked, revealing herself to the commanding officer who was shocked to see her.

"She…why is she out?" The commanding officer pointed the finger at her, but the next thing he knew, his finger was cut. Out of terror, he fell onto his bottom and looked at his finger while blood slowly flowed out. He screamed in pain as he burst into tears, trembling as he looked at his sliced finger laying on the ground.

"Don't point your finger at me," She said in a cold tone with eyes filled with bloodlust.

"Ayfara, don't kill him yet. There are things we need to do," Said Elliot as he stepped on the other half of the finger, stepping on it like a dried leaf. "Alan and Enoch, find where they kept the weeds. If a soldier refuses to tell you. You are allowed to cut their head. We do not need people who don't follow orders and is filled with dishonesty."

"Your orders are absolute," Said Enoch while bowing his head, then took a glance at Emelia, who didn't seem to care at all. "We have proof just saying," Ayfara huffed as she brought a weed out of her pocket. She wiggled it side to side then gave Emelia a smile.

When Elliot turned his back to look at Emelia, his aura grew much tense. He asked, "Who did this to you?"

On the tip of her lips was a bruise, which she didn't notice at all. It might have been from the commanding officer's nails when he slapped her earlier.

"Answer me, who?"