Way of the Knights

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Though he wore nothing but ragged clothes and looked like a wandering mercenary with how messy his ash colored hair and beard, his sophisticated actions, the fondness on his tone and the way he looked lovingly at the people around him shows that he's no ordinary person nor a stranger.

When Luna and Balmung heard his voice, their heads instantly snapped forward and locked on towards the one who spoke.

As soon as they laid eyes on him, something inside of them trembled. Even in his rugged outfit, unbefitting of his status, Luna and Balmung could instantly tell who he is.

Blood is thicker than water after all...

"Father!" 

Not minding their injuries or exhaustion, both of them dashed forward with everything they have. It has been so long since they've seen each other. The last time Luna saw him was a decade ago, meaning she was five when he left. God knows how much Luna missed him, how she prayed for his safety. He's the only parent she had, she didn't want to lose him too.

Seeing his children running with all of their might, a gentle prick struck Alexander's heart. With the kindest smile he could muster, he raised his sword and his archaic voice echoed once again in the battlefield.

"My people. I thank you for your selfless actions of defending our home with all of your might. It has been hard for all of you but fret not, for I am here."

He pointed his sword into the sky and chanted.

"Here's the work of our light. For as long as We exist, the light that defends our brethren shall never fade!"

"Lightshield Incandescence!"

Next, an immense pillar of golden light descended and covered the entire kingdom. From the foot soldiers down to the commanders of the battalion, even the people who are taking refuge behind the walls of the kingdom. Everyone who's been touched by that golden light felt a calming mood wash over them. 

As the golden light spread, everyone felt that their exhaustion were quickly fading away, the injuries that they have were recovering at a visible pace and the beast horde they faced didn't dare to even move a muscle. 

The whole battlefield was looking at one person. His rugged clothing vanished, it was replaced by a bulky golden armor. A long and red cape was draped over his shoulders and golden crown adorned his head. His sword with golden ornaments was pointed at the sky which caused the dark and gloomy clouds to part, revealing a clear blue skies.

None questioned his majesty anymore. With fervent emotions, everyone dropped their weapons and knelt towards his direction. Even without a declaration, they knew in their hearts who this man was.

"My home. My people. I, have returned." 

"We welcome the return of our King!!!" All soldiers, regardless of military position, roared fervently.

It was at this time that Luna and Balmung eventually reached him and wrapped him a warm hug. A fond smile adorned the King's face. He closed his eyes and returned the hug of his children.

"You've grown up, you two." King Alexander's voice was deep, it gave his children some form of security and comfort. 

"Our reunion shall continue later. For now, let me clean up this farce." The King free from his children's hug and faced the beast horde.

"My people. Retreat to the safety of our walls. Allow your King to take care of the rest." His deep voice resounded in the battlefield.

Many were hesitant but under his orders, they eventually backed down. Many may not know this but since he arrived, the fate of these beast horde had been practically sealed. 

An invisible pressure was released from the King's body. His loyal subjects are unaffected but for the beasts it's another story. None of the beast could even move a muscle. They were held down by an invisible grip that prevented them from making any sort of movements.

As soon as every soldiers, minus the King's children and his confidants, retreated towards safety. The King then moved a step.

Just that one step and the instincts of the beast screamed danger. He took another step and every single beast struggled madly to free themselves from that invisible hold to no avail. He took the third step and his sword instantly flared with a fearsome golden pulses.

He raised his sword and swiped horizontally. 

A massive golden sword wave cascaded towards the paralyzed beasts. It moved unhindered as it tore through their ranks. It didn't matter how they defended themselves or struggled, as soon as the sword light went through them, their bodies will instantly be severed in two. 

Their numbers dropped in a horrifying degree. The sword wave never stopped until every single one of the beast who dared to invade their home, died under the King's fearsome attack. 

Those who saw this had their mouths wide open from sheer shock and astonishment. Even the Golden Knight could only smile wryly at this scene. 

The beast horde that gave them an immense trouble were instantly demolished by a single sword swing from their King. It had to be known that there's at least 250,000 beast left to kill, but all of them were no more.

"Incredible."

"Awesome!"

"As expected of our King!"

"King! King! King!"

Heated discussions and fervent shouts echoed from the people who watched. With a loud snort, the King paid no attention to the beast horde anymore and instead escorted his men towards the walls. 

'This is why he has the Crown.' Morel inwardly said.

'This loser got stronger again. Hmph!' Leona grumbled inwardly, but there was a helpless smile in her face.

'As expected. This is why the throne of the King was given to him. Not only does he care about his people, he's disgustingly strong too. I wonder if he had another breakthrough?' Old Lee asked to himself.

"The beast horde is no more. My people, return to your homes and families. Rest and recover properly, no harm shall fall into you while I still stand." 

The King's words echoed in the field, it made anyone who heard it extremely emotional. The soldiers then dropped their weapons and hurriedly entered the walls to reunite with his family. 

Of course, there were some who weren't in a rush and instead waited until the King entered the walls. Most of those people were the clan leaders or influential people who wanted to greet the King personally.

The King, followed by his children and the Golden Knights, eventually landed on top of the Southern Walls where the rest of the people were waiting. 

As soon as he arrived, the people hurriedly knelt down on one knee and said:

"We welcome the arrival of our King." 

A kind smile appeared on Alexander's face as he replied: "You may rise."

He then looked at them one by one. All of these faces were nostalgic to him. He knows every single one of these people and their social standing, he knew their contributions to the kingdom. 

Of course, these people also knew him. Other than the fact that he is their King, they have met him personally before and knew his personality. He personally established bonds with them and even treated them like his closest kin, which is the reason why their loyalty to him never faltered.

"It's been a while, all of you." The King said emotionally. He then felt a pair of soft arms wrapping around him. He looked around and saw Luna staring at him with teary eyes. 

Alexander's heart almost melted, he pinched her cheek fondly and wiped away her tears. He then said: "Oh, time is ruthless. I almost couldn't believe that my little princess already grew up to this extent. She was even strong enough to take down a Little Stone Titan on her own. How wonderful."

Luna' eyes bulged from their sockets, she said: "You saw that?"

"Yes, dear." The King laughed heartily, "It's somewhat hard not to specially when you're high up in the air."

"I didn't intend to come back just yet." Alexander admitted, "I was in the depths of the Red Zone, searching for something, but I was alarmed since I saw one of the Little Stone Titan disappeared. I've stayed in that place for at least year but I've never seen it move. For some reason, I had a bad feeling. It got stronger when I saw that the other stone giant I saw disappeared as well."

"I decided to wander around the Yellow Zone and then I found some fresh footprints, a clear sign of a beast horde. That's why I hurried over."

'So that's what happened.' The people around him thought. It seems that fate smiled kindly at their home and lead their King back to where he belongs. 

Thankfully, he arrived at the perfect moment or else the Golden Knights might've been no more. 

"Hmm?"

All of a sudden however, the King's facial expression changed. He looked at the western direction with a surprised reaction on his face. He then faced his people and asked:

"By the way, who's that impressive Young Lad at the Western Area?"