The leaves hanging from the branches drooped, and even the insects fell silent. Within the enormous courtyard, one could hear a pin drop.
Everything had happened too quickly for the nobles to react. In the blink of an eye, their supreme Her Majesty the Queen was kneeling on the thirty-one steps of Saint Conti Palace, most of the Empire's strongest warriors lay dead or wounded, the entire White Rose Garden was in disarray, the Imperial Guards were sprawled everywhere, and the Flame Dependent Knights were unconscious.
Yet the descendant of Sword Saint Darus still stood unscathed at the main entrance, without moving even half a step.
The Silver Queen had ruled the Empire with an iron fist for decades. The nobles might not have been satisfied, but the previous two emperors, though forceful, had always shown them some respect. Her Majesty the Queen treated the nobles as if they were pet dogs, and any harmony between the nobility and the royal family had long since vanished.
But all the dissenters had already left. Everyone present was one of the Queen's close confidants. The noble lords could not accept a foreigner swaggering around the Empire, even if he was Sword Saint Darus's grandson.
The problem was that no one dared to act. Given the strength Brando had displayed, what could they possibly use to oppose him?
Thus, an awkward silence descended over the scene.
It was not broken until the sound of a sword being returned to its sheath rang out.
Brando sheathed his sword and slowly walked into the White Rose Garden. After mocking the Silver Queen, he did not even spare her a glance, walking straight toward the Mountain Maiden, who stood rooted to the spot.
Qian stared at him blankly, her expression dazed and almost comical. It was