Seeing that even Tobias, the prophet, had withdrawn, the other nobles immediately scattered, scrambling to squeeze into the Nobles' House.
Alvin instinctively wanted to maintain order, but when he turned to look at Elliot's cold eyes and the scorching blade in his hand, he swallowed and turned back to push his way inside with all his strength.
The steel firmament had spanned the skies above the Empire for decades, and the Nobles' House stood at the pinnacle of imperial power. Yet now, faced with Elliot's slow advance, no one was willing to stand before his blade.
The soldiers on either side receded like the tide, their heavy armor clashing together. There was no telling how many fell and were trampled, like dust and mud casually swept aside.
Only after entering the Nobles' House did Tobias let out a long breath of relief. He turned to look at the nobles squeezing in behind him, only to discover that they had actually locked the doors in fear.
"Idiots! Open the doors! If you don't open them, and he..."
Boom!
Blazing white flames rippled like water, blasting the heavy oak doors of the Nobles' House straight into splinters.
"Elliot, you!"
"These doors were far too rotten. As far as I'm concerned, they should have been replaced long ago," Elliot said with a sneer. "The Sterling Family will cover their replacement. Conrad, put in steel ones."
The Old Butler behind him smiled and nodded in assent.
Elliot casually sheathed his sword, and the scorching flames vanished, but no one dared move.
The pressure overhead had not diminished in the slightest.
Sunlight was the most expensive thing in the Empire, and the Nobles' House had installed quite a few skylights to display its prestige.
So now, the nobles needed only to look up to see