“To mask yourself, Sir.” He took the cup in response, “Oh, by the way. Recently there have been much more patrols visible on the streets, even the guards defending the city wall have been doubled. Don’t tell me… do these maneuvers have something to do with His Highness’ order?”
“Indeed, Timothy —”
Just half of Theo’s words had left his mouth, as a sudden clap of thunder from above rolled over the mansion. A sound that was so loud and clear that the glass in the windows began to tremble. At the same time, the ground also began to faintly shake with distinct tremors for a short duration. As he was caught off guard, Hill’s hands began to shake, the teacup fell to the ground, breaking into several pieces.
“I’m sorry, Sir… But,” Hill stuttered stupefied, “This is… what just happened?”
“Come with me,” Theo ordered, wearing an earnest expression.
The moment they ran out of the residence and entered the garden, their gazes was immediately attracted to a pillar of black smoke that was rising from the palace. Apparently, that was where the thunder had come from. Theo had experienced when cannons and firearms released their might, he naturally knew that only the alchemist’s fine powder could give rise to this sound of heaven’s anger. What’s more, such a violent tremor was unlike anything that an artillery bombardment could have caused. Instead, it was more like those explosive packages they had originally used to deal with the heavy armored demonic beasts.
Hill stood beside him, his mouth opened wide and unable to believe what his eyes were telling him. “Could it be that His Highness’ declared warning was real?”
“That’s right,” Theo was finally able to control his racing heart, he turned, pretending to be profound as he stated, “This is the new order His Highness wants me to give you.”
*
Timothy could only look on with an ashen face as the chandelier fell in front of his eyes, and was struck speechless for a long time.
“Your Majesty, keke… Are you alright, Sire?” The Imperial Prime Minister said coughingly from somewhere from within the dust that had flew up and was filling the whole sky. “What the hell just happen outside?”
Timothy didn’t answer, he merely felt a terrible pain in his throat. The chandelier just now had fallen on top of a silver armored knight. At that time, the man had still been in the process of giving a report of the refugees that were enlisting, yet his neck had been broken by the chandelier.
Thinking until here, all the hair on his back stood up straight.
“Is this an earthquake?” The Finance Minister said, still locked in a panicked state, “We have to get out of the castle and reach an open place.”
“That’s right Your Majesty, it isn’t safe here!”
“Everyone shut up!” Timothy shouted. The moment he opened his mouth however, he discovered that his voice had turned hoarse, becoming difficult to understand, as if he was speaking while pinching his own throat, “Sir Weimar, take me to the basement immediately!”
“Yes, Your Majesty.” Although he looked a bit nervous but compared to the performance of several other ministers, he could still be regarded as very calm. He immediately walked over and helped Timothy up, then they walked together the stairs leading further down.
Along the way, the new king saw that the aisle was covered with pieces of shattered glass and also that the blue dome of heaven behind the damaged windows had ceased to exist. In the midst of the still soaring smoke and dust, only a few pillars from this former magnificent building could still be seen.
