Saint Jalmack was not satisfied after listening to the explanation given by the man with the fractured leg, who was unable to kneel properly. Even when he forced himself down onto his knees, his entire body trembled and his face twisted in pain. Sweat dripped from his forehead onto the cold ground beneath him, but Saint Jalmack did not care about any of that in the slightest.
Instead, with complete indifference in his voice, he said, "If you can't even kneel properly in front of me, then what use is your living?"
The moment those words left his mouth, Saint Jalmack casually pulled out the gun hanging at his side — a gold-plated, purely luxurious firearm decorated with gemstones and intricate carvings. Under the sunlight, the weapon gleamed brilliantly, looking more like an expensive ornament than something made to kill.
But the next second—
Bang!
The gunshot echoed throughout the road.
The man's eyes widened in terror. He tried to beg for mercy at the very last moment and cried out, "Your Excellency, please spare me—!"
But Saint Jalmack did not listen at all.
The bullet pierced directly through the man's body, and he collapsed lifelessly onto the ground on the spot. Blood slowly spread beneath him, staining the dusty road crimson while the sharp smell of gunpowder lingered faintly in the air.
This scene perfectly displayed the cruelty and ruthlessness of the Celestial Dragons.
All the people kneeling on both sides of the road saw this scene clearly. Fear immediately spread through their hearts like ice water. Many lowered their heads even further until their foreheads almost touched the ground itself. Their bodies stiffened, and no one dared to make the slightest unnecessary movement. Some people were even trembling uncontrollably.
Because they all understood one thing very clearly—
If Saint Jalmack found them even slightly displeasing, then he would simply shoot them as well, and there would be absolutely nothing they could do about it.
Whereas for Gojo, the moment he saw this scene, his mind suddenly froze.
It was as if something deeply buried inside him had been violently stirred awake.
A suppressed memory hidden in the depths of his mind suddenly started resurfacing, and his consciousness slowly drifted away from the present scene before him.
His vision blurred.
And then—
A completely different scene appeared before his eyes.
Gojo was walking together with his mother and father.
The warm sunlight gently shone over the quiet village path as the family of three walked hand in hand. His father was an ordinary-looking man with rough hands and sun-tanned skin, the appearance of a simple farmer who had spent his entire life working in the fields. There was nothing remarkable about him at first glance.
But the smile on his face was warm.
Meanwhile, Gojo's mother was completely different.
She was a very beautiful woman with long white hair that moved softly with the breeze and sky-blue eyes that seemed as calm and clear as the open heavens themselves. Those exact same features were the ones Gojo had inherited from her.
Young Gojo walked happily between them while holding both of their hands, continuously talking about random little things with the carefree innocence of a child. A faint laughter occasionally escaped his mouth while his parents quietly listened to him.
Then, after a few moments, his father spoke with slight seriousness in his tone.
"You remember, right, son? What I told you last night?"
Hearing this, Gojo blinked once as if trying to recall the conversation from yesterday night. Then his innocent face brightened with confidence and he immediately replied, "Absolutely, father. I remember everything you said."
He then repeated it carefully, almost word for word.
"I need to kneel properly with my head lowered. I should not make any noise. I have to properly kneel with my face down and show full respect to the noble one who is coming to our village… our kingdom… the noble one who is coming to our kingdom."
As soon as Gojo's father heard this, a satisfied smile appeared on his face.
"Good boy. It's good that you remembered this properly."
Seeing this scene, Gojo's mother also smiled warmly. Her beautiful sky-blue eyes softened with affection as she gently patted Gojo's head.
"Our Gojo is very smart," she said softly. "He will definitely remember everything."
Young Gojo grinned proudly after hearing his mother praise him, tightly holding both of their hands while continuing to walk forward together.
Soon, the family reached the designated location on the side of the road where all the civilians had been ordered to kneel. People from all across the kingdom were already gathered there in long rows on both sides, their heads lowered toward the ground in complete submission.
Today, the Celestial Dragon known as Saint Jalmack was coming to visit the kingdom.
Rumors had already spread throughout the kingdom that the king was desperately hoping to gain favor with the World Government and perhaps even allow the kingdom to officially join it. And for that very reason, Saint Jalmack himself had arrived here. If the king could somehow obtain the favor of a Celestial Dragon, then it would bring unimaginable benefits and status to the kingdom.
At least, that was what everyone believed.
Gojo and his parents quietly knelt among the crowd. The atmosphere around them felt extremely tense. Even the sound of breathing seemed restrained as nobody dared to create unnecessary noise.
Then, after some time—
The distant sounds of footsteps and movement started approaching.
Soon, a large procession appeared on the road.
At the very front walked Saint Jalmack himself.
He wore extravagant clothing decorated with gold and jewels, while a transparent bubble-like helmet covered his head. Around him were multiple guards and attendants, all maintaining strict vigilance. Marines were already stationed throughout the area to maintain order and security among the civilians.
The entire road had fallen into complete silence.
Nobody dared to even lift their heads.
Everything initially went quite smoothly.
Saint Jalmack simply walked forward leisurely while observing the people kneeling around him. Looking at the countless civilians bowing before him with fear and submission, a satisfied expression slowly appeared on his face.
Then he loudly declared, "The king of this kingdom knows his place. That is a good thing."
His tone carried arrogance so naturally that it almost sounded casual.
The procession continued moving forward. Soon, Saint Jalmack would have crossed the road entirely and entered the royal palace where the king was waiting for him.
But suddenly—
Saint Jalmack's eyes stopped on someone.
Among the countless kneeling civilians, his gaze had landed directly on Gojo's mother.
Even though she was kneeling properly with her head lowered slightly, she still stood out among the crowd. Her graceful figure, beautiful facial features, and especially her long white hair made her impossible to ignore.
The moment Saint Jalmack saw her, curiosity immediately appeared in his eyes.
"You," he said while pointing toward her lazily. "Woman with white hair. Lift your head."
The instant Gojo's mother heard those words, her body stiffened slightly.
Because throughout the entire kingdom, she was the only woman with white hair.
And her origins themselves were mysterious.
Ordinary people in the kingdom did not know the truth, but Gojo and his father did.
Gojo's mother had once been a princess of a kingdom that had already fallen long ago. During the destruction of that kingdom, she had escaped through the sea. At that time, she had nearly drowned, but Gojo's father had rescued her.
And from there, the two of them slowly fell in love.
Despite being born a princess, she was an extremely kind woman. Even in her previous kingdom, she had been known for her gentle nature and compassion toward common people. Because of that, she had willingly chosen to stay with Gojo's father instead of trying to reclaim any noble status.
Eventually, they married.
And later on, Gojo was born.
Now, however, kneeling before a Celestial Dragon, Gojo's mother did not dare to disobey Saint Jalmack's command.
Slowly, she raised her head as ordered.
The moment Saint Jalmack saw her face clearly, his eyes immediately lit up with interest.
A greedy look flashed across his expression.
She can become my concubine, he thought instantly.
And not only did he think it—
He openly said it out loud without the slightest hesitation.
"Your beauty is quite pleasing," Saint Jalmack declared arrogantly while staring directly at her. "You can become my wife."
As soon as Gojo's mother heard those words, her face immediately turned pale.
Her body stiffened, and for a brief moment, fear flashed through her sky-blue eyes. Even the surrounding civilians seemed to become more tense after hearing Saint Jalmack's declaration.
With visible nervousness in her voice, she hurriedly said, "This is not possible, Saint Jalmack… this is not possible, Your Excellency. I am already married. I have a husband and a child. I cannot become your concubine."
The moment Saint Jalmack heard her refusal, the satisfied expression on his face immediately disappeared.
Instead, annoyance and displeasure appeared in his eyes, as if he had just heard something utterly ridiculous.
"I did not ask for your opinion," he said coldly.
His voice carried complete arrogance and authority, as though her feelings held absolutely no value before him.
"You will become my 20th wife, and that is final."
Then he casually waved his hand toward the Marines nearby.
"Capture her. I will take her with me."
A greedy smile slowly spread across his face beneath the transparent bubble covering his head.
"When I show her to the others in Mary Geoise," he continued smugly, "they will definitely be jealous of me for finding such a beautiful wife."
After saying this, Saint Jalmack even started laughing proudly, completely ignoring the terror visible on Gojo's mother's face.
Following his order, the Marines standing only a few paces away immediately stepped forward without hesitation. Their expressions remained stiff and emotionless as they approached Gojo's mother to seize her.
The atmosphere instantly became suffocating.
Gojo's mother instinctively moved slightly backward while gripping Gojo tightly beside her.
And then—
Suddenly, Gojo's father lunged forward.
His face was filled with anger and desperation as he stepped directly in front of his wife, shielding her with his body.
"Keep your dirty hands away from my wife!" he shouted furiously.
The moment those words echoed across the road, the entire area fell deathly silent.
Many civilians trembled even harder after hearing him openly oppose a Celestial Dragon.
Even the Marines paused for a second.
Meanwhile, Saint Jalmack's expression completely darkened.
The arrogance and amusement on his face vanished instantly, replaced by ugly fury.
Slowly, he turned his gaze toward Gojo's father as if looking at an insect that had dared to crawl in front of him.
"How dare you…" Saint Jalmack said in a cold voice filled with killing intent. "You bastard… trying to interfere with my orders?"
Then, without even the slightest hesitation—
"Die."
Without warning, Saint Jalmack immediately pulled out the luxurious gold-plated gun hanging at his side.
Bang!
The gunshot exploded through the silent road.
Gojo's father's body trembled violently as the bullet pierced through him. His eyes widened in shock, and blood instantly spread across his clothes before he slowly started collapsing onto the ground.
----
Want to get daily updates and read 20+ chapters? Then join my Patreon!
Patreon Link: https://[email protected]/Hkj822
Join Discord Link: https://discord.gg/c4m4BxQq