Chapter 38：The Devil's Resolve

The torn banner of the Panish Empire flew in the wind before it's charred remains finally settled on the cobblestone floor.

However, this banner wouldn't even be given a moment of rest before it was trampled on by a black warhorse with a silver mane.

And the one who was riding that warhorse was none other than Maxwell Von Galnus Dunnwal.

With complete disregard for the fallen flag beneath him, Maxwell made his way for the castle within Elgon city.

Bang!

The smell of smoke filled the air while the faint sounds of bodies being dragged just barely reached Maxwell's ears.

When Maxwell glanced to his right, he found a row of men being lined up against a bloodstained stone wall.

Each man had his hands bound together behind their backs with a rope while their faces were covered with a burlap sack.

As such, it was hard to tell what kind of expressions they had on their faces before-

Bang!

They dropped dead.

As more men were sent in to replace the dead, the Drussian executioners already started to reload their guns.

Without giving this sight a second thought, Maxwell turned his attention back to the road ahead of him.

As he continued on his way for the castle, Maxwell's cape continued to flutter in the wind while he was being escorted by his personal guard.

Among these guards was of course, Sicilia.

Out of the corner of his eye, Maxwell spotted Sicilia moving up closer to him.

"Enjoying your moment of glory are you?"

Maxwell noted the fearful eyes of the Panish loyalists as they closed their doors or windows as Maxwell drew near. Nevertheless, Sicilia continued speaking.

"Although the Paniards were broken by the end of the siege, I honestly thought that they'd still put up some resistance."

Sicilia paused for a moment to glance at a certain direction before she continued.

"I didn't think that they'd end up like-"

Bang!

It was only after the sounds of gunshots quietened down that Sicilia finished her sentence.

"Well like 'that.'"

Maxwell only casually shrugged when he responded.

"What does it matter? This way makes it that we wouldn't have to unnecessarily waste our resources."

Sicilia scoffed when she heard Maxwell's response. With a sly smile she gave her reply.

"You sound like you treat your own men's lives as if they were nothing more than mere livestock.

Maxwell himself scoffed as well before he replied to Sicilia with a sarcastic question.

"And you don't?"

Sicilia laughed when she heard Maxwell's response.

"Ahahahaha. Guilty as charged."

Although, it may seem Sicilia saw lives the same as Maxwell, in truth, that was anything but the truth.

Except for just one, Maxwell was sure that there was none other that held the same or at least similar worldview as him.

While Sicilia may look down on the lives of these commoners as being 'bellow' her and therefore expendable, Maxwell knew the truth.

It was not just commoners who were expendable and worthless.

But every single human being in this damned world.

It's not what blood runs in your veins that gives you worth in this world.

But instead how any person, commoner, noble or otherwise can make a change in this world.

How big of a change they can make that their actions are memorised by generations to come.

Maxwell's first death taught him that harsh lesson.

At the end of ever road in life is death.

No matter who you are, death will always be there for you in the end.

In the end, all the wealth you accumulate, the power you own or the relationships you may foster, they will all be taken away by death.

However, there is one thing that death cannot take away from you.

And that is your legacy.

Each and every other thing is trivial compared to the mark you leave on the world.

And Maxwell is going to ensure that he will leave a mark on the world so deep, that you could basically say that the world was scarred.

"Maxwell?"

Sicilia's voice broke Maxwell out of his thoughts. After a short moment of silence, he responded.

"Ignore that... It seems that I got lost in thought..."

"I... see..."

Sicilia had a look of mixed feelings on her face as she responded. On the other hand, Maxwell simply waved it off with a shrug.

"It doesn't matter anyway."

Sicilia only nodded silently in response to Maxwell.

Unlike how she usually is, Sicilia was silent for the rest of the trip to castle.

Perhaps it was because she saw something in his eyes during those few short moments or perhaps it was because she had her own thoughts that were running through her mind.

Whatever it was, it didn't change the fact that the two didn't speak a word to each other ever since that moment.

When they arrived at the castle doors, Maxwell found brigadier Zanack of the 3rd Battalion and brigadier Frederick of the 5th Battalion were both waiting for him. Both of whom stood with their hands behind their backs.

When Maxwell got of his horse he only walked pass these these two men as he made his way for the castle's throne room. As Maxwell walked through the abandoned hallways, Frederick followed by Zanack quickly caught up to Maxwell.

With a slight look of contempt on his face, Frederick gave Maxwell his report.

"My Lord. The Marshal of the Paniards, Rodriguez De Espanosa has locked himself in the study and seems to have fortified the doors with the furniture. What would you have us-"

"Starve him out."

Maxwell made a casual remark before Frederick could even finish speaking.

"Wait what?"

Frederick's face froze when he heard Maxwell's answer.

"Do you really want us to-"

Maxwell sighed before he responded.

"Zanack... could you be kind enough to explain why this course of action is the best?"

"But of course my lord."

Zanack kept his calm composure when he responded.

"I believe that what Lord Maxwell is trying to convey is that there is no need to invest resources on breaking into the castle's study and arresting Rodriguez. Instead it is more desirable to simply starve him out."

Maxwell didn't even bother to listen to the brigadiers conversation as he continued to make his way for throne room.

When he finally did reach the throne room, Maxwell dismissed everybody present as he made his way for the castle's throne.

"Everyone out. Now."

In response to Maxwell's orders, everyone only nodded and saluted silently before they started to leave. Everyone, but one.

"That includes you too Sicilia... I want some real alone time."

Sicilia still held that look of mixed feelings on her face as she nodded silently before slowly leaving the throne room as well.

With the throne room left entirely to himself, Maxwell took his time to silently sit down on the throne.

As Maxwell glanced around the empty throne room, he heaved a sigh of relief.

Maxwell won.

Maxwell has literally just won.

With the Drussian Union effectively dissolved, the Panish Expeditionary Force completely obliterated and the Ostrian Invasion Force limping on their way back to Ostria, there should be none left to oppose the Dunnwal's rule over Drussia.

For the next few months, Maxwell along with the rest of his siblings will have to decide how to reform this new nation.

How will the policies work?

What should they do about the Violet Army?

What about border relations?

All of these questions need to be answered if the Dunnwals want to maintain control over Drussia and establish the new nation; the 'Imperium of Drussia.'

If everything were to go smoothly, then the Imperium of Drussia will take the world by storm as a nation to be feared and respected.

By the end of this, Maxwell's achievements should be enough to reserve him a permanent spot in history.

His name should be forever remembered as the one who humbled the Panish Empire, helped established the Imperium of Drussia and the one who 'invented' new revolutionary military tactics and doctrine that defined warfare of the early modern era.

However, there was just one problem.

It wasn't enough.

It wasn't nearly enough.

So what if he was responsible for uniting Drussia under a single governing power?

So what if he crippled another Kingdom with a small fraction of his military strength?

So what if he humiliated the world power despite having all of the odds stacked against him?

There was still so much more.

So much more that he could do.

If Maxwell were to stop now, he is sure that some time in the far future, his name would eventually fall into obscurity.

This is something that he just cannot allow to happen.

In Maxwell's original world, there was a particular man who was able to bring most of the known world down to their knees.

So great was this man's achievements that he even had an entire era named after him.

If this man was capable of such a feat, shouldn't Maxwell be similarly capable of achieving a great feat?

Maxwell leaned back further onto the throne as the grin on his face gradually grew larger. While he did this, he began to plot his next course of actions once he consolidated his power.

He could start with the conquest of this continent.

If Maxwell were to succeed in his conquest of this continent, then his achievements could be comparable to the previously mentioned man.

But...

Why should he stop there?

If the similarities between this world and his old world was anything to go by.

Then that means that to the east, there should be mystical civilisations rich in culture and brimming with fertile lands.

To the south there were the lands of the ancient pharaohs and kings where great tombs filled to the brim with great wealth lay buried beneath the sand.

And to the west, beyond the Atalnic Ocean there should be a 'brave new world' that was simply waiting to be discovered.

Each of these lands were rich in untold and exotic treasures that even Maxwell himself was uncertain of what treasures they held.

However, there was one thing that Maxwell was certain of.

No matter where these lands are, whether it be to the south, to the east or to the west.

This entire world will come to know...

No... Not just know...

This world will come to fear Maxwell.

In the silence of the throne room, Maxwell calmly announced his proclamation to himself. A proclamation that forever sealed the fate of millions.

"I will see this world fall down on its knees.

I will rule this world or I will see it burn to ashes around me."