"Captain Jesse, the aftermath here will be left to you."
Cole's voice carried calm authority as he addressed Jesse.
Jesse, still shaken from what he had just witnessed, lowered his voice cautiously, as though afraid to disturb some dreadful force lingering in the air.
"General! These warriors… are they truly the ones from the recent rumors—that His Majesty personally commands…?"
Cole cut him off with a solemn nod.
"As long as the Crossbridge Empire has His Majesty, the sky itself will never collapse, Captain Jesse. Do you understand?"
Jesse immediately thumped his chest in salute. His voice trembled slightly, but it carried a note of fervent resolve.
"I understand! I will dedicate my life to His Majesty and to the Empire!"
With that, Cole wheeled his horse and led the Royal Knights away. They resumed their cleansing mission, leaving behind the twenty thousand stunned and silent city-guard soldiers.
Today, they had borne witness to something beyond human comprehension.
