From a tower in the castle, Eric gazed through a window at Emperor Henry, who was repenting outside.
He had long prepared for this day. He had ordered the townsfolk to stay far from the castle, and commercial activities were to be postponed for three days. He would provide some compensation for their losses during this period.
He also warned them that this was not a negotiation but a command. Violators would be punished, both in body and in spirit.
This was done to preserve the young Emperor's dignity, though for the young man, it had likely already hit rock bottom.
But Eric believed that hitting rock bottom was still better than falling through a crack straight into Hell.
Destroying the Emperor was not a good thing.
What Eric truly wanted was balance, not chaos.
