Chapter 388. Side Story 1. The Two Friends (3)
It had been nearly fifty years since Cain's death and the emperor's downfall. In that time, countless things had happened to the Ducal Family of Leston. Halo's father had passed away, and he'd taken his father's place as the head of the family.
The new emperor, proclaiming that Halo had saved the empire, had granted Halo the new title of Grand Duke.
From that day onward, Halo's life had been nothing short of chaos. He'd devoted himself to stabilizing the empire in the wake of turmoil, proposing a series of laws and reforms.
Among them was one to abolish slavery. It had been, in Halo's own way, a form of penance for Cain, his friend who had never known freedom.
And of course, Halo hadn't neglected vengeance either.
Even though he'd begged Cain to live on, the latter had chosen death—by Halo's own hand, no less.
Halo thought that was just a little insolent of Cain. So he'd made Cain a hero. A knight who, though he had served a wicked master, had remained true to his vows until his dying breath—a noble figure of tragic honor.
The newly reformed Imperial Guards had found Cain's legend rather inconvenient, but Halo didn't care. He'd gilded that ungrateful friend's name, ensured that his memory lived on by continuously funding the Academy, and had his story retold through generations.
Halo had also looked after the subordinates Cain had cherished so dearly. Halo had arranged for them to leave the empire safely, so they could finally walk their own paths, freed from the shadow of the Malevolent Emperor. Halo had even discreetly placed some of his men nearby, just in case.
Years flowed like a river that never stopped. During that time, Halo had children and grandchildren.
Life had been busy, but blissful.
When Halo's youngest grandson was born, the demonic hordes began to stir once more. And because of that, he'd not been able to spend much time with his grandson.