[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-reborn-king":3,"chapter-the-reborn-king-the-reborn-king-chapter-481":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","The Reborn King",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},1100664,1437,"Chapter 481: Teia Burns","the-reborn-king-chapter-481",481,"\u003Cp>Marching through the open plains of the Livonik territories, Marcus rushed his men towards Jaslo, unable to believe he had made such a simple blunder as leaving the path to the city underdefended. He had been arrogant, he knew he had, treating Octavius as a simpleton who would act as he wanted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only saving grace was how close Jaslo was to the position he held. Within a week, he could arrive at the city and have it under siege. Heading the march, Macrus slowed down, squinting as dust kicked up in the distance. It wasn’t enough to be an enemy, but the sight was strange. The common people would be the first to know when the army was marching, making sure to avoid their routes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"HOLD!\" Raising his hand, Marcus drew his sword, prepared for a trap, \"STAND READY!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"STAND READY!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"STAND READY!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The order carried down the Ammary march, as it quickly broke out of its neat columns, surrounding the food convoys, creating a continuous shield wall. Marcus retreated inside the shield wall and watched the approaching dust cloud in the distance. A single horse rider broke through, urgently charging towards Marcus’s position.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could see it was a fellow soldier, but knowing it rode from Jaslo, he didn’t put it past Octavius to trick him. The rider approached, throwing himself off the horse and saluting towards Marcus. \"General.\" The man spoke with an accent only found in the east of Ammar, easing Marcus’s worries. \"Orders from his Majesty.\" Reaching under his chest plate, he held up the scroll, holding it towards Marcus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a cautionary glare, Marcus slowly took it. Looking at the bottom and seeing Alfred’s seal, he knew it was real in an instant. Although it could be fake, it was unlikely for someone like Octavius to carry it with him into battle. There would be no need. Despite it, the shield wall never dropped, remaining cautious to the end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Jaslo is secure. General Octavus has agreed to his forces leaving Ammary territory and will remain as a hostage until the last one is out. I trust him, but not his men. Ensure his soldiers leave. If they try to do anything other than that, you have the right to deal with it as you see fit, but if the agreement is kept, under no circumstances will you hinder the Severian and Templar forces.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’You may distrust this, so I will tell you something only I would know. Charles has passed. The Unyielding have no leader. Burn this letter. This cannot be known until after the war.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Freezing, Marcus stared at the single line. It was powerful, but proof that Alfred wrote the letter. Not only because it wasn’t something that could easily be lied about by his enemy, but also because only a few people knew Charles was stationed with Alfred. If the enemy knew, then the war would be over, their plans having been seen through.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Digesting the news he had read, he saw the meeting point, where the Severian troops would be waiting for him. \"RESUME MARCH!\" Letting the shield wall drop, he calmed down the march a little, not needing to rush to take back Jaslo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-----------------------------------------\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Octavius sat tied to the mast of the ship, staring into the sky as it rode at the head of Alfred’s convoy. In the distance, he saw Teia, the port city of the Gotic Kingdom, and slowly rose. The rope around his body tightened as he did, but not caring about the tightness in his chest, he stared in confusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Do you see it?\" Alfred came up next to him and asked. Octavius’ heart sank a little hearing the callous chill in it. \"I said I wasn’t an animal, that I wouldn’t bombard my own people to ensure my victory.\" Stepping forward, Octavius got a good look at Alfred’s face. There wasn’t a cruel smile he would expect from a fairy tale villain, but an emotionless stare that watched Teia with a cold indifference.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alfred took a deep breath and looked towards Octvaius, \"I had lost sight of this war. I won’t lie. But right now, seeing that beautiful city in the distance, I understand what to do.\" Alfred looked past Octavius, up at the bridge, \"SIGNAL THE OTHERS! WE WILL BOMBARD THE CITY!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking back down at Octavius Alfred thinly smiled. There was no joy behind it, only being worn to put Octavius at ease. \"My original plan was to sail towards the Holy Seat and attack it, but I realised how stupid an idea that was. It was a plan fueled by anger.\" Chuckling to himself, Alfred shook his head, \"And although Theodoric is the most innocent of the three, He will have to be the one who suffers for their crimes.\" Stepping towards Octavius, the smile was wiped from his face, \"You shouldn’t have taken my daughter’s finger. This wouldn’t have been so bad otherwise.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Octavius took a few deep breaths and watched as the fleet moved into position. Creating a long arch around the port, the ships docked at Teia desperately began preparing to intercept. Alfred took out two thin pieces of cloth and pushed them into Octavius’s ears before putting two in his own ears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hesitation the sailors had previously felt when it came to bombing Jaslo was gone, and they were now indifferent to attacking their enemy. They knew the city wasn’t full of soldiers, but didn’t care. It wasn’t them. Alfred covered his ears and took a final look at Octavius. \"Don’t look away. Conatcne and Julius must know what happened.\" Turning to the captain, he nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"FIRE!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BANG!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BANG!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BANG!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BANG!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The four cannons erupted, smoke billowing out the front. Octavius coughed as the wind blew it into his face and watched, before being deafened again by eighteen more shots. The heavy iron balls arched through the air, tearing through the fleet that was desperately prepared to intercept the Ammary attack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Others flew past, crashing into the ground, blowing wood, stone, dirt and water into the air. There was silence for a few seconds. Octavius watched, ignoring the second volley being loaded. Watching the port, the screams finally reached his ears. They were quiet, almost inaudible, but there was enough for it to be carried along the water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dust slowly settled, as a ballista shot blew right through it, hitting a ship along the convoy. It was a desperate attack to try and stop the inevitable, from the light defences in place. Two cannons reaimed towards the direction the shot came from.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BANG!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BANG!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BANG!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BANG!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Twenty-two shots were fired at the city again, aimed higher, going deeper into the city. The area from which the ballista fired became a dust cloud, destroyed before it could take another shot. Some hit the port, once more tearing apart whatever was in its path, but behind it. Octavius could only stare. He didn’t try to fight his way free, knowing there was no point. All he could do was follow the order Alfred gave and burn everything he experienced into his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The smell of sulfur in the air, the sound of the rope slowly burning, the gentle rocking on the sea, the eruptions that could rival thunder itself, the distant screams that desperately tried to flee an attack it had no hope of stopping. Looking towards Alfred, he burnt the final scene, the indifferent gaze that watched it all. His fingers twitched, and he breathed heavily through his nose, but he didn’t look away. Octavius could tell Alfred was having second thoughts, but he didn’t stop anything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Again, again and again the fleet fired, each volley destroying parts of the old city. When the ammo had finished, the convoy moved once more, slowly heading for the city. From below the deck, Unyielding soldier brought up barrels, a strong ethonal smell coming from most and an oily smell from a few. Mixed in with all of them was the smell of gunpowder that blended with the overwhelming smell of it on the deck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fleet moved close to the dock, which was clear of life that could escape, not daring to stay and defend an undefendable attack. Boards lowered from the deck as the Unyeilding rolled out the barrels. There were very few, but evenly spread out amongst the buildings. Octavius could tell what was about to happen and held his breath. He wasn’t shy from using such tactics when sieging a city, but it was always different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was tactical. To burn food supplies and any siege weapons he could hit. To reduce the amount of space his enemy could command. It was cruel for those caught, but it was war. Watching what Alfred was doing, he saw the tactical aspect behind it, but could see how much more brutal this was. This was for fear and fear alone. The battle was won; nothing else was needed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Long pieces of rope were brought from the ship and spread across the barrels, and dropped into them. Each one, spread to the end of the dock, was a sailor, stripped, wearing only the thinnest clothing. With everything in position, the Unyielding boarded the ship once more. Each one pushed foo, getting a safe distance from the shore as small rowboats dropped from the side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aflred watched next to Octavius and looked to him. Octavius ignored the look, watching the sailors who stayed behind light the fuse. The long bits of rope slowly burned, carrying themselves closer to the barrels. The sailors waited until the final moments. Some pieces of rope went out, but enough stayed lit all the way. Jumping into the water, they swam for the rowboats.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Octavius closed his eyes as the fuses fell into the barrels.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each one went off. The small amount of gunpowder inside blew the barrels apart, sending the blazing ethanol and oil flying across the building’s lining the port. The wooden building quickly caught fire, spreading the flames deeper into the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at the bright fire, Octavius chuckled in disbelief at what he was seeing, his gaze shifting towards Alfred. He couldn’t tell what the Emperor was thinking, the organe flames dancing in his eyes, devouring everything. Only his fingers that twitched faster than before answered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking back at the city, through the dust, smoke, and screams, the bells tolled, signalling its evacuation. Soldiers through the flames met the inferno at the port that slowly inched deeper into the city, throwing buckets of water and laying a stone wall to try to stop it in whatever way they could.\u003C\u002Fp>",1776,"2026-06-03T11:17:51.400Z","2026-06-03T11:17:48.775Z",1,"novelbin.me","b1be6b9e04ca298553b298281340941854f9555cf20362728df41b0c66d46a5c","the-reborn-king-chapter-482","the-reborn-king-chapter-480",487,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-reborn-king-cover.jpg"]