Emperor Of War

Chapter Eleven: The Return of Adam Swift

Adam Swift's POV

The entire courtyard had fallen silent. Hundreds of eyes were fixed on me. The soldiers. The guests. The businessmen.

Every single person stood frozen as they waited for my answer.

Derek Carter's question still lingered in the air. "Who are you?"

For several seconds, I simply stared at him. Then I smiled. A cold smile. The kind that carried ten years of hatred. Ten years of pain. Ten years of waiting.

I took a step forward. "My name..." The words echoed across the courtyard. "...is Adam Swift."

The moment the name left my mouth, the world seemed to stop. Derek's eyes widened. The sword nearly slipped from his hand.

His face turned pale. "No..."

The word escaped his lips like a whisper. His entire body trembled. "That's impossible."

I continued walking toward him. The sound of my footsteps echoed across the silent courtyard. Step. Step. Step.

Derek staggered backward. Fear filled his eyes. The same fear I had seen in General Otti's eyes before he died. The same fear my enemies always showed when they finally realized who stood before them.

"You died." His voice shook. "I saw the reports."

I laughed softly. "Unfortunately for you, the reports were wrong."

The crowd erupted into whispers. Shock spread through the gathering like wildfire.

"Adam Swift?" "The son of Richard Swift?" "I thought he was dead." "How is this possible?"

The name carried weight. Even after ten years. The Swift family had once ruled Quinzerland. Everyone knew that. Everyone remembered. And now the last surviving heir had returned.

Derek's legs suddenly gave out. To everyone's surprise, he dropped to his knees. Gasps echoed throughout the courtyard. No one could believe what they were seeing. One of the most powerful men in Quinzerland kneeling before another man. Begging.

"D-Don't kill me." His voice cracked. "I can explain."

I stopped in front of him. Looking down at the man responsible for destroying my family. The mighty Derek Carter. Reduced to this. Pathetic. Pitiful. Weak.

He grabbed my trouser leg. "Please." Tears formed in his eyes. "Show mercy."

I stared at him silently. Memories flooded my mind. My father is begging for our lives. My little brother bleeding in the forest. The fear. The pain. The helplessness.

And now, The man who caused it all was begging me for mercy. The irony almost made me laugh. I crouched down until we were face to face.

"You want mercy?"

Derek nodded frantically. "Yes."

I smiled. "A strange request."

His expression became hopeful. Then I leaned closer. "The last time we met, you wanted me dead." The hope immediately vanished from his face. "And now you're asking me not to kill you."

Derek lowered his head. Shame covered his features. The crowd remained silent. Nobody dared interrupt. Nobody dared move. Suddenly—

"Leave my father alone!" A furious voice broke through the silence. I turned.

A young man pushed through the crowd.

His expensive suit was wrinkled from running. Anger burned in his eyes.

He looked no older than twenty-five.

Derek's son.

The resemblance was obvious. He stopped a few feet away from me. His fists clenched.

"You think you're strong because you defeated a few guards?" I raised an eyebrow. The young man continued. "You don't scare me."

The crowd looked nervous. Many people began moving away. Nobody wanted to be caught between us. Derek immediately stood up. His face filled with panic.

"No!"

He rushed toward his son.

The young man looked confused. "Dad?"

Before he could react—

Slap!

Derek struck him across the face.

The sound echoed through the courtyard.

Everyone froze. The young man stumbled backward. Shock filled his eyes.

"Dad!"

Slap! Another strike followed. Then another. And another.

The young man could barely understand what was happening. Neither could the crowd.

"What are you doing?" he shouted.

Derek grabbed his collar. His eyes burned with desperation. "You idiot!" The young man stared at him. "You don't know who you're talking to!"

The entire courtyard remained silent.

Derek's hands trembled. "If you value your life, shut your mouth!"

The young man touched his swollen cheek. Disbelief filled his face. For the first time, he realized his father was genuinely terrified. Not angry. Terrified. Derek immediately turned back toward me.

Then, to everyone's shock, he bowed.

A deep bow. "Please forgive him."

The crowd gasped. The young man's eyes widened. Derek lowered his head further.

"He doesn't understand."

I stared at him for several moments. Then smiled. The gesture made him even more nervous.

"Interesting."

Derek swallowed hard. I looked toward his son. The young man still glared at me. Defiant. Proud. Arrogant. Just like his father once was.

I walked toward him. Slowly. Calmly. The young man refused to back away. Even though fear had begun appearing in his eyes.

I stopped directly in front of him. Then grabbed his collar. The entire crowd gasped. His feet left the ground. The young man's confidence disappeared instantly.

"W-What are you doing?"

I ignored the question. Instead, I looked directly into his eyes.

"Where is Jackson Carter?"

The young man's face changed. Confusion. Fear. Uncertainty.

"I don't know."

I tightened my grip. "Don't lie to me."

"I'm telling the truth!"

His voice cracked. "I don't know where he is."

The crowd watched nervously. Nobody dared interfere. Nobody dared speak. I continued studying him. Searching for deception. Searching for lies. But all I found was fear. Perhaps he really didn't know. Or perhaps he was a better liar than I expected.

Either way, I wasn't satisfied. I released him. The young man collapsed onto the ground. Coughing heavily.

Derek immediately rushed to his side.

Relief flooded his face. But it didn't last long. Because I wasn't finished. Not yet. I looked across the courtyard. At the frightened soldiers. The terrified guests.

The kneeling businessmen. Then back at Derek Carter.

The man who had stolen everything from my family. A cold smile appeared on my face. The Carter family had spent ten years believing the Swift family was gone.

Tonight,

that illusion ended. Tonight, they finally understood the truth. Adam Swift had returned. And Quinzerland would never be the same again.