by Michael Sisa
Daltos stared at Big Mona. The fat merchant’s gaze was still filled with greed upon seeing the middle-grade potion. Daltos was sure that had he asked, Big Mona would have surely told him what he knew about Lark beforehand.
“Third, you underestimated your opponent,” said Lark. “All six of you are capable of utilizing mana, right? Then why is it only you who used magic against me?”
Daltos hanged his head. He could not refute the Young Lord’s statements.
“I lost the battle,” he finally said. “As promised, I’ll hand over the command of the entire army to you.”
The soldiers around them burst into murmurs upon hearing this. They did not expect the Commander to lose. Now, this Young Lord would have full authority over the entire army.
Lark went to the center of the arena. Under the gaze of everyone present, he raised his voice and said, “You heard Commander Daltos! I now hold full authority over this entire Army!”
He paused.
“Now, for my first order!”
Everyone held their breaths as they listened.
“Dig on the ground! Carry wood and stones!” said Lark. “I want all one thousand soldiers to work together and convert this town into a fortress!”
He raised his index finger. “Finish this task in one week.”
Chapter Twenty
[Kingdom’s Capital – Behemoth City]
Behemoth City was in a festive mood. Banners were hanged all over the city, as numerous Bards sang songs for the Royal Family. Despite the apparent shortage of food due to the Black Famine last harvest season, numerous stalls were handing out free food – all of which were sponsored by the Royal Family. This had been a tradition in Behemoth City during the first day of the Month of the Sun. Today was a very special day, after all: The Feast of the Sun God.
King Alvis was inside his room, standing in front of an orb the size of an ox’s head. Every day, without fail, he would check this Artifact for messages from the Knights he sent out to assess the candidates. Each of the messages sent here were short and concise, but he enjoyed reading them regardless.
Recently, the most interesting reports were about these two candidates: Kalavinka Kelvin and Lui Marcus.
King Alvis knew that Lui Marcus was a genius, but he had not expected Kalavinka to be so capable. According to the reports, the third son of Duke Kelvin successfully annihilated the Busk Pirates in the Southern Mullgray Sea. It was an exceptional feat, considering the fact that the Kingdom of Lukas did not have a proper navy.
If Kalavinka inherits the throne, we might enter the golden age of Sea Exploration. We’ll no longer fear those pirates, especially those barbarians from Mullgray Islands.
The King smiled at this thought. The pirates from Mullgray have begun invading the Kingdom recently, pillaging the small villages near the sea. According to his Intel, the same thing was happening in the Empire, but since that massive country have a strong navy, they were able to easily repel the invaders back.
The Mullgray Pirates have dominated the sea for centuries. The Empire tried several times to make those barbarians bow down to them, but failed each time. Knowing this, King Alvis had long since abandoned the hope of claiming back the islands next to the Kingdom. If the Empire, with their strong navy, failed, there was no questioning how the Kingdom would fare in a naval fight against those pirates.
But now, things seemed different.
According to the reports, Kalavinka revolutionized the navy of his territory. Using an unknown substance, he created fire capable of burning in water.
King Alvis could see the endless possibilities if they made proper use of this discovery. The mere thought of claiming back the lost islands of the Kingdom did not seem impossible anymore.
That young man. Kalavinka. When I first met him, he did not even dare look at me in the eyes. A timid child. Who knew he’ll be so capable in a naval fight?
King Alvis looked at the next report. It was from the knight tasked to monitor Lui Marcus. According to the report, the Marcus Army started subjugating the monsters from Louan Plains. The King did not know the reason behind it, but was interested regardless. That genius commander surely had his reasons for trying to clear that den of monsters.
“It’s really nice to have lived this long.” King Alvis touched his chest and smiled wryly. He could feel his faintly beating heart. “My only wish is that I’ll live long enough to see the prosperity of this Kingdom.”
According to the Royal Court Magician who examined him, he only had five years at most to live. This was the reason why, despite the chaos it would cause, he announced such decree to the Kingdom. The competition for the throne was necessary. He could not afford to leave the throne vacant upon his death.
I’ll still have a year left after the competition ends. I will use that time to oversee my successor, to guide him to the right path. The Empire and the Mullgray Islands are simply bidding their time. Once they find the chance, they’ll swallow this Kingdom.
King Alvis coughed, and a thin line of blood dripped down his mouth. He wiped it off using the back of his hand.
The Curse of Agares.
A disease that ran through the Royal Family. The previous King, and the King before that, died of the same curse.
According to the legend passed down from the Royal Family, the first King made a pact with the Demon Agares. In return of consuming a portion of the soul of all the King’s descendants, the Demon helped the human in founding the Kingdom.
King Alvis was actually fortunate to have lived this long despite that. Without the help of the Royal Court Magicians, he would have already died a decade ago.
I’m running out of time.
A knock was heard. The voice of his personal guard was heard outside the room. “Your Majesty, the Dukes have arrived.”
King Alvis fixed his garb. “Just in time.”
There was so much he wanted to hear from the three. And the feast of the Sun God was the perfect excuse to summon the heads of the Three Great Families.
As he was about to leave the room, the artifact glowed, indicating that a new message had just arrived.
King Alvis stared at the orb.
“From Mikael?”
He remembered the knight well. He was the same knight who served by his side during the Bloody Thorn Plains Incident.
As far as he remembered, he assigned the knight to oversee the second son of Duke Drakus.
“You Majesty?” the voice of the guard outside was worried. “Is everything alright?”
King Alvis closed his eyes. He decided to read the report of Mikael once he came back. For now, he decided to meet the three Dukes.
He opened the door, and the four guards outside immediately bowed.
“Lead me there,” said King Alvis.
***
Inside the Grand Hall, dozens of renowned nobles gathered to celebrate the Feast of the Sun God. This was actually a pretext, and the real reason for their attendance was to create connections with the powerful men attending the banquet.
Out of all these nobles, the ones who were garnering the most attention were the Dukes: Kelvin and Drakus.
Each of these men leads over ten thousand soldiers. With a single command, Legions would march under their flags. It was no exaggeration to say that they held the military might of the entire Kingdom.
Meeting these Dukes was impossible even for knights and barons. All the nobles in this Grand Hall were eager to at least make their acquaintance.
“Ah, Duke Drakus.” Duke Kelvin was the first to approach. His fat body resembled a bloated slime. “So you’re also a patron of the Sun God, huh? A pleasant surprise.”
Duke Drakus politely smiled. They both knew the real reason behind their attendance. “Of course. Gryphon City’s named after the guardian of Valhalla, after all. There’s no way I wouldn’t celebrate the birth of the Sun God.”
Duke Kelvin sipped his wine. “Is that so? No wonder the temple in Gryphon City worships the Water God.”
A sarcastic remark. It was a well-known fact that the Water God and the Sun God were rivals. Antagonistic deities that tried to kill each other before the time of Mortals.
Duke Drakus concealed the hatred from showing on his face. He knew that no matter what he did or say here, this pig would never learn his place. He kept his smile plastered.
“The Marcus Family is a believer of the Seven Gods. It’s only natural,” said Duke Drakus. He looked around and momentarily gazed at the nobles merrily chatting in the Grand Hall. Each of them wore smiling faces, but he knew that all of those were masks concealing their demons inside. “It seems that Youchester is late. As always.”
Youchester was the youngest among the three Dukes. A man in his early forties. Unlike the other two, he never showed real interest in power struggles. During the time when the King declared the competition for the throne, Duke Youchester said that he would wholeheartedly serve the new King, regardless of which family he would come from. Still, he allowed his sons to participate in the competition, but refused to openly take part in the small skirmishes between the Great Powers.
Duke Drakus actually liked the young Duke despite his easy-going personality. Whenever he conversed with Youchester, he could feel the man’s sincerity. A stark contrast to this scheming pig before him.
The Grand Chamberlain entered the hall. He cleared his throat and declared in a loud voice, “The embodiment of God Neruz. The heart of the Sun. His Majesty, King Alvis Lukas VI has arrived. Everyone – show your respect.”
The chatters immediately died down. Everyone, including the Dukes, bowed their heads in respect as the King arrived.
“Raise your heads,” said King Alvis.
Everyone raised their heads and gazed at the King standing on the pedestal.
“I would like to thank everyone for coming here to celebrate the feast of the Sun God. The Deity of Behemoth City. The protector of our Kingdom,” said King Alvis. “We have prepared a feast. Please eat to your heart’s content!”
As though on cue, several servants came in, pulling food carts with them. The already sumptuous feast spread on the tables was further filled with numerous delicacies and alcohol.
“To liven the evening, we have invited the famous Blue Moonlight Troop!” The King spread his arms wide.
Upon the mention of the troop’s name, several men and women entered the hall. The nobles immediately recognized them. The most famous actors and actresses of the Kingdom. A single ticket for their play costed at least fifty silvers, an amount only nobles could afford. For the front row seats, the price reached up to three gold coins. It was no exaggeration to say that there was no noble in the Kingdom who did not know the troop’s name.
The leader of the troop took out a small magic stone, and using it, amplified his voice. “We would like to thank your Majesty for inviting us to perform a play for the Feast of the Sun God.” He bowed his head before the King. “We have prepared a special play for this moment. A play reenacting the life of the avatar of the Sun God – Evander Alaester.”
Mellifluous music started playing. The leader of the troop continued, “This play is entitled: The Arch Magus and the Demon Lord Barkuvara.”
***
The celebration of the feast of the Sun God went on for hours. After the feast, King Alvis summoned the Dukes to the throne room.
“Youchester didn’t come?” King Alvis frowned.
Duke Kelvin and Duke Drakus looked at each other.
“I’m afraid not, Your Majesty,” said Duke Drakus.
“We should impose a penalty for that man!” Kelvin chided. “Ignoring the summons of his Majesty is a disrespectful act! Even as a Duke, he should—”
“—Enough,” interjected the King. “I’ve received a message that his youngest son was down with a terrible fever. I was hoping he could come despite the circumstances, but…” He sighed. “I will let this pass for now.”
Duke Kelvin gnashed his teeth. As always, the King was lenient with Youchester. Was it because that Duke was young, almost the same age as the King’s oldest daughter? He disliked this thought.
“I summoned the Dukes here to discuss important matters concerning the survival of our Kingdom.”
The statement made the two Dukes stiffen. They were both aware of the war that had been occurring left and right within the entire Kingdom.
“I will get straight to the point,” said the King. “I have proposed an alliance to the Dwarven Kingdom.”
“The Dwarven Kingdom,” repeated Duke Drakus.
“But how?” said Duke Kelvin. “That country closed off their borders several decades ago. Even the Empire is unable to enter their territory in fear of facing the wrath of the Dragon protecting their country.”
“I cannot disclose the method, but I’ve successfully made contact with their King.” King Alvis coughed twice. Viscount Lakian, the Grand Chamberlain, worriedly approached him. King Alvis waved a hand, dismissing him. “I’m fine.”
“The Dwarves will provide us with weapons. With it, repelling the invasion of the Empire and the Mullgray should be feasible at the same time. This is our only shot at survival. I know you are aware, but it is impossible for us to handle a joint attack from those two colossal forces. Without the weapons from the dwarves, it’ll be only a matter of time before our Kingdom collapses.”
Weapons from the Dwarven race were highly coveted. Each of them were finely made, strong enough to repel even the strongest of attacks from knights. Furthermore, some of their weapons have souls imbued in it – weapons capable of utilizing mana by itself.
Those weapons would enable a non-magician to utilize mana, transforming him into a knight in an instant.
This was the reason why several countries tried making pacts with the Dwarves, in hopes of acquiring their military might. Unfortunately, a Dragon had been protecting the Dwarven Kingdom for centuries. Even the Empire did not dare invade their country, in fear of inducing the wrath of the beast.
But there was no such thing as free in this world. Everything had a price. The Dukes knew this.
“What do they want in return, Your Majesty?” said Duke Drakus.
“Barrels of Red Plum Wine,” said the King. “Thirty thousand of it per month.”
The eyes of the three Dukes widened. The requested amount was absurd. At most, they could probably provide only three thousand barrels each. Even Golden Wheat City would be unable to provide such amount even after a year.
“Those alcoholic bastards,” mumbled Duke Kelvin.
“Duke Kelvin, watch your mouth,” said Duke Drakus. “We are before his Majesty.”
Duke Kelvin shut his lips, but his frown remained regardless. He could already foresee what the King would request of them.
“Can you do it?” said the King.
The two Dukes were silent for a moment.
“I know that your domains have all been struck by the Black Famine last harvest season,” said the King. “To reach the quota of thirty thousand barrels, we’ll have to convert several farmlands into red plum farms. It’ll greatly decrease the sustainability of the affected regions, this much I’m aware. But Kelvin, Drakus – We need the help of the Dwarves to survive.”
Everyone in the room knew that it was only a matter of time before the Empire launched an all-out attack against the Kingdom. Furthermore, the threat of the Mullgray was just around the corner.
If they lose the war, they would also lose their lands. Despite their displeasure, the two Dukes had no choice but to comply.
Duke Drakus was the first to concede with the King’s request. “Ten thousand barrels for each Duke. I will make sure to meet the required quota, your Majesty.”
Duke Kelvin made a chet sound before bowing his head. “The same. I will comply, Your Majesty.”
King Alvis sighed in relief. He knew of these Duke’s temperament. He was glad that they agreed to his request, at the very least.
Now, all that was left was to recruit more soldiers for the
Army.
***
After the two Dukes left, King Alvis remained sitting on his throne. His head throbbed as stabbing pain radiated through his chest. Seeing this, Viscount Lakian immediately ran to him.
“Your Majesty!” said the Viscount. He shouted at the guards, “The Healers! Call the Royal Court Magicians here! Now!”
The guards, their faces pallid, immediately ran out of the throne room to call for help.
King Alvis’ vision blurred. He vomited on the ground. The Curse of Agares have started taking its toll on his body. This was not the first time he experienced these things. And he noticed that the symptoms started appearing more frequently lately.
King Alvis could feel his consciousness drifting away from him. He could no longer hear the frantic voice of the Viscount beside him.
For some reason, a single thought filled his mind.
It was not the Dwarves. Not the impending war with the Empire. Not the Mullgray Pirates. It was not even the competition for the throne.
Ah, that’s right. I haven’t read the reports of Mikael yet.
It was the first time Mikael made a report to him. And somehow, it felt oddly important. As though it would decide the fate of the Kingdom.
With regret filling his mind, King Alvis’s consciousness faded into the black.
Chapter Twenty-One
“Adjutant Fior, the General wishes to see you.”
Fior sighed. It’s been a week since they lost contact with the Vanguard. During these past few days, Fior adamantly insisted that they stop the Main Army from advancing towards Blackstone Town.
I guess this is the limit.
The close aids of the General have been expressing their discontents left and right. Fior knew that it would only be a matter of time before they mobilized the entire army once again.
Fior fixed his robe and went to the General’s tent. Upon entering, several piercing gazes and condescending glares greeted him. The silence within the room was suffocating.