“Don’t accept the invitation,” Melis’ar shouted, interrupting John’s thoughts. “It’s better if you come with me as part of my retinue.”
“Won’t I miss on something important?”
“I don’t believe so. If you come with me, you can hide your status as a Citadel owner while keeping all its benefits and permissions.”
That seems reasonable enough, John thought, and offered a firm nod.
“Very well,” Melis’ar gestured at his brother, Duraq’er, and Friala’el.
Meanwhile, John reread the last notification, selected No. A moment later, the prince repeated the same gesture toward him.
[Attention!
You have been offered a position as Silverstar Enclave’s retainer for the World Summit.
Do you wish to confirm your participation?
Yes/No]
Yes!
[Congratulations!
You will be teleported along with the rest of the Silverstar Enclave’s retinue shortly]
“Is everyone ready?” Melis’ar asked after receiving the last confirmation and seeing four nods, he initiated the teleportation.
A world around John vanished in a bright-blue flash, and when his eyes readjusted to his new environment, he found himself on a marble floor with a metallic railing before him.
Woah, is that? He gawked as he leaned over the railing and whistled in surprise.
They were transported to a square platform floating in the middle of nowhere, and only as he looked down did he realize their actual location. Below him, far in the distance, was the planet Earth and by the shapes of two continents divided by a wide patch of ocean, they were roughly above the center of the Atlantic Ocean.
Moving his gaze up, he observed over a hundred similar platforms floating around them. Each had the same shape and most had between twenty and sixty people on them, but the thing that caught his eye was everyone’s equipment—or better the lack thereof.
No matter their race, and yes some were definitely not even shaped like humanoids, everyone was wearing only a simple white garb covering their modesty.
A glance at his chest confirmed that he was also covered in the same garb, and only then did he realize how dumb it would have been if he came here wearing the Hierarch’s robes.
Fuck, if what Melis’ar said is true, coming here and screaming I was the guy who took the first kill on Hierarch would put a big target on my head. They’ll figure it out eventually, but the longer it takes, the better for me.
Leaving that for later, he turned and looked over his floating platform.
Seems on the higher end of attendees, he noted, comparing their number with the others in the distance. Although almost a fourth of them are Aerilians.
Picking those out from the football field-sized platform was rather easy, as their heads peaked above even the tallest humans.
“So, let’s meet up with…” John started talking as he took two steps toward Dilah’ec and Galan’il, but smacked his head into a translucent barrier. “Huh?”
It came into view as he disturbed its calm surface, and rippled like a pond, revealing its round shape.
“The barrier should disappear in a few minutes,” Melis’ar said absentmindedly while using one of his golden quills to scribble something on an unfurled piece of parchment.
Other people were also running into them, but like Melis’ar predicted, a new notification soon popped into everyone’s view.
[Attention!
The meeting of the World Summit has begun.
During your stay, all active card abilities are blocked and all violent or intrusive actions are strictly forbidden.
This meeting has three parts, with the first and the third lasting one hour and the second lasting fifteen minutes]
Right after John finished reading through and dismissed it, a second screen popped into his view.
[Attention!
The first part of the World Summit is about to begin. You have one hour to get acquainted and form diplomatic or strategic relations with the other parties from the same territory.
For sensitive discussions, anyone may call upon a privacy screen and those present get an option to accept or decline and be moved outside its influence.
Time remaining: 00:59:59]
As John neared the end of the paragraph, the protective barrier popped like a soap bubble and a moment later, everyone started moving. The trios of humans mostly converged together or remained warily watching the others moving around them, but the Aerilians had only one clear target in mind—them.
The nearest group was led by a woman with golden hair pulled behind her head in what John guessed was a bun. She was flanked by an older Aerilian strikingly similar to Friala’el and a scholarly-looking man with pitch-black hair that perfectly matched the color of his eyes. However, the closer she came, the more uncertain the Aerilian woman appeared, and only when the scholarly man leaned in and whispered something to her, she steeled her resolve.
Looking between Ulian’al and Melis’ar she eventually picked the latter and approached.
“Brother,” she slightly dipped her head, “we need to talk.”
“Of course, but…” Melis’ar tried to forestall, throwing a pointed glance at their older brother, who was now scowling at them from a distance.
The Aerilian princess waited only two seconds for Dilah’ec to catch up and then leaned closer and whispered, “we have credible information that Iranas’al betrayed the empire.”
[Attention!
Melis’ar has called upon a privacy screen, and you have been included as one of the participants.
Do you want to attend?
Yes/No]
Yes!
A bubble snapped into place around them, forming a clear division between those outside.
“Explain,” Melis’ar commanded with a hint of harshness in his voice.
“I… What about him?” She muttered, looking at John. “Why is he even…”
“He stays,” Melis’ar cut her off, “and I hope your proof is truly credible, otherwise we have nothing more to talk about.”
It was obvious that she was caught off guard by her brother’s brash behavior and about to retort, but her black-haired companion salvaged the situation.
“If I may,” he touched her arm in a calming gesture and stepped around her. “Archduke Calian’ci sought out my mother shortly after we left due to an alarming discovery in the weave, and they worked together in what they hoped to be confirming the safety of the royal heirs. To their horror, they found out Iranas’al’s ties to a subsidiary of Blackstone Triumvirate.”
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
“What?!”
“Furthermore, at the time of our promotion to Bastion, the link connecting him to the Aerilian Empire was already broken. His presence here proves that he must have been given some kind of relic to change allegiance and obtain reinforcements from a different faction.”
“But why would he… What about Peron’ar?”
The dark-haired Aerilian lowered his eyes and shook his head.
“The report from our reinforcements stated that Peron’ar, along with both their Knight-Protectors, per… lost their lives shortly after the third hour of the invasion,” the princess said. “The last information came only a few minutes before our reinforcements were sent here, and it stated that Peron’ar’s Shelter was taken over and also had its allegiance changed. We believed that the enemy faction used those two Shelters as staging grounds for elite assassin squads and were planning to stage an ambush near the Territory Hierarch to take us out of the competition. I have…”
“Wait,” John, who until that moment remained in the back with Galan’il, walked next to Melis’ar. “If what she said is true, there might be even more to it than you expect.”
Frowning at the interruption, she gave her brother an expectant look. To her surprise, Melis’ar turned to face John directly and gestured to him to continue.
“Who is he, and what gives him the right to interrupt our conversation?”
“John is a native with whom I formed an alliance with, and I will not have you question neither my decisions nor his capabilities,” Melis’ar retorted. “You brought us grave news, and I am certain that you’ve been given a phrase from his Majesty to verify its integrity. However, I have now thousands of people relying on me and I will not let you and Iranas’al push me around! Not anymore.”
“But I have orders directly from our father, and he…”
“First, speak the phrases or our meeting is at its end,” she was interrupted again and clearly struggling to keep herself calm.
“Malarik’s final stand,” she answered through gritted teeth and turned toward Ulian’al, “Eternal Moonglade, and lastly,” she turned to Dilah’ec, “silken shadow. Now, are you ready to hear his Majesty’s decree?”
Watching all three of them confirm the phrases, John expected Melis’ar to agree to her demand, but the prince surprised him by his reply.
“No, I am not,” a small smile graced his lips. “John, you were about to mention something before she rudely interrupted?”
“I was,” John nodded. “An innkeeper serving in my… well at my place, mentioned that his mentor was about to face a life-threatening danger, and from his information it sounds strikingly similar to the situation she,” he pointed at the Aerilian princess, “just described.”
“Can you give us more details? Anything could be important,” Melis’ar pressed, his smile faltering.
“Yes. I remember him mentioning that someone hired two extermination squads that were supposed to form a trap near their Hierarch’s location, and that his mentor was acting as a Settlement-Guardian to an Alpha of House Terrorclaw.”
“That can’t be…” the princess gasped.
“How certain are you?” Melis’ar asked, now filled with worry.
“Hmm, I’d say completely certain. Also, I offered the innkeeper my help. His mentor’s Sector is in the neighboring Territory to the south and very close to the border, so I am planning to go there after I settle the issue with my family.”
“Why didn’t you mention it earlier? House Terrorclaw has close ties with his Majesty and is one of our essential allies. If only I…,” Melis’ar lifted his hands in an apologetic gesture and shook his head. “I am sorry, you had no reason to believe it had any importance to us. Knowing this further complicates our situation, though. Do you know how much time do you have?”
“The innkeeper mentioned I need to make it before the end of the month… well, in less than two weeks from now.”
“Okay, we can work with that. Now, Sarian’al, could you give us his Majesty’s orders?”
“He… uhh…,” she stammered, looking between John and her brother. “Our father ordered us to put off our differences and form an alliance to face both the danger and… the Territory Hierarch together.”
“A very reasonable request,” Melis’ar agreed. “The question is, who is supposed to be in charge of this alliance. Oh, and bear in mind that our Bastion’s promotion is already underway. What is your stance on this, brother?”
Ulian’al took a moment to collect his thoughts and then nodded, “it was our joint effort that brought the triumph of slaying the Territory Hierarch before the first week’s end to not only us, but also our empire as a whole. As such, to honor his Majesty’s decree, I propose a simple vote among the three of us.”
“But you…” Sarian’al tried to object.
“I propose that my brother, Prince Melis’ar, remains as the head of the alliance.”
“I appreciate your vote of confidence, and I propose myself to remain as the head of the alliance,” Melis’ar added with a stern expression and both of them looked at their older sister.
The dark-haired Aerilian jumped into the conversation before Sarian’al managed to retort. “Could you give us a moment to talk about this privately?” He asked and gently tugged her a few feet away, where they summoned a smaller bubble that was clouded in gray mist.
Huh, is our barrier also see-through only from the inside? John pondered as he looked between the cloudy bubble and the translucent edge of the one enveloping all of them. Another thing he noticed were the crestfallen faces of Duraq’er and Friala’el who were in a quiet conversation with the Sarian’al’s Knight-Protector.
“Did you have a good relation with Peron’ar?” Melis’ar asked, breaking the oppressive silence.
“No,” Ulian’al sighed. “When I was younger, I blamed him for being the youngest and taking away our father’s attention from me and when we grew up, I was too ashamed to admit it and do something about it.”
“Me neither. I was glad I wasn’t the only one with mixed blood, and I kept to myself, letting him bear the burden on his own. What a messed up family we are, huh?”
“One dead, another a traitor, and the third… What are you planning to do about her anyway?”
“I don’t know… Let’s see what they decide to do first. Also, I appreciate you speaking up for me.”
“You were right, it only took me a while to realize. We were led to believe that we are coming to this world as conquerors, and while I wasn’t planning to do anything malicious, I never took the natives as someone who could be worthy of our notice… someone who could become our equals or in rare cases,” Ulian’al smiled at John who was quietly listening to their conversation, “our betters.”
“I was lucky to earn both of your trusts,” Melis’ar agreed.
“Perhaps…” Ulian’ar spoke with a thoughtful expression. “Perhaps we should give Sarian’al a chance to find her place here as well. She might be too emotional for a diplomatic position, but we both know that she is an unparalleled warrior. Her talent with twin blades is legendary and if she manages to excel here, she could one day become the second coming of Saint Quari’ac.”
“You know, I might have just the…”
The gray bubble popped, and the princess and the dark-haired Aerilian were back.
“We agree to the proposed alliance.” She pronounced like someone accepting an undeserved punishment.
Melis’ar pulled a scroll from his pouch and unfurled it. “A very simple contract to finalize our alliance. Read through it and press your… ah, you know what to do.”
Her eyes zipped through it and after a couple of seconds, she passed it to her companion who did the same and nodded his head.
“Very well, the Bladewind Vale is at your disposal,” she pledged, cutting her thumb and pressing it to the bottom right corner of the parchment. “However, if you betray me or recklessly endanger my people, I will leave you to rot. Even if it forces me to abandon this entire invasion and return home in shame.”
“Actually, I might have something you could help us with, but it would be a dangerous venture, so I’d leave it up to you to decide if you believe you are up for it.”
“And what would that be?” She eyed him with a mix of curiosity and distrust.
“Ulian’al took over the command of our military force and their logistics, but while we are doing well overall, we are lacking the true elites. If you’d be willing to help us fill that and also perhaps take a more active role as their leader, you could speed up our expansion by days or even weeks.”
“You would have me form and lead your elite forces?”
“Well, if you show me that you are up for it, sure.”
Frowning, looked between him and Ulian’al for a couple of seconds, before retorting, “I am not here to prove myself to you.”
“Of course not,” Melis’ar immediately agreed. “But you must agree that we need to form the elite squads sooner or later, and if you can’t do it, I’ll have to find someone else, right?”
“What is the situation with other natives in your Sector?” John joined their conversation.
“As long as they leave us alone, we do the same.”
“Good point, John,” Melis’ar said. “Sarian’al, let your subordinates know that when they visit the Silverstar Enclave, they are expected to treat all natives with respect. We had some hostilities with few Shelters here and are now in a similar situation to yours, but we are also closely allied with the others, and anyone inside our Citadel is to be considered an ally unless they prove themselves otherwise.”
“I’ll make sure they are aware, you have my word,” she promised.
“In that case, I think we are done here,” Melis’ar declared, and was likely about to remove their privacy screen. However, John stopped him with a raised finger.
“I don’t know about you, but I am in no mood for more politicking, so unless some of you have other plans, I am perfectly content spending the remaining half hour here.”
“You could try asking them about your family,” Dilah’ec offered, pointing at the clusters of survivors scattered around their platform.
“I thought about it, but they saw me arriving with you, so I doubt they’d let me teleport into their Bastion without a lengthy negotiation. Besides, the Weaver’s Nest is almost two thirds of the way there, so I’ll just go on my own… or we can go together if you want to join me?”
“Gladly,” she smiled, which brought another wave of confusion from the princess and her companion.
“You know what, I think you are right, John,” Melis’ar chuckled. “If the rest of you agree, we can remain here and let the natives be by themselves.”
Like that, the royal siblings spent the rest of the hour planning their future cooperation, the Knight-Protectors mostly kept to themselves and mourned the loss of their life-long companions. John remained with Dilah’ec and Galan’il, and they were later joined by the dark-haired Aerilian who introduced himself as Kalin’fa.
The next system screen came up soon after.
[Attention!
The first part of the World Summit is nearing its end.
Seal your deals, finish your meetings, and prepare for the second part of the World Summit.
Time remaining: 00:00:59]