In the city of Ocaephis…

“So, you need more soldiers?” I asked the Peace Corp captain in front of me.

“Yes, my lord,” he responded, shifting uncomfortably in his seat.

“And why, pray tell, should I give you more? You already had 300 soldiers, 10 of which were mages. You should have plenty of manpower to wipe out a group of lowly bandits.”

The captain explained the situation to me. Apparently, there was a rogue coven or life mage in the area that had wiped out the bandits with golems.

“Before I address this issue, where is Kaeso? I put him in charge, shouldn’t he be making this report?”

“The journey was tiring, and he needed rest. However, knowing this information was important, he sent me in his stead.”

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“Tch. What a useless imbecile.”

As I was about to respond, someone knocked on the door to my office.

“Who is it?” I asked.

“Servius, my lord. I come with a letter sent by Viscount Typhoea.”

“Enter.”

My personal servant entered the office, making sure to close the door quietly behind him. Taking the letter, I cut open the wax seal and read the contents. I furrowed my brows as I realized what the letter said:

The Emperor has passed away. You know what this means.

“Captain,” I said. “Gather all the available troops in the city. Have them meet me in the city square tomorrow at sunrise.”

“My lord?” The captain asked, a confused look on his face.

“Do not make me repeat myself,” I growled, a vaguely threatening tone in my voice. The captain paled and bowed, and left to carry out my orders.

Addressing my servant next, I told him, “Send a message to Viscount Typhoea. Tell him we will march through the Iron Grove and meet him at Reles.”

“As you command, my lord.”