David was desperately in need of one thing at the moment, and it was good news. Ever since Orven had died, it’d been nothing but problems. Orven had been right about his death in several regards and David hated the fact that he was starting to rethink his actions. An emperor needed to be resolute, and he was struggling in that department.
He sat in his comfortable office chair, tapping his finger on the table awaiting for Erin to burst through the door with her reports and information. It was barely past dawn, and David had scarfed down breakfast so fast he was worried he might get a stomachache. He never did get those ailments. He rarely got ill at all, and even when he did he got over it rather quickly.
The only one he had right now as a headache, although that one was probably more mental than it was physiological.
Erin burst through the door with a stack of papers and the first smile he’d seen on her face in a long time. The pile landed onto his desk with a loud, triumphant thud.
“Good morning?” David asked, puzzled.
“Yes it is. Because I’ve got the one thing you’ve been desperate for.”
“The answer to whatever Orven was going on about?” David’s eyes lit up like a match had been struck behind them.
“Well, maybe. That’s what the stack of papers is for. No, I’ve got a positive update on one of your endeavors. The AM project has had a breakthrough. I’ve only got only a couple details, but they were intent on showing you in person.”
The AM Project is actually pulling their weight? Wonder if I’m going to have to edit the budget proposal. Pretty sure they’re on the actual one, not the strigshit I share with the court.
David leaned back in his chair, exhaling a well of stress that had been coalescing inside of him. This was another step of progress that the Empire needed to survive in the coming future. Erin was also rather invested in the project, being the one who managed to create something tangible out of David’s rather insane proposal.
“How long until we depart? If the stack of papers is what you say they are, I’d prefer to delve into them sooner than later.”
“We leave in ten. I’ve already prepared our transport, and have the list of names placed inside. I can go over the core information on the way there. The rest can come later, once you’ve gotten something to raise your spirits.” Erin said with a delightful grin that David could lose himself in for hours.
He stood up from his chair, walked over to Erin and looked down at her. His regal smile beamed in the softly lit room. Placing a hand under her chin, he lifted up her adorable face for him to appreciate. The brief moment of intimacy reddened Erin’s cheeks just before she brushed the hand aside.
“Not right now. You can ogle me after we’ve figured out what’s trying to kill us.”
“Fine.” David pouted before returning to his normal regal demeanor. He made a short detour to grab his imperial mantle and stepped outside of the palace, flanked by guard on all sides as he entered the carriage along with Erin.
After a brief moment of silence, Erin reached into a satchel and handed David four pieces of paper, all of them filled to the brim with writing.
“These are the four major theories I’ve come up with to explain what Orven meant. There’s more details contained in the others which show potential proof for each of these, along with factors that might disprove each theory.” Erin explained while David flipped across each sheet, skimming through to get the general gist of each one.
“These are just the ones covering specific areas of attack that Orven’s co-conspirators may be coming from?” David inquired, noticing the lack of specific details.
“The specifics are what the rest of the papers are for, but mostly yes.”
The blood of the first won’t protect me was a specific threat.
“Some of these seem a bit less grounded than others,” David raised up one of the pages, “Orven’s party is a bit too nationalistic to try and help another nation overthrow us.”
“I thought that as well until I looked into his finances. Again, we can go over this later. We’re supposed to be enjoying a victory, right?”
“Right…” David’s voice trailed off as he looked out his window. This was supposed to be something worth celebrating. Other people might have celebrated it too, if they knew about it in the first place.
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The AM project was, in David’s mind, on the same level of importance as cracking the method to make slave cuffs. It could even invalidate that research if it got far enough.
AM stood for Artificial Magore, which to some would sound downright insane. Magore was a natural element of the world, and an unruly one at that. Arlin had barely managed to wrestle control over it in their history. Fabricating it was a nonsensical ideal.
At least, that was what one might think until one actually understands magore. It is pure condensed mana given physical form. The main utilization of that is to power technology and weaponry with the mana contained inside of it. However, if one could theoretically take mana and condense it into solid structures, they could create magore without needing for it to spend centuries coalescing deep beneath the ground.
Humans already had some control over mana, if they were attuned. The entire purpose of magore technology was to give a normal human power that can rival that of an attuned, giving them some equality on the battlefield. The fact that the Empire had to use slaves to mine magore limited their progress, and the AM Project was their way to finally remove the need for that from the system.
Another notable fact about the project was the fact that outside of those who worked on it, only a scant few knew of its existence. AM existed in the empty space between the lines of government paperwork, hidden so deeply that calling it a secret felt like an understatement. The AM Project was designed to function as though it never existed in the first place.
The budget for the project had been nestled inside other public projects which the court actually knew about, acting as a way to trim the fat of these other endeavors in a logical and productive manner. The same went for those who worked on it. While the researchers may have been assigned to other projects, that was only to cover for their true work.
The members of the court would have viewed the project as a bureaucratic parasite. David viewed it as a measure of making sure the lins his government spent went to a good cause that wasn’t lining the pockets of the true parasites of the empire.
AM was hidden because of the potential chaos it could cause if it was ever leaked. Arlin’s growth was intentionally paced to be fast enough to overwhelm his enemies, but slow enough as to not inspire a unified front in opposition. The creation of artificial magore would without a doubt insure Arlin’s victory over the continent and potentially even shrink Erin’s twenty year time frame. If word got out, the rest of Sol would have no choice but to form a unified front in order to defeat Arlin before they could achieve this goal.
It was Arlin’s hidden win condition, and David wanted to keep it that way. If he could find a way to bend the laws of reality to his whim, perhaps the protection of the first’s blood wouldn’t matter as much.
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The Emperor stepped out of the carriage and into the street, guard watching his every step as Erin meekly followed behind him. They’d ramped up his personal security nearly threefold since Orven’s death, and it was making Erin feel claustrophobic.
Murmurs were heavy as he made his way inside, as the researchers either bowed or greeted him in the way he was painfully used to. He was going towards the back stairwell, ignoring any possible distraction that could appear. Midway through his walk, one of his guards handed him a lantern. Once he got there, the guards made a human wall as he made his way inside to block any other entrance to the stairwell.
The research building was constructed of multiple floors, with a basement that most assumed was either for miscellaneous maintenance technology. The faint hum of magore filled the air as he stared at the dark stairwell, and he could tell it was making her sick.
“Erin, if you really want to come, get a suit.” He chided her.
“Is there one my size?”
“Actually, I had one sized just for you. It’s in a closet on the second floor with your name on it.” David grinned like a child who’d just gotten away with stealing from their parents.
“I’m going to melt to death.”
“Would you prefer puking your breakfast out over these fine patriot’s work?” He asked rhetorically.
Erin let out a frustrated groan and ran upstairs. He could hear the researchers happily greeting and directing her. After a few minutes, she clumsily trudged downstairs in the awkward suit. A mix of fabric and metal covered every inch of her skin, with her only viewpoint to the outside world being a pair of carefully crafted goggles.
“I’m going to make you pay for this.”
“Sure you will.” David teased, patting her on the shoulder.
“It’s a struggle to even breathe in this thing, let alone walk. How do the researchers get any work done in these death traps?” Erin bemoaned, pinching at the fabric on her arm. There was a singular entryway for air in the suit, being a metal mesh at the back.
“Would you like me to carry you?”
Erin’s response was a simple punch in the shoulder. The two chuckled as they made their way downstairs and towards the research project.
Inside the basement, machinery hissed and hummed, whirring with technology only a scant few in the empire could understand. Erin held close, hugging right next to his side the entire time as he surveyed around, looking for the one door located deep inside. It was a heavy iron door, bolted shut with a number of locks.
As he made his way up to it, he knocked on it a few times and declared his presence.
“I’m here to see your work.”
Within a few moments the door burst open to several researchers hiding their terror behind a welcoming smile.
“Emperor, I’m so glad you could make it.” Researcher General Solomon said, bowing low enough to show his growing bald spot.
Researcher General was the highest position anyone who did research for the empire could hold. They controlled which experiments occurred and were intended to be at the top of everything in the realm of Arlin’s technological advancement.
Solomon, despite his age, had only gained the position midway through David’s reign. His wrinkled face and wispy gray hair were things he took pride in, as he was around during Arlin’s beginnings. He remembered the first uses of magore and was even alive during the creation of what would be the modern burner and igniter.
He was retired before David recruited him and brought him back into the world of research, which he greatly appreciated. His memory was long enough to both remember the great achievements of the First Emperor and could compare it to the horrid performance of the Third.
David reminded him of the First in many ways, which made him easy to persuade to do just about anything. A tool that was both smart and loyal was invaluable to his plans, and he intended to keep Solomon kicking for as long as possible.
“The pleasure is mine, old friend. I’ve been waiting with bated breath after hearing of your progress, especially since you seem inclined to share it in person.” David replied, hoping to speed things up so Erin didn’t pass out.
“Your kind words are appreciated. Please, come with me.”
The two began walking into the dense laboratory, watching them write down notes as they walked towards an imposing machine. The main body of it was circular, with what appeared to be an input and output hole on each side surrounded by jutting metal on all sides. Solomon stopped the pair, grabbing a clipboard from a nearby desk and clearing his throat.
“This is the model we believe we can use to create AM. It’s not functional yet, but we’re using it as a basis for a greater test. As of right now, we believe we have discovered the necessary piece we’ve been missing in the process of creating AM.” Solomon explained, handing the clipboard over to David.
It was mostly the same shape, but as he flipped through the pages he saw an internal view of the machine, where his eyes were caught on a very bizarre detail.
“Solomon, could you please explain why there’s a human inside the diagram? Is that to show scale?” David warily inquired, passing the clipboard over to Erin for her to review it.
There was a bizarre silence that filled the rest of the room as though some unspoken rule had been broken. Solomon paused, taking a deep breath before answering.
“No. That is part of the design.”
David felt a sense of unease crawling up his spine, as he questioned whether this visit was the good news he’d been searching for.
“Could you elaborate?”
Solomon walked over to the machine, placing his hand on the cylinder. David wondered if he was trying to avoid looking him in the face.
“Controlling mana is a delicate process. It surrounds us, there’s no industrial method to condense it into a form that is similar to magore. Even naturally, magore deposits take centuries to form underground. The only way we know of to control mana is through attunements. If we can take control of the process that occurs within attuned that allows them to control mana within their own bodies, we could theoretically use that to force their flow to condense the mana rather than to transform it,” Solomon exposited, still hiding from the emperor’s gaze. “The next step would be a larger version of this model, where we could test this to its fullest. However, since what we are working with is relatively small, we would need a smaller attuned to confirm our theories.”
David sat on the words for a moment, running through them several times. Something had felt off, and now he completely understood why.
“Are you asking me to supply you with children to use as test subjects?”
Solomon took a deep breath and finally turned away from the machine, locking eyes with David. He looked desperate, as though he was clinging onto any shreds of companionship he had formed for dear life.
“That would be the logical next step. It has taken us nearly a year to get just this one prototype. It would require far more funding and time to create a model that could use larger attuned. We’re on the verge of a massive breakthrough that could lead to mass AM production within the decade. If we’re forced to slow down now, that would put all of our progress to a halt.”
“What range of ages are you specifically planning on using?” David asked with gritted teeth. Looking down, he could see that Erin’s gloved hand had grabbed onto his wrist. He could feel how uncomfortable she was even without seeing her face.
“Sir, I would like to empha-”
“What ages?” David reiterated with a far louder and more aggressive tone. Solomon’s resolve seemed to be faltering more with every second.
“With the current size of the machine, we believe the best ages would be three to five.” Solomon regretfully responded.
He wants toddlers?
“No.” Erin blurted out through her suit.
“Erin?”
“This is not something we can agree to do.” Erin asserted.
Solomon’s desperation shifted into frustration at his advisor, looking as though he’d somehow been slighted.
“Young lady, this is the Emperor’s decision, not your own.” Solomon chided her, trying to weaponize his seniority.
Stolen story; please report.
David stepped forward, towering over Solomon radiating with power and authority. He’d acted above his station, and that wasn’t something he could abide by.
“She is far above your authority as Researcher General. I should punish you for treating her in such a way.”
“I apologize, Emperor. My ambition got the best of me.” Solomon apologized as he bowed once more.
“Indeed it has. I am impressed with your work Solomon, but I don’t believe I can make such a decision at the moment. I will inform you in the coming days on whether or not I will supply your project with what you requested.” David proclaimed before turning and making his way back towards the exit with the diagrams. Erin had remained attached to his wrist the entire time and was reluctant to let go.
This is far more than anything that can be blamed on senility.
“I’m sorry.” Erin murmured softly.
“Don’t be. Your voice of reason is what I cherish the most about you. Now let’s get you out of this suit and back to the palace before you throw up.”
He couldn’t see it, but he assumed that Erin was smiling beneath the suit. It was a comforting thought, and it was one he needed.
She changed rather quickly into her normal outfit and made her way outside where the carriage was already waiting. The two sat in silence, staring at each other as they both ruminated on Solomon’s request.
David took a brief look outside and saw two young children stop in the middle of their play to marvel at the Emperor’s carriage. They were young, although David guessed they were likely above the age that Solomon was asking for. The fact he was thinking about that at all sickened him.
This may just be another sacrifice I must take.
“Erin, I know what you mean when you said no. But I think we should consider our options.”
“You want us to use children as fuel for his experiments? We have no idea if it will even result in anything.” Erin snapped back, digging into David’s conscience.
“We can’t act like we have any moral high ground. We already put children into our mining camps.” He pushed back to maintain moral stability.
“But they’re never that young. We don’t kill attuned or put them in the mines if they’re below the age of seven. We have a code, and I know that because you were the one who created it.”
She was, as usual, correct. When they conquered territory, if they discovered attuned children that were below the age of seven, they would instead send them to be converted into assets for Arlin, often by being inserted into the adoption system. David did it as a way to bolster Arlin’s amount of attuned in its military in the long run. The children were young, which meant they could be molded. Their culture and identity could be replaced with that of Arlin’s, allowing them to become helpful assets to the empire. They held similar status to those outside True Arlin, but could gain complete citizenship if they joined the military.
It was a twisted form of humanitarianism that appealed both to Arlinian sensibilities and the Court’s avarice. And it was what had been lingering in David’s mind from the moment they left Solomon’s lab.
“David, I want to achieve your dream just as much as you. I truly believe we can do it. But not like this. There are some lines we shouldn’t cross unless we’re desperate, which we are not right now. Until Solomon changes the design, AM can wait.” Erin pleaded.
“I…” David faltered with his words. Just looking at Erin’s face was enough to make his heart sink.
I can’t betray her.
“I promise that I’ll hold off any requests Solomon makes. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and we are not in those desperate times. At least, not yet.”
Erin let out a heavy sigh, leaning up against the window of the carriage.
“I’m afraid how far that line truly is.”
“Me too.”
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Back in his office, far away from Solomon, David disliked the fact he wasn’t feeling any better. The documents in front of him weren’t very good for his mentality, as they all signaled the many ways his enemies might be coming for him. They had been ranked one to four in terms of most to least likely
The first theory was the most plausible. There was an intended coup building within the court. A senior member of some kind would gather support and replace David. With Orven’s party and the rhetoric surrounding them, he’d been keeping tabs on a few individuals who had possible claims of legitimacy they could use in such a situation.
The second theory was the one he’d noted on the ride to the laboratory. An attack from an opposing nation, who wanted to take down the Empire by destroying its head. The immediate instability would lead to a feeding frenzy for the governors and court members as they all grasped for power, likely on a local level rather than immediately reforming Arlin.
The third theory suggested that there might be another heir to the throne. The third had no children, but he did have a couple lovers. David had kept an eye on each of them, and found that none of them had children that could be related to the Third. The theory posited that there might be a hidden heir that is simply waiting to be placed on the throne which David hadn’t discovered yet.
The fourth theory suggested a people’s revolution which was supported by Orven. This was the most unlikely, since he could never imagine a man as greedy supporting a revolution done by the common man.
“Four theories, all of them with individual evidence… we can throw out number four, right?” David asked, holding up the sheet in his hand.
“It’s worth keeping in mind. We still have no idea how many people are supporting this. Orven didn’t work alone, and with our current debacle in Corith…”
David groaned as the slave rebellion in Corith came to his mind again. He’d heard that the majority of their forces had been destroyed, but when they checked, Grayson wasn’t among them. That meant that it wasn’t over, and that he’d have to keep an eye on the territory.
He’d given Lieutenant Keagan authority over how the military should respond as he trusted the man’s instincts. He’d heard of Theodore’s passing, which he found regrettable, but he also saw the benefits it could bring. Motivation could bring out the best within a person, and there was no greater motivation than revenge for a loved one.
“I wanted to cover all angles of attack we have, and see where you might want to start searching.” Erin grabbed the page out of his hand and placed it back on the pile.
David placed his elbows on the table and held his head, thinking over every detail in front of him. There were some things he had expected, but Erin had gone above and beyond with collecting information. She had cataloged the transaction behaviors of Orven and other members of his faction. She’d even listed which nations might have been able to make ties with Orven.
She did all of this while also being the cutest woman in Vyris.
Her petite face along with her dirty blonde hair that was tied into a bun tugged at his heart strings. Her secretary outfit was hitting all of his desires for a visual, her black skirt showing her ankles in a way that would have caused a social panic a few decades ago.
She is the perfect woman.
“David…” Erin groaned, snapping him out of his daydream.
“It’s not my fault. You make it quite easy to get distracted.”
Erin slowly made her way to his side of the desk and placed her hand in his hair, ruffling it.
“What about the threat of death is making you such a romantic?” She teased.
“Maybe I’m just worried we might not get to experience certain things. I can handle another scandal or two, don’t you think?” David grinned as he stood up from his chair.
“You’re serious about this?” Erin insisted, locking eyes with her childhood friend. Her cheeks were already an adorable shade of red.
“Very. But only with your consent.” David emphasized. He’d gotten touchy with her earlier, but that was just the two of them toying with each other like they always did. This was different.
“If that is what you desire.”
“No, I want this to be your choice. Controlling your decision is the last thing I would want to do. If I’m going to love you I want to do it as David, not as Emperor.”
Erin paused, somewhat overwhelmed by the gesture. Her hand slowly moved up to David’s cheek as a soft smile formed across her lips.
“You’re a lucky man, David Arlin.”
“I know.”
David leaned down and the two embraced in a kiss, wrapping their arms around each other. The cold air of winter melted away. It felt as though nothing else existed except for this simple, beautiful moment. David felt the happiest he ever had in his entire time as Emperor.
They kissed a few more times, relishing each moment. When David felt it was fitting to finally pull away, he couldn’t help but laugh at himself.
“Our image of romance is quite childish, it seems.” He jokingly admitted.
“Would you like to change that?” Erin tempted him, which he happily obliged.
With a quick swooping motion, he moved one of his arms from her back and down below her hips, lifting her up in a rather fitting princess carry. The two walked down the halls of the palace towards his bedroom, laughing and kissing the entire time.
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For it being their first time, David thought he had done rather well. Erin was the one who had seemingly read more on the subject and led him most of the way, but he was intentionally going slow. Even though he had gotten his initial yes, he never wanted to go past what Erin was comfortable with, and made sure she was willing at every step.
Resting in bed, David couldn’t sleep, but it wasn’t because of any frustration or headache. He just wanted to admire Erin’s adorable sleeping face as much as possible.
She’d fallen asleep quickly after they had finished, leaving David to think to himself in the meantime.
He had never considered it before, but now that he had passed this threshold, he could genuinely consider offspring. He’d avoided that from happening, since this was their first time, but it remained on his mind.
That should definitely be her decision, not mine.
That time would come. For now, he just wanted to enjoy the beautiful sight in front of him.
The only light in the room was that of the moon and the stars, through which David could see relatively fine. That was why he was able to notice a slight disturbance in it and bolted upwards.
Shrouded in dark clothing, a man was making his way towards Erin on the bed. Seeing David bolt upwards he immediately started to lunge directly at her.
David’s protective instincts kicked in as mana focused into his middle finger, expressing itself as pure light.
The power surged out of his finger in a dense and focused beam of energy. David quickly made a swift chopping motion with the laser, the beam crossing over the assassin’s midsection.
Light, no matter how much energy it contained, lacked the ability to physically push back the assassin. However, just before the man began to leap over the bed, he felt an odd form of internal dissonance.
He stumbled and realized he no longer had control over his legs, and that his upper body was sliding away from his lower half. Just below his navel where the beam had crossed, there was a physical gap where flesh and bone had been erased and turned into ash.
Emperor David Arlin had just cut him in half.
His upper body slid forward and toppled onto the bed, squirming as his guts began to spill out over the bed sheets. In a quick motion, David wrenched the dagger from the man’s weakening grip and smashed his fist against the back of his neck to try to silence his bloody screams. Leaning over to check under the bed for more threats, he saw that it remained empty.
Erin had awoken at this point, and seeing the man’s bisected body, shrieked. She pulled back on the covers and pushed right against the bed rest to avoid the assassin’s clumsy movements. She kicked at his head over and over through the covers to keep him away.
“UNDER THE BED NOW!” David shouted at her. She scrambled out over the covers and hid below.
Standing up, he moved to look out the window. Nothing was hidden from his sight, and his eyes immediately landed on a far off figure standing on the Royal Court’s rooftop, holding a scoped igniter. The energy in David focused into his middle finger as he imitated the shape of a burner.
The man could tell that what was staring directly at him was not the target, and prepared to hide, but it was too late. What exited his finger looked like a delicate string of searing white light like a thread stolen from the great tapestry of the sun. With a surgical motion of his wrist, the beam cut through one of the man’s legs, separating it at the knee. The assassin lost his balance and fell onto one of the slanted sections of the roof. As he slid off the roof and to his death, his screams were loud enough that even David could hear them.
Letting out a frustrated sigh, he made his way back to the bed to find the assassin’s torso still squirming and gurgling blood. It was such an irritating noise to listen to, so David decided to shut him up.
He placed his hand on the back of the man’s head and filled it with power. With only a slight push, his hand was able to melt through clothes, hair, skin, and bone until it came out on the other side. The hand was covered in viscera when he pulled it back out, which he flicked off.
The door burst open, as lantern carrying guards filled the room. It was brief, but he could see that the guards who were outside of his room were lying either dead or injured.
Probably a wind attunement for the assassin, to hide his movements. I got lucky this time.
“Sir, are you-”
“I’m fine. Erin, you can come out from the bed. I want her taken to the panic room and kept there until we’ve swept the entire castle.” He ordered succinctly, grabbing a blanket from the bed and wrapping it around Erin’s shivering body.
Some of the guards were also looking at him, their eyes drawn to his nude form. David’s physique was known to be impressive, and he had seemingly met or even surpassed their expectations. David forced himself to ignore it as he picked up his underwear from the floor and put it on.
“Right away, Emperor Arlin. Is that… him?” Erikson, one of his more preferred guards, asked.
“What is left of him. There’s another who has fallen off of the Court building. Send a few men to check for a body.”
“Of course. I apologize for forcing you to fight yourself, although your usage of both your attunement and a burner is quite masterful.”
If only they knew.
“Save the compliments for later.” David brushed aside the comment as he watched Erin move out surrounded by a huddle of soldiers. His perfect night with her had been ruined.
She was the clear target of the attack, not him. That meant they were getting closer than they would like. And the fact that David had dealt with them so easily told him one very important thing.
They didn’t know what David’s attunement was. Nor did they know just how proficient he was with it.
David was known as being attuned by most of Arlin. It was a matter of pride for the empire, as few rulers could be said to hold such a power. The fact that he was often compared to the Sun made most assume he had a fire attunement. Light attunements were so rare that to think the emperor might have one seemed preposterous.
It was only known by a scant few that he had such an attunement. He was trained in private, and the person who trained him was dead. He had practiced himself when possible, and had intentionally broken up times in his schedule to refresh his memory and stretch his attunement muscles. Those times had gotten shorter as of recent and were basically non-existent nowadays.
Attunements and their powers were often based on the capabilities of the mind, rather than individual strength. A creative mind could take an attunement to new limits. David was very creative, and had strong mental fortitude.
This made him very, very good at using his powers.
David, the Emperor of Arlin, was the deadliest light attuned on the entirety of Sol.
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News spread fast about the assassination attempt on the Emperor’s life in the following four days. This was the second time an attack had happened in Vyris that occurred either near Emperor Arlin’s life. The attack wasn’t intended specifically for him, but the newspapers decided to spin it that way. Most likely, at the Emperor’s request. David thought that if he spinned the story that way, it would be easier for the court to approve his request to beef up the military presence around the city.
Researcher General Solomon, sitting in his office at the top of the Vyris Research Center, found the situation all rather amusing. He had to, because it was the only way to stave off the extreme boredom.
After Erin’s little interjection, work on the AM project had been put on hold until a formal response came from the Emperor. They needed to know what direction the project would be forced to take. However, unlike the majority of the researchers who worked under him, the assassination attempt had made Solomon rather hopeful.
The door to his office opened, and one of the meek junior researchers came in with a letter in hand bearing the Imperial Seal. The researcher placed it on his desk and left as quickly as he had come in without a single word.
Filled with giddy excitement, the type he’d felt had been lost with his youth, he opened up the letter and optimistically unfolded the message.
Researcher General Solomon, I thank you for your service to the Empire. After reviewing your request for subjects, I have come to a decision.
I consider your work integral to protecting this empire’s future, which is why I am allowing for this unique exception to our normal principles.
You will be supplied with three subjects of your specification. All of them have been classified as dead or missing in our registries. They are to be handled carefully and disposed of once used to maintain secrecy. Until the experiment shows any form of results, you will not receive any more subjects. If there is any breach in confidentiality, the AM Project will be put on indefinite pause.
I expect great things from you. Do not disappoint me.
Solomon couldn’t help but laugh to himself. The Emperor’s advisor had seemingly changed her mind. The young Arlin was an independent figure who rarely bent to the whims of others, with her being the sole exception. There was no way he would do this unless she allowed him to. The fact he’d only been given three was likely a stipulation decided by her.
He’d wanted far more. Any good research required consistent proof, of course. If the current political climate was more stable, he probably would have tried to haggle for at least ten.
Erin’s moral hang ups were a pain, but the old researcher couldn’t help but feel an odd sense of fondness for her. She reminded Solomon of the First’s wife. The only difference was that the First’s wife knew her place. Erin was what made David different from the other Emperors and far harder for the Court to control. Roland was similarly valuable, but didn’t hold the same sway over the young Arlin’s decisions.
The two were desperate now after the attack. The Emperor needed power to maintain his legitimacy and control over both the throne and the rest of the Empire. Solomon seemed to be happy to oblige them.
He did realize some of the comedy of it all. After all, he’d approved of the assassination attempt in the first place.
They were going to go after his assistant eventually, but Solomon thought speeding up the time table would force a sense of urgency onto the young Arlin. They’d not prepared for her to be in the same bed as him, and that small change had been what had saved her life.
As a man who had mentored David throughout his life, Solomon knew that there was likely no better protector in Vyris than David himself. They’d be inseparable after this, yet Solomon was still as positive as ever.
The assassination attempt was a win-win scenario. Either they removed Emperor Arlin’s most trusted ally, stopping him in his tracks in terms of his policy and giving the court more room to exert pressure on him, or they would push him to be more desperate and speed up the AM project.
He liked this scenario more than the former. It was selfish, but he was sure that the AM project could be continued even with the Emperor’s growing anxiety. He cared for his assistant, which was why he would fight far harder to protect her. He’d improve the Empire’s military and technology all in the name of protecting his love. It was rather poetic.
Solomon stood up from his chair and went to look out at the beautiful city of Vyris. He had been here since the beginning and saw it grow from just a simple village to a technological marvel. Only a dreamer like himself could have imagined such a future, which was what had kept him in the good graces of Arlin for so long.
He wished he could see more of its future, to have more time on his side. This flower of an Empire had only just begun to bloom. This research into artificial magore was necessary for that future.
It was a shame that David would never get to see it. After all, The AM project was intended for the next emperor to bring to fruition.