Empire of Cailan in 2378 after the founding of the empire.

Imperial Palace in the capital Cailan.

In a room in the imperial palace within the private quarters of the empress.

The room was decorated with wallpaper in friendly spring colors, according to the season. In front of a large window front, which allowed a breathtaking view over the imperial capital, stood a heavy table made of black wood. With an equally impressive chair behind it, which was not occupied at the moment.

The occupant of the chair and table stood in front of her window, watching the hustle and bustle of the city. Her gaze wandered from one hill to the next as she walked along the window. Until she had walked in a circle once and stood behind her desk again.

The city below her was bathed in sunshine, the first warm day of the new year, and though it was such a beautiful day, her mood was saddened.

For in the center of the room was another table on which a corpse was laid out. In a neat row at the foot of the table stood six soldiers in imperial uniforms.

The black uniforms with their metal buttons polished to a shine, to which medals for their merits were attached at chest level, stood in stark contrast to the bright colors in the room. So did the crest of their commander and their associated principality.

He was a little nervous, as he always was when he had to deliver bad news to family members. It didn't make things any better that it was the dead one of his general and lord and the Empress, who was still lost in thought in front of a window, was his sister. By the three sisters, why did something like this always have to happen to him.

Inconspicuously, he tried to look around the room without moving his head.

The room into which they had been led was a roundish room with windows on all sides. Which allowed a panoramic view. The little bit of wall that was still visible between them, as well as the part of the wall under the window and the part under the ceiling, were covered in a wallpaper that was meant to look spring-like. Unfortunately, something like that was always completely lost on him, he couldn't recognize any of the trees or name any of the birds, and it was too colorful for him. Too colorful. He was used to military barracks, which were not really colorful.

Behind him, the door was pushed open. Before the new guests could even be announced, the doors were slammed shut. A tall man came walking past him, slowing down as he came to the body on the table.

He had stopped at the right side of the body and was looking at it. Before anything further could happen, the door was opened another time. Another man walked past him, who stopped on the other side of the table.

Now that he had seen all three of them, he saw a certain resemblance to his lord. These had to be the other children of the Basilisk family.

The great man standing at the right hand of his master had to be Denzel. Commander of the first army and bulwark against the hordes of barbarians threatening to invade the Empire.

The smaller man opposite was Kilian, also a gifted general, but far more famous for his own fighting prowess. Which was so great that he alone decided the battle at the pass to the west and single-handedly slew the mad leader of the Gods' State with just one strike.

Not to forget the Empress herself, a woman famous beyond the borders of the Empire for her beauty and as far as he knew, the political heavyweight of the Empire. A member of the Phoenix faction within the Empire one of two power blocs within the Empire that were fighting for the future of the Empire.

All three were of some height, but except for Denzel, who towered over him by a head, all were around six inches tall, just like him and his soldiers. A certain similarity could not be denied.

Only now he noticed that the empress was taller than the emperor, who is called a dwarf by many of the citizens.

Immediately banishing this thought from his mind, he tried to concentrate again on the here and now.

A clearing of the throat from behind him, the two brothers turned in the direction of the sound. He was about to turn around as well when the person entered his field of vision. Like him and his soldiers and the two generals, he was wearing a uniform of the imperial military.

The man bowed with a click of his heels.

"Honored gentlemen, Empress." A quick nod in the direction of him and his soldiers. His uniform identified him as a medic. He was probably supposed to examine the body, determine what his master had died off.

Which shouldn't be too hard, since his head was missing and he had a big hole in his chest. As he found pretty clear, so why call in an outsider. Was this another one of the attempts by the political opposition to interfere in the situation.

"If I could just briefly introduce myself. My name is Ethan Kurpfuscher. At the request of the Empress, I have been called in and briefed on the circumstances."

The two brothers looked to their sister, it seemed to him that the Empress was in charge here. Which should not surprise him, considering they were in her territory.

The Empress had turned to them and regarded them all for a few moments before her gaze wandered to her brother's corpse.

"Yes. Please begin your work." Which she emphasized with a hand, pointing to her brother's corpse.

Kurpfuscher nodded curtly and set to work.

"May I request that they stand back, gentlemen?" Which the generals did with a sound of agreement.

The examination took some time, during which the medic not only drew on his expertise as such but also cast several spells. He could not say what the individual spells were capable of, and unfortunately, he had not taken his own physician to the meeting with the Empress. Not that this new court physician would find anything different from their own.

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The spells illuminated some regions of the body or special things like veins or bones through the skin. To the same extent, the medic undressed his master's corpse as he cast his spells. In the end, as the medic washed his hands in a bowl that was quickly brought in, Denzel asked in an impatient voice.

"So, did you find anything? I mean something other than the absence of the head and his heart."

Kilian, as well as the empress, nodded in agreement. Even though he had had difficulty perceiving the empress's movement. Kurpfuscher pondered for a few more moments, during which his face took on a thoughtful expression.

"Your honorable brother has been murdered, not that those present did not already know that. -" He raised a hand to stop them all from asking questions and to give him more time to explain. - "The circumstances are quite amazing, though. To the untrained eye, her brother's body looks like any other murder corpse. But that's why the Empress brought me in, I think. Did you have a guess, my Empress?" He now looked the Empress directly in the eye an act which under normal circumstances could be seen as an attack on her position or a sign of disrespect. Both serious accusations which anyone would avoid under normal circumstances, except Kurpfuscher, it seemed to him.

Both serious accusations which anyone would avoid under normal circumstances, except Kurpfuscher, it seemed to him.

"Whispers here and there mentioning dark figures roaming the lands and assassinating the mighty. -" She points a hand at him. - "And, of course, the reports I received about my brother's margraviate thanks to Commander Rahssmus. Such as the seizure of such a figure in the realm of the Kimmer." She paused and looked at each of those present before extending a hand. Her hand touched a barrier, which came to life with a silent command from the Empress.

"So paranoid sis?" Kilian asked as he watched the barrier being built. Denzel made a sound of agreement or the words had gotten lost in his enormous beard. The latter only smiled faintly at her brother's question.

"You know yourself how it is little brother. We have enough enemies as it is, we don't need anymore. Or that our current ones know everything we know. Besides, that's just one of many barriers which are active right now." Kilian whistled admiringly.

"How many is it the last time you were able to maintain four." Four! That was better than any soldier he knew who specialized in barriers, and now there were possibly more?!"

"Sixteen." A gasp escaped him and also his soldiers. Which made all eyes in the room fall on them. Sixteen, that was really an impressive number. If these still had high effectiveness, then she was a walking Dragon. He had quickly regained his composure just like his soldiers. They were the best army in the empire for a reason. The Empress had raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"Forgive me, your highness. Please continue." To which the latter just tilted her head and looked at him for a moment. Which reminded him, as with his masters, of the look of a predator.

"But that aside. The picked-up person was a demon, as also some demons appear in your report commander Rahssmus. Now it still depends on what court physician Kurpfuscher found?" To which she directs her questioning gaze at the latter.

"The race of the murderer I could discover by some foreign bodies, also a poison was used, which is used with preference by demons. At least if one can believe the old records. What I can say for sure about the poison is that the plants from which it is extracted are found only on the demon continent and are called Lilith's Kiss.

Another interesting thing I could find out is that the core was taken from your brother's corpse. As you can all see, the head, as well as the heart, was also taken from him. Commander, may I ask if any books were taken or other types of record?" He cleared his throat briefly before beginning to speak.

"No, no record was stolen and there we can be sure Azla would have informed us about it long ago otherwise." Which only made Kurpfuscher nod.

"Then one more question commander. Can you still feel your oath?" He had a hard time hiding his surprise.

"Before I can answer that, I have something to announce." This prompted Ia one of his subordinates to takeout a roll from the sheath she had been carrying. She unrolled the scroll for him and handed it to him.

"This is the last will and testament of your brother, my lord. To my knowledge, you have a copy of these documents, but here I have the original. Can you confirm to me that you are the heir to all the positions and property of your brother Caleb of Basilisk?"

Both generals turned to their sister. The latter considered for a short time.

"Yes, I am aware of that, and that is what my brother agreed with me. Why do you ask?"

"As, Acting Commander-in-Chief of the Twelfth Army and as Provisional Provincial Ruler, I recognize you as the rightful ruler and hand over to you." When the empress answered, the seal on the document turned green to show that she had spoken the truth by the three sisters.

"Your Highness, do you trust those present here?"

"Yes"

"Good, then I can testify that we the soldiers of the twelfth army can all feel our oath of allegiance and also that Azla the house spirit of the deceased lord, can do so." He observed each of those present to get a better picture of them thanks to their reaction.

Kurpfuscher only nodded, before moving on to an answer. The two brothers seemed to want to wait and see before interjecting.

"Then I would like to mention that your brother was one of the most extraordinary people I know, even if that is post mortem in this case. Your brother has reached the tenth level." This statement made everyone in the room freeze, it had become so quiet that you could hear the rustling of the uniforms on your skin.

"By the three sisters! Level ten? Are you sure Kurpfuscher?" It burst out of Denzel.

"Yes, exactly, are you sure? It was to be expected. The last time I had met him was when he had passed me and moved up to level seven."

"Yes, I'm sure. I swear by the three sisters." An aura enveloped Kurpfuscher, which in the next moment had already disappeared. Leaving behind a living Kurpfuscher.

"May I make a suggestion? - " He looked around at those present, waiting for their agreement or loud ones of rebuttal. When neither came, he took that as a yes and continued. - "The taking of the head as well as the core and his heart as well as the further perception of the Twelfth Army's oath of allegiance suggest that your brother is still alive, or at least his soul is."

Before anyone could say anything, he took a few steps toward the Empress.

"Your Highness, I must request on behalf of my soldiers that you send a contingent to verify this." She regarded him for what seemed to him an interminable few moments before finally answering.

"Very well, I will do you this favor, for your sake and my own, and of course for the sake of my brothers." She paused for a moment. "Therefore I order you to bring back my brother and all his remains, which are in the hands of the demons. Take the most capable soldiers of the twelfth arms. You two will be able to spare a few soldiers, won't you? !" She ordered with a commanding attitude.

"Yes, I will certainly be able to spare a few. Even if I would love to march in with my whole army." Denzel raised his hands defensively. "I know I know. Don't worry sis, I won't leave the borders to some idiot or one of our enemies who will betray our country to the enemy."

"You can count on my help too, Commander Rahssmus." Assured Kilian and extended his hand to him, to his surprise his hand was not crushed in a contest of strength.

"Your Highness, possibly I should accompany this expedition. After my investigations, I can help with the identification, as well as the location." This statement of Kurpfuscher surprised him a lot. The Empress turned away from them for a moment and looked out the window.

"I can feel a storm coming, which has the power to destroy the Empire, and I would feel safer if I knew my brother had my back." Indignant shouts were heard from the two brothers present. She turned back to them. "Therefore I give you this order Commander Rahssmus."

""""At your command, Your Highness."""