Central Kingdom of Arvalar
Royal Castle Regalia
On the centermost region of the Arvalar Kingdom, stood a fine castle of Ignis marble and Laharian glassworks. The black night sky cannot hide its natural iridescent, polished from floor to embossed brass.
Paired with alchemical lamps, the whole palace glittered brighter than the ringstars surrounding their world. The outermost palazzo was shaped in a cross-quadrant fitted with lush gardens, and wallvines of primvelvets and thornbush.
While the inner turrets reached the highest known made structure next to the Marsailles Tarouette of Runsaer, like a spire piercing the heavens.
And with the passing of the 4th Phase of the Blaze Season---with the dying embers of heated equinox welcoming that of the Leaf, the Castle Regalia burst with busy liveries and grand orchestraic bards, never been seen during the reign of the enthroned King Regalia.
Songs about the last Demon War were being played in the background, heroic epics and deeds of victory and conquest were the themes of today's feast. Succulent cuisine that could feed hundreds of gluttons have moved from banquet to kitchen with emptied clatter and barrels of ales and well-aged wines were disappearing like rain on a wanting dessert.
And today, all the Known Surface of the Second Realm was greeted with the grand news of their Hero's successful departure to the plane beyond the Shadows-- the last of the signs to complete the harsh and cruel years under the Demon War.
Past malice and grievances were forgotten for this memorable night. This was a time of peace. This was a time to gather in celebration and jubilation.
So why in all that was blessed by the Eight Gods did someone made chaos in his City!
Azrentin of Tharlier, under the Banner Chattreuse, paced infront of the silent stares from portraits and sculptures of men too long dead to be remembered, in an empty attempt to calm himself. The furrowed brows continuously masked in sweat even with the cool night air of the grand parlor.
Every little detail of the waiting room was sufficiently furnished to cater the high taste of its occupant, but none of it took the interest of the old Once-Herald. Passed the age of a three-quarter century, he should not be exhausting himself this way and yet fatigue hasn't crept on his old bones.
Continuously using the teleportation portal from Cessine directly to the Royal Castle Regalia should place enough strain on a person's mental function. Just a minute inside the dimensional packet was enough to make any sane mage to get lost on the winding material planes where time was stretched and restretched the more space was being warped.
And yet Azrentin has been traveling in that very same packet for more than an hour.
One hour and forty-six minutes in fact.
Keeping his resolute expression, he waited until the door of the adjacent room opened, showing a woman with the all too known armory of the Emblem Chevaliers. With his trained eyes, he sought the rubies and have led him to see six of these glistening stones at her shoulder.
Interestingly he was led inside without any word and only a parting nod on her part. You don't normally find the Chevaliers bowing their heads to anyone, but you don't normally find six tier maegus either.
Inside the room was a man sitting on a sofa, his head nestled on the headrest as if in deep sleep. Beneath him were soft furs that extend smoothly on the floor that acts more like a carpet. And on top of him, languidly draped to his chest like a second skin was a woman.
Her autumn-dyed dress was thin, like a piece of cloth elegantly curtailing on her body and the exposed skins shows burnt marks, and yet she shows no heed of the wounds still red on her creamy skin.
She raised herself gracefully and blinked at Azrentin. Her face should have been gorgeous, more so even than most of the prized beauties of the Kingdom. That is, the part of her face that still shows skin.
The other half has been covered with her flowing hair adorned in jewels, hiding the ruined half of her face that was akin to leather. The rest of her auburn hair was also bound in precious stones and golden chains.
She smiled at him, full of familiarity and recognition and she placed her metal finger to her lips. Her left arm and hand was nothing more than automaton.
“He is still resting,” she whispered and caressed the cheek of the man beneath her.
Azrentin bent to his knees and placed his ceremonial dagger's tip to his chest while handling the Chattreuse Crested House Dagger as if offering the hilt to the woman.
“My Queen, forgive me for the intrusion.”
She disregarded the formality with a wave of her hand and laid down again on the chest of her man. “You're making me embarrassed Lord Azrentin, it hasn't been a year since I've ascended in my stature. I am your Trusted am I not?”
Azrentin smiled inwardly as he remembers how this young audacious woman grown under his care.
Even if she was his Trusted once when she foolishly acted the vow of fealty to follow him to war, he has always treated her like a doting father.
“That vow should have been surpassed by a graver one, My Queen Rilliana. I am no longer a Herald, and you are no longer my Knight--a splendid one I might say but I am now just an old man subservient to your highness every call.”
The woman seems to panic when Azrentin bowed deeper. The old man however didn't even hide the plaintive playful smile.
“Now you are merely teasing. Call me aside from my blood name and I'll definitely get angry.”
“Isn't that my right, Rilliana?” A deep voice cut through their lowered conversation.
The man stirred on his position and the room's temperature seems to rise. He moved slowly as he sat in a more upright position. Steams suddenly appeared billowing on his body, or was it a trick of the eye?
And when he opened his eyes--eyes of the palest brown that it glows amber, the alchemical lamps burned brighter filling the room with sunset yellowish light. He was only wearing the heavy coat draped over his shoulder while both his arms were lazily outstretched on the sofa.
The man had the skin kissed by the sun and his dark hair was oiled back to his nape. He wore no upper tunic and his great physique was clearly shown. He was not a large man and yet his presence seemed to occupy the very air of the room.
He gently placed his left arm on the woman and planted his lip on her temple.
“Did you wait, my dear?”
The simple touch made her closed her eyes and arched her body towards the man. The blatant display didn't show any effect to the old man, maybe because he has seen it before or he has seen worse, much worse.
“Not in the least, My King. I am, how should I put it, immensely entertained,” looking down on her position almost atop the man.
The man didn't mind her weight and simply made a mocking smile to his wife, “What this I hear? You hated the title but would not stop to abuse its privileges?”
“We are the only ones here, surely we could drop the stupid courtesies.” she remarked, reminding him of her discomfort on shallow titles and tedious formalities. Though being called a Queen of Cessine City Fortress was not something to be discarded as shallow.
“But Lord Azrentin has been waiting--he has almost polished the navied floor with his pacings outside, isn't that right, my Lord Consul?”
Obviously baiting Azrentin to address her once more. Rilliana's comment on his activities despite his effort to erase his presence didn't surprise him.
“Rilliana,” the young man voiced out, “you might have pledged to Azr but House Chattreuse is under my Regalia. You've let me wait for moons upon solstice before my people could call you my queen, let me have my fill.”
“Ah, but I would have been more than content to be only called that by you, Iralius.”
“Inside of my bed? I remembered you more ambitious than that.”
“Bastard,” she laughed filling the room with her beautiful voice, “is this your revenge for all the impossible orders I have given you?”
“Hardly, how could I resist the command of my lovely Suzerain General? Stealing you from the Golds was the best decision I've made as a King."
At this moment, Azrentin has no idea if his existence was noted or not as the two acted like newlyweds and gazed at each other's eyes with deep emotions.
He coughed, more forceful than needed to get their attention.
When Iralius started to address him, Azrentin could see the change of his demeanor. Immediately, the softness of his gaze gave way to a more calculating look as if sizing Azrentin.
Attending as this young king's Consul, he has come to terms with the heaviness Iralius's aura unconsciously emanates. This was truly a High King, Iralius Sudri of Amaranth, Bearer of Cessine Regalia.
The man who embodied the 30th Circle of Sudri Ruby.
“It is about the unrest in the Higher Districts.”
“Ah that one? I have just come from the Cessine Castle and already received mountains of reports on the damages. We'll clear it off within a month.” He momentarily closed his eyes and his brows furrowed as if remembering--or seeing something ominous, “But...that Knighthood Banner Oreindr--I must have underestimated the threat level.”
“I am aware my liege. I was there when your [Replica] appeared in the Main Keep. The subjugation was handled by us, Consuls, it was our own inadequacy to not be able to handle the situation especially now that the Regalias were summoned at the Royal Castle.”
A deep sign overcame the young king, “For this blasted festivity. Even now one of my [Replica] is appeasing Regal King Vasa. That fool has taken this whole mess as an omen.”
And the other [Replica] was with the Lion Golds, granting his just rewards. And another one at the Stronghold Keep making reparations...and who knows how many [Replica] King Iralius have released lurking in the kingdom.
The glow of his eyes was not only due to the natural glow of lamps.
As of now, the Cessine Regalia's body has emitted pure mana. No wonder the queen's scars were getting aggravated.
All the burnt marks that ruined her body has been caused by the very man she has sworn her lifeblood. An unbearable pain must be coursing through her body right now if the mana that caused her scars were being exposed to her very being, and yet she seems content lying on the man's lap.
“These petty things could be easily discussed at the Keep, so could I presume you have come all the way here for a different matter entirely, Azrentin?”
Azrentin suddenly halted eyeing Rilliana critically, uncertain how to proceed. But Iralius only beckoned for him to get on this point. “The hero candidates...”
The queen was poised now, her expression no longer relaxed. The young king must have already told her about it. Realizing his audience was waiting, he continued, “We have means to link the disturbance to one of the chosen.”
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
Iralius worded out slowly, “The fallen bird.”
Nodding, the old man produced a memory globe and handed it to Iralius. “And it looks like he has been in contact with the Lady of Red. Unfortunately, there were accounts that testify that he had died during the subjugation.”
“And this is a certainty? A few dawns ago I've read an entirely different report.” Iralius replied. Three Data Ores was now on his hands, and he started rolling these ores, the size of half a fist on his hands as if they were playthings.
Azrentin recognized the Ores immediately. They were the exact accounts of the last memories of young lady of Canary. The last they have seen was the siblings' encounter with the Hero and the dying vision of the child as she saw her brother and a fleeting shadow attacking the lady hero.
“At that time, it was only natural to assume that no one survived.”
“Assume? When did we ever worked on assumptions, Azr?”
“I-- I did, I mean--This was a possibility we have not accounted for.”
“That the hero survived, that the children survived? And that...what was the Blank's name, Gallinthe, was it? And his whereabouts are still unknown, interesting don't you think?”
A boy that could raise an undead lich and dragon...
He was from a house that they have long suspected to be in contact with the rebel group that has been antagonizing the Regalias as far back even before this generation's Demon War. A House Banner that was only able to gain recognition with the Lady Hero's accolades. If not for that, they would have been a nobody.
With one of the hero candidates prematurely losing his life, it was just a tactical maneuver to use the opportunity to corner the Blanks and lessen their roached numbers.
Also Herald Kieve was starting to get on the nerves of the nobles with his blatant information selling. It was useful when it was manipulated by them, but when it started turning dangerous, and with no actual measure to know how much that sly blank have against the Regalia, a simple rumor would be enough to justify the House of Gallinthe's fall.
“Dearest king, don't get angry, children had never been your strong points” the queen placed her hand on his shoulder, the metal gears suddenly turned red from the heat Iralius was emitting, “Now, tell me what I should know, Lord Azrentin, from the beginning if you may.”
Not even his close ties to the queen could save him from this inquisition, but the old man didn't bulk. If he did, then his years of service would have been for naught.
“Four dawns ago, at the strike of third light, The Lady infiltrated the Royal House Regalia's inner dungeons and stole one of the Forbidden Treasures. In the past of fourteenth light, we declared her guilty on all accounts of treason and consorting with the Demons. Her [Summoning Gem] has been thoroughly destroyed with no trace of it left, so our link to her has also been cut off.”
Rilliana listened closely without interfering Azrentin. And the Consul continued reporting the incident up to the incident with the Canary.
“We have good reason to suspect that The Hero was connected to the incident.”
The appearance of the novices when it was clear they should have been killed by the Lady Yuusha was not enough for them to speculate of her hand on all these, but with the Lion Gold's claim that a divination from the Lady herself was received by their side, this made it even harder for them to exclude her from the factors.
From the start, Lady Yuusha declared herself as a bait. The Lady, knowing very well that a traitor was within the children, still continued sharing her secrets and the existence of the Forbidden Treasure, the sealed Demon Lord to them. It was a challenge to come and find her.
But what was the story behind the corpse spy to become a Lich that wanted her living brother dead? And where did the blank fit in all these?
“I see, two banners wiped out in a span of a night, one missing low-rank Emblem, and the unconfirmed death of the Corpse Spy and a Hero Candidate. The Lady must be really weakened if she was only able to deal only this, or is she just being prudent? I greatly admire the Lady Yuusha, but I have never been able to read her. What is she planning? Why protect the hero candidate?”
“The Lady must have realized what the Principalities had a seen in the fallen canary to take him under her protection.”
“There is that. We can't deny if one so young was recommended by the Old Sages, then he must be of some grand potential that could catch the eye of The Lady, but something is missing. Lord Consul, is it too much to presume that you know of The Lady's whereabouts?”
Rilliana asked and was back to being the strategist that was admired by the City's elites. It was her quick intelligence that made it possible to corner the Gallinthe and suggested the announcement of the Hero's departure.
“Her last known communication was infront of the Lion Gold Herald, but no foreign connection was found related to the Herald. The squadron deployed on the abandoned temple has shown no signs of The Lady."
“Kill them off.”
“T'is done, my queen.” The knight squadron sent to the temple ruins were part of their higher ranks that zealously followed the Hero of Red.
Once they heard that an impostor was inside the Temple, they directly moved into action.
With their appearance, it might tempt the hero to reveal herself, however, they didn't know that the hero was already sleeping within the statue and since the image of Goddess Sola still permeates a holy barrier, they could not touch the statue itself.
So when the search has been fruitless, they were executed on the spot with the use of a trigger from a slow-acting parasite placed on their drink. Still, there was no hero with flaming hair appeared to save them.
Their death sentence was also placed at the same time with anyone who has a connection with the dealings of the Canary's hero candidate and the Blank's false charges.
If the story of a hero turned traitor became public, it would plunge the Kingdom into chaos and even the Known Surface would be greatly affected. They can't just give orders to hunt the hero even to their most secret of the elites.
Even their Blackguards that was known to do the kingdom's dirty work, the Hero of Red has sympathizers. That was how much Lady Yuusha have infiltrated their people's hearts.
Dealing with the facts, a Lich calling a Blank her master could only mean, that he was the one who raised her. But how? Did he hide his true merits for years and acted only when his life was in danger? Using an already cultured corpse to hasten the process of the summoning?
Ahhh, her imagination was running rounds again.
“So many factors unknown, there was even an appearance of a third party that was mentioned to have the countenance and holiness of a saint. The hero perhaps? In disguise to rescue the fallen bird?
“Lord Consul, spread rumors of the fake Hero, place appropriate bounties. The ones who have information shall be rewarded.¨
Anyone who would stain the Hero's image shall be punished gravely.
“Place the traitor child, as our priority. If the fallen canary is alive, he'll find him. The Lady's name shall not be mentioned during any transactions. Also just Use our normal knights.”
If the best of their forces was placed to track some children, it would become suspicious for the council and the military where the Hero has most of her people placed in.
For some time now, King Iralius was simply grinning at the side while watching his wife go to her inner workings. It was always a pleasure for him to see her in such a state.
As for him, he was just enjoying the challenge. To defeat the hero who defeated the demon lord. It would be entertaining.
He was not even worrying about the sealed demon lord, after all, it was just an empty vessel.
He closed his other eye, and the vision of one of his [Replica] listening to the rabid administration of the Regal King Vasa suddenly came to his mind's eye. Trying to placate the old senile with his facade of calm confidence and forced amusement, was a clear burden to his mentality.
The other High Kings were also present, seated on the roundtable at the King Regalia's courtroom.
The four Fortress Regalias were all gathered, and in their midst was the Bearer of the Royal Regalia, Regal King Vasa of Arvalar.
The Regalia could be said as this world version of Royal Blood. That‘s why even if the High Kings were the heads of fortresses and has similar stature as both a Duke and a General, they were still called Kings.
The Royal Regalia however, unlike the ones vested among the cornerstones fortresses, can be found at the very center of Arvalar. They act as a buffer and the sovereign ruler of the Land of Man and has always managed a neutrality for the Fortresses.
If one of the fortresses revolts or tried to harm any of the Regalias, the Royal Regalia would lead the others and would have a legitimate cause to take their domain. Also, even if the people have a very regionalist viewpoint when it comes to the Royal Regalia, it was almost sacrilegious, afterall the Royalty has the rare latent talent to cultivate all the known elements.
You could consider the Royal Regalia's Bloodline was one of the Man's greatest treasures.
Unfortunately, because the elements fight for harmony inside the body, their bodies break over time. That’s why they were being protected at all cost.
It was Queen Regalia that died during the Demon War that carries the bloodline of the Royal Regalia and has passed it on to the Crowned Ensign.
And so, no one would dare touch the Royal Family even if there were not related by blood. That's the reason why King Vasa was still alive even if he should have been scorched hundredfold with how much he grates on King Iralius' nerves.
On his side was Lashven Nordri Malachite, Bearer of Bassine Regalia, a silent tower of a man that really lives up to being a fortress. Governing the earth element-rich land of the north, his dominion was a natural wall of mountainous ridges. He follows the tradition and sticks to his pledges as religiously as any priest in the monastery.
Iralius wouldn't be surprised if he takes his marriage bed the same way he would do his duty. For Bassine. He must have thought while mounting his wives.
There's also Remier Austri Tyrian, High King of Trissine. A scholar at heart, his messy hair and gangly monocles should have harbored resentment, but admittedly, he was the most reliable among his friends. His wind manipulation was legendary and moreover, he was the official mediator of the Regalias.
It wasn’t because his body was made of air that he was chosen as the pacifier of the group. Though it helps a lot whenever they went into heated disputes. The relatively harmless little flares, boulders, and water bullets would never have harmed him.
He always had a fed up expression though, and would claim it was due to them that his air magic was so superior to others...he must be joking, right?
Then Iralius studied the one that was seated directly infront of him.
Asdale Vestri Catalina, Bearer of Exine Regalia and High King of the western city fortress. Asdale keeps a youthful appearance but he was ancient, His eyes were the forever changing colors of blue to green to white, like the color of a rolling wave and there were fangs peeking from his thin lips.
The Regalia should all be human in race but old man Asdale has been visiting the
'Envious now, are we? It's not my fault the Seafolks could recognize a great seed at first glance, Bwahahaha.'
He would shout at each homecoming, invigorated and had probably spawn too many halflings to count. Let's just leave that like that.
After settling back to their City Fortresses, this must be their first time seeing each other again. Great companions, great fighters. Ah, what a waste to rot in this Court.
After the war, the royal landscape had changed. The political struggle became underground and backhanded methods became the norm.
The fact that he sent a clone of himself with the excuse of the current domestic turmoil of his domain, shows how much he hates the Royal Court. And the immediate acceptance of his substitute among the Regalias followed by signs of envy made it more apparent that no one wants to be present with their Sovereign Ruler.
They were all kings born out of warfare, reared and raised on the battlefield. But now--the times of peace has no use of a hero kings. And Iralius made it public that he has no desire to bury himself in a pile of land and diplomatic management and skirmishes.
Those kinds of work were too damn boring. Dealing with those imbeciles of the Royal Court who were able to wheedle themselves in the royalty with the use of their gold and smooth tongues just simply took away his interest to have a hand in all of these.
He'd rather subjugate some elemental dragon on the coast of northern isles.
Gone were the days he could just disappear and simply make the excuse that he was training. Or the days where he could declare the death of a convict in his city together with his whole family and servants up to the ninth generations, no questions asked.
Iralius could even remember with fondness killing princes from the other kingdoms and no one would deny him his victory. If he was the one that dies, he knew his father would also not put up a ruse. The weak have no place in the war.
But now, he couldn't make any move without the Central Palace getting wind of it and hunt him down for paperwork and investigation. If you ask him, the Royal Regalia was getting weak, corruption was rampant and he really just want to kill all those useless people.
Wait. What did King Vasa say?
Did he just say they should summon a new hero again? To fight the traitor-hero?
Then wouldn't all their efforts to keep the adoration of the people to the Hero--and consequently all the heroes of war, be in vain?
Even the other Fortress Regalias have complicated expressions.
If they did exactly that, five hundred years from now when the [Cataclysm] occurs, they would be left to fend for themselves, with no help from the Divines, nor the Principalities that governs the Champion Summoning!
Don't make me laugh! Where was the Crown Ensign?! Hurry up and assassinate your father already!
His consciousness went back to his wife and his arms tightened on her waist. Iralius immediately feel himself relax and his tension dissipate with her on his side.
“And when you find any of the children, don't touch them. Wait until the hero contacts them, was this understood?”
Her beautiful voice sounded so sweet even if her words were ruthless. What a healing feeling, and Iralius started nuzzling her neck.
“Yes, my queen.”
And now they have to take countermeasures against the traitor hero.
But something was still bothering him. For some reason, her first move after declaring her intention to wage war towards the Land of Man, was to attack his Fortress.
They really have to kill her as soon as possible.
To fight a being that was strong enough to annihilate an army of thirty thousand strong on one night, a woman whose influence goes beyond borders and the one hiding and nurturing the next Demon Lord.
What a great distraction this hero was offering to him.
They have fought together and he has acknowledged her, however, that made him be more aware of how much of a threat she is. She was the one that led the annihilation of a race--a very formidable one at that. And now, her sights came towards the whole human race.
But what was truly frightening was their trump card--the supposedly one-shot kill has failed. To survive the complete destruction of her soul gem, she was truly an otherworldly strong being.
He has to be cautious. But there was no way they would just back down.
And so what?
So what if she’s a hero? Even if she did succeed in wiping the human race, it doesn't mean they wouldn't put up a fight.
There are too many people shouldering their burdens, carrying their dead, walking forward to survive.
Hah! Don't just thrash our fates just because you woke up one day and you decided to kill everyone!
If he saw that hero, he'll kill her. He'll kill her! Pour melted quicksilver on her marrow, chop her into thousands of pieces and erase her existence up to the ninth planes!
Ahh, his temper was starting again.
And their only link to the Lady Yuusha was a fallen little canary, Simos of Fallen Sila-ir.
They‘re not wary of the children. Let them live, let them wander in whatever ploy the hero was thinking. The moment, she as much as show herself, they'll have her.
The silencing of her pawns would be put on a later date. Afterall, in their minds, the incident became possible only because The Lady of Red was behind all of these.
How could novices cause that kind of damage on their own?
If they did, wouldn't they be considered as dangerous as the hero herself?