One thing the conspirators didn’t anticipate was that Armad had already discerned their intentions. In reality, he was aware that the wild people in the vicinity of his city numbered no more than three thousand, yet he found himself besieged by a force of approximately ten thousand. This indicated a coalition forming among various wild people clans.
News had reached him earlier that Konfot wasn’t the sole city providing sanctuary to these outlaws. While he was aware of this, he chose to bide his time until the opportune moment arose.
Now, the elderly advisor to Konfot had a hunch that proved true. The king, appearing youthful yet deferential to the wisdom of his elders, nodded slowly.
He too had entertained similar thoughts and regretted betraying Armad initially. However, upon reflection, he realized that turning against the wild people and the King’s Legion would have resulted in his city being razed to rubble, courtesy of the King’s Legion.
Even if the wild people didn’t act immediately, they would have likely destroyed the city once the battle concluded. Yet, who would have imagined that a force of nine thousand wild people, including twenty-three Deva and additional Core formation cultivators, could be vanquished by the prince? Despite being a mere Core formation cultivator himself, apart from Sulaini, none among his ranks inspired such fear.
Every prophecy and endeavor undertaken by the sorcerers foretold the inevitable downfall of Armad. Who would have imagined that none of their visions would come to fruition?
The monarch justified his actions as those of someone feeling trapped, with no escape except through the offer extended by the King’s Legion. “Then we must do everything in our power to ensure we do not fail to seize this opportunity,” he declared resolutely. “We must eliminate him at any cost.”
“Our immediate course of action is to dispatch messengers and spies to uncover the secret behind his unexpected triumph. We must prepare ourselves and understand the true nature of our adversary,” he continued.
“As for the other cities involved in this endeavor, I am certain they face the same predicament as us. They may desire to withdraw, but like us, it is not feasible. If we unite our forces with theirs, victory shall be within reach. Just imagine the multitude of cultivators we could assemble, from Deva to Core formation cultivators and Condensation cultivators,” he reasoned, nodding to himself before continuing.
“However, let us not rush into decisions. War is a crafty foe, and we must strategize carefully before entertaining this new offer from the King’s Legion.
“If we foresee no path to success, we can always seek forgiveness from the Prince. While he may cease supplying us with goods temporarily, we can manage with our existing resources until he relents. From the intelligence I’ve gathered, he is known to be lenient.
“But engaging in a war fraught with uncertainty will not only jeopardize our economy but also cost us our lives,” he concluded solemnly.
The advisors nodded in agreement throughout, and immediately upon his conclusion, a messenger was dispatched to meet with Armad. Their objective: was to ascertain his awareness of their betrayal and gauge the extent of his reaction.
Accompanied by spies tasked with gathering intel, the messenger departed swiftly, mere hours after the envoy from the King’s Legion had departed and shortly after the battle’s conclusion.
As Armad returned home and summoned Nusi for dinner, the representatives from Konfot waited at the gate, eager to be received. However, the doorkeepers, seething with anger over the betrayal by Konfot and neighboring cities, adamantly refused them entry.
Their fury intensified upon learning that wild people from these cities had joined forces against them in battle. Viewing the gestures of reconciliation as hypocritical, the doorkeepers deemed it hypocritical for these same cities to seek amends after the prince’s victory, suspecting ulterior motives behind the messenger’s arrival.
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Preferring to keep them waiting, the head of the guards chose not to inform Armad of their presence, assuming their purpose to be insincere and unworthy of attention.
He entertained the notion of impaling them immediately, yet refrained out of respect for the prince, opting instead to observe their presence from his seat without making any overt gestures.
“Will you not grant us entry?” the messenger demanded. “Do you dare disrespect our king? This refusal is an affront to his dignity!” His incredulity was palpable.
“We have come to deliver congratulations and discuss business,” he continued, exasperated. “We have been trading partners for years; why this sudden aloofness? Inform your king of our presence; surely he will not condone such treatment.”
The leader of the delegation persisted in this manner, seemingly accustomed to relentless discourse, likely why he was chosen for the task.
Unperturbed, the doorkeepers ignored his pleas, carrying on as though they hadn’t heard him.
Meanwhile, on the other end of the city, an unrelated event unfolded, perhaps by fate or the enigmatic workings of nature.
The Prince’s city bordered a sea on its opposite side, occasionally visited by ships from a distant continent, the final stop before the Red Sea. This sea was shunned by many due to its mysterious reputation, home to numerous tribes and monarchs who occasionally ventured forth for trade.
Trade between the continents indeed occurred, often punctuated by disputes and occasional conflicts with the tribes residing there. This maritime route also connected to the eastern empires, including Ururu’s origins.
While these tribes possessed considerable power, they paled in comparison to the might of the Wilberforce tribe and its empire. Nonetheless, they boasted several formidable tribes among their ranks.
During their upbringing, Prince Armad and his brother Ikenga were regaled with tales of these tribes as part of their education. Stories recounted their strength and recounted historical events, such as the attempted uprising by the Shishirui and Nara during Aldaima’s reign.
Legend has it that Aldaima, foreseeing the potential for widespread bloodshed and vulnerability to surprise attacks, enlisted the aid of tribes near the Red Sea to quell the rebellion. The conflict was brutal, driven by greed on both sides, yet the Wilberforce tribe remained uninvolved.
Despite their strength, resentment simmered among neighboring factions toward the Wilberforce tribe’s leadership. Over two centuries of monarchy naturally bred dissent.
As for the empires across the sea, near the Red Sea, their discontent stemmed from their inhospitable environment. Their land, affected by the sea’s salinity, rendered agriculture and resource extraction impossible despite their strength. They relied solely on seafood for sustenance, a stark limitation despite their power.
They particularly lacked essentials like Negrinki mangoes and Ayrid seeds, crucial items obtained through farming. While they could have endured solely for sustenance, the absence of Ayrid and related goods proved most vexing. They harbored resentment over being confined to such a barren locale.
Aldaima exploited this discontent, leveraging their greed and self-interest to rally them to his cause, enticing them with promises of using their land as a battleground and rewarding them with the rebels’ territory if victorious.
Legend has it that Aldaima successfully manipulated a conflict between the sea people and his neighbors after extensive negotiations. Such tales formed a part of their schooling from a young age. Despite their strength, neighboring tribes learned a valuable lesson, never again attempting to oust the Wilberforce tribe.
It became widely accepted that the Wilberforces held considerable sway, capable of summoning the sea people and relinquishing land at will. Now, word reached Armad in the palace that two ships had docked on the shore, a common occurrence among the myriad cities bordering the sea.
His father, Arion, had always cautioned him about the sea and its potential inhabitants. While Arion harbored no fear of the tribes beyond, it served as a reminder for Armad to exercise caution due to the mysteries surrounding the Red Sea’s waters.
Though Armad was puzzled over his father’s warnings, as no tangible threats had ever emerged, the enigmatic nature of the sea and its unpredictable tides remained a source of intrigue and caution.
He had always respected his father’s wish, but the thought had scarcely crossed his mind until now, upon being informed of the two ships anchored nearby from those distant empires.
Glancing at Nusi, Armad wiped his mouth and rose to prepare for the encounter. The servant girl, taken aback by the unexpected turn of events, was further surprised by his next statement.
“Get ready,” he instructed her. “I have instructed the judge to treat you like royalty. Dress accordingly, for we shall meet them together.” His mind buzzed with uncertainty, unsure of what awaited them.
Unperturbed by Nusi’s bewildered expression, Armad remained focused on the impending meeting, oblivious to her reactions.