Cynthia POV

Mounds of paperwork were piled high upon my large wooden desk. So much so that you couldn't even see the wood of the table underneath it all. If this was some elaborate plan to kill me with paperwork then it was working.

While we had both of the monarchies return to their homeland to act as regional governors they still held onto the pride and self-righteousness. At the very least we didn't have to deal with the dwarves thanks to Grey taking full command over them. No, the real problem was the Glayders.

The Eralith family was still unhappy but they seemed to have worked a deal that worked for them with Grey beforehand. The Glayders on the other hand were like an annoying small animal. Too loud to fully ignore but too small and powerless compared to us to bother with.

On one instance I had advised Grey to be rid of them. I doubt a single legion would be even necessary to silence them but Grey had firmly stated he doesn't want to rule a land of dead people. And many of the citizens would have growing doubts if he just killed off the previous leadership on a whim.

I do suppose when it came to governing at such critical time I still naturally fell back into my Alacryan days. I could still remember the bodies of highbloods being hung in the central courts for all to see when they had gone against their Sovereign's wishes. It could be presumed Grey's way was better than what I had initially proposed.

Still, running an Alacryan army or an academy was a far cry from trying to manage an entire united continent. While we could rely on the war doing most of the heavy lifting with uniting the people and giving us leeway in military spending I doubt this would last forever.

And while I didn't know the High Sovereign personally from the way he was spoken of by the higher ups within his personal circle and the military he was no fool. He hasn't even shown half of the cards in his hands, but even so Grey hasn't either. I could tell from the way he deals with things.

Any sort of news or report I bring before him it doesn't seem to even faze him. In fact he seemed bored or something between pleased and relived, as if he was hopping or expecting the events to happen. There clearly was something he was keeping hidden, I wasn't sure what exactly it was but I can see it in his eyes. So cold cat-like eyes of liquid gold that always seemed to be calculating, thinking, scheming.

I let out a deep sigh. 'No, the more important thing is where the hell that boy is right now.' even my own voice inside my head sounded tired. He was last seen by Virion at the castle, but after that he was just gone. Missing for five days.

His legions of Djinn warriors still maintained order and command of many of our camps and strongholds. Despite the fact that they only seemed to obey orders from Grey and his fellow Neoth. Many Dicathens have grown accustom to their almost automaton-like actions for now. But that still didn't leave them with a comfortable feeling having these hulking soldiers in jet-black armor who showed no emotions at all with enough strength to go toe-to-to against silver core mages.

Somehow the ancient mages that were once thought to be all gone were in stasis deep within the Relictombs. Even after the many incursions and constant ascenders that are sent into its depths it would seem even the High Sovereign barely scratched the surface of the Djinn's great work.

I couldn't help but laugh. A boy, with a dragon bond, wielding strange mana arts I have never seen before with an entire army of ancient mages. Who has become king of his continent in less than two decades. What the hell was going on? What all of this some strange dream I was having?

Pushing myself out of my chair I stood up to straighten my back. I could hear my spine crack in several places as I stretched.

Even with mana I was still getting up there in age. And the stress I had to work under was not helping with it.

Swiveling on my heels I turned to face out the window behind me. The sky was a hazy mixture of purple and pink as the sun was almost behind the horizon. Puffy clouds that looked like the wool of some creature stretched out far and wide. I could barely make out the densely packed woods of the Beast Glades below.

It did make me wonder what my life would have been like had I been born here. Would I have made the same choices? Would I have been the same person?

Perhaps I would have eventually settled down to live a slow and peaceful life. Hell, I would take that life now if I could. A small cottage in the woods, perhaps close to the kingdom of Elenoir. Living the rest of my life tending to a small garden.

The morning rain lightly hitting the roof of my patio as I stared out gazing into woods with a cup of warm tea to warm my hands. No need to worry about Alacrya, or this whole war. Just a simple life. No one had to know who I was, just a happy life with the few I cared about.

My thoughts then drifted to sadness and regret as it drifted to Virion. I could still picture his face when I was outed as an Alacryan spy. That look of utter betrayal and denial. He didn't voice his opinions but one look was enough. I could just see him, he wanted to scream at me. To plead, to ask if it was true. To question if everything that had happen between us was just a lie to sell my disguise.

I still haven't fully spoken to him, at least not personally. We both knew when duty came first. But that usual light banter that was between us was all but gone. Our communication had become strictly business and nothing more. I knew I had to talk to him, to tell him the true and the way I felt but.

Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

'I do suppose I am a coward at the end of the day.'

I was still deep in thought when the door to my office swung open. On instinct my mana flared up as I unhooked my wand from my waistbelt and pointed it towards the doorway. I could feel the mana tingling on my fingertips as I was ready to kill.

But I instantly lowered my guard when I saw who it was. Grey, dressed in nothing more than what could be called a peasants clothes, a simple tunic and black pants strode in. It would have been one thing to have the supposed king of Dicathen dressed like a peasant, but his tunic was dyed red with blood. And Trailing behind was two massive warriors with their armor also colored red with blood.

I could tell from the armor they wore they were of some kind of Djinn. But the usual fully black armor was trimmed with golds and silvers and these two were at least a couple feet taller than the others. Each held a massive halberd in their hands, decorated in the same gold and silver.

And while I could feel the almost gravitational force that Grey emitted I couldn't feel anything from these two. If I wasn't looking directly at them now I wouldn't have known their existence.

Grey turned his head to look back at the two golden warriors.

"Hemera, Nyxanke. Stand guard outside." He said and the two warriors turned to leave without a single word.

After they had shut the door behind them Grey turned back to face me. But before he could talk I spoke first.

"I know you don't care but can't you at least dress presentably." I said with a sigh.

Grey shrugged as he walked up and sat in the chair in front of me. "Sorry, had to take care of some business."

"Which noble pissed you off this time?" I asked, not even surprised anymore as I slumped back into my own chair.

"No noble. Just an Alacryan camp in the middle of Elshire." He said so casually.

"Wait what? How could they have-" Grey didn't let me finish my sentence.

"Don't underestimate Agrona, he is one tricky bastard. And I don't doubt he has compromised some of the more anger and desperate nobles to his cause."

I was still shocked at such a news. With Grey and his own forces we have done far better than I would have expected against the Alacryans. Although we both knew this was only a scouting force Agrona had sent. But to think they have gotten into the heart of Elshire. If they have gotten into a forest only the elves could traverse then what does that say about the rest of Dicathen.

"Shall I have the nobles-"

"No no." Grey had as he shook his head. "Let them think they are doing something productive. And allow Agrona to have at least this."

Rage suddenly bubbled up inside me as I snapped at Grey.

"This is the problem Grey! How can you expect me to be your governor and manage your continent when you don't even tell me what you are planning? You may have been extremely gifted at birth but for the rest of us we are just struggling to keep up with you." I yelled as I could feel my own face become warm and found myself standing up from my chair.

Quickly composing myself I sank back into my chair and deeply bowed. He was still the sovereign ruler of this continent. And even if he wasn't he could just as easily have me disappear with a snap of his fingers.

"I apologize for my transgressions your majesty!"

I stayed bowing to me for a while. Waiting for him to say something. And eventually he did, but his tone was a lot lighter than I had expected.

"Raise your head Cynthia. I do not wish to surround myself with a bunch of yes-men. Your criticism has been noted, but you in particular should know why I haven't revealed all to you." Grey calmly said, almost like an adult addressing a young child.

Yes, it was a necessary precaution. The spellforms the High Sovereign has given his people act just as much as a curse as it is a blessing. All of them binding us to his will. And while Grey says Neoth is looking into it for now, removing the spellforms forcibly has a high likelihood that it will take my life with it.

"But let's just say my unique magic give me abilities some would consider unnatural." Grey said with a coy smile on his way.

"Yeah, I kind of figured that out without you telling me." I replied back. Whatever his magic was it definitely wasn't the usual mana arts used by lessers. In truth it reminded me of the strange, almost alien-like way the higher level asuras would manipulated mana. Bending mana to their own will in a way that was unimaginable to lessers.

It did make me wonder if Grey had some relation to any of the asuras. His physical appearance did have a striking resemblance to Lord Windsom. Matching his pale skin and light blonde hair. But that wouldn't explain the disdain Grey openly held against the denizens of Ephetous.

I turned back to Grey to find me with that empty gaze in his eyes that he usually had when he was communicating with his two bonds. He held that look for a couple seconds before coming back.

"It would seem little Lucas has caught himself in some trouble." Grey said in a casual tone. As if he had just received a call that his child had caused problems at school.

"Is he alright?" I hastily asked. But Grey just calmed me down with a wave of his hands.

"Relax. Nothing major. It's just that he seems to be lacking in discipline for war."

My face turned to concern. "Don't tell me you are going to beat him half to death." I had seen the way Grey had trained that boy. And while he still had many crimes he had to atone for the torture Grey had put him through made me feel pity for the young child. And while I had been instructed to not going easy on him when I took over his training it still wasn't a pleasant experience for either of us.

Grey got up from his chair as he made his way to the door. Only turning back to me when he was already at the door with small smile.

"Oh please, what do you take me for? I am no demon." He said as he left my office.

I sat in silence for a while after he did. Mulling over our conversation in my head.

'No demon my ass. I already knew what the Alacryans who dared step foot on Dicathen called him. And it was a fitting name.' The only thing that didn't trouble me was that he was pointed at Alacrya and not Dicathen. But I shudder to imagine what would happen if he switched his sights to his own homeland.

So much power in one person. It honestly felt as if all our lives hung by a thread held by Grey. And not only the raw personal strength he now led an army of ancient mages, some of whom could easily give any of the Lances or Scythes a run for their money. And what would happen when the war is over? Would he rein for hundreds, if not thousands of years over Dicathen as a king?

If so was there any guarantee that he would be a benevolent ruler? For all those years?

I had come to realize that I had no real option to turn to. Going back to Alacrya would only result in death. A quick one if I was lucky. I wasn't even sure if Grey would even allow me to return. I was basically shackled here to work for him. Whatever he and Neoth were doing to keep the spellforms on my body from killing me could be undone with a snap of a finger and I would slip into a coma and die.

I took a deep breath as I buried my head in my hands.

"Just what have I gotten myself into."