08 | Dangers of Nobility

THE TICKING OF THE CLOCK in the corner was the only sound in the room, save for the heavy breathing of Isabella and Theodore. They sat in stunned silence, their eyes fixed on the floor as if in a trance, their faces etched with the weight of the tragedy that had just befallen them.

  Isabella let out a soft sob as she looked at Theodore, her hand shaking as she tried to process the news. Theodore sat beside her, his face ashen, looking at the fire in the hearth flickering weakly as if it, too, had lost the will to burn.

  "No, not Hiram too," Isabella said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Hiram's just a child."

  'He's not dead. But I guess he wants to keep it a secret,' thought Cassius as he wiped a tear off Isabella's cheek, who smiled at him.

  Theodore turned to the servant who had delivered the news. "Who is the main suspect?"

  "We don't know, milord," the servant replied. "Rumours are circulating that it's the RMA. There are missing ledgers and pieces loosely tied to the Reformation Movement."

  Theodore shook his head. "No, that doesn't make sense. Send a missive to His Highness and inform him that I will oblige to the responsibility and the summon."

  Cassius also shook his head, his parents remaining oblivious to his thoughts. 'Pretty sure it's not the RMA. The dots are so easy to connect. They're being framed,' he thought.

  The servant bowed and left the couple alone.

  Isabella wiped away another tear and looked at Theodore. "I can't believe it. There's no way."

  Theodore nodded. "I can't believe it either."

  After a few more moments of silence, Theodore spoke aloud his thoughts as he tried to make sense of the situation. "Alardice is important due to its many unexplored wonders and natural resources. It's an important trade hub in the East Buros."

  Cassius yawned. 'Why does he have to think so loud...? Well... I guess if it helps him think.'

  "This is why only Grand Sorcerers were sent to serve as representatives of the Crown and why no one had dared to assassinate a Governor General in the past. Lucius was also the strongest Governor General to serve as of date... but was also the first to be assassinated... and his family," said Theodore.

  Cassius agreed in his mind, not mentioning Lucius had the support of his wife. An Alardi native from an influential family, who is also among the few candidates to become a Sovereign in the whole of Inar.

  "Which means the assassination wasn't solely because of the Galleon Trade. What we know for now is that the Order was paid a hefty price," Isabella said as more tears fell off her cheeks.

  'Woman... stop crying,' Cassius clicked his tongue and wiped his mom's tears again with his chubby fingers. He didn't understand. But it pained him to see her cry.

  Finally, Isabella let out a final sniff and kissed Cassius' forehead. Then, her eyes narrowed and became sharper as she looked at Theodore. "However, the Order also lost three of its ten Apostles."

  Theodore nodded as he offered Isabella a handkerchief. "They've been just dealt a major blow. Even Atharia can't afford to risk that much," he said. "But still.... to dispatch five Grands in total, including the Crow and the Executioner at that," he said. "There's no way they would send half of their Apostles for something mundane."

  "Truly... Sicarius mainly operates here in Ecus and Allassa," said Isabella. "What could be enough to make them go to Alardice?"

  To answer Isabella's question, a man appeared from a pool of shadows in the middle of the room. But the couple was not alarmed. It was Lucas dressed in his usual black suit.

  'So Lucas is a High Sorcerer,' thought Cassius as he looked at the man.

  "No riches could afford Sicarius," said Lucas. "But what is it that they have but cannot use?"

  Theodore's eyes narrowed, recalling a certain infamous incident about a decade ago. He said, "A key."

  Lucas nodded. "Yes, the key to an Archon ruin. A key they stole ten years ago from the Allassan Federation. It cost them two Grands – the Eleventh and the Twelfth Apostle. They're yet to refill their ranks," said Lucas. "They didn't have the ruin's location then... but we have reason to believe they've finally acquired it."

  Then Cassius lifted an eyebrow as he tried to recall information from Hiram's memories, feeling left out. He only remembered that Sicarius originally had twelve apostles, and with three more deaths following the Tragedy of Crestmore – they should only have seven left. Hiram had no information with regard to an Archon ruin.

  All Hiram knew was that a single Archon ruin could contain extraordinary resources to break through multiple Grands to Sovereigns. Multiple.

  "The Order was paid by the ruin's location?" Theodore asked. "How did you find out?"

  "Most likely, but we haven't confirmed it yet. Louis Fletcher, a good friend of mine, is a Brigadier General of the civil guards in Alardice," he said. "He's working with Lieutenant General Williams and the Manawis family to investigate the incident. They managed to catch an assassin alive and extracted some information. Fletcher's letter came just a few days ago around the same time the news reached the papers."

  "AIS is also working on this?" asked Isabella. "Why wasn't I informed?"

  "You're on maternity leave, my lady," said Lucas.

  "Would you stop calling me that?" she said and shook her head.

  "What else did you find out, Lucas?" asked Theodore.

  "Not much, but the obvious. That the assassination likely is but just a small, albeit crucial component, of an even bigger conspiracy," Lucas said.

⁂

It was already late at night when his parents left the nursery room. Cassius lay on his back in his crib, kicking his chubby legs and cooing softly to himself. He reached out with a tiny hand and closed his tiny fingers around the string of a small wind chime hanging from the crib's canopy.

  He recalled his parent's discussion earlier. 'A conspiracy, huh? It would be an understatement to simply state Sicarius was dealt a heavy blow. No... they're bleeding badly right now. Even then, the true masterminds are yet to reveal themselves.'

  As he pulled on the string, the chime tinkled merrily, filling the room with a soothing melody. But Cassius' face remained cold as he continued to play with the chime, his eyes following the movement of the small bells as they swayed back and forth.

  'But an Archon ruin is well worth it. If I were in their position, I also wouldn't mind paying such a heavy price,' thought Cassius. Nations would wage war just for an opportunity to explore an Archon ruin.

  However, Cassius still felt impressed that Sicarius even had that many Grands in the first place, even if they should only have seven left. After all, Grands typically hold extremely high leadership positions in military, political, or ecclesiastical offices due to their individual prowess.

  For example, many democratic and aristocratic leaders are Grands, including presidents of independent states in the new world or kings and queens in the old world. Normally, leaders of prominent sorcery orders are also Grands.

  Sicarius also has an unknown number of High Sorcerers within their ranks. 'What a scary group... no wonder everyone's surprised they were in Alardice,' he thought.

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  He then yawned as he felt sleep creep in. 'Not that there's anything I can do about it,' he thought.

⁂

Another month passed, and on a dark and moonless night, Cassius was inside the nursery room, staring at the ceiling. The Aramdale estate was silent and still, while the only sound he heard came from the faint rustling of leaves in the wind.

  The news of Theodore becoming the new Governor General of Alardice has already made its way into the nobility circle, or so he heard. House Aramdale's political rivals, while jealous of the opportunity, knew it would still take months of preparation before his family could set sail.

  While his family's rivals could do nothing on the surface, they could weaken his father's political standing and influence by targeting his weak spots. That weak spot includes Cassius, which left a bad taste in his mouth. 'Even if mother and father announced I'm coreless - their rivals and enemies are no fools,' he thought.

  Many of the nobility who bear children with sorcery potential claim their children are coreless, which his parents did. Then they hid his soul core with a runic marking. When he comes of age, they would reveal the truth to allow him to attend sorcerer academies. It was an open lie nobilities use to protect their children from harm.

  Cassius' ears all of a sudden perked up. Outside the mansion, the silence was broken by the sound of soft footsteps approaching.

⁂

Amid the shadows, Lucas watched as a group of six assassins dressed in black cloaks crept toward the mansion located at the forefront of the estate.

  They moved with practiced stealth, and they soon reached the mansion and quickly scaled the walls, using their grappling hooks and ropes to ascend to the second floor where Cassius' nursery was located. They reached the window and quietly slid it open, entering the room with ease.

  Lucas used Shadow Slip and immediately reached Cassius' nursery and hid within the shadows.

  In the dim light of the nursery, the figures spotted the small crib where Cassius slept, his chest rising and falling with each breath. Then one of the assassins lunged to stab Cassius' heart.

  However, one of the assassins, with one swift stroke, separated their companion's arm with their blade. The other assassins immediately rushed at the traitor.

  Seeing this, Lucas finally moved and deactivated Shadow Slip, revealing himself from the shadows – already with a shadowy curved sword in hand – Blade of Darkness. He gave the assassins no opportunity to scream, beheading them with a single stroke, leaving the traitor assassin alive.

  Then he met Cassius' eyes, who looked at him indifferently and with – boredom?

  "Don't scream," said Lucas as he deactivated his sustained spell. Blade of Darkness shifted back to its original form, a black spear staff before he immediately summoned it back to his spatial ring. "It's okay. Go back to sleep."

  Cassius yawned and closed his eyes.

  Lucas then approached the remaining assassin, Ada, who remained by the window.

  Ada lowered her cloak and nodded to Lucas.

  Lucas stood by Ada as he looked outside the window, watching the clouds part to reveal the moon peacefully floating in the night sky.

  "Thanks for leading them here, Ada," said Lucas.

  "Too close of a call. They were almost suspicious because it seemed a little bit too easy," Ada said. "So... you're right, Logan Walsh is plotting against the Aramdales. What are you going to do now? You all have no evidence."

  "This was never a game of finding the culprit," Lucas said, placing both hands behind his waist. "Because there is no real threat to Cassius' life, so long as sorcerers do not involve themselves."

  "Fair enough. But, you know, something's bugging me. You're here, but your sister Isabella and her husband are at a party somewhere. Do they even know what the Walshes tried to do tonight?" she asked.

  "Of course, it's why they're at the party in the first place - to let their enemies know they could do nothing to harm their son," said Lucas.

  Ada waited for further explanation, but Lucas had no interest in doing so.

  "I'll need your help getting rid of the blood. I'll get rid of the bodies," Lucas said instead.

  "Sure, but why didn't you keep one of them alive?" said Ada as she began her work. "I could've killed them all by myself, and I didn't have to go through all that planning."

  "When you infiltrated the underworld. What was the information you received from the contractor?" asked Lucas before wrapping the rest of the corpses in a blanket of shadows.

  "Logan Walsh is paying a lot to kill the only child of the Earl of Ilimor," she said with a shrug.

  "Yes, but I never said it was the Walshes. They might rival the Aramdales, but Logan's still an honourable man. Even Theodore respects him," said Lucas. "Don't forget that Cassius is also a Morgan. Logan wouldn't dare risk offending us."

  "Oh yeah," said Ada. "You guys are a bunch of bloodthirsty motherfuckers too. So, you want to use your corpses as a warning to raise the bounty price on Cassius' head, targeting the coffers of those targeting him. And because you're a sick fuck, you want the bodies prim and proper."

  Lucas affirmed with a shrug. "In the world of nobility and the underworld, it is, many times, about the presentation of power," he said and explained to Ada that he only waited for the assassins to attack Cassius to confirm that his nephew had indeed become a target, and he did. Logan Walsh was being used due to his status as Theodore's main rival.

  "But isn't it a bit of an overkill to have a High like you guard a baby? Pretty sure you're pretty busy at the AIS with what's going on in Alardice," Ada said.

  "Divide and conquer. The bounty they set is just a smokescreen to their true aim. They intend to weaken Theodore's position by forcing him to ask for help from his allies."

  "Hugs and smiles on the stage, knives and backstabbing behind the curtains. Good Almighty, I love the nobility," said Ada before disappearing outside the window.

  Meanwhile, Lucas flicked a finger, and the corpses he wrapped in a cocoon of shadows vanished. As for the blood, there was seemingly no trace of them, already cleaned by Ada. What an efficient worker.

  Lucas then looked at Cassius, who was either truly asleep or pretending to be asleep. He couldn't be sure for some reason. Even so, why would an infant be pretending to be asleep? "Don't worry. This isn't much to worry about. It's something you'd expect as the child of nobility."

  "Ahh... the infamous 'Trial of Power,' where newborn nobles are mere objectives in a sick political game," Lucas said and walked toward Cassius, tugging his nephew's light blanket. "But rest assured, this game isn't yours to play, and all you need to do for now is sleep."

  "This is nothing compared to the trials that await you in Alardice," he gently whispered before disappearing into a pool of shadow once more.

⁂

Nine months later, days after Cassius celebrated his first-year birthday, he rested inside the Aramdale estate's library, reading a book about the aether. Actually, he had no idea how he got into the library in the first place. The birthday party was the last thing he remembered.

  'Odd,' he thought as he flipped a book. 'Maybe I'm just tired, and mom left me here. But why not the nursery? Something's not right.'

  Anyway. Nothing much happened for him throughout those nine months, except for strengthening his soul core - and the constant assassination attempts to his life – which all miserably failed. Unfortunately, it was impossible to pinpoint the individual or parties responsible for the bounty on his head.

  But fortunately, no sorcerers were involved in the assassinations. After all, the use of sorcerers for murder among the nobility is considered treason and an attack against the Atharian Crown. Thus, halting the attempts was easy enough for his parents. Lucas also didn't need to lift a finger after that day. He wondered what his uncle did with those corpses. How gruesome.

  'House of Aramdale's Trial of Power. My death means failing the trial, which would mean preventing father from passing on his power and influence. In the short term, killing me would also kill the Aramdale's and the Morgan's reputations,' he thought.

  Additionally, his death would be a significant emotional blow to his father. It could potentially affect Theodore's judgment and ability to make clear decisions. It could also be a way to create chaos and instability within House Aramdale and its allies. Because if he dies, his parents would be too preoccupied with finding and punishing those responsible for his assassination rather than focusing on governance.

  Overall, eliminating him would be a way to undermine his family's power and influence within the Empire. At the same time, it would open up opportunities for others to gain power and influence. That, in addition to undermining his father's position as Alardice's Governor General.

  'But. Aramdale's enemies know an assassination wouldn't be possible. So they forced my family to use their favours to ensure my life and safeguard the Earldom of Ilimor – safe from greedy clutches before we head to Alardice,' he thought. 'How cutthroat. So, that's what Lucas is talking about... Aramdale did survive, but it still lost a significant amount of influence.'

  'If father fails in Alardice. This damage will bite us in the future,' Cassius thought. 'But why did father accept the responsibility in the first place? Sure, refusing would badly damage his reputation, but the results won't be as bad as the damage he already suffered.'

  While deep in thought, an elderly man suddenly appeared out of thin air before him, donning a navy suit and a black overcoat. He had long grey hair and a beard. He looked regal.

  Cassius, who normally was calm, suddenly felt tense. He had never seen the old man before.

  "It seems that shooting star indeed brought another Reincarnator in Inar," said the elderly man with a smile as he approached. "I am Dr. Aelius Salacia with the University of Edith. I'm also a Circle V Wizard with the Aetheric International Council, as well as the Inaris World Council."

  'An Archon?!' thought Cassius.