CHAPTER 6 EDITED
No ruler rules alone. To attempt to solve the matters of state as an individual is tantamount to suicide by stress and overwork. Furthermore, you’re going to end up doing a shit job. It’s much better to collaborate and learn how to delegate. Leaders simply need to steer the direction of the state and leave the enacting to those loyal to them.
That being said, being ignorant of how things are done leads to becoming worse than a jester. An ignorant leader is a foolish one who cannot steer the direction of state even with competent help.
— A leadership philosopher
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Gashon bolted upright, his eyes wide. “ARE THEY THE ONES DOING THIS?!”
Alex leaned back, smirking. This conversation’s about to get very interesting.
“Well, probably. They’re the only faction I know capable of causing fractures in space-time. So make that a definite probably,” Alex said, tilting his head as if weighing the idea.
Gashon frowned, his confusion deepening. “Spacetime tears? What in the galaxy are you talking about?”
Alex sighed, sitting up straighter. Enough beating around the bush. “In approximately three and a half hours, I’ll be on my way to the royal tailor. There will be no Imperial Guard present, and I’ll hear a booming voice announcing someone is here to ‘fetch me.’ Shortly after, reality will start to fracture, and I will, presumably, die.”
Gashon’s expression hardened as he stared at Alex. “And how, exactly, do you know this?”
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
“Because I lived it.” Alex’s voice was even, almost nonchalant. “Afterward, I woke up back at my cottage, thinking it was all a dream. But there weren’t any advertisements, so that rules out dreams.”
Gashon raised an eyebrow. “...Advertisements?”
Alex waved a hand dismissively. “Doesn’t matter. The point is, I’m fairly confident it happened, and since your arrival and the events so far are playing out identically, I have reason to believe it wasn’t some hallucination. As for the void realm, they’re the only ones with the capability to pull off something this… dramatic.”
Gashon muttered under his breath, ignoring Alex for a moment. “Three hours. That’s so much shorter than the others. We’ll have to work fast.” His voice rose as he addressed Alex directly. “You’ll need round-the-clock surveillance. For now, I’ll redirect the ship to Sector 3—where the I.D.D. is trained. Their defenses are even stronger than the Imperial Palace’s. At the same time, I’ll summon the foremost experts on the void realm to meet us there.”
Meeting Alex’s gaze, Gashon’s tone turned serious. “Is there anything else you’ve neglected to mention? Every detail could help us keep you alive.”
Alex pondered for a moment before shaking his head. “Nothing I can think of, Gashon. Just keep me safe—I’m not eager to try dying again anytime soon, if that’s what really happened.”
Gashon nodded curtly and activated his holosponder. “Change of plans. Gather the top ten experts on Void Beings and redirect the ship to the heart of Sector 3. Do this immediately. Also, rotate in the next batch of Royal Guard to secure the King.”
With that, Gashon swept out of the room, his determination palpable. Moments later, the same Imperial Guard who had escorted Alex earlier entered, their adamantite armor gleaming.
Alex studied the guard for a moment, then smiled. “Since it looks like I might be around long enough for it to matter, what’s your name, soldier?”
The guard straightened. His voice was curt but respectful. “It’s Gerald, Your Majesty.”
Alex grinned, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a deck of cards. “Well, Gerald, let me ask you something important—do you know how to play War?”