Raph's voice came out smooth, almost taunting, as he regarded the king of Belgrav. The air crackled with tension, the aftermath of the chaotic battle still lingering around them, but Raph remained unfazed, his demeanour as relaxed as a spring afternoon.

King Alden's eyes narrowed, assessing the masked figure before him. "You may choose not to but understand that such an omission would not bode well for your position here. You have already disrupted the balance of power in my kingdom, so it would be wise to speak plainly."

Raph chuckled softly, undeterred. "A wise king indeed, but perhaps less wise to assume my compliance. I am not here to bow to your throne or your titles. I am known by many names across realms: Shadow's Whisper, the Catalyst of Chaos—but today, let's keep it simple. You can call me Raph."

The king's expression was unreadable, but a flicker of intrigue sparked behind his steely gaze. "Raph. A fitting name for a figure of your Caliber. What is it you want, Raph? What is it that you desire? riches, more power, women, perhaps my kingdom, or are you simply here to watch the world burn?"

Raph smirked, glancing down at the scene below where chaos reigned, the remnants of battle scattered across what was once a peaceful landscape. "I neither seek a throne nor wish for destruction, without purpose at least. I am merely a catalyst, a reminder of the fragility of power. You, Alden, have allowed complacency to fester in your rule, and I am here to shake things up You might even say what I seek the most is to quench this irritating thirst in my throat. I'm quite bored you see."

"Maintaining the status quo is more difficult than you would imagine," Alden replied, his tone hardening. "Every ruler must maintain a semblance of order. There are consequences to the change most seek. Not all change is good"

"Consequences are inevitable, Alden."

"Options that come with heavy costs," Alden countered, stepping forward as he drew nearer to Raph, his presence commanding and regal. "This suffering does not only fall upon the noble but seeps into the lives of the common folk. You come here masked, I wonder why that is?"

"Merely convenience on my part, and I embrace it, the suffering" Raph replied, unwavering. "Your precious order has already broken beneath your ignorance. I merely cast light upon it. As you can guess from the events today, while you were sitting on your hands, others were looking to gather more strength, but you chose to remain stagnant. The choice is now, Alden. Do you want to dignify this dialogue or defend a throne that is built upon a crumbling foundation?"

Silence stretched between them, the aftermath of their words heavy in the air. King Alden stood tall, the weight of leadership heavy on his shoulders, contemplating his next move. He looked around him. A barrier had emerged to cover them as soon as they started this conversation. Those outside could not hear or see them but they could.

Alden looked below, he looked at the denizens of his capital, spreading his presence out wide, he listened to the conversations that filled the streets as the knight order were roaming through the capital, getting things back in order.

The remnants of The Anarchist Syndicate were embroiled in battle with Varian, Cedric and the knights. They were now being pushed backed a great degree, it was only a matter of time before they were all wiped out.

Finally, he made up his mind. Looking back up towards Raphael, he spoke,

"What is it that you gain from this whole tedious affair? I doubt you act merely due to amusement, to that end, tell me, would you be willing to show me your face?" he finally said.

"Trust is earned, not given. I show my face to those I trust, you are obviously not one of them" Raph replied, his voice steady, "but I can assure you of one thing: the world is shifting, and those who cling to the past will be left behind. You have a choice, King Alden. Adapt and evolve or find yourself a relic of history. And my motives are none of your concern"

Around them, the remnants of battle lay stark against the scenery—an invitation toward transformation, waiting for the king to decide whether he would step forward or retreat into the shadows of the past.

King Alden's expression shifted, pondering Raph's words—a game of power and strategy, yet one with no certainty of success.

"What do you propose?" Alden finally asked, his voice firm yet cautious.

Raph's smile deepened behind the mask, and he gestured expansively, as if opening a door to a world yet unseen. "Let us forge a partnership of sorts. What I need right now is someone to act in the light, a hand let's say. You will do most of the tedious work while I work in the shadows. I'm sure you have the manpower for that. Your goal will be to gather manpower and more allies while I gather information."

Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

As the air thickened with unspoken possibilities, Alden found an unexpected sense of anticipation growing in his heart. His heart rate spiked momentarily, he found himself looking forward to the future for some reason.

He could not understand this feeling. It was so foreign to him that he failed to understand it. Whether that was a good or bad thing, only time would tell.

His goal had been to probe Raph once the battle was over. Even though Raph had won the fight with Rio, Alden still felt that he could have done the same had he been the one to fight Rio. But as soon as he laid eyes on Raphael, his alarm bells rang in his head. Even though his eyes told him that this masked man's rank was lower than his own, his instincts told him a different story.

His strength just felt unfathomable and suffocating. As such, a different strategy played out in his mind. Which he implemented right now. Try to figure out this man's motives and appear diplomatic. 'Surely there must have been a reason why he was defending the capital. His intentions must be either good or neutral'.

Such were his thoughts; anything that was not aggressive was good news in his books. He was not confident he could survive if a fight broke out between them. At the same time, he did not want to appear as being weak.

He chose his next words carefully, conscious of the precarious balance between diplomacy and the threat that Raph represented. The masked figure exuded a peculiar blend of charm and menace, prompting the king to tread lightly.

"Your proposal intrigues me, Raph," Alden began, his voice steady, yet probing. "But what assurance do I have that you won't exploit this partnership for your own ends? You speak of change, yet how do I know it won't lead to further chaos?"

Raph chuckled, and tilted his head slightly, a gesture that conveyed both curiosity and amusement. "Ah, King Alden, isn't that the nature of all alliances? Trust is a fragile thing, easily shattered. But let us not forget—chaos has already infiltrated your kingdom, it wouldn't hurt to take your chances with me."

"I will not argue against that," Alden admitted, casting a glance at the remnants of the battlefield below, where his knights struggled against The Anarchist Syndicate. "But I cannot place the fate of my kingdom in the hands of a man I do not truly know. At least not without enough time to think."

"Wise of you," Raph replied, his tone laced with a hint of boredom. "Consider this a trial—a test of sorts, we will exchange information for the next few months as you gauge your position." As much as he wanted to wave off Alden's words and simply leave or threaten him instead, he needed this. Though he could just roam around every corner of the world, even if that was a possibility, this partnership would make things more convenient.

King Alden inhaled deeply, the tension crackling in the air. "If I agree, it will not come without conditions. My kingdom's welfare comes first. If your actions lead to more suffering, I will not hesitate to sever our ties. Can you accept that?"

"Perfectly," Raph conceded, a hint of excitement flickering in his eyes. "Your kingdom's preservation is paramount to our alliance. After all, I have no intention to watch it burn—for now, at least."

Alden's gaze flickered at his last statement, but in the end, he nodded solemnly, weighing the prospects of this alliance. He felt the scales shifting, felt a flicker of hope igniting amidst the uncertainty. Perhaps this enigmatic figure held the key to unshackling his rule from the chains of stagnation, to confronting the encroaching forces threatening his reign.

Maybe a more aggressive approach would help stave of the wolves biting down on all our sides. I have to agree, we have been extremely passive, so much that most must have mistaken it for weakness. That must be why they deemed it appropriate to attack my kingdom first.

The king extended a hand, his posture firm. "Then it's settled. A partnership, albeit a fragile one. But mark my words, Raph, I will be watching you closely."

Raph clasped the king's hand, sealing their pact. A light smile playing out under his mask "And I shall not disappoint you. We are on the precipice of transformation, Alden. Embrace it—or be swept away. I will not bore you with words and promises of victory, I'm not here to help or fight for you, but I'm doing this simply to serve my interests" he spoke before vanishing into a warping whirlpool of space.

"Gone just like that." Alden chuckled to himself, "And not a trace of him left, I did not even sense a shift in the mana up until he vanished." Alden felt that nothing the masked man did would surprise him anymore. He made his way back to his large hall in the castle, while taking a good look at his capital city.

❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

Raphael reappeared inconspicuously in his room at the Gilded Lantern, the inn he was staying in before proceeding to lie down quietly in the bed. The mask had somehow also disappeared from his face, a light smile painted his handsome visage.

A satisfied sigh escaped his lips "I wonder what I should do next. Oh, right I promised to take missions with that group of three." His thoughts shifted to the girl with emerald green hair, "What was her name again? right Lia. Then there was Tess and Finn."

He recalled the names of the petite girl and the bulky Finn. The thought of joining a party brought a smile to his face. It made him reminisce on the times he used to accompany his elder brother on his clan missions.

The thoughts of his clan made his smile twist into a chilling indifferent cold gaze. " I wonder if father would be disappointed." The last of his kind, his father invoked that art probably in the hopes that maybe he would one day avenge them, destroying the dragons' enemies and maybe reviving his race.

'Yet here I am, planning on having fun and playing mind games with those who brought our destruction just for my amusement. Father did always say I was an odd one'

He cleared his mind, the smile returning to his face as he left his thoughts to drift. The night only grew darker.