"Completely preposterous, Your Majesty. Even if the case stands, as you say, that the Continent is under risk of being vanquished by a bloodthirsty force that wants nothing but to kill us all, Axelor would never do something like this. I would find it more believable if Axelor joined that Church, and wants to find the weaknesses of all the armies of the other forces on Angaria so that they can be sold to the Church."
"I concur, Your Majesty!"
"Yes, that fits with their mentality! Your Majesty, we can"t trust them! Especially not when we"re weak, like this!"
"Yes, My Lord!"
In one of the large meeting rooms in the Palace of Lanthanor, a large, circular table had been laid in the middle around which around 50 individuals were seated.
These were the major lieutenants and captains who served under his commanders to manage the army.
If the War Games did happen, these would be the people who would be playing a major role, too. Hence, Daneel had decided to call them all, too, to the meeting.
There was also another reason. Apparently, most of these captains and lieutenants came from military families, and some were even supposed to have ancestors who had taken part in the first War Games conducted almost 400 years ago.
Such events were significant, so, information about it had been pa.s.sed down from son to son as family lore.
And now, it was here for Daneel to see.
As the King, who was sitting at the prominent spot of the table on a Throne, frowned when he heard this, Robert, who was sitting next to him, said, "We are considering that viewpoint, too. But the King called you here so that you can tell us what your ancestors said about the War Games. Did they have anything specific to say about Axelor?"
This made the army personnel pause and whisper among themselves.
To their credit, they were actually handling the situation quite well.
The news about the Church"s invasion was supposed to be privileged information, so as not to cause ma.s.s panic. So, it had come as a shock to most of these people that there might be nothing left of their homeland in a few short years.
Still, they had taken it in stride and begun to give their views on Axelor"s proposal.
Or…it might just be the long-standing hatred they had for that Kingdom which might have helped them in the process.
Regardless, Daneel leaned forward to see whether there was anything useful to be learned.
Seeing Daneel"s interest, Robert said, "Most of your ancestors must have been war buddies, so points should match between their stories. Take a moment to discuss, before putting forward a consolidated version."
As everyone else nodded, Daneel flicked his fingers and made an invisible barrier appear around him and the rest of the Sovereigns who were present in the meeting.
He had a little time, anyway, so he had decided to talk to them a bit.
Everyone except Faxul and Luther was present here, as they obviously couldn"t leave behind their forces and appear here, in Lanthanor, whenever they were needed.
"What do you all think?", he asked, wanting to know their views on the issue.
Robert spoke up first.
"Definitely suspicious. In no way can I imagine Axelor looking out for the good of the continent. Do you know, for sure, that they haven"t allied with the Church?"
Daneel was going to nod, but he stopped himself. Could he know, for sure?
He was mostly certain, but it was best not to be overconfident.
"I don"t think so, but I can"t be completely certain. Still, for argument"s sake, a.s.sume that they haven"t done so."
"Then there must be some other ulterior motive!"
This was from Ca.s.sandra, who had just banged her hand on the table.
As Daneel glanced at her, he saw that something was wrong.
Her breathing was labored, while her beautiful countenance was flushed red. Her red hair almost looked like it was a bunch of angry, crackling flames, giving her the image of some vengeful G.o.ddess who had come upon the land to take revenge.
"Ca.s.s…"
As Aran laid a hand on her shoulder, Ca.s.sandra whipped her head in his direction, which made him back into his seat hurriedly, as if he was afraid that she would do something.
"Autumn leaves. Autumn leaves over a balcony filled with broken, wooden planks."
These random words seemed to hold some kind of special meaning for her, as Ca.s.sandra, the Mage who was known for her fiery temper visibly calmed herself down for a moment and said, "Apologies, My King. May I be excused for a moment?"
"Of course."
Daneel replied instantly, following which Ca.s.sandra stood up and left the meeting room.
He found it odd. What could the reason be behind her outburst and loss of control?
The most plausible answer was that she had some vendetta against Axelor, but he had seen her be calm multiple times when handling that Kingdom. Even during the Olympics, she had kept her cool.
As he looked at Aran questioningly, the man dressed in casual clothes replied, "It…is the anniversary of the death of her family, My King. She always gets a bit touchy about the subject of Axelor during this time. Please pardon her."
Raising an eyebrow, Daneel asked, "Why?"
This made Aran scratch his nose, as if he didn"t want to answer.
Hmm? What information could there be that he was showing such hesitation?
Finally, Aran looked at Robert, and as Daneel turned toward his father, he noticed that the man was glaring at him.
Huh?
Making another isolation barrier appear around the two of them, he asked, "What"s the matter, father?"
In a neutral tone, Robert said, "Son, that is her story. I heard that she had to spend 5 years with Aran and Luther before she was able to open up to them. How would she feel if her trusted friend lay her secrets bare because you asked? You learned tact, son. Just because you"re a King, it doesn"t mean that you should forget that. If you want to find the answer, ask her yourself."
As Daneel heard this, he couldn"t help but flush with embarra.s.sment.
Right.
It was just that he had gotten used to finding out anything and everything he wanted from anyone with a thought. So, Daneel had asked without thinking whether he was breaching someone"s privacy.
Thankfully, Ca.s.sandra entered the room again at the same moment, which gave Daneel an excuse to not reply to his father.
Musing that a scolding from a parent was something that even a Hero might not be able to escape from, Daneel decided to ask Ca.s.sandra later about the topic.
Yet, surprisingly, she spoke up before Daneel could say anything.
Standing in front of her seat, she put her hands behind her back and said, "I know the question in all of your minds. A commander whose mind is supposed to be the calmest on the battlefield has lost composure on just the mention of an enemy. Before any of you get any doubts about my capability, I want to give the reason."
Hearing this, Daneel decided that he had to step in.
Although he hadn"t spent too much time with these commanders since he became King because some or the other matter always kept bothering him, he was always grateful for the steadfast support that they had always given him. When he needed them, they had always been there to deliver everything he asked.
Actually, now, he regretted not getting to know them closer.
These were the people he worked with closely, all the time! He had even made them Sovereigns!
Yet, all he knew about them was that Aran liked wearing casual clothes and lounging on sofas, and that Ca.s.sandra had beautiful locks of red hair that somehow always looked perfect and that she was supposed to have a temper.
Even with Kellor, the man who had followed him first, all he knew was that he had been a woodcutter, and that he was now someone who was enthusiastic about magic and justice.
That was just…pathetic!
Daneel cursed at himself in his mind, before resolving firmly to change that.
But first, he decided to address the heartthrob Mage of the army.
"Ca.s.sandra, no one doubts your capability. You can sit down, you don"t need to give any explanation. I trust you. I do not want you to speak of something so personal just because you feel that it is necessary for us to not view you in some way. Sit down."
As Daneel said the last two words, the others also pitched in and chimed that it wasn"t necessary.
This made a small smile break onto Ca.s.sandra"s face.
She had already controlled herself completely using just that moment outside, yet her mood had still seemed pretty bad, especially when she had uttered that statement.
Now, her posture, too, which had been rigid, loosened up, while the last traces of the anger in her vanished.
As if she wasn"t in a state to say anything in response, she simply nodded and sat down.
Daneel could tell that he had done the right thing. The main sign of that was when he had said the words "I trust you".
Now, he had become quite adept at using the Basilisk"s Breath at a moment"s notice. So, he had activated the inheritance to see her micro-expressions, which was when he had noticed that her eyes had widened when she heard those words.
Numerous emotions had shone in her eyes at that moment, including grat.i.tude, relief, and joy. Also, after this, the changes in her posture had signaled that something inside her had changed.
All in all, this moment had been important, but Daneel decided that he would find out how later on, when he found a moment to talk to her alone.
Yet, for now, it was time to get back to the meeting.
…
An hour later, Daneel walked out of the room and headed to an underground chamber while the rest dispersed.
After the incident, Ca.s.sandra had remained silent, while Daneel spoke to everyone else to find out if they had any grievances. Their forays into the information given by Daneel were going well, and Eloise was even almost ready to finalize the first plan for the train.
As for the army personnel, they had only been able to come up with information that was already written down in the records. Apparently, any personal embellishments or remarks had washed out of the story over the years.
Still, Daneel did find one thing: Axelor was p.r.o.ne to tricks and doing things under the table, which was something he already knew, especially after what had happened during the Olympics.
Regarding these War Games, he was still on the fence. On one side, it would give a huge boost to the Network, as it would be an exclusive show that would entice the whole continent to buy the trinkets and get hooked to them.
On the other, something just felt…off.
Sighing, Daneel decided to give it at least a little time, as he had no intention of rus.h.i.+ng into a decision.
Right now, he had a meeting with his friend to get to.
Reaching the chamber, Daneel closed the door behind him to find his best friend, Faxul, carefully browsing through the multiple floating beacons in the air, each of which was a Champion Path that he was in possession of.
"What do you think? Any inspiration? Any plan in mind?"
Faxul was currently mulling over a Champion Path which was labeled "Flight".
The details read:
""Flight" Champion Path: Those who wish to tread this path must connect with their inner pa.s.sion to soar in the air, with a speed and grace that leave those watching in a state of awe.
Possible Special Abilities: -Domain of Increased Flight Speed for self/decreased flight speed for enemies.
-Increase offense/defense while in the air."
"Why are all of these so…simple?"
As Faxul asked this, Daneel chuckled.
"That"s because they are the most common Champion Paths. Like I told you, Drakos says that one can obtain inspiration from them for acquired paths."
Shaking his head, Faxul stepped back.
"I"ll think on it more. So, why did you want me to wait here, without the others knowing?"
As Faxul asked this, Daneel answered in a casual tone.
"Oh, nothing. I just need you to dress up as an a.s.sa.s.sin and try to kill our Commanders."
This made Faxul spit out the mouthful of wine he had just drunk.
Sputtering, he asked, "W-what?!"
Laughing, Daneel slapped his friend on his back and said, "Well, regardless of if the War Games are conducted or not, Lanthanor can use a few more Warriors. We have a couple of Peak Exalted Human Commanders who are just wasting their time at their current level. Nothing like a death threat to give them the last "push" needed…"
At that moment, Faxul decided that he would never ask Daneel"s help to achieve a breakthrough.
Ever.
.....
All contest entries will be up in an Auxiliary Chapter in an hour! Please go through them and give your vote in the comment section! More instructions will be available in the chapter!