24 The Duchy of Helios (II)
Oliver maintained an imposing demeanor as he glared aggressively at the crown prince of Assyria, but his internal thoughts were in a mess.
'Is this really Alexander, the inept crown prince of our kingdom?!' Oliver pondered, absolutely astounded by the intense pressure coming from the individual standing in front of him.
'When did he become so intimidating?! It's like he's a whole different person!' Oliver thought, his heart reeling from shock as he observed the person in front of him.
'Could it be that the rumors were true . . . ?' Oliver felt a chill run down his spine as the terrifying thought loomed in his heart.
"Are you Oliver Helios?" Alexander asked coldly, still maintaining the terrifying pressure he was exerting on Vezir.
"Yes, I am." Oliver, the towering figure in a red three piece suit answered coldly; his scarlet irises staring angrily yet warily at Alexander.
Alexander retracted his pressure abruptly, finally giving the aged butler his much needed reprieve. he elderly butler hackled violently and gasped for breath in quick, shallow breaths as he struggled to catch his breath. It took a few seconds before his previously pale face started returning to normal.
When the elderly butler turned to look at Alexander, there was no trace of contempt or mockery in his gaze; rather, there was nothing but pure, unadulterated trepidation and dread in his eyes.
Alexander naturally noticed Vezir's fear, and smirked internally. This was the outcome he desired. By releasing his pressure, his image as an incompetent prince in Vezir's mind would be overridden. At the same time, his pressure would be sure to attract Oliver's attention and make him wary. It was killing two birds with one stone.
His plan did work flawlessly, and now Oliver Helios, the only Duke in the kingdom of Assyria was standing before him.
Alexander had to say, Oliver Helios did not exactly suit his mental idea of a duke. He expected him to be in his late sixties, with a bloated belly and chubby cheeks to go along with it. His imagination was greatly affected by the medieval movie series he watched back on earth, as well as the ugly visage of nobles such as Dill.
The towering man did not feet the image he conjured in his mind at all. He was as tall as Agnus, if not taller; and despite the fact that he was dressed in a decent three piece suit, his impressive physique told the tale of the latent strength he had. He looked more like a warrior, not the Duke of a kingdom.
Of course, the blue star ranked mark on his forehead told him how strong the Duke was.
He was a one star warrior.
"Now that you are here, we can now have a civil conversation." Alexander said indifferently, staring undauntingly at Oliver's furious scarlet irises, as if waiting for a response.
After a close to ten seconds, Oliver's finally spoke.
"This way, Your Royal Highness." Oliver said respectfully as he motioned for Alexander to step through the tall manor doors, but traces of anger was still evident in his voice.
Alexander smirked as he stepped past the doors. He had won the first round.
...
Oliver led Alexander to the meeting room in his manor, with Vezir following closely behind him. On the way there, Alexander saw a beautiful lady around the same age as Oliver who he guessed to be his wife, and two young boys around the age of ten. The two boys had the same features as Oliver, and Alexander suspected them to be his kids.
Just like he noticed earlier, the financial state of the Duchy of Helios was very pitiful. The interior of the manor was bare and minimalist. There was a shortage of servants at the manor, and the decorations in the manor were sparse and empty.
With very little citizens in their duchy, as well as the dire financial state of the kingdom, it was no surprise that the Duchy of Helios was dirt poor.
After five minutes of navigating the expansive manor, Oliver finally led Alexander to a door that had the trademark insignia of the Duchy of Helios painted on it. He opened the door and motioned for Alexander to enter, and then signaled for Vezir to remain outside the room before entering the room himself, shutting the door tightly behind him.
Beyond the door laid an expansive meeting room. Six wooden chairs lay neatly beside a wooden round table, and a portrait of Oliver Helios and his family hung on the moldy walls of the meeting room.
After a quick scan of the room, Alexander made his way to the wooden chair located at the head of the table, and motioned for Oliver to seat on the wooden chair across him. Oliver swallowed the feeling of insubordination that was rising in his throat and acquesiesed to Alexander's intentions, reluctantly sitting on the wooden chair.
"Your Royal Highness, I would be honored if you could tell me the purpose of your visit." Oliver asked politely yet obstinately as he after settling himself comfortably on the wooden chair.
Alexander did not reply immediately; instead opting to stare right at Oliver's scarlet irises, as if oblivious to Oliver's earlier question. His azure eyes were incredibly focused, and it seemed that he was thinking deeply.
"Your Royal Highness?" Oliver called out after a few seconds of a tense silence as he was feeling incredibly uncomfortable by Alexander's stare.
"Pardon me. I let myself get carried away." Alexander apologized calmly, and without any suspense, he went on to explain the primary purpose of his visit to the Duchy of Helios.
"Duke Oliver. I want to thank you and your Duchy for your valiant service to the Assyria Kingdom. I know it has not been a very easy task, so I want you to know that you have my utmost gratitude." Alexander said sincerely, addressing Oliver with his noble title for the very first time since he arrived at the Duchy of Helios.
When Oliver heard Alexander's sincere gratitude, he was unable to hide the surprised expression that appeared on his face.
Alexander smiled at Oliver's surprised expression. He had read intensively about Assyria's history so he knew a lot about the Duchy of Helios.
Unlike the other corrupt nobles in Assyria Kingdom who did as they wished and only thought selfishly about themselves, the Duchy of Helios were the opposite.
10 years ago, the Helios family were once members of a big clan in a distant empire, but for reasons known to them only, they were banished from the clan and were forced to wander the dangerous and war ridden Omrys continent.
After traveling for five years, the number of members, which once numbered in the thousands significantly decreased, and there were fewer than 300 people remaining in their group. During their dangerous travels, several powerful patriarchs and members of the Helios family died, and Oliver who was the current head at the time could no longer afford to wander the dangerous Omrys continent.
It was then they arrived at Assyria.
The Enoz Empire had already severed their ties with Assyria at that point, so they were engulfed in war. The Helios family led by Oliver offered to help Assyria out in the war in exchange for a small territory to house his family and clan members.
The King of Asssyria at the time accepted the proposal, and they were able to fend off the enemies. 5 years later, the Helios family already had a duchy and had became one of the most powerful nobles in the kingdom, just below the Royal Family.
"It is my pleasure to serve the Kingdom of Assyria." Oliver answered despite his surprise, bowing his head properly. Although Alexander could not see his face, he could tell by the tone of his voice that he was being sincere.
"Duke Oliver, the reason I have come here is to ask you something very important." Alexander said solemnly, and a heavy atmosphere appeared in the room at Alexander's words.
Oliver saw the serious expression on Alexander's face, and so despite his confusion and surprise at Alexander's strange behaviour, he opted to listen to his next words.
Alexander noticed this and smiled again; and then in a solemn voice that traces of wild insanity in them, Alexander spoke once more.
"Duke Oliver, are you willing to become the Duke of the greatest S-rank Empire in the history of the Omrys continent?"
