1st Tuor: Apademak

The Rounds feared for the life of Viscount Bondre Suma on his ignorant behalf.

If there are people who're aware of how utterly horrendous it was to earn the Emperor's wrath, the knights currently facing the Emperor would perfectly conform with the group.

A barren wasteland, totally devoid of everything that had life, was the sole compensation that the Emperor could bestow to his enemies and allies alike. Anything apart from that would effectuate an eternal damnation to the souls of those who were exposed to even a meagre amount of his power.

For the inhabitants of this diverse world, the young Atticus should be nothing but feared and revered.

'If you want peace, then make war. If you want war, then make war.' - The very creed that the Emperor worshipped, true to his warfare hungry heart. A homicidal mad lad through and through.

Nevertheless, the moment he became aware of the atrocities that his father prosecuted to make the people of the Empire suffer, Atticus drastically altered the hierarchy of his priorities.

When he ascended the throne, he vowed to take into deliberation the prosperity and safety of the citizens of the Seraphiel Empire in every action that he planned to take, promptly forsaking his lust for the domineering tension radiated by the battlefield.

With all things considered, it's truly short of a miracle that he didn't acquire the propensities of his tyrannical father, which was having the perverse pleasure to force people into doing his bidding once he assumed a position of power.

"That hog of a Viscount is suspected of reviving the black-market for slaves that I vehemently abolished, yet he dared to request an audience with me? I applaud his temerity for having the audacity to make a fool out of me." The Emperor uttered with full discontent as he slammed his hands on the desk.

It was odd for the mawkish Emperor to be excessively communicative while having an outburst of annoyance, though it would be the usual if he was still uncrowned. The slight scowl on his previously impassive countenance was quite refreshing to see for the Rounds.

"I can forgive the demons for appearing, but that pig is obviously taunting me by engaging in slavery, expecting that I won't be informed of it. I will botcher him like the livestock that he is."

Upon hearing what the Emperor prepared in advance for Viscount Suma, the seven knights and the Prime Minister silently prayed for the peaceful departure of the man from this world. Withal, they were also appalled of the idea of slavery, so they wanted a share in the lowly noble's suffering. Their thoughts contradicted, but their judgments were united.

The Emperor soughed, just enough to calm himself down. Subsequently, he peered at the eyes of his knights, one by one, before going back to address the matter regarding the Demon Nobles.

"For this mission, the enigmatic visitor gave us six scrolls containing the invocatory verses of the Angels who could deal with the Demons. Iophiel, Haniel, Khamael, Israfel, and Jibrail, each of you will bear one scroll." The Emperor explained while placing the differently coloured scrolls at the edge of the table, pointing at the knight they were designated to.

Latterly, the selected Rounds procured their now valued scrolls, respectively. They then duly returned to their original spot as they inspected the rolled parchments.

Meanwhile, Mikhail was curious about some details.

"Your Majesty, Khamael has been given a scroll again? Also, who will hold the last one?" The commander asked even without letting the Emperor finish his briefing. Their earlier argument appeared to have been dismissed pronto.

It was not evident from his placid visage, but the monarch was miffed of Mikhail's hurried display of enthusiasm. However, the Emperor did not prefer piling up the queries that he needed to answer, so he responded to the knight's inquiry.

"I'm not cognizant of the real reasoning behind Khamael's second appointment. As for the sixth scroll, Zelel will be managing it." The Emperor nonchalantly stated, nescient of the impact of his words on the Minister's sanity.

"What?!" Duke Claudas bellowed, his eyes as wide as they could be. It was extremely loud that it might've even penetrated the sound barrier of the study, making his complaint heard outside.

Concurrently, the knights were able to cover their ears in the nick of time forasmuch as they foresaw Zelel's reaction.

"Your Majesty, I am not a part of the Knights of the Round Table! Why do I have to do this?! I am the Prime Minister, for heaven's sake!" Zelel shouted in the midst of his grievance, like a child throwing a temper tantrum, while he flailed his hands about.

The Emperor flung a disgruntled glare towards Duke Claudas, that successfully halted the latter's fruitless outburst. Moreover, it alerted Zelel of the ensuing reprimanding that he had coming for himself, prompting him to bow his head immediately.

"Did you ever listen to me sans the protesting, Minister Claudas? Let me reiterate this. I am not aware of how the distribution of the scrolls works. Accordingly, whether you'd be fond of helping us resolve this issue or not, you'll be going along with us, seeing that a scroll was left in your possession." The Emperor declared with finality. The man detested talking unnecessarily, substantiating the vexation in his voice.

Khamael, who refrained from talking ever since their arrival in the study, spoke of words of 'encouragement' to the Prime Minister presently posing as a coward.

"You are by no means weak. If we can't save your sorry ass, then save it on your own." The younger Percival enunciated his self-perceived inspiring phrases.

In spite of the lad's pure intendment to cheer his comrade up, Zelel winced upon receiving his tactless consolation. Not to mention, Khamael wasn't over with his speech.

"See, Lady Haniel here is a woman, yet she is already gearing to go. You should man up." He said as he looked at the Minister straight in the eyes.

When Zelel noticed the glimmer on the young knight's orbs, indicating the ludicrousness of the matter, he abandoned his thoughts of escaping the predicament as he dejectedly accepted his fate. Accordingly, he announced his reply, lips puckered and head lowered.

"I will go, alright. You're all bullying me." He kvetched in a grunt as he sauntered en route the monarch's desk. Zelel picked up the scroll and quickly went back to his emplacement.

As soon as the Prime Minister was settled, the Emperor began to lay-out their course.

"In the terminal of the gates, we have one that could take us to a location bordering the Suma fief."

There was a dungeon below the Seraphiel Castle dedicated for the use of the Knights of the Round Table, the Axhiven League, and the Neveral Party - they termed it the terminal of the gates. These gates were created by the Emperor and maintained through the utilization of artefacts.

The gates that the Emperor made are exceptional. The ones accessible to the public still had time lags in between the departure and arrival, depending on the distance to be travelled. In comparison, the portals made by the monarch bypasses any time constrictions, taking anyone to their destinations in an instant.

"Conjure the shield. I'll be calling forth the gate that will take us directly to the capital of Grathel fief." The Emperor issued the final order he'd be giving in the confines of his study all the while he traipsed the length en-route the facade of the enormous double doors.

The Rounds did as they were told as they faced their master. Consequently, they held out their right hands and simultaneously uttered the enchantment to conjure the shield that would protect everything, including the people, at the room's alfresco. They would be able to cast the spell pronto because the magic array was already embedded on the floor of the room.

"errare humanum est, perseverare diabolicum; genius loci; primum non nocere; parva sub ingenti; abundans cautela non nocet; hic manebimus optime; rex regum fidelum et; sola fide; absit omen"

After the enchantment was articulated, an absolute darkness enveloped the entire room. In the middle of that twilight, a palm-sized, three-dimensional hollow cube materialized. Its edges were hued with the candescent shade of the summer Sirno. Furthermore, there was a pearl-like object in the centre of the cube emitting a dusty smoke that gradually filled the room.

Once the smoke dominated the space, the cube suddenly expanded until its sides touched the room's walls, bringing back the light inside the study. A few seconds thenceforth, it decreased its territory up to the point where the sole person imprisoned by it was the Emperor.

The spell was similar to what Zelel exploited for the Empress. Withal, this particular incantation belonged to the second tier of the Deo Ashantra Cixu, bequeathed by the Emperor to his knights.

Its solitary purpose was to protect all living and non-living beings, within an approximate range of a hundred kilometres, from the toxic effects of the Emperor's mana expulsion.

"Patefio Ostium, Seraphiel Ante Portas"

Sans the shield, the Emperor's unable to wield mana freely lest reducing everything around him to ashes.