The Imperial Strife Begins

A joke, a sham, a slap in the face. After racking his brain to come up with the perfect plan to rob the souls of all those felons, they bowed and pledged allegiance? What next? Raise the flag of rebellion and assault the Imperial City?

For the first time in this life, Kilian didn't know how to handle the situation, and so asked the only thing a sensible man would, "What is the meaning of this?" But as if echoing his thoughts, the 36 candles vanished in an emerald blaze, leaving behind four items.

First, a black onyx ring encrusted with nine nail-sized green crystals whose nature even Kilian couldn't identify. Second, a large black grimoire covered with glowing crimson veins stretching from a scarlet stone. Third, a palm-sized sangria shard shimmering in the dark night. From that shard, Kilian could hear the jammed heartbeats of dormant creatures. Last, an obsidian dagger around which green flames and crackling lightning coiled.

"The Grand Herald's four relics: the Ring of Change, the Grimoire of Adramelech, the Slammer of Legions and the Anathema," Adam explained while staring at the four relics with complete reverence. Though their ownership could forever change his destiny, the thought of robbing them never once crossed his mind. Whoever dared faced worse than death.

While artifacts were ranked as Minor, Greater and Divine, relics had no rank but either possessed extraordinary powers that scaled with the owner or matched the divine. Those four relics belonged to the first category.

"I understand that Your Eminence must have many questions. I shall answer them all. First, our Lord, the Fehl Prince Adramelech, is none other than the founder of our house—Eginolf von Skoll—first Emperor of Arcadia," Adam explained, and though he'd already expected it, Kilian still couldn't restrain his stupor.

"As you probably know, 3,000 years ago, led by His Divine Majesty, the Grand Orders rebelled against the clergy and wiped out false worship from Arcadia. But before they could celebrate their victory, the blood elders of the Chiropteran Dynasty, the wight-city-lords of the Undying Horde, and the leviathans of the Wailing Sea launched an irresistible invasion that awoke humanity to the existence of those alien threats.

If not for the help of a foreigner, Arcadia would have perished. That foreigner's name isn't recorded in history, only the succeeding emperors know of his details. But ultimately, he was sacrificed by His Divine Majesty to open the road for humanity's all-out counterattack. This marked the beginning of the Arcadian Empire.

The strongest magus of his generation, the first emperor unified the land, granted tributary status to the four kingdoms, formed a pact of mutual assistance with the eldars, and died not long afterward. What the world doesn't know is that His Divine Majesty, was, in fact, a Fehl Mutant, subdued his madness, and following a contract with a Fehl Overlord, ascended to daemonhood.

On the eve of his ascension, our lord had us establish the Dark Eden Society and announced that when a worthy descendant presented himself, he would bestow upon him his true blood alongside four relics to lead Arcadia in its last battle against the foreign threats. You are the chosen one.

His Divine Majesty, our Ancestral Father—gave upon you his true blood—granted you his Arcane Bloodline and made you Grand Herald of our order!

With the Mark of Adramelech alone, the 32,000 members of the Dark Eden Society are yours to do with as you see fit! In our order, your authority supersedes the emperor's. Outside, as Arcadia's Divine Prince, the imperial treasury and the Divine Glory are yours to command!" Adam proclaimed, and instantly, Kilian felt a mixture of awe and grief.

In fact, since the mark appeared on his arm, Kilian could feel heaps of information slowly crowd his mind. The Fehl Plane housed billions of daemons spread across six dominions, each ruled by one Overlord. But while the Fehl Overlords dominated the plane, it was the 66 Fehl Princes that handled wars and day-to-day activities.

To grow beyond their birth potential, fehls only had one option: to devour other fehls! But while it put no restriction on Daemons, Nobles and Lords, the Fehl Plane possessed one rule: 6 Overlords, 66 Princes, not one more, not one less!

And while the Overlords' position was set in stone, every now and then, a new prince would rise to break the balance. Such a rise always met brutal assault. Yet, in that environment, Adramelech ascended.

Ranked second among the 66 Fehl Princes, leader of 126 daemonic legions, and only human to ever rise to Fehl Prince, though a junior on fehl standards—Adramelech's name was one of power and authority—forcing billions to quiver in utter dread. To have achieved such a position with his starting point made him worthy of respect.

However, though he could feel the legions of souls of all Dark Eden Society members—the High Priest's included—now in his full control, Kilian found no joy in his new position.

A scam!

This was a dreadful scam!

"The High Priest of the Dark Eden Society is one of the several hidden von Skoll Exarchs. In fact, all those hidden Exarchs are War Priests of the Dark Eden Society, ranking only below the High Priest. Although they don't have hordes of templars to boost their numbers, on Archon and Exarch quantity alone, the Dark Eden Society is the Arcadian Empire's number one order.

For thousands of years, this order served the best interests of the imperial family. But now, I have absolute control over it. That alone will bring me no end of trouble. But if that wasn't enough, I can command the Divine Glory and access the imperial treasury at will?

What monarch can tolerate my existence? Besides those zealous Dark Eden members, what imperial kin will stand idle as an outsider takes such a prominent position? And in what world will the Divine Glory submit to my leadership?

The news can't spread. If they do, we must prepare for an all-out war," Kilian reasoned, but alas, it was too late. In the instant Adramelech granted him the Full Bestowal, the Arcane Bloodlines of all von Skoll kin stirred, and his face appeared in their minds.

Marcel, the previous emperor and current leader of the imperial family, Gerlach the Grand Master of the Divine Glory, and Burkhart the Mahana Arch-Senator of the Technocracy—though separated by dozens of kilometers—all three behemoths rose from their seats and summoned their subordinates.

Before Kilian's bestowment, the imperial family was a united block threatened only by the rooted Technocracy. But now, in the von Skolls' high-level's eyes, the Dark Eden Society became a volatile force.

No one had any time to ask why an outsider received the Full Bestowment. That no longer mattered. The elder council gathered, excluding the elders from the Dark Eden. At the end of the day, besides those von Skolls trained from infancy to maturity to serve and lead the Dark Eden—while they didn't mind the pacts and boons—the von Skolls no longer revered Adramelech to the point of blind obedience. Unless he returned in the flesh, the likes of Marcel would never just accept his will.

And as he lounged in his chambers, flanked by Estrella and Tristan, Ayden heaved a regretful sigh.

"I suppose that all attempts at befriending him now end. The imperial family only has one leader; Arcadia only has one monarch. Kilian must die," Ayden announced in a deadpan, absentminded tone.

"When shall we act?" Tristan coolly asked. Though he too initially wished to rope Kilian in, the situation suffered seismic changes. Kilian just went from a wealthy youth with a limited future in magic to an unrestrained dark magus at the head of one of the imperial family's most critical powers, and with legal rights above the emperors'.

Worse, most people forgot that the Divine Prince possessed the authority to depose, enthrone, or outright replace Arcadia's Emperor and Crown Prince. For the imperial loyalists, calling him public enemy number one was no exaggeration.

"Right now, he can call upon four Exarchs and dozens of Archons to act as his bodyguards. Attacking him will only lead to open warfare. No, we wait for the Sura Hunting Game," Ayden replied and closed his eyes. However, Estrella's narrowed in disagreement.

"What makes you think he will attend? He has all the reasons not to." If Kilian had half a brain, he would see the perils of his situation. Why then would he expose himself in the Sura Hunting Game?

"We will give him all the reasons to," Tristan countered in lieu of Ayden, and the three got to work.