Glimpse into the ruler's life

The air of desolation can be felt from all of Westdenn. Families of other remnants were also emotional at the bad news while other people were waiting for the good show to come. The streets were not as lively as the past days. On normal days, the street in front of the Crescent Moon is buzzing with activities but it died down when the representative from the palace came and announced the matter of enlistment. One by one, the people disappeared and only a few who love to gossip remained.

The situation inside the aristocratic families was also solemn and some were even in an uproar. All of Glasfale can feel the impact of this one piece of thin paper. For the normal people, it means another war is about to come, and for the remnants, a responsibility imposed to use them and the possibility of death on the frontlines.

Inside the Emrys Estate, the atmosphere was also a little bit glum. The servants were silently doing their works as if a little bit of noise would create a commotion. The situation inside Commander General Argus's study was a lot heavier. It's been almost thirty minutes when Roan entered the room but his father hadn't spoken even a word to him so he also chose to remain silent.

"The Supreme Commander has gone mad," Roan was startled at his father's words. If anyone would hear those words and report it to the Supreme Commander, they would certainly meet their deaths.

"Father, be careful of your words. He is still the ruler of this country and holds the highest power within this kingdom," Roan reminded his father.

"It's the truth. He was once an honorable man, admired by all for his contributions to wars and loved by every person in Glasfale for his humbleness and a heart of gold. We thought he would be different from the other rulers of Glasfale but we underestimated the influence of power." Argus was brought back to the time when they were just starting as military officials. That was the time he met the Supreme Commander, he was of noble birth but despite his upbringing, he never belittled their comrades who were only common people. He often praised them for being devoted to their country. He remembered that every soldier in their crowd were awed by the Supreme General's good attitude towards them and by the encouragement he would often give them. It was the main reason why in every battle they would emerge victorious because the Supreme Commander had the unyielding trust of his subordinates.

It was very disappointing to see this kind of person be slowly tainted by greed and obsession. They all thought that with the Supreme Commander's stubbornness and unwavering principles, he would not fall victim to the system called politics but they were sorely wrong. They were partly to be blamed for this outcome though, they were the ones who pushed him to rule even though he was not confident enough to do so.

"The Supreme Commander had already made his choice. Father, you do what you can do for this kingdom that's the only way you can make right the consequence of your decision then," Roan spoke to keep his father focused and to lighten the mood.

Argus nodded in understanding, "you are right, we must focus on what we can do now. The past is already in the past."

"Still, I'm a little bit surprised at the news. I can't believe that the Supreme Commander would take the risk by releasing this command." Both of them fell into silence. The slightly crumpled paper on the table was as if mocking them because their plans have been seen through by the highest ruler of Glasfale.

It was only yesterday when they were talking about their plan to gather more remnant when a hard slap on their face was delivered the next day. But this news was also a clear indication that the one sitting on top was very wary of them.

Those people besides the ruler were very quick to move and were able to quickly finish the proposal without even consulting with the rest of the Commander Generals or maybe the edict was already drafted and they were just waiting for an opportunity to release it and coincidentally they released it at that moment.

"Coincidences happen often or it is just that the Supreme Commander was lucky or just a very cunning man." Roan can't help but exclaim.

"He is a crafty man. We will lie low for now and see what he would do from here on. We will definitely make a move if a chance will present itself," Argus picked up the offending paper and directly threw it in the trash.

The current situation only shows the ruler's paranoia and it is not ideal to pursue this matter anymore. It only proved that there were still spies who were able to lurk and stay within their ranks. It is better to find out who these spies were and watch them carefully to collect more information.

"The Supreme Commander's paranoia is currently at its peak, what we should do now is to make sure that he can't know what we are doing in the shadows," Argus pulled some papers out of the drawer and handed them to Roan.

Roan received the stack of papers and browsed through it. Only the sound of rustling paper can be heard inside the silent room. After reading, Roan immediately understood what his father wanted him to do. He gave his father a nod before he left for his room to prepare all the necessary things he would need on the journey. Other things have been already prepared by his father.

Argus watched his son's retreating back and gave a deep sigh. Though his son has just returned three years ago from his studies outside Glasfale, he could already see the maturity and responsibility he has acquired. It was the right decision for him to send his son on a journey to learn more about the other kingdoms, now he had returned to help him in many matters. Though it pans him to send his son again for the second time, he could only bear it for the meantime.

While packing his clothes, a knock on the door stopped him. He reached the door and opened it to see one of his loyal servants. "What do you need?"

"The Commander General has sent me to help you with packing. He said that this might be a long journey and said to help you check if you have packed everything you needed," the man answered.

Roan only gave a nod and let the man in. With his help, he was able to easily pack every essentials that he would need. It would be his second journey to travel around the continent but unlike the first one, he would be traveling for a very important cause. Time is of utmost importance in this mission and he reminded himself that he can't play around.

After everything was ready, he was ready to set off. With him, a few dozen men were ordered to go accompany and protect him. They were all leaving the city in the pretense of traveling around to look for more suppliers for their trading business. Roan calculated the time he would be gone and that was about three to four months.

"Remember to not rush these kinds of things. Do what you can during this time and I'll be sure to constantly inform you of the situation here to keep you informed."

"I understand. Be careful father, wait for my return and the good news I would bring." Roan bid his father goodbye and they set out without any interruptions. Argus watched his son's carriage disappear through the horizon before he entered the estate once again.

Glasfale was plunged into darkness as there were no stars that night. The moon's light was obscured by thick grayish clouds. Each house were silent as if the whole place was devoid of any life. This kind of peace was truly eerie, it was very much like the saying of a calm before the storm. Even the palace where the kingdom's ruler lives in was shrouded with darkness. The only bright light to be seen was the lamp inside the ruler's study.

"Commander General Argus sent his son in a journey to acquire more suppliers for their trading business," a man in black appeared and reported to the Supreme Commander.

The said ruler looked up from what he was writing and his eyes had a tinge of madness swirling inside. "Is that all?"

"Yes, Supreme Commander. Our spy didn't detect any unusual movement from them even the documents that the young master of the Emrys Family received from his father were only filled with plans on how to acquire more materials for their stores," the man once again explained.

"Continue to watch them and report to me immediately if you notice something out of the ordinary." The man in red robes calmly commanded. "How about the other Commander Generals, are there any movements from them?"

"None at the moment, Supreme."

"Okay, you may go." The man returned to what he was reading like nothing happened. He was sitting uprightly and was reading the papers seriously. It was unknown what he was thinking inside. Just an imperceptible frown indicates that he was in a bad mood.