Chapter 18: It Begins

(Chapter 18 It Begins)

"Young Master!"

Constantine shouted from behind as he ran to catch up to Tempest.

"What?"

Tempest turned around to face his Teacher.

"I apologize, but it was incredibly rude of you to leave without warning and without offering a proper thank you to the Oceanid for her help, Young Master."

Constantine crossed his arms, wearing a look of disappointment.

"I did thank her, Constantine. I left because of her answer."

"Her answer?"

Constantine raised an eyebrow.

"I asked her a question, 'What do you think of the current Hydro Archon?', and she replied with, 'The usurper?', I don't need help from someone who has the same mindset as my Father, Constantine, be it human or Oceanid."

Tempest turned around and continued walking.

Constantine sighed and followed him.

"Young Master, did you expect her to join us during our uprising? If she gave you a different answer?"

"I did."

Tempest replied shortly.

"Oceanids are pacifist nowadays, Young Master. I doubt she would join us even if she had a different opinion on Focalors."

Constantine said.

"Even so, it is ridiculous they still bear a grudge against someone after 500 years... Proudmoores and Oceanids, there all the same... But that will soon change because I will revive my family's legacy."

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*4 days later...*

"Deals with the Fatui? No... They'll just see it as a diplomatic agreement on trading resources..."

Tempest sat in his dimly lit room, surrounded by maps and scrolls strewn across his desk. He furrowed his brow, deep in thought, as he meticulously brainstormed strategies to spark the civil war without facing the grim fate of being captured and sentenced at the Fortress of Meropide.

"Yegor Mikhailov... I need to know what he and my Father talked about. Obviously, there's something big my Father is planning other than selling the Ghost program to the Fatui. But what? The only way to find out is through her..."

Tempest opened the drawer beside his table and retrieved the card Crucabena had given to him.

"Will she tell me?"

Tempest muttered to himself as he gazed at the strange-looking small card, it depicted a theater mask with an upside-down smile and a tear falling from its left eye, and beside it was the sigil of the Fatui.

"Young Master."

A knock on the door came and Tempest quickly put the card back on the drawer.

"Come in, Melissa."

The door opened, and in walked Melissa, his personal maid.

"Your Father will be leaving for Lumidouce Harbor tomorrow along with commander Pierre for a few days, Young Master."

Melissa said gracefully.

"Finally... Tell Teacher and Rohan to meet at Constantine's room at midnight."

"Yes, Young Master."

Melissa bowed her head and prepared herself to leave.

"And Melissa."

"Yes? Young Master?"

"Thank you for being on our side."

Tempest tells Melissa, she smiles and bows her head once more.

"I'm honored that you let me join you, Young Master."

Tempest nodded in response and Melissa shortly left after.

Tempest then returned to his work, tirelessly attempting to devise a plan that could ignite a civil war without leading them detained and sentencing him and his allies at the Fortress of Meropide. He scribbled notes, discarded failed ideas, and reviewed every possible angle, determined to find a solution.

*30 Minutes later...*

"Perhaps I don't need a good reason to start the civil war... If I end up in the Opera Epiclese, I could simply request a trial by combat or a duel. I doubt anyone among the Champion Duelists could beat Constantine in a one-on-one fight. No... If I go with this plan, nothing will change. The people will simply see me as a power-hungry man who couldn't wait for his rightful inheritance... They will still despise House Proudmoore, Tsk."

Tempest discarded the idea, and his hand subconsciously moved to his forehead. He was tired...

"Thirsty..."

Tempest muttered to himself as he got up from his chair. He then walked out of his room, intending to tell a maid to bring a pitcher of water and a glass to his room.

"Penance?"

When he opened the door, he saw his sister Penance running through the halls, tears streaming down her face.

"Young Lady!"

A maid shouted at Penance as she chased after her.

"You, what happened to her?"

The maid immediately stopped running and turned her head to Tempest.

"Ah! Young Master, I apologize if I disturbed you. Lady Penance was called to your father's office and shortly after, she burst out and immediately ran away."

The maid said to Tempest with concern in her eyes.

"She spoke with Father? I see... I'll speak with her. You can go back to your duties now, thank you."

"Yes, Young Master."

The maid bowed her head and left.

'Penance... What happened?'

Tempest thought to himself, deeply concerned for his sister's wellbeing. Without hesitation, he made his way swiftly to her room, his mind racing with thoughts of what might have transpired in their Father's office.

"Penance?"

Tempest knocked on the door of her room.

"Go away..."

Answered Penance on the other side of the door.

"I'm not going anywhere, Penance. Please open the door for your brother."

"Just leave me alone, Brother..."

Said Penance, Tempest sighed in response.

"Sister, please, you can vent on me all you want. If you're not going to open this door, I'm going to get a spare key from the maids."

There was a brief silence for a while, but it didn't last long. Penance finally opened the door, tears streaking her face, with a red mark visible on her cheek. She had been slapped by their Father.

"Hic."

Penance hiccupped, refusing to make eye contact with her brother.

"Just come in already..."

Tempest gritted his teeth when he spotted the slap mark on Penance's face.

'That bastard...'

Tempest thinks to himself as he enters her room, and Penance immediately locks the door, rushing to her bed and covering herself with the bedsheets.

Her Hydro Vision was on the table, and the floor was littered with her stuffed toys.

Tempest sat on the edge of her bed before shortly speaking.

"Did he just slap you?"

"Mhm."

Penance replied under the cover of the bedsheets.

"That bastard... I'm sorry..."

"Don't apologize, brother. He told me to come with him to Lumidouce Harbor and meet him... Hic."

Penance said while she was constantly interrupted by her hiccups.

"Who's him?"

"My fiancée that Father forced me to be married with... I don't want to go, brother..."

Tempest's eyes immediately widened, and he gritted his teeth in anger.

'I think it's time I tell her.'

Tempest thinks to himself, he takes a deep breath and prepares to tell his sister about his plan.

"Penance, please bear with it for a bit longer, because in the comi-"

Without warning, Penance suddenly pounced on Tempest's back, using her hands to turn his head to face hers. Her eyes were filled with tears, and her voice trembled as she spoke.

"No! I can't take this anymore! I can't bear this anymore! I hate this place! I hate this family! I hate Father!"

Penance grabbed her brother's shirt collar tightly, tears streaming down her face.

"I wish... I wish I was born into a normal family."

Penance whispered, her voice choked with emotion.

"You can't just say 'bear with it' to me, Brother... I know Father treats us both horribly, but you're his successor, and I'm just a tool he could freely throw away when he sees fit. It's not fair..."

Tears continued to flow as she poured out her anguish to Tempest.

empest hugged her tightly, offering comfort and reassurance in his embrace

Tempest hugged her tightly, offering comfort and reassurance in his embrace, before speaking.

"Penance, I want you to listen to me closely, I want you to bear with it a little longer because I am planning to finally take him down."

"Heh?"

Penance released herself from the hug, her face marked with confusion and tears still streaming down her cheeks.

"So please, please wait a little longer, for me, for Mother... Because once I finally get rid of him, you are free to do whatever you want."

Tempest reassured her with a smile.

"You're... You're going to kill him?"

Penance said as she wiped her tears with her hands.

"I am, and Mother has given me her permission to do so. Right now I have Constantine, Rohan from the Golden Hand knights, Melissa, and now you."

Penance's eyes widened.

"Me?"

"Yes, dear sister, and I trust you won't tell this to anyone?"

Tempest tells his sister with a smile.

"Okay... I'll bear with it a little longer... You have my full support brother."

Penance finally stopped her crying and hugged her brother.

"Please hurry..."

"I will."

Tempest patted her sister's head while she rested her head on his shoulder.

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*Caw!*

"Alright alright, calm down birdie."

It was currently midnight and in Constantine's room were four people, Tempest, Melissa, Rohan, and Constantine. He was currently tying a small letter to the messenger hawk's talons.

"There! Deliver this to old chap Callas, alright? Go!"

*Caw!*

Constantine opened the window to release the messenger hawk.

"There, I've requested a small speedboat to wait for us at the Stormwind harbor tomorrow midnight."

Constantine said.

"Good, Rohan, I need you to buy some horses in the village tomorrow evening and wait for us outside the mansion at midnight with them. Make sure you aren't seen, dress as a merchant to avoid suspicion."

Tempest looked at Rohan.

"Yes, Young Master."

Tempest nodded at his response.

"Constantine, I need you to set the stables on fire and release all the horses. That should attract the attention of the knights patrolling at night after the chaos begins. Meet me outside my window. Melissa, ensure no one enters my room at all costs."

Constantine smiled and nodded impressed by Tempest's plan, Melissa simply nodded in response.

"Good. Once we leave the mansion, we'll head straight to Stormwind Harbor take the speedboat, and go directly to Poisson to finally meet your friend, Teacher."