Prologue(2)

Only after making sure that everything was done smoothly, he turned around and gave a formal salute before retreating back.

A sullen-faced man unfolded from his seat, and opened an ancient looking parchment, which was made with hair-thin golden threads. It had the imperial stitch work on it.

He had short stature, dark-brown hair, and a robe so large that it could perfectly encompass two grown men. It magically hovered above the ground, making him appear heroic and authoritative. Despite that, his voice was deep and loud enough to travel across the entire hall.

"By the authority of the Envoy of the Imperial Family of the Empire Artidus, I hereby declare the charges of treason, unauthorised relation with the evil forces on Great House Aeron as nil, and absolutely ridiculous. They have always upheld justice and helped the Empire in fending off the Evil Umbra race. Seeing the loyalty and valiance of King Aeron, the Emperor has decided to grant him the title of…"

He looked up and spoke the three words with a strange power. It seemed to have merged with the silence of the hall, and swore to eternally reverberate along with it.

"The Dark Slayer. He, who fights evil, the nemesis of Umbras, and the greatest fighter of the Empire Aeron. I would like to request King Aeron to bow down and accept the imperial edict."

The mages of Great House Aeron had a great change in expression. Many of them couldn't help but shout out in their hearts. This was definitely a ruthless conspiracy. A trap.

It might have sounded great, but the title would only bring trouble rather than doing any good. The sound of destruction muttered closely in their ears.

The prime advisor of the Great House Aeron was a wise and old man. At the moment, the calm that had yet not left his face swept away. There was an anxious expression on his face.

However, he could only fidget nervously in his seat.

King Aeron appeared thoughtful as he looked at the old man for a long second, smoothed out the wrinkle on his sleeves, and stood up. It was as if the crowd followed along his movements, everything dancing on his momentum.

However, the next action surprised everyone so much that they could not mask it on their face.

They saw their king give out a slight bow towards the Imperial Envoy. "I accept."

The words ignited a torrent of commotion and gasps from the audience. Every voice died down when his voice cut through the hall once again, "But there is one condition I would like to request."

The Imperial envoy replied without even a micro change in his expression. "Please speak."

Even though he appeared respectful, he was annoyed to be sent for such a small task. He never doubted his ability to handle tough situations, but the dilemma of this task worried him.

Last time he remembered he was set out to dampen the flames of war between the neighbouring kingdom. The Emperor had never sent him for such an insignificant task. There was a strong feeling that he could not grasp something.

"To help the kingdom in fighting off the Umbras, I would like to request your majesty, the Emperor, to grant me the territory of the South-western border. The area will be under the jurisdiction of the Great House Aeron, and no Umbra will be able to step a foot into our holy territory."

When they were just mulling over the King's decision to accept the imperial edict, they were once again shocked. The south-western border was the most chaotic border in the entire kingdom. It directly faced the wastelands which was the home to Umbras.

The resources required to defend the border would be enormous, and they would need to deploy a huge number of manpower.

"Your Majesty, please reconsider it."

The Prime Advisor could not help but sit up with a swish. His bald forehead was showered in sweat. He felt that if he did not stand up at this moment, the Aeron House would really suffer a heavy blow.

However, all he received was a cold stare from King Aeron, so he immediately followed up.

"The valiant and mighty Imperial Army already governs the three thousand miles of chaotic south-western border. Umbras even run off if they see the flag of Artidus on an empty chariot."

Saying that, he slightly turned towards a bulky man, who had a cold face as he watched the scene unfold before his eyes. "There's no need for lawyers like us to intervene, don't you think so too, Commander Dagon?"

"I will do as Your Majesty commands," Dagon declared without a change in his expression.

The Prime Advisor silently cursed the stone-faced man under his breath. Fucking moron.

He could only sit heavily, and the fabric beneath his seat felt cold for some reason. The previous twenty-seven years under the loyalty of Aeron House made him learn to control his tongue.

If he spoke too much, especially against the decision of the king himself, then he might be the one who would be stationed in prison for an indefinite time.

In response, what the Prime Advisor received was the silence from the King Aeron, and there was a grim cast to his grey eyes as he stared at the Imperial Envoy without a change in his expression.

'Here it comes. I knew I am in trouble. That old man would never send me for such a simple task.'

"He must inherit the title at any cost. Fulfil any of his requests, no matter how unreasonable it sounds." The Emperor's words echoed in his mind, and he could not help but fight off the rising anxiety in his heart. The bad feeling loomed around his heart, and he could not let it go.

The request had already exceeded his authority, and he could not make a decision which had the ability to change the Empire's map.

"Esteemed King Aeron, I am afraid I don't have the authority to make such a big decision. Forgive me, but I am just a humble envoy. A servant of His Imperial Majesty."

The Imperial Envoy displayed a neutral smile, afraid to show the slightest anxiety and desperateness in his voice. The royals had sensitive ears, for they were baptised by the myriad of challenges their throne offered. "How about I escalate this proposal to the imperial court for further discussion?"

"That's certainly fine." King Aeron nodded without a slight fluctuation in his expression. "Since that's the case, I am afraid that I can not inherit an empty title. The Emperor deserves it, more so do the valiant soldiers of the South-western border who defend us against the Umbras. I am not worthy of such a heroic title."

'I knew these cunning royals. I hate this old men who play politics while we are stormed up between the mess.'

Seeing him fall silent, King Aeron declared with an emotionless voice, "That's all th-"

"Will House Aeron be able to defend the South-western border, Your Highness? If I am not wrong, the Southern border has been chaotic the past few months. Most of the soldiers of House Aeron are assigned over there. While the three thousand kilometre-long border would require more than three lakh soldiers, thousands of mages, and most importantly, a leader. Forgive me if I speak of any offence, but I don't think House Aeron has the capability to defend against those evil yet strong Umbras."

Those words stopped King Aeron in his tracks. The light which flickered around the hall seemed to have gone, and there was only sheer darkness that was left.

The old mage roared, "You dare disrespect House Aeron. Looks like we have worn peace for too long. Everyone has started to underestimate us, Aeron. Hmph. If not for the sworn loyalty, we would not have minded taking care of the seventy-thousand kilometre long border of the Artidus Empire."

The anger and pride in those words boiled down the temperature of the hall.

The suppression slowly crept around the hall, making the atmosphere eerie.

"You dare say that. Do you wish to rebel against Artidus?" The Imperial Envoy was also enraged by the naked provocation in his words.

The wind buffeted strongly around the hall, as if it could feel his anger. Even his red robe fluttered, like a raging wave in a bloody sea, and his short frame appeared robust for a fleeting second.

The crisp sound of undressing swords echoed in the entire hall. In their scabbard, they seemed like an adult's toy, however, when the cold metal lay bare in the open, it burned with sparks of killing intent.

Seeing the situation getting out of hand, the Prime Advisor stood up from his seat, and reprimanded, "Shut up! Don't let anger devour your wits." He turned towards the Imperial Envoy. "He drank too much wine today. So he is speaking nonsense. I would beg your pardon. He only meant to say that House Aeron has more than enough military power to defend the evils from stepping on His Majesty's land."

"Is that so?"

The Imperial Envoy sneered coldly, but he did not say anymore. There were rumors that the Great House Aeron was getting rampant after their lord conquered the South.

But now he had witnessed it with his own eyes. "I would certainly let the Emperor know of the military powers of House Aeron. How they are wild enough to point their swords at the Imperial Envoy, and fool enough to eye the lands beyond their walls."

"You dare suggest we are fools?" The old mage stood up with a whoosh, his expression masked in a cold expression.

"Sir Roland, you seem to be angered easily these days. I don't remember allowing you to speak?" King Aeron groaned with an emotionless voice.

The rage on the face of the old mage was washed away, and only dread loomed over his face. He bowed and refrained from speaking any longer.

"Since you doubt our strength in numbers, what if I prove the strength in our swords? What if I station the Aegis Legion?" King Aeron asked.

"Hmm?" The Imperial Envoy was really shocked now.

The Aegis Legion.

It was the legendary legion of Great House Aeron. A true trump card. It consisted of three thousand soldiers; every single one of them was feared by the Mages themselves. Even the Imperial Army would avoid confronting them.

If that was really the case, there was nothing he could do to find fault with him.

'This will be a good way to gauge their hidden strength. Moreover, I can't leave without handing over the title anyway.'

He smiled deviously and said, "Since that is the case, the South-western border would be vacant by the end of the month. I wish you all the best."

He flicked the hands under his robes, and a pitch-black token flew out, rushing straight towards the throne. The wind guided it, as it cut through the air, with enough momentum to make a trip past the chest and forth.