The festivities started early the next morning. Knight’s Day was always a big affair, and this year would be no different. True, the threat of the Profane hung like a cloud, but the valiance and power of the knights in quelling their attack had left the public hopeful. Of course, this didn’t apply to everyone. The countless people killed the night before left a lot of friends and family in deep mourning, and numerous others were left badly shaken. Though the wounds on their bodies had been mended with potions and magic, the wounds in their minds would take more time to heal.
Regardless of the events of last night, it was a jovial event, and Noah, Valia, and Shannon were enjoying it as they wandered the streets. Wherever they looked, people were celebrating with masks, noisemakers, and exotic treats. Street performers wowed audiences with their magic and acrobatics, while floats depicting various monsters rolled through the streets. Shannon clung to Noah and Valia tightly as they waded through the crowd. True, she had spent plenty of time in Welindar and Colbrand, exposing her to the bustle of city life, but deep down, she’d always be the nomad girl of the Petosic Steppes.
“This is the third Knight’s Day I’ve been here for, and the first one I’ve actually been able to savor,” said Noah.
“What happened during the first two?” Shannon asked.
“I spent my first Knight’s Day at the academy, getting enrolled. There was a big battle royale to thin out the herd, but honestly, just standing and waiting in the hot sun was the worst part. As for the second, I was busy getting knighted and then dealing with Seraph.”
“I heard he’s refused to accept his title as the tournament champion,” said Valia. “I certainly don’t blame him. If I were in his place, receiving that award after my final opponent threw the match would rob me of all honor.”
“So Colbrand’s first-ever fighting tournament ends with a Profane attack and no official winner. Honestly, this city is a magnet for all things weird and unfortunate, especially at this time of year.”
“Well, last year could have been a normal celebration with nothing going on, but like you said, you were busy dealing with Seraph,” Valia reminded.
“Good times.”
“Then there was the year before when the festival had to be postponed because the city was nearly destroyed.”
“My hands are clean on that.”
“Your business with the Harajin added a lot of extra drama that we really didn’t need.”
“It all worked out in the end, didn’t it?”
“I remember it was… five or six years ago, Knight’s Day was interrupted by acorn-sized hail, punching through roofs and windows.”
“That sounds absolutely awful,” said Shannon.
“It wasn’t half as bad as the year when a colossal squid attacked the port the day before the festival, smashing up a bunch of ships and nearly halting the celebration. Fortunately, Tarnas slew it, so things went as planned. The problem was all the gulls feeding on the carcass, getting sick, and proceeding to vomit and defecate all over the city. Imagine this festival going on, and then, without warning, filth just RAINS down upon you. Washing it all out of my hair was an ordeal in itself, and the smell lingered in the streets for weeks.”
“Like I said, this city is a magnet for all things weird and unfortunate,” said Noah.
They continued their tour of the city, seeing everything the festival had to offer. As morning turned to afternoon, they made their way to the Knight’s Sheath to drink and enjoy some good music. Melinda greeted them at the door, and even while out in the streets, they could hear the ruckus inside.
“Busy day?” Valia asked.
“Busiest day of the year,” said Melinda.
They entered to find Roc being carried around on people’s shoulders, all cheering for his victory. True, he had forfeited the match with Seraph, but the fact remained that he had proven his supremacy against the mighty combatants before him. Normally, the eagle warrior was rather straight-laced and withdrawn, but looking at his intoxicated grin, it was clear he was drunk enough to lose all reservations and celebrate his wins.
The entire first floor was packed with drinkers and partiers, while upstairs, the working girls were working their tails off. Courtesans waded through the crowd in their exotic outfits, handing out drinks and swatting the men copping a free feel as they passed by. Daniel was up on stage, playing rock music. All the place needed were beads, and it would be like Mardi Gras.
Noah, Valia, and Shannon reached the bar, where Alexis and Lucius were filling glasses and mugs so quickly that barely a moment passed where liquor wasn’t being poured.
“Hey, Lex. A bottle of ambrosia and three glasses, if you would,” said Noah.
“Coming right up,” Alexis panted. For her to be so out of breath, there was no telling how long she’d been forced to keep up this pace. This wasn’t a party; it was a siege. She gave Noah a bottle and glasses, but was too busy to pour for him, so he did it himself.
“To Knight’s Day,” said Valia in a toast.
The three clinked their glasses and drank deeply. As he emptied his glass, Noah thought he heard a woman’s scream. Considering all the partying going on outside and inside, as well as the noisy fornication happening upstairs, he put it out of his mind and moved to refill their glasses. Then there was a second scream, this time inside the building, and everyone heard it. One of the courtesans stumbled into the parlor, her burlesque outfit soaked in blood coming from the stab wound in her chest, with her resulting collapse causing more shock. Without the music playing, everyone could now hear the angry voices outside.
Alexis grabbed her bow from under the bar and leaped onto the counter. “Everyone, out of the way!” she shouted before racing towards the wounded girl. Sophia met her there, using her powers to try and stop the bleeding. Alexis continued on to the front door. “Daniel, get out here!” she immediately shouted.
If she was calling for Daniel, it was apparent what was happening outside. Noah and Valia hurried outside, finding Alexis facing down an angry mob. At her feet was Melinda, with an axe embedded in her skull. “Get back! All of you!” Alexis ordered with a loaded arrow, ready to be plugged into someone’s chest.
“Filthy heathens!”
“Get out of our city!”
“You brought the Profane here!”
“You disgusting animals should be slaughtered!”
“My father died last night because of monsters like you!”
The mob shouted their slurs and waved their weapons, formed through their anger and fear from the Profane attack, mixed with an ample amount of celebratory liquor. Had this been planned? Or had it started with one indignant fool and then snowballed? They tried throwing garbage at the front of the building, even a Molotov, but the Knight’s Sheath had wards against such attacks. One girl was already dead, another was wounded, and it was just continuing to escalate.
Daniel arrived with his guitar, and seeing what was going on, he went pale and stuttered for a second, but snapped himself out of it. If he could get his nameless tune going like he did during the riot two years ago, he could placate the mob and end the violence, but as soon as he began to play, a barrage of stones was hurled at him and the others. Noah protected himself and Shannon with his armored coat, while Valia intercepted the stones with her sword. One was thrown from the side by someone else in the crowd, passing beyond her reach and striking Daniel in the skull, bringing him down.
“What do we do?” Shannon asked.
“There’s one!” a man shouted, pointing at her.
The crowd advanced towards her and Noah, but he faced them and vented his mana into the surrounding air like a poison gas cloud, then shouted one word. “ENOUGH!”
Everyone stopped dead at the sound of his voice, but that’s because of how they experienced it. Immersed in his mana, each member of the mob heard his voice thunder in their ears as if wearing headphones with the volume raised to its maximum level. That sudden barrage of sound, that voice of authority booming right within their personal space with no room to hide from it, triggered their most primal instincts, and fear overwhelmed their rage. This wasn’t a trick using invisibility and clones, but a manifestation of his honed projection abilities, allowing him to direct his voice however he wanted at those within his proximity.
“That was a very unwise decision on your part. Kneel.”
Everyone immediately dropped to their knees and pressed their faces to the earth, feeling his presence pounding on them like a waterfall. At the moment, they weren’t people. He had reduced them to mere animals flashing their bellies. His voice and mana were like the hot breath of a massive predator flaring its nostrils as it decided whether or not to devour them. Even Shannon instinctively prostrated, and Alexis and Valia barely resisted the impulse to obey.
“Blinded by loss and anger, deceived into chasing scapegoats, you’re acting like fools. No one in the Knight’s Sheath wants anything bad to happen to this city or its people. They call this place home, same as you do. They are not your enemy, but you have declared yourselves to be mine. Need I remind you what I do to my enemies?”
As Noah spoke, he drew his sword. His voice was impossible to block out, even when people covered his ears, and his mana imprinted his killing intent so clearly that those with their heads to the ground now felt like they were kneeling at the chopping block, awaiting the executioner’s axe.
“Who here is responsible for killing Melinda?” he asked while drawing his sword. “Either one will suffer, or all will.”
“It was him! He did it!” a woman exclaimed, pointing to a man nearby.
“You bitch!” he hissed.
Noah approached and stood over him. “Raise your head.”
The man looked at him in terror. “Please, forgive—” Noah’s hand closed around his throat, silencing him.
“There was a time when, if a tragedy like this were to happen before me, I would preach tolerance, forgiveness, and peace. I would try to change you, to educate you, to make you a better man who would never again make such a mistake. In all of my long years, I’ve learned the value of patience and mercy, of taking the time to help people get on the right path. I’ve also learned to spot those who are simply a lost cause, wastes of effort who don’t deserve such kindness.”
As he spoke, the man fought for breath, desperately trying to loosen Noah’s fingers while his veins swelled and his eyes threatened to pop out of his skull. No one dared look as they listened to his pained gasps and struggle, fearing that if they so much as moved, they would feel the grip of the end around their throats.
“That said, killing you is hardly any less pointless. No matter how much trash like you I clear away, there is always more, and I’m so sick and tired of dealing with you people and the conflicts you stir up. I’m sick of cursing in condemnation, sighing in resignation, turning away in exhaustion, and fighting in obligation. But no matter what I do, no matter what world I’m on, people like you force me to react and get involved.” The man, moments from death, fell back as Noah released him, coughing and struggling to get air back in his lungs. “Soiling this holiday with more death and bloodshed won’t accomplish anything, and you don’t deserve the privilege of being a martyr for your hatred. Your death will come to you in the darkness of the dungeon, unseen and forgotten.”
Knights and soldiers arrived, drawn by the commotion. “What’s going on?” Frigga asked, leading them.
“Take this man away. He is under arrest for the crime of murder. As for the rest of you…” He turned and looked at the rioters still prostrating before him. “Get out of my sight, and don’t you ever set foot near the Knight’s Sheath again. The next time you decide to take matters into your own hands and let hatred and ignorance push you into violence, I want you to remember how this went, and how much worse it could have been if I were less merciful.”
They hurried to get away from Noah, lest he change his mind, and the killer was locked in iron. Daniel and the stabbed courtesan were both healed thanks to Sophia, and Melinda’s body was brought inside. The merriment was halted, and all the patrons were asked to leave so she could be honored in peace. As tears were shed over her cold body by everyone at the Knight’s Sheath, Noah sat at the bar, nursing his bottle of ambrosia. It wasn’t long before Berholm arrived. A simple murder wouldn’t usually pull the Royal Adjudicator from the palace, especially on a day like today, but considering that it happened at the Knight’s Sheath, he was rightfully fearful when he arrived.
“What’s going on? What happened?” he asked, seeing Melinda’s wrapped body on one of the tables, surrounded by her friends.
“An angry mob attacked my establishment, and Melinda was killed,” said Cyrilo bitterly. “They were drunk on liquor and bile, chanting for my girls to be strung up, accusing us of orchestrating last night’s attack. I want to know what you plan to do to make sure this doesn’t happen again.”
Berholm was about to answer, but stopped, as Noah, walking by, paused and grasped his shoulder. To Berholm, Noah’s hand felt like a weight, and he got the same sensation from their silent argument during the tournament.
“You were warned.”
Three simple words, but they thundered through Berholm’s mind like the trumpets heralding an army. When Noah removed his hand from his shoulder, Berholm felt his dread skyrocket. “Noah, wait!” he exclaimed, spinning around, but Noah was already gone, as if vanishing into thin air.
Soaked in a cold sweat, Berholm rushed outside but saw no sign of him, yet he knew where he was going. Berholm pulled out a whistle and began projecting a series of loud chimes, echoing across the city and reaching the ears of the knights. They all understood the code and hurried back to the palace, but did so as subtly and quietly as they could, not wanting to give the public cause for alarm. Bad enough that Noah was going for the king, but today of all days, after everything that had happened. The city couldn’t endure yet another tragedy.
Galvin was escorted down a palace corridor by his guards, with Seraph brought along by Tarnas. “What’s going on?” he asked.
“We believe the Wandering Spirit is after you, Your Majesty. We need to get you both to a secure location,” said Tarnas, causing both Seraph and Galvin’s hearts to sink and terror grip them.
Throughout the palace, every door was locked, every window shuttered and barricaded, and knights and soldiers stood guard at every corner and passage. The king and prince were brought to a small room at the end of a corridor filled with heavy doors of thick wood and steel, all constructed following Bella’s murder of the previous king to prevent history from repeating itself. There was one small window for air, and through it came the frightened voice of a knight outside.
“He’s here! The Wandering Spirit is here!”
Outside, in the main yard in front of the palace, Noah stood, facing an army of knights, all keeping their distance, with countless swords and arrows pointed at him from all directions. The portcullis had already been locked and sealed, and how he got past it undetected, nobody knew. Among the knights was Aithorn, trying to hide his inner conflict. It went without saying that he did not want to fight a comrade and Sylphtorian lord, but it was also the uneasiness he felt about the situation.
Noah wasn’t even trying to sneak in. He had let himself be spotted on purpose, standing out in the open for everyone to see. There was no cover around him, nothing he could use to help him in a fight. To put himself at such a disadvantage meant that this was merely a distraction, or he was certain that they could not kill him. Perhaps he knew something they didn’t, had some means of leverage he was about to reveal, or, and most frightening, he didn’t regard them as strong enough to kill him. The knights around Aithorn had heard of his fight against the Wandering Spirit, how he and almost a dozen silver-ranked knights were single-handedly bested, and wondered what chance they had. Aithorn remembered the fight well, and could only imagine how much more powerful Noah had become since then.
“Lord Noah, I ask you to reconsider this. After everything that has happened, everything that awaits us, are you once more going to make yourself an enemy of the kingdom?”
Noah spoke, projecting mana to extend his voice to everyone. “I’m only an enemy if you decide I am one. I’m not here to spill blood, leave scars, or take lives; I promise you that. However, an innocent woman at the Knight’s Sheath was killed, and one of my friends was injured because of Galvin’s vitriol and manipulations, after I specifically warned him that there would be retaliation if his madness inconvenienced me. He didn’t listen, instead continuing to rile up the foolish and scared and turn them on the beastmen, all to keep their anger focused anywhere but on him. After everything I’ve done, he’s still foolish enough to ignore my threats. It seems I must teach him yet another lesson.
However, this goes beyond my simple irritation from an old feud. This anti-beastman sentiment that Galvin is stirring is turning into a ferocious monster, one that will continue to devour innocent lives, all to maintain his power and keep the people fearful and dependent. You’re no fool, Aithorn. You know this as well. I’ve seen where this road leads again and again, and this is how it starts. It starts with pain; then pain leads to fear, fear to anger, anger to hatred, hatred to bloodshed, and bloodshed to infinitely more bloodshed. One woman has already been killed by fearmongering and violence, and she won’t be the last.
Do any of you know what genocide is? It’s the organized and systematic destruction of a group of people—their lives, their culture, everything. I don’t mean like slaying a rival clan, I mean like eradicating hundreds of clans. I’ve seen it happen in countless worlds; people being rounded up and exterminated simply for the circumstances of their births, millions dead for crimes they never committed, their bones forming mountains and filling mass graves. And I don’t mean warriors left dead on a battlefield. I’m talking men, women, and children, sobbing in terror as they’re executed one by one or massacred in droves.
Are you all going to let that happen? Are you ready to slaughter innocent beastmen for the sin of being born? Are you ready to rape their women as a weapon of war and burn their temples to the ground? Are you ready to impale their newborns on your spears and carry them like trophies? Are you ready for all that blood on your hands? Are you ready for the screams? You’d better be, because if you’re not, you should think long and hard about where you’re standing.
You wage war for resources, fight and kill for land, pillage and plunder for fortune, but this is a different kind of violence you’re about to embark on, and you will all be held responsible for what comes to pass. I have lived for thousands of years, and believe me when I say that if you let this go on, then history will condemn you all, and your descendants will lament their relation to you. They will curse you for being fools who were deceived into hatred, who collaborated in the advent of mass slaughter. They will wallow in shame for the atrocities of their ancestors, and you will be regarded as no better than the Profane.
I can’t change human nature; I’ve learned that painful lesson over and over, but I can change history, and I stand before you now to prevent a horrible chapter in your history from being written. Inactivity is how atrocities are allowed to happen, and I say that as a victim, bystander, collaborator, perpetrator, and orchestrator. Considering the future that is at stake, I can’t afford to pull my punches with you people and put trust in passive half measures. For your sake, the sake of your souls, heed my warning and do as I command. It will be less painful for everyone involved if you simply step aside and let me do what I need to. I’ll leave your king alive and unharmed, same with all of you. All you have to do is stand aside.”
The knights and soldiers all flinched at the sound of his voice, and some even took a step back, but they didn’t break formation. He needed to experiment more, but it seemed the trick only worked on the weak-willed, or in Shannon’s case, the loyal and submissive. However, trained warriors seemed able to resist obeying.
“Enough of this nonsense!” General Delta shouted. “Eradicate this fool! Hit him with everything you have!”
“No, wait!” Aithorn exclaimed, but no one would listen to him.
All the knights unleashed their mightiest long-range spells, hitting Noah with the combined fury of the elements, all while every soldier with a bow rained arrows upon him. The colliding spells set off a twisting maelstrom of power, surging up high above the castle walls, visible to the city. Everyone who saw it believed, or desperately hoped, it was simply a light show to celebrate Knight’s Day. Valia, Shannon, Alexis, and Sophia, seeing the eruption from the Knight’s Sheath, knew better. However, just like in the battle against Eichorst’s men, the blast faded, revealing Noah’s clone standing in a crater, completely unharmed. The knights were all shocked, unable to believe what they were witnessing. How could anyone simply shrug off all those attacks?
Having been standing invisibly at a safe distance, Noah rejoined his clone and pulled out his grimoire. “It seems you must all be taught a lesson as well, taught the natural order of things, and who ranks above whom. Aithorn, I’d rather not involve you in this. This is your last chance to run, and I implore you to take it.” He cast summoning magic, and behind him, a colossal beast took shape from his mana.
“By the spirits,” Aithorn gasped, recognizing the creature.
It was a fearsome basilisk, not the deformed one he summoned on Kisara Island, but the healthy and vicious female that had attacked them, replicated using a scale collected from her nest. The knights and soldiers alike trembled in terror at its presence, this legendary beast known to slay entire armies, and feared for its indomitable defense, monstrous offense, and limitless aggression.
“All of you, remember: you were warned,” said Noah, snapping his fingers.
The illusory beast reared its head back, and before anyone could brace themselves, it released a mighty scream at the top of its lungs. The oscillating shriek, sharper than razor blades, assaulted the knights’ senses like nails being driven into their ears and brought them to their knees. They vomited in pain and disorientation, unable to even see as their synapses fired wildly and their pain receptors went haywire. The archers above fell off the castle walls, and everyone in the palace collapsed in anguish. Even the animals and insects, from the horses in the stables to the cockroaches in the kitchen, were keeling over.
Noah’s illusions, be they his flashbangs or this creature’s scream, could not cause actual physical damage. They only deceived the senses of his victims. The creature’s scream wasn’t genuine sound; it was just mana that was perceived as sound. Though howling in agony while covering their ears, the knights suffered no lasting harm. Their eardrums remained pristine, though their nerve endings told them the membranes had ruptured like soap bubbles. They would suffer temporarily deafness and tinnitus, but that was simply part of the deception. Noah’s mana would continue to linger in their ears until he released the magic. Only Tarnas, standing guard outside of the saferoom holding Galvin and Seraph, was unharmed, thanks to his aura of light filtering out Noah’s mana.
Fortunately, the “sound” only extended as far as Noah allowed his mana to spread, and he confined it just to the castle grounds so no one in the city was affected. He also had to direct the mana away from himself, lest he be affected. All magic users faced the risk of friendly fire, and were vulnerable to being harmed by their own techniques. However, such precise manipulation was easier said than done.
Releasing his mana was simple, but restraining it once loose was difficult, like sprinting at maximum speed, then coming to a dead stop and overpowering all his inertia. Once his mana imitated sound, it wanted to act just like sound, including how far and fast it spread. It used to be that Noah had to struggle to expand the range of influence for his flashbangs and other illusions, and now he had to fight to keep them contained.
After fifteen seconds, Noah released the spell, and the basilisk vanished. Back at Kisara Island, summoning something that large nearly killed him, but after all of his training, he had become strong enough to effectively produce and utilize such a powerful weapon. Still, he staggered from the whiplash of such a colossal energy expenditure, having used up all of his mana in one continuous burst, and his nose was bleeding from the exertion.
It wasn’t just the exhaustion of releasing mana, but the stress of controlling it and the mental fatigue it inflicted. He couldn’t use this technique at full power multiple times a day or around allies, nor could he move while it was happening, and it left him vulnerable to counterattack, but compared to everyone else, he was in good shape. The knights lay on the ground, vanquished and nearly catatonic. Many of them, on top of vomiting in pain, had soiled themselves. The only movement was pained spasming.
A mana potion restored Noah’s strength, and he strolled past them into the castle unchallenged. From there, it was simply a matter of tracking down Galvin. He had spent some time exploring the castle while invisible during earlier visits, not enough to see it all, but he had a good idea of where his prey was hiding. All he had to do was follow the path of laid-out royal guards standing in front of locked doors. The doors themselves were easy enough to get through. Whether he blasted them off their hinges with explosive charges, cut through the wooden brace bars with his sword, or dismantled magical wards that kept them shut, no barrier could hold him back for long.
Inevitably, the effects of the basilisk’s scream began to wear off for the royal guard. The knights outside had borne the brunt of it and would be out of commission for a good while, but those inside had some protection and were getting back to their feet. In one of the chambers leading to the palace safe room, Noah faced several such guards equipped with enchanted armor and glowing blades.
“Stop right there!” one yelled at Noah.
“I just took out every knight in the palace single-handedly. Do you really think you have what it takes to stop me? Think this over. Think carefully.”
“We have sworn an oath to give our lives to defend His Majesty from all threats! If this is the day we die, then it is because the gods have ordained it!”
“Gods, huh?” Noah held out his hand and formed a straight, single-edged sword. It was an illusion, like his guns, from a past life in which he studied the blade, and had cut down countless enemies. “Fear not, you won’t die today. The gods have not deemed it so.”
He then zoomed forward, moving so fast that the disoriented guards could barely respond. These were some of the best warriors in the country, and to their credit, they did what they could to fight back. Noah reached the first and raised his sword above his head, prompting the guard to defend with his own, expecting steel to collide with steel. Instead, Noah’s sword passed through the guard’s sword like it was made of air, and he was carved right down the middle.
His armor wasn’t scratched, his skin was undamaged, and his blood remained in his veins. For all intents and purposes, Noah might as well have just shined him with a flashlight. However, despite suffering no damage, the knight staggered back, gagging in pain as if drowning in his own blood, and collapsed to the floor. He lay there, spasming from the agony of a laceration that was never inflicted. The other guards stared at their fallen comrade, unable to understand what was happening. He didn’t have a scratch on him, and there wasn’t the faintest smell of blood in the air, so why was he giving his death rattle?
“Who’s next?” Noah asked.
Armed with an axe, the next guard shouted to rile himself up and charged at Noah with a mighty swing. He easily dodged the attack and replied with his own, sending his phantom blade running across the man’s chest from shoulder to hip. He gave a single cry of pain before collapsing to the ground like his friend. The three remaining guards all attacked Noah at once, but were stunned by a barrage of mana bullets and then clipped across their stomachs by Noah’s sword. Though unharmed, the men collapsed like puppets with their strings cut, groaning in pain and trying to hold in the guts they believed were spilling out.
With his guns, Noah could inflict mortal terror, instilling the fear that one’s life was just cut short and they would soon succumb to their nonexistent wound. It was an illusion built upon his expertise with such weapons in battle, and his experiences of getting shot. But Noah’s mana were even more potent when replicating this sword, something he was more intimately familiar with. Like the basilisk illusion, it was the reward for all of his mana projection training.
The phantom sword was incapable of causing harm or taking life, but the pain it inflicted was all too real. They’d feel it rip through their flesh, feel the heat of their blood as it flowed of their torn veins, feel the agony of the wound widening and deepening with every breath they took, yet it would all be in their heads. It was also difficult to block, passing through almost all weapons and defenses. Even the royal guards’ armor, enchanted to resist elemental magic, was helpless against this unique power. That said, the intensity of these sensations depended on how much mana Noah focused into the sword, and every time the blade vanished against solid matter, the expenditure suddenly spiked. Like his scouting technique, obscured illusions required far more energy to maintain.
Leaving the men to lick their imaginary wounds, Noah moved on to the next room, where more guards were standing, ready to face him. Once again, he cut them down without spilling a single drop of blood. After advancing through several more rooms, he finally faced the big man himself.
“Adwith Tarnas, Light’s Emissary.”
“Noah, the Wandering Spirit.”
“I don’t suppose you’d be willing to kindly step aside and let me pass?”
“I think not. I always knew I’d be the one to end you. It was only a matter of time. I won’t let you kill Seraph.”
“I’m not here to kill anyone. I haven’t killed a single person today, nor will I. And, like I said before, I settled my feud with Seraph last year. Last year to this day, in fact. If anything, I want to put him on the throne.”
Tarnas’s bloodlust cracked, but he was still wrapped in an aura of light that would negate Noah’s illusions if he got close. “What are you talking about?”
“All the anti-beastman propaganda your king has been spewing got the people riled up into an angry mob that attacked the Knight’s Sheath. One person was murdered, and two others were wounded. I warned him that such a thing would happen if he continued brainwashing the public, and that I would retaliate against him if it did. Once again, Galvin’s actions have brought the end of innocent life, and I must teach him a lesson, a lesson he will survive, so you can keep your little triggerman for the Wassengel.”
“And you think we’ll let you do whatever you want, and then you’ll walk back home like nothing ever happened? No matter your reasoning, you’ve attacked your fellow knights and reaffirmed that you are an enemy of this country.”
“I am not your enemy, Tarnas. I’m the man no one listens to until it’s too late. Do you really want to make the same mistake everyone else did?”
Tarnas drew his sword and crouched down in a launch position. “I think I do.”
He shot towards Noah, aiming for a stab to the heart. Noah conjured a smoke bomb from his ring and threw it at the ground, filling the room with blinding vapor. Since Tarnas’s aura would dispel any illusions, he had to rely on physical techniques. He dodged Tarnas’s swing and rolled past him, but Tarnas could not be so easily fooled and swung at him with a downward hack. Noah narrowly avoided the swing and hurled another projectile, this time at Tarnas. However, when it broke against his armor, he realized it wasn’t a smoke bomb.
A whiff of monster repellent attacked Tarnas’s senses with more ferocity than an angry wyvern, causing his eyes to water and nearly making him vomit. Granted, Tarnas was a skilled warrior and had trained for years to hone his senses and control his reactions, but this smell broke his focus, and during that brief window, Noah slipped behind him and dropped his hat onto Tarnas’s head. At that moment, Tarnas’s body seized up, and he fell to the ground, stiff as a corpse. It was Noah’s headband, stitched into his hat. Facing Tarnas while wearing such a handicap had been a serious gamble, but it paid off. Tarnas could no longer move an inch, but considering his strength, Noah wouldn’t make the mistake of relying solely on the headband.
“I’m going to skin you alive, you bastard!” Tarnas roared as he tried to fight the restraints. As expected of Light’s Emissary, he was already regaining some movement, until Noah locked the paladin in his magic-sealing shackles. They were based on the collar that had restrained Elisandra, so it was a safe bet that they could seal even the legendary Adwith Tarnas for a while.
“You don’t have to worry. I won’t do anything to Seraph so long as he doesn’t get in my way, and even then, for your sake, I’ll go easy on him. Now, since you’re my colleague, letting you lie there like that, forced to smell that repellent, would be unbecoming.” Noah conjured a bottle of pure alcohol and poured it on Tarnas’s armor. “You know, my original recipe for this monster repellent was just composed of smelly ingredients I scavenged from the forest, but thanks to alchemy, I’ve honed it into a true weapon against the senses. It’s the one thing Valia doesn’t allow me to make in the house. She’s fine with me crafting tools, potions, and weapons, but refuses to let me brew monster repellent under her roof.
There, that should make things better. The stench will dissipate quickly, but until then, consider that your punishment for not listening to me. I meant what I said, Tarnas. I’m only your enemy if you decide I am. I hope you’ll decide better after this, and we can work together.”
“Get back here, you son of a bitch!”
Noah continued on, finally entering the room where Seraph and Galvin were. Seeing him, the two young men backed against the wall, screaming in terror. It was a fitting reaction.
“Seraph, I have no issue with you, so go stand in the corner. Whether you choose to watch or turn away is up to you.” Noah gave the order, but the prince was too terrified to move. “Seraph, I just told you to do something, and you aren’t doing it. Do you really think that’s the best course of action?”
Doing his best not to soil himself, Seraph moved away from Galvin and hid in the corner. Noah then turned and faced the king. “Oh, Galvin…” he sighed, watching the entire right side of his body go from a nervous twitch to near seizure-like spasming. “You know, I was so close to just burying the hatchet and letting bygones be bygones in regards to you and me. I had hoped that after our last meeting, you really had changed your ways, that the trauma I inflicted was so severe, that for the sake of survival, even just the survival of your bloodline, your emotionally-crippled brain would rewire itself. If you had learned your lesson, I would have forgiven you, but no, that was just too much to hope for.
You should know that thanks to your speeches, an angry mob of beastman haters attacked the Knight’s Sheath, killing a girl and wounding two others, including one of my friends. Frankly, I don’t really care about her that much. I’ve only spoken to her a handful of times, so her death wasn’t exactly a heavy blow, and my friend is healed, so there is no point in getting all worked up over him. What does irritate me is that I warned you that only suffering would await if you chose to antagonize me and those around me, but once again, you just didn’t listen, and after all the work I put in last time to burn this lesson to your mind, you still decided to play with fire.
I find myself suddenly awash in old fury, feeling that hatred born from the destruction of the former Knight’s Sheath coming alight once more. That chapter in both our lives should have been done and over with, but you’ve decided that more needs to be written, so once again, I am brought back to that vengeful state. Funny, isn’t it? How anger can be forgotten and then suddenly return, as sharp and searing as the day it was born, even after being left to slumber in the past? It’s like when you’re arguing with someone and think you’ve gotten the last word, but you hear them mutter something under their breath, and suddenly you’re right back to yelling. Well, Galvin? I’m yelling. Do you hear me now?”
Galvin raised his arm with every last shred of courage, showing the manacle for controlling the Wassengel. “Not one more step! If you kill me, then—” Noah moved forward and slashed Galvin’s elbow with his illusory sword. Had it been a steel blade, his forearm would have dropped to the ground with a splash of blood. He collapsed, screaming in agony and clutching the undamaged limb. “My arm! I can’t feel my arm!”
Noah silenced Galvin by grabbing his throat and slamming him against the wall. “I told you what would happen if your foolishness affected me or anyone around me. See, Seraph, he learned his lesson. Look at him; he knows what happens if he goes against me or doesn’t do what I say, but somehow, for some reason, you still don’t understand. I specifically told Berholm to warn you that there would be severe repercussions if you didn’t change your behavior, and you decided not to listen to him. I have to wonder, are you simply incapable of learning your lesson?
After I broke all your limbs, showed me fucking your mother, gouged out your eyes, and sliced off your genitals, I pondered whether or not I should take your magic staff, snap off a nice pointy end with lots of jagged splinters, and ram it where the sun doesn’t shine. It would be fitting, after all, considering I had sodomized Ziradith the night before. The difference is you wouldn’t enjoy it like she did. However, I abstained, thinking you’d had enough, that even you had to have realized your mistake and would change. It seems I was wrong. I shouldn’t have held back. Now, I’m going to remedy that mistake. But I already said I wouldn’t draw blood, so don’t worry, this won’t leave a mark.”
He slashed Galvin repeatedly with his phantom blade, attacking from every angle and moving with lightning speed. Seraph watched in terror, believing his brother was being murdered in front of him. For Galvin, every slice felt painfully real, ripping through skin and muscle and launching him towards death, but no matter how many times Noah cut him, he wouldn’t die. Galvin collapsed, but instead of any satisfaction on Noah’s face, there was a scowl of concern. He didn’t notice it when the fool was standing, but there seemed to be a thread of mana leading from the back of Galvin’s head and into the wall, only visible because Noah’s magic was active.
Noah moved Galvin away, but the thread remained linked to him, passing through the stone blocks like they weren’t even there. Dragging Galvin by the back of the neck, he pulled him out of the room, past Tarnas, who was trying desperately to escape his restraints. No matter where he moved the comatose king, the thread still stuck to him, and it seemed to be leading to a specific point in the castle.
“Well, well, well.”
Meanwhile, up in the highest tower of the castle, Ziradith sat in her bedchamber, cursing in frustration. Everything was falling apart. The manacle that allowed her to control Galvin wasn’t working, leaving her in the dark as to what was going on. She’d know if he had been slain, so he must have been rendered unconscious. She predicted that Noah would inevitably make his move against Galvin, but for him to get past Tarnas, her ace in the hole, was beyond her expectations.
“We should take this chance to flee,” said Strauss nearby. “I’m in no mood to be blinded and castrated by the Wandering Spirit.”
“No! I’ve come too close to surrender it all! I had to flee this city in shame once before, and I won’t do it again! The throne of Uther is finally mine, and I won’t give it up!”
At that moment, the door was blown off its hinges, and smoke filled the room. “Ziradith Herald, as I live and breathe.” The smoke cleared, revealing Noah. “How you doing, sweet cheeks?”
“You bastard!” Ziradith shrieked, brandishing a magic scroll. Noah summoned a handgun and riddled her with mana bullets, stopping her from activating the spell. She dropped the scroll and staggered back, her heart racing.
Noah then turned to Strauss. “Let me guess, you’re the Liege, or rather the middleman between her and the Profane?”
Strauss extended his hand. “You also know me as Fain Morgan. Pleased to meet you.”
Noah shook it. “Ah yes, the one behind the bounty. Perhaps I should thank you for the opportunity to further raise my infamy. Take a seat, and I’ll get to you shortly.” He turned back to Ziradith. “So, it’s you, the one who has been pulling the strings all along, cultivating the Profane to get Galvin on the throne as your little figurehead and give you supreme control of Uther. You have given me no shortage of trouble, and I have one thing to say to you.” Noah then began to clap. “Bravo.”
“Excuse me?” Ziradith muttered, standing upright while catching her breath.
“As someone who has orchestrated countless false flag operations, toppled governments, and puppet regimes, I know good work when I see it, and you, my dear, are marvelous. Galvin could never orchestrate something so complex and masterful, but you could. When Adwith Tarnas arrived in Colbrand twenty years ago, warning of the Profane, you saw two invaluable assets: Light’s Emissary and a menacing threat to unite the people against.
You contacted them, pretended to be on their side, and offered financial support and resources if they destroyed Uther for you, all while you listened in on their plans. The increased threat of the Pack and Profane in Welindar was the perfect excuse to bolster military spending, soon to become a mighty iron fist with which to rule. Still, you wouldn’t be able to keep the public and knighthood on your side without an extra carrot and stick, and that was the Wassengel, the assurance of protection with the unspoken threat of annihilation should anyone try to remove Galvin from power.
Knowing you, you didn’t put the plan in motion until you were sure he could awaken and control it, and then it was only a matter of setting the board. Kaisen said that the king was killed ahead of schedule and you had to speed up your plans, but the Profane didn’t know the truth of what was going on. They set their army on Colbrand, and you used the Wassengel to kill them, ensuring they wouldn’t try such a tactic again while getting everyone to forget about how I humiliated your family with a show of force that bought their loyalty.
Then you had Galvin stir up anti-beastman sentiment, playing to the public’s fears, prejudices, and egos, giving them a scapegoat on which to blame everything. You orchestrated the attack on the arena, but set it up to fail, painting the knights as godsent heroes while laying the groundwork for the next stage of your plan. With the threat of insurgency and Profane subterfuge, you have all the justification you need to increase your authority, putting everyone under scrutiny so that you can see the sparks of rebellion and extinguish them before they start the flame. If anyone complains about imperial control, you can blame it all on the Profane and beastmen making it necessary, and label them as traitors to the cause.
Now you use the Liege to leak information on the Profane’s plans while sabotaging them with false information so that the country can stay one step ahead of them, and with the combined power of the Wassengel and Adwith Tarnas, they’d be fools to attack Colbrand again. As long as Colbrand remains untouchable, the Profane can never seize full victory, but the closer they get, the more control over the people you have. It’s brilliant, a political masterpiece. Well done, Zira.”
Ziradith smirked. “Well, it’s nice to finally meet someone who appreciates greatness when he sees it, even if it’s the man I hate more than anyone else in the world. Congratulations, Noah, you’ve revealed my master plan, but if you think you can remove me that easily, you’re wrong.” Like Galvin, she raised her arm, revealing the manacle she wore. “I’ve spent a fortune hiring the greatest researchers, magical engineers, and rune crafters available to build these two manacles, based on the remnants of the Wassengel’s temple. With this, I can control Galvin just as he does the Wassengel, and more.
Originally, the Wassengel could only be awoken by those of royal lineage, those relating to the first king of Uther, but by using Galvin’s blood as a catalyst, I can command the Wassengel to fulfill at least one command, but it’s all I need, and it’s already inscribed into both manacles. If our hearts stop or the manacles are improperly removed, the Wassengel will rise up and fire a blast at our location. Understand? Try to remove us from power, and Colbrand will be wiped off the map. If I can’t have it, no one can.”
“I expected as much, but like I’ve said before, I have no intention of killing anyone today, even you. In fact, now I’m comforted knowing that you’re controlling everything.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You’re driven by greed, cruelty, and ambition, but unlike Galvin, you’re highly intelligent. After all the work you’ve put into taking over this country, I doubt you’ll just sit back and let it all fall apart against the Profane or other threats. Frankly, you’re the best person qualified to run the country, so I’m going to let you have it.”
Ziradith scoffed. “Oh really? You’re going to “let me have it”? You say that like you have any power over me, like it’s some gift you’re tossing my way. I’m the one holding all the cards.”
“You’re holding A card, not THE cards. Need I remind you that I knocked out every knight and royal guard on the palace grounds and strolled in here without spilling blood or shedding sweat? I’m sure you thought that with Tarnas nearby, you could do whatever you wanted without fearing my retaliation. Now you know better. If nothing else, I’ve established that the knighthood is not an effective weapon against me. Besides, the Wassengel gambit only keeps me from killing you or removing that manacle, but it doesn’t protect you from everything else I could do to you.”
“You think the knighthood and Wassengel are my only protection? I’ve employed numerous safety measures to protect me from you and your underhanded tricks. Drugs, coercion, torture; I’ve prepared defenses against all of them. My whole body is a trap waiting to be sprung. You try anything, you even touch me, and in the best-case scenario, you, and only you, will die. Worst case? Well, I’m sure you saw the crater outside the city.”
“You truly are marvelous. I’m sure I could crack your defenses given enough time, but I’ll be charitable to you and say we’re at a standstill, so how about we move on to negotiating terms for a truce?”
“You, who humiliated me, made me a pariah and a laughing stock, who has been a thorn in my side and nearly ruined my plans, you stand before me offering terms? I should kill you where you stand!”
Noah zoomed forward and delivered a beheading strike with his illusion blade, leaving not a scratch on Ziradith’s neck, but ripping the air from her lungs. Cold steel, sharpened to a razor’s edge, slicing through flesh, muscle, and bone; it was so raw and clear, leaving her questioning reality. All of her senses were telling her she had been decapitated, every artery severed, and her spinal column cut like a string of pearls.
She dropped to her knees as she grasped her throat, searching for a wound or blood, but there was nothing. The absence of an injury scared her even more. If there was a cut, she could tell herself that it was simply an overreaction, her instincts reacting to pain and danger and her fight-or-flight response telling her to flee, but that wasn’t what happened. The fact that he could make her feel that pain and fear, make her feel the sting of death, all without touching her, shook her to her core.
He stood over her and pointed the sword at her face. “Your suffering was wrought by your own failures and sins, the sin of letting Galvin loose upon the world. You should have strangled him with his own cord and saved us all from his toxicity, or at least put your mental leash on him years ago. Granted, Galvin was clearly born rotten, but you sure failed to raise him to be better. If anything, he grew even worse with you as a parent. Add that to everything you’ve done as the Liege, and you’ll get no apology from me. Neither of us can kill the other, so our only option is to find a way to coexist, unless you’d prefer I do something far more horrible to you right now.”
Ziradith glared at Noah, this man who forced her to the absolute extremes of euphoria, anguish, rage, and terror. She hated him with every fiber of her being, but she was smart enough to also fear him. “Your terms?”
“So long as the Profane are defeated first, I couldn’t care less if this country becomes a dictatorship after, so I’m going to give you a chance. I will let you continue running things as you wish, so long as you adhere to my three conditions. First, it doesn’t hinder the war effort against the Profane. You’re going to focus on eradicating them, and I mean REALLY focus. Uther must work with the other nations to defeat this threat, which ties into the second condition.
You’re going to have Galvin recant all of his anti-beastman rhetoric and preach unity of the races against the Profane. I will not tolerate you wasting resources on genocide while the real threat waits outside your border, especially when those around me will get involved, which is a perfect segue to the third condition.
Nothing bad happens to me or anyone associated with me, including the people at the Knight’s Sheath. If so much as a pebble is thrown at their door, I’ll come back here. And I don’t think I need to tell you what will happen if knights come knocking on my door tonight with an arrest warrant, so I suggest you look for a way to sweep everything that happened today under the rug and keep them from doing something stupid. Also, call off the bounty.
If you can abide by those conditions, I have no issues with you controlling Uther. Once the Profane are dealt with, enjoy your police state, be as tyrannical as you want, see if I care. That said, your compliance is not requested; it’s mandatory. I’m not offering the choice to accept or decline. This is the new order, and you will abide by it.”
“Anything else?” she asked, mockingly.
“Just keep one thing in mind: everything hinges on you now. The fate of this country, and perhaps the world, now rests on your shoulders. The attack on the arena was a brilliant political move, but a poor war strategy, sacrificing countless fighters that could have been utilized on the battlefield. You’ve spent your life in pursuit of power; well now comes the responsibility. Can you lead this country to victory? Can you defeat the Profane and save the world? You’d better be up to it, because if you botch this, not even the Wassengel will keep you safe from me. Now, I’m going to go home. Fain Morgan, Ziradith Herald, I wish you a fine Knight’s Day.”
Then Noah turned around and walked away. He went back to Adwith Tarnas, still trying to free himself. “You can relax. Everyone is alive, and I didn’t do anything to Seraph.” He removed his hat from Tarnas’s head and unlocked his shackles, then held out his hand to help him up. Tarnas refused the gesture and got up on his own.
“You think that makes everything you did permissible? I should kill you right here, if only for this stink you’ve left on my armor.”
“If your armor still smells bad, just apply some strong liquor. The concoction dissolves in alcohol. Would you believe me if I said that trick helped me escape from Gradius a while back? As well as a high-ranking Profane? Surprising, isn’t it? All the magic and power in the world, but a simple stink bomb makes us all trip up. And before you go on a violent rampage trying to kill me, I suggest you head up to the northwest tower, preferably with Berholm. There is someone up there you both should talk to. My actions will seem inconsequential compared to what they have to say. After that, if you still want to have a go, you know where to find me. Good day.”
Noah then left the palace and returned to the Knight’s Sheath. However, he took the long way, wanting to survey the city. Rumors were flying around back and forth. Countless people had seen the explosion at the palace, and the absence of the knights was impossible to ignore. During the last Knight’s Day, they all disappeared from the celebration because of what Noah did to Seraph, and the people knew that something similar had happened. Already, his name was being thrown around in speculation. He eventually arrived at the Knight’s Sheath, where the doors were still shut to customers, but always open to him. Valia and Shannon were there, and upon his return, they rushed to hug him.
“I was worried you had gotten yourself killed,” said Valia. “Noah, what did you do?”
“I didn’t kill anyone, and no blood was spilled. However, I made it clear that what happened today can’t be allowed to happen again. How well our fellow knights and the kingdom will take my message remains to be seen, but at the very least, no one should try anything foolish against us, unless they are already fools.”
“Has Melinda been avenged?” Cyrilo asked, approaching.
“Her death was answered for. That’s all I can say. Things will either going to get better or worse for you now, and not even I can predict which one it will be.”
“I’ll have to take your word for it.”
“What will you do now?”
“Tomorrow, we’ll give Melinda a proper burial once everything has quieted down. I don’t want to wheel her corpse around the city streets while a festival is going on. After that, I suppose we’ll just have to take things one day at a time.”
Noah went over to Alexis and Sophia. “How are you two doing?”
“I’m fine. Other than this seething anger inside me, I’m just fine,” said Alexis, nursing a glass of ambrosia.
“It just makes no sense,” said Sophia, sniffling with puffy red eyes. “Melinda never did anything to deserve that. She never hurt anyone. She was a good, kind girl. Didn’t those people have enough blood and death last night? Did they really need to bring more to our doorstep?”
Noah rested his hand on her shoulder. “It’ll never be enough.” He then turned back to Cyrilo. “There is something you all need to know. Let’s talk in private.” Noah and the five women moved to Cyrilo’s study. Only once the door was shut did Noah speak. “All this time, Galvin has been under mind control by his mother, Ziradith. She’s been pulling his strings, orchestrating everything going on between Uther and the Profane.” His announcement brought shocked gasps from everyone.
“What do you mean by everything?” Sophia asked.
“I mean everything: the beastman insurgents in Welindar, the Profane army marching on Uther, the awakening of the Wassengel, and so on. It was all part of her plan to get Galvin on the throne and put her in control of the country. She’s been funding and supplying the Profane under the alias of the Liege, using one of her supporters to speak on her behalf and keep her identity hidden. I had to knock out almost every knight in the city to get to Galvin, and when I finally faced him, I realized he was under magical influence, and Ziradith was in control of all of his words and actions.”
“Ziradith, she’s the woman you humiliated onstage, right?” Shannon asked, turning pale. “She’s the one who’s been backing the Profane? She’s the one who helped them build their labs, gave them the means to enslave my tribe, and corrupt my father’s mind? She’s the one who—” As her voice began to crack, Valia hugged her.
“So the woman who almost doomed Colbrand is now running it? This is a nightmare,” muttered Cyrilo.
“There is a silver lining. I was able to negotiate a truce with her. So long as she continues to abstain from retaliation against the Knight’s Sheath and puts an end to the anti-beastman propaganda, I wouldn’t act against her.”
“After everything that’s happened, you’re letting her stay in power?” Sophia asked.
“The situation is not ideal, but I’d rather have her in control than Galvin. She’s kept him on a tight leash, and though she is many things, incompetent is not one of them. I’m willing to let her prove her ability to govern, and now she knows that I won’t stand by if the events of today are repeated, so it would be in her best interest to abide by my terms. There will be plenty of chances in the future to make sure she pays for what she’s done. For now, we must ensure the situation benefits us and the country.”
There was a knock on the door, and Lucius poked his head inside. “Berholm is back, and he’s brought a lot of soldiers with him.”
Cyrilo sighed and rubbed her forehead. “Let him in. We should hash this out before there is even more violence.”
Berholm was brought into the study while his troops filled the foyer. He glared at Noah with a stony look. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done? You’ve attacked your fellow knights and the king.”
“Technically, they attacked me first, and I subdued them without injury, which begs the question: Why did you think a bunch of regular soldiers would do you any good here? As for your king, well, if you’ve spoken to Tarnas, you know it’s more complicated than that. Everyone here already knows, so don’t bother trying to dance around it.”
Berholm growled in annoyance. “Yes, he and I confronted Ziradith Herald after you left.”
“So, now you know who the puppet master is. I take it Ziradith gave you the same warning she gave me?”
“Correct. Any move made against her or Galvin will result in Colbrand’s annihilation. For now, she has us by the throat.”
“I’ve already negotiated certain terms to make sure that what happened today won’t be repeated. So long as she follows my rules and governs effectively in the face of the Profane, I’ve given her free reign.”
“Well, that’s just great, Noah. Absolutely wonderful. And I guess no one told you that Galvin has yet to wake up from whatever you did to him?”
“I left him intact, didn’t I? He’ll be fine. Speaking of which, how are the knights?”
“Most of them want your head on a pike, but none have the courage to say it near you. Whatever trust you hoped to build with them is gone.”
“I never realistically expected them to trust me, but fear? I can work with that, so long as it ensures their obedience. Besides, I needed them to know what a slippery slope they were on in regard to this nation’s attitude towards beastmen. How can I expect them to fight the Profane when they’re too busy herding the girls of the Knight’s Sheath into death camps? Everything I’ve seen the Profane do to beastmen in Handent—the mass incarceration, the slaughter, the torture, the experimentation—I’ve seen humans do to humans all because they were in another group, and stuff like today is always how it starts. We simply don’t have time for that drama.”
“And you think you can just continue living in Colbrand, attending meetings in the War Room, and using your authority after today?”
“I’d like to meet the man who’s going to stop me.”
“So you and Sir Tarnas know that Ziradith is in charge, but who else?” Cyrilo asked.
“Other than a few personal servants attending to her, no one even knew Ziradith was in the castle. Considering everything that’s happened in this country this past year, my faith in my comrades has been quite a bit shaken, so for now, this secret doesn’t leave this room.”
“So we’re just supposed to keep our mouths shut and let that conniving bitch rule over us?!” Alexis hissed.
“If word were to get out that the king was under the effects of mind control, it could upend everything, even cause a civil war. We need to maintain the public’s belief in the stability of the kingdom, especially now, when we are under threat of the Profane. You also need to remember that Ziradith is keeping Galvin on his best behavior. If she’s removed from the equation, he’ll likely go right back to his old self, but with the absolute power of the throne and the Wassengel. Does that sound like something you want to see?”
Alexis didn’t answer, and her silence was a begrudging agreement. She and Sophia knew how malicious and demented Galvin was, and as much as they didn’t like the current situation, the mind-controlled version was far preferable to his normal self.
Berholm continued. “Inevitably, both Galvin and Ziradith will have to be removed from power, but with the Wassengel on their side, going against them now would only bring destruction. Fortunately, we still have Seraph as an option for successorship, but Ziradith will do everything in her power to keep us from putting him on the throne. For now, preparations must be made, and with discretion. Regardless of context, the fact remains that we are discussing a coup, which puts us all in danger.”
“I’m willing to let Ziradith prove herself for now, but if you want to remove her somewhere down the line, I’ll help. We just have to make sure that when the transition of power is made, it is done with precise timing, with the Profane in mind. If we give them an opportunity, they’ll be sure to exploit it. I’ve gotten in contact with an agent of the church who said that they want Galvin supplanted and Seraph put on the throne. I imagine we can count on their support when the time comes to move against Ziradith.”
Cyrilo gave a bitter laugh. “What’s that old saying about politics and strange bedfellows?”
----------
Though the details were kept secret, the kingdom could not conceal that something had happened at the palace. It was painted as an accident, the malfunction of a magical tool meant to wow the public with an amazing display, creating a massive explosion that wounded and incapacitated the knights present. By the gods’ blessing, there were no deaths. However, the events at the Knight’s Sheath threw doubt on the explanation. Those who had been there when Melinda was killed, those who saw Noah subdue the crowd and then later disappear, they knew that he was the source of the commotion, and they were quick to spill their assumptions to anyone who would listen. Once the Knight’s Sheath shut its doors, they moved to other brothels and bars to share what they had seen. It wouldn’t be long until the rumors bouncing across tavern tables would become a city-wide conversation.
As the day grew late, the crowds that filled the streets were instructed to gather before the palace for a royal proclamation. Galvin was supposed to address the public with a rousing speech, dripping with nationalism and anti-beastman propaganda to stir the crowd. Since he couldn’t perform, Seraph would do it instead, but as Noah ordered, it was a recant of the earlier rhetoric. He was given a prepared speech that encouraged unity of the races against the Profane and discouraged mob zealotry and violence. Noah, Valia, and Shannon arrived at the event, trying to keep a low profile, considering the ruckus Noah had caused earlier.
Seraph stepped out onto the balcony, facing the crowds. A year ago, something like this would have stoked his burning ego into a firestorm. To face the people, to have them cheering for him and hanging on his every word, was the kind of thing he dreamed of, but what courage and confidence he had managed to build during the tournament was crushed in the final round and the following attack. He had his speech, which he had practiced a few times, but if not for it written down, he felt like he couldn’t remember a single word.
“Ladies and gentlemen of Colbrand, I present His Highness, Crown Prince Seraph Albion!” Berholm announced. There was some small, scattered applause, far more discouraging than encouraging. Seraph gathered his strength and cleared his throat, then glanced down at the speech clutched in his sweaty hands.
“C-c-citizens of Colbrand! Today, we celebrate our hard-earned prosperity and hard-won peace, as a nation forged through the trials and tribulations of our ancestors, and sharpened through the challenges our generation faces! We cheer for the knights and soldiers who defend our homes and fight for our future, and so, too, must we honor the workers and laborers who build our homes and construct that future! The blacksmiths, the mill workers, the farmers, the stable boys, the weavers, the fisherman—they who work in silence to keep our society functioning; let them not go without our gratitude! Only together can we grow and thrive as a nation!
That unity is our greatest strength and has been tested these past two days. Much blood was spilled last night by our enemy, warrior and civilian alike, but the worst wound they inflicted upon us was the curse of fear, the fear that drives us to fight amongst each other instead of working together. My brother could not make this address due to some last-minute business that came up, but we agreed that a course correction must be made to the way this city, this country, is moving. We cannot let the Profane divide us when all races are held equally at threat and must work together!
In his desire to protect you, my brother blamed all our troubles on the beastmen race. However, they are not our enemies. They are our neighbors, our friends, the ones with whom we share this land, and they are under Profane attack just as we are! They feel the same fear, the same love, the same drive as we do! Instead of taking pride in our hatred, let us take pride in our comradery! Humans, beastmen, dwarves, elves; we either fight together or we die alone! So when you—”
Several people in the audience started booing.
“Kill those filthy monsters!” one man shouted.
“This nation is for humans only!” another man declared.
“Behead those who bow for the Profane!”
The message was not being received well. The public did not appreciate Seraph contradicting the king and rebuking the tribalism they embraced so readily and had come to pride themselves on. Seraph cleared his throat and tried to continue.
“S-s-so when you decide to blame a stranger for your problems, to lay the sins of the world on the shoulders of someone you disagree with, remember that—”
“My son was killed by one of those unholy monsters last night!” a woman shrieked.
“The beastmen should all be wiped out, just like they tried to wipe us out!”
“How many of us will you let them kill?!”
The families of the victims of the previous night’s attack were the most vocal in the crowd. It didn’t matter how many corrupted mages, monks, and warriors participated in the slaughter; all anyone cared about were the Profane beastmen. This wasn’t going well. Knights and soldiers exchanged glances, unsure of what to do as the crowd became increasingly restless. The whole area was turning into a tinder box, and sparks were falling like rain, ready to ignite everything. If things turned violent, they’d have to respond to stop it, but the moment they did, pandemonium would be unleashed. Seraph was drawing more anger than respect, but still, he tried to turn it around.
“Today, an innocent woman was killed, a human! She was killed by other humans because she was affiliated with beastmen who caused no harm! Why is her murder excused? How many of our own countrymen will we sacrifice to the demons of hatred? How divided will we let ourselves become? The beastmen are not our enemies; they—”
“You were beaten by one last night!”
“The loser prince, defeated by a one-armed heathen!”
“Now you’re bending over for those savages!”
“Beastman’s whore! Beastman’s whore! Beastman’s whore!” The chant started abruptly and spread like wildfire, with everyone soon cursing Seraph and mocking him. Though he was technically the tournament champion, his loss to Roc was undeniable, and proclaiming an alliance with the beastman race now came off as submission to a superior force, which the people did not take kindly to. The crowds were beginning to throw things at Seraph and the knights. A riot seemed inevitable until Noah stepped forward.
“SILENCE!” he ordered, using his mana to project his voice throughout the crowd. Hearing his voice booming in their ears, everyone obeyed, suddenly feeling like children being scolded by a parent. Moving through the crowd, he continued to speak, addressing everyone. “I am Noah, the Wandering Spirit, and I was there in Handent, working alongside Prince Lupin against the Profane. I saw what they did to the beastmen there. I saw how they deceived the fearful and the angry, offering power to those who sought liberation from Utheric control through bloodshed, those who felt the same grievances towards you as you feel towards them and wished to fight for their freedom.”
With every step Noah took, the crowds parted. All eyes were glued to him, unable to look away. “Enslaved in body and mind by the power of the Profane, they turned on their countrymen at their dark masters’ behest. The innocent majority, bound in chains by the corrupted minority, tortured and experimented on, all for the sake of hatred and power. My own comrade lost her family, her tribe, to servants under the Profane’s control, servants who originally wanted to save the beastman race but had betrayed them because of the horror they had allowed themselves to embody.” Behind him, Shannon clutched her hands and tried to keep her eyes dry. To hear her loved ones mentioned alongside the victims of the Welindar was both painful and cleansing. She wanted the story of her tribe and the people of Welindar to be heard by all and never forgotten.
“I was there in Welindar, a city just like this one, filled with beastmen just like you. They loved, they worshipped, they feared, they laughed, they mourned, they celebrated, they hoped, just as you all do. Then the Profane arrived and began the slaughter. Your prince fought to save the beastman of Welindar, whom he loved and cared for as his people, as citizens of Uther, whose respect and admiration he earned through blood and sweat.
He and I battled the Profane, and though we slew the commander, his final act was to swallow the city in an explosion of darkness. With his malicious power, he corrupted the citizens of Welindar against their will. Men, women, children, and elders, most of whom had never held a sword or seen battle, were forcefully transformed into hideous beasts. They were robbed of their free will, of their flesh, of their souls, and forcefully marched towards Colbrand like slaves until the Wassengel ended their suffering.
I think back to them, those innocent people, disfigured and turned into an army of sacrificial pawns. And I look at you, an angry mob, screaming for blood and death, blinded by hatred, turning on each other. You look just like they did as they flooded out of Welindar. The resemblance is uncanny. The same snarling and gnashing of teeth, the same malice and savagery! There is only one difference between you and that legion of abominations annihilated outside the city: They didn’t choose to become monsters. Why are you?”
With nothing left to say, Noah returned to Valia and Shannon, and the three went back home. They’d had enough of the festivities for one day.