41/61

Chapter 39 – Turbulence in the Imperial Capital

At the heart of the imposing white masonry palace that crowned the Royal Capital, the day advanced under the turquoise and emerald sky characteristic of Aegis-Moon. The crossed light beams of the twin stars, Solis Prime and Ignis, filtered through the colossal stained-glass windows of the monarch's private hall, casting distinct shadows that stretched across the polished marble. Despite the serenity of the weather outside, the atmosphere inside the sovereign's chambers was one of pure geopolitical storm and contained nervousness. Every commercial report and border parchment piled upon the mahogany desk seemed to carry the weight of an impending crisis.

King Valerius II Aeterna kept his eyes fixed on a heraldic map of the continent, massaging his temples with a countenance visibly exhausted and burdened by the pressures of the crown. He viewed the world through power balances and rigid reports, and the news coming from the outlying provinces had long been stealing his breath of reason.

— Helios, do we have concrete and definitive news about the recent incident involving the Nerius entourage? — inquired King Valerius, breaking the sepulchral silence that dominated the hall.

Helios, the Minister Counselor and right-hand man to the Throne, stepped forward with measured paces. He adjusted his dark silk robes, bowing respectfully before uttering his response with the typical caution of one who manages the empire's deepest secrets:

— Your Majesty, yes. According to the classified information that has just crossed our borders, the situation in the Nerius province has been completely normalized. Our scouts in the region have confirmed that Marquis Vance acted with extreme strategic prowess. The marquessate managed to completely neutralize the armed captors and rescue the duke's daughter, who is now safe and sound under the protection of his garrisons.

The monarch showed no relief. Instead, he tapped his long fingers on the wooden table, narrowing his eyes with dissatisfaction:

— And the official guard reports stop at this mere summary? Is there no further detailed information regarding the outcome of this clash or the enemy casualties?

— Majesty, unfortunately, the institutional sources are scarce and fragmented — Helios sighed, displaying a rare hint of frustration in his polished posture. — The only thing we managed to ascertain through unreliable channels, tavern informants, and diffuse records in the adventurers' guild is that a clandestine guild of elite assassins had been hired to execute the girl's kidnapping. However, the most disconcerting piece of data in the reports indicates that the true executor of the rescue was not the marquessate's regular army or the knights of Arl, but rather the Marquis's own youngest son, the young Kaelen Vance.

King Valerius raised his eyebrows abruptly, abandoning his usual rigidity for a flash of genuine surprise:

— The youngest of the Vances? That boy who has barely turned twelve years old? But haven't previous reports sent by our scouts pointed out that the boy was strictly a prodigy focused on rustic engineering, masonry architecture, and new sugar farming techniques? Is our intelligence on that lineage truly this incomplete?

— Yes, Majesty, that is precisely what the evidence suggests — Helios admitted, keeping his tone of voice low and controlled. — And our major problems regarding House Vance do not stop piling up in an alarming fashion. Currently, we face an absolute impossibility of inserting new espionage agents or extracting classified information from within Vance Fortress. Apparently, all our informants and infiltrated eyes inside, not just those of the Crown, have been discovered and eliminated from their functions. What is reported in the intelligence intelligence is that even veteran spies from foreign nations and neighboring empires were unmasked and captured by their defenses. The exact way they operated this general sweep and detected such well-camouflaged agents remains an absolute mystery that keeps our generals awake at night.

The monarch crossed his arms rigidly, feeling the weight of sovereignty waver before that invisible barrier of Gallia:

— What if we seek reports through indirect means? What do the commercial guilds crossing the rivers or the adventurer inns providing services at the border say?

— We have a severe conflict of interests established, Majesty — Helios explained, gesturing with his hands in a weighed manner. — The merchants even provide the information and agree to negotiate what they hear at the ports, but they are charging exorbitant amounts in gold coins for each parchment. Furthermore, all the notes they sell us are partial and fragmented, as they clash with the lucrative interests of their own fleets, and they avoid closing commercial doors with Gallia. As for the adventurers' guild, their secrecy is relentless; they only provide us with data on possible public recruitments, quest boards, or cargo escort requests... However, a confidential note received this morning revealed something disturbing: I have information that the Marquis's son possesses physical and martial capabilities on par with the local adventurers' guild master himself. Or, if not at the exact same level, he is terrifyingly close to it, boasting the vigor of a gold-tier veteran.

King Valerius rested his elbows on the table, pressing his hand against his face as he assimilated the data. His veins throbbed with the onset of a severe headache:

— So the boy is not just made of brains and logic to design devices... Is that what you mean to tell me with this report, Helios? By the gods, an infant with this martial and intellectual capacity... Will he become a real problem for the stability of the Throne?

— Majesty, it is still too early to pronounce a definitive verdict or speak of open threat — Helios temporized, trying to soften the monarch's tension. — I believe that if we play our political pieces with due cunning, with the recent information we can still extract some major strategic advantage from this scenario. I have fresh news coming from our informants infiltrated within House Nerius that both noble houses have signed a mystic contract and allied definitively through the engagement of their children, Kaelen Vance and Yara Nerius.

— So the Nerius were faster and managed to hook the boy for their own lineage before we did?

— Yes, Majesty. But the most problematic factor that defies the laws of our arcane physics comes right next...

— Explain at once, Helios. Do not beat around the bush.

— It concerns the Capital Portal Master's assessment. The elder was completely shocked upon evaluating the boy during his stay at the Marquess's estate. According to the mage's account, the Marquis's son possesses a Rejection of the Mana Weave. It is distinct, bizarre, and impossible to hide from experienced mages. However, by some means that escapes common sense, he is adept and lethal in manipulating fire and ice magic, yet there is absolutely no trace of mana use or consumption in his organism. There are isolated reports that he might also use other pure elements, such as light, but such an anomaly cannot currently be visually confirmed.

King Valerius frowned, his military mind searching for an answer within the realm's witchcraft code:

— Do you have any explanation or theory for this in the crown's parchments? For my understanding of war, this is somewhat questionable and outrageous. How is a living being capable of evoking pure elements and magic without processing a single magicle of mana?

— I have also been persistently asking the Mages' Tower to answer me this exact question, Majesty. But those traditional sages will take some time to give me a plausible answer or decipher the physics behind this phenomenon.

— Helios, is that really all? I know your calculating gaze. What is the real surprise you are keeping in the silence of these reports?

Helios swallowed hard, stepping closer to the mahogany desk with a serious expression:

— Your Majesty knows me perfectly. We truly have an unprecedented economic problem knocking at our doors. Through our other high-trust informant within the royal court of Oceana, we discovered from a real source that the dowry offered by House Vance to seal the marriage alliance was the blueprint of a new ship prototype. It is a large-scale merchant vessel, totally revolutionary and with a colossal cargo capacity... Enough to make House Nerius's earnings and revenues vastly surpass the treasury of the very Crown of Eldoria.

The monarch straightened his posture instantly, his brown eyes sparking with pure exaltation:

— How much are we talking about in gold coins, Helios? Be exact!

— Majesty, at least five times more long-term profits. And that calculating the worst-case scenario, even if we tax both houses with the maximum customs duties allowed by the kingdom's laws. And the one who designed the technical schematic and engineering of this ship was, solely, the Marquis's son.

— What audacity! — King Valerius exclaimed, visibly annoyed, slamming his open hand onto the table and making the inkwells tremble. — Are you telling me that this boy, besides proving to be a genius who can create not only weapons of war, armored ships, masonry architecture, and new farming techniques... and on top of that, he still finds time to actively participate in the adventurers' guild at just twelve years old, matching a gold-tier veteran warrior?!

— Unfortunately for the Crown's monopolies, yes, Majesty. And, to top off the feast of surprises, the Vances hosted a special reception for House Nerius and their guests from Oceana. They presented a range of new dishes and delicacies that all the attending nobles described as bizarre and exotic, with exceptional flavors, yet based on entirely unprecedented recipes on the continent.

The sovereign massaged his temples, feeling his headache throb violently:

— This is already giving me an unbearable migraine... Just how versed is this boy in arts and crafts? What attitude does the council intend to take in the face of this web of influence?

— As far as I know through espionage, this boy does not present a mental age that matches his chronological age. He possesses a frightening perspicacity and managed to deceive and disarm the intentions of the influential Vanguard and Montemort houses without suffering retaliation. Not only that: due to his intelligence and market vision, over thirty noble houses have already sent contracts and parchments for a blood tie with him, even if it is for the position of second wife. At this political pace, trying direct armed action or coercion becomes very complicated. There are isolated reports from some women of the high court claiming that the Marquis's son can read people's minds, but this has not been confirmed by any official source.

King Valerius placed his hand over his face, letting out a dry, joyless laugh:

— Well, I wouldn't doubt anything else coming from Gallia. If we put all the pieces of this puzzle on the board, wouldn't you agree? If it really hasn't been long since all informants and spies were removed and unmasked from their positions, and we evaluate his leadership posture... This boy is hiding some very deep secret from all of us. And we could say his presence might be considered a great blessing from the goddess Eris for the lands of Eldoria...

— Not only that, Majesty... He might be the incarnation of a Great Sage from past eras.

— If that is the case, we must drag him to our side no matter what, whatever the cost to the treasury. Helios, have my daughter summoned separately to my quarters immediately and call an emergency meeting in haste with all the throne's counselors. We need to take the lead in this game; perhaps we still have time to gain something from this before the kingdom's economy slips through our fingers.

— Yes, Majesty. Your orders will be executed without delay.

Later in the Afternoon — Emergency Meeting (Royal Hall)

Present at this important council meeting were: the leadership of House Vanguard, the minds of House Helios, King Valerius II Aeterna himself, Duke Aurelius Gold-Valley, and Duke Solarius, the Minister of Royal Finance.

— I have called all of you here to discuss the rise of House Vance and its new and concerning information... — announced King Valerius, opening the session with a stern look.

Helios stepped forward with his parchments and began to recount in detail the compiled report from the prior conversation with the king and the information obtained regarding the activities of Gallia's heir.

The silence that followed Helios's briefing in the Royal Hall had the weight of an avalanche held back by a thread. The dense air seemed to condense the nervousness of each noble present, while beeswax candles crackled in the bronze candelabras.

Duke Solarius was the first to move, crossing his arms with the rigidity of someone watching the imperial treasury and the crown's monopoly collapse in the face of a poorly calculated customs spreadsheet.

— If the preliminary fiscal reports I received from the border customs are correct, Majesty, this leap in productivity by the Nerius via the naval prototype is not just a common commercial threat to the provinces — Solarius pointed out, his voice dry and harsh like an ancient parchment. — It is an unprecedented monetary imbalance in the history of Eldoria. If they control river and sea routes with this revolutionary cargo capacity that is five times more efficient, House Vance and the Nerius will soon dictate the price of salt, iron, and grain across the entire continent. My customs office in the capital will lose total control over the flow of gold coins in less than two years.

Marshal General Valen Vanguard struck the solid oak table with his heavy iron gauntlet, making the wine goblets clink violently. His brown eyes sparked with a mix of warlike fury and tactical greed.

— Enough tax bureaucracy and customs discussions, Solarius! The real problem here isn't just money or the flow of coins; it's metal, engineering, and iron! The boy personally handed me a prototype of a ballistic caltrop and mechanical precision needles at the ball that would turn any Solano infantry regiment into dust and husk in seconds. And now you tell me he manipulates pure elements like fire and ice, besides repelling mana without leaving magical traces known to our mages? — Valen turned abruptly toward King Valerius, jaw clenched. — If this twelve-year-old boy is a military genius born for war, he cannot belong to an isolated vassal house on the borders of Gallia! If the Vanguards had control of those automated assembly lines in Gallia's forges, our border walls would be entirely impassable! My daughter Isadora already noticed his real tactical value at the ball; we should have closed the engagement contract before the Nerius hooked him with a plate of exotic food and sailors' tall tales!

Duke Aurelius Gold-Valley adjusted his silk collar richly embroidered with gold threads, flashing a polished, calm smile, though there was a clear trace of tension in his aristocratic jaw:

— Now, Marshal Vanguard, do not be so simplistic and impulsive in your sword ambitions. Forced marriages with prodigy boys who, according to palace rumors, can read minds and bypass the arcane laws of the Mages' Tower usually end with the entire castle catching fire by spontaneous combustion. The real geopolitical problem Counselor Helios has brought us is one of order and fidelity. Over thirty noble houses have already sent secondary tie proposals to the Vances. If the Crown does not act with extreme tact — and I repeat, with great political tact and not the force of the sword —, the imperial nobility will fragment into factions loyal to the Vances, and not to the Throne of Eldoria.

— And what does Your Majesty propose to reverse this silent crisis? — inquired Helios, keeping his eyes fixed on the sovereign, knowing the weight of the decision rested on the state strategy he had helped design with his reports.

King Valerius rested his elbows on the oak table, crossing his fingers before his face and staring intently at each of the pillars of his empire. His eyes showed the throbbing headache the boy from Gallia had caused him in so little hourglass sand.

— We are not going to act with brute force or garrison threats, because it is clear we would lose our remaining spies, our border positions, and worst of all, the element of surprise. If the boy repels mana and uses pure elements without leaving magical traces, the Mages' Tower can figure out how to explain the physics and magicles of it afterward. Our focus now is dual and surgical. Solarius, you will recalculate all tax projections assuming the worst-case economic scenario with the Nerius alliance and present me with alternatives for indirect taxation on naval trade by the end of the week.

Duke Solarius nodded rigidly, noting the orders in a small leather-bound pad.

— Vanguard, your daughter Isadora has shown she has a strong temperament and sharp enough intelligence to deal with that boy's irony during the dances at the ball. I want you to encourage and sponsor this tactical rapprochement between the two; if he likes sharp minds and strategy challenges, let Isadora compete for his interest. And as for the core and heart of this entire structure... — The King turned back to Helios with a calculating and icy glint in his eye. — Helios, have the Princess summoned to my private quarters immediately. If the Vances are building a technological and economic empire right under our noses, we will not make the foolish mistake of trying to crush the engine of progress. We are going to integrate it into the Crown before their ship sinks the entire empire.

Side Meeting Hall

Princess Eva waited there with an anxiety she could barely conceal behind her royal posture; her father would never summon her in strict privacy unless she was facing a crisis of stellar proportions. She mentally reviewed all hypotheses of political agendas, but none seemed to hold up — except for a single, mysterious figure who persisted in haunting her thoughts since the last high court ball: the "fiendish" heir of House Vance.

That twelve-year-old boy had proven impenetrable, mysterious, enigmatic, and endowed with a tempestuous posture that defied all the logic, etiquette, and pomposity of the imperial court. She felt no spark of romantic or sentimental attraction toward him, but the audacious and casual way he acted wounded her princess pride and furiously stoked her intellectual curiosity.

The heavy oak door opened and King Valerius entered the private chambers with firm steps, wearing the stern countenance of a monarch facing destiny.

— Good afternoon, my daughter... We need to talk in total confidentiality. I am going to need your help on a state mission.

— How can I help you, Majesty? — inquired Eva, straightening her posture with the innate elegance and rhetoric demanded by royalty.

— Eva, the reason I called you separately is that the empire faces an invisible threat that no knight's sword or royal decree has managed to contain so far: a twelve-year-old boy from House Vance, who, besides completely destroying our spy network and possessing gold-tier combat strength and vigor in the adventurers' guild, designed a revolutionary naval prototype capable of multiplying the Nerius's riches and destabilizing the capital's throne. Our attempts at coercion have failed, and dozens of noble houses are already fighting for blood ties and contracts with him. As the legitimate heir to the Crown and a master of the art of rhetoric, I need you to use your analytical intelligence to go to Vance Fortress. Your task is to decipher this boy's secrets and real intentions, and ensure that the Crown takes control of this brilliant mind before the entire empire slips through our hands.

Eva blinked for a brief instant, shock openly stamping her bright blue eyes.

— Majesty, are you sure of such reports...? It is completely irrational and illogical how a twelve-year-old child could do all this in isolation... — While her brain processed the avalanche of information, a recent memory flickered in her mind, rescuing the enigmatic words exchanged in the corners of the ballroom. — Majesty... At the ball, he and the heir of House Montemort had a rather curious interaction. At the time, everyone present thought it was weird and treated it as a childish joke, not taking what the boy said seriously... but the more I hear you recount his prodigies, the more terrifyingly real it seems.

The king frowned, impatient and stressed:

— What did that damned child say of any relevance, Eva?

— He asked Montemort's heir if she would agree to marry someone who was three hundred and forty years old... And he even suggested, with total naturalness and a mocking tone, that he himself could be an ancestral elf or a disguised vampire inside that child's body.

King Valerius felt the veins bulge on his forehead, his face flushed with pure intellectual exaltation and fury. He threw a light punch against his own hand, jaw dropped:

— That damned child gave us all the clues right in our faces on purpose, and we were foolish enough to laugh and think it was just an infant's joke!

— What do you mean, Majesty? — asked Eva, confused by her father's stormy and energetic reaction.

— My daughter, I am going to be completely honest with you: perhaps Counselor Helios is entirely right in his fears, and this child is the authentic reincarnation of a Great Sage, or something far beyond our current human understanding. I need every crumb of information about him and about Gallia's routine; this involves the direct survival of our dynasty on the Throne of Eldoria. I will not force an immediate or forced marriage upon you with him, but grasp the exact dimension of how important this is for the empire. You will depart for Vance Fortress as our extraordinary ambassador, with direct access to him under the diplomatic pretext of renegotiating the imperial customs tariffs of the river routes. Try to extract as many secrets, technological advantages, and routes as you can for the Crown's treasury.

The king approached with firm steps, holding his daughter's shoulders with solemn firmness and lowering his tone of voice:

— But be extremely discreet and keep your thoughts locked in the silence of your mind: we have reports indicating that he possesses the bizarre ability to read minds. To provide support and security for your mission, I will send under your command an elite group of veteran spies and two experienced mages from the Tower to dissect and analyze that boy's magical anomalies without him noticing. Eva... Do you understand the absolute gravity of the state burden placed upon your shoulders?

Eva's eyes shone with a mix of personal challenge and strict royal duty. The girl who previously viewed Kaelen merely as an arrogant and petulant curiosity now perfectly understood that she was about to step into the most dangerous and lethal game of chess in her life.

— Yes, Majesty. I will do the impossible to unravel this fiendish boy and bring the advantages back to the capital, even if it is the last thing I do in this kingdom.