Inside, several men sat.
“Deacon? You too?”
Nodding, Deacon Regis took a seat, moved it to accommodate himself and gently lowered himself on it.
In the silence of a long table with wax candles burning, they waited.
The door at the end opened. A door that didn’t exist there before.
“–See, I can do a lot of things! One of them is just space.”
“One?”
“Yeah.”
The door closed. Stranding three new men in the dimly lit room without windows.
The one leading them was the man in the grey overall.
Conversing with a significantly elderly man.
“...Perhaps asking was impetuous of me.”
The middle aged man trailing a bit behind sighed.
“Now for the lingo time!”
“You speak incomprehensibly.” the elder shook his head.
“How sad of you to say that.” the man in grey chuckled.
The elder ignored that and focused his attention towards those sitting.
“I am foreign minister Etti Dupl?ne. Alongside my associates serving the Barlindos Kingdom.”
Gesturing to the other two, the middle aged man huffed.
“Attlee Purning.”
“Gracious me has proclaimed the hearing of the follower of Christ." the man in gray bowed rambunctiously.
The foreign minister’s gray brows furrowed slightly.
“I thank you for clearing your schedule to meet with us. We would like you to hear a proposal in coordination with our kingdom.”
“...And that is?”
“A mutually beneficial alliance between our kingdom and your state.”
Most narrowed their eyes at the obvious mismention of that state's name.
“Support and supplies for anything. So long as the condition is fulfilled.”
Eyes waited for the words to come out of the foreign minister's mouth.
“Revolt against the Empire.”
“Madness!”
All eyes except one pair turned to a well built man dressed in finer garments.
“The moment such a thing sprouts, the hounds of the Empire will ravage this land once more!”
“Perhaps so.”
“Regrettably, even if it comes to fruition, like Leita said, it would be crushed near instantaneously.” another man said.
“With the hierarchs gone, the sway of the people has completely fallen into the Empires proxy rulers of each clan.”
“So why reach to losers who fell from grace?” the man in grey spoke.
Many had displeasure on their face but none could refute it.
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“The kingdom will supply you with the weapon that won against the Empire.”
Ears perked up at that.
“Of course the decision is entirely left in your hands. If all of you accept we shall get into more… in depth talks.”
The foreign minister pulled out a paper.
“On this day, the decision must be made. If neither a clear refusal or acceptance is issued then we will assume it as disinterest. Thus we bother no longer and return to pre-proposal relations.”
Placing a second paper down, the foreign minister bowed.
“We shall take our leave. Thank you kindly for listening.”
The door opened and the first one to cross it was the man in grey.
“Pretty fun watching it all.”
“...I bid you to be silent a little longer.” Attlee said.
“For a mage to be interested in delegation. How benign.”
Once the foreign minister, last to cross, remarked quietly.
“My feelings man.”
“Pettiness over every little thing blinds oneself.”
“....”
The door shut with a crisp thud.
Leaving those sitting wracking their brains.
“The merits of this seem fruitful yet are very little.”
“Then we should refuse.”
“Still, do you not wish to see the resurgence of our people from the dogs of the Empire?”
“....”
“Glory for the death of those left? Are you really considering it?” another spoke up.
“The execution of our ancestors' tethering spirits is already spreading. At this rate, ‘those left’ will become loyal servants of the Empire.”
“We shall grasp the hand of the kingdom.”
“Deacon? No but, accepting so quickly? Why?”
Even the man partially telling others to give it more thought recoiled at the bold words.
“With the alliance practically disintegrated, and the many issues facing our future, wrestling into our own hands will bring the desired outcome.”
“Fine, let’s say we proceed with such a plan, how will we, not in inner circles get support from the people?”
“That certainly is… true.”
“What about the proxy rulers?”
“They’d rather live luxuriously and obediently listen to the Empire.”
Someone scoffed.
“Did they not say they will provide support?”
“How much can you trust them in the first place?”
“Still it might result in something.”
The other snorted in response.
Each person sitting here resides in a clan. Differing clans will obviously have differing conclusions for themselves and others.
Thus interest clashes with others.
With the hierarchs and their family shipped away or dead, in Ujkal territory, the only relatives of the hierarchs were the proxy rulers.
Though all prefer to have a more fitting leader.
“Then how about this? We select reasons fitting for the choice each of us prefer.”
“I’d prefer a battle instead.”
“Tch. Use your head.”
“Then… two days before the date, we shall agree on a choice.”
“Very well.” Deacon nodded.
“Then this has concluded.”
Deacon stood up and left for home.
— —
Unrest grew.
By week's end, the light that went out, lit up again.
With a righteous hand, we will strike down those facing to spit in the Empire's mercy.
Putting on armor, the seams tightly rounded my arm.
We will avenge the blunder caused by the incompetent.
And with grace, bestow the exact vengeance that marred our face.
A hundred more for one.
A thousand more for ten.
Grasping the sword's scabbard, I carried it to the outside.
On the wall, the flowing flag instilled pride.
Heading to the stables with others, we hoisted ourselves onto our personal mounts.
Squires cleared the way.
Towards the gate we stopped as it opened.
“Today we set out for glory! For honor!”
The cavalry commander bellowed.
The gate fully opened.
“For the Empire!” The cavalry commander lifted his poleaxe.
““For the Empire!””
We raised our poleaxes in unison.
The horses spurred onwards.
Kicking up a dustorm in our wake.
The sun rises for our victory.
We will bring victory in pride.
To instill the greatness of the Empire.
