Steel and Mana

Chapter 367 – Betrayal

The imperial palace of Geth was eerily silent, devoid of voices of discussion or hurrying steps to inform their Emperor of all the happenings around their borders.

Two weeks had passed since the Ishillian Summit, and Kadosa IV had yet to make a public appearance ever since his return, way beyond its official end. Yet, even without his presence, the world outside the palace walls moved on without him, something he was wilfully ignoring. The reports kept arriving, stopping at the ministers and decision makers within the court, informing everyone else of the countless reforms sweeping across the newly established Union. The nations around Geth and those who it could reach were all falling farther and farther away from them, ending all relations with the Geth Empire.

Even the Kingdom of Moros, a kingdom that had blood ties to them and Sar, was pulling out its ambassadors. There were rumors that it would soon, with Sar's approval, also enter this Union.

Every minister could see what their now reclusive Emperor refused to look at... Even if it took a few years, Geth was becoming stagnant. It had already started as multiple merchant caravans carrying Gethian goods were being turned away at borders that had once been open to them. Worse... Noble families began plotting behind closed doors and, soon, in the streets, as a dangerous discontent brewed amongst the citizens alike, ready to burst.

Yet, despite the warning signs, Kadosa stood alone in his chamber, staring out over his holy city, unable to perceive the danger. Instead, his attention was focused on his influence not within his own Empire but on faraway people. He was supposed to be the one taking Ishillia down... He fought and sacrificed for the bloodiest year in Geth's history, just to be... defeated? Even though he won? No... How could that happen? He couldn't perceive it, and he felt his sanity slipping away. The power, the fear, the stability—everything was wearing him down, and he saw his vision age beyond reason right before his eyes.

Just thinking about it made his head hurt as he gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. The Gods will damn Avalon... And damn the fools at the Summit who had sold their souls to that devilish upstart nobody. They had abandoned the natural order of power and control for the illusion of a fake unity. There is no unity; they are simply bowing to Avalon. And now, Geth stood alone against a beast, a monster that nobody else could see, only him. Only thanks to the clarity that the Goddess's artifact was bestowing upon him.

Then... A knock at the door broke his thoughts and drew his hand away from the amulet he was clutching subconsciously.

“Enter.” He spoke, his voice more weary than he intended it to be.

Watching the door, his personal guard captain, Albert, stepped inside, holding his helmet under one arm. Looking at him, Kadosa knew that he was a man of unwavering loyalty—or he should be. He... was there with him through the war, following his orders, whatever they were. Looking at him, walking forward, listening to his heavy boots clanking against the marble floor as he strode forward and the creak of his armor as he bowed... Kadosa felt that something was off.

“Your Majesty, a matter requires your attention.”

“What is it now?” He asked, his voice chilly, brows furrowing.

"..." Albert hesitated only once, then gestured toward the door leading into the Emperor's private study. “It would be best discussed privately, Your Majesty. In the inner chamber.”

Kadosa’s eyes narrowed even further, knowing something was very wrong, but he nodded. He had no reason to suspect his own personal guard, the man who had been at his side for everything... But this meant that he learned of something he had to be wary of. Realizing it, a strange weight settled in his stomach as he stepped past Alber and into the smaller, more secluded room beyond the heavy doors.

As soon as the double-sided doors closed behind him, he felt it... He felt the danger. The trap. There was...

A presence—multiple, in fact. When did they enter? From where? There shouldn't be any entrance other than what they used... the windows. He realized too late that all of those were wide open.

The moment he turned towards them, a blade flashed. Multiple, in fact, small and dagger-sized, all of them thrusting for his heart. Instinct took over his body by then. He twisted it, barely avoiding the first strike, muttering a spell, only to suddenly wince as pain lanced through his side as one of the daggers found its mark... but he did not fall.

The Medallion of Life flared against his chest, its divine magic pulsing with a bright, warm-colored glow, enveloping his injury. The wound knitted together before the pain could disrupt his casting, pushing the blade out as flesh reformed, whole once more, dispersing the pain.

The assassins in the room hesitated for a moment, giving Kadosa enough time to draw his hidden short sword and cut down the nearest attacker in a single stroke, still chanting as, by now, a visible magic formation was appearing around his head, surrounding it. One of the men was dead, blood splattering across the chamber floor, while another lunged at him. Still, Kadosa pivoted slightly, sending his blade through the man’s gut, his movements visibly quicker as his body was slowly glowing in the Medallion's hue, enveloped by its powers.

He could win this. He was still the Emperor. He had his loyal guard... He was still—

Then, a sharp pain in his back stopped him from thinking. It was sudden, deep, and... absolute.

Kadosa’s breath was caught in his throat at once, and his body stiffened as a frightening warmth spread through him. Looking down, he saw a blade's edge poke out from his chest, followed by a pool of crimson blood... It was his own, flowing from the wound, not even the Medallion being able to stop it from gushing out. He turned his head slightly, enough to see the face of his betrayer.

"Albert?" he asked, blood rising up his throat, coughing it out as his vision began clouding.

The Medallion of Life flickered, but this time, it gave up. It knew there was nothing to fix anymore. The blade had been stabbed through the Emperor's heart, and what remained was the last moments before his death, the remaining few seconds that the dying Emperor should use to recognize it was his own making.

As Albert let go of his sword, Kadosa collapsed to his knees, his vision darkening, his power leaving him. The remaining assassins around him relaxed, watching as life drained from their Emperor’s eyes, soaking the floor with blood, bleeding out in under a minute.

"..." Albert slowly knelt beside him, his voice low as he whispered into Kadosa's ears for the last time. “Forgive me, Your Majesty. But Geth cannot remain isolated. It cannot be left to wither and die while the world changes around it. You refused to change. The Geth Empire does not... An Emperor should care about his people first; the moment he does not... He is unfit to be their Emperor.”

For Kadosa, Albert's voice was coming from very far away. He was barely hearing him. But that didn't matter. Nothing mattered anymore...

With a last effort, Kadosa IV, Emperor of Geth, drew one final breath and released it, eyes closing without struggling to keep them open.

The last thing he heard from behind a veil he passed through, right before the void took him, was the muted voice of the remaining assassins:

“For Geth's future.”

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The Geth Empire's palace was no longer silent.

The previously empty halls were now filled with hurried footsteps and multiple voices as the news spread like wildfire. Kadosa IV was dead, and by dawn, a young nephew, barely sixteen, was already crowned as the new Emperor of Geth, wearing a cleaned and no longer bloody Medallion of Life. But it was not why people were talking over each other in the palace.

The reason was much more straightforward as the dead Emperor was already put to rest, quite literally.

In the throne room, Attila I stood at the center of a gathering of nobles and high-ranking officials, flanked by Albert, who was enforcing the new Emperor's decisions, one that was made even before Kadosa IV was disposed of. The new Emperor knew of this, of course... but he also knew that they had to act fast, and if he wasn't cooperating, he would be replaced with someone else. He wouldn't let that happen... He was now the Emperor, and he could grow into the role as time passed. That was all he could think of while the ministers he was barely familiar with kept talking.

“The Union will not wait for us,” one of the nobles declared, his voice cutting through the others. “We must act quickly to reopen negotiations. Sovereign of Avalon did say it was possible; I was there. Geth cannot afford to be left behind any longer than it already had been!”

"Yes." Albert nodded, his gaze scanning the others, “Emperor Attila I has already selected the people," He put a document forward, one that, in reality, the young man only saw once, while he was signing it, "We will send envoys to Avalon, Ishillia and Sar immediately, offering our allegiance and cooperation. The Union will see that Geth is ready to embrace the future with our new, much younger, and brighter Emperor at the helm.”

As the nobles murmured their agreement, Albert's gaze drifted to the boy next to him. Both of them had played their part, but the weight of his betrayal pressed heavily on his shoulders... He was raised to protect the Imperial Bloodline. He was taught loyalty; his family was serving the Emperors for three hundred years now... Yet, he had backstabbed the man he had sworn to protect, all in the name of a future that was uncertain at best. He had to protect the new Emperor... And advise him better than his predecessor was...

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"Are we going back home?" Leyla asked, stretching and yawning while pulling the curtain away from the windows, letting the morning sun in.

"Dad did mention we should. Soon, that is." Arthur answered, coming in, already dressed, waking up much earlier than his sister.

"Well, we mostly read all the interesting stuff anyway... and tried out most restaurants." She hummed, pretty happy with herself. "And the talks were very... very boring by the end!"

"Boring?" Arthur asked, chuckling. "Yesterday, everyone was sitting nervously or twitching when Father refused to budge and share his magical knowledge!"

"The mage-less countries just want mages." Leyla shrugged, "It is understandable. They have to settle with the fact that Dad is letting their people come to Avalon and attend our University!"

"Which some did think is a trap." Arthur shrugged, leaning against the windowsill, looking out from the place's window, "They believe we would coerce or try to brainwash their people to defect to our side."

"If someone wants to join, that just means that their own country doesn't respect them enough!" His sister snorted, rolling her eyes. "You want to learn our tricks and secrets? Come and learn them in school or try to steal them while staying in Avalon. Heh, not like they would succeed!"

"True." Arthur chuckled, looking at Leyla, both of them grinning, "Speaking of secrets... Dad is going to invite them all in the winter."

"Huh? Why? Wait... I get it!"

"Yep." Arthur nodded, his eyes going serious, "I heard their call again."

"What?! Really?! Did you––" She yelped, almost jumping out of bed.

"I already told Dad. I was with him just until now. That is why he is going to invite them for the winter. He suspects that something will happen, and he wants them to be in the Pass. To see why this Union is a must. None of the Kings, Queens, and Emperors even realize what we have been facing every time it snows. He thinks it will be a pretty good motivator and proof we don't do this because we want to gobble them up."

"Maybe..." Leyla mumbled. "At least.... I do hope so."