Chapter 14

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Italic stands for thought / dreams

+Japanese Language+

[Stands for voice from the past]

Underline stands for letter

"Quote stands for dialogue"

"Spirit Talking"

Bold stands for emphasis

Bold italic stands for a dangerous tone

The Plan

"Aah!" Akefia smirked when his opponent's sword thrown backward and his expression turned that of shock, he didn't waste any time though, he moved to the man's back and hit the back of his neck to knock him out.

"Nice one!" Marik praised as he swing his sword and cut his opponent's sword in half, he also didn't waste any time, he immediately tripped his opponent then pinned him using his right leg while his sword grazed the man's neck.

They only need to wait a few seconds before the guards brought them to the dungeon, Marik then turned to his friend, "Thanks for your help, Akefia." He said with a grin.

Akefia shrugged, "It's not much." He said casually as he slipped his daggers back to his sash, he then start walking to the Throne Room.

It's six months after Akefia became a High Priest, they were in the middle of a meeting when Yugi told them that there's people invading the Palace and heading to the Throne Room. Many of the Councils were skeptic, aside from Isis, Mahad and Seth since they know about Yugi's sharp hearing, but since Atem also know about Yugi, he take action immediately.

Atem ordered for Marik to get the intruders, Marik set off right away, Akefia was helping Marik but it's because he was bored to be in the room. It's appeared that there's a group of rebels decided to attack the Pharaoh, a stupid one since they decided to attack in the middle of the day, then when they saw the ex-Assassin and ex-Thief King, they were running with their tails between their legs. Due to the difference in power and skill, Akefia and Marik easily killed them, only leaving two people alive from 20 to be interrogated.

Akefia and Marik arrived at the Throne Room and get back to their spot, the meeting then continued until Lunch time. "High Priest Akefia." Atem called as he stood up.

Akefia halted in his track to the door and turned to the Pharaoh with a grimace, "Just call me Akefia." He said with a scowl, "What is it, Pharaoh?".

Atem walked to him, "You are good at fighting and your style is unique, so I would like for you to help Marik to train the guards." He said calmly, he and Akefia had somehow become a good acquaintances and not a fierce enemies during the six months Akefia lived in the Palace. Akefia nodded in answer before he turned around, "One more thing." Atem said, causing Akefia to stopped, "My birthday celebration is coming, I want you to get a new clothes from the seamstress. I don't want the people from other countries to see you wearing that old clothes, it'll cause bad impression to them".

Akefia turned to the Pharaoh and growled, "I will just stay in my room then." he said grumpily, "I don't want to meet them".

Atem stood and walking to him, "Even if I wouldn't care if you do, but you are my High Priest now, you need to attend the celebration by law." He explained calmly, "Just get your new clothes".

Akefia huffed and stomped out of the room, Atem sighed before following the ex-Thief King.

Seth shook his head as he saw the two men walking out from the Throne Room in silence, he looked around to see if there's someone who act strange. He promised his Cousin that he would help searching for the traitor, but so far, no one acting out of ordinary, even after Akefia become a High Priest. He sighed softly before heading our for the Royal Chamber, it's already become a habit for him, Atem, Akefia, Isis, Marik, Malik and Yugi to have Lunch in Atem's room to talk about what happened everyday and to think of a way to find the traitor.

When Seth arrived at the Royal Chamber, everyone already inside so he just sat on his usual spot on Atem's left side, on the opposite direction from Yugi.

"So, have you found something, Seth?" Atem asked once Seth sat on his usual spot.

"My apologize, Cousin." Seth answered with a sour mood, he didn't like feeling useless, "I couldn't find any clue about the traitor, it's seems that the traitor's really careful about his movement, everyone who know how the Millennium Items created only know that they required animal sacrifices, so no one know that the sacrifices required were humans".

"I suppose . . . it's predictable." Yugi answered him as he drink his milk.

"How so, Yugi?" Akefia asked as he took a bite from his apple.

"Papa was unconscious when it's happened, but Grandma told me that after the Items were forged, there's a really Dark Energy released from the Items." Yugi said with a grim expression, he placed his milk on the table, "This darkness was from something evil and strong. Grandma said that after the Items forged, the Dark Energy killed everyone presented in the village, and the reason that that one High Priest managed to survive was because he use the power of one of the Items to protect himself." he looked at the Pharaoh, "Among your Councils, who was already a High Priest when the Items created?".

Atem took a grape and popped it into his mouth as he hummed in thought, "From what I remembered 13 years ago . . ." he started, "The ones who were already a High Priest were Akhunadin, Shimon, Shada and Karim." He looked at Seth, "I suppose, the traitor was among them, but I believe that Shimon wasn't the traitor, so you only need to check the rest." He told his Cousin.

"How come you are so sure that Shimon wasn't the one?" Akefia asked skeptically.

"And what about the previous Ring Bearer?" Yugi added, "Is there any possibility that the previous Ring Bearer was the one?".

Atem shook his head, "I know Shimon very well, he has a similar personality with my Father, so I can assure you that Shimon is clear in this matter." He answered Akefia's question before looking at Yugi, "About the previous Ring Bearer, Mahad was the one who carried it because he was already a strong Mage since young age. Mahad use his Magic to use the Ring's power because the Ring reject anyone else, that was until he felt the Ring's power become too hard for him to handle, in the end, Mahad decided to just hid the Ring from the others".

Yugi make a face, "Hide it from the others by stuck it behind one of the book selves in the deepest part of the Library?" he asked in disbelief.

"But I think that it's a good choice." Marik spoke, drawing the attention to him, "I mean, Mahad was the one in charge of the Library, so he would know whoever entered the Library and for what purpose." He explained before looking at Yugi, "You said it's the deepest part, that's means that no one really ever coming there aside from Mahad himself. so I think that his decision that time was a good one".

Yugi hummed in thought before he nodded, "I guess." He agreed.

"Aside from that." Akefia interrupted as he looked at Seth, "High Priest, what are you planning to do to find the traitor?" he asked.

Seth sighed softly, "I couldn't really think of a way to ask the others without them being suspicious of me." He mumbled unhappily, "And if I just asking, there's a great possibility that they would lie to me".

"Then why don't you make them approach you?" Malik asked suddenly, everyone looked at Malik with surprised expression. Malik looked at them before he focused on Seth, "You know, make it seems like you misuse your authority, then maybe they would approach you instead you approach them".

Marik blinked at Malik, "Wow, never thought you will have a brilliant idea like that." He commented before looking at High Priest Seth, "I agree with Malik's idea." He said before looking at Akefia, "Don't you?".

Akefia smirked, "Of course." He said confidently, "Just like criminal would approach another criminal in the same caliber, they would approach in hope that they could work together".

"So . . ." Atem started as he looked at Akefia, "Are you suggesting for Seth to act like he misuse his power? But that would mean the people would suffer unnecessarily." He frowned at the ex-Thief King.

"That's right." Isis agreed, "We shouldn't make other people suffered just to find him, there's must be another way".

"I don't think there's a problem with that." Seth argued just when Akefia opened his mouth, Atem raised an eyebrow at that, "Remember that there's a case where some people disappearing lately?" he asked the rest, they nodded, "I found out that those who were disappearing are people who has Ka, I guessed someone want to rebels against you, Cousin." He informed the Pharaoh, "About the idea to misuse my authority, I figured that we can use this problem to our advantage".

Atem blinked his eyes, "Care to explain?" he asked.

"I mean, I can go around the town and search for people who has Ka and take them with me to another place, aside to protect them, it's also make an impression that I take people with me to gain power." Seth explained further, "While it's true that I can gain power by training those people, but I wouldn't use that power to go against you. The traitor on the other hand, I'm sure that he would think that I do this to built power to dethrone you and took the Throne for myself seeing that I'm your Cousin".

Atem raised an eyebrow, "You are right, there's a huge possibility that the traitor would think like that." He nodded in agreement, "That's mean, I only need to act as if I don't know that you take those people under your wings, then it would appear as if you take action behind my back".

Seth nodded, "Right." he agreed, he then looked at Isis, "What do you think Isis?".

"I suppose this plan would work just fine." Isis said in thought, "But I would suggest that you are careful in doing this, Seth." She looked at Seth straight in the eyes, "We wouldn't want for the people to think that Atem had gone mad and rebels, so you need to explain what really happen to the people to make sure there would be no misunderstanding later on".

"I accept your advice, Isis." Seth nodded at the High Priestess before looking at the rest, "I would start tomorrow then, any other suggestion?" he asked.

"None." Akefia answered while the rest shook their heads.

Seth nodded and looked at Atem, he opened his mouth to said more about the plan but thought the better of it when he heard footsteps heading for the Royal Chamber. He stood up suddenly, "It would be best if I leave now, My Pharaoh." He said in monotone, "I couldn't stand to be in the same room as the Thief King any longer." He smirked at their shocked expression before turning around, he wiped his smirk and turned it to a scowl and stormed off from the room.

Atem and the rest blinked at the sudden change of behavior, Yugi on the other hand only continued to drink his milk until Seth's footsteps fade away along with the other footsteps. "What's wrong with him?" Atem asked to no one in particular.

"Seth must has heard the footsteps since he was the one closest to the entrance." Yugi said nonchalantly, "He has started his acting, so that whoever listening to us earlier would think that you and Seth having a bit of bad relationship because of Papa's present in the Palace, Pharaoh".

Akefia chuckled, "No one can sneak up on you, huh, Yugi?" he asked with a grin.

Yugi touched his ears, "I can practically heard everyone here in the Palace, unless I'm not paying attention to my surrounding, it's impossible to sneak up on me." He answered cheekily, "I wouldn't want to repeat the same mistake for the third time, would I?".

"You mean?" Malik asked in confusion.

Yugi smiled at his friend, "I was kidnapped in my homeland and then we got kidnapped by the Slave Hunters in the past was because I didn't pay any attention to my surrounding." He explained calmly, "I wouldn't want to repeat the same mistake for the third time for lowering my guard again, for every time I do lowering my guard, I always got kidnapped".

Akefia sighed, "Yugi, you are talking like an adult again." He complained with a frown.

Yugi laughed, "Get used to it then, Papa!" he said before he stood, "It's time for me to go hunting, see you later!" he waved at everyone before running to the door and exited the room.

Atem shook his head with a fond smile before turning to Akefia, "There's something that I want to ask you." He informed the ex-Thief King.

"What is it?" Akefia asked casually as he took a sip of his wine.

"I want to ask for your permission to adopt Yugi." Atem said to the point.

Akefia choked on his drink, "What?" he asked in disbelief.

"I want to adopt Yugi." Atem repeated, "I still couldn't find someone that caught my interest yet. You know that the Councils had start pestering me about it, saying that I need to find a woman soon so I can have a heir. I don't want to rush thing, so I want to adopt Yugi, that way, I can search for my future wife slowly and still have a heir to the Throne".

Akefia looked at the Pharaoh in shock, not only him, but also Marik, Isis and Malik also looking at the Pharaoh in shock. "You know what?" Akefia started slowly before a smirk formed by his lips, "I give you my permission".

Atem smiled at him, "Thank you." He said warmly, "I'm sure that Yugi will become a good Pharaoh".

"But . . ." Isis bit her bottom lip, "What about the fact that Yugi is a Vampire? I don't think that the people would be fine with that".

"No worries." Marik said with a grin, "Even if they find out that Yugi is a Vampire, they wouldn't care, because they know just how adorable Yugi is." He assured her, "Do you know how many people talking about Yugi lately? Even though they didn't know Yugi's name, they know his face and his personality. The fact that Yugi is a Vampire shouldn't matter at all, they already love Yugi for who he is".

"Really?" Atem asked with a big grin, "I make a good choice then, no one will protest my decision." He said happily before continued to eat his Lunch, the conversation went to a more lighter matters for the rest of the Lunch.

To be continued . . .

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