"The healer said it'll be a boy… what name should we give him?"
"Oh… perhaps the name of one of our male relatives?"
"Father! What about 'Joff' for the name!?"
In a certain room of a certain palace were three humans: a man in his mid-twenties, a pregnant woman of a similar age, and a girl who'd yet to reach her fifth year. The man and the girl had brown hair rich with curls, while the woman had red hair tied into a bun. Both the man and woman wore crowns of gold adorned with various jewels. All three wore expensive garments of red and purple, composed of imported fabrics and produced by the hands of master tailors.
These were the king, queen and princess of one of the mightiest nations in the world.
Yet it would be no less accurate to describe them as a family eagerly awaiting a new member.
"Joff… after our captain of the knights?" said Caius August Merukarn, ruler of the Kingdom of Merukarn. He ruffled the girl's hair. "That's a good idea, Felicia. It would honour him for his years of excellent service to the crown."
Felicia beamed at the praise.
"Though if we suggested this to him, I'm certain Sir Joff would ask us to reconsider," said Arelia Celes Merukarn. She looked down at her own swollen belly. "He'd say that his name isn't suitable for a prince."
"Mm, I can easily imagine that," Caius said. "Then we'll need to consider other names as well. I'm quite partial to Fabian, after a great uncle of mine, but—"
There was a knock on the door. Caius turned towards it, feeling annoyed that someone had interrupted this precious moment with his family.
"Your Majesty?" said a familiar voice. "It is time for the conference."
Caius' expression hardened, as did that of his wife. Only their young daughter remained as cheerful as always.
"Father, how long is the onfer-conference going to take?" Felicia asked.
Caius bent down and placed his hands on his daughter's shoulders. "It could take… quite some time. It's about a rather serious matter. So, until I'm done, please take care of your mother. Can you do that for me, Felicia?"
Felicia nodded energetically.
"I pray that all goes well," Arelia said, looking at her husband worriedly. "The Fall of Lescatie is something unprecedented in history… as is…"
Arelia trailed off there, but Caius knew what the rest of her sentence would be: as is a successful crusade, in the current era.
"I pray as well," Caius said gravely. "Then I must be off, Arelia. Please avoid straining yourself."
Caius left the room. Near the door was a male servant in gold and white livery. His name was Janos and he'd been a faithful servant to the royal family for over forty years, since before Caius was born. He was the one who'd knocked on the door. Also near the door were two male heroes equipped with enchanted swords and plate armour; these were the king's personal guards.
"How many have arrived?" Caius asked.
"Only two of the representatives are in the room currently," Janos replied.
Caius let out a sigh. "Very well. I shall join them now and await the others. It would hardly do for the host of the conference to be late."
While being trailed by Janos and the two heroes, Caius made his way through the corridors of the palace. Along the way, he observed the scenery from the windows: a bustling city with merchants and travellers from all over the world, with green fields and glistening rivers visible in the distance.
This was the realm that Caius ruled over. Merukarn was a land with both fertile soils to farm in and deposits of various minerals to mine. Its several rivers provided water for the farms, abundant fish to gather, and served as trade routes linking Merukarn to its neighbours. Mellius, the capital of the nation, was situated in a fork where two rivers joined, giving it a natural moat on two sides. All these factors combined to make it the strongest Order nation… the strongest nation in the world, according to many. It also had the largest and most prestigious church in the world, making it the spiritual centre of the Order as well.
And now, we're expected to be at the centre of the plan to retake Lescatie, Caius thought. I'm expected to command thousands, no, tens of thousands of the citizens to set down their hoes and axes, and take up spears and swords. Together with the rest of the Order's might, we are to slay the fourth-born lilim, free Lescatie from the clutches of darkness…
Caius knew, from a variety of sources, that Merukarn's people were eager for reprisal against the monsters. Most of his sources claimed that this was a universal opinion. Yet one source noted that quite a few of the citizens were secretly terrified by the prospect of marching to war.
As they should be. The prospect terrifies me as well…
As the crown prince, Caius had received the finest military instruction available as part of his education. And as the young king of Merukarn, he now had veteran heroes and knights to advise him in the ways of war.
Yet… I have never led an army before. To begin with, I was never allowed anywhere near a true battle, not even a simple suppression of bandits or pirates…
Father, why were you so against my gaining proper experience? Because of that, I am now lost…
"Your Majesty, are you unwell?"
Hearing Janos' voice, Caius realised he'd stopped in his tracks. He shook his head.
"I am well, Janos. Thank you for your concern. I was… simply thinking."
Caius and his retinue resumed moving. A couple of minutes later, they reached a set of double doors, each twice as tall as an average man. Guards standing outside the doors pulled them open.
"I leave you here, my king," Janos said. "I wish you the best of luck."
Caius nodded and then, with his guards, walked through the doors.
On the other side was an enormous chamber that could have fit an entire house with room to spare. Within the chamber were five long and curved tables, arranged to form a large circle though with gaps in between. Each table had eight high-backed chairs for a total of forty.
"The King of Merukarn, Servant of the Chief God, His Majesty Caius August Merukarn has arrived."
These words came from a herald standing in the chamber. Caius ignored the announcement and approached one of the people sitting at a table, who stood as he got close.
"It's good to see you once more, Duchess Genna," Caius said cordially.
The woman at the table was roughly fifteen years older than Caius, though her green hair had yet to show any signs of grey. She smiled warmly.
"Likewise," Genna said. She was the ruler of the Duchy of Ehelind, one of Merukarn's neighbours. "It has been too long since we last met. I only wish it were under more positive circumstances…"
"Ah, no matter the circumstances, it's always good to see old faces!"
A man was now walking around the tables towards Caius and Genna. His hair and clothing were much less neat than those of the other two leaders. He was also the oldest of them by a fair margin.
"It's good to meet you again, young Caius," said Allaron, ruler of the Principality of Jundis, another of Merukarn's neighbours. "Though it's a shame that you must deal with this trouble at your age. Just where has that fool father of yours gone to now?"
Caius knew the answer to that question. Still, he merely answered, "Be careful with your words, Prince Allaron. That is the former king of Merukarn you speak of."
Allaron laughed, no doubt sensing that Caius' words had no real bite to them. And Caius actually quite enjoyed the old rascal's company. It was a welcome change from the formalities that he normally suffocated in. And it reminded him of his own… no, now was not the time to dwell on the past.
"In any case, the conference is about to begin," Caius said. "We should all wait patiently for the remaining representatives to arrive."
The three leaders parted and took their seats. When Caius sat down, his two guards remained standing behind him, looking as impassive as statues.
Over the next quarter of an hour, more representatives trickled into the room. They included even representatives from the Order's most remote countries, far-flung pockets of land to the west and to the east. It was Caius' first time meeting some of them.
Many of the representatives talked to each other, exploiting this rare opportunity to meet. Caius took part as well. But once the final representative arrived, bringing the total number to thirty-four, it was time for the conference to begin.
Caius stood from his chair. That brought an immediate halt to all the conversation in the chamber.
"We are gathered here today to discuss one topic, one topic that has shaken the foundations of the world," Caius said solemnly. "I refer to the Theocracy of Lescatie's conquest by the forces of monsterkind."
That resulted in a few whispers. Even now, a month and a half after the event, it was still difficult to believe. Lescatie had had a centuries-long history of repelling monster attacks. There'd been a terrible moment long ago, when a baphomet had broken through the walls, yet even that had ultimately been repelled by the strength of humanity. And now it had fallen.
"To begin, I call upon a representative from the country in question," Caius continued. "I call upon Emilia Gallon, of House Gallon of Lescatie."
A woman with brown eyes and dark green hair stood from her chair. On her face was a sincere-looking expression of grief.
"Thank you all for granting me your attention," Emilia said. "It… It has been a difficult journey thus far. But I drove myself to travel all this way so I might bring liberation to Lescatie!"
Tears rolled down Emilia's cheeks. Several people sighed admiringly.
…Of course, being able to feign emotions was a useful skill for leaders. Caius doubted that anyone in this room had actually fallen for the act.
"What, precisely, has happened in Lescatie?" Caius asked. "We've all heard numerous tales, so numerous that it is nigh-impossible to separate fact from fiction."
"Yes, King Caius," Emilia said. "It began at a certain meeting of Lescatie's Senate, approximately two months ago. We saw reports of heightened monster activity in the northern region of our country. We began preparing to drive out the monster filth… and then she spoke."
"'She'… are you referring to Wilmarina of House Noscrim?" Caius asked. "Many of the tales mention her playing an important role."
"An important role indeed, as one of the monsters' main puppets!" Emilia spat. "She brought forth absurd accusations, claiming that many of Lescatie's most noble figures had committed heinous crimes! My own elder sister was one of the accused. And the king agreed with Noscrim's accusations, proof that he too had fallen to the manipulations of the monsters!"
Caius and various other representatives exchanged brief glances. The pre-fall Lescatie had been infamous, among rulers and other well-informed people, for its festering corruption. It was quite likely that Wilmarina Noscrim's accusations had been true.
"Because of that, Lescatie was weakened even as monsters were on our very doorstep!" Emilia continued. "I know less of what occurred in later days… sensing danger, I fled the capital and began making my way south. But from the whispers I heard, it seems the monsters' puppets crushed any remaining resistance, all those who still held faith in the Chief God. And so, when the monsters reached the capital… they were welcomed with open arms." More tears flowed from her eyes. "And now… I fear what has happened to my family."
That was met by a mix of reactions, with shock, horror and indignation being common. There was more sincerity in these reactions compared to before. While Emilia might be a self-serving liar who'd fled punishment for her own crimes, there had to be some truth in her words, given how quickly Lescatie had fallen.
Though soon enough, I will hear about—no, mustn't think of that now. For now, I must continue playing my part.
"Thank you for your explanation," Caius said. "You may be seated once more."
Emilia sat down. The chamber immediately erupted in a frenzy of discussion, with kings and queens, princes and princesses, leaders of various kinds all debating how to answer this invasion by Royal Makai.
"We must act—"
"Lescatie was one of the strongest members of the Order! By some metrics, it was slightly stronger than even Merukarn, and by most metrics it was far stronger than the rest of us! What could our forces achieve when the Lescatians failed!?"
"But there must be some pockets of resistance left in Lescatie, if we could join forces with them, perhaps—"
The discussion was interrupted by a fist striking a table.
"ENOUGH!" said a bald man who, even sitting, was a head taller than the rest. With his muscled body and scarred face, he looked more like a bandit chief than a prince. "There is only one possible answer to this insult! We must mobilise all the forces at our disposal, with every single hero that can be spared, every valkyrie the Chief God is willing to bestow on us, and drive the monster horde out of Lescatie! WE MUST LAUNCH A CRUSADE!"
That was met by a chorus of agreement, from Emilia Gallon as well as over twenty others. Indeed, righteous members of the Order could not allow their ancient enemies to so brazenly take over a country. However…
"I believe we're all agreed on that," Genna said. "However… any crusade we launch would have to wait until spring, at the earliest. Winter is nearly upon us."
Caius nodded. "It is rare for military campaigns to succeed in the winter, sieges least of all. And this would undoubtedly involve sieges, for our foes in Lescatie have the walls of two cities to hide behind."
"And that's before one considers cold-adapted monsters," Allaron said. "Those ones can walk in even the harshest blizzard as if it were a warm summer day. They'd pick off our troops in the snow with ease."
Prince Hugo, the hulking man who'd argued for a crusade, nodded. He showed no surprise or indignation at these counterarguments.
"Hugo is more cunning than his appearance or behaviour might suggest," Caius thought, recalling one of his mother's past lessons. He must have used that show of anger purely to quiet the discussion and draw attention to himself.
"Naturally," Hugo said. "I was not saying we should march at once. But we must begin making every possible preparation, so that when winter breaks and spring is upon us, our crusade is ready."
There were more murmurs of agreement. Caius, the young king who'd never seen war in his life, felt a growing sense of dread.
There hasn't been a successful crusade in centuries, and none at all in my lifetime. What could we possibly do to improve our chances?
Father… just what would you do?
"A crusade… may not be the only option."
All eyes turned towards the speaker of these words, a middle-aged man with barely suppressed fear in his expression.
"…What are you suggesting, Duke Elbert?" Hugo growled. He looked at the sole dissenting opinion with an increasingly murderous expression, one shared by several others.
Elbert paled, but he pressed on. "I… am suggesting that we all consider history. No crusade in the current era has succeeded, but they have all resulted in many casualties. Another option to consider would be…"
Hugo stood from his chair abruptly. Elbert shrank in his own chair, like a rabbit cornered by a wolf.
"You suggest peace with the monsters," Hugo said. "Peace with the enemies of humanity! Have you grown so pleased by their filthy coin, that you dare say such foolishness!?"
Half a dozen others began yelling at Elbert as well. However, Caius noticed even more showing conflicted expressions. He knew the reason for that as well.
The conflict between humanity and monsterkind is far from black and white… There are many neutral nations in the world. Most notably the coastal nations, who rely on sea monsters to assist their fishing and trading. But there are others as well, lands that are ruled by humans in name, but where it's legal to keep kobolds or hire kunoichi mercenaries. And these trade with various Order nations…
…even Merukarn, despite repeated efforts to stamp that out.
"We ought to consider negotiations—"
"Monsters cannot be negotiated with! They see our kind as mere prey and playthings!"
Caius slammed one of his palms against the table. That silenced the chamber quickly enough.
"We have all come here in good faith to discuss future plans," Caius said, doing his best to speak as his father would. "Let us take a few moments to cool our tempers. Then we may continue."
-ooo-
The conference lasted for another hour. After it was done and all the representatives had left, Caius wanted nothing more than to spend time with his family again, eat a nourishing dinner and go to bed.
Unfortunately, while he was able to do all of those things, there was a follow-up conference the next day. And this proved no less stressful than the first.
"Monsters have raided my villages, taken the men as slaves! When we fought to retrieve them, they'd been reduced to mind-broken shells of their former slaves! We must march on Lescatie, to save any who still resist!"
"The Lescatians would have known monsters better than any of us! If they seemingly did not fight back, the situation must be more complex than we realise! We must find out the truth first, lest we worsen the situation!"
"Do you call me a liar!? I have already told all that you need to know! The monsters used their wiles to control much of Lescatie's leadership, thus capturing all those with the will to fight! The situation could not be any worse!"
"Then that is all the more reason why we must exercise caution! Whatever means the monsters used to control the Lescatians, could also be used on our forces!"
Caius, on more than one occasion, felt tempted to tear out fistfuls of his own hair. But he had a reputation as king to uphold, so he kept a mask of calm on his face, spoke whatever words were appropriate, and left his hair intact.
-ooo-
On the night of the second day, Caius retreated to his personal chambers. Arelia and the two royal guards went to the room as well.
"…It is time for the final business of the day," Caius said tiredly. He took off his crown, relaxing slightly now that the weight was no longer on his head.
"Take care," Arelia said, placing a hand on the king's shoulders. She looked at the two heroes in the room. "I entrust my husband's safety to you."
"We would lay down our lives to keep His Majesty safe," one of the heroes vowed.
Caius looked at his wife and her pregnant belly once more.
It is for your sakes… and the sakes of every man, woman and child in Merukarn… that I must do this. No matter how risky it seems.
Then Caius put on a brown travelling cloak and left the room. He did this not via the proper door but via a panel he opened in a wall. He and his guards, also wearing cloaks, stepped into the tunnel behind and closed the panel behind them.
There were many secret passages in the royal palace of Merukarn. These were a carefully kept secret known only to the royal family and some trusted subordinates. Their original purpose was to allow the royals to flee if the palace was attacked. Right now, Caius was using one of the passages for a rather different purpose.
The group of three walked for a while, using magical lights to illuminate their path. They eventually reached their destination and pushed open another panel to exit.
This passage terminated in a narrow, dim alley some distance away from the palace. Caius' group left the alley, walked through several streets and arrived at a dilapidated-looking shop.
Not the expected location for a king's business… but it will have to serve for tonight.
Caius and his guards entered the shop and approached a bearded man standing behind the counter. The man immediately led them through a door into a back room.
Inside was a table with two chairs, one of them already occupied. There were also two people already standing.
Caius took the unoccupied chair and let out a breath.
"How are you finding this city… King Castor?"
The occupant of the other chair was a man in his early forties. Like Castor, he wore no crown and was disguised as a common traveller. Also like Castor, he had an aura of authority that shone through despite his current appearance.
"It is even more impressive than during my last visit," Castor replied. "That was quite some time ago… Yulian was on the throne then, and you were still a young boy."
Despite this casual conversation, Caius felt a scent of danger in the air. This was because his own guards had their hands on their sword hilts and were looking coldly at Castor's guards.
On that note, Castor's guards were two young women. The purple-haired one was recognisable as Castor's own daughter, sharing a few facial features with him. The blonde one took Caius a second to place.
Olivie of House Amaltia, one of Lescatie's more notable families… also one of the families that was deeply involved in its corruption, according to past reports.
Conspicuously, neither of them has been converted into a monster, any more than King Castor is now an incubus… Quite the contrast with popular beliefs about what has happened to the Lescatians.
"At ease," Caius told his guards. He then turned back to Castor. "You and I both take great risks by meeting here. I have already heard the tale of one Lescatian yesterday. What tale do you have for me?"
The first letter from Castor had arrived last month, but it had taken considerable preparation to arrange this secret meeting. Unlike the earlier conference with many representatives of the Order, this one-to-one meeting with Lescatie's king could not be revealed publicly. And Caius had spent much of that time wondering if he should even accept Castor's proposal.
"There is much I could say," Castor began, "but for both of our sakes, I will keep it as simple as possible. The truth is…"
Over the next twenty minutes, Caius heard a ludicrous story from the other king's lips. It was something he could not believe, could not afford to believe as an adherent of the Order. Yet he made no interruption save to ask for clarification or further detail.
"…In conclusion, I am here to seek peace with the nations of the Order," Castor said. "I am well aware this is a bold request. I am well aware that you could have me slain where I sit, and it would be seen as a just move by most. But it is my sincere intention, and I have met you in person as proof of my sincerity, and of Lescatie's."
Caius rubbed his temples. A king normally could not show any sign of weakness, but he was hardly in a public setting at the moment, and he needed to relieve his stress somehow.
"This… is certainly quite different from the tale I heard yesterday from your wayward subject," Caius said.
"If you are wondering what we intend for her, the answer is quite simple: nothing," Castor said. "Emilia Gallon is not someone we can apprehend without causing a commotion. And she has already been punished for her crimes, having been forced to flee her home, unable to return."
Castor nodded. "I feel your tale to be the more truthful of the two… yet I must have time to think on it."
"I understand," Castor said gently. "Were I in your position, I would be just as doubtful… or even more. I do not need your answer tonight."
Castor sounded so wise, so trustworthy… but a king could not be king for long without being wary of others' intentions, as well as being able to lie convincingly. Caius had to consider the possibility that he truly was a puppet of the monsters.
And yet… Caius had never met a monster in person before, another consequence of his being kept away from serious danger. What if Castor was telling the truth about them?
Despite the Order's teachings, we are not in a perpetual crusade… Many in the Order have made agreements, for trade or other purposes. The agreements are officially made between humans, yet monster involvement tends to be a poorly kept secret. And these agreements have been honoured since before even my grandfather's time… with some exceptions.
Caius recalled the story of Zefert, a human town on the outskirts of an Order nation that had once done business with monsters. At first, that town had prospered from all the magical items they could now purchase. However, those magical items had been a subtle form of sabotage, gradually turning the townsfolk into lust-addled simpletons. The monsters had then walked into Zefert and transformed all of its people without a fight. It had taken a large Order force, including several Merukarn heroes, to eliminate them before they could establish a full demon realm.
Would a peace agreement with Lescatie be honoured? Or would it be one of those exceptions? Even Lescatie has only had its own peace for a month and a half. That town, from what I recall, did business with monsters for over a year before anything was amiss…
Caius spent the better part of a minute pondering the situation. Suddenly, he noticed his guards and Castor's guards tense.
"What is the matter?" Caius asked.
"Someone approaches," one of his guards said. "But… this presence is…"
There was a knock on the door, followed by the bearded man's voice.
"Sorry, Yer Majesty, but the old Maj—I mean, your father's here!"
Caius rose from his chair so quickly that he knocked it away. He no longer cared about appearances in the slightest.
Here!? At this time!? How did he even learn of—
The door swung open and Caius saw a face he'd not seen for over a year.
"Greetings!" said Yulian Martios Merukarn, a stout man whose hair and beard were grey with a few remaining traces of brown. He too was disguised as a common traveller. "I do hope I'm not interrupting anything!"
"Father!"
"Yulian!? It's been twenty years since we last met—and did you not abdicate the throne!?"
Yulian and the bearded man came into the room. The latter brought a third chair, which he set next to the table before hurrying out again. The four guards in the room, despite their duty being to protect their respective lieges, seemed completely disconcerted.
"I've come here to help you, my son, what little of it I can give," Yulian said as he took his seat. "And you, Castor, you might be two decades older than when we last met, but you seem to be just as energetic as you were then. And here I was, thinking that the rot of Lescatie had ground you down in the meantime."
"Y-Yes…" Castor said, now looking unsettled. "I was in a sorry state for quite some time, and only recovered recently… More importantly, what have you been doing since your abdication? I've not heard a single word about your activities."
"Luna and I have been travelling around Merukarn in humble attire like this," Yulian replied, tugging at the collar of his dull brown shirt. "A country is more than just its capital, after all. The two of us listen to the mood of the people in the towns and villages, gathering information to pass on to our son and daughter-in-law… we may not wear our crowns any longer, but we still have duties to perform as royalty."
"Yes, Arelia and I are ever grateful for your information," Caius said sincerely. He'd received some of his most useful information from letters sent by his parents. "But where is Mother at the moment?"
"Trying to enter the palace by stealth, to see if the guards are slacking or not," Yulian replied casually. "And to see her daughter-in-law and granddaughter as soon as possible, you know how she is."
"Yes, I do," Caius said. "While this is abrupt, I am grateful that you came, Father."
The smile on Yulian's face fell. "But you wish we were present more often, don't you? You wish… that we hadn't dropped the burden of rulership on you?"
"Father… I…"
That was precisely how Caius had been feeling in the depths of his heart. His parents had still been of sound body and mind when they'd abdicated eight years ago. Yet they'd done so, elevating Caius and Arelia to being rulers of the most powerful Order country. And even if they continued helping from behind the scenes… he still wished he'd been given more time to prepare.
Yulian looked at the two hero guards of Merukarn. "I may no longer have the right to command you, but I think it's safe for you to leave us for the time being."
"Yes… Selina, Hero Olivie, I ask that you leave us," Castor said. "I am confident that Yulian and his son would not harm me."
The four heroes, after some hesitation, left the room. Caius was now alone with the two older men.
"Should I leave as well?" Castor asked. "If you wish to speak as father and son—"
"No, this is something you should be present for as well," Yulian said. He appeared to think for a moment. "Since we're all current and former kings here, kindly answer this riddle of mine: what makes a good leader?"
Caius' mouth gaped open. He'd been hoping to receive answers from his father, not yet more problems to solve.
"That… is a nigh-meaningless question," Caius said. "It depends far too heavily on the context."
"Then let me rephrase it: what should a leader strive to do for their country, in a variety of contexts?"
Caius exchanged glances with the king of Lescatie. It was clear that they were both still bewildered by the change of topic.
"Well, I suppose… a leader must be able to keep their people fed, and sheltered," Caius said.
"To maintain the economy, then," Yulian said. He took out a single gold coin from a pouch at his belt. "Sensible… but on what timescale? Should a leader focus on short-term profits, or have a longer-term view? Most would argue the latter… but future profits mean little to those who are starving in the present."
"A fair point," Castor said. "And there are other goals to strive towards as well. A leader must support whatever faiths are present in their country. They must maintain good relationships with other countries. They must also maintain the favour of their own people…" He grimaced. "And they must be careful not to let internal struggles for power to overwhelm everything else."
"A thorny mess of compromises, in short," Yulian said. "No matter what compromise you settle on in the end, it angers some people. It's an endless struggle, not just against external enemies such as monsters, but against one's own people…"
"It's enough to break one's will to continue trying…" Castor said, looking down at the table.
"Or to discard one's crown and flee from it all," Yulian said. He looked at his son with guilt in his eyes. "A seductive path, running away from the compromises and the arguments and the need to make decisions…"
Caius swallowed. "Father… I had not realised. Even after taking the throne myself, I had not realised why you…"
Yulian placed a hand on Caius' head. For a moment, the young king felt as if he was a boy again, despite now being taller than his father.
"It wasn't your fault, Caius," Yulian said. "And… fear not, I didn't come here just to give you more questions to solve. I came to give you an answer. Though it'll be by answering my own question… one of a leader's goals is to prevent their nation from being destroyed."
Both Caius and Castor blinked. The former said, "Yes… that should go without speaking, Father. One can hardly be a leader over ruins and corpses."
"An obvious thing, you say… but it seems not so obvious to many of those leaders you've spoken to, Caius," Yulian said. "Tell me, have you been privately denigrating yourself for not having experience in warfare?"
Caius said nothing. His silence was meaningless as the other two could certainly deduce the truth, but even a king was still human. He was too embarrassed to admit this personal weakness, especially to his own father.
"Well, worry not, for no one else at that conference has such experience," Yulian said. "Experience in true warfare against monsters… or incubi. Why, I come closer to having that experience than any of them."
Caius shifted in his seat at that. He recalled whispers in the royal court from the time of his childhood, about the reasons his father never led any military campaigns, why he also kept the crown prince from doing anything similar.
"Yulian… if I recall…" Castor said. "Either thirty-four or thirty-five years ago, a hero of Merukarn disappeared with little explanation. That news spread even as far as Lescatie, since some of my own nobles had been hoping to arrange a marriage with her…"
"It was thirty-five, I recall all the details quite clearly," Yulian replied. He looked around the room. "I wish I had some decent wine as I tell this tale… but perhaps it's for the best that I remain sober. Ahem. So, thirty-five years ago, when I was barely a man and had yet to become king, there was a report of monster villages in our neighbour Ehelind."
Both Caius and Castor shifted. They certainly hadn't heard news of this before. Monsters living within one of the central Order nations should have been an alarming incident.
"That report was sent with all secrecy, of course," Yulian said. "Even a single monster village would be a major threat, as much as a den of a thousand human bandits, and there were several here. Ehelind's own military was not up to the task of clearing them, not without sustaining too many casualties. So a force was sent out from Merukarn, including a hundred soldiers, a dozen knights, a hero… and myself. My father thought it a good opportunity for me to gain experience fighting monsters. We joined Ehelind's force and proceeded towards our target."
Yulian stared blankly at a wall. If he'd had a bottle of alcohol as he desired, Caius imagined his father would be swirling around its contents.
"After a week of marching, we found a few monsters in the woods surrounding the first village," Yulian continued. "We—or rather, the others killed them. I was kept back for my own safety. Then we moved on to the village. We surrounded it, moved in, and killed them all. Monsters, incubi, from the elders down to the babes."
Caius looked nervously at Castor, whose nation was now at peace with monsters. However, the older king kept a blank expression.
It makes sense… Lescatie was once on the frontline of the borders with the monsters… there must be heroes there with similar… acts… to their name…
And… I never knew Father had been involved in such…
"Though the killing was not immediate," Yulian said quietly. "When the fighting was largely over, I heard a commotion, and hurried over with my own sword in hand. Do you know what I found? Three of the proud knights of Merukarn around a monster, who had… tree branches embedded in… her orifices…"
Caius gasped. His heart froze in his chest. He'd been taught about such things, and how execution was the appropriate punishment… but only when humans were the victims. He'd never even imagined that it was possible for humans to rape monsters.
"Of course, even the scum of our societies know that laying with monsters is a fool's endeavour," Yulian said. "But that only applies to making direct contact… and one of humanity's greatest assets is our ability to use tools." That last word was spat out like a curse.
"Father… what did you do next?" Caius asked.
"'Do', you say, as if I'd actually done my duty…" Yulian said bitterly. The lines in his face had never seemed more pronounced than now. "As their prince, I should have done something myself. But those knights were older than I, and two of them from highborn families of Merukarn. I hesitated, when I should have commanded them to stop, to throw down their swords, for they were no true knights!" He let out a breath. "Instead… I called for the help of Hero Diana."
Caius had heard that name before, from one of his tutors. The name belonged to a hero who'd perished in combat before he was born. He knew no further details… but in hindsight, that was odd. Normally, such heroes went down in history for their valiant deaths.
"She arrived like a flash of lightning, then decapitated two of those so-called knights with one swing of her axe," Yulian said. "The third backed away, screamed that his family would not stand for this… until his head was also parted from his neck. She finished by putting that poor monster out of her misery in the same way. Then others came, drawn by the screams. The other knights, the common soldiers… and they were just as horrified as I was by the rape. That restored some of my faith in humanity. The rest… The rest I regained when Hero Diana spoke to me afterwards."
Yulian closed his eyes. For a brief moment, he looked young, younger than even the current Caius.
"'Some humans are no better than monsters'," Yulian said, adopting a more formal tone than before. "'We cannot allow them to drag us down to the level of those abominations, no matter what surname they possess. Thank you for bringing their crime to my attention.'" He scoffed. "I still felt a failure then, especially since I'd yet to kill any of the monsters, and told her just that. Her reply? 'A king's duty is to lead. Fighting is a duty for others, such as myself. But from what I've seen today, Merukarn will remain in good hands when you inherit the throne.' Hmph… I took those words to heart, and the monster-hunting expedition resumed."
Castor gripped the edge of the table, his knuckles turning white. "And how did it end, Yulian?" he asked, using a colder tone than before. "How does this lead into your decision to abdicate?"
"It ended at the second village," Yulian replied. "It proved no more difficult than the first, with our hero slaying the strongest defenders, our knights backing her up, while the soldiers ensured no monsters could escape the village. And then… that incubus in black appeared."
"From the village?" Caius asked.
"Certainly not, or we wouldn't have proceeded as far as we did," Yulian said, shaking his head. "No, he teleported onto the scene in a burst of darkness. He was armoured in black plate that showed nothing of his body, save for a red glow from the slits of his visor. He wielded two curved swords with jet-black blades, one in each hand."
Caius was a grown man, no longer the boy who gasped in awe at all the stories his parents told him. Even so, he felt a looming sense of dread at this description, as if the incubus had travelled from the past and was now holding his swords to Caius' throat.
"Hero Diana went forth to confront the incubus, and… and…"
"Father, you need not finish this tale if it traumatises you," Caius said.
"I damn well must!" Yulian roared. He took a few breaths. "I can finish it. So, as I was saying, Hero Diana confronted the incubus… but there was no dazzling clash of blades, like in the legends. The very next thing I saw was her separated, from shoulder to hip, her armour cut through like paper…"
Yulian looked around the room again before, it seemed, remembering there was no wine available.
"After that, the knights rushed forward. They too were cut to pieces, nine of them with a single slash. Then the common soldiers… some of them rushed forward as well, while the others, about two-thirds of them, fled in terror. The latter were smarter… though it didn't help them in the slightest. All of them were killed within the next… ten? Five seconds. That monster village had been bloody to begin with—well, after our attack on it—but now the ground was stained bright crimson."
"But why did that… why were you alone spared, Yulian?" Castor asked. "Did that mysterious… incubus recognise you, and decide that killing Merukarn's prince would cause too much trouble?"
"Perhaps," Yulian said. "But I have doubts that was the only reason, or even the main reason. The incubus found me as well, brandishing my sword desperately as if it might save my life. He seized it from my hands, as if it were a stick being brandished by a child, and looked at it… and simply crushed it in his fist. Then he grasped my shoulder, darkness surrounded us, and he tossed me aside. I feared the worst, that he'd brought me to his lair for all manner of gruesome tortures… but then he simply said this:
'Attack our kind without justification again, and there will be no more mercy.'
"And then he simply teleported away," Yulian continued. "And when I actually took in my surroundings… it turned out to be a field on the outskirts of Merukarn. I found my way to an outpost, showed my royal seal to prove my identity, and was brought back to the palace. Entirely unharmed, and having gained valuable experience."
Yulian laughed mirthlessly. For Caius, who'd grown up listening to his genuine laughter and had many fond memories of it, it was nothing short of horrifying.
"My own hesitation, my own cowardice, was what saved me in the end," Yulian continued. "Had I any monster blood on my sword, that incubus would have killed me as well, heedless of my status. That is my sincere belief."
The room was silent for almost a full minute. Caius, and undoubtedly Castor as well, needed time to process these revelations.
There was a violent reprisal to those attacks on monster villages, that Father led… yet I recall no such reprisal to other attacks by Merukarn.
After a few moments of confusion, Caius recalled another thing his father had just said.
Because most of our attacks on monsters, such as against the town of Zefert, had justification. In short… monsterkind does not object to us killing monsters that break their laws, at least not to the point of military intervention. But if we should ever step over the line…
…then they would retaliate without mercy. And, with current circumstances, that might well lead to the destruction of entire countries… or, perhaps, the entire Order…
"I have one question I must ask, Father…" Caius said eventually. "Why did this never become public? Hero Diana must have been a skilled hero indeed, to be the only hero in an expedition that also included you, the crown prince. Her death, even on its own, should have drawn attention. And then there's the deaths of a dozen knights, and numerous soldiers…"
"Because many influential figures, in Merukarn and in Ehelind as well, worked hard to hide the truth," Yulian answered in a bitter tone. "Since the truth meant that three of our knights had debased themselves with a monster they should have slain. Since the truth meant that even an entire monster-hunting expedition, with a hero as skilled as you say, was only a threat to villages of what were essentially civilians, being no more than a group of ants in the face of true opposition. Since the truth meant that I, the future king of Merukarn, was a coward who'd failed to kill any monsters, or avenge my comrades' deaths."
"Yulian," Castor admonished gently. "I would not call it cowardice to have not killed civilians."
"Perhaps, but you know quite well it would never have been seen that way," Yulian said. "Not then, and not now. So… I worked with many others to hide that truth, as much as was possible—the lack of any other witnesses helped in that regard. As Castor has not been told of this incident until today, I presume monsterkind also decided to keep it hidden, quietly bringing the surviving monsters out of Ehelind so nothing like this happened again. Anyway, returning to the topic of myself… I never led troops in battle again," he looked at Caius, "and I never… pushed my son into doing the same."
"Father…" Caius said. He tried to think of a suitably eloquent response, but all he could manage next was "Thank you."
"Don't thank me yet, I've not finished my advice to you," Yulian said. He placed a hand on Caius' shoulder. "So… my purpose behind that tale was to convey this: the true might of monsters is something humanity has not even the faintest hope of defeating. You've heard a similar tale from Castor, with that lilim who defeated four heroes without a single injury, but I wanted to reinforce that with my own experience. A single incubus was able to teleport into the heart of Order territory, mere hours after our attack on the first monster village, and utterly crush our force, with no hesitation to kill. A crusade might be far larger in scale, but all that would mean is a far larger response, and far greater casualties."
"I understand, father," Caius said. "At this stage, it seems a crusade is inevitable… but I can use all of my influence as Merukarn's king to delay it. As time passes, tempers should cool, and there would… still be war, but on a less devastating scale…"
"You have my deepest gratitude," Castor said. "I have my own suggestions on what you could do, without risking your own position… but first, there is something I should say to Yulian." He turned towards Caius' father. "That incubus you met? I believe he was nothing of the sort."
Now it was Yulian's turn to look completely nonplussed. "Eh?"
"I have spoken to one of the lilim, Druella, several times now," Castor said. "She has told me of her family… including her sisters."
That sent a chill down Caius' spine. Druella had defeated four Lescatian heroes in a duel, some of the most battle-hardened heroes in the world, and she had multiple sisters on a similar level, and parents on an even higher level.
"One of them was the second-born, by the name of Athaena. And Druella told me… that her older sister prefers to fight in all-enclosing black armour, and uses twin swords as weapons."
"I… I encountered one of the lilim!?" Yulian gasped. "But the horns, the famously white wings and tail—I saw none of those!?"
"Apparently, she prefers to keep those hidden during combat, to keep her full identity and capabilities secret," Castor elaborated. "Just as she also disguises her voice. Druella speculated that she would reveal them if pressed… but added that she'd never seen her sister pressed to that point."
Caius felt another chill run down his spine. The idea of war with monsterkind seemed even more foolish now.
"Lastly, Druella said that Athaena would prefer to act more frequently than she currently does," Castor said. "But their parents place strict rules on when and for what reasons she may fight." The older king shuddered. "Even with those rules in place… in past years, over a dozen of Lescatie's heroes went missing in action. I learned, recently, that a majority of those had fallen to the second-born's twin blades."
"I encountered… one of the greatest of all monsters… survived… and didn't even realise it for over half my life…" Yulian muttered, shaking his head. "Hah! Some whispered that I was a weak king who achieved nothing in my reign, but I was the one with such a momentous encounter."
"And many in Lescatie did more than whisper of my weakness," Castor said. "Yet it was I who Druella chose to meet, and to negotiate with. Life is truly full of irony."
At this rate, I too will encounter a lilim, Caius thought. It seems to be something of a trend…
I should do my best to prepare myself. It would be unbecoming if I were to loosen my bowels in sheer terror…
-ooo-
While the three current and former kings conversed, their guards had a conversation of their own.
"Just how do you interact with monsters, after such a long history of fighting and killing their kind?" asked Reimus, one of Merukarn's heroes. He was a rugged-looking man who'd recently reached his fortieth year. "I'd expect there would be lingering resentment on both sides."
"It does not come without difficulties," replied Selina, third princess of Lescatie. "Even I have seen some of the arguments… but this question would better be answered by Hero Olivie, who has fought monsters far more than I."
Olivie nodded. "It has been a month and a half since the signing of the treaty. Even now, there are several arguments a week, sometimes devolving into brawls. Fortunately, none have resulted in deaths… I think that's in part due to efforts from our side, and in part due to efforts from monsterkind."
"Have there been any rapes?" asked Romul, Reimus' partner and another hero of Merukarn.
"Yes, two, though those were fortunately only attempts," Selina said. "The perpetrators were stopped and handed over to Lescatian justice."
Romul glowered. "It would have been far safer to never allow them into your borders in the first place. Even when they feign peaceful intentions, they are still creatures of dark lusts."
The two Lescatian heroes glowered back at Romul. Reimus sighed.
"Forgive him. He has always been strong in his faith."
"You'd be as well, Reimus, if you'd seen the things I have," Romul said. "Seen humans you once knew and laughed with, twisted into slaves to pleasure. Leaving no choice but to kill them with your own hands…"
"We are not ignorant of such things," Olivie said. "We, too, have killed monsters and their genuine victims in the past. But not all monsters, or even a majority of them, deserve death as you believe."
"If these supposed moral monsters exist, I have not met them," Romul said bluntly.
"Calm yourself, Romul," Reimus warned. "And it's only natural you have not met any. After your mission to eliminate that town, you've remained in Merukarn as a royal guard." He decided to try changing the topic. "On a different note, Princess Selina, Hero Olivie… I'm surprised that Hero Wilmarina did not take part in this visit. By all accounts, she had a major role in Lescatie's shift, and she would have been," he tried to sound as polite as possible, "a fitting escort for your king."
"She would have been more fitting than myself, even I am aware of that," Olivie said. Then her expression took a turn for the mischievous. "However… she shouldn't be straining herself by travelling so far from home."
That caused Reimus and Romul to share confused glances, the latter even being pulled away from his doubts.
The many leagues between Lescatie and Merukarn would be a difficult journey for a regular human, taking over a month if it was done on foot, Reimus thought. However, it shouldn't be at all taxing for a hero.
"I'm… afraid I don't comprehend your meaning," Reimus said. "Is Hero Wilmarina currently unwell?"
"Not in any conventional sense," Olivie said. She placed a hand on her cheek, which was now reddening. "It's the sort of illness that I sorely wish to have as well… If only I hadn't taken so long to find him again…"
"Please keep such thoughts to yourself," Selina grumbled. "It's hardly appropriate when we're on a diplomatic mission."
Now Reimus understood. He now felt quite unbearably awkward.
"Just what illness could have befallen a hero of her level?" Romul asked irritably.
"Oh… in hindsight, perhaps I should not have revealed that," Olivie said. "Rest assured that it is no threat to her life."
After that, there was awkward silence for several minutes. Reimus felt intense relief when the door of the back room finally opened.
The current king of Merukarn, its former king and Lescatie's king walked out.
"We are finished here," Caius said. "Heroes Reimus and Romul, escort my father and I back to the palace."
"Selina, Hero Olivie, it is time we began our return to Lescatie," King Castor said. Turning towards those from Merukarn, he said, "Thank you for your hospitality, despite the unusual nature of our visit."
"It's nothing to be thankful for," Yulian said. "Now, Castor, you had best depart soon. It would be terribly awkward if you made it into Merukarn safely, only to be discovered now."
Castor's group left the shop first. A few minutes later, Reimus' group did the same, now with one more than they'd entered with.
His Majesty Yulian actually came here with no escort at all, Reimus thought. While the previous king had sworn off his former title, he was still associated with the crown in Reimus' mind. While he's been doing the same with Her Majesty for years, it still worries me. Romul as well. And I'm sure that His Majesty Caius is the most worried of all.
While walking through the dark streets, Reimus paid attention to his king's demeanour. Caius was walking slightly apart from Yulian and occasionally glancing at the latter, never for more than a fraction of a second.
Even after tonight's reunion, the bond between parent and child has frayed over the years… I can only hope it doesn't prevent them from working together effectively.
The world is changing at a breathtaking pace. It will take the efforts of every one of us, from peasants to royalty, to ensure Merukarn does not fall by the wayside.
-ooo-
After leaving the walls of Merukarn's capital city, Olivie's group made their way towards a nearby hill.
"Just what did you and Merukarn's kings settle on in the end, Father?" Selina asked.
"Yulian would disagree quite vehemently with what you just said…" Castor murmured. In a louder voice, he added, "To put it simply, we will be using the fact that the Order is, in fact, not as ordered as many believe. Many of its constituent nations disagree over their borders, or trade deals, or old feuds, or countless other reasons. With some discrete encouragement from young Caius, those disagreements could become far more severe."
"Making it much more difficult for the Order to concentrate its forces on Lescatie," Selina said.
"Though they could be far more organised if the Chief God commanded them," Olivie said. "That does make me wonder why she has yet to do so."
"Indeed, those two heroes gave no sign they'd heard the Chief God's voice," Selina said. "If they had, I doubt they would ever have allowed King Caius to meet with Father. Just why has She fallen silent…?"
It wasn't the first time Olivie had had this discussion. She'd previously discussed it with other members of the Order of the Holy Ice Flower, with some of her new monster acquaintances, and with her new family. No one had ever been able to come up with a good answer.
"It's an enigma indeed," Castor said. "But not one we can solve tonight. For now, we ought to focus on returning to Lescatie safely."
They arrived at the hill. In the shadow of the hill, sheltered from the prevailing wind, were some bushes, and hidden amongst those bushes was a rolled-up carpet.
Olivie picked up the carpet and unrolled it. The rectangle of fabric was purple with various green shapes, and upon being unrolled, it began floating in mid-air at waist level.
This was no ordinary carpet. It was imbued with magics that allowed it to fly even while carrying the weight of several people. It originated from lands to the west, one of the numerous useful items that was now being imported by Lescatie.
Selina helped her father get onto the carpet, then she and Olivie followed. With a single command of "To Lescatie!", the carpet rose into the air and began flying northward at a speed rivalling any bird.
Olivie felt no chilling wind as the carpet zoomed through the air, thanks to one of its protective enchantments. This allowed her to simply watch the scenery below.
Merukarn's landscape was more open than that of Lescatie, with a higher ratio of plains to forests. It also had more rivers and lakes, which gleamed beautifully beneath the light of the full moon and the stars. There were some spots of orange light on the landscape, presumably the campfires of hunters or travelling merchants.
"An impressive sight even at night, is it not?" Castor said. "When I previously came to Merukarn for a state visit, I was awed beyond words. Here was a nation far greater than my own, in multiple senses. Any one of its cities holds more people, and more wealth, than in the entirety of Lescatie. And almost all of its land is farmed, mined or otherwise put to use. It does not have the vast areas of wilderness of Lescatie, wasted land that we could not use due to the threat of monsters…"
"And that great population and wealth makes it formidable as an enemy," Olivie said sadly. "Even if Merukarn alone were to attack us, the sheer size of its army would be formidable. And—"
"And they would not be alone," Selina said. "No matter what measures King Caius takes, other Order nations would also send some troops at Lescatie."
The three of them fell silent. They all understood how people of the Order thought, because they'd been just that until very recently.
Olivie looked down at the landscape again. She spotted a town consisting of hundreds of buildings. She couldn't see any of the inhabitants due to the late hour, but there had to be thousands of them.
Thousands… and it's possible that not a single one of them has ever fought in their lives. Unlike we in Lescatie, they do not live on the outskirts of humanity's territory, fearing invasion by monsters at any moment…
…but when a crusade is launched, all of that would change. Those farmers and craftsmen would be made to take up arms, trained to march and to obey and to kill, with anyone who falters being spat upon. For that would be the Order's only method of gathering sufficient forces.
Olivie had, in fact, killed civilians in the past. But even monster civilians had natural strength and magic that made them dangerous in battle. Half-trained human conscripts would be barely a step above human civilians. Fighting them would be akin to stepping on ants… the very thought of it made her feel queasy.
"There is a good chance that we can avoid true, large-scale battles," Castor said. "That we will be able to achieve victory without fighting to the death. I am confident in Yulian and the son he has raised."
Olivie looked back in the direction of the capital. She might disagree with certain individuals there, but she respected them all nonetheless. She certainly respected their strength. She had no desire to risk death facing them on the battlefield…
…not when she had plenty of reasons to live. One of those reasons being a certain someone she planned to meet as soon as she touched down in Lescatie.
"Let us hope so, Your Majesty."
AN: This chapter refers back to a line all the way back in Chapter 3 – "It felt like every month a report came in of a hero being defeated or going missing." I'd yet to explain how this happened, and the current chapter gives me a good opportunity.