17 – A Contest of Nobility

[Kaleidus]

I escaped from the castle just as Cromwell's elite closed in on the throne room, and the man himself came down from his ship. Despite the Ring of Andvari blocking Agate from spying on him from agatespace, it was still possible to watch from afar in the physical world, and she could stay in contact with me as long as she was outside of the area under the Ring's ward.

With the Founder's Music box in hand and the knowledge of where the Ruby of Wind was, I already had everything I needed from the royalists.

In fact, these artifacts of the Founder weren't even my main reason for going to the castle. The reality was that only Void mages could do anything with them, and even if I gave them to Louise, there was no guarantee that anything useful would come of it.

No, the true prize in this venture lay in the sword in my hands.

Under normal circumstances, it was possible to feed Derflinger magical energy from Agate continuously, but it was a long and slow process to build up the necessary energy to a respectable amount, and it also required that Agate be in physical contact with Derflinger. And of course Agate didn't like being used as an energy battery, so I couldn't just have her feed him every night in my sleep.

But by attacking the castle and being attacked in return, I not only had the chance to experience the local mages' tactics first hand, but also absorbed an enormous quantity of magic energy from all the high level spells fired at me.

The knights I battled on the way to the throne room had shown me that my Armoriont could safely withstand up to Triangle class spells with hardly a scratch–which quickly regenerated. So I could let spells freely hit me and have Derflinger take his time absorbing all of that power.

There was an unfortunate lack of Square class spells fired at me, so how my Armoriont would measure up was still unclear, and I avoided any concentrated anti-armor piercing attacks out of caution.

Nevertheless, this one battle had seen hundreds of spells being thrown at me, and Derflinger had the equivalent of what would have otherwise taken me several months to store up from Agate.

And I was able to do it without exposing myself to very dangerous enemies like Myozunitonirun or Cromwell. That was why I chose to attack the royalists first, as they were much weaker than Reconquista and unable to seriously pursue me in case the plan went badly and I actually got hurt from a strong spell.

Now, with Derflinger charged, many new options were open to me. There were two abilities Derflinger had told me about which used the stored energy. The first was an energy release that extended the reach of his cutting or thrusting out a short distance. Useful in a swordfight, but otherwise nothing to brag about because I had many other ranged options with technology.

But it was the second ability that I really wanted to access – massive physical buffs for his wielder and for the sword itself.

By allowing Derflinger to flood his wielder with the energy, he could take control over the wielder's actions to fight at a level of skill that could only be achieved by combining the accumulated experience of thousands of years being wielded by all manner of masters, and multiply the strength, speed, and durability of his wielder.

The only downside was that it wasn't possible for Derflinger to boost me without taking over, but he couldn't do it by force either unless I was unconscious so it wasn't a serious problem. I just wouldn't be able to coordinate complex plans with him while in that state because unlike Agate, I couldn't mentally communicate my intentions to him.

This power would be a hidden ace, or something that could save me in a serious pinch. If I didn't want Derflinger to take over, he could also just reinforce himself to incredible levels, and I'd still have a nigh indestructible weapon that could cut practically anything.

I flew back to the AAPV in short order to begin the next phase of my plan.

Offensive Bias plotted a path that took us high into the atmosphere above and east of Newcastle—so high that we would look like nothing more than a dot from the ground, and we weren't noticeable from the air ships below unless they really looked for us.

This height allowed us to maximize the strength and reach of the signals the AAPV was transmitting and receiving to control the drones deployed to the battlefield, and to have a clear line of sight to launch targeted missiles.

The AAPV was in fact capable of going into space to function as a tiny communications satellite, but it wasn't necessary in this case because we only needed coverage over a relatively small area, not a whole country.

Due to the very limited space on board the AAPV, even with the best miniaturization and transforming tech we developed on Worm, I was only able to bring, and now deploy, ten 20 kg armed attack drones. I had thirty other 1 kg observation drones monitoring the city, and naturally Offensive Bias was piloting all of them.

These attack drones were normally outfitted with laser guns of the same type as the ones I carried on me, but I switched them for bullet ammunition in this operation as lasers weren't necessary. Each one also carried a few bombs that could be deployed at a moment's notice, capable of detonating with a yield several times higher than the M72 LAW rocket launcher the locals had called the Staff of Destruction. Then there were the bombs of the biological and chemical variety which this world would have never even seen before.

For now, the attack drones stayed on standby with me, as they were large enough to be noticed and engaged by the dragon knights or airships down below if they got too close before they were needed.

And they weren't needed yet.

Despite what I told the royalists, I was not about to interfere so early, or fight their war for them. The Ruby of Wind wasn't worth anywhere near that much effort.

My objective here today was still the Ring of Andvari, and while that put me in opposition to Cromwell, that didn't mean I had to fight all of Reconquista.

I only had to wait for the right moment to strike at the head.

Through the spy drones, I could see that Cromwell was standing just outside the keep, and hadn't moved from there since I left the throne room. He'd sent his vanguard inside, but he himself hadn't risked entering the castle on account of traps. There was no sign of Myozunitonirun anywhere, which was strange, as one would think that they would be helping Cromwell at this critical juncture. Unless they were waiting for the right moment to appear, just like me. On the other hand, I wasn't sure exactly what position Myozunitonirun had in the army—if going by canon, that'd be Cromwell's assistant?—or what they typically did, so maybe I was just having a hard time identifying them in the sea of soldiers.

An army of mages, orcs, and what seemed to be non-magical soldiers surrounded him, occupying the outer areas of the castle between the ramparts and the inner keep.

The great golems that led the initial attack at the walls also remained outside the keep, content to wait.

Inside the castle, I saw the final resistance fail and the vanguard mages surrounded the door to the throne room.

However, instead of continuing the assault, an unarmed messenger was sent forth. What was this?

O O O

[Interlude]

"Damn, where's the aid that was promised? The enemy is already upon us!" The captain cursed as he got into a defensive stance while warily watching the invaders who seemed to be waiting outside the throne room's open door.

"Then all that's left is to meet them head on," said King Henry. He stood up, and took out a wand of his own, preparing to fight to the bitter end.

Suddenly a solitary person came through the door looking very nervous.

Based on their uniform and lack of armor, they appeared to be a messenger.

"Hm? What is it then? At this final hour, does Cromwell think we'd even consider surrender?" The King demanded loudly.

The messenger bowed his head on shaky legs.

"Lord Cromwell wishes to offer King Henry a final chance to demonstrate he and the Tudor lineage possesses the right to rule by the favor of Brimir! A duel to the death against the Lord Protector in single combat! If King Henry wins, Reconquista will disband and submit to the rule of Your Majesty, under the condition of amnesty for all acts committed against the crown. If the Lord Protector wins, Lord Cromwell shall become the new rightful regent of Albion! Will Your Majesty accept this challenge, and acknowledge that the lawful right of succession shall be determined by this duel?"

After issuing the challenge, the messenger carefully raised up and held out an official looking parchment towards the King.

The nearest knight took the parchment and brought it to where the king stood. His eyes quickly glanced over the document, and it appeared to be a treaty outlining the terms of the duel. Champions would not be permitted, the duelists had to be Lord Cromwell and King Henry themselves.

For a moment, there was only silence.

The offer was too good, too heavily favoring the royalists.

And in all likelihood, Reconquista wouldn't even honor it, even if Cromwell died. King Henry was no fool, having dealt with politics and court all his life. The nobles on Cromwell's side wouldn't necessarily follow any of Cromwell's instructions to disband, even if he had been genuine about it. The fact was that they obeyed him now because Cromwell's position was too strong, but if he was dead? Why couldn't any of the ambitious ones seize the throne for themselves, given that the Tudor dynasty was all but defeated already?

Nevertheless, if Cromwell really did lose this duel, it was still a much better chance than the hopeless battle they were facing right now.

Some nobles might be swayed back to the royalist side, especially if they believed that Brimir ultimately did favor the Tudors.

It was an exceedingly tempting offer, even though he knew that Cromwell had to have a good reason to make this offer, not only to secure his legitimacy, but also because he must have been supremely confident in victory if he was willing to risk this much.

He thought back to the words of the black knight. The source of Cromwell's void powers…something that was so powerful, the war couldn't have gone any other way.

That was what he was up against.

And worse still, even if the Black Knight would be sending aid, it would be rendered useless in a duel. Did the Black Knight know Cromwell would do this when he made that offer?

The choice now was to fight on and hope that the Black Knight would come through for them, or accept the duel and try to seize victory from defeat using his own magic.

In the end, it wasn't really even a choice at all.

How could he refuse this challenge if Cromwell had put it that way? As a test of who held Brimir's favor?

If he refused now, he would only appear a coward, and if the Reconquista army spread the word after, even if the Black Knight helped them win this battle, he would lose the support of the populace. A King who turned away from Brimir, threw away the Founder's treasures, and accepted the aid of what some might construe as a demonic being with that dark and unholy appearance? Even his own men might whisper.

With the long silence, the captain began to feel distressed. "Your Majesty, there is no need to risk yourself like this. It is obviously a trap! Cromwell just wants you to do this so he can claim legitimacy after winning! If you sign that treaty, even if Cromwell does not abide by the rules of the duel, he could parade the document and silence all witnesses!" The captain warned.

"Maybe it is a trap. But I see no other choice. This is a chance to prove who is righteous. A contest of nobility. Magic against magic."

The King looked up to the open sky that the shattered ceiling revealed. "Founder above, if you are watching, surely you would favor your own blood in this contest? I have ruled justly and fairly to the best of my ability. That man who desires a crusade to the Holy Land is no faithful of yours. He is a madman and will only bring terror and destruction. Why, he even allied with lesser Firstborn races and demihuman creatures to have them fight for him! Founder, give me the strength to banish his evil and win this duel!"

The knights and the captain bowed solemnly upon hearing the king's decision. "Founder bless you, Your Majesty!"

O O O

Cromwell waited patiently outside as the messenger returned with the news that the King had accepted the offer, as he expected, with the treaty document intact.

Now, a duel would decide the future of Albion. A duel that he would win without a doubt, and strengthen legitimacy for his rule. Or at least, that was what his generals and advisors believed, and most likely the King as well.

Most of them were probably interested in seeing just how powerful Cromwell was, and if he was worthy as their leader. Many had seen a few odd demonstrations, but never seen him actually fighting.

They would all think that Cromwell would reveal some incredible Void power during the duel to win.

"So, shall we have the honor of witnessing the true power of the Void today, Lord Protector?" General Fairfox, the top General of Reconquista, asked from beside him, as if to validate his previous thoughts.

Unusual to Halkegenian knights, the General wore heavy full plates and apparently had no trouble moving around in it.

He and the General both rode on warhorses while they conversed. Cromwell himself had exchanged his bishop's robes for more practical light armour, but retained a priestly overcloak.

"The power of the Void is not something to be used lightly against fellow nobles, Thomas. Nor would the Founder appreciate that his power must be used against his own descendants, no matter that they have abandoned his ways. You will see the Void today, but perhaps not in the way you are imagining," said Cromwell.

"Is that so? I shall look forward to it nonetheless."

Because the great reveal would come after the duel, when he revived the King and the resurrected king would submit wholly to Reconquista's cause and acknowledge Cromwell as Emperor above even kings.

As for how he would win? It would be the mysterious "will of Brimir".

With the Ring at his disposal, he did not need to fear even Square class mages. Only Miss Sheffield might be able to overcome the Ring's power, but that was only a hypothetical. He had never dared to test its powers on her.

And it was with this one act, that he would truly break free of Miss Sheffield's control. Most of the men under his command were less than completely loyal. Some had been strong-armed, or had their own motivations to rebel. Many had to be persuaded with the power of the Ring and Miss Sheffield's shows of force.

And she undoubtedly believed that he had built a house of cards, which would crumble away at the slightest weakness, if he let up on the ring's influence for even a moment.

But that was wrong. Other than the initial defections, he had specifically avoided using the ring to maintain control, in order to cultivate real loyalty. Miss Sheffield had chosen him to play a role, and by the Founder he knew how to do exactly that. He acted as a fanatical religious leader, and preached everywhere he went, even in private.

He was a bishop after all, and with hardly any talent in magic, he used other skills to rise to that station. He knew how to listen to people, be sympathetic, and make them trust in him. To see him as a friend and confidante, someone to whom they could confess all their sins and receive not disgust but compassion in return, and provide wise guidance.

Even as the leader of Reconquista, his was not the rule of an iron fist but that of a moral power, even as his generals enforced military discipline. The feeling of shame, the pride of honor, and the fear of God could make people do things that force never could.

Once his army witnessed the events today, they would truly become his army, and would follow his commands loyally even without the ring. In this way, if Miss Sheffield turned against him one day, or if she tried to take back the ring, he'd still have his army to fight for him.

Soon, the king emerged with his entourage of guards, and when he stepped forward, his guards did not follow.

"Alright Cromwell, I'm right here. If you're foolish enough to bet everything on a duel after coming this far, I am happy to show your men why you're unfit to be a king, let alone the leader of a successful crusade after countless failures by greater men than you."

Cromwell stepped down from his warhorse and took off his priestly robes, handing it to a servant.

"Oh King Henry, you have truly blinded yourself to God's light. I have never once sought to be king, nor do I know what destiny God has in store for me. All I know is that Brimir has commanded me, and I must carry out His Will. For too long, corruption and injustice have dominated this kingdom, and even all of Halkegenia! Under your rule, the teachings of Brimir have been tossed aside, and you sat upon your gilded throne believing that birth alone determined the right to rule. Content to live in luxury for yourself, you cared nothing for the people, extorting unreasonably high taxes and ignoring the pleas of your impoverished nobles!"

"Lies and slander! The taxes were necessary to recover from the ruinous war against Germania we fought only two decades ago! And I have listened to plenty of reasonable petitions, you people just demand the impossible! Yet Brimir sees all and it is me who shall be favored today, for I have been a fair, just, and pious king!"

"Ridiculous! How can you claim to be pious after committing adultery and fathering a child with an elf! You dared to spurn the love of the Founder and seek pleasures of the flesh from the very enemies the Founder sacrificed everything to fight against! The same enemies who desire the death of all humans and the destruction of our civilization!"

The face of the old king turned white. "I…I don't know what you're talking about!"

"You still deny it? Your daughter would like to have a word with you. Created from blasphemy, you have cursed her with sin from the moment of her birth and doomed her to live with the features of an elf! Come, Tiffania! Your father may have tossed you to the furthest, darkest corner of the kingdom, but you have the right to let the world know who you really are!"

The king's mouth dropped open in shock as a hooded slim figure stepped out of the carriage near the front of the army group and was gently led by servants. They came to a stop beside Cromwell, and unfurled her hood to reveal a young woman with blonde hair, blue eyes, and long sharp ears.

Gasps and shrieks could be heard all across the castle grounds. Many soldiers who were unaware of who was in the carriage instinctively took up defensive stances.

"Elf!"


A/N: A/N: This Cromwell is less of a tool than the one in the novels or show. But will that be enough to achieve his ambitions, especially with MC in the picture?

Also a reminder that there is now a Discord you can join to talk about the story and share ideas on certain questions/topics I am actively looking for ideas on. Check my profile for the link.

James317: There's actually a physics of the multiverse that was explained in the prequel to this story. The Worm Earths are all within their local reality cluster or plane, so they don't have access to "every" earth, just the ones within that plane. That's the same reason that tinkertech doesn't really work on Halkegenia, because the "wormvoid" which holds those parallel earths don't exist here.

Guest: Well, there's no denying that MC isn't a heroic, brave type, and he'll cower and hide behind girls if he thinks his chances aren't good. I'm rather surprised you read this far too if you didn't like that premise. He'll do something that's a significant departure from his usual MO next though, because he realizes that he can.

Taygunz00: Are you sure you're posting on the right story? I have no idea what you're talking about.

TheOnlyKing: Well, you were right not to expect it because he's not really aiding the king.

ZhaWarudo: You know, technically he hasn't actually used Agate to assassinate anybody yet. That only happened in a discarded Coil timeline. But it is true he did a lot of spying, and I was also feeling that it was a fairly strong power despite MC thinking that he was a powerless human in the beginning.

Thanks to everyone else who reviewed!