Chapter 11: Mischief In The Making

Chapter 11: Mischief In The Making "The celebration is in two days, and the other kingdoms are acting normally. So far, nothing unusual has been identified. It’s all too quiet for my liking," Henndar spoke to a middle-aged man in a purple robe and grey hair that cascaded below his shoulders. He was handsome beyond belief, even more so than Henndar, whose beauty was unnatural—yet, Henndar had to admit Gebreth’s superiority. He resembled Henndar slightly, with yellow eyes that seemed to hold the wisdom of the world. His presence was so calming one could feel instantly relaxed in his company. Gebreth was the grand adviser to the king, though rumors said he was very old, perhaps older than the kingdom itself. As it was known, the higher one ascended in cultivation, the more youthful they could appear. Some prodigies even retained the appearance of children. No one in the Kingdom could challenge Gebreth’s authority. No one had ever seen him use his power, yet everyone feared him. Gebreth seemed to glide across the floor as he spoke, "Everything is quiet, you say?" "Yes, and with that, I feel this might just be the calm before the storm. Their greatest plots always go unnoticed until it’s too late," Henndar replied. Gebreth nodded. "I share the same concern. As of now, do you expect any visitors from outside the kingdom?" "Invites have been sent as usual, but they’ll only start showing up tomorrow." "What about the Elwicks, your other family? Their influence has grown, and per my sources, they’re deliberately leaking information to the public, tarnishing the royal family’s name. Their lies are gaining traction. What do you have to say about that?" Gebreth shifted the conversation, watching Henndar closely, noting that his expression remained unchanged. Henndar sighed. The matter of the Elwicks had always been a thorn in his side. His birth name was Elwick, the head of the most powerful family in the kingdom, wealthy business tycoons who had been entrenched since the kingdom’s founding. Though they shared royal blood, the true royal bloodline ran through only a select few. Henndar himself was the one to bear that blood after the death of the previous king, and so he ascended to the throne, taking the Vermillion surname and discarding Elwick. At first, the Elwicks benefited from his position, but their increasing greed pushed him to sever ties, sparking a cold war between the royal family and them. Things worsened after Henndar married Kethra, a half-elf. Now, the Elwicks were desperate to turn the people against him. "Not long ago, I sent spies into their territory and discovered large quantities of illegal products being bought. We traced the buyers, but the leads vanished. The products disappeared right under our noses. I took extreme measures to prevent any smuggling into the kingdom walls. Yesterday, I had one auction house shut down after I found one of the merpeople among the slave girls. Something else was discovered," Henndar opened his palm, and a glass vial filled with thick, deep red liquid appeared. He held it up, and Gebreth took it. "Beast Bane," Henndar said. Gebreth examined it closely, his sharp eyes catching something unusual—dark particles swirling within the liquid. After a few moments, he nodded knowingly. "This isn’t just Beast Bane. Normal Beast Bane drives beasts into a frenzy until they die. This has been mixed with the blood of a powerful beast. Even damned cultivators would go rogue if they came into contact with it." Gebreth opened the vial carefully, and as he pointed his index finger into it, the liquid began to swirl. The center turned an even darker red. Soon, a bead started to form in the middle of the vortex. It floated above the vial, strings of red blood-like threads hanging beneath it. The smaller rivulets from the vial entered it, and it slowly hardened. Gebreth pinched it between his thumb and index finger, examining it with the intensity of a pirate sizing up a precious pearl. "It’s normal when this variant is mixed with regular Beast Bane, but this beast’s blood is too powerful to have gone unnoticed. This wasn’t an accident." Gebreth’s frown deepened. "The Elwicks purposefully imported this from their source and planned to give it to whoever wanted it. I can assure you, whoever the buyer is, they are no friend of the kingdom. I suspect the same individual also purchased the Aleus. Hunting for people with space attributes has become too common lately." Henndar’s features were marred by a slight furrow in his brow. "That doesn’t seem right. I don’t see the connection," Henndar said. He noticed that the bead had shrunk slightly—just enough for his perceptive eye to catch. He thought it odd, but then he saw the thin red threads around his fingers and realized Gebreth was absorbing them. "Where are the children now?" Gebreth asked suddenly. "They should be on their way now," Henndar shrugged, a smile creeping onto his lips. "Are the three you assigned to them still watching over them?" "Yes, they should be concealed nearby by now. Why the sudden interest?" Gebreth’s voice dropped. "I just feel they should be more attentive, especially these next few days. Eyes may be on them—evil eyes," he emphasized the last two words. "Understood." "I suggest you send some men to keep a close watch on any visitors from the other kingdoms. It could be risky, but it’s a necessary precaution." The bead disappeared, and Gebreth seemed lost in thought for a moment. "Gebreth, I wanted you to let the children off for the day. Let them have some free time," Henndar said. Gebreth chuckled. "Your Majesty doesn’t need to ask me for that." "But you’re their trainer. It’s common courtesy to ask." Gebreth waved off the comment. "I was already going to leave them to their own devices." "Oh, that makes things much easier then. Too bad, Aramith really wanted to train today too.." Henndar sighed, and Gebreth eyed him. "As a father, I find it strange that you let your son endure this. It seems you even enjoy it. I wish you had experienced the same childhood, then you’d understand his pain." "It’s not like he’s being murdered or thrown off a cliff. And why do you make it sound like I’m the one doing this to him?" "That’s no excuse, Henndar. Sometimes he just wants some peace of mind, but you do nothing about that. All you do is aggravate his suffering. A great father you are." "A great father I am, yes, but the sarcasm with which you say those words speaks otherwise." "Quite impressive that you took that as a compliment, King." Henndar raised an eyebrow. "I wouldn’t have this title if I were dumb enough to think so. And wait... this doesn’t make sense." "What are you muttering about over there? You should respect your elders, you know?" "Great words from a divine being such as you," Henndar grinned. Gebreth shook his head, staring at him with amusement. "And where is your crown?" Henndar glanced upward, as if searching for the top of his head, and then grinned. "My crown? I don’t need to wear it constantly to announce who I am. I could even walk around without any clothes, and I’d still be respected as the king." "You wouldn’t maintain that respect if you did so," Gebreth countered, an unholy image appearing in his mind. He shuddered "Ah, using my own words against me now, I see." Gebreth pointed ahead. "I sense them nearby. We’ll meet them around this corner." He halted and turned to Gebreth, who had stopped a few paces behind. "What’s wrong?" Gebreth asked. Henndar gave him a serious look and caught up. He eyed the corner ahead, then turned back to Gebreth. "I’m thinking," he said. "Once we round the corner, there will still be a little more walking before we meet them. Don’t you think it would ruin the whole thing?" Gebreth’s brow furrowed. "What exactly is going on in that head of yours, Henndar?" Henndar waved him off. "I mean, they’re still walking towards us. If we go now...Never mind, Let’s go." Henndar turned and began walking ahead, leaving Gebreth standing still. "What crazy scene are you about to create?" Gebreth muttered to himself. He didn’t follow yet, noticing someone was approaching him from behind.