Kai talked to Isolde for a while longer, but apparently, she had other places to be and soon left after ensuring that he had received the royal message and getting Kai’s seal over a document. Once he was alone, he moved to his office on the upper floors, leaving Killian to fetch one of Francis’ apprentices who was well-versed in kingdom law.

As Kai sat waiting in his office, he flipped open the letter—not the one regarding the Assembly of Judgment—but the one personally sent by King Sullivan. The letter was short and to the point, a brief note with a request from the king. It stated that he wanted a meeting with Kai once he arrived in the capital and insisted that he bring Valkyrie’s gift with him. It also mentioned that Kai should contact the king privately when he arrived in the capital and, in no uncertain terms, warned him to be sharp. There were plenty of opportunities for an attack, and the king made it clear that the situation was far from safe.

Though it was short, the letter left Kai with far more questions than answers. Why did the king want to meet him? Why bring up the medallion now, after all this time? The mention of an attack didn’t sit well with him—he suspected it was likely Regina who was planning something, but the question lingered, was the king truly opposed to her, or was there more at play here? Did King Sullivan know of her involvement in darker dealings? The letter only deepened the web of confusion in Kai’s mind, and the more he thought about it, the more complicated everything seemed.

But one thing was clear, the medallion was becoming more and more crucial for him. Kai would have liked it if the letter had at least mentioned where to find the medallion, but he guessed that King Sullivan himself wouldn’t have the faintest clue on its location. Only his mother, Arzan’s mother, would know. But finding it would require him to dive deeper into the soul fragment.

Up until now, Kai had focused on increasing his power, hoping that the fragment of Arzan’s mother would give him a clue as to where the inheritance—and the medallion—was hidden. But with the stakes rising, he might have no choice but to enter his astral realm, where the silhouette was likely residing. However, that was a whole new level of complication, one that could be risky and difficult to navigate.

His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. Killian entered, followed by Francis’ apprentice, Mina, who was holding two books in her hands.

Kai glanced up. “Did you find what you were looking for?”

“We did,” Killian replied, stepping aside as Mina approached the desk. “According to Mina, the books detail the Assembly, but it’s an old custom—one that hasn’t been used in a long time.”

Kai’s brow furrowed, intrigued. He turned his attention to the young apprentice, who placed the books on the table and opened one of them. She flipped through the pages, finally stopping at a particular illustration. There, etched on the page, was a drawing of a grand parliamentary structure, with people standing on platforms, addressing the assembly.

Mina spoke as she pointed to the illustration. “It’s mostly used for matters that the king alone cannot judge.”

Kai studied the drawing and read the information written down about it, his mind racing. An assembly of that scale, with nobles on platforms and the king unable to make a judgment alone—this was more serious than he had first thought. The implications were much deeper, and it only raised more questions.

As he examined the page, Mina continued. “So, it’s like war crimes or extremely complicated criminal cases,” she said, looking at the illustration and his face. “It was used once during a fief war, when a group of nobles waged war against each other, and only one survived. The surviving noble’s family got the territory as per the rules of the fief war. But the survivor was punished for war crimes—burning entire towns, massacring over a thousand people—and he was executed.”

Killian’s gaze sharpened, and he glanced at her. “Who decides this punishment?”

Mina responded without hesitation. “Votes. It’s called the Assembly of Judgment for a reason. Every noble is required to be there and cast a vote after everything—the witnesses, testimonies, all the details—are presented. The vote decides what should happen.”

Kai’s frown deepened. Votes—a decision made by the collective. Nobles never remained neutral in such matters, and their votes were swayed by their alliances, rivalries, and politics. If this assembly was going to be like that, his chances of staying on top hinged on something crucial—his reputation.

He turned toward Killian, a thoughtful look crossing his face. “If this is truly how it’s going to be, then the most important thing for us is to build my reputation—not among the commoners. With my feats, I know I’ve built a reputation among them. Malden has even told me about it in our last meeting, how he’s been spreading good rumors about me and countering any bad ones.” He let out a quiet sigh, thinking of how much of a web of influence he’d need to weave. “No, we need to make sure the nobles see me as someone they can’t afford to dismiss. My reputation among them… that’s what’ll matter here.”

“How are we going to do that?” Killian asked, lines forming on his forehead.

“That’s what we need to figure out.”

Kai leaned back in his chair, and started stroking his growing stubble unconsciously. His mind churned with the complexities of the situation: his reputation among the nobles was fragile at best. He had made some connections, but nothing substantial enough to rely on in such a pivotal moment. Most of the nobles were already divided into factions, each with their own agendas.

The first prince was unlikely to offer any help. He had already shown his dislike for Kai, and even if he managed to win support from nobles from his faction, Regina will make sure they turn his back to him at the final moment. The other two factions were no better—they wouldn’t even consider supporting him unless he pledged allegiance to their causes first. The political game had a price.

A part of him wanted to give up on the entire kingdom, to cast aside his ambitions and stop caring about the petty politics that governed it. But he quickly dismissed the thought. He wasn’t strong enough yet to walk away. Not with an established kingdom standing in his way. The reality was clear: without strength, allies, and more power, he would never stand a chance in this game.

He needed to keep pushing forward. And, after some deliberation, he realized there was only one person he could truly rely on now—Duke Blackwood. If the duke had any sense of loyalty after the results of the fief war, he would be the one to stand with him. But that wasn’t a guarantee. It seemed like it was time to reach out and make sure the duke had made up his mind. Writing him a letter would be the next step.

As he mulled over these thoughts, Killian’s voice broke his concentration. “What are we going to do now, Lord Arzan? You’ll need considerable support to prevail in the assembly. Even with all the proof we have, maybe a few neutral nobles might take your side, but with the state of the kingdom right now, most will just follow what their factions tell them. None of them have any reason to support you yet.”

He nodded thoughtfully. “Yeah, the king really shoved me into a bad situation,” he muttered, as if confirming the reality of his predicament. But as he sat there, lost in his thoughts, he started piecing together a new plan.

One of the major advantages he had was the time. Three months before the assembly began. It was likely due to the need to gather all the nobles to the capital. He guessed that it was also the reason why the herald had looked to be in such a hurry, having to deliver summons to more noble houses. Either way, time was on his side. The question was, what could he do with it? What could he do to ensure he emerged unscathed?

Relying on Duke Blackwood for support was important, but he knew he couldn’t put all his eggs in one basket. He had to act on his own, too. His reputation among the nobles wasn’t solid enough to rely on yet, and he had no allies strong enough to guarantee his safety. But maybe, just maybe, the assembly itself could be the key. Not as an obstacle to overcome, but as an opportunity.

As his thoughts reached there, he plan parts of a plan coming to him.

“I believe this is the best thing that could have happened to us,” he said.

Killian’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “What do you mean, Lord Arzan?”

The young apprentice, Mina, glanced between them, her confusion mirrored on her face. “I don’t understand… What is your lordship thinking?”

Kai smiled, confidence slowly returning to him. “We had to make contacts with the other noble houses anyway, if we wanted our future plans to come true. And the assembly—it will be the perfect excuse to get close to them. It’s a formal event, a time for everyone to gather and discuss matters. There’s no better opportunity to make a lasting impression. If we play this right, we can start forming alliances, solidifying our position, and maybe even turning a few of the other nobles into potential allies.”

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Kai fell into contemplation, his mind working through the possibilities. The pieces were falling into place, slowly but surely. He glanced at Killian and Mina, both of them waiting for his next words.

“We have a lot of time,” Kai continued. “And if we can slowly break away some noble houses from the three factions, we might just put ourselves in a safe position. In the assembly, every noble’s vote is counted the same. Your standing doesn’t increase your influence there, not like how some would expect. Right, Mina?”

Mina nodded. “Yes, Lord Arzan. Each noble gets only one vote, regardless of their rank.”

Kai’s lips curled into a small, thoughtful smile. “Exactly. So, the key is to target those nobles who are in the factions, but who don’t truly belong there. The ones who might be stuck, either by obligation or by fear of moving against their faction.”

Killian raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. “How are we going to do that?”

Kai smirked. “That’s the question, isn’t it?”

“What?”

“Well, when you want to target a section of society, you should always target the youth. They’re weak, gullible, and they want opportunity—but they seldom get it. They’re ripe for the picking.”

“Youth?”

Mina’s eyes lit up as she understood. “You’re talking about Barons and Viscounts, Lord Arzan, right? The younger generation, the ones just starting out, eager for a chance to prove themselves.”

Kai nodded. “Yes. Even though many of them are part of the factions, they didn’t always choose to be. A lot of them simply joined because the Count or Marquis they serve under went into a faction, and they had no choice but to follow. We can use that. I’m sure there are many who are reluctant to be tied to a faction, but they’ve got no power to change their circumstances. They’re desperate for a chance.”

Mina’s eyes twinkled with understanding. “And the ones who aren’t getting the opportunity they need.”

“Not only that. There’s more. The kingdom isn’t in the best shape right now, especially when it comes to food. The harvest this year was poor, and from what we’ve gathered from the south, the rains have eluded them. They’ve had to rely on Mages to keep the crops from failing completely.”

Killian frowned, looking uneasy. “That’s not good.”

“No. And on top of that, we’ve lost a major trade partner. Vanderfall’s been decimated by a plague. The Watchers reported it, though they haven’t gotten close enough to confirm the exact nature of the outbreak. But the result is clear—the plague has crippled Vanderfall. The royal family and most of the nobility are holed up in one city at the edge of the kingdom, leaving their lands and trade routes in ruins. And Lancephil’s trade relations have been severely damaged as a result. We’ve effectively lost a critical partner.”

Kai’s mind raced with the potential that lay before him. The trade ties with Vanderfall were a gaping hole in the kingdom’s economy, and with the loss of such an important partner, many nobles would feel the strain. He knew how to exploit that weakness. The discontent among the ranks of the nobility was palpable, and this assembly might just be the perfect opportunity to capitalize on it.

After weighing everything, Kai sat back in his chair, a decisive glint in his eyes. “The assembly… it might become the very thing that helps us create the faction we’ve been talking about. It’s the opportunity we’ve been waiting for, and we have three months to work with. Three months to gather what we need, get the right support, and build a force strong enough to make a difference.”

Killian nodded thoughtfully. “So, how do we proceed, Lord Arzan?”

“First, we need Duke Blackwood. He’s the key to this. We need him to spearhead our negotiations and bring his influence to the table. His support will solidify our position and help convince other nobles that we are a force to be reckoned with. He’s pragmatic, and with the right push, he’ll see the benefit of aligning with us.”

“Understood. I’ll make sure to contact him immediately.”

Kai continued. “Next, Ansel. I want you to tell him to gather information on every Baron and Viscount in the kingdom. Their alliances, their weaknesses, any piece of dirt we can use. We need to know everything about them, what motivates them, and what we can use to sway them to our side.

“When we go to the capital, we’re not going alone. We need a large force of our own.”

Killian gave a firm, final nod.

***

After learning about the Assembly of Judgment, Kai took a full day to gather everyone important enough for his plan. He explained what each of them needed to do and assigned tasks, ensuring every detail was covered. Once everything was set into motion, he sent a trusted messenger to inform Francis of the situation and ask for any advice or insight he might have and got to move with Talon, one of the Enforcers he seldom had any talks with.

They set off on a journey through his newly acquired territory, heading towards a spot on a small hill nestled between the border of his lands and the former Lucian territory.

The area was an untamed stretch of land, dotted with various types of trees, and the scent of the wild hung in the air. He knew that wild beasts often roamed around here, distant howls were proof of that.

It was a place that had once been home to a thriving village before the attacks from a dangerous nest of creatures had forced the inhabitants to relocate. The leader of these beasts was a Grade 3 beast, a terror that had been too much for the villagers to handle. Now, however, Kai had seen potential in this spot, and he had a plan to make it useful once again.

This would be the perfect location for the barbarians, he had thought.

The tribe had proven invaluable during the fief war, with their strength and tenacity helping turn the tide of battle. Afterward, Kai had offered them a settlement within his territory, granting them a prime piece of land to rebuild their village. One that was both arable and had nearby beasts for them to hunt.

As he and Talon ascended the hill towards the site, the loud noise of construction greeted them. The barbarians had wasted no time in getting to work. Wooden walls were rising up, and even from a distance, Kai could see a watchtower under construction. The industriousness of the people was evident, and it made Kai feel a sense of pride in his decision to offer them a new home.

As they neared the walls, one of the Lombards standing guard up top must have spotted them. There was a brief movement, a rustle in the watchtower, and Kai knew that there would be someone to greet him when they reached the gate.

As they traveled, Talon, who had been right beside him, finally turned to him. “Lord Arzan,” he asked, “why are we visiting the Lombards? Is there a particular reason you’re making the trip out here personally?”

“Yes, there’s a reason,” he replied, his tone leaving little room for further questions. “And it’s really important.”

“Can I ask what that reason is, Lord Arzan?” Talon persisted.

“Basically,” he began, “since the Lombards are now with us, I’ve been meaning to talk to them about their tribe’s techniques. They’re a martial tribe and have developed a lot of unique techniques over the years. In fact, even the kingdom has shown interest in them for their own knights and soldiers.” He paused. “But now that many of them have become Enforcers, I thought it would be worth discussing whether they could evolve their techniques into proper Enforcer martial arts.”

***

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