Ch.30 King Redfield’s Game [Both] (Patreon)

It only took a week to get a response back from King Redfield.

—

King Everwood,

I invite you to a summit at the Emeric Palace in Ardenthal in two weeks' time. It can provide a safe, suitable environment for all parties as a mutual ally.

While you can bring Lady Lockheart, I request that you refrain from bringing her into official decorum.

King Redfield

—

I glanced at Thea, happily humming as she practiced her sewing. While she looked so carefree, she didn't like leaving my side during stressful situations—and the meeting would be tense—so I was worried she might panic. Zenith was also a hothead, so, once again, Lyssa was my saving grace.

After informing Lyssa of the development and privately discussing strategies to keep Thea calm, we prepared for the trip over the next few days and left by carriage, as flying a wyvern into Ardenthal could cause a crisis, and Princess Veil herself was a diplomatic issue.

Besides, it was relaxing just to enjoy the sun, carefree living, and bandit-killing on the trip.

Eight days later, we arrived in Ardanthal to a lively reception of applauding citizens, as far as we could see. Thea's eyes sparkled at all the praise I was getting, but it was still reminiscent of the last time I met with King Redfield, albeit in a different context.

"They're not cheering because you beat Goldenspire," Seraphin smirked, reading my mind as I looked out the window at the boisterous crowd of cheering citizens.

"Then what are they cheering about?" I frowned, unenthused.

"I don't know," he shrugged sarcastically. "Perhaps it was the reading, writing, and accounting learning materials. Or maybe the fish-cooking recipes helped merchants sell spices and increase demand for specialty products. While it's unlikely, it could even be the steel pans that don't rust easily around saltwater. Who's to say?"

Thea gasped with a bright smile and nudged me, making me smile slightly. Seraphin narrowed his eyes at me and then sat in silence as we finished the grand welcome.

Emeric Palace was a spectacle compared to other palaces. Instead of dazzling chandeliers and grand art, every wall was painted with stories of legendary battles in the Mystic Azure Sea, both with legendary sea creatures and pirates.

The chandeliers had glass nets beneath them, creating lighting that painted everything under fishing nets—it was absolutely obnoxious.

Where there wasn't full-wall art or candles, there were flags of pirates that King Emeric had killed or the blue and green flags of the nation.

After a full reception fit for kings, we entered the banquet hall, where we ate A-rank seafood from a shark-like creature called a silver regal. The meat looked… disturbing. Even cooked, it was neon pink with a vein network resembling spider webs—meat wasn’t supposed to have a vein network resembling spider webs.

Thankfully, it tasted strangely delicious, like fresh tuna steak glazed with a toned-down pixie stick. It melted in our mouths, making it a strangely pleasant experience. That was a delight, considering that I would’ve eaten it regardless. It was soul meat! I'd have washed it down with pure ethanol if I had to!

After bathing in the royal chambers and getting some rest, the summit began.

"Thea, you need to stay out here," I said, looking at my feisty cat queen.

"King Redfield tried to kill you last time," Thea furrowed her brow, pushing off Lyssa, who was trying to grab her hand. "A room with two powerful kings and a pack of hob-gobbling wizards is a death threat. You need strong people with you!"

Graken and my new guard, Iska, a towering man with long hair twisted into a ponytail, frowned, being called weak kittens. However, neither forgot how easily Ajax, the strongest guard in Sundell, died under Titus' foot during the Battle of Sundell, so they didn't take it too personally.

"There's a code among kings that protects me," I countered. "Moreover, I provide a lot of value to these people alive. That's why I'm here."

Thea bit her lip nervously, trembling and opening her mouth but knowing I wouldn't relent. "Okay...."

"No beast taming magic," I ordered, giving her a stern glare.

She turned away from me sheepishly, not saying anything.

"Thea...."

Thea turned back and looked away, glanced back and then away.

I closed my eyes with a stressed expression. Now that I had clearer emotions, my stress was more intense. After opening my eyes, I looked at Lyssa pleadingly; she gave me a wincing expression that implied she didn't know what to do, making me sigh.

"If you use magic in this building, everyone will know," I cautioned. "Do you understand?"

Thea nodded with a slight smile.

'Well, at least she doesn't lie to me,' I thought. 'Or if she does, she makes it so obvious it's just a cryptical formality.'

"Good enough," I sighed, ruffling her hair and nodding at Lyssa before turning and meeting the Castellan Rouge, an elderly man with a military-like posture and sharp blue eyes. "We await your entrance," he said, looking at massive double doors engraved with a story about a fight with a monster similar to Cthulhu.

"I'm ready," I replied.

Trumpets played a piece as two guards opened the doors, revealing a large blue and green room surrounded by guards and wizards. In the center, sitting at a large maple table, were two men of extraordinary status. To my left was King Emeric, sitting with his white beard cleanly braided and beaded as he wore official blue and green robes. To the right was King Redfield, a clean-shaven man with silver hair and a youthful demeanor.

All eyes were on me as I walked into the room, a young man of seventeen, clean-shaven and youthful among the sea of men, most of whom had lived for centuries.

Graken and Iska took their places on the wall nearest to my side, standing between two wizards.

If everyone attacked, it was likely that I would die. That alone saved me from feeling a sense of dread and apprehension as I took a chair in the center, sitting between the two men and presenting a formidable appearance equal to their natural pressure.

I prayed that my recent gains in the battle against Titus Roman would be enough to stand against two men who likely had S-rank soul cultivation techniques and several centuries of experience.

After a few minutes of silence for butlers to pour me a glass of water, King Emeric spoke. "Welcome to Emeric Palace," he said with a deep voice that fit his appearance. "Has your reception been to your liking?"

I swallowed, nervous to be sitting at a table with kings. When did I start feeling like this? What a dumb fucking question. But... maybe not. "It has been charming and tasteful," I replied, taking a drink of water.

Both men looked at me, curious about my uncharacteristic anxiety. That made things worse because they might think that I was guilty. Still, it was impossible not to. I had a bad feeling—not just about the meeting, but something more, as if I had missed something or deeply messed up.

"Is everything okay?" King Redfield asked.

"Forgive me," I breathlessly scoffed, glancing at the guards and then both of them. "It's not every day you sit at a table with kings."

The two exchanged glances, realizing that this was the first official meeting between me and a leader of a country as a king. When they realized the absurdity, they chuckled, helping to ease the tension in the room and letting me regain my balance.

"Are we ready?" King Emeric asked, gaining nods and continuing. "I'm here to act as a witness to negotiations between the Everwood Empire and the Valerian Kingdom and to oversee privacy barriers."

With magic, King Redfield and I could speak despite being under the protection of King Emeric and the guards. It was convenient.

"Let's start with the matter that involves me," King Emeric said, his tone dropping an octave. "You've offered King Redfield cannons in exchange for magical materials. Is that correct?"

My pulse raced when I heard the reason he was there wasn't for strength alone. I couldn't figure out what, but the pit in my stomach told me I had done something very wrong. "Correct. I'm offering cannons for unique magical plants and minerals as well as magical texts on plants and minerals."

"Do you understand that number is in the thousands?" King Redfield asked.

My vision blurred when I understood why King Emeric found it a problem: I was giving weapons of mass destruction to another country. "I didn't, but my offer remains."

King Emeric tensed, and King Redfield narrowed his eyes as whispers and quiet gasps filled the space.

---

Thea sat on a bench outside the reception hall with Lyssa, who was rubbing her ears as the cat woman tapped a hole through the floor with her foot. "It'll be okay, Thea," Lyssa said, using Thea's inflexible tail as a stress gauge.

"The pressure in that room would suffocate a mortal," Thea replied, her eyes closed.

"That's to be expected." Lyssa pursed her lips. Ryker had been playing with fire since the day she met him, and she always feared that he'd finally reach a situation his cunning couldn't solve; now, she was facing it. "Ryker is a king—everything he does bears gravity."

Thea bit her lip hard, forcing a nod. As Lyssa comforted her, a black, mosquito-like creature called a reeta flew out of her ear for the tenth time, this time moving down the opposite side of Lyssa, blending into her dress.

Thea's mind was going in loops, rushing through a thousand worst-case scenarios. She did that in peaceful times—the thought of him being in genuine danger was causing her chest to tighten and her body to become painfully tense. Her mind muddled, she linked with the reeta's eyes, having it silently fly down to the ground and navigate along the floor, skillfully blending into the dark spots on the marble floors to make it seem like nothing was there.

Thea was a pro at this work.

Few could keep secrets from Lady Lockheart, and few tried. She was like a ghost to those in Sundell and Everthorn, and even now, the high-level guards were clueless as she waved around their feet, stopping at the bottom of the door, agonizing over whether to come in.

-

"We are talking about the weapons that decimated Goldenspire troops last month, correct?" King Redfield asked from the other side of the door, causing the pressure to cause the reeta to short-circuit as it approached.

"One and the same," Ryker replied after a stressed breath.

-

Stress. Ryker stressed. Stressed Ryker. Ryker is stressed. Stress-stress-stress!

Thea's face contorted in pain.

"Thea…." Lyssa whispered, hugging her and getting close. "Don't even think about calling a contract. It can be seen as spying."

Thea gulped, setting the reeta on the ground under the door to regain her senses. "I know…."

---

"If you have a problem with my offer, be candid, for I lack skill in statecraft," I requested.

King Redfield took a deep, exasperated breath. "If you're willing to offer such weapons to a neighboring country, it implies that you have weapons that surpass them, does it not?"

King Emeric became stern, and staffs raked the ground as wizards tensely gripped them.

I took a deep breath, cold sweat dripping down my shoulder blades. "On the contrary, I aim to partially restore the power balance."

King Emeric glowered at me. "That's hard to believe. No kingdom would cede power to others without a motive or a countermeasure."

"They will do so partially if it's a matter of survival," I argued. "Right now, I pose a security risk that will inspire war and discourage trade."

A weak, economically dependent country on a stronger one is a puppet—and no leader wanted to be a puppet. Therefore, coal countries might unite to get rid of the threat.

"If all of this is true, it begets a serious question—why are you rushing to establish an economic alliance ahead of the Suitor's Tournament?" King Redfield asked.

----

Thea's tail became stiff, and the fur stood up as if a wave of static electricity had passed over it. Lyssa stopped rubbing the cat woman's back, waves of anxiety crashing through her body.

----

A pit developed in my stomach, and icy chills crashed through my veins, threatening to take my breath away. I finally understood what this feeling was—I had messed up. Things were going so well for so long that I played King Redfield like a fool, brazenly announcing my intentions instead of doing what I usually did: forcing his hand.

"Even if countries wanted to attack you, it would take years to assess your strength, wean off your economic goods, and create alliances," King Redfield asserted. "During that time, you could introduce technology and deepen alliances. So why risk everything before the Suitor's Tournament that you already held back?"

I took a deep breath to steel my resolve. "If you believe I plan to back out of a political marriage, wouldn't you want an economic arrangement and weapons to ensure that a confrontation would cause massive losses on both sides?" I reasoned.

"No, I would not," King Redfield growled, his tense body hinting at a desire to slap me.

"King Everwood," King Emeric began, "as a king, you're expected to marry a princess. Therefore, refusing a relationship is tantamount to a declaration of a poisoned deal or plans for another alliance."

I took a sharp breath, my eyes looking past King Redfield but seeing nothing in particular. Then—for a split second—my trembling muscles calmed before my fingernails dug into my palm until they drew blood.

"My technology and weapons will continue to increase in potency whether you accept an economic relationship or not," I growled. "The strength and wealth I offer will ensure I retain allies. So even if you declare me a heretic and spread distrust between kings—it won't make a difference. You know that."

King Redfield and King Emeric released their magical pressure to rein me in. However, I didn't flinch, confirming their suspicions about my killing Titus and making them release their pressure. After all, I killed an archwizard with half my current strength and soul-core limitations.

"So tell me, Kings," I demanded. "Who do you think I'd be making alliances with?"

King Redfield's eyes widened, but he did not waver. He had prepared to kill me this time if I lashed out with King Emeric's help. "Your beastkin is from the demon continent of Eudoria," he said. "And she comes from a race that Valeria has previously subjugated."

----

Thea stopped breathing, and her eyes widened, and her mouth opened, making Lyssa panic. However, when the woman saw a tear streak shoot down the cat woman's cheek like a shooting star, she immediately hugged her.

It was unclear what was happening, but all signs of the meeting were leading to the same place. Lyssa hugged the cat woman with a profound expression, holding her tightly.

----

I chuckled with a grin that sent shivers crawling down everyone's spines. The wizards, ready to attack previously, froze when they saw the fire and madness flickering in my eyes.

King Redfield was shocked to see normal human emotion from me. Even after years of torment, I reined myself in—but not now. After giving him a caustic glare that could eat through steel, I stood and walked toward the door.

Wizards and guards tried to stop me, but I released a pressure that dropped them to their knees, falling like dominoes as I walked past them. It was a horrifying spectacle.

"If not an alliance, then what do you want?!" King Redfield yelled.

I stopped and turned to him with a twisted grin, brimming with insanity that I could see but not control, as if I were watching myself acting. "Love, King Redfield."

King Redfield opened his mouth and scoffed in disbelief, searching around the room for someone who thought I was rational and finding none. "Love?" he laughed. "You'd destroy your reputation and threaten everything—for love? Are you mad?"

"Enough!" I roared, making the man grit his teeth and stand, slamming his hands on the table to interject, but I spoke first. "Your teacher lit me on fire, broke every bone in my body, and left me with welts daily for years to develop your confidence I wasn't a demon lord. Now, you stand before me today and dare to bring it up in talks to join your family?"

King Emeric took a sharp breath, looking between the two of us.

"I can forgive your attempt to control me in Elderthorn, but I'll never forgive your torture, King Redfield," I declared. "Even today, I have a deep hatred for you that makes it hard to offer you anything. Yet I'm here because the woman you speak of kept me sane."

I walked to the other end of the room, toppling more guards as I walked.

"If you walk out that door, you'll doom that woman to hell when she becomes the center of international conflict," King Redfield warned. "So sit. While it's absurd, we'll discuss it."

I gritted my teeth, understanding the dangers to Thea but finding it difficult to contain my hatred.

'Tolle ab inimico meis oculos, nasum, vocem et vim.” The moment I started chanting and strode back to the tables, half the wizards and guards moved. However, the kings held them back. “Tolle a me corpore, odorem, verba et facultatem pugnandi; Pono corpus meum pro tua protectione. Occultans!'

A black-tinted barrier enveloped the kings, and I spoke decisively. "I offer you the entire Ironfall and weapons to protect it, allowing us to enter into a partnership for ores. If you want a political marriage over that offer, I have neither the time nor patience to have a conversation with you."

King Redfield and King Emeric, both preparing to attack a split second before, stumbled back with mouths agape.

After a few seconds of silence, King Emeric spoke to push the conversation along. "And the Elemental Nexus?" The Elemental Nexus was the spirit vein—a mana river—that Valeria and Ironfall had been fighting over since I was a child.

"Mine," I answered. "Alternatively, you can have half the nexus and the mining rights for the north side of the Tomald Mountains. I'm conquering Ironfall for attacking me, regardless."

"I neither care about the Elemental Nexus nor Ironfall, as your weapons make it meaningless," King Redfield interjected. "However, I'll betroth you to my daughter after the Suitor's Tournament until we can find a suitable arrangement if you help me fulfill the goal that drove me to offer my daughter's hand to the strongest in Novena."

King Emeric tensed, looking at the man with wide eyes.

"What's that?" I asked.

"My brother's head," King Redfield declared.

***

"Ryker!" Thea cried, running forward at ghostly speed as I emerged.

I caught her in my arms, gripping her tightly as she sobbed on my shoulder. "I-I didn't know, and I'm sorry, and I...."

I put my finger on her lips and finished my silent cast, putting the panicked beastkin to sleep, making her slump over my shoulder. The last thing I needed was Thea's panicked pressure to continue strangling the guards, gasping for breath behind us.

With a smooth motion, I lifted Thea in a princess carry.

Lyssa walked with me with a tense expression, following me with Castellan Rouge as the latter made arrangements for my living situation as King Redfield and King Emeric made arrangements.

"What happened?" Lyssa asked when I entered her suite and put Thea on her pillow-top mattress.

"King Redfield has agreed to my requests for magical plants and minerals in exchange for cannons," I replied. "We're leaving tomorrow to obtain them from the Silverbark Forest."

She pursed her lips, hesitating to speak before following through. "And?"

"I'm helping King Redfield take care of his younger brother next year," I replied. As my head aide, someone who helped me with diplomatic relations, Lyssa was one of the few who knew all my plans. "Garfield Redfield fled to Antigua after a failed coup and has been building support in the country of Desiderata since. If I help take care of him, King Redfield will allow for a public betrothal after the Suitor's Tournament until we can establish a true economic alliance."

Lyssa's eyes widened in fear and disbelief. "Ryker," she swallowed, taking a shallow breath, "Antigua isn't Valencia. It's larger, wealthier, and more powerful than Novena. Simply announcing yourself there would be akin to shaking a hornet's nest."

I turned to her with an exhausted expression. "I'm aware, and I considered that. However, Desiderata has something exponentially more valuable than coffee, chocolate, or cosmetics that will build serious alliances far faster."

Lyssa furrowed her brow. "What's that?"

"Oil seeps," I replied.

—

[A/N: After four chapters in four days, I'm really tired, and the quality of the content beyond this (including the unfiltered) is not up to standard. So I'd rather give you a shorter, plot-heavy chapter than give you a sub-par chapter. You deserve better than that.

I hope you're enjoying the tension as we near the end of the first book!]