The soldiers from the Argentine Margraviate below gulped hard while clutching their wrists. They also saw that their margrave was now fully crippled...
'Gone! Everything is gone, just because of his selfish gain... we lost everything.' This was the only thought in those soldiers' minds. Before their lord defected to the demons, they had a really good life in their territory. The Valerius Archduchy never imposed extra taxes or any unreasonable orders on the margraviate.
But their lord wanted to become as powerful as the archduchy, and that's when everything started...
Theros looked at the Gashadokuro with fear in his eyes. His eyes were filled with tears as his leg and hand had been cut off in seconds.
He stammered, "Wh-what kind of monster is that? How could you get a monster that can absorb the aura of death... impossible, absolutely impossible... only he can bestow that ability... the God of Death!"
Silence! A huge silence swept over the stage. Nytheira, who had also come to Silas's side, pressed down on Theros with her aura. Her eyes were cold. "How do you know that name? Are you a follower of his?"
Theros looked at Nytheira and sneered, "So what if I am... how do you think I got a death pill?"
Lucian and the others also gathered around Silas. They looked at Theros coldly.
Silas asked, confused, "Can anyone tell me who this God of Death is?"
Cassian placed a hand on his son's shoulder and shook his head. "Silas, don't say his name. His name is forbidden in human territory."
Lysandra also came to Silas and hugged him tight. She had thought for a moment that she'd never be able to see her child again when Theros took that pill.
Selene, who was standing beside Silas, said slowly, "Silas... I don't think you shouldn't know about that person..."
Lucian tried to stop her. "Selene, don't... don't talk about him..."
Selene sneered. "Silas is my grandchild. And now he is involved in matters concerning him. He should know about it clearly. If anyone should know about that entity... it should be Silas. He is the owner of the complete seal."
Her voice pierced through everyone's heart like an arrow. Varric, who had been silent beside them the whole time, said, "Selene is right! Silas is the Ancient King. He should know everything clearly."
Everyone nodded hearing that. Selene continued, looking at Silas, "Silas! You know about Goddess Luminus, right?"
Silas nodded his head. Everyone knows about her — she is the one who has protected human territory for countless years.
She continued, "Silas, like Goddess Luminus, there is a terrifying entity who has protected the demons for thousands of years..."
She stopped for a moment, then started talking again. "His name is Velus. He is known as the God of Death. His followers are known as Death Followers. They have created panic amongst humans and beasts since ancient times..."
"Our three families were the first force who took control of this planet and opposed them... during the old times, he used to fear us because of our powerhouses who are above Level 90..."
Silas frowned and asked immediately, "Above Level 90?" This was unprecedented. He had never heard of anyone reaching that level...
Lucian nodded and said, "This belonged to a glorious past, Silas. There were beings above Level 90 who used to roam this planet... and at that time, our families were the strongest on the whole planet..."
Theros sneered, "Strongest my foot! Our lord was the strongest..."
But his sneer just made everyone on the stage chuckle. "Your master Velus? Hahaha, he used to fear our families so much that he didn't even show up once during the war... he only sends ants like you..." Varric said while laughing.
Silas also became interested when Selene said again, "It was all good until one day our powerhouses suddenly left. We don't know what happened back then, but all those above Level 90 left this planet..."
"And from then on we couldn't contact any of them... as if something interrupted our connection. Since then, Velus and Luminus can only send his apostles, his followers who are at Level 90 or below... and after that we made a pact with Luminus and Velus to not help anyone — not humans, or demons, or beasts... that's why we never involved ourselves in anyone's matters... for us, everyone is the same, whether human or demon or beast. No one was our real enemy to begin with..."
But then Selene looked at Theros and sneered, "But interestingly, all these years later, someone broke that pact!"
Yes, it was right. The first ones to break the pact were the demons ,they attacked the three archduchies with their puppets. And then the Luminus Imperium, and just a few days ago the beasts also broke the pact by attacking on Valerius ground...
Nytheira sneered, "I think they forgot the past. Now the three forces have all broken the pact with us, the ancient families... so now we are free to take action against anyone."
Silas smiled hearing that. "Does that mean that Velus, or whatever his name is, is already on the move on this planet?"
Everyone nodded their heads.
"And Luminus should be on the move too. Those from the Holy Kingdoms already tried to reach us... but we rejected meeting them many times," said Cassian.
Silas's smile became more and more refined. He looked down at Theros and boomed his voice, "Kill everyone related to Margrave Theros. If they are innocent, leave them alive. If found guilty, kill them instantly. And hang their bodies outside Valerius territory, so those demons can learn the consequences again of being enemies of the ancient families..."
Another cheer broke the silence just now. Silas was already a king in everyone's eyes... and now his decision-making skill also makes them believe in him more...
***
While on the other side, the Beast Imperium didn't even receive the news of their defeat...their envoys were all killed by silas's shadows.
Beast Emperor Rukhzar Fangborne was seated on his throne when suddenly an envoy entered the main hall of the Imperium.
He immediately dropped to the ground. "My... my lord! Something terrible has happened..."
Here in the main hall, each and every one of them were high-ranking beasts, so their human forms were flawless... everyone looked like a human but more robust.
Everyone looked at the envoy with interest.
Rukhzar growled, "What happened! And why has no one sent me a message about the death of that Valerius child... it is already the second day after they invaded Red Fort."
The envoy stammered, "My... my lord, even though all this time has passed, I didn't receive any news from our hidden envoys. So I secretly sent another person through the teleportation formation... and... and..."
Rukhzar slammed his armrest and asked loudly, "Tell me what happened!"
The envoy said, "Dead! My lord! Not a single one of them was alive... even some of the generals' bodies are missing... they... they hung up the rest of the bodies on the wall of Red Fort..."
"They even killed everyone who surrendered to them during the first war."
"They hung up their bodies and wrote a message to us on the walls!"
Everyone's eyes were now as big as possible. They had sent powerful generals and a huge army to attack that small margraviate. And now, after around two days, they heard the news of their loss... even those hidden envoys were missing.
Rukhzar stood up from his seat, shaking in anger. He shouted at the envoy, "What... what was the message...!"
The envoy gulped down his saliva and said,
"To the Beast Emperor Rukhzar,
We people from the Valerius family don't like negotiating with cowards who act on someone else's nasty plan.
If you had attacked us on your own, maybe we would have left those soldiers who surrendered alive.
But you let that filthy Emperor Caelum instruct you and play by his rules... you are the biggest fool I have ever seen in my life.
So this is the gift I, the son of Valerius, prepared for you...
Aleric Valerius!"
Rukhzar slumped back onto his seat. The whole hall became silent, and everyone looked toward their emperor in pity. They are beasts. Their brains are not as strong as humans'... they are only good at fighting...
Rukhzar gritted his teeth. "Good! Good! Emperor Caelum, you said that he was already disowned by his family... huh! Then how could he take action against my powerful army and these generals..."
"Good! You dared to make a fool out of me... then see the consequences."
He stood up from his throne and looked toward the crowd below. "Prepare to attack human territory... we are going to help the demons."
The chancellors standing beside him immediately asked, worry was clear in his face "My... my lord, please think about it..."
Rukhzar shook his head in denial.he said with majesty , "No! That human emperor dared to fool me. I'll see his face when he realizes his mistake... I'll help the demons to make his territory a hellhole on this planet."
Each and every official and noble knelt on one knee and put their hands over their hearts. "As you command, Your Majesty."
***
Emperor Caelum was in his private garden when the news reached him.
It was late afternoon in the Luminus Imperium. The white marble paths of the Sunlit Garden were warm under his boots, and the wind carried the scent of silverleaf and night-blooming seraphine ,the flowers his mother had planted decades ago.
He walked alone, as he often did when he needed to think, his hands clasped behind his back, his golden mantle dragging lightly over the trimmed grass.
A palace courier found him by the reflecting pool. The man knelt, forehead nearly touching stone, and held up a sealed black scroll. The mark of the Imperial Shadow Network, not the regular post.
Caelum took it without a word.
He broke the seal.
The first line made his step falter...
" The three ancient families have convened. Valerius, Blackwood, Sylveria — united. "
The second line made his jaw tighten.
"The youngest son of House Valerius, Silas Valerius, has passed the test of all three ancestral stones. He will be crowned tomorrow as the Ancient King."
He read it again, Slowly...
Around him, the garden was utterly quiet. Even the water in the pool seemed still.
"Ancient King..."
He whispered the title and a little memory came to his mind from the time he was just a young teenager...
He was sixteen, sneaking into the deepest vault of the Imperial Library with his tutor. The Forbidden Annals, locked behind three wards.