I had come out into the city today without informing anyone properly.
Well… not entirely without informing anyone. I had told Rowan that I wanted some rest and would remain inside my quarters for a while. Which, technically, wasn't a complete lie. I really had grown tired of staring at the same massive walls, royal chambers, and endless formalities every single day.
So this was supposed to be a change of pace.
At least… that was the excuse.
The real reason was simpler.
I wanted to see things for myself.
Not reports. Not council discussions. Not polished explanations inside palace halls. I wanted to see how people actually lived on the ground—how they talked, how they reacted, and more importantly… how this kingdom looked when viewed without the protection of royal walls around it.
And today of all days, Farham City carried a different atmosphere.
Because within the next few hours, one of the most important meetings since the war began was about to take place here.
The Armistice Signing.
If today's negotiations proceeded the way Valenford expected them to, then everything that came afterward would become significantly easier. Trade stabilization, naval security, internal reforms—none of it could properly move forward while war still remained active between the two kingdoms.
Which was exactly why today mattered.
****
Farham itself reflected that tension clearly.
Since the battle, all border cities had been placed under heavy military protection, and Farham was no exception. Soldiers stood stationed across major intersections, patrol routes had doubled, and even the civilians moving through the streets spoke more quietly than usual. It wasn't fear exactly.
It was caution.
Everyone understood what today represented.
Because within the next few hours, Velkyria's delegation would arrive.
The only real question was—Who would come to represent them?
Velkyria had lost one of its most important military figures during the war. Someone of that level dying wasn't just a battlefield loss—it was political damage. Which meant whoever attended this meeting would likely be someone important enough to stabilize the situation from Velkyria's side.
Fortunately, it didn't take long for that answer to arrive.
"Sir! A carriage under military escort has been spotted approaching Farham. It is most likely Velkyria's delegation."
The messenger delivered the report quickly, but Commander Lopel's expression barely changed after hearing it. There was no surprise on his face, as though he had already expected them to arrive at any moment.
"Open the city gates," he said calmly. "Allow them entry."
The messenger immediately straightened. "Yes, sir."
"And tell the soldiers to remain close once they enter the city. I do not want any aggressive behavior shown toward them." Lopel's tone remained steady, but firm. "We came here for peace talks. We will conduct ourselves accordingly."
"Understood, sir."
The messenger quickly left to relay the order.
Once he was gone, silence settled briefly around the commander. Lopel slowly looked toward the distant road leading into the city before muttering quietly to himself,
"So it begins."
A short while later, the gates of Farham were opened.
Under the watch of Valenford soldiers stationed along the walls and roads, the Velkyrian carriage entered the city. The atmosphere immediately grew heavier. Civilians moved aside instinctively, while soldiers on both sides carefully observed one another without speaking.
Inside the carriage, a man quietly watched the city through the window.
Prime Minister Draxil.
His expression remained composed, but his eyes carried something colder beneath that calm exterior. As the carriage moved deeper into Farham, he slowly narrowed his gaze while observing the city streets outside.
"This city should have belonged to us," he said quietly.
The attendant seated beside him remained silent.
Draxil slowly tightened his fingers against the armrest before continuing,
"But no matter."
A faint smile appeared on his face, though there was no warmth behind it.
"Valenford will not enjoy this victory for long."
His eyes remained fixed outside the carriage window.
"And I will personally make sure of that."
By the time the carriage reached Farham Palace, the entire area had already been secured. Soldiers stood positioned across the entrance and surrounding grounds while palace attendants waited at a controlled distance.
As the carriage came to a halt, Draxil stepped out alongside his attendant.
Waiting for him personally at the entrance was Commander Lopel.
"Welcome to Farham City, Prime Minister Draxil," Lopel said politely. "I hope your journey here was without issue."
Draxil's expression remained calm as he approached.
"No difficulties at all, Commander," he replied smoothly. "Although I must admit… Farham's condition appears worse than I expected."
His gaze slowly shifted toward parts of the city where visible damage from the recent conflict still remained.
"For a city considered one of Valenford's strongest defensive positions… it seems to have suffered considerably."
The words were spoken politely.
But the intention behind them was obvious.
Lopel noticed it immediately.
"Yes," he replied calmly, "unfortunately our cities are valuable enough that certain people insist on trying to destroy them."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"So we were forced to remove those problems ourselves. In the process, the city suffered some damage." His eyes met Draxil's directly. "But please do not concern yourself, Prime Minister. Valenford will ensure such incidents are handled more carefully in the future."
For the first time, the atmosphere between them visibly sharpened.
Draxil understood the implication immediately.
A diplomatic response hiding a military warning.
The Prime Minister smiled as well.
"I certainly hope so," he replied. "It would be unfortunate for history to repeat itself."
Neither man raised his voice.
Neither man lost composure.
And yet, the tension between them had already become suffocating.
Because despite standing here under the name of peace—
Neither side had forgotten the war.
After a few moments, Lopel finally broke the silence.
"Well," he said calmly, "we should continue this discussion inside. After all… we are here for a reason."
Draxil held his gaze for a brief moment before giving a slight nod.
"Indeed," he replied. "And I believe neither kingdom wishes to waste time."
A short while later, the preparations inside Farham Palace had been completed.
The courtroom, which normally carried the atmosphere of administration and nobility, felt entirely different today. Guards stood positioned across the hall in complete silence while attendants remained at a careful distance, ensuring nothing disturbed the meeting. At the center of the room, a long table had been prepared where the representatives of both kingdoms now sat opposite one another.
On one side sat Commander Lopel, representing Valenford.
On the other sat Prime Minister Draxil of Velkyria.
For a few moments, neither side spoke first. The atmosphere itself already carried enough tension without words adding to it.
Finally, Draxil broke the silence.
"Commander Lopel," he began, his tone calm but noticeably firmer than before, "before we proceed with the signing itself, there are several conditions Velkyria expects Valenford to fulfill."
Lopel remained silent, allowing him to continue.
"First," Draxil said, "all Velkyrian soldiers currently held captive by Valenford are to be released immediately. Second, every occupied territory seized during this conflict is to be returned to Velkyria's control…"
His gaze sharpened slightly.
"Including Wester."
A brief pause followed before he added the next words deliberately.
"The city your kingdom captured through deception."
The atmosphere inside the hall tightened almost instantly.
But Commander Lopel's expression did not change in the slightest. In fact, if anything, it almost looked as though he had expected those exact words from the very beginning.
"I must apologize, Prime Minister," Lopel replied calmly, a faint smile appearing on his face, "but before speaking of deception, it would be appropriate to remember who initiated this war through betrayal in the first place."
The smile on his face remained polite.
"Valenford's actions were merely a response."
Draxil's eyes narrowed slightly, though he said nothing.
Lopel continued without hesitation.
"However," he said evenly, "Valenford has no interest in occupying Velkyrian territory permanently. The lands captured during the war—including prisoners of war—will be returned."
For the first time since the meeting began, a visible shift appeared in Draxil's expression.
He had expected resistance.
Perhaps even escalation.
But agreement?
That was unexpected.
A faint smile slowly formed on his face, though before he could speak further, Lopel continued.
"However…" the commander said calmly, "Wester and the remaining occupied territories will only be returned if Velkyria agrees to one condition of our own."
The smile on Draxil's face weakened slightly.
"…A condition?" he asked. "What condition?"
Commander Lopel leaned back slightly before answering.
"Velkyria will cease all attacks on Valenford merchant vessels. In addition, Velkyrian naval forces are to withdraw from waters currently obstructing Valenford trade routes."
For the first time during the negotiations, Draxil's composure visibly faltered.
Not dramatically.
But enough.
Because this was not what he had expected.
Velkyria's naval pressure against Valenford's trade routes had been one of their most effective long-term strategies. Weakening Valenford economically without direct warfare had already begun producing results. Agreeing to such a condition would mean surrendering a major strategic advantage.
Naturally, he attempted to counter immediately.
"Commander Lopel," Draxil replied smoothly, "Velkyria's navy acts only in defense of its territorial waters. Valenford and its allies have repeatedly entered regions under Velkyrian control. Given the long-standing hostility between our nations, surely you understand why such measures became necessary."
His tone remained diplomatic.
Measured.
"But of course," he added lightly, "I assume Valenford is already aware that unauthorized passage through Velkyrian-controlled waters cannot simply be ignored."
A faint chuckle escaped Lopel.
"Prime Minister," he said calmly, "I believe your memory may be failing you slightly."
The temperature in the room seemed to drop further.
Draxil's gaze sharpened. "Meaning?"
"Meaning," Lopel continued, "under the Coastal Kingdoms Sea Agreement, a kingdom's territorial authority extends six kilometers from its coastline. Beyond that point, maritime routes remain accessible to all kingdoms."
His eyes remained fixed directly on Draxil.
"Velkyria, however, has gradually expanded its naval control well beyond that limit over the past three years, extending upto approx 10 km."
The courtroom remained completely silent.
"Not only that," Lopel continued, "merchant vessels passing through those waters have repeatedly faced harassment. And recently… direct attacks."
For the first time since the discussion began, Draxil no longer had an immediate response prepared.
Lopel noticed it immediately.
"Technically speaking," he continued calmly, "Velkyria's actions already justify formal consequences under the CKSA itself. Yet Valenford has chosen negotiation instead."
The faint smile returned to his face.
"We are not demanding that Velkyria immediately reduce its expanded territorial range. That matter can be addressed separately if necessary."
Then his tone sharpened slightly.
"But attacks on Valenford vessels will stop."
The room fell silent again.
"In return," Lopel continued, "Wester will be returned peacefully."
A brief pause followed.
"Otherwise…" his gaze hardened slightly, "you already understand what will happen next."
For the first time during the negotiations, visible tension appeared across Draxil's face.
Because Lopel was correct.
Wester mattered.
Not politically.
Strategically.
Without Wester, Velkyria's regional military logistics would suffer heavily. Reclaiming it through another campaign would require time, resources, and risk—especially after their recent defeat.
Draxil understood all of that perfectly.
Which was exactly why the situation frustrated him even more.
After several moments of silence, he finally spoke.
"…Very well," he said quietly.
The words clearly resisted leaving his mouth.
"Velkyria will cease attacks on Valenford merchant ships."
The moment those words were spoken, Commander Lopel knew the negotiations had effectively ended in Valenford's favor.
"A wise decision," he replied calmly.
He then turned toward the court writer seated nearby and instructed him to begin preparing the official armistice document with the finalized conditions.
As the writer quietly began his work, silence settled across the courtroom once again.
But this silence was different now.
The tension remained.
Yet beneath it, the outcome had already become clear.
After a few moments, Draxil spoke again.
"Commander Lopel," he said evenly, "if you do not mind… there is something I wish to ask."
"Go ahead."
Draxil's eyes narrowed slightly.
"To this moment," he said, "Velkyria still does not fully understand how Wester fell."
A brief pause followed.
"Valenford's military history has always been defensive. Yet this time… your forces crossed borders and launched a coordinated offensive operation."
His gaze sharpened further.
"How?"
For the first time since the negotiations began, a more visible smile appeared on Commander Lopel's face.
"To be honest," he replied calmly, "I expected that question eventually."
Draxil remained silent, waiting for him to continue.
"General Arhim was the first to identify Wester as Velkyria's logistical weakness," Lopel said. "Most of your military supply and reinforcement movement toward the frontline passed through that city. Once that became clear, King Arin understood that continuing a direct defensive war around Hower would only exhaust Valenford further."
Draxil's expression remained focused.
"So instead of continuing to fight your advance head-on," Lopel continued, "he proposed striking the source supporting it."
"A naval invasion…" Draxil muttered quietly.
Lopel gave a small nod.
"A nighttime assault through sea routes. Fast enough to capture Wester before your forces could properly react or reinforce it."
The Prime Minister remained silent.
"Once Wester fell," Lopel continued, "your supply flow destabilized. That created the opening needed for the second phase of the operation."
"Farham and Mentix," Draxil said slowly.
"Correct."
Lopel folded his arms calmly.
"Valenford split its forces immediately after securing Wester. While your attention remained fixed on Hower and the western front, we moved to reclaim both cities before Velkyria could reorganize properly."
"And Hower?" Draxil asked.
For the first time, Lopel's expression grew slightly heavier.
"General Arhim's role was the most difficult," he said. "His responsibility was simple in theory…"
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Hold Hower long enough for the rest of the operation to succeed."
Draxil's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Against nearly twice his numbers," he muttered.
"Indeed," Lopel replied calmly. "But by the time Velkyria realized what was happening, the battlefield had already begun shifting out of your control."
Silence filled the courtroom again.
Because now Draxil finally understood the truth.
Valenford had not won through strength alone.
It had won through timing, coordination… and strategy.
A short while later, the writer returned with the finalized armistice document.
The courtroom fell silent once more as both representatives reviewed the contents before signing.
Commander Lopel signed first without hesitation.
Draxil, however, paused briefly.
Only for a moment.
But long enough for everyone present to notice.
Still, in the end, he signed it.
And with that—
The war between Valenford and Velkyria officially came to an end.
At least… for now.
The atmosphere afterward was strange.
On one side sat victory.
On the other sat humiliation carefully hidden behind diplomacy.
Draxil's expression remained controlled, but the anger burning behind his eyes had become impossible to fully conceal.
Commander Lopel slowly extended his hand for a handshake.
"I hope," he said calmly, "that both Valenford and Velkyria move toward peace and development from this point onward."
Draxil looked at the offered hand for a brief moment before finally shaking it.
"Of course," he replied with a polite smile.
But the smile never reached his eyes.
A short while later, the Velkyrian delegation departed from Farham.
Inside the moving carriage, silence filled the air.
Draxil stared upward through the carriage window, his expression darker than before.
Then, quietly—Almost like a promise to himself—"You will pay for this."