Aurex might talk big, but he wasn't about to risk breaking the entire empire apart, not with the south and west pressing in. The same went for the Crown Prince and the Second. Whatever grudges they held, they'd swallow them, for now. No one wanted to face multiple fronts alone.
Rin leaned back, staring at the map stretched across the war table. "They'll grit their teeth and play nice," he said to Arkan. "They don't have a choice. Unity isn't a dream anymore. It's survival."
Arkan gave a quiet nod. "And if they try anything behind closed doors?"
Rin's smile was thin. "Then I remind them who lit the fire and walked out alive."
Rin asked dren if everything is ready on his end.
Dren spoke calmly but with clear conviction, "Yes, Your Highness. The only one left on the board is the king,you."
Rin nodded, a faint smile crossing his lips. "Good," he replied simply, his mind already turning to the weight of the decisions ahead. The path was set; everything else had fallen into place.
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It was a scorching day, the sun beating down harshly on the women and children struggling under its weight. A small group of about ten men and women moved nervously toward a large building, their faces etched with fear, anxiety, and uncertainty. Inside, they found Dren, surprisingly at ease, playing jump rope with two children. He held one end of the rope, one child held the other, while another happily jumped in the middle.
One of the men, his anger barely contained, glared at Dren and spat out, "You piece of shit. You traitor."
Dren quickly signaled for him to lower his voice, then stepped outside. "Don't use such language in front of the kids," he warned calmly.
The group's anger only grew.
"How does that make sense?" one woman asked. "How could he accept you after you killed his father-in-law?"
Dren's expression turned serious. "My master's plan is beyond what you can understand. Come with me. Meet him, and he will decide your fate."
They made their way to the palace, surrounded by guards who watched them with sharp, suspicious eyes. The tension was thick as they entered the vast hall.
Arkan's voice rang out, commanding and cold. "Kneel before His Highness."
Almost everyone obeyed, except for one man. Without hesitation, Dren stepped forward and swiftly cut the man's legs, silencing any resistance. The hall echoed with screams, a brutal reminder of the cost of defiance.
Dren's eyes swept over the gathered noble families, dozens of them filling the hall's right and left sides. At the center were the ten families who had been staunch supporters of Kaelion. Rin's voice was sharp and unforgiving.
"Traitors and thieves. I will not tolerate disrespect in my domain."
He turned to Arkan. "Destroy this man's entire family."
This was a display of power to intimidate the people in the palace.
The others stiffened, fear and shock clear on their faces.
"But as for the rest of you," rin continued, his tone hard but offering a sliver of mercy, "if you pledge your loyalty to me, I will forgive your past actions."
The nobles exchanged uneasy glances, unwilling but cornered. One by one, they grudgingly agreed.
"We accept you as our ruler."
Rin laughed, loud and bitter. "That might have worked a few days ago. But now, a war is on the brink. We need forces ready to move."A voice from the crowd asked, "What do you mean your Highness?"
Rin's gaze sharpened. "The people on your right and left, my loyal followers, I refuse to spill their blood unnecessarily."
The tension in the hall thickened as the families exchanged uneasy glances. The faces of the so-called traitors paled under the weight of the crowd's jeers. Rin's words hung in the air like a dark prophecy: this war would be fought, and someone had to bear the cost.
The loyalists' cheers grew louder, a mix of relief and fear fueling their voices. They wanted to believe they were safe, but the thought of sending others to die in their place settled uneasily on everyone's shoulders.
Meanwhile, the ten "traitor" families braced themselves, knowing their fate was sealed as the first to be sacrificed in this brutal power play.
What these families didn't know was that Rin had anticipated their defiance. When he learned which families were turning against him, he secretly instructed Dren to capture their closest loved ones. Dren personally saw to their discreet removal and hidden them away. So when these ten family representatives first arrived, expecting to see their relatives, they instead saw only random children.
Now, they were compelled to send their men to war, their sons and loved ones held hostage.
Rin's voice cut through the tense room like ice. "Everyone is to leave now. When the war breaks, you will send your men. If you fail, I will consider it a major act of treason. And your entire family will pay the price."
The room fell silent, the weight of his words sinking deep. No one dared challenge him; this wasn't just a threat, it was a promise.
The families who had initially followed Rin were scared of him, scared of his ruthless actions, but deep down, they were relieved they wouldn't have to fight this war themselves. They could simply stay put.