Loyal to the Crown

The Emperor of the Alvestine Empire sat on a large gold throne in one of the most luxurious rooms on the continent, the throne room of the royal palace in the capital. A dark red carpet with beautiful gold rims ran down the center of the room towards the slightly elevated throne area. Decorative pillars rested close to the walls while the nation's flag subtlety and magically flowed without the influence of wind on each column.

On the flag was a pink Phoenix with bright white eyes gloriously flying upwards with immense pride and grace while countless small midnight black blades with no hilts stabbed into numerous areas all over its body. Gold blood dripped off of the wounds, perfectly matching the intricate borders of the flag. A halo floated above the Phoenix's head and the wings were spread out wide, looking angelic and divine. The rest of the background was a domineering red.

So many years of symbolism and history rested in the Alvestine flag and it sparked something loyal and prideful in the hearts of those that set their gazes upon it. This was either because it simply looked stunning, their immense patriotism, or the magic imbued into the fabric and gold weave that gave it a special aura.

Royal guards in Blood Mythril armor lined up a couple of feet from the dark red carpet. Literal flame wyverns stood at attention far behind the soldiers near the walls. The Emperor, the Empress, crowned prince, and a small few of the more influential concubines sat on their own thrones which indicated their respective status by the grandeur and how elevated it was. Current rulers sat in the center in the highest position while the main spouse and crowned offspring sat on either side, slightly below the Emperor but at similar heights to each other.

They were receiving important high noble family heads and major organization leaders that were either fervently loyal to the crown or completely trusted by the royal family. The reason behind their simultaneous visit was unknown, but the palace still needed to put on a show for their guests even if it was a casual visit. This was similar in procedure to when leaders or representatives of other nations and vassal states were to come and visit.

If any players were present, they would be so utterly dumbfounded and bewildered by everything they saw. From the scenery to the atmosphere, it was all too overwhelmingly realistic and extravagant!

The humongous frontal doors slowly opened with two royal soldiers pushing them open. In came a uniformed crowd of wealthy and unique looking human men and women of many varying external ages. All of them were either B~grade or A~grade beings with the latter being the majority. The unconscious atmosphere they brought in with them was stifling and breathtaking, almost as if a S~grade aura was in the room.

Compared to Earth during medieval times, the number of noble families in just this one nation was exponentially larger due to how much land was on this continent alone.

They all kneeled and greeted the royal family with reverence or respect. Five individuals stepped forward as representatives for the group.

Grandmaster Denmark of the Adventures Guild...

Grandmaster Mercia of the Merchants League...

Grandmaster Rosalind of the Magic Association...

Grand Marchioness Lorena of the Randell Family...

Grand Duke Gibson of the Alvestine Royal Family...

They were the most powerful in the room beside the royal family. The noble families with the "Grand" in their title were the ones that kept the other families in their respective rank in line. They were also considered to have power and influence of the nobility level above them, so Lorena was basically a duke and Gibson would be apart of royalty even if he wasn't of pure royal blood (which he was). It was a complex hierarchy but it worked for a country of their size and magnitude.

They all waited silently before the Emperor gave them the right to speak their mind, and Gibson, being the highest of rank, spoke first in a dignified and respectful but faintly impatient tone, "Your Imperial Majesty, dear brother, we all come with urgent news that is neither good nor bad..."

He wasn't the only one who was impatient and antsy. The entire crowd was slightly nervous to an extent about something odd, which made the royal family get more and more confused.

Gibson was shockingly similar to his brother, they were almost twins when they were younger if it weren't for certain factors. He was slightly smaller and lankier than his robust brother. His complexion was pale and smooth while his dark pink hair was longer and straighter. The clothing he wore could barely pass for that of a regular duke, not one of royal blood. Many opposed his fashion choices but he saw no need to spend more than he needed to.

"I was lead to believe that this matter wasn't so important despite such short notice... Do we need to move to a private meeting room?" The Emperor mostly said it as a formality to gauge the severity of the situation. Everyone in the room was trusted so he had no worry of information leaks, even the concubines present whom he was wary of were closely monitored.

"There is no need your Majesty, we do not have time to stay here as we are just stopping by to personally inform the royal family along our way to our destination."

"Hmm? Go on."

"We are not sure if this has already been brought to your attention, but around nine-tenths of the noble families, Count and above, along with countless other influential individuals and organizations within the Empire have all started making discreet movements, we included..."

The Emperor's eyes twitched in surprise and then anger, but his expression remained stern and unchanging, "I was not made aware of such an important matter... This is a disappointing failure on the royal intelligence networks and I'll deal with them later."

"Your Majesty, please do not jump to such a conclusion just yet. All those who are moving are doing this in the utmost secrecy as to not alert any other nobles or foreign powers. This has only happened quite recently and we're in a rush for time.

As an obligation to the royal family and this great country, we decided to tell everyone here before we depart."

He's known Gibson his entire life so he knew very well that he acted exactly like his son, Elroy, who was always calm, calculating, and less talkative than others. When he saw his brother acting like a kid who was finding out he was going to a theme park, he didn't know what to think. It honestly seemed like Gibson and everyone else was solely doing this as an obligation that they needed to get over with quickly so they could attend to this matter personally.

This didn't offend him, more like it greatly intrigued him. What could make them all act this way in front of the supreme ruler of their vast nation?

"So tell me what has happened."

Gibson stepped back to let Denmark and Lorena come up.

Denmark looked like a child no more than eight or nine years old. He had a silky black bowl cut with big and round innocent grey eyes. Despite his appearance, he was actually the oldest in the room and a legendary adventurer. It was a complicated story as to why he's been in this state for years, but it was a touchy subject for him. Some people joked that his anger issues were A~grade temper tantrums, which caused him to be angrier. Ladies would constantly fawn over his adorable body and appearance which annoyed him even more. This was both literally and figuratively a curse... He had a wife after all!!

Lorena was a tough and prideful looking lady with non-subtle curves and a motherly hourglass figure. Her wavy velvet hair fell to her hips with dagger-like orange eyes that struck fear into many who directly looked at them. She was still an extremely beautiful and mature woman even with her fierce and strict nature. She was the head of the house while her "wimpy" husband sat on the sidelines and helped out.

She was the first to speak and her voice was clear and filled with authority, "We all know of the visit of Lady Aqua and that Elder Dragon some time ago and this issue has everything to do with them.

Once that auction ended, an announcement was made to everyone there regarding a massive amount of dragon parts that was sold earlier. To summarize, she stated that she had more and interesting materials that she could possibly sell to those who exchange contacts with her. No one in their right mind rejected..."

Denmark was next to speak and his childish voice filled the room in an adorable attempt to project the same authority and professionalism as Lorena. The female nobles and concubine's hearts melted with even the Empress faltering for a split second after hearing him trying to act like a big boy, "My adventures attempted to tail the Elder Dragon using national treasures to hide their presences, but they were either somehow discovered or the other party was paranoid so they got away easily. The method in which they left is still unknown and we had people searching the Empire, especially Kassio which they said they were near at the time, for any clues but even until now it is to no avail.

I wasn't present at the time, but based on the description, it was most likely not an elder with its size. We can only hope that it was only a mutation and not the next level of evolution, otherwise, there would truly be no hope even with a national treasure... I've met a dragon that powerful during the war, and I regret to this day not running away any sooner."

'Tch, senile old man!' Lorena's brows twitched at his attempt to mimic her demeanor so she shot him a heart chilling death glare, earning her a smirk from him, "The thing that triggered this event was Lady Aqua sending out a mass notice to meet in Kassio. Not everyone would have reacted in such an exaggerated way if it weren't for Lady Aqua mentioning that she had many more 'interesting' items and..... her superior would be present."

The room went deathly silent as everyone now understood their anxiety and need to rush. It was commonly speculated that this "superior" was no longer of the Mortal Realm and now with Denmark's words, maybe even something more powerful like a Demigod from the super ancient legends, like the legendary hero Hercules. Moreover, the amount of supply for these precious materials was unknown, so everyone wanted to be the first to grab a bite before things ran out like last time. Demand for such materials was so high that it was a literal bloodbath after the auction ended, resulting in a miniature secret war within the walls of the capital... It was a dark yet exciting day.

The reason why all these enormous figures were going in person was to size up and show face to this superior along with the mysterious organization behind them. This was just too important of a circumstance for everyone to be on their high horse because of the hierarchy and not take it seriously, especially with the looming threat of a second Eternity War. Moreover, who had the best grasp of their financial situation other than themselves?

Only two people didn't remain silent, ignoring the tense atmosphere, and they were Denmark and Lorena. At some point, the two started bickering in a hushed tone, which they frequently did.

"When will you give me my daughter back, you bedwetter?!"

"Grow up little girl! She chose this line of work of her own accord. Wait, isn't it about time for your nap? I think that you need some beauty sleep... not that it will help much....."

Sparks were now flying between them and Denmark snickered while Lorena fumed, "Oh hush now Baby Denny, how will you nestle into the breasts of your countless admirers if you don't get your nap time?"

"Aye, don't call me that! And I have a wife to which I'm absolutely loyal!! Are you not an adult? How do you maintain your family with that attitude... Oh right, your greatest heir ran away from your territory to join my Adventurers Guild. Not even telling you about her location. You're doing a superb job!"

"Unlike someone, not naming names, but I'm worlds more mature than you Little Den-Den. After all, I believe most of those currently present have personally experienced one of your A~grade fits, so you don't have much room to talk."

"Ho Ho, that's big talk coming from some-"

Two voices interjected while a sweet and elderly voice to stop them in their tracks, "Calm yourselves children, we are in the presence of his Majesty."

"Geeze, you both never change. Even during wartime, I remember the constant arguing I would hear when I would make supply runs to the front lines..."

The one who talked first was Rosalind of the Magic Association, and she was an elderly magus that has contributed to the Empire greatly over the immense span of her life. She had soft and lovely features with short and extremely curly ginger hair, which was almost completely grey with a few vibrant strands left. One could tell that she was a stunning beauty in her youth. Her eyelids were closed tight, not because she couldn't see, but because she practiced magic this way through constantly feeling the magicules around her. Although weapons weren't allowed, she was an exception while she grasped a gorgeously ornate and chic silver staff with an orange and black manatium crystal within it.

To her right was the foxish Mercia of the Merchants League and one of the richest individuals in the mortal world. Her curves and looks were far more exotic and intoxicating than most supermodels with probably the highest charisma attribute in the continent. She wore a slightly revealing but extraordinarily lavish dress and fur coat, displaying her ample cleavage which was the Medusa to all men, even some women. Her hair was chestnut brown in a balled-up bun and her dark brown eyes had golden flecks in them.

Both troublemakers apologized to the Emperor and stepped back to let the other two speak, only occasionally throwing discreet glares at each other. A rare expression of amusement and nostalgia appeared on the Emperor's usually serious face. He reminisced in past experiences of these five lifetime-old-friends of his so he wasn't at all bothered by their squabbling like he should have been.

Rosalind explained the results of studies on the dragon parts from the auction and it was concluded to be of void origins. This reinforced a statement from the mysterious organization that they were from was beyond the Void Chasm. Mercia represented a majority, if not all of the wealthy or well-off merchants so she would try to negotiate a prolonged transaction with the other party for distribution. She was also the one in charge of probing the superior with her resources, appearance, and social skills.

.....

Everyone soon left as they were all still in a rush for time to get to the other side of the Empire. Travel was extremely fast but the countries territory was just too large even with their top-of-the-line creature mounts and transportation methods.

"A storm of unknown severity is heading for Kassio... I must remember to compensate Marquis Dunwald for this event as it's not something I can stop....." The Emperor let out a defeated sigh as he turned to his Empress, "Could you relay a request to her eminence, Archbishop Odella, to send support and possibly her Bishops to Kassio in case anything goes wrong."

He didn't like admitting that he needed strong manpower to regulate things for this unprecedented situation. The only truly powerful beings at his disposal, that weren't measly A~grades, was the Supreme Warlord of the Empire and the old Emperor and Empress from the previous generation, or in simpler terms, his parents. Since this wasn't technically a time of emergency, he wasn't confident in being able to mobilize any of them so he could only rely on the unfathomable powers backing him. He was one of the extremely limited few that knew of the true power in the church and the strength of their individual combatants.

"You know the price by now, right?" Her voice was cold and indifferent, creating an icy atmosphere between them.

They were both now within the royal study as they were seated on opposite sides of a grand desk. The room was dark with only oil lanterns brightening the immediate surroundings, creating an eerie atmosphere. Since they were A~grades, their need for sleep was minuscule so they usually worked into the night.

Whenever the church was brought up in a conversation, his wife's attitude got serious to the point where it unnerved him slightly. She acted like a loving and supportive spouse on the outside, but he didn't know if she truly cared for him and his country underneath her facade. After all, they were a forced marriage to deepen the bonds between the Alvestine Empire and the Archaic Church, so he didn't blame her if she saw him as an insignificant bug, even if it did slightly hurt.

An unnoticeable reluctant light shone in his eyes and his facial features tightened, "You and the Archaic Church already control my country from the shadows. I see no reason why you can't take what you want already. Long live humanity..... the greatest race."