Chapter 13
"Rise my servants!" Utgard bellowed at the gathered servants of Nazarick from the Throne of Kings, his axe resting next to the throne while the Jotunn's head rested on his left fist.
The guardians of the floors and the Pleiades raised their head while still kneeling before their lord and master.
"Now then, let us talk about the imminent future." The Jotunn said with a very wide smile.
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King Ramposa Vaiself the third of Re-Estize Kingdom was known throughout the lands either as a wise man who wanted to keep peace or as a spineless fool that can't properly control his own people.
He himself saw himself as both of these things as he wanted to keep the peace but didn't have the power to keep the nobles in his court under control.
"The annual war against Baharuth Empire is getting close. It is almost time to remind everyone of the power of Re-Estize Kingdom, especially to that damn brat emperor who thought he could challenge us!" Though in days like this he tend to have a half mind copying the method the emperor of Baharuth Empire used and just put these people to the sword. The average level of intelligence in his kingdom should go up quite a bit after that.
But he couldn't. His own father had allowed the nobles to gather too much power and by the time he had gotten the throne his position was rendered practically to a figurehead. His voice still held power in the kingdom sure, but it wasn't much compared to the nobles. They held land, money, manpower and even crime in their hand. Killing them would only lead to a power vacuum that would suck the whole kingdom in, allowing the Baharuth Empire invade and get everything their lands had with minimal difficulty.
So it was with great happiness he left the meeting hall, happy that he was finally getting away from the nobles.
"I am sorry, Gazef." The king said to the head warrior beside him, who looked at him with shock.
"My king…"
"Do not try to say there is nothing to apologize, what you said about this Utgard fellow's words are definitely true. The gazes of those snakes were even sharper than usual, they definitely sold you out to the Slane Theocracy and it was my own powerlessness that allowed them to do so." The king said, his voice filled with sadness and self loathing.
"My king, please, I am where I am only because of your kindness. There is absolutely no need for your highness to ever apologize to me." Gazef said with a strong conviction in his voice that briefly put a smile on the king's face.
"We need to figure out a way to get rid of the power the nobles hold in this kingdom. I had hoped that with you and the three saintesses behind me I could find a way to lower their power with time without them being able to fight back. But we miscalculated, I had thought… I had hoped that they wouldn't try to kill a child like Luna but it is obvious that their depravity knows no bounds. We need to amass power as fast and as quietly as possible." Ramposa said to his head warrior who had a serious look around him as well.
"I will have my men on lookout for Brain Unglaus then. He hasn't been seen since he almost defeated me in that tournament, I have no doubt that he must have gotten stronger." Gazef said, confident that his old opponent should be stronger than before.
"And, what about this Utgard Wotan? Can he be made into an ally?" At that question, Gazef couldn't answer for a moment. A thoughtful frown on his face as he finally gave his answer.
"I don't know. He doesn't seem like an evil man and I believe it might be possible to ally with him. But he also felt… wild when we met. He doesn't seem like a man that would ever bend knee, trying to force him to do anything can end in a disaster." He declared remembering the fact that Utgard had came back unharmed after destroying the Sunlight Scripture. A force that Gazef could very well lose to even with the treasures of the kingdom.
"Then that leaves our side with you, Blue Roses and Three Saintesses. With the nobles as our enemies with the help of criminal organizations like Eight Fingers… and maybe even my son."
"Prince Barbro." Gazef said softly and Ramposa had to hold back his wince at the fact that Gazef hadn't even needed to ask which son.
Where had he gone wrong with that boy?
"Father!" A voice came from the end of the hall, it's owner was his own daughter Renner and at her side was Climb as he always was.
He needed to save this kingdom, if only so that his daughter and the children who would come after her could live safely.
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"I hope that you all understand your roles then."
"Yes, lord Utgard!" The denizens of Nazarick yelled out with absolute devotion to their master.
"Good but before you all go on your way…" The Jotunn trailed off as the doors to the throne room opened and the one Utgard had been waiting for arrived.
"Ich bin hier, mein Herr und Meister!" The doppelgänger saluted with his three fingered hand on his hat while the rest of the denizens of Nazarick stared at him.
"Good, I believe you brought what I asked for, Pandora's Actor."
"I have, mein Herr!" The doppelgänger said as he walked up to the Jotunn with exaggerated poses on each step. And then he laid out many different items before Utgard, making Albedo's eyes widen as she realized what they were.
"World Items?!" She yelled out and the rest of the denizens' eyes widened just like her's.
"Yes my dear Albedo, and every group that is going outside of Nazarick will take at least one of these items with them." Utgard dropped another bomb on the NPCs and they dropped their jaws.