Emperor Katuski fell silent for a moment, taking time to analyze Demetrius’s expression in the dim candlelight. With what the vulpur had already heard, his expression didn’t change much, still showing that reluctant dedication.

  He steeled himself and nodded his head, speaking once more. “You know Yelena, right?”

  ?

  Demetrius’s brows furrowed. “I’m certain I introduced her to you. If I remember correctly, didn’t Felonious or Kael commission her presence in this palace for executive assistance?”

  “I believe that’s true. Though I can’t let her aimlessly wander around and let her have a say in important matters. For all I know, she could be a part of this conspiracy against Izuku.”

  “Why do you suspect she could be a target?”

  Emperor Katsuki’s gaze remained fixed on the vulpur seated opposite him, the flickering candlelight casting elongated shadows across the stone table between them. After a moment’s pause, he spoke again.

  “Hazel told me important knowledge about Kael, knowledge that led us to believe that Felonious could have involvement in this matter. Kael and Felonious are obviously close to some degree, so I suspect it could be some sort of joint operation.”

  “What exactly did you learn? If I were to learn too, would it put something on my back?” The small hairs on Demetrius's arms stood on end.

  "An informational channel, one he’s possibly connected to. This channel holds intelligence that suspects the date of Emperor Izuku's death. Until I know Kael isn’t connected to this information channel or any related factions, it’s required to be on guard during any interactions with him. Right now, he’s performing charity work in an impoverished territory.”

  “Charity work? Sounds... unlike him,” Demetrius whispered.

  “It’s a side mission whilst the Seraphis Kingdom situation is going under wraps, from what I’m guessing. Though, along the way, he managed to find a traitor lodged within my ranks... the same traitor whose tongue you disposed of recently,” Emperor Katsuki explained in a low voice.

  Demetrius shivered, recalling the ordeal in horrifying detail. “Where did you get this ambassador from before my kind replaced him?”

  “Ambassador Charles was initially in the circle of the Katshin Empire for a period of time before he was sent out to observe and monitor the crops of the Seraphis Kingdom. I wasn’t particularly close to him, so to speak, but we did discuss things on different occasions.”

  Emperor Katsuki looked past Demetrius, gazing down the hallway and at the long shadows cast by the candles. He felt a small trail of goosebumps rise on his skin, making him shudder and step back from Demetrius.

  Seeing this, Demetrius’s brows furrowed. “Are you alright?”

  The blonde man nodded, combing his right hand through his stubble. “Let’s continue this discussion in my quarters.”

  ...

  After pushing open the door to his private quarters, Emperor Katsuki took a step aside, letting Demetrius into the room. Aside from the regular, cordial interactions between the two, where Demetrius would announce something or give an update to his superior, the latter hadn’t had a chance to properly marvel at the inside of the emperor's room.

  “I forgot that I’ll have to get you new quarters too,” Emperor Katsuki said, sitting on his bed.

  Demetrius drew in a breath, sitting in the chair in front of the desk by the window. On the desk were countless scrolls and whatnot.

  “Don’t think I forgot about your other assignment; I’ll deliver you those books after we’re done talking.”

  “Very good,” he nodded in response.

  “Now, I’m beginning to stir up a few theories regarding information I don’t have. I had summoned Ambassador Charles before the famine to ensure the crops and produce of the Seraphis Kingdom remained stable and plentiful for everyone. But, by the time I had received clarification of how bad the situation actually was, Kael had dragged him into my throne room and cut his tongue off.

  “Kael referenced his invaluable help as he sliced off the latter's tongue, revealing how Charles had actually lied about everything through his letters. Kael somehow caught wind of this along the way and took action. After that, he collected his own group of ‘professionals’ and sent them off to Seraphis Kingdom.”

  “I see...” Demetrius scratched his cheeks. “But where do you think he got these professionals from?”

  “The Indun Empire," he told it to my face during a proceeding. With Charles out of the way and disposed of, Kael’s allies now operate in Seraphis Kingdom, helping out the situation,” Emperor Katsuki replied.

  “But what if the allies he chose are also part of this conspiracy? If Kael or anyone else harbors connections as far as the Indun Empire, who knows the political power your own advisor could hold? Hell, what if it could rival yours?

  “Perhaps this pipeline of connections was how Kael found out about Charles and dragged him to your feet. Maybe his allies don’t just want Izuku dead, but they are also trying to sabotage this system.”

  Emperor Katsuki brought his hand to his chin. “The most recent action I’ve seen Kael take was executing the ambassador for his actions. If we look at it from a certain point of view, Kael simply eradicated a potential threat to the economic world.”

  The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  At that moment, Emperor Katsuki seemed to remember something. "Demetrius, get me those books... I feel there’s something you need to see.”

  ...

  “I still can’t believe you thought that place was secret." Demetrius chuckled to himself as he put the dusty, thick books on the table. Emperor Katsuki only nodded in response, not bothering to fish out any other replies.

  He grabbed one of the books from the pile, blowing off some of the collected dust before opening it. After flipping through it for a few seconds, he looked up at Demetrius and raised an eyebrow.

  “If you don’t mind me asking, what’s your educational level?”

  The vulpur nervously grabbed the edge of his collar, tugging the lapel up as if by habit. “Back home before I came here, I only received some education about my culture, history, and people. Here, I dabbled in the library for a little while when my duties as a servant proved less... difficult.”

  “Well...” Emperor Katsuki began, turning the book to Demetrius so that he could see the title, back, and spine.

  “What do you know about the history of our world outside of your little island?”

  “I don’t know much... I’ve only studied historical people like gods that must have been alive at some point in time.”

  Hearing his words, Emperor Katsuki nodded in understanding. “Well, I assume you know of the Khorvithian War? It was the deadliest war of the last five hundred years, and it’s the reason why there’s my trophy under the castle.”

  “A trophy under the castle? Why not display it by your throne or something?” Demetrius asked, feeling slightly confused.

  “Aside from some people, not many know of the dragon under the castle. It was sent from... somewhere in an attempt to both burn my empire to the ground and destroy me. Luckily, Izuku and I vanquished the dragon, using our abilities to encase it in a golden seal where it rests for the remainder of my life.”

  Realizing he had strayed from the topic, Emperor Katsuki sighed. “Anyways, back to what I was saying.”

  “Proud, I assume?” Demetrius joked.

  Emperor Katsuki rolled his eyes before flipping deeper into the book. “This is an account written by someone within an insurgency movement against the leader of the Adligon Clans. Their ruler—Bj?rn Olson—had grown tyrannical throughout the duration of the war. This member was someone who was obviously precariously intelligent and ruthless, but they never wrote their name.

  “This member described something known as the Breliege Tactic, a slow and subtle way oppositional and radical powers can engage in a political tug-of-war for their goals. The leader said that one of their party had entered Bj?rn’s inner circle, gradually taking charge and gaining more decision-making power.”

  “Are you saying that could be happening right now?” Demetrius’s ears twitched, lowering into his hair.

  “I’m beginning to suspect that,” Emperor Katsuki replied, feeling a small pang enter his body.

  “What else do you know about this tactic? Any other things written down?”

  Emperor Katsuki thought through Demetrius’s flurry of questions before sighing softly to himself.

  “It’s best you rest now. It’s late at night, and I prefer the newest member of my circle to be ready for his assignment.”

  “B-but—”

  Emperor Katsuki raised a hand, signaling for Demetrius to stop speaking. He held his gaze with the vulpur across from him for a moment before parting his lips.

  “Tomorrow, sit down with Yelena, give her some tea, and ask her questions about what she knows here, her connections, anything. Though phrase it in a way where your motivations and intent are kept concealed and out of her scope of intellect. I’m not fraying off the intelligence of vulpurs as a species, but they’re something I know little about, so I’d need someone from my own circle to question them—particularly one of their own kind.”

  Demetrius stood up, bowing in a solemn fashion. “I won’t let you down, your majesty.”

  As he watched the vulpur leave the room, Emperor Katsuki looked away from the door as it closed, his gaze focusing on the window and the moonlight outside. He stood up, his armor creaking and groaning like rusty pipes. After shedding it and placing it on a wooden armor stand poised in the corner of the room, he finally let out a sigh of relief and headed to the balcony.

  The cool air hit his face as he stepped outside, making him shiver a little and roll down his sleeves. His room—being at the top of the palace—allowed him an entire view of the kingdom below. His balcony faced the towering buildings, smokestacks that puffed out viscous black smoke, and a glimpse into the more ordinary aspects of life in his kingdom.

  He heard tiny, muffled laughter emanating from a street below. Looking down, he saw a small group of children playing in the middle of the street, kicking and throwing a ball that looked like it had been made by hand. The surface and texture of the ball appeared chipped and mottled, with patches of fabric across its surface, giving it a more textured and colorful appearance.

  Above him, snow continued to gently drift down from the sky, powdering the balcony, railing, and the mycelium plant that had been left discarded in the corner. It was a gift from Hazel, who had used her powers as a demigod to create it for him. It wasn’t the most beautiful plant in the world, but Emperor Katsuki knew intention mattered all the more than the object itself.

  Emperor Katsuki’s gaze drifted from the plant, his expression softening as he looked into the horizon. As far as the eye could see, the ink-black sky was peppered with stars, and the blood-red moon continued to shine its brilliance upon the kingdom.

  “Hello!”

  “Hey, over here!”

  A few voices shouted from below—it was the kids he had just seen playing with the ball. Emperor Katsuki’s heart initially jumped from his chest, but he collected himself quickly enough to look down at the boys and girls below. They were all smiling up at him, some even beckoning for him to join them.

  The corners of Emperor Katsuki’s lips curled into a small, almost appreciative smile. Compared to the hostility and resentment he had seen when he addressed the public earlier, the gazes of these children were unlike those. They had full stomachs, smiles, and each other.

  Suddenly, one door opened in the street, and a woman walked out, her face filled with disdain and disappointment. She began to scold the kids for their actions, saying how their being up this late had woken up the emperor himself. Emperor Katsuki knew that very well was a lie, but he didn’t bother to correct the children’s mother.

  Chuckling to himself, he turned away from the balcony and headed back to his quarters.

  He felt his thoughts drifting to the time when he, too, was a child, playing in his small coastal town with Izuku, spending hours clashing wooden swords and laughing until he felt his stomach ache. But—at the same time—he knew the past was only the past, and growing up and becoming the ruler he wanted to be was difficult.

  He had things to worry about. He had a conspiracy around his friend, something that could threaten his life if not taken seriously. Someone beside him could betray him at any moment, grab their weapon, and plunge it into his chest. He thought about how he had grown from that naive boy he once was.

  He had promised prosperity to his people.

  Now, he will do whatever it takes to ensure it remains that way, even if it means diving into territory where he shouldn't.