– Pov: ??? –
My footsteps echo down the long, dim corridor, each one heavier than the last. My hands tremble, slick with sweat as I wipe them nervously on my tunic. I’ve been the king’s personal aide for years, entrusted with some of the most delicate matters, but this… this is different. Today, I carry the weight of the kingdom’s darkest news. It’s honestly pressing down on my shoulders like a vice.
I wish I was retired already. I feel like a filthy criminal just because I will have to deliver this news when I’m completely innocent in reality.
I’ve already written my will, just in case. It feels absurd, yet could prove to be necessary. King Alexios is not known for punishing those who deliver ill news, but this isn’t just ill news. This is pure devastation.
What happened yesterday might just be our biggest loss of the century, and we’ve been at war with two other strong nations throughout that entire time frame! The fact that likely neither of them is responsible this time feels like a sick joke.
I approach the towering doors of the throne room. The guards look at me, one of them nods, pushing the door open with a low, ominous creak. I step inside.
King Alexios sits at the far end, on his grand throne, his sharp gaze fixed on me from the moment I enter. His graying hair and stern demeanor make him look every bit the battle-hardened ruler that he is. Despite me looking to have over twenty years on him, that observation couldn’t be farther from the truth.
Alexios Valorian is an ancient being who is more than 400 years old, and is arguably the strongest living human.
I walk forward, my legs threatening to give out beneath me, but I force myself to stand straight. The king waits in complete silence while watching my every move intently. I stop before the throne, bowing deeply.
“Your Majesty,” I begin, my voice shaking just enough for me to notice. “I bring… dire news.”
He says nothing, only gestures for me to continue. My mouth is dry as I swallow again and my heart is thudding painfully against the bones in my chest.
“The outpost at Ironwatch… it was invaded.” I say, barely able to believe the words leaving my lips. “We were attacked by a horde of rampaging werewolves- over two hundred strong.”
Alexios stiffens for a second, then motions for me to continue once again.
“The soldiers did what they could… many died. Out of the five Aegis Vanguard members stationed there, only Stormlord survived without major injuries. The others… either dead or gravely wounded. Not even the Arch Priests can promise their recovery.
However, the outpost itself is safe and sound. Our brave soldiers had stopped it from being overrun through many noble sacrifices.”
I pause, steeling myself for the worst.
“The Legendary-tier artifact, Veil of Aetherius…” I say, the words choking me as they leave my mouth, “Is gone, Your Majesty. The Geimroot tree, the one that produced the fruit to grant wizardhood to adults… it has mysteriously withered. It’s dead. The Bloodhound guarding it had been slain.
Someone- likely someone high-leveled at that- sneaked into the cavern system and for some reason killed our incredibly important producer. Maybe they realized that they can’t uproot that old creature…so they just ended its existence.”
After centuries of research we still aren’t exactly certain what that tree was, so we can’t just find a new one easily. If another one even exists. Maybe it was some strange, one of a kind mutation. All we know is that it was a living monster, but it couldn’t communicate, no matter what method we tried.
As for its produce… It’s a monumental loss. The kingdom had been using them as a reward for loyal soldiers and other grand contributors who weren’t fortunate enough to be fed the [Mystical Elixir of Awakening] as children. This reward was oftentimes more sought after than earning large sums of gold or even a noble title, letting the royal family keep much needed land and wealth in their own hands.
After all, no matter what Wizard-type class one got, it was always useful. One could be considered set for life should they awaken it, as even low-level Wizards are incredibly highly sought after by any combat groups, and they can then level up in relative safety while being protected like they’re some VIPs.
Instead of rotting away in some barony, they can strive for greatness and live for centuries while doing so.
Our greatest heroic soldiers often asked for this reward so that they could feed it to their children who were older than six years of age.
Alexios grunts in extreme displeasure. After living for such a long time, it’s hard to get much of a reaction out of him, so the fact that his frustration was so vividly articulated is a great cause for concern, especially for my neck’s continued safety.
“How could such a thing happen? We spent an incredible amount of funds on maintaining Ironwatch! Hundreds of active-duty soldiers, thousands of traps!” He bellows mightily. His voice is carried across the throne room like a whirlwind, making me shake in my boots involuntarily.
“My king… After some investigation I’ve unearthed that the administrator responsible for allocating funds had pocketed the coins meant to rearm the traps that were triggered by animals and our less intelligent soldiers. He likely thought that since no one invaded the outpost for centuries, it would not be an issue.”
Alexios grips his throne’s ornate armrest and breaks it into smithereens through sheer force in his fingers. “How certain are you of this? Do you have definitive proof?”
I nod vehemently. “Yes, my king! It is obvious to the eye once one examines the papers. The perpetrator, Edmund Valehart, is an inbred opportunist through and through. I’ve never seen such an easy-to-follow paper trail that leads to one’s own incriminating actions. Stormlord also confirmed my suspicions.
He didn’t report anything because, according to his words; ‘it’s not within his rights to question the upper management of the kingdom’.”
He stands up firmly, extends his right hand forward, and decrees; “by my divine right as the sovereign ruler of the Vraven Kingdom, guardian of its lands and people, I, Alexios Valorian, denounce Edmund Valehart as a traitor to the crown.
For the crimes of greed, negligence, and treason, I sentence him to death, along with the direct generation of his blood above and below him on the Valehart family tree.”