ushernet 319. Makings Of New Succession Law
319. Makings Of New Succession Law
“I began to see that look in your eyes, the same look I saw in Asha's everytime when I came back from War. I realized I couldn't bear to continue as your teacher. By then, you had mastered everything I had to offer, and I found myself staying far longer than necessary. For some reason, being around you made me feel like I could finally forgive myself... and I hated that. I didn't believe I deserved such peace.” Faldeus shifted in his seat as he continued.“I ran because I couldn't handle the light you were bringing back into my life. I’m sorry, Little Raven. I was and still am better at breaking things than mending them.” Faldeus finished his confession, his voice heavy with the weight of years of pain. Ravenna didn't offer a hug or a tearful forgiveness. Instead, she leaned back, her eyes narrowing with a sharp, familiar coldness.
“So, it was just a crap load of self-pity? Is that it?” she asked, her voice flat.
Faldeus let out a short, dry laugh, tapping his fingers against the rotted wood of the table. “Not a single comforting word out of your mouth, huh? I expected nothing less from my best student.”
They sat in a heavy silence for several minutes. A sudden, violent gust of wind rattled the glass panes, making the mansion’s skeletal windows flutter and groan for a few seconds before the air settled once more. Once the noise died down, Ravenna let out a long, weary sigh and looked him in the eye.
“So, what are you going to do after this, Master? Return to the Simbala Plains?”
“That’s the plan,” he replied, staring at his calloused hands. “There isn't much left for me to do here. The implementation of the new succession law will likely take at least six months to stabilize. I’m better off back where the air smells of dust and iron.”
Ravenna stood up abruptly, her chair scraping harshly against the floor. She smoothed out her mourning dress, a sudden, mischievous smirk playing on her lips.
“Why don’t you come to the Kim Dukedom instead?” she proposed. Before he could object, she added, “I’m sure you would like to meet... your granddaughter, wouldn’t you?”
“What?” Faldeus was totally taken aback, his brow furrowing in genuine confusion.
Ravenna’s smirk deepened into a triumphant grin as she began to walk toward the door. “You said it yourself, didn't you? That I felt like your daughter. Since I have a daughter now, that makes her your grandchild wouldn’t it?”
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She paused at the threshold, looking back over her shoulder. “Unless, of course, the great Khan of the Arm-Lohai just wants to wallow in his self pity forever.”
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Ravenna scanned the glowing interface as she paced down the marble corridor, her mind whirring with the cold logic. “Once he comes to Kim Dukedom, convincing him to sign the Humanity Defense Treaty would give us the foothold we need in the Western Continent” she reasoned silently. “If the rest of the story follows the original novel, the Witch will plunge the West into chaos any day now.”
She reached the edge of the palace gardens, where the high nobles of the Empire were gathered. Even from a distance, their heated arguments over the Emperor’s final decree carried on the wind. They were like vultures fighting over a carcass that hadn't even grown cold yet.
“It will take them months to come to terms with reality and actually build a selection process for the throne according to the decree,” Ravenna muttered, walking past the bickering lords without a second glance. “I should be able to return home by tomorrow. Since my own plans are already in motion... I’ll have the definitive edge in the succession the moment the new race officially begins.”
A particularly sharp, somber gust of wind whipped her hair across her face.
“Your Highness! Duke Morgen has requested an audience with you,” a maid called out, hurrying through the garden to intercept her.
“Sure, lead the way,” Ravenna replied, smoothing her pants and offering a practiced, polite smile.
However, as she followed the girl, something began to feel fundamentally wrong. The maid was taking unnecessarily long routes, weaving through the palace’s secondary halls and taking odd, sharp shifts. Having grown up within these walls, Ravenna knew every corridor and hidden alcove like the back of her hand. This wasn't the way to guest quarters where Duke Morgen should be.
They eventually arrived at a secluded, overgrown corner of the windy garden, a quiet sanctuary that had once been her mother’s favorite place for solitary walks. It was now abandoned, shielded from prying eyes by thick hedges and ancient stone arches.
“Your Highness...” the maid said, finally turning around. Her hands were trembling, and her face was pale as death. “I am really, truly sorry for doing this...”
Ravenna’s eyes narrowed, her weight shifting onto the heels of her feet. She was ready to launch into a lethal strike the moment the girl pulled a weapon or a signal.
“Who sent you?” Ravenna asked, her voice dropping into a dangerous, icy register. “And what exactly are you sorry for?”