ushernet 324. Dangers Around You
324. Dangers Around You
Thump! Thud!With a resounding slam, Ravenna materialized at the entrance of the Empress’s Garden. She collapsed onto the scorched earth, her body trembling with exhaustion, her stomach cramping from a day without food.
“I should have stored at least a few rations in the Origin Domain…” she muttered, her voice a dry rasp.
The nearby knights, who had been scouring the ash for her remains, froze at the sound before rushing to her aid in a frenzy.
“We found Her Highness!” “She’s alive! Bring the physicians and the priests, immediately!”
As Ravenna was lifted and carried toward her private chambers, her mind remained sharp despite the dizzying fatigue. “I had to wait for a full day in there just for a single hour to pass in the real world,” she thought. “I couldn't risk coming out too soon and appearing out of thin air while the garden was swarming with people. I never imagined the time dilation inside the Domain could actually ever be a disadvantage.”
Once placed on her bed, the Imperial Physician began a frantic examination. “She is stable... the injuries are minor, all things considered,” the physician announced, looking perplexed. “However, it seems Her Highness is severely dehydrated and starved, as if she spent a day battling the after-effects of the explosion without sustenance.”
Dame Ocelina raised an eyebrow, her gaze lingering on Ravenna. “How is that possible? It has barely been an hour since the explosion occurred.”
“Perhaps the volatile mana of that spell caused it?” the physician suggested, clutching at straws.
Ravenna offered a weak, nervous chuckle from the pillows. “Maybe... it certainly felt like I was in that fire for an eternity.”
Meanwhile in the neighbouring Conley Empire, Imperial Palace, The Capital City, Conley Empire
“We already know the ‘Syndicate’ is merely a front for the Cult! So why are we still allowing my father to be puppeted by their demands?!”
A young man near Ravenna’s age with shimmering silver hair and a thick fur coat draped over his shoulders, yelled at the assembled Imperial Council.
“We must follow His Majesty’s orders, Prince Benjamin,” one of the ministers replied smoothly, his face a mask of practiced indifference. “Furthermore, the rumor that the Hercule Syndicate is the Cult is merely Ancornan propaganda designed to undermine our sovereignty. Do not be so easily swayed.”
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Benjamin was momentarily speechless with rage. He had been against allying with the Syndicate from the start. He had watched as the ministers and even his own family began to act... differently after only a few clandestine conversations with the group's representatives.
“I am the Crown Prince of this Empire, and yet you refuse to weigh my opinion even slightly?” he demanded.
“His Majesty’s health has been in sharp decline, and only the Syndicate’s medicines have provided relief,” another minister commented, his eyes cold. “It is safe to say they have the best interests of our nation at heart.”
Frustrated and sensing he was shouting at stone walls, Benjamin stormed out of the council chambers. “Otto City, the very base of the Syndicate has confirmed they are the Cult and announced to the whole continent not long ago,” he thought, his boots clicking sharply on the stone. “How can these fools believe they are the salvation of our nation?”
He walked out onto a terrace garden, huffing with indignation. Ever since the Hercule Crime Syndicate had begun interfering in the government, Conley had been dragged into unnecessary border skirmishes and wars. And now, even the Ancornan Emperor had been assassinated with the primary suspect being the Conley Prime Minister, and the Council was content to parrot the Syndicate’s line that it was the work of "rogue elements."
One of his personal attendants hurried onto the terrace, a sealed letter in hand. “Your Highness! A letter has arrived for you. It was delivered via a private magic network.”
Benjamin turned, his brow furrowed. “Why the rush? Who is it from?”
The servant shook his head. “It bore no family seal, Your Highness. It was addressed simply to: Benjamin Soliras, The Student Council President.”
Benjamin froze. “Why would Rexford contact me now?” He had carried out the favor Rexford asked for a few months now, allowing him and Laila to stay undercover in the Conley Empire after Ravenna’s exile to provide them with a safety net so that they can’t be used against Ravenna. But since Ravenna had returned to power, there has been no reason for contact given the nations are at war with each other now.
With trembling fingers, he broke the seal.
"A Method for Detecting the Mind Control Spell of the Cult of Absolution," Benjamin read, his eyes widening with every word.
The letter continued in Rexford’s distinctive, sharp handwriting: “We have formed an organization to unite the world against the Witch and the Absolute Being; the specific details regarding our alliance are attached in the following documents. By utilizing the above method, you can prove that the Conley Empire’s higher-ups have fallen under the Cult’s mental influence. Once the truth is revealed, the Humanity Defense Force will rally behind you to secure your ascension to the throne.”
“He... he’s talking about treason,” Benjamin muttered, the weight of the parchment feeling like lead in his hands.
He turned to the final page, where a shorter, more personal note had been scribbled at the bottom: “It is up to you to decide. Will you allow those under mind control to continue spreading discord until they bring about the ruin of the world, or will you stand up to protect your nation? The choice is yours, President.”
Benjamin simply stood there, dazed. He looked up at the vast, darkening sky of the Conley Empire, the wind whipping his silver hair across his face as he weighed the impossible decision Rexford had placed before him. The fate of an empire now rested on the shoulders of a man who is anything but capable when it comes to confrontation and leading his people.