Chapter 104: Right Where I Want
Corruption was never a pretty thing. Blake knew that the King wasn't solely responsible for his mother's death. It was a decision that went through the hands of many people. Guards. Ministers. Councils. They could've interfered. Done something. Anything. But no one did. They all had a chance to do something to prevent it all; from the assault on his mother to her cruel death. But instead they turned their heads away and pretended as if nothing was at fault. Because it benefited them to stay quiet.
So, did I have my revenge? King Blake asked himself again. He looked at his breakfast and stabbed his knife into the food, as he murmured to himself, "No, not even close."
Tap, tap!
There was a loud knock on the door.
"Enter," King Blake Bancroft said as he inserted a small piece of roasted barrinbeast meat into his mouth and began chewing it, and the door slowly opened, revealing a young man with blond hair and glasses wearing a butler uniform standing outside of the room.
"Greetings your majesty. I'm your helper today for your morning activities," the young man bowed his head and announced, as the king grabbed a beautiful silk cloth that was placed neatly on the table and wiped his mouth with it, nodding his head while he did so.
"Thank you, young man. I assume you're the trainee sent by Colonel Harris?" King Blake rose from the table after finishing his breakfast, lifted his thick coat that was made using a male Wiralbeast's skin, and walked towards the young man who was standing in front of the doorway, his eyes scanning him from top to bottom.
"That is right, your majesty." Right then, Colonel Harris appeared from the hallway with a smile on his face, bowed his head and answered immediately, while the young man still had his head lowered in front of the king.
"His name is Calvin Santoro, your highness. He'll be in charge of helping you today. He's a little shy, but he'll do whatever you need him to do. He's a tough lad, this young man," Colonel Harris let out a loud laughter and he slammed his palm hard on the back of the still bowing Calvin, who let out a cough because of the intensity of the slap. He then grabbed Calvin by the shoulders, turned his gaze towards the young man and said, "Get down to the front door and make sure that the Carriage has been brought to the entrance of the palace. I'll accompany the king until he reaches the front door."
"Sir, yes sir!" The young man, Calvin, answered loudly, gave the Colonel a salute and dashed towards the stairs, leaving the Colonel alone with the king.
"The kid seems enthusiastic about working for the king. I wonder, would he still behave the same way the day ends?" King Blake watched as Calvin disappeared from their view.
"Oh, you'd be surprised, your majesty. That kid is a trooper. He's been through a lot. " Colonel Harris replied.
"A good kid?" the king asked, to which the Colonel gave an emphatic nod of the head. "A fine soldier. He's been a part of my regiment since he was a teenager, so I'm confident that he's a trustworthy individual as well."
"What's the situation with Emperor Gilbert Gottfried?" King Blake Bancroft asked.
"We have had some feedback from a few of our informants, but nothing of value as of right now. More along the lines of gossip. But what's more important is that my men, who are stationed within the secondary unit of the Dazearyn army, did not send out anything yet."
"You think their identities have been found out by the Dazearyn soldiers?" King Blake asked, and Colonel Harris shook his head. "I don't think so. They would've sent out some kind of information if their covers really were blown. But from what it looks like, it just seems like they're laying low for the time being. Perhaps the enemy has gotten cautious."
"I'm guessing a battle between Argria and the Dazearyn Empire is inevitable?" King Blake asked with a bitter smile on his face, and Colonel Harris scratched his cheeks with embarrassment. "I guess it does sound like that, huh?"
He paused for a second, cleared his throat and continued. "But unfortunately, I'm afraid this is the best case scenario for our country. And since we aren't capable of influencing the thoughts and actions of our enemies, it seems that we're helpless in this situation. Our only choice is to wait for the inevitable."
"It's an extremely bleak situation to be in," the King, Blake Bancroft, let out a heavy sigh as he placed his palm on his face. "To think that all of the hard work that went into overthrowing the King and the Queen and to make me the new king would just result in a temporary state of peace. I wonder what the public would think?"
"Well, to be completely honest..." Colonel Harris said. "Most people would simply panic about it for a few days… perhaps weeks, and then they'll go back to their daily lives until the peace is actually broken."
King Blake let out a short chuckle. As they both reached the front door, they were welcomed by Calvin, who was waiting for them in front of the Royal Family's carriage, and he bowed his head respectfully as soon as he saw the king arriving.
"Keep up the good work, Colonel Harris!" King Blake said as he turned towards the carriage. "Now, if you'll excuse me… I have to leave for a very important meeting."
"Have a good day, your majesty!" Colonel Harris bowed his head and shifted his gaze to Calvin, who was about to enter the carriage, and said. "Keep an eye on his majesty. Understand, soldier?"
"Sir, yes sir!" Calvin gave a salute to the Colonel and entered the carriage, and Colonel Harris watched as the vehicle drove off.
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Hugo Brewster was one of those who never seemed to have aged even a single Miu ever since he hit puberty twenty years ago, though he himself never really cared much for it.
A believer of the ways of his inspiration and idol, Gilbert Gottfried, the Emperor of the Dazearyn Empire, he was more interested in proving his worth to the messenger of God and to gain his approval. And Hugo knew that in order for the Emperor to notice his presence, he had to become a warrior who, like Gilbert Gottfried, would be ready to lay his life on the line if God wished for him to do so. He needed to be strong, fearless and brave.
It was why he decided to join the Dazearyn army as early as fourteen years of age. But life wasn't kind to Hugo, and soon, he was faced with the cold and harsh truth that was reality. He was overshadowed by many people who were more gifted than him in every way. Hugo wasn't a genius either, and no matter what he did or how hard he tried, he couldn't keep up with those who were the so-called 'chosen ones' and Hugo had graduated the Military Academy with his rank somewhere in the middle of his class.
Although this wasn't a bad rank by the standards of a normal person, it was perhaps the worst result for Hugo. The results had a significant impact on Hugo, and he fell into a state of depression, believing that in his current state, he would never be able to stand in front of his idol and make his presence known.
But just as the world around him was about to shatter into pieces, he received a recruitment letter from an unknown subsidiary sector inside the Dazearyn army known as the 'Trojan Forces', which invited him to take part in a covert operation that was going to be run by the group.
Curious about the kind of job that he was recruited for, Hugo decided to head to the specified location of the group's secret base, which was an old building located deep inside one of the many alleyways within the city of Arontury.
The Trojan Forces office was just one of the floors inside the old building, but surprisingly, Hugo couldn't find a single person when he entered the floor that he was supposed to enter. It was almost empty, with no signs of life except for the small room in a corner, from where a faint light could be seen through the gap under the door. Hugo, although suspicious and skeptical about the situation, decided to walk forward, slowly opening the door and heading inside the small room.
He was greeted by an overweight man with a light stubble on his chin, who was sitting in front of a desk that was made up either marovan wood or well-seasoned Sandoval wood. The man, upon noticing Hugo who had entered his room, motioned for the man to take a seat in front of him, which he did.
"So, how do you like the idea of working for the Emperor, Hugo?" the man asked as soon as Hugo sat down.
"Oh, it- it sounds wonderful, to be honest," Taken aback by the sudden question, Hugo replied with a flustered expression, desperately trying to find the right words. "For me, it would be a dream come true. To support the Emperor on his quest to fulfill the wishes of God is everything that I've ever wanted in life."
"Well then, it appears that you're right where you want to be," The man replied with a laugh.