Humanity's Hero Of Despair

The Emperor leads me through the dimly lit corridors of the Imperial Palace.

The weight of the events of today and yesterday is still very much present in my mind. We head in a new direction of the Imperial Palace I haven't ventured into yet. We walk up a flight of stairs until we reach a grand but classic-looking door. The Emperor waits for me to reach him at the top of the stairs.

"This is my private office. This is the place I do the majority of my private work. The door and the room are completely enchanted with protective magic and counter-magic for people trying to be nosy."

I nod in response, and he opens the door with a flick of his wand to unlock the magic lock.

The door slowly opens up to a magnificent room.

The private office is one many people could only dream of ever having in their lifetime. Towering bookshelves fill the space with numerous rare books and artifacts. Several magnificent chandeliers light up the private office, giving it a warm glow.

That isn't the best thing about the office, though.

The best thing is the huge window that overlooks the imperial gardens. The moonlight from the night sky gives a soft white glow to the private office. The Emperor sighs and sits down in his leather chair as he gestures for me to take a seat across from his desk. I walk over to the chair and calmly sit down.

Hopefully, what he has to say isn't too bad.

The Emperor props up his elbows on the table and clasps his hands together as he looks at me.

"The late Grand Duke Lancaster's final wish was for you to take care of his Dukedom. Since you are already a Duke, it makes the process even easier in terms of the transition of power. I wish there was a way out of this, but according to Oriventh traditions, if a noble declares someone through writing or verbal confirmation as their heir, it shall be done no matter what."

He takes a deep breath.

"This means you are now Grand Duke Lotus."

I feel like I am about to pass out. The sudden rise in noble status, even due to special circumstances, can't be easy to process for anyone. A Grand Duke?! That is so much responsibility, and I don't even know the Oriventh Empire that well yet, even though I have met so many nice people. I gather my thoughts before responding.

"This means I have to take care of the entire Dukedom territory, right? Which includes tens of thousands of people?"

"I have that already figured out. We have trusted officials who can help you run the day-to-day management of your territory until you get fully adjusted and understand everything. I have already sent King Grey a few letters regarding this major update."

I sigh as I lean back in my chair, just wanting to go to sleep and forget about all of this.

The Emperor pulls open a drawer, takes out a few documents, and places them in front of me.

"This is the deed to Lancaster Castle, which is now Lotus Castle because you own it. You now own his entire castle and any resources it contains. His personal army will also declare their loyalty to you, as they are loyal to whoever owns the domain."

"Once everyone officially arrives for the Glozaria Alliance's first meeting, I would suggest you travel back with your party to the castle to get a grasp on everything—with permission from King Grey, of course. We can discuss it more once we get there."

I shake my head slowly as I think through the information given to me.

My personal army just jumped in size by at least ten times the amount, and who knows what resources the Grand Duke had in his secret safes. At least I will have more people I am able to protect now with the influence I hold, but at the same time, can I really do this?

The Emperor seems to be able to sense my thoughts.

"You will not have to worry about all of this for a while. All of us here, including me, are here to help and support you, Grand Duke Lotus. My goal is to protect my people and nation no matter what that takes. On a higher level, I want to do my part in helping protect humanity. I want to protect the bloodline of the Oriventh Empire."

I get out of my seat and walk over to the window to look out at the imperial gardens. I turn around to face the Emperor, who is still sitting at the desk.

"I understand that. How will I learn, though, how to be a proper Grand Duke and understand the full implications of what this means? I am not used to this much responsibility or power."

The Emperor smiles and stands up from his desk, walking over to stand next to me by the window.

"I promise you will be trained, educated, and properly prepared for this new position. We have time before everyone gets here to train you. You have your trusted friends, who I believe will be happy to help you as well. You can tell them about everything we discussed, but please refrain from telling the general public about the full extent of your power until I make a formal statement when the first GA meeting happens."

"I promise."

The Emperor nods back in satisfaction and walks to the door of the private office.

"Thank you for meeting with me, Grand Duke Lotus. Please meet me here again tomorrow after breakfast in the dining hall. It will not take up too much of your time or time away from your friends. It is just so I can help you prepare and understand your role to a greater extent."

I thank the Emperor and walk out of the office. My feet feel heavy as I have performed too much magic today and stayed up too late. Once I make it to my room, I take a quick shower and flop down on my bed face-first.

Grand Duke Lotus. Yikes.