Humanity's Hero Of Despair

Grand Duke Lancaster. The Emperor. The Rebel Alliance Leader.

These people came to the surface of my mind as I awoke with a throbbing feeling in my head. I wasn't able to get much sleep since I worried all night long about what was to come.

The thing is, I can't predict the future, so why should I be worrying about it?

I get up slowly from my super-duper luxurious bed. It is going to be the last time I am going to be in this comfortable of a bed, so I might as well savor it while I can. Once I make my bed, I head to the bathroom.

One glance in the mirror is all it takes to make me realize how much my hair got messed up during the night. It took a couple of double takes. I tried to smooth it out, but it kept popping back up again. It's actually so annoying.

I check the time.

It is only 6:00 a.m.

The Grand Duke said last night that breakfast was going to be in an hour, so that means I have some time to kill. I get out of my bedclothes and hop into the shower. The warm water becomes a comforting physical feeling, unlike the troubling thoughts in my mind.

Once I finish the shower, I put on my travel clothes and head out to the grand dining room for breakfast. I meet up with all my friends and sit at the table. This time, there is triple the amount of food, snacks, and drinks. I think Grand Duke Lancaster wants us to be very well-fed before we start our journey.

"Everybody! Please eat as much as you can! Today is a huge day, so do not hold back on me."

The Grand Duke says as we all start to dig in. The food is so delicious I can barely contain myself. Once breakfast concludes, we all go back to our rooms to grab our suitcases, etc. We all take one last look at our fancy rooms before heading out to the main entrance of Lancaster's Castle.

We all load up the carriages with the help of the Grand Duke's attendants, the magical knights, and the military units from Veltharia. As I look around at everybody getting ready to leave, I feel the weight of my burden becoming heavier, yet at the same time, I gain more hope as I see the power that lies in unity.

My thoughts are short-lived as before I know it, we are traveling the vast plains of the Oriventh Empire. So many rolling landscapes, sights of fortified cities, and several military checkpoints we have to go through. All of it is like a blur to me. Along the way, Grand Duke Lancaster makes sure to remind us how great the empire is to everybody.

"The Oriventh Empire is so vast and takes care of millions of people! We are by far the largest country on the continent with arguably the highest military power. That is why it's crucial to decide who is emperor or not, as they are the supreme ruler of Oriventh."

Lancaster says to us as we continue our voyage through the plains with our entourage.

We eventually arrive at what appears to be a nice village known for its fine cuisine and hospitality. We get so much special treatment, not just because of the royal family members of Tarondar being present but, of course, the obvious fact of Grand Duke Lancaster being there.

Oriventh citizens treat the Grand Dukes like gods.

After traveling for a long time, the break is actually very nice. We get to eat as much as we want for free, get to use the spa with anything we want for free—it is such a great experience, to be honest. I had no idea Grand Dukes were treated this way. It is a sharp contrast to how people look up to King Grey in Tarondar.

Both are considered royalty, but here it feels a bit more tense.

"Enjoying everything, Viscount?"

The Grand Duke asks me as we chill in the hot spring with the guys. The girls from our party are on the other side.

"Yes! Thanks for treating us like this, Grand Duke. It feels nice to have a break from all of the traveling. How long until we reach the Emperor's Palace, by the way?"

"Once we get back on the road again, it should take no more than a couple of hours. Enjoy this moment while it lasts because things are going to be very tense in the Emperor's Palace. You have to be extremely formal with the Emperor and everyone involved up there. At the end of the day, he rules over the entire country."

"I would suggest you let Quillen do the majority of the talking, as he has the required diplomatic status and is the best person for the job. Do not bring your entire party into the chamber, as it will make the empire's guards tense up. You can keep them outside the palace, though, with mine. We are allowed to bring one or two personal guards, though."

Quillen notices me looking at him and speaks up.

"I will do my best to make sure this goes smoothly. Of course, there is no guarantee for anything, but I will do my best to make it work. The most important thing is uniting humanity so we can save ourselves from these enhanced goblins as well as the dragons. It is not to fight between ourselves like they want us to do to each other."

I nod to Quillen in response, and we all agree with him.

We soon head out and are on our way to the Oriventh Empire. I notice we are getting closer by the increased military presence around us. We have to go through even more security checkpoints. We soon see the spiraling towers of the Emperor's Palace. The first thing I notice as we reach the hill is the sheer size of it.

It is ten times the size of Tarondar's Palace and built with very dark stone or brick. Many soldiers clad in dark armor patrol the palace. Advanced magic barriers, cannons, and archers line the walls. One look at it, and you can tell there is no way through unless they let you.

The massive doors of the castle open up to reveal two very intimidating tall figures.

Let's see what happens now.