[Later that night.]
[Kingdom War Table]
[Dean POV]
The chamber smelled faintly of ink and hot wax. Torches burned low in their sconces, casting the long war table in shifting shadows. Every noble present wore their house colors, a display of pride that only made the arguments louder.
"We must retaliate against these Federation scum!" roared Lord Halden, his voice booming across the marble hall. His fist slammed the table so hard the inkwells rattled.
"No," Lord Deyran shot back, leaning forward with his palms spread wide. "We do not have the resources for an all-out war! " His rings caught the light as he gestured sharply.
"I agree with Lord Deyran," added Count Reval, voice calm but eyes sharp. "If we start a war, the Beast and Demon Kingdoms will band together against us. We cannot survive a multi-front conflict."
"Pah! " Halden scoffed, throwing himself back in his chair. "Those small fries would be easy for us."
"As if we would back down to those beasts!" barked Baron Varric from the far side, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword.
"Yes! We must retaliate! " another shouted, half-rising from his seat. "Death to those flying birds! "
"God help me," I thought, watching them with growing irritation. They've been circling the same arguments for half an hour and still don't realize none of this matters without the marquis houses moving first.
I glanced toward An, who sat two seats down from me. Her elbow was on the table, chin in her palm, eyes glazed over. She hadn't spoken once. The Kunis had sent word they'd abide by our decisions, and Zagan's family hadn't even bothered to show.
I straightened and let my voice cut through the noise. "That's enough, people."
The words weren't shouted, but the tone—low and certain—snapped the room quiet. Lord Halden froze mid-retort. Even Baron Varric eased his hand off his sword hilt.
"Marquis Draig," Lord Deyran acknowledged, his tone guarded.
I rose, placing both hands on the edge of the table. "Let's get this meeting back on topic. I am representing the King tonight. The Prime Minister can confirm this—he was there when the decision was made this afternoon."
An's gaze flicked to me briefly, then away. She knew better than to challenge me here.
Lord Deyran turned to the Prime Minister. "Is this true? "
The prime minister gave a short, stiff nod.
"Tsk," Deyran muttered under his breath.
"Today was a tragedy," I began, letting the silence stretch just enough to keep their attention. "Before anyone here starts claiming your personal guards were lost—don't. Not a single one of your men died. Every casualty was either a civilian or a member of our Black Ops units. We will hold the funerals in three days."
A ripple of discomfort went around the table.
"Furthermore," I continued, "we are retracting all forces currently stationed in the central noble houses. Those troops will be redeployed to the borders."
"That's outrageous!" Halden shot up from his seat, face red. "We have a contract, Dean Draig!"
"Yes, we do," I said evenly. "And in that contract, it states that in an emergency, I may recall those forces. The present is one of those times."
"But—"
"That's the end of that discussion," I cut in, my voice hardening. "Consider this a courtesy. I could have done it without telling you first."
Murmurs rose, but no one met my eyes.
"Secondly," I went on, "we will require reinforcements from the central nobles."
"That's absurd! " Deyran's chair scraped loudly as he stood. "You expect us to send men into a war that might not even happen? "
"Oh, it will happen," I said, voice low but sure. "The Federation will make certain of it."
The Prime Minister frowned. "The King has given orders to avoid war at all costs."
I turned to him, narrowing my eyes. "At all costs? Then perhaps we should just surrender in thirty days. I'm sure you'd all enjoy becoming Federation slaves."
Gasps and mutters of disbelief rippled down the table.
Baron Varric laughed humorlessly. "As if they could enslave us all."
"Have you ever been to the Federation, Prime Minister? " I asked, ignoring Varric.
"…No."
"They have over eight billion people. Twenty-five percent are slaves. Another twenty-five percent are bound by government contracts that are only slightly better than slavery. Adding a billion more bodies to their control would barely cause them to blink."
The prime minister's mouth closed with an audible click.
"Enough." My palm slammed into the marble with a sharp crack, silencing the last of the whispers. "This is not a debate. Contracts will be sent after the funerals. They are not negotiable."
I let my gaze sweep across the table, lingering on the ones who avoided my eyes. Too many of you are rotten to the core. The Duke can dig out the rest.
"With that, this meeting is adjourned. Prime Minister—stay behind. And you as well."
[Ten Minutes Later—War Table, Now Empty]
[Dean POV]
The room felt bigger without the crowd, though the air was still thick from the arguments. The Prime Minister lingered near his chair, shoulders stiff. Anne leaned casually against the far end of the table, arms crossed, her expression unreadable.
"The King will not be happy about this," the Prime Minister said at last. His tone carried that particular brand of irritation nobles get when they've lost a fight they thought they could win.
Ann smirked faintly. "If Dean says it's happening, it's happening. Who's going to stop him? "
The prime minister's head jerked toward her. "We have two gods—"
"Two young gods," An interrupted straightening. "And they'd be dead inside five minutes if Stacy took them seriously. You know as well as I do they're still green."
His jaw tightened. "You—"
I stepped between them, voice level. "So what do you want from me, Prime Minister? "
He hesitated before answering. "Support. I'd prefer to send as many forces as possible, but with the risk of the Beast and Demon Kingdoms joining the Federation, our seas become vulnerable. And the Federation might sail around the world to strike from behind."
A short laugh escaped me. "You won't have to worry too much. I'll send forces when they're needed."
His reply was curt. "Thank you."
Ann pushed away from the table. "No worries," she said, her tone clipped as she started toward the door.
"Not so fast," I said, turning my gaze on her.
She paused, one hand on the doorframe. "What now? "
"Who's been getting close to the King?" I asked, watching her carefully.
She arched her brow. "What do you mean?"
"Someone's been influencing him," I said, my voice casual but my eyes fixed on hers. "Or is it you? "
Her lips curved into a humorless smile. "…Dean, you really do hate me, don't you? "
I chuckled. "You're my closest special general. Don't take it personally."
She sighed, dropping her hand from the doorframe. "This assignment is the most annoying one yet. Why do I have to play politics? "
"Because you're the only one I trust to sniff out the truth," I said simply. "So—who is it?"
"A young lady the King calls Rose. Not her real name, but that's what he uses. She's from a small noble house in your territory."
I tilted my head. "Which one?"
"Haven't found out yet. She's only been in public for a few months. Between her and the Duke's nonsense, I haven't had time to dig deeper."
"The Duke's mostly sorted now," I said. "His daughters stepped up—helping in better ways than expected. She even has a boyfriend from our Black Ops unit. Good kid… though his taste is a bit…"
We both grimaced. "Right," she muttered.
For a moment, neither of us spoke. The silence was heavier than before.
[Dead Forest – Sloth's Cave]
[Kitsuna POV]
The cavern air was damp and faintly metallic, the walls glowing faintly from the phosphorescent moss clinging to the stone. I shifted in the shallow pool, the warm "healing goo" sticking to my fur in an unpleasant film.
"Gran, this goo isn't helping at all!" I snapped, splashing water up toward her perch.
She stretched lazily, her massive feline body taking up half the ledge. "Shut it, Kit. I told you not to overdo it. "This"—she gestured with her tail—"is "why."
I scowled. "I only went three minutes over the time limit."
Gran's amber eyes narrowed. "And your clone backlash hit you too. Don't pretend you didn't know that."
I froze. "…Wait—it does?"
Her ears flicked back. "Don't give me that 'wait, really?' look. I told you after the first time."
"Right, right…" I muttered, sinking deeper into the pool until only my head was above the surface. "So… how long?"
She rolled onto her side, yawning. "Months."
I shot up in the water. "Months?! I don't have months! School's starting soon! "
"Pah," she huffed. "Your little war will start in days anyway."
I frowned. "Days? No. The Federation needs a proper reason to break the treaty. Dean won't let the Kingdom be the one to break it."
Her gaze slid toward me, heavy with something I couldn't read. "They might not need a reason. They have deep pockets. A noble family could be… persuaded to start it for them."
"Maybe," I admitted. "But even then, it'd still take months for them to maneuver their forces around the Dead Forest."
Gran's tail went still. "Around? "
The way she said it made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. "… You're saying it'll be more than just the four kingdoms?"
She didn't blink. "Of course. It will be a world war."
I stared at her, heart pounding. "…The world's bigger than these four kingdoms, Gran."
Her eyes slid shut. "Exactly."
[Draig Border Mansion]
[Stacy POV]
The war room in our border estate smelled faintly of parchment and oil from the lamps. Maps covered the main table, marked with colored pins for every patrol, unit, and supply line. Kayda stood across from me, her posture straight, her voice sharp.
"As ordered, patrols are now in two-man squads. Shifts have been reduced to four hours to keep them alert. Trackers are on every soldier," she reported.
"Good," I said, nodding. "And the rest of our preparations? "
The white-haired fox-kin standing beside her—Kira—stepped forward. "Most forces from the other noble houses in the central area have returned. They've been reassigned into active squads. Drills are more intensive, but we're keeping them short enough so energy isn't burned out before deployment."
"Glad to hear you're handling the new post well," I said with a small smile.
Her ears flicked, and she smiled back. "Thank you. The twins are doing well too."
I leaned back in my chair, grinning. "You mean your girlfriends."
A blush colored her cheeks. "Y-yes."
"How's Nekro? Haven't seen her in a while."
Her smile dimmed. "Still… angry at Apricot for leaving so suddenly."
I sighed. "Right. Those two…"
"Other than that, she's improving. Her demon powers are stabilizing," Kira added.
"Good. We'll need every edge we can get," I said. "Let's keep tightening our readiness. Assume war will come."
Kayda glanced toward me. "When's Amari leaving for school?"
"Soon. My mother should arrive in a few months to take both of them. Hopefully Kitsuna's back by then."
Kayda's eyes narrowed slightly. "If she's not? "
I smiled thinly. "War or not, I'll drag her back myself."