The Kingdom of the Red Emerald — Throne Hall
The silence in the hall after the king's words was no longer the silence of respect.
It was the silence of predators that realized the bigger predator was still watching.
Advisors, commanders, nobles, clan leaders…
All of them kept tense smiles, the fake smile used in politics:
A smile that says "we understand"… while they actually understand nothing.
Korval III leaned back on his throne again, his fingers tapping on the dull blood-rests.
Then he spoke in a low voice that cut through the hall like a knife cuts flesh:
"Now… we move to what truly matters."
He closed his eyes again, a gesture everyone recognized.
If the king spoke with his eyes closed… it meant he was calculating, measuring, arranging…
Waiting for the first fool to object so he could drink his blood metaphorically.
Advisor Valmerk bowed slightly.
"Your Majesty… regarding the expansion plans…"
Korval raised a single finger.
Everyone fell silent immediately.
"We are not here to discuss foolish dreams… but real opportunities."
He looked at the entire council.
"You know as well as I do… the Imperial Family is in turmoil."
Tension was clear on their faces.
Mentioning the Imperial Family was not something said lightly, even inside a small kingdom.
Serith said carefully, "The tension between the emperor's children… has affected the distribution of imperial troops, true, but—"
Korval cut her off:
"Do not say 'but'.
As long as the family is distracted by internal conflict, and the Great Imperial Guardian has shown no movement in recent months… this means one thing:
Supervision has decreased."
Simple words…
Yet they struck everyone hard.
The nobles exchanged hungry looks.
Valmerk said, "The eastern minor kingdoms… and the southeastern ones… are suffering internal unrest. We can crush two in one year."
Clan leader Didar muttered, "If we move quickly… the Empire won't notice anything."
A merchant stroked his beard, "And chaos will be recorded as 'local disputes'. As long as we show loyalty at the upcoming Sect Assembly… no one will suspect a thing."
Korval's eyes moved.
The Sect Assembly.
The event that gathered the strongest sects, the best academies, and even envoys from the Imperial Academy itself.
An event that shifted the balance of power across the continent…
Exposed new talents…
And forced small kingdoms to show their best, or be crushed.
The king said:
"The Sect Assembly…
Every kingdom will try to present its strongest students.
And the Imperial Academy will choose whoever it wants."
Serith breathed slowly. "And those chosen… gain indirect protection."
Valmerk nodded. "Any student selected becomes a political card. A safeguard against punishment… and against imperial wrath."
Korval smiled.
"That is why we must send our best talents…
Not to honor them… but to use them."
Light, empty laughter rose among some nobles.
Laughter without any taste except hypocrisy.
Clan leaders whispered among themselves:
"We will take first place…"
"Our sect will earn the right to be taught…"
"The Imperial Academy may take one of our children…"
"Protection… influence… more territory!"
But Korval lifted his hand again.
Silence.
"Pleasant dreams… but they are not our real problem."
His tone changed.
Something cold… colder than steel.
"Our problem… is shame."
Everyone froze.
Korval looked at Commander Serith.
"Tell us… for now, how many forces can we move?"
Serith answered without hesitation, "We have three full legions ready… but—"
Korval cut her off again, "But… the real loss."
Serith tightened her fist.
"But… we have a severe shortage in high-grade energies.
The elite Blood Magi are almost empty… because of missions from previous years.
The elite of the elite… are less than half their usual number."
Valmerk spoke calmly, "The problem is not only numbers… but quality.
Real talents are few… and we must send some to the assembly, which weakens our reserves."
A noble muttered, "So… we can't start a full invasion?"
A short, rough laugh came from Korval.
"Did I ever say we wanted a 'full invasion'?"
He looked slowly around the hall.
"We only devour what can be swallowed…
And we only swallow when the other side is too busy screaming."
Everyone understood:
Small kingdoms, hit fast, in the shadows…
Three strikes, three bites… leaving no trace that could anger the Empire.
But the next moment changed everything.
The great doors of the hall slammed open.
A soldier ran in, pale-faced, chest heaving as if he had escaped death.
He kneeled instantly. "Your Majesty! Urgent distress message… from the city of Airhan."
Whispers rose:
"Airhan?"
"Isn't that the first eastern border city?"
"Didn't it lose contact two days ago?"
"Did they return? Is this an excuse? A rebellion?"
Korval motioned for the soldier to approach.
The message was sealed… but not with a government seal.
It was smeared…
With black blood.
Korval unfolded the paper.
Its texture was rough… as if it had dried over extreme heat.
He read the lines:
"We… are not fighting humans.
We are not fighting a sect.
We are not fighting a clan.
We are dying… one after another.
Nothing remains… no remains… no blood… no bones.
The thing… eats… everything."
The king stopped reading.
The hall was dead silent.
Serith stepped forward. "This… is not the work of rebels, Your Majesty."
Valmerk touched the blood with his fingers, whispering, "This is not normal blood… it is corrupted.
As if it went through internal dissolution."
A clan leader shouted, "Beasts of the wilderness?! They attacked cities before!"
Valmerk shook his head.
"Beasts leave rivers of blood… remains… smell.
But this message says 'nothing'… and that is impossible."
Korval said quietly, "This is not an ordinary creature."
Serith added, "Not an army either.
Not a blood weapon from neighboring kingdoms.
If it were a sect or clan… they would leave a mark or symbol… or prisoners."
Valmerk: "This is not human work."
The king closed the message… then stood up for the first time since the meeting started.
"Then…
we are facing a new power."
He took one step…
Then another.
Every eye followed him.
"A power…
that devours…
and leaves emptiness."
He was not speaking in anger.
He spoke like a hunter who had found tracks of a rare prey.
"This is not only danger.
This… may be a treasure."
Eyes rose toward him.
Korval continued:
"If this power is an enemy…
it will be erased before it spreads.
But if it is…
an expert… a developed creature… or an unknown bloodline…"
Silence tightened.
"We will use it.
Exploit it.
Or claim it… before anyone else hears of it."
Valmerk asked, "Your Majesty… do you intend to go personally?"
Korval touched the handle of his royal sword.
"What happened in that city is not like the others.
This means someone… has released something new on the continent."
He stood at the center of the hall, his eyes slowly turning red.
"And I…
will not allow anything new to appear on this continent… without being the first to know it."
Serith bowed. "We will prepare the elite squad immediately."
"No."
He said it sharply.
"I will go myself…
and take only thirty.
Thirty who do not fear death…
or what is worse than death."
Everyone understood:
Korval was going to see with his own eyes
what destroyed the cities.
Going to track the monster…
track Ashen…
track the blood entity they knew nothing about.
Then the king said in a low voice filled with authority:
"If this thing is an enemy… I will kill it.
And if it is an opportunity… I will make it mine."
Then he looked at them all.
"As for you…"
He smiled.
"Prepare yourselves for a new game."
A game that was not war…
and not conspiracy…
but a clash of predators.
The law of the jungle…
but this time wearing civilized clothing.