Chapter 9: The Strategic Reaction and Northern Calm
I. Securing the Narrative
With the local conflict quelled and William officially secured as his Captain in the field, Evan's priority shifted from combat to Narrative Control. He had successfully used his Oratorical Command to convert rioters into temporary militia, but that temporary loyalty was fragile.
He spent the next day meticulously drafting the official reports. He secured the unequivocal testimony of the local militia commander and the pacified commoners. The official story that traveled back to the capital was unambiguous:
The riots were instigated by the treasonous network of Minister Garrick (now confirmed dead).
Volkar scouts were present, proving the external enemy was exploiting Mecklace's internal weakness.
Prince Evan and William heroically led the defense against the Volkar agents, saving the crucial pass.
This careful construction of the truth was the work of a Master of Influence. It ensured that when the documents reached Queen Alessa, she would be compelled to validate his mission's success, and Theron would struggle to frame Evan's actions as anything other than loyal heroism.
Evan left William in command of the border pass, tasked with training the new militia and fortifying the lines.
Evan (to William): "You hold this line, Captain. I go now to the Northern capital to find the deeper roots of this poison. Your unwavering Stand is what will hold this region together."
II. The Chilling Cost of Survival
Alone again on the road toward the Northern Provincial Capital, Evan felt the profound, chilling aftermath of the assassination. The Sacrificial Magic was quiescent, granting him complete physical stillness, but the silence was a terrifying reminder of its cost.
He had performed the act of murder not out of personal rage, but with Strategic Acumen. The removal of Garrick had stabilized the Kingdom, but the efficiency with which the deed was done—and the subsequent physical relief—was a deep terror. The discipline of his Former Life's Training was now irrevocably merged with the curse of the Magic.
He understood the danger of the William Recruitment. He had used his Wits and Will to formalize the appointment in the field, circumventing the King's normal procedures. Theron's agents, the Whisper Spies, would certainly uncover this procedural lapse, giving his brother a potent new angle of attack.
III. Theron's Strategic Re-evaluation
In the capital, Prince Theron received the complete reports, including the subtle details from his Whisper Spies about Evan's new physical dominance and the immediate appointment of William.
Theron's response was cold Strategic Analysis, devoid of emotion.
Theron (Internal Monologue): He neutralized Mother's play, he secured Garrick's death before the deadline, and he gained a Captain who embodies pure martial strength. The old Evan is gone.
Theron realized that testing Evan with petty traps was useless. He was not dealing with a simple rival; he was facing a Master Strategist who was moving with the foresight of a seasoned operative.
Theron initiated a crucial shift in his operation. He ordered his Whisper Spies to abandon general surveillance of Evan's movements. Instead, he activated a small, highly specialized team of saboteurs—agents whose sole task was to trace the origin of Evan's terrifying, sudden change. Theron reasoned that the weakness was not the man, but the Master who forged him. The deep investigation into Kaelen began.
IV. The Northern Capital: A Tense Calm
Evan reached the Northern Capital late in the evening. The city was not actively rioting, but it was paralyzed by mistrust. The streets were unnaturally quiet, and the local garrison commander, Lord Corvus, was clearly terrified.
Lord Corvus: "Your Highness, the city is breathing, but barely. Your report on Garrick saved us from total panic. But the populace is still convinced this city is riddled with the ancient, corrupt Magic users. They want answers, not speeches."
Evan knew the scale of the task. He had surgically removed the head of the snake, but the venom of fear remained. To truly stabilize the Northern Provinces, he could not simply expose treason; he had to change the fundamental belief system of the city. He had to use his Rhetorical Force to build a new, unifying narrative.
He had bought time, and he had secured William. But he was walking into a city designed to be a crucible of suspicion. His next move had to be a public demonstration of authority—a performance of Verbal Supremacy that would dismantle the fear before the next Ticking Clock arrived.
Chapter 10 will now focus on Evan's public confrontation with the city's underlying fears.