Chapter 22: The Exposure (The Politician's Gambit)
I. The Council Chamber: A Cold Calculation
The Supreme Council for Internal Affairs meeting was not a place of governance, but a stage for political warfare. Evan stood at the center, the heavy, lead-lined crates of Volkar Steel serving as a macabre centerpiece. His five Royal Guards, silent and imposing, lined the walls—a personal military presence that had never before been permitted in the Chamber.
King Alaric observed from the head of the table, his face a mask of weary anticipation. Queen Alessa's gaze was icy, while First Prince Alexander stood straight, radiating a stiff disapproval of the secrecy surrounding the raid.
And then there was Prince Theron. The Strategic Analyst sat perfectly still, his eyes boring into Evan. Evan knew that Theron wasn't motivated by greed for the throne, but by a chilling, logical duty to the Kingdom. Theron's stillness was the silence before a trap.
Evan (Oratorical Command): "Two nights ago, my Royal Guard intercepted a shipment. We captured the Jewel Merchant, Lord Marius, who was running a sophisticated Volkar cell. The material seized is Volkar Steel—not arms, but the raw material for the Empire's most advanced assassination tools. This is not war on the frontier; this is a strategic surgical attack on the heart of the Crown."
Evan used the crates as physical proof, letting the weight of the metal silence the room. He deliberately omitted any mention of the target list or the coded ledger, keeping the most potent weapon in reserve.
Theron was the first to speak, his voice low and cutting.
Theron: "A compelling narrative, brother. But if this merchant was part of a strategic cell, where are the manifests? Where is the list of co-conspirators? You raid a legitimate business without Council approval, Prince, and present us only with metal. This is a dramatic display, not intelligence."
II. The Strategic Sacrifice: Theron's Name (Evan's Perspective)
Evan knew this was the moment to leverage Theron's commitment to the Kingdom. He could not afford a drawn-out investigation, as Theron's spies would quickly find a way to discredit Lord Marius.
Evan: "The manifest is secure, Prince Theron. It is coded, but it has been partially decrypted. I chose not to present the full findings to the Council immediately to prevent panic. But since you require proof of strategic intent..."
Evan nodded to William, who placed the captured, terrified Lord Marius onto the Council floor. Marius, beaten but not broken, wept openly.
Evan stood over the merchant, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper, amplified by his subtle Oratorical Command.
Evan: "Lord Marius. I am offering you one chance for a reduced sentence. Name the highest-ranking target on your list. Name the one whose death would guarantee the immediate collapse of the Kingdom's defenses."
Marius, trembling with fear and betrayal, pointed a shaky finger. Not at King Alaric, but straight at the Second Prince.
Lord Marius (Screaming): "Prince Theron! The Volkar general said his network would crumble without his vigilance! He was the primary target!"
The chamber exploded into noise. Queen Alessa gasped, and Alexander gripped the hilt of his sword.
Theron, however, remained absolutely still. His mind, the finest strategic tool in the Kingdom, immediately processed the information: Evan had found evidence of a real, immediate threat to the Crown, and the target was him. Theron's entire internal conflict—the fear that Evan was a danger—had just been temporarily eclipsed by the knowledge that Evan had just saved his life.
III. The Grudging Handshake (Theron's Perspective)
den, dizzying wave of realization. He was not angry at Evan; he was angry at himself. His vast network of Whisper Spies had tracked Evan's every move but had completely missed the deep Volkar penetration right next to the palace.
Evan has won the tactical advantage, Theron thought, his mind already racing through counter-scenarios. He hasn't just survived; he has forced me to trust him to survive the next week.
Theron stood, ignoring his mother's frantic whispers. He walked toward Evan, a calculated, cold resolve hardening his eyes.
Theron: "The Volkar's choice of target shows foresight. Eliminating me would have been the optimal strategic decapitation. Evan, you have exposed a threat that my entire network failed to see. As the Second Prince and Chief Strategic Analyst, I commit my full intelligence assets to your Council mandate. We cooperate now, or we both die."
Theron extended his hand—a gesture that was not personal friendship, but a calculated, temporary alliance of necessity.
Evan met his gaze, his hand steady as he accepted the handshake. It was a victory, but a dangerous one. Theron would obey, but he would also redouble his efforts to discover the ultimate cost of Evan's power—the Sacrificial Magic.
IV. The Honorable Obstacle (Alexander's Perspective)
Alexander watched the interaction with grim understanding. He didn't care for the politics, but the threat to his younger brother, Theron, was real.
Evan saved Theron, Alexander thought, but he used the threat of assassination as a political weapon. He is dangerous, but he serves the Kingdom.
Alexander walked to the table and slammed his gauntleted fist down, making the Volkar Steel crates rattle.
Alexander: "The Army will secure the perimeter of the capital and seal the ports. Evan, your methods are abhorrent to the code of honor, but your results are undeniable. Until this Volkar threat is neutralized, I will treat your Council mandates as direct King's Orders. But know this, brother: Should your 'necessary acts' endanger the stability of the Crown, the Army will intervene."
The highest power in the military had just conditionally allied himself with the Master Strategist.
V. The Magic and The Lore (Damien's Intervention)
(Return to Evan's Perspective)
The meeting ended, leaving the Chamber vibrating with unresolved tension. Evan retreated to his private library, Lysandra and William securing the door. He unrolled the coded ledger, reviewing the names. The targets were high-value, but secondary to the list's real mystery.
Suddenly, a faint tapping came from behind a hidden bookcase. The door slid open, revealing Prince Damien, the bookish Fourth Prince, who was holding an antique, bound leather volume.
Damien (Whispering urgently): "Brother Evan. Lysandra's report was correct. I was tracking the Volkar Steel. I noticed an ancient seal etched onto the lead lining of the crates—a seal used by a sect that served the Unbound King centuries ago. They are not merely smuggling steel."
Damien slid the old book onto the table, flipping to a page detailing complex magical diagrams and symbols.
Damien: "That seal is used to infuse the metal with latent energy. They are smuggling the raw materials for magic-infused weapons designed to pierce high-level defensive spells—spells used by the Royal Guard and, most dangerously, spells that protect the King. And there is something else I found in the royal archives, something about your magic..."
Damien's eyes widened with genuine concern, showing the first true fear Evan had seen in the royal family.
Damien: "The Sacrificial Magic you bear, Evan... it requires not just a kill. It requires a kill that fuels a specific, powerful lineage. The sacrifices are not random; they are building something, empowering a destiny that goes far beyond the throne."
The stakes had just escalated dramatically. The weekly kill was not just survival; it was an act of magical accumulation, and the Volkar Steel was the physical component of the final spell.