Chapter 16: The Bandit Lord Part I

7 years ago

Royal Capital of the Kingdom of Tesma

The sound of metal hitting stone echoed as Viper chiseled his way through the thick slab of stone. It was three times his height, and he had to use a ladder to sculpt the topmost part. The head had been carved in intricate details, with the eyes and the nose emphasized the most.

Viper sighed in exhilaration upon completion of the head. He heard footstep. He turned to his left, and his eyes were greeted by a soldier.

“Master Instructor!” said the Soldier. Viper noticed that he glanced at the half-completed statue before he made a salute. “The King summons you.”

Viper slowly got down the ladder. After placing the chisel on the nearby table, he asked, “What’s the matter?”

He furrowed his brows. The last time the King has summoned him, their nation entered war with the beastmen.

The soldier said, “I do not know the details, sir. But please come immediately. All of the officials of the Capital are already inside.”

Viper grabbed the silk robe hanging on the wall. He donned it then loosely tied its knot. The baffled expression of the soldier clearly stated, ‘You’re going like that?’

“Lead the way,” said Viper.

The soldier opened then closed his mouth. The man before him was sweaty all over, like a ruffian that had not taken a bath for a few days. Still, he shut the words that came in his mind. He nodded. “Yes, sir.”

***

After passing through numerous hallways and corridors, Viper eventually arrived at a large metallic door. It was engraved with silver and gold, creating the insignia of a rose and shield. He nonchalantly opened it, not bothering to signal the guards stationed beside it.

The door opened with a soft creaking sound. All of those that were inside the room shot a glance at his direction. There were roughly a dozen men inside, and judging by the clothes they wore, all of them were of high status. The large chandelier lit by innumerable candles above did not fail to reveal their tensed faces.

Viper saw a bottle of wine at the corner. He grabbed and opened it then merrily drank half its contents. He grinned. “What did I miss?”

“Alecto! What are you doing? You are disgracing my father!” said a soft voice. The owner was furiously glaring at Viper, with her youthful face blushing violent red. She combed her red hair to the back. “Come over here!”

Viper chuckled as he approached the group. Their stares were piercing, but he paid it no heed. “Princess Krisha, what are you doing here, young miss? You’re eight, nine? Still too young for matters of the Kingdom.”

“Shut up barbarian! I don’t even know why father appointed you as one of the Master Instructors of the Palace!” said Princess Krisha.

A man waved his hand, and the princess immediately stopped with her blabber. His red hair had tinges of white. Yet despite that, his face was youthful, almost without a hint of creases. He broadly smiled when his eyes met Viper’s. “Alecto, I heard that you are sculpting the God of Fire?”

Viper bowed his head. “Yes, your majesty. Once I finished the sculpture of God Agnus, I would have completed all nine Gods.”

The King heartily laughed. “Excellent. I’ve seen all of the sculptures you have made. Personally, I liked the most the sculpture of God Thanatos. Should we change your title? Maybe you are better fitted as Master Sculptor after all!”

“Yes, that ruffian should not be a Martial Arts Instructor!” the Princess interjected. The King gave her a stare and she immediately stopped.

“I think we should get back to the topic,” said the King. He gestured for Viper to come closer to the group. “Everyone aside from Prince Ibrahim and Prince Acain are here.”

He cleared his throat. “I’ve summoned all of you here to discuss the future of our Kingdom”

Everyone else silently listened as the King continued. At the corner of his eyes, Viper could see the young princess glaring at him. He inwardly chuckled.

“It was urgent and we were informed of it only a few hours ago, but it seems that an envoy from the Kingdom of Leikana is coming over,” said the King.

“Leikana? That small kingdom that was formed just two years ago?” said one of the men present.

The King nodded. “Correct.” There was a long pause before he added, “They are asking us to concede our western border to their sovereignty.”

There was uproar within the group. The officials present spat their discontent one after another.

“Our Kingdom is three times the size of Leikana! If I am correct, they only have three cities! Such small kingdom is asking us to concede our territory!?”

“Preposterous!”

“We can crush those guys within the blink of an eye! What are they thinking?!”

The King signaled for silence to ensue. After the commotion died down, he asked Viper. “Alecto, what do you think of their declaration? They clearly stated that they are going to war with our nation if we do not concede the western part of our territory—specifically the city of Palamesh and its surrounding borders.”

He simply replied, “You said that an envoy is going to visit us soon? I cannot make a decision before I see them in person.”

“Buffoon! It’s obvious decision that we should go to war with that newly formed Kingdom! What can they do to us?! Why should we concede our territory to them!?” one of the officials spat.

Viper did not retort. He remained silent. The King said, “I agree with Alecto. There is no harm in hearing them out.”

“B-But your majesty!”

“Enough!” The King’s voice echoed.

A knock was heard on the door, and a soldier entered. After giving a deep bow, he said, “Your Majesty, the envoy from Leikana has arrived. They are currently outside the Palace.”

The King nodded. “Let them enter.”

The soldier once again bowed then left. A few minutes after, the door once again opened. Three figures clad in white cloak entered. To everyone’s surprise and utter contempt, they were all wearing a mask.

Before everyone could utter a word, one of the mask figures spoke. “Pardon us, your majesty. It is tradition of our nation to send delegates in such fashion.”

“You are in the Kingdom of Tesma! Not Leikana!” one of the officials shouted. The King signaled him to stop.

“I see, but how can we trust someone who does not wish to reveal his face?” said the King. His voice was calm, and his eyes were carefully scrutinizing the three men that had entered. At the corner of his eyes, he saw that was Alecto rigidly standing in his place. Something was wrong with him, but he was unable to pinpoint it.

There was a pause, and one of the three white clad figures removed his mask, revealing a surprisingly youthful face. By estimate, he was probably in his early teenage years.

His grey eyes glimmered for a second. He smiled. “I am Prince Jabaltar. These two men behind me are my guards.”

The King softly chuckled. “So young, indeed. Then, what can we do for you, Prince of Leikana?”

Jabaltar did not hesitate with his answer. His voice was firm and confident. “Give us the City of Palamesh and its surrounding regions. It belongs to our Kingdom.”

A laughing sound echoed. The King of Tesma was smiling, but his eyes were predatory. “You jest. Palamesh has been our city for over a hundred years. It does not belong to you, youngling.”

Sounds and grunts of satisfaction came after the statement. Prince Jabaltar’s smile failed to slide down his face. He merrily said, “Then, this concludes our discussion? We knew that you would refuse the offer anyway. But for the sake of our people, we asked regardless.”

“Insolent!”

“Who do you think you are!?”

“We can crush your kingdom anytime we want!”

“Hahaha! What a funny bunch!” said Prince Jabaltar. He shrugged. “Well then, our business here is done.”

He turned around and left without another word.