VIIIth Century, year 63, Brumáire. Day 14. Somewhere in the Florenz Kingdom, Royal Palace.

Ashkan was preparing his backpack, inside that backpack were his robes, a small dagger and his study materials.

"Ah, can't forget the seal"

The teleportation seal, was an extremely valuable seal capable of transporting himself almost instantly to a predetermined place, but it had its limitations, the teleportation radius could only be used in a distance of up to three blocks, and once used could not be used again. It was more of an emergency item.

However something interrupted him, several slightly accelerated footsteps, they were the sound of iron touching a marble floor, the rumbling echoed in his ears...

"What could bring so many gentlemen at once?"

Ashkan wondered.

He knew they were Knight, after all no milita was allowed to enter a royal palace.

"Knock"

After the knock the entire room went silent, just as if expecting some response.

Federic III, or rather his father, would never let a bastard son join the royal family on the run. That was already a consensus for everyone, so it wouldn't be hard for Ashkan to deduce what the Knight came to his room for.

"Ashkan, these are the King's orders, leave the room immediately!"

The door opened slowly, with no trace of resistance.

There wasn't much Ashkan could do, the son of a concubine who died soon after birth, and to his greater misfortune he couldn't inherit any talents from his Father.

"Where are we going?" Ashkan asks sarcastically.

"Tsk, How dare a bastard like you speak so casually to us First Line Knight?"

"Okay, that's cool" Ashkan's debauchery deeply irritated the pride of the Knight even more, but in the end there wasn't much the knight could do. The Kingdom was about to fragment, more urgent matters must be debated now.

During the walk to the palace, Ashkan silently observed the black and dense fumes, each one representing a village being burned out. The bitterness of this massacre bothered everyone. So no one had the courage to even touch the subject slightly. Because of this

the walk was quick, and soon the knight were already allowed to enter the palace.

There were knight with heavy and well polished armor, to glitter their pride showed that none of them had been through any battle. This kind of observation saddened Ashkan even more.

"My king, I have brought your son"

The gaze of everyone in the court turned itself fully to Ashkan, it was as if the saviour had arrived.

"Kneel down" the King ordered, with a look of superiority. It was a routine, the King always liked to show his superiority. Even though he was just a little puppet.

"Tsk" Ashkan bit his lips hard in disgust at such an order, unfortunately as Ashkan did not possess the authority to turn against the current laws of this nation, he just accepted it.

The whispers around the nobles makes explicit the topic that was to come.

"So this is the King's bastard son, can we use him soon?"

"We can save our property and family in case..."

"Good thing there was a bastard son"

Ashkan already imagined he would be some kind of bargaining, but what infuriated him the most was how his Father let himself be manipulated so easily by these nobles. There was not even a way for them to accept a bastard child as a truce offer.

High expenditures on banquets, extravagant travel and building mansions were all on the management spreadsheet that he occasionally glanced at on the sly. Since the Kingdom of Florence had not participated in war for many centuries this created a false security, and the recent vassalage to the Western Kingdom was not a guaranteed protection since this continent has been sunk in war for millennia.

"Your majesty, what do you wish of your son?" Ashkan asked in a slight ironic tone that went unnoticed.

"My order will be fast... Today onwards you will be the rightful heir"

As he finished the order everyone applauded in unison

"Long live the new heir"

"Let's hear it for the new heir"

That didn't seem right, Ashkan realised when they didn't even utter his name. There was something else behind it, it was as if they had found a use for the rubbish.

The king gestured with his hand, ordering silence, and was quickly obeyed.

"I would also like to announce that I will be retiring from my Status as King, and you my son, will be the new regent. Congratulations."

Was that all planned? Was it a script, an act? A dirty game had been played.

"W-what??"

that's was Ashkan's only expression.

VIIIth Century, year 63, Brumáire. Day 14. Somewhere in the battlefield.

"And I swore you were more the Merciful type, you know? You didn't spare even one soul"

"There's no point in sparing beings who have no nobility in their hearts"

"Sigh, again this boring talk about enlightenment, nobility in the heart. Boring, change the subject, please, Hans."

"Nervermind."

Her soft voice was reminiscent of that of a young girl. Some wondered whose voice that might be, but that reddish armour with a lot of very distinctived details and Especially his huge scythe that possessed twice his size.

"Isn't that the War Lady?"

"I- I think so."

The whispers of the soldiers began to get louder, rumours were rolling amongst them, it was such an honour for any soldier to overhear a conversation between two Generals, even if informally. They felt graced by the opportunity.

As Hans cleaned his glasses soiled with dust and blood, his thoughts were metres away.

"So, what do you think?"

"Hans, I wish I had a more suitable answer for you, but at this point anything I have thought about, you, probably have already thought about..."

"I understand. Particularly i don't think it will be long, before the Major Nations will still be quiet at this moment we are still a Kingdom, but if it continues at this rate they will soon have to consider us as a Greater Kingdom"

"And you think problems will arise at that point?"

"No, not in its entirety. A Greater Kingdom is still far from being a threat, but they will keep an eye on us."

"Sigh...Hans, you know that in these political matters I am not good. But I believe in your majesty."

"You are correct, leaving such matters to your majesty is the right thing to do"

Hans even though he was a general his former role was in a Regiment, totally focused on foreign policy, so it was a habit he had incorporated from his former boss of trying to guess the next moves of nations, whether allies or not.

The only thing Hans could never predict was the most unusual action this small kingdom would take.