Epilogue
Olav, the capital of the Rhoden Kingdom, was built in the middle of a vast, fertile plain to the north of the Calcut mountain range, and was bordered to the east by the massive Lydel River that flowed down from the Furyu mountain range.
The castle and town were surrounded by four walls, successively added with each growth spurt the town experienced. Olav currently boasted a population of over 50,000, making it more than three times larger than the transportation hub of Diento.
The capital city was surrounded by farmland, broken up only by massive roads stretching off in the four cardinal directions. Goods traveled into the city from all over the country.
Rhoden was the third-most powerful country on the northern continent, though it paled in comparison to the power of the Revlon Empire to the north. Rhoden was made up of several different land-owning nobles, the biggest being the royal family of Olav. This gave Olav the power to set the course for the kingdom’s policies, though it wasn’t strong enough to unilaterally dictate terms to the other nobles. Though the royal family certainly wielded enough power to control any individual noble, they would never stand a chance against all of them combined.
That said, Olav did have the ability to bring the nobles, and their military forces, together to combat any threat to the kingdom, whether it be an invasion, civil unrest, or any other situation the royal family deemed necessary.
Deep within the chambers of the Olav palace, a group of nobles had gathered to discuss the numerous theories and rumors surrounding the assassination of Marquis du Diento.
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A figure sat at the head of a large, rectangular table in the middle of a beautifully decorated, narrow room deep within the royal palace. Along one side of the table sat three individuals, a seat left empty between each of them.
The man at the head of the table had deep wrinkles etched into his forehead, giving him a rather gaunt appearance. However, his blond hair—marked with the occasional streak of white—thick beard, and piercing blue eyes made apparent the strength still lurking within him. This ornately dressed man was Karlon Delfriet Rhoden Olav—the country’s ruler.
At fifty-five years old, he was already considered elderly in this world, where people rarely lived past the age of fifty. Being the ruler of a nation probably made him look even older than his true age.
Behind the king stood Duke Bionissa du Jackell, one of the seven dukes and the current in a long line of Jackells to serve as the country’s prime minister. Despite not owning any land of their own, the dukes of Rhoden were the most powerful supporters of the royal family and lived on stipends provided by the king from levies on the country’s citizens. They wielded great power over the kingdom.
Prime Minister Bionissa wore the relatively simple uniform of a court official, though his shaved head and intense, monocled gaze gave him the look of a bird of prey.
“What are we doing about the whole Marquis du Diento situation?” King Karlon spoke with a certain heaviness to his voice, looking straight ahead and turning only his eyes to address Prime Minister Bionissa.
The prime minister fidgeted with his monocle as he responded to the king’s inquiry in a bored, monotone voice.
“We’ve sent Orhevo, Marquis du Diento’s heir apparent, back to Diento from the Rhoden palace to see what he can learn. As for the culprit’s motives, some are saying it’s the work of freed slaves, given that multiple slave trading houses were attacked and the beastpeople are missing. However, we have yet to come up with any concrete proof.”
A cold voice spoke up the moment the prime minister finished. “I have been hearing rumors that this was the work of elves.”
Sekt Rondahl Karlon Rhoden Sahdiay—the first prince to the Rhoden Kingdom—was one of the three sitting at the table. He brushed his fingers through his light brown hair as he spoke in the practiced voice of one who had grown up among nobility, a smile gracing his handsome face. He exchanged glances with the young man sitting next to him, giving the man an odd smile.
The man on the receiving end of Sekt’s gaze had a small but muscular build and short, cropped hair. He wore a military uniform decorated with gold trim. His name was Dakares Ciciay Vetran—the second prince. In contrast with Sekt, he was a spirited military man through and through, and completely lacked the former’s royal grace.
King Karlon let out a heavy sigh, as if he were used to the hostile interactions between the first and second princes, before making an inquiry of his own. “Why would you give voice to such gossip, Sekt?”
Sekt’s smile grew wider as he turned to face the king.
“Well, actually, I’ve heard that Marquis du Diento was capturing elves and selling them off to the eastern empire.”
The tension in the room was palpable.
Dakares made no effort to conceal his contempt as he glared at Sekt. “That’s nothing but hearsay, no? Unless you have any proof, dear brother.”
Sekt responded with the same eerie grin. “And why are you so interested in standing up for the marquis, Dakares?”
“You’re spreading rumors about Rhoden’s nobility!”
The king cleared his throat, drawing attention back to himself and putting an end to the young men’s quarreling. The wrinkles in his forehead grew even deeper.
“That’s enough. It’s unbecoming to speak ill of the marquis without any proof. However, it is true that we cannot turn a blind eye to these rumors. We should dispatch a group to Diento immediately to perform a formal inquiry. Yuriarna, what do you think of this?”
The king turned his gaze to the only woman in the room. Though the dress she wore was rather reserved in its design, the fabric and needlework made it apparent what a true masterpiece it was. The woman fit to wear such a beautiful dress was Yuriarna Merol Melissa Rhoden Olav—the second princess of the kingdom.
Yuriarna, who had been sitting silently throughout the preceding arguments, ignored both the young men and turned her gaze to King Karlon. After a brief pause, she opened her mouth to speak.
“I, too, have heard rumors. If true, they would mean not only that the elven treaty the Frivtran family worked so hard on has been broken, but also that friction with the other countries could be imminent. We should get to the bottom of this situation at once and enter into discussions with the elves.”
Despite her youth, Yuriarna spoke calmly and steadily, without the slightest hesitation in the face of the king’s scrutiny.
Beside the king, Prime Minister Bionissa spoke up in approval. “It is as Miss Yuriarna says. If the elves were to restrict trade with Limbult as revenge for this act, we would be at the mercy of the other countries.”
The king turned to the prime minister, making no effort to hide his displeasure. “This is true. Magic tools would, of course, be an issue. Moreover, if they were to restrict our access to the crop fertility runestones, we could be looking at a food crisis, or even flat-out revolt from the other Rhoden nobility.”
“Understood, Your Highness. I will put together a formal group of inquisitors and make for Diento.”
The king nodded. “That is all for today then.”
The moment the king finished speaking, Bionissa clapped his hands. The servants waiting outside entered the room and lined up along the walls.
Sekt and Dakares didn’t even look at each other as they stood and quietly walked out. A moment later, Yuriarna slowly began standing. Karlon called out to her.
“Yuriarna.”
“Yes, Father?”
“I hope to open communications with the elves as soon as possible. I would like you to go to Limbult. Could you speak with Seriarna about this matter and ask her to make the arrangements?”
The king’s expression had completely changed. He no longer spoke as a monarch, but as a father asking a favor from his daughter.
Yuriarna smiled back at him.
“Of course, Father.”