Dominatus revealed his thoughts without hiding a single thing. As Valius averted his gaze to his nephew, Lucianus gave a firm nod as though to imply that his feelings were the same. The tension in the air remained for what seemed like hours; it felt so awfully long that when Valius finally lowered his sword, Lucianus’s knees almost buckled, and he grabbed onto Dominatus’s arm out of relief.
“How lamentable for the heir of House Carusso,” Valius said. “But love is like a sickness. You may become passionate for a moment, but it shall soon wane. I suggest you have your fun while you can.”
Lucianus was tempted to retort that their love wasn’t so shallow, but there was no need to anger Valius here with unnecessary words. The noble held his tongue.
“Hmm? That sword of yours looks familiar,” Valius said. He spotted the weapon by Dominatus’s waist. “Isn’t that Garranmura’s sword, a blade held by Anela’s husband?”
“Garranmura’s sword?” Lucianus asked.
“It’s a fabled sword passed down through the generations of House Maragano. It’s said that this is the very blade that killed Kilouisus the Tyrant.”
Kilouisus had ruled the Balmain empire around a century ago. Drowning himself in sumptuous banquets, the insane emperor was infamous for cruelly executing many innocent people. His brutality had known no bounds, and he was eventually assassinated by his inner circle.
“My aunt gave him something so precious?” Lucianus inquired.
“Anela must’ve taken quite a liking to you,” Valius said.
Dominatus shook his head quietly. “I don’t believe so. She prayed for Lucianus’s safety by bestowing me with the best blade she could find. That’s all.”
“Uncle Valius, will you please protect Dominatus?” Lucianus asked.
The most important question still hadn’t been answered yet. Valius frowned as he ordered one of his slaves to serve them glasses of hot wine.
“Why don’t you take a seat?” Valius offered. “Let’s talk while we drink. I’ve got some important news for you as well.”
Lucianus and Dominatus exchanged a glance before they sat down next to each other on the sofa.
“I shall leave D’Aleppo soon and head back to Dyna,” Valius said.
“Have you been relieved of your post as governor?” Lucianus asked.
“No. Azerius plans on tying me to this city until the day I die. He’s deathly afraid of me, you see.”
“Then why do you plan on leaving D’Aleppo?”
Valius took a sip of the wine. “You must keep this an absolute secret,” he prefaced. He continued, divulging his true reasons. “I will return to Dyna with soldiers behind me.”
Lucianus gulped in shock. Those words implied only one thing.
“Are you planning on starting a rebellion?” Lucianus asked.
“Precisely,” Valius replied. “I will chase that tyrannical and incompetent man off of his throne and toss out those rotten senators. This is the only method we have to correct the course of Dyna’s politics.”
“Are you able to command the military?” Dominatus asked. “You’re a governor now. Surely there’s another person in charge of commanding the army.”
“I may have been relieved of my post as general, but many famous commanders in the Balmain army are vehemently hoping for my return. They were the ones hoping to purge those rotten politicians in the first place. I’d silenced them for a while, claiming that the time wasn’t right, but their hopes for a revolution are only increasing by the day. I can’t hold them back anymore. The road headed south is currently blocked by a landslide. I’ve dispatched the army to reopen that road, but it’ll take around seven days until we can pass through. And so, I shall head out in seven days’ time.”
“How many soldiers will you take with you?” Lucianus asked.
“Fifteen thousand.”
“That’s nowhere near enough!” Lucianus immediately replied.
Dyna had the Imperial Guards to protect the emperor, around ten thousand men, all told. Many of them were focusing on maintaining Dyna’s streets and protecting the imperial palace.
“I’ve heard that there are around thirty thousand soldiers here. Surely you can amass a larger army,” Lucianus said.
“The barbarian’s attacks have let up in the winter season, but I cannot leave this city unguarded,” Valius reasoned. “Fifteen thousand is as much as we can afford. But never fear, the other squads stationed in other cities will also jump into action. We should have around fifty thousand men altogether.”
An army of fifty thousand against ten thousand made it seem like Valius had the outright advantage when it came to numbers, but if he wanted to topple Dyna, it would be a different matter entirely.
“Forgive me for saying this, but you cannot possibly expect your entire army to arrive at the same time,” Lucianus opined, desperately trying to dissuade his uncle. “Some of your men may be hugely delayed depending on the condition of the roads. But waiting for the rest on the outskirts of Dyna will surely alert your enemies, and they’ll prepare to attack. The city’s roads are narrow to ensure a small opening for outside forces to charge in. It’s an iron fortress. If you don’t attack from various directions at once, you shall have no chance of taking over the city.”
Valius let out a jovial laugh. “You could’ve been an excellent commander if you joined the military!”
“This is no laughing matter!”
“Don’t you worry. I’ve got several plans with all that in mind. I didn’t wait around here for several years, simply twiddling my thumbs,” Valius replied with full confidence, allowing Lucianus to finally regain his calm. The governor may not have been in the war zone for many years, but he was once a famed general, renowned for his skills. He was going to war with all of that in mind.
“As you can see, I cannot be here to protect you two,” Valius said. “But should Azerius be defeated, Dominatus’s crimes shall disappear as well. I suggest you wait here in this manor for the news from Dyna.”
“Thank you,” Lucianus replied. “I shall await to hear the good news and pray for your victory.”
This was an unusual turn of events, and Lucianus was left feeling confused by it all. He had thankfully been able to receive protection as he wished, but Valius would leave in a few days with an army of rebels. Lucianus wanted his uncle to come out victorious, but it was all so sudden that he couldn’t quite wrap his mind around it. Should this revolt fail, Valius would die, and his family would be slaughtered. The faces of Juliana and Anela flashed across Lucianus’s worried mind.
“You must be tired from the long trip,” Valius said. “Why don’t you two relax in the bath? It’s been a while, so why don’t we drink until morning?”
The familiar, kind face of Lucianus’s uncle was pointed at the two men. Lucianus gave a deep bow, and Dominatus followed suit beside him.