Chapter 153: Three-Front-Assault

Marcus walked through the streets of Nakhla. He had most of his men following behind. With a flick of his hand in different directions, the force split and began their mission. Marcus put his helmet on with a smile. Finally, they had been released in their full might to crack down on the rebellion. Isra had given the order after Gregor had given her a list of names that would help rally those who wanted peace.

It was one of those things Marcus didn’t care about, happy to finally be able to end the rebellion once and for all. With the green light from Esmond as well, he walked to the warehouse district. The existence of Commonwealth weaponry in the city had always been a source of fear for him, but finally, they could deal with it.

Having caught Mother’s people taking weapons from it, they were now able to empty all the warehouses under the guise of protecting foreign goods for protection. Marcus couldn’t help but chuckle in amazement at Esmond. Truly he showed that once he put his attention to it, nothing mattered anymore. "ALL MEN! TAKE EVERYTHING!" Marcus gave the order and the two heavy doors were blown open.

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"Everyone. The Empire is willing to seek peace." Gregor said in an open square with numerous spectators. "Our brother in faith, The Record Keeper, has already allied himself with them to ensure we are all treated fairly and justly. Our fellow sister, The Empress, has guaranteed me what we want. A voice. A voice in the Empire’s affairs." He neither had the charisma of Mother nor the commanding authority of Alfred, but Gregor’s gentle voice brought about a sense of ease in all his listeners.

He had been a preacher of Khors for so long that he didn’t feel nervous in front of such a large gathering. Yet despite his words, he could see the distrust on everyone’s faces. After so long of being preached to by Mother, many had at least had subtle suspicions of anything someone allied to the empire said. Gregor knew it would be a long process but if he could even save one more life that would be lost in the coming violence, then he knew he had succeded.

"Please. I tell you this. Not to command you, not to ask for you to follow me, but so you can come to trust me. Many of you have come to my sermons. Many of you have spoken to me about your worries. And now I ask you to listen to me for a moment. Khors is just and kind. He does not seek blood or war. He wishes for humanity’s greatness and that only shines when we put our weapons down and talk."

"BUT WHAT ABOUT HIS KINGDOM!" A heckler shouted from the crowd, getting nods from the others. Gregor flashed his smile and clutched the symbol of Khors around his neck.

"I know. His Kingdom is a place I dream of entering as well. But let me ask you this. Who are we, as imperfect beings, to decide what his kingdom looks like? Humans at their best are kind and honourable. But we are easily corrupted. A Kingdom for Khors built by humans will eventually fall into the same faults we see all around the world. Evil men and women will trample over those who are not."

Gregor lowered his head in shame. A shame that he felt for his race. "The only way forward is not to tarnish his name with something that will stain his legacy, but to work from within the preexisting world, and better it. Make it close to his ideal. Only this way can we truly hope to help those who can not help themselves."

His eyes scanned the crowd. Some nodded in agreement, whilst others were sceptical and left. He could only sigh. It was his test. His test from Khors. He had been given the mission of saving and helping his fellow man, and he would be dammed if he couldn’t.

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Isra smiled as she looked down at the nobles and the rich of Nakhla. The offensive had begun, and now it was her role to play. If she hoped to destroy every remnant of the rebellion, it had to be quick and systematic. A three-front attack to corner Mother into a desperate situation.

"Loyal subjects of the Empire," Isra called out, and the hall slowly silenced. She smiled at all of them. Esmond had already found those who were suspected traitors and had begun to isolate them. Now she had to reinforce her hold on those who were not. "I hope you all are enjoying my banquet. It is only deserving for people such as yourself to experience these things."

Prideful smiles spread on the faces below, and she could only think about how fickle most of the nobles were. "But our way of life and the luxury we enjoy are something we must earn. Something we must prove through our loyalty and results. Many of you know that there were fools amongst yourselves who held stupid ideas of treason in a cause that would see your eradication. But as I have said. They are fools. Fools blinded by petty rumours and words coated in poison."

She watched the expressions on their faces. It was a delicate balance. The pride that grew by her sweet words for them. But she needed them to know their place as well. After her brief pause, she spoke again. "Hierarchy. Tradition. Order. It is something we hold dear. Something that should not be touched. I can see it in your faces. You all respect these core tenets that the Empire is built on. You all respect the one true authority. The Emporers. He expects big things from his nobles, and it is his hope that you meet those expectations."

"Our enemies will see it destroyed. So I ask you this. Prove your belief in these concepts that we hold dear. Prove why you are the lords of your lands. Help your Emperor, fight against these traitorous fools, and show why you are his trusted vassals." Isra leaned on the railing and looked down at all of them. Her eyes carried a confidence that threatened to devour. "Glory to the Empire. Glory to His Majesty. The Blessed One." Her voice was low but seemed to echo into everyone’s ears.

With deep bows towards her, they spoke in unison. "Glory to the Empire." With those words, her lips curled as she walked back, letting the banquet continue. She saw the one man she wanted to.

"Esmond," Isra said in a flat tone, and he gave a small bow. "Give me a report?"

"Marcus has seized the warehouse. At least half the weapons have disappeared, but this was expected. Gregor has begun his speeches in the city square, but as you predicted, it is meeting mixed reactions. Mother and her men have gone underground. My men have tabs on her but it has gotten hard to keep close now."

"And those traitors?" It was enough and Esmond knew she was talking about the nobles who sided with Mother.

"They will never be found." Hearing her words, she smiled. "Raven awaits your command. He seems eager to crush this problem."

"Tell him to talk to Marcus. When he is ready to begin, he has free rein. Whilst he waits, let him preach." Finishing her work, she walked past the bowing Esmond. Soon she would be able to return home. From Raven’s words, it seemed the situation in Almaris didn’t require her, Adrian having it under control. It made her happy knowing she could soon see her son again.

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The front gates of the Imperial Palace. Horace stood there with a wide smile on his face. He couldn’t believe he had finally returned home until he saw it himself. Whilst the journey should have taken longer, He made sure to rush back from where he was dropped off, only taking two days, neglecting his sleep and other needs.

That being said, he didn’t regret it. Breathing the air of the Capital and looking at the city in all its glory was enough for him. He couldn’t help but feel pride in his home, and it solidified the destiny of the Empire that he had in his mind. One that he couldn’t wait to be a part of.

Walking to the Palace gates, he was stopped by two swords, blocking his path. Looking deep into the eyes of the Unyielding guards, he smiled. It was obvious his face wouldn’t be known, and he should have expected this. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the Imperial seal given by Alfred and the seal of his family. The Guards didn’t even spare a second glance at the Underwell family seal and focused on the Imperial seal. They looked back at him with suspicion, but understanding he was related to Esmond, they hesitantly opened the Gates.

Usually, one would go down the long path to the Palace by carriage, but Horace took a special pleasure in his slow walk. He had just returned home and wanted to savour the small things before he went back to work. The smell of nature overwhelmed his nose as he took deep breaths of the garden. The noise of workers and animals flooded his ears, and it brought a smile to his face, one that truly came from his soul.

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"Your Majesty. You have a guest." A servant walked in, taking Alfred away from his work. Indicating with a small flick of his fingers, he put his head back into his work as the sound of almost silent footsteps entered. Horace watched as Alfred worked on a set of documents, not interrupting. He hated when he was interrupted when working and hated doing so for others.

Alfred looked through the top of his eyes as Horace took a seat, waiting and watching. He had long gotten used to being observed when he did anything and a new set of eyes no longer bothered him. Despite that, seeing Horace was a surprise and so he sped up his work. With a final plant of his seal at the bottom, he put it aside and gave his full attention to Horace.

"Your Majesty. I have come to report the end of my mission." Horace gave a deep bow, placing his hand on his chest. Alfred waved him off, but his face had an expectant look on it. "First, let me return this." Placing the Imperial seal on the table, he carried on, "As you know from my report, I had succeeded in finding evidence of aggressive Commonwealth diplomacy towards the Empire. After it goes through my father and the council, we shall have just cause for our invasion when we are ready."

"You have worked hard." Alfred gave him a compliment, and Horace bowed, receiving it.

"You honour me." He paused, and a smile curled on his lips, getting one from Alfred in return. "Now for our second objective." Horace looked up at the Royal Guard. Alfred sent him out, and alone, the two could speak freely. "News won’t have reached here yet, but I have succeeded in an assassination on Izaak Dabrowski. With this, King Snowid will hopefully lose the support of the Dabrowski house."

"Can you be sure?" Alfred asked, and Horace expected that.

"It was just rumours that were spread, but it seemed he had a bastard. My operative made the correct choice and let it live. Depending on how the Dabrowski house deals with it, we can see a rift form, especially considering that the two houses had a marriage set up." His words got a huge smile from Alfred, and he nodded in satisfaction. "The nobles have already begun to set up a faction to counter Snowid. The pirate invasion that we have caused has created many grievances. A suitable figurehead has been created so those who truly control the noble faction won’t suffer."

Alfred waited before speaking. He could see that Horace had more to say, but for some reason, he seemed to hesitate. Finally, with a deep breath, he spoke. "I ask you to forgive me for this, but I think future operations in the Commonwealth will become hard to near impossible, unless my father is in direct control." His tone was sincere, and Alfred only gave a bitter smile. "I was under heavy suspicion by the time I left, and it is why I returned without giving word."

Horace watched as Alfred interlocked his fingers and looked at him. He felt his back go cold, but that instantly vanished with a soft smile. "You have done well. Whilst not being able to infiltrate the Commonwealth anymore is an annoyance, the dominoes you have set into motion will hopefully be enough to not warrant any further meddling." Alfred looked at him and leaned back into his chair. "You have done the Underwell family proud with your work."

Horace gave a small nod and stood up. Placing his hand on his chest once more, he fell to his knees. "Thank you. Your Majesty."

"Please rest for now. I will have a room set up for you." With that, Alfred summoned a servant with the ring of his bell. Horace gave one final look at Alfred before leaving him alone to continue his work.