Welcome to the 100th chapter update.
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Chapter 7.5: Murderous Rat, Cunning Snake
“This is a mess.” Prince Runikylos tapped the papers in front of him. The Empire had been unfortunate over the past few months.
First there had been that uprising in Anatolia. Some crazy man, convinced that he was the second coming of Ean, had somehow managed to also convince hundreds of peasant-folk of his divinity. He had launched a series of attacks on numerous Hittite barracks, each time managing to defeat the garrison and melt away after raiding the barracks for weapons and supplies. No one could still track down him and his rabble. They refused to stand and fight, only engaging when it was favourable to them. Rumour had it that his cult engaged in depraved sex with animals, particularly cephalopods. You were sure that the Imperial Army would mobilize soon to attempt to flush out the insurgent, as his region of activity was not all that far from Ankida.
Then, there had been the explosion at the Great Wall of Korinthos. It had been unbreached for more than a thousand years, but just three weeks ago, someone blew a big hole in it. Initial investigations suggested they had used a new mixture of firepowder. The culprit was captured by a young recruit that had the luck to survive the explosion. It turns out that the culprit was a member of the Cult of the Returned Emperor, another cult that thought the Emperor Ean was back.
“I thought the First Emperor liked the wall?” you mutter, looking at the reports. They were a cult that was centered mainly in the north, believing that the Emperor had reincarnated in their leader, a man named Jannik Inge. Sources had it that they were funded by Free Scania, who sought to use the cult to undermine the Empire and regain control of Skane. “You did send someone to investigate them, right?”
“Yes, I did. You met Aodh when he returned last week; he was my representative on that investigation. Unfortunately, the sabotage of the wall hadn’t taken place when he was sent out, so we didn’t put too much priority on attempting to capture the cultists.”
You remember Aodh alright. He was two years younger than both you and the prince, and was also a scholar that had recently graduated from the Academy with very mediocre scores. You did not think much of the man – certainly he had an unmemorable face – but something about him rubbed you the wrong way. When you had shook hands with him during your first meeting, he suddenly stared at you piercingly. You fought the compulsion to wrench your hand away and managed to maintain your winning smile, but since then Aodh had been slightly nervous about you whenever he saw you, despite your best attempts to befriend him. He also appeared to be very close to the Prince; at least, he commands more of Runikylos’s confidence than you. You have no idea why; he was an unremarkable commoner that had gotten into the Academy and hadn’t had the talent to become adopted by a noble family. You would have to figure out a way to put him out of favour, or away from Runikylos.
“I suppose you should send Aodh back up north to figure things out, then?”
“Not right now, I need him here to help me with some unfinished business with Anittas and his gang of fat toads. Are you getting along well with him, by the way?” asked the prince. You shake your head. “He seems to be a bit skittish around me, unfortunately. Maybe he had some traumatic encounters with blond-haired northerners.” you quip. The prince frowned and drummed his desk with his fingers, a sure sign that he was thinking hard about some matter. “I’ve known him since he was my junior in the academy. He wasn’t this way before… you might be onto something. He’s seemed a bit off since he returned from the north. Well, anyway, it seems like things are going to be very busy around here. You won’t be getting any rest, Dio. Say goodbye to your private life,” smiled the prince.
“The princess isn’t going to be happy.” You chuckle, but thinking of Princess Kyriesca, you lament Thania’s loss a little. Being around Kyriesca had made you miss Thania’s company, though you are loathe to admit it even to yourself. The princess was extremely restrained – thanks to her upbringing dictating that a lady should be modest – when it came to physical contact, refusing to allow you to even touch her, and she had a vacant mind of a child. Still, she looked pretty enough, you suppose, and that vacant mind had led you easily to her heart. Her only use to you was her status.
Runikylos laughs. “I know my sister is a bit of a handful, but it looks like you two are getting along very well. Lately you’re all she talks about. I suppose we could -” You give him a slightly sad smile, and he stops. “Right. Pardon me, it’s not even been half a year.”
It was still too soon. Your position was still insecure. Thankfully, there was a big opportunity for you to secure it in the coming weeks – your contact in the Ankidan Merchant’s Guild has confirmed an incoming shipment of opiates from the Concordiat to Hatti. These had been tightly regulated by the Empire for nearly about a hundred years. Naturally, the particular shipment that you knew about was not supposed to be on the records. You had managed to tie it to Lord Anittas, a particularly nasty old Hittite fox that was frustrating Runikylos’s efforts in the Council of Nobles, and was the leader of a faction that opposed his attempted reforms at every turn.
In other times you might have been on House Morgant’s side, but as the luck of the die would have it, you were here, with the Prince. All the more pity for Sir Morgant. He had been too hasty and greedy to fall for the setup, though. Now you had multiple options to consider. Should you blackmail him? Expose him? Allow it to happen so that you could give him more rope to hang himself with? Certainly, if you bring him down in public, Runikylos and his faction would shower you with accolades, and more importantly, their trust.
You took your leave from Runikylos’s office, mulling over these questions. As you did so, you took a coin from your pocket and rolled it over your hand. It looked natural enough, but a practiced eye would’ve noticed that it appeared to shift in impossible ways, following a track that no coin should be able to. In addition to the damnable flashbacks, which irritated you whenever they surfaced, you had found that you could will objects to move just by thinking about it.
“Sir Camna.”
It was Aodh, standing by the parapet.
“Mister Aodh, it is a pleasure to see you here! Does Runikylos have some important mission for his trusted right hand?”
Aodh laughs embarrassedly and shakes his head. “I’m not the Prince’s right hand man. I’m just a simple clerk.”
“Don’t be too modest now. He trusts you with a lot.”
Aodh grins nervously as his eyes dart all over the place. “That’s right. He trusts too much. Runikylos has a keen mind and a good heart, but sometimes he is too careless with his trust.”
“I agree,” you nod, stepping closer to him. “How should we get our dear Prince to wise up to the ways of the world?”
“Sir Camna,” says Aodh quietly. “Do you mean the Prince any harm?”
“I… what question is that, all of a sudden?” You widen your eyes. “He is my benefactor! I’d never… why would you think that!”
Of course, you certainly didn’t mean him any harm now, but you wouldn’t guarantee you wouldn’t need to, in the future. Aodh stammered and began turning red. “I-I-I think you are lying, Sir Camna. I cannot… I can’t trust you to be around him, especially since he already trusts you to watch his back. You should never have approached the Prince.”
This man… what was he thinking? You are sure you haven’t let any bit of your true desires slip. No one could’ve picked up on it.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Runikylos was the one who approached me with this job. Why don’t you trust me?”
You keep the smile. Pretend to be amused, but slightly perplexed. You are innocent of anything. Keep the smile on your face.
After a moment of silence, Aodh speaks in a hushed tone. “I know what happened to Velius Camna.”
How could he have known? Did the masked man sell you out? How much does he know? This was an utterly unexpected turn of events for you, and you begin to wonder if there was a way out. If he was going to blackmail you, perhaps you could just leave Runikylos’s service and find another post in the capital. He just wanted you away from the Prince, right?
Aodh’s next words put paid to your idea.
“Sir Camna, I strongly suggest you leave the Empire’s territories. A man of your talents can find power anywhere. I will keep your name clean should you do so.”
“The snake shows its fangs.” Your friendly smile dies, only to be replaced by a slight sneer. “You are blackmailing me to leave so that you can get more power for yourself? You use my father’s death against me? How dare you insult my memory of him!” You summon mock anger, supplemented with real anger that you could’ve been found out. He backs away in fear, raising his hands as if to ward you off. His next words came out in a rush.
“I-I-I spent some time looking into things after we met. After that, I can probably piece together everything that happened if I need to. The medicine itself would already be damning of your intentions!”
Ah, he knows. He really knows. You don’t know how, but he knows, despite your best attempts to cover your tracks. It looks like you would be chased out, on the eve of securing your position in Runikylos’s eyes and finally being able to marry into the Imperial family. You curse ever meeting Aodh. Luck is such a fickle thing.
Your expression dissolves into one of crest-fallen resignation. “Who else knows of this?”
A slightly amused smile creeps across Aodh’s lips, incongruous with his nervous tic. It looks like he wasn’t as nice as Runikylos, despite his appearance, though he may be nearly as naïve. He was too confident that he had the upper hand, and it showed. “I won’t lie to you. I’m the only one who knows. Are you thinking that you can dispose of me and keep your secret safe? D-d-do you really want to kill someone again?”
***
A. There’s nothing else to do but to kill him. If he exposes you, you are doomed anyway.
1. What have you been doing so far? You’re such an asshole! You see the light now, and REPENT wholeheartedly, prostrating on the floor before Aodh! You beg him to take you in, the guilt of killing your father and brother and lover weighing heavily upon you. Then you will stab him as he comes close. You are stronger than you have ever been, he won’t stand a chance.
2. Even if Aodh may know about all these things, he wouldn’t know of your newfound ability. His confidence will be his downfall. He may be prepared for a physical attack, but definitely not if you use your power. You push him over the rail with your mind. It’s a five storey drop. There is no one else around. You can do this.
B. You pretend to agree, but beg for some time to pack your belongings and say goodbye to Princess Kyriesca.
1. After coming to Ankida, you have managed to make some contacts amongst certain less reputable members of society, by proxy of course. Let him think you would leave for now. Tonight you would arrange for Aodh to meet with an accident; a very permanent accident.
2. You had impressed the masked man enough for him to give you a means to get in contact with him. Tonight you will use it, and ask for his help. Surely he will be more reliable than thugs or killers, and he does have a vested interest in your survival, doesn’t he?
C. You give in. You have lost, and you don’t even know how it happened. Maybe in the future you can take your vengeance on this lowborn scum, but for now you have no other path to take but to go into exile.
D. You REPENT! For real! Maybe you really have been too much of an asshole. You really do feel guilty for all your misdeeds. You throw yourself on his mercy, because you are too much of a wimp to continue being a total scumbag if it turns out you aren’t the king of the world and that karma is about to catch up.
