The air in the Middle Lands was a dense mix of dry earth and residual magical vapors, a purgatory between the Light of Aethelgard and the Shadow of the Citadel. Kaito, dressed in his illusory Elite Paladin armor, felt like a golden anomaly in the gray landscape.
The rendezvous point was a hidden cavern, historically used by smugglers and dissidents. Inside, the atmosphere was tense and heavy with hope.
Kaito met with the leader of the Silver Hand, Captain Elion, a middle-aged man with a stern face and tired eyes, surrounded by a dozen resistance fighters. They were soldiers of the Light who had grown tired of the Conclave's bureaucracy.
Elion assessed Kaito suspiciously. The collapse of Aethelgard's shield had sown panic.
"Commander," Elion said, hesitating to use the title. What's an Elite Paladin doing here? The capital is in crisis. We believe the Shadow is attacking.
"The Shadow didn't attack, Captain," Kaito replied, using the deep, controlled voice he had honed with the Infiltration Cloak. "There was internal sabotage by the Elemental Mages. The Conclave knows about it. That's why I'm here."
Kaito knew he needed to gain their trust immediately. He used the knowledge forcibly extracted from Ren's mind.
"I know your cell operates under the 'Dandelion' code and that your point of contact in the capital is the Vex Arcanist," Kaito said with deadly precision. "I am not an agent of the bureaucratic Conclave. I am an agent of a faction of Light that is fed up with Valerius's cowardice."
The mention of the code and the secret contact dissolved his disbelief. Elion's eyes widened with surprise and hope.
"If the Conclave sends us help... What do they want from us, Commander?"
The Betrayal Plan
Kaito moved forward, projecting an authority that combined Ren's military command with Zylpha's cold resolve. He unfurled a strategic map on a rock.
"The shield's instability is temporary. The real weakness lies in the Arcanist Communications Network. The Shadow plans a massive attack tonight. If we manage to disable that network, the Cinder Queen will be blinded, and Valerius will have no choice but to give us control."
Elion and his soldiers listened fervently. It was the first time in years they felt their fight was worth it.
"Your mission," Kaito continued, marking a spot on the map that was a lone relay station, "is to infiltrate the relay station. It's the only way to cut off communications. But the Conclave can't be officially involved."
Kaito gave them a set of fake access codes, codes Lysandra had meticulously crafted to leave them exposed to the Conclave's forces.
"This act of sacrifice will be seen as a desperate blow by the resistance. But once the Conclave sees the value of your actions, everything will change. Your Captain, Elion, will be honored. And the new faction of Light will take command."
Kaito focused on the Bond that bound him to Ren. He saw the thrill of pride Ren always felt when sending his soldiers on a risky mission. Kaito copied that emotion, injecting it into his own face and voice, making the lie seem like a sacred oath.
Elion stood at attention, tears of fervor in his eyes.
"It is an honor, Commander! The Silver Hand will give its life for the true Light!"
Kaito shook their hands with a smile, the cruelest act of political manipulation he had ever performed. He had just sentenced a dozen heroes to death.
The Harvest of Chaos and the Reward
Hours later, Kaito stood on a high vantage point. He didn't need to wait long.
From a distance, he saw the flashes of battle on the relay station. Lysandra's fake codes worked: the Conclave reacted immediately, dispatching an elite squad to neutralize the "terrorists." Elion and his cell fought with the desperate bravery Kaito had promised them.
The end was swift and brutal. The relay station didn't shut down; it simply defended itself. The cell was annihilated.
Kaito returned to the portal rendezvous point, leaving the corpses and hope behind. He had fulfilled Lysandra's mission of political sacrifice.
Crossing back to the Citadel, Kaito headed straight for the intelligence center. Lysandra was waiting for him, the tactical map still unfolded.
"The plan was executed." "The Silver Hand was annihilated, and the Conclave now blames the Elemental Mages, not the Shadow," Kaito reported, his tone flat and professional.
Lysandra showed no surprise, only intense satisfaction.
"Perfect, Spectre. You have proven yourself as cunning as you are cruel. The Conclave is now even more blind. And as promised, you have your reward."
Lysandra approached Kaito. She wasn't seeking the Queen's brute possession or Zylpha's combat domination. Her interest was in the mind, revenge, and the transfer of knowledge.
"My reward isn't your body; it's your control," Lysandra whispered. "I want access to Ren's memories of Valerius and his circle. I want him to feel the desecration of his history."
Lysandra placed her hands on Kaito's head, establishing an intimate, cerebral, and demanding connection. Kaito, feeling the need to feed his own Chaos with political knowledge, didn't resist. He activated the Lasso, forcing a door into Ren's mind.
The Inquisitor fed on Ren's political memory, extracting codes, fears, and secrets. The experience was a maelstrom of information and emotion, an intense pact of power and knowledge. Kaito felt Lysandra's political intelligence merge with his own cunning, giving him a deeper understanding of Aethelgard's inner workings. He didn't just grant access; he mastered the process, ensuring that the connection strengthened his control and granted him immense knowledge.
When the connection ended, Lysandra withdrew, her breath deep and shaky. Her loyalty was no longer just to the Queen; it was to the promise of power Kaito represented.
Kaito had consolidated his position with Lysandra, acquiring a vast amount of intelligence. The development of his Ash Harem now had a foothold in power, intellect, strength, and politics.