The death of Marquis Sylvestre was not merely the loss of a high-ranking official; it was a political earthquake that shattered the pillars of stability in the Varda region.
Within days, the once-tranquil territory transformed into a scene of absolute chaos. Without a leader, without knight commanders, and without a male heir, Varda was like a headless body beginning to rot under the sun.
News of the destruction of Varda's elite forces after attacking a remote village called Noive spread like wildfire blown by a storm. From the corners of the Varda region to the halls of the royal palace, whispers of disbelief echoed. People could not fathom how one of the greatest military powers in the Kingdom of Altoria could be decimated by a group of people living on the edge of a distant forest in the furthest reaches of the realm.
Inside the magnificent palace of Altoria, Prince Pierre Eltroy Altoria, the second prince, was raging in his private chambers. Expensive porcelain vases lay shattered across the marble floor. To him, the death of Marquis Sylvestre was a personal catastrophe. Marquis Sylvestre had been his primary benefactor and his greatest pillar of support in the struggle for the throne against the first prince.
"Stupid! Absolutely idiotic!" Pierre hissed as he paced back and forth. His usually handsome face was distorted by a mixture of fury and fear. "How could Marquis Sylvestre be killed in such a godforsaken, remote place? Now my position is completely compromised!"
Pierre knew all too well that without Varda's backing, he would fall far behind his elder brother in the race for the crown. The only sibling he did not worry about was his younger sister, the first princess. To him, her title was a mere palace ornament, and since she had never shown any interest in politics, she held no right to the throne.
However, Pierre's growing fear of losing the succession was only exacerbated by the public exposure of his primary benefactor's corruption.
The testimony of the Guild Master and staff from Antrows City regarding the Marquis family's cruel treatment of Novalia, Sylvestre's youngest daughter who had been long ignored, acted as a lethal boomerang. The public now knew that the assault on Noive was not a quest for justice, but a hunt for a daughter fleeing the hell of her own home. One by one, other dark secrets of the Varda family began to surface before the public eye.
In his panic, Prince Pierre gathered the nobles still loyal to him. Under the pretext of 'upholding royal honor', they stood before The King, Bassil Eltroy Altoria.
"Father!" Pierre cried out in the middle of the cold hall. "We cannot let this stand! The residents of Noive have slaughtered a Marquis and the kingdom's elite troops. This is a grave insult to our realm! I implore you to send a retaliatory force and raze that village to the ground!"
Pierre's voice was bolstered by the cheers of nobles terrified of losing their influence. They demanded blood in exchange for the death of Marquis Sylvestre.
King Bassil, an old man with eyes that bore the heavy burden of history, sat in silence. He remained unmoved by his son's outbursts. In his hand, he clutched an old, yellowed letter bearing an ancient royal seal.
"Silence, all of you!" King Bassil's voice thundered, instantly muting the hall. "You speak of honor? What honor do you refer to when a Marquis attacks civilians bound by a sacred pact with our kingdom from ages past?"
The King stood up, pinning Pierre with a sharp gaze. "Our sixth King, Javiere EltroyAltoria, made a pact with the residents of that village as the protectors of this kingdom! Noive is a land that must remain undisturbed as long as Altoria stands. If you persist in wanting to attack that village, you will be executed and branded as traitors! Including you, Pierre!"
The hall fell into a sudden, deathly silence. Pierre trembled, not just from anger, but from the realization that his father was not joking. The King's decree was final.
On the other side of the hall, the nobles supporting the first prince wore faint smiles. They watched as Pierre's reputation crumbled before the King. Meanwhile, PrinceTheodore Eltroy Altoria, the first prince, who had been observing in silence, harbored a much more cunning plan in his heart.
If Pierre is foolish enough to want to destroy Noive, I shall do the opposite! the first prince thought. If I become King, I will find a way to win the hearts of the people of Noive. If they can destroy Varda in a single night, imagine what they could achieve under my command!
He did not see Noive as a threat to be eradicated, but as a "weapon" to be possessed.
After the exhausting meeting concluded, King Bassil returned to his study. He gazed out the window toward the horizon, sighing heavily as the sky began to turn crimson.
"The state of this kingdom is becoming increasingly chaotic." he muttered wearily. "Why did Sylvestre commit such a fatal error? Attacking a village that should never be touched... he truly was a foolish father and nobleman!"
King Bassil massaged his temples. The latest intelligence reports indicated that Novalia, the only surviving daughter of the Marquis, had fled to the territory of the Fellims Kingdom and was living as an adventurer.
If that girl is still alive, then the Varda family has not completely fallen. King Bassil thought with a mix of relief and apprehension. But I wonder, will her existence be a threat or an opportunity in the future?
What pained King Bassil the most, however, was the attitude of his two sons.
"My two sons... they care more for this wooden throne than they do for their people or even my health." he whispered painfully. "Altoria stands on the edge of a precipice, and they are busy pushing each other to reach the top. I fear for the fate of this kingdom once I am gone."
King Bassil knew that the letter Keywiln sent was not just a report. It was a reminder. A reminder that if the Kingdom of Altoria failed to control its nobles, the residents of Noive would be the ones to purge anyone attempting to violate the ancient pact.
And the most terrifying threat within that letter was this: they threatened to abandon Altoria and migrate to the Fellims Kingdom if the pact between the two parties was ever violated again in the future.