Chapter 9: 5.1 – Empire

From a balcony of the Imperial Palace that stood taller than all the other structures in the city, Minrir could see far and wide, the prosperous sovereign of the empire. The beautiful view always left him with feelings of awe and respect for this nation, and he’d always come here whenever he’d be summoned to the Imperial Palace. The place carried many fond memories for Minrir and the view always calmed him down. But tonight, he only felt hopeless and lost.

And how could he not, things were dire for the empire right now. Though the empire’s inner cities prospered, it’s borders did not. The Empire had been in decline for a very long time, and the news of the final nail being hammered had just reached Minrir.

“I warned those fools the campaign would fail.” He complained, [I suppose that’s what they get for being so haughty. But much as I enjoy seeing those pampered fools finally face reality, the empire is suffering from their fall too.]

He looked at the countless lights that shined below. As he began musing the prospect of a coup as a solution, the door to the balcony swung open, angry slurs and pandemonium leaking out along with it.

“You warned us, perhaps we should’ve listened.”

Minir snorted derisively, he didn’t have to turn around to figure out who it was. Only few people in the empire had the audacity to speak to him so casually.

“Busy getting yourself in trouble again, Imperial Prince?”

“Some habits die hard. Anyways it’s good to see you again Minrir, I brought wine.” The prince shrugged and stood next to Minrir.

“And here I was hoping you’d finally get yourself killed in Krast.” Minrir sarcastically threw a snide comment. He looked at the rascal with black-aureate horns and handsome looks. Despite the grim situation of the empire he was to inherit was in, the young prince still had his carefree attitude plastered on him.

The latter simply chuckled at the jab, “It’s good to see you too Minrir.”

“Your side-effects must truly be severe if you can still act so unbothered after all that has happened. I thought you’d at least show a little shred of humility after all that has happened.” Minrir commented rhetorically, with a hint of agitation in his voice.

The prince stayed quiet, swirling the glass of wine in his hand while in deep thought. “Eh, I suppose.” He shrugged and replied after a slight pause, and proceeded to silently offer Minrir a glass of wine, who could not help himself but frown in displeasure at the reply. This merely served to fill the young prince with a sense of schadenfreude.

The prince let out a chuckle, before quickly forcing himself to stop when he saw Minrir frown even more. “I kid I kid old man. You know more than anyone not to take me so seriously.”

Minrir could only sigh in resignation, “Sometimes I wonder what’s going to happen to this empire after you ascend to the throne.”

“Hah, I doubt I’d be living that long.”

“Let’s hope that that’s the case.”

The prince did not comment and simply smiled with amusement as he drank his wine. Clearly, he found something amusing, but Minrir did not bother pursuing that topic. Instead, he wanted to end this conversation and move on to more important things.

“Well, go on. Stop wasting my time and tell me what you want. I doubt you’re here to have some idle banter.”

“You know me well, Mage King.” The prince made sure to accentuate the honorifics, “But not quite well enough it seems. This time, I’m just here for some idle talk.”

“Then I have no time to humor you, go pester some other poor fool.” Minrir quickly replied, “With the Royal Army completely obliterated and the Frontier Divisions in shambles, I’ll be quite busy from now on.”

“I did have something to tell you about the failed invasion at Krast you know. Something you didn’t hear at the conference.” The prince said as he offered a glass of wine to Minrir.

Minrir opened his mouth to say something but closed it back again. He sighed after a short pause and took the wine the prince offered and placed it next to him on the parapet, indicating that he was willing to humor him a little longer.

“Make it quick.” Minrir said.

“Well, back in Krast,” The prince began, “When the retreat was called, my division was tasked with holding the flank while t-”

“That I know.” Minrir quickly interrupted, “But what I don’t understand is why the 1^st Royal Division volunteer to sacrifice itself to hold the flank? Their safety should’ve been the top-most priority.” Minrir questioned, implicitly implying something.

“Well if you suspect that the acting-commander intentionally stayed behind then no, he was ordered by the Lord Commander explicitly to stay and hold the line.”

Minrir raised his brows in suspicion, “The Lord Commander is supposed to be dead along with the knights and mages of the 1^st Royal Division.”

“Oh, is he now?” The prince asked rhetorically, both amused and surprised.

“You better be truthful here, the prospect of the Lord Commander of the Royal Army being a traitor is nothing to jest of, even for a royalty such as yourself.” Minrir threatened with a deep frown.

“Indeed it’s not, but that’s the truth as I see it.” The prince replied back flippantly, “Even I felt the Lord Commander’s action were a bit strange, especially when he explicitly told me to stay and fight. I didn’t dare challenge his decision in the midst of battle but now, I cannot help but question his integrity.”

“What?” Minrir became even more confused.

“It’s true! The Lord Commander ordered me, the Imperial Prince, to sacrifice his life for ‘the good of the empire’.” The prince replied, mimicking the deep voice and expression of the Lord commander while quoting his words.

“Yet here you are?” Minrir raised one of his brows in suspicion.

“Haha, am I really?” The prince asked in a playful tone.

Minrir paused for a second, before enhancing his perception using mana, and saw that prince’s body was completely made out of mana. The simulacrum standing next to him was a near perfect copy of its real counterpart. Even though the prince was known to be a prodigy, this level of magic wasn’t something he could conjure, unless…

“What games are you playing here. Rakksha.” Minrir called out the prince’s name for the first time in the whole conversation.

“I’m quite ashamed to admit this but, the retreat was going well, until those unruly lot intervened and cut us off from the rest.”

“Barbarians? You mean to tell me those savages finally took a side?”

“Oh no, even worse. Otherworlders.” Rakksha corrected.

“”

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Minrir scoffed derisively, “A complete and utter defeat. We barely have a proper army left after this invasion of Krast failed. With the Royal Army completely obliterated and the Frontier Divisions in shambles, its only a matter of time before the retaliation tears through our borders. Even if this Empire survives, we’ll be a fraction of what we used to be. And that’s a fraction of a fraction of what we used to be, a few hundred years ago!” Minrir rubbed his temples.

“Relax, I’m sure you can find a way.” Rakksha shrugged.

“And you! You’re partly to blame for retreating the Royal Army so late when defeat was clear!”

“Ahh, so you heard.” Rakksha smiled bashfully.

[You’re supposed to be guilty not shy you fool!] Minrir cried inwardly. “You… nevermind.” He sighed in resignation, “It doesn’t matter anymore, this might truly be the end for this once great empire. We’re nothing but a fraction of what we used to be. Just how low this empire has stooped truly sickens me.” He took a sip of the wine and a wave of dizziness crashed over him, forcing him to furrow his brows and furiously squint his eyes to regain his bearings.

“Haha, strong isn’t it?” Rakksha laughed at his guardian’s plight.

“You… Agghh, where the hell did you get something this strong.” Minrir complained has he handed back the wine to Rakksha, who then proceeded to gulp both glasses in one go. Unlike him, he didn’t even flinch.

“Baah, you’re just squeamish.”

 Silence descended the balcony, both silently observed the bustling city streets below. In the moonlit night, the subjects of the empire, who had not yet received the news of their defeat, still hopeful for their future, went about their daily lives. Their empire was a prosperous one, at least in the past it was. Though the Empire’s inner sovereign stood strong, its border shrunk by the days. The once great and powerful empire that once spanned the entire known world was nothing but a tiny fraction of it now. Tragedy was a weak word to describe its current state.

“You know… This is the last time you’re ever going to see me.” Rakksha said out of the blue.

“And why is that.” Minrir replied in his usual tone, thinking nothing much of it.

“Haha,” Rakksha chuckled, “You see, back in Krast, things went sour quickly when a group of otherworlders blocked our retreat.”

Minrir looked at him with suspicious eyes, “You mean to tell me those unruly lot have finally decided chose side and void their amnesty?” And why haven’t I heard of any mention of them in the briefing?”

“Well clearly a pest is suppressing their involvement.” Rakksha replied flippantly.

“Then you should be talking to your father about this, not me. I’d prefer not to be involved with this scandal in any way, and the subsequent purge that’s surely to come because of it.”

“Well sadly I can’t talk to anyone but you.”

“And why is that?” Slight curiosity in Minrir’s tone.

“I’m not h…” Rakksha paused, then grinned with mischief, “You remember I’m supposed to be missing-in-action no? I recall my name being briefly mentioned in the briefing.”

And yet here you are?”

“Hahah, am I truly?” Rakksha replied in a playful tone.

Minrir frowned. He enhanced his perception and stared at Rakksha, and saw that his body was completely made out of ambient mana. The mana was so well interlaced and so densely, that he failed to notice till now. All this time he thought Rakksha was present here.

“What games are you playing here, Rakksha.” Minrir asked in an unamused and grim tone.

“Well, I quite ashamed to admit this, but I was on the verge of death. And had to activate Altera. You know, the national treasure.”

“…Then…” Minrir tried to say something but greatly hesitated. He suddenly figured out what had happened back in Krast.

“You… You’re expending your soul to be here right now… Why?” He frowned.

Relax, my death became inevitable the moment I activated Altera. Expending a portion of my soul to have a final toast with my friend and guardian is a quite a trivial cost really.” Rakksha shrugged, thinking nothing much of it.

Minrir sighed, “You’re dying you fool! At least take something seriously for a change.” He snapped at him.

Rakksha only felt amused by this, “Perhaps in next life, when my emotions won’t be so altered.”

Silence descended afterwards, not because they had nothing to speak of, but because there was too much of it, that they didn’t know where to begin. “I’d have liked you to have it. My Altera. But I doubt that’s impossible, you’d be dead by the time it’s active again.”

“…” Minrir showed sympathy in his eyes, but did not speak.

 “So, what do you plan to do now?” Rakksha asked.

“Revenge, obviously.” Minrir replied.

“How sweet of you. But you don’t have to, the otherworlders were all humans and elves. They’d die off in a couple hundred years. Plus, I hold no grudge against them. I was their enemies after all.”

 “I care not if you hold a grudge against them or not, because I do. And, they killed a demon royalty.”

“Well then I wish you luck. Though the otherworlders would need it more than you.”

Rakksha dropped the bottle of wine all of a sudden, which broke as it hit the marble ground. “Ahh, it seems we’re out of time.” Rakksha said. He extended his hand towards Minrir.

“Well, it seems this is goodbye. Live long Minrir, longer than me. Perhaps we will meet again if you find a way to become immortal.”

Minrir shook his hand and did not reply. Rakksha’s simulacrum began to disappear as it lost connection to its mana source.

Minrir stayed on the balcony for a few more minutes after that, before finally going back in. He had a lot to do. A lot to fix.

How the hell am I supposed to explain this to your father…

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