NABC Chapter 42.5 – Empire’s POV
Chapter 42.5 – Empire’s POV
Chapter 42.5 – Empire’s POV
---This takes place shortly after the city incident way back in the beginning, 0.5 is for that reason and is a little shorter than usual as well---
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Roughly ten months ago...
(Temporary Perspective Change)
“Thank you, chancellor Marcello”
The chancellor leaves the room now just leaving just me and Leone alone in the study, he’s just shared the damning news that we’ve lost an entire city in the blink of an eye, I really should be angry but all I can feel is disappointment right now. Leone is sitting on my study table while I’m in my desk chair.
“I already told you what would happen if you went down this route Alistair”
Of course, she now feels the need to start lecturing. She is the reason for it though.
“Must you start?”
“This is what happens when you ignore my advice”
That’s it, she’s getting me irritated now.
“Don’t you be acting innocent in all this, you’re the witch who decided to share this information with me and decided to try and capture that odd bird that just so happened to be hatched from a dragon”
“My goal is only to assist the royal family. If you tell me to do something stupid, then it’s on you. I didn’t misinterpret your orders and you know that”
This immortal witch just sits there picking her nails, she really couldn’t give two shits about everything that’s gone down. Sure, I guess I could be a little more sensitive to all the citizens that were lost as well but I feel more aggrieved on the amount of progress we’ve lost, that city in question held a lot of this empire’s top soldiers. I guess this is the price to pay for trying to achieve an immortal empire.
Fucking dragons, why is it so hard to just capture one? Wyverns are an absolute joke to capture yet the thing we so desperately want, just cannot be achieved. So close, yet so far out of reach.
All we need is one dragon, then this empire’s future is all but guaranteed, are we asking for that much? Just one, lousy, stinking beast that we can put a crest on, must we suffer such injustice?
Of course, we come across the daughter of the only dragon my ancestors couldn’t capture or kill, it had to be that red monstrosity, didn’t it?
Oh, can’t forget I lost my brother Blake in that city, it’s a shame but he was always a bit of an idiot anyway. Still a bit unsure why Leone put that bird with him after the crest failed to apply but my best guess is that even she was a bit confused on the whole situation and just wanted to give me an update, I guess phoenixes must be resistant to the crest.
“*Sigh*... this really is troublesome”
“Why are you getting so concerned anyway? Just go and grovel up to them, the daughter is safe so you’ll survive, probably”
Leone is always going to be on course with my schemes but she still holds her own reservations about the whole thing, I guess she’s the yin to my yang after all.
“And you don’t think the red dragon might respond?”
“Of course, it will get pissed but would it be able to kill its own family in response? This risk is more than justified now especially considering how much power we lost in that city”
“You always did like playing with fire. You’re really going to have to play a long game here though, if any of those dragons or that phoenix gets wind of your plans, everything will completely collapse”
“I know... but it’s a risk this empire needs to take”
I can’t help but give a smile to this, nothing wrong about taking a risk when the payoff is this huge. Not just one but two potential dragon candidates. If we can apply the crest in a way that the red dragon doesn’t even notice happening, then it should have no clue what’s happened to the others, the effected dragons as well will be none the wiser except have an extreme loyalty to this empire. I’m just convincing myself even further now.
“When do you plan to set off then?”
“The sooner, the better... I wonder, have captain Jekyll and that guard who survived, what was his name again?”
Reason for Jekyll is that he’s one of the strongest captains that I have left, it’s a good thing he was keeping the rebel situation intact. He may be powerful but even when I’m giving him less and less forces to allow the rebels more strength, he’s still able to hold the ground we’ve gained. That stalemate is really proving worthwhile for us.
The guard is just to have a familiar face for the family there, maybe it might make us appear more trustworthy rewarding someone who helped the dragons. I could probably give him back that dragon scale as well, that might help even further making us look like an empire who looks after our people. Maybe even give him a promotion as well, the flying knights could use some more members.
In all honesty, he should’ve died in that city like the rest of them but I reckon I can make some use out of him going forward, he seems a little inexperienced but definitely has some ability and backbone behind him, he did survive an Armageddon like experience after all.
“Nathan I believe it was”
“Yes, him. Have both of those two join us in a month or so, then we’ll make our journey in search of their cave”
“I’m coming along as well? You sure that’s a good idea?”
She actually looks a little irritated by that, I’m not allowing her to get out of this situation.
“You’re involved in this situation as much as I am... huh, maybe we can use the dragons love of their own children against them as well”
“How do you plan on doing that?”
“It’s just putting on a face or act Leone, everyone knows you’re as vindictive as the Gods themselves so such a thing is impossible for you”
“Appreciate the compliment”
Of course she takes that as a compliment, doesn’t surprise me all honesty.