Immortal Kingdoms

The throne room was dead silent.

Who would expect a fierce display of strength from someone with a city on the brink of collapse? Moreover, they were told that Leonardo is supposed to be some sort of sharp, intelligent, and wise businessman.

No matter what, a businessman would never cut their final path to retreat in the face of a calamity. Is this to say that he didn't care for the rise or fall of his fledgling feudal state? Or perhaps, he has some hidden cards yet to play, capable of changing the flow of the battle in his favor?

The scholar maintained a calm, pensive expression as he ran through his options silently. However, the rest of the group had it far worse as they were long entrenched in the belief that they'd rather die than kneel down to a pretty boy from some god-knows-what-forsaken land.

They were warned to maintain caution as Leonardo could be some hidden expert tempering himself in this region of Arcadia. Some speculations hint that he is someone from Sky Mountain. However, no matter how they cut it, he didn't look the least bit like a hidden expert to them.

While they were silently measuring their options, Leonardo received a message to his communication bracelet about an unexpected guest arriving at the gates of his palace, confusing him ever so slightly.

The hint of confusion in Leonardo's lifeless eyes didn't escape the observations of the scholar, hence, he immediately bit the bullet and dropped to one knee respectfully.

"I greet your Highness, pardon my disrespect!"

The room was silent. Hence, the sudden thud as the scholar dropped to his knee echoed in everyone's ears. Let alone Juvia and Pandora, even the remaining scholars and the two war generals were shocked and speechless by what they perceived to be a spineless act.

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The two war generals were about to speak when the remaining scholars dropped to their knees to greet the prince as well, leaving them in an awkward position. However, they didn't kneel, as they were already saints and are not bound by these secular traditions.

Thus, they simply bit their teeth and bowed in a respectful manner while clasping their fists. Albeit unwilling, they too greeted Leonardo respectfully.

Leonardo nodded his head and gestured with his eyes toward the leader of the group to speak.

"My name is Lexus, a scholar from House Erudite."

The man first introduced himself before slowly standing up. However, when he finally stood up, his back was straight with a sharp light in his meticulous gaze. He looked Leonardo right in the eyes before he continued.

"Your Highness, your conquest is nothing but a suicidal war at this point. I beseech you to reconsider throwing away the lives of your hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians in pursuit of an ambition built on foundations of smoke without fire, sea without waves, and goals without drive."

"These are people who have never experienced the wind and rain, let alone the pain of war and whatever devastation that follows in its wake. Don't be a ruler who brings his people from the lights into the shadows. From the comfort and through seas of bitterness and misery. From an era of peace to an endless era of bloodshed and calamity."

"Your Highness, what you have is your civilians, while what your walls will sooner or later endure is wave after wave of unswerving, violent, battle-hardened soldiers with nothing but red in their eyes."

"They shall pillage!"

"They shall trample!"

"They shall destroy!"

"They shall vent the pain and hatred your Commander Bloodthirsty forced down their throats as he mercilessly slaughtered the incapable of their brethren!"

"I am here as a diplomat, an envoy, and most importantly of all; a mediator! My House Erudite worships the peace and tranquility brought upon us by Goddess Arcadia, a peace that lasted ever since the unholy War of Dominion, a peace shattered to pieces in the blink of an eye!"

Leonardo smiled flatly at this impassioned speech from Lexus, having somewhat understood what he was fearful of, but didn't dare speak aloud.

Why would he bring something as grand as the war of dominion? Others might be confused by this.

This is merely a war between two vassals. At least, that's what it claimed on paper, so why bother? Only Leonardo and perhaps Juvia understood the implicit intentions in his speech.

Lexus wasn't talking about this pitiful war, nor was he talking about the people native to the star territory. He was merely using them as an excuse to overshadow the future of the entire Human Domain.

Their enemy? Who else but the Elven Domain? Lexus most likely realized the identity of Juvia when he connected her elven lineage, name, and the formation outside.

In fact, anyone with enough knowledge and power should have realized her identity by now, hence the indirect suppression by filing in military personnel through hidden and improper channels.

If they couldn't conceal this information from the elves, they could very well declare war on the Human Domain with the excuse of having their inheritance stolen and distributed throughout the human race.

That would be one apocalyptic war.

Unluckily for them, that's exactly Leonardo's aim in this farce.

Unluckily for Leonardo, the elven military was already beyond entrenched in a massive war enshrouding the forbidden domain. Even if they learned of this matter, it was unknown how they'd react. However, both sides didn't know of the other's true intentions and hidden obstacles, hence they could only play it low-key and use the Star Territory and the Four Provinces as a pretense, while their true argument revolved around the Human and Elven Domains.

Even though Leonardo saw through the hidden message and implicit warnings, he merely rested his calm gaze against the sharp gaze of Lexus.

"Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. You claim that the wrath of your lords will rain down on my fledgling state, I admire your courage. However, from the throes of chaos, my mighty state will bathe in the blood and destruction of your so-called rain of ceaseless wrath."

The war generals and the other scholars ground their teeth, taking this as a provocation of sorts. They thought Leonardo was saying he didn't care how many people be they ordinary or cultivators died for his cause. As long as he was alive, the war would engulf these lands until he conquered them completely or they surrendered some land.

Lexus' expression darkened as he understood something else entirely. He took in a deep breath to calm down before regaining his sharp focus.

"Are you so determined to see this through to the end? Don't you care for your people's lives?"

"Haha," Leonardo chuckled lightly, "My people? What people? Those who desert the army on the first opportunity given? How laughable!"

"Don't get me wrong, Lexus. My people are right by my side. I can count my people on my hands right now, and none of my people are so weak, unreliable, and foolish enough to die in your pitiful conflicts."

"I wished to remain a humble, kind, straightforward young man pursuing business and profits. However, one idiot after another decided to lay their lives in my hands, who am I to refuse them?"

"If you wish for this war to end, compensate me with the four provinces I desire. Otherwise, my followers are quite obedient, and they will blaze a river of blood through the lands I so desire simply to fulfill my commands."

"Trust me, out of everyone on the surface of Arcadia, those I care about are a pitiful few. Hence, to me, a kingdom of blood and bones is still a kingdom, a throne of misery is still a throne, and I am still me."

Leonardo and Lexus stared at one another, both sides unyielding.