Emperor's Reckoning

Unbeknownst to everyone in Nostria, Heaven's Dawn also began its preparation for the war.

While Nostria had to worried about their distance, the opposite kingdom had more pressing issues. Though small, Nostria had 'thirteen' powerhouses that without a doubt proved to be troublesome to deal with. The eleven of them most probably more powerful than the current ruler himself.

However, that was not the only problem, if they somehow managed to win, Luderia, their greatest rival, would seek this as an opportunity to strike. It would no doubt be Luderia's victory if it were to happen.

With such considerations, there was probably only one way to handle it.

Inside a room somewhere in Deo were two men. One was behind the desk tapping his fingers against it while the other stood straight. The room was not spacious and the only light source they had was two candles that were planted on each side of the wall.

The man sitting behind the desk looked not much older than thirty years old. He had fair facial hair that decorated his chin. His bulky figure and his armor were the perfect matches to his empowering bearing. He looked at the man wearing a hood in front of him with a smile as he said, "Well, well, well, what do I owe this honor?"

His sentence didn't flinch the man wearing the hood as he said, "I see, that you already know who I am, your organization sure is capable."

"Oh please, you are flaunting us too much, I mean who wouldn't know you?" said the man with a laugh before he said softly, "King of Heaven's Dawn, Drake Arabasta."

Pulling back his hood he revealed his old face. He lived for god knows how many years, but the wrinkles on his forehead were only recently formed. His long hair had grayed as time had consumed it. With white long beard and fair build for an old man, he was exuding that royalty-bearing.

"I have a request for your group," said Drake as he gave a letter.

He knew that his social status didn't worth a single coin here. Thus ordering his underlings to deliver a letter would mean nothing.

The man in armor casually took the letter and read its content before perking up a smile.

"That's right, I want you to deal with the thirteen beings that came out from that shitty labyrinth!" said Drake as he gripped his hand as the crackling sound was heard.

The man in armor shook his head with a smile as he replied, "Thirteen? There were not thirteen beings you silly old king, no wonder you progenitor left this world."

The king's mouth was twitching, but he couldn't lash out his rage against him. "What do you mean?"

"I will do you a favor and tell you that the information you received is false. There were not thirteen beings but instead eleven."

The king furrowed his eyebrows as he thought (Does my men really dares to lie against me?!).

The man in armor laughed as he said, "Haha, look at you, being played by such little kingdom from the start, you underestimated them too much."

"Don't worry, it wasn't that your men lied to you, it's just that, that was the information they perceived,"

Then the man turned serious as he continued, "Dangerous, all eleven of them."

False information would prove fatal for a kingdom in a war as it would undoubtedly change the tide. Sending forces to the wrong place would leave other places open.

Drake fell into contemplation as he remembered his decree to capture Lyon. It was no wonder that there was no result if they had been perceiving wrong information from the enemy. (Gah! Useless! All of them!).

"Don't worry, I will help you, in fact, I will personally enter the battlefield," said the man in armor to the king's surprise.

"We will keep the eleven beings at bay, but we will not kill them, well for the obvious reason that we currently don't have the capability," said the man in armor with a laugh.

"Then, the compensation for it..." the king halted his word as the man in armor cut in.

"No need, nothing you can give will make me droll, not your land, not even your hidden weapon that your progenitor left you with for your dynasty, I mean kingdom's final resort. Honestly, a size that big is just a common kingdom, why would you even shamelessly put the word Dynasty, not even your progenitor would do so," said the man in the armor.

He was insulted many times but he could only hold in his rage as he truly needed his help, at least, right now. However, what surprised him the most was that he knew about the weapon's existence, the last-ditch the progenitor gave Heaven's Dawn.

"Then..."

"Leave Lyon Torga to me," said the man with his eyes turned sharp.

(Hm? Him? Why? Isn't he Ryona's husband? What would a Heaven's Real-) his thought stopped there as he remembered how his spies perceived wrong information.

"You may leave," said the man in armor as he casually leaned back.

Watching the departing king out of his room, the man pulled out a coin inside his pocket and craftily played it with his nimble fingers. "The fact that you know about this place, proofs that you are a really dumb king."

"I'm sorry, that's not fair, because you have no choice but to come here hahaha," said the man in the armor before he accidentally dropped the coin.

The coin spun on the floor as he watched it while murmuring, "I doubt he will remember me, but I sure do remember the first time we met too well, he is really an amusing young man,"

---------------------------

"Achoo!"

Lyon sneezed in the middle of the meeting, as he felt chill running up his spine.

"Hubby, are you alright?" asked Ryona as she saw Lyon wiping his nose.

"Yeah, don't worry about it, someone's probably talking about me."