The moment Miss Solfia announced the Lord's arrival, everyone returned to their seats at once, as if the announcement itself carried some unspoken command.
No one spoke.
The room, which only moments earlier had been thick with heated exchange, had gone unnaturally quiet — quiet enough that even the smallest movement, a shifting boot, a creaking chair, seemed to carry too loudly.
Then a familiar voice cut through the stillness.
"Well, it seems everyone has arrived. Shall we begin?"
Every person in that hall knew the voice. And yet — no surprise. No flinch. They simply sat there, as if he'd always been standing at the head of the table and no one had noticed until he spoke.
Dolion, to his credit, kept his composure and addressed him directly.
"My Lord — please, don't appear like that without warning. How many times must we ask? You never come through the door. You simply appear halfway across the hall and take your seat."
The others barely reacted. Apparently, this was nothing new.
Ivan, though, saw his opening immediately.
"Yes, My Lord. Please — don't do that." He turned to Dolion with a grin sharp enough to cut. "You know our King Dolion is rather timid. Frightened by the smallest things."
"Err — err—"
Dolion floundered for a response.
"My King, please, calm yourself," Draxil said quickly, stepping in before it could go further.
The Lunaris King's gaze drifted, unhurried, toward Ivan.
"Ivan."
His voice was calm. That was somehow what made the room go still.
"How many times have I told you to watch your tongue?"
Ivan's grin faltered.
"Being powerful in the West does not grant you license to mock your fellow allied nations however you please." A pause, deliberate. "At least in my presence, I will not tolerate it. Understood?"
Ivan straightened at once. "Yes, My Lord. Understood. I'll be more careful."
"Good."
The Lunaris King let his gaze sweep the table once, unhurried. "If everyone's finished, let's get to the matter at hand."
The atmosphere sharpened instantly.
"As you're all aware, tensions within the Empire have grown considerably in recent times." His eyes moved from ruler to ruler. "Now is the time to take advantage of it."
Ivan's eyes lit. "Are we attacking the Empire?" He leaned forward, practically eager. "That's an excellent idea, My Lord."
The Lunaris King gave him a flat, unimpressed look. "No, Ivan. Try listening to the entire statement before interrupting."
"...Huh." Ivan sank back, visibly disappointed.
The Lunaris King continued, unbothered. "There is currently a civil war raging within the Empire." His voice stayed level. "Which is precisely why I believe it's time we begin implementing our grand plan."
The words landed like a stone dropped into still water. Every ruler at the table went rigid. Even Ivan's easy smirk vanished entirely.
Prime Minister Wan frowned. "But what if the Empire discovers what we're doing?" He leaned forward. "The moment they learn of our plan, surely they'll set the civil war aside and unite against us. Everything becomes far more difficult after that."
Dolion finally spoke in agreement with Prime Minister Wan. "My Lord, I share that concern. How do we prevent the Empire from learning our intentions?"
The Lunaris King turned toward Wan. "Wan. I understand the concern." His expression didn't shift. "Which is why another task will be folded into the plan." A pause. "We must never allow the Empire to reunite."
The words settled heavily over the table.
"We keep them divided. Until our plan succeeds."
Dolion asked the question sitting on everyone's mind. "But how? Do you already have something in place for that?"
A faint chuckle rose from across the table.
"Well, well." Ivan rose slowly from his seat, straightening his clothes with deliberate ceremony before turning to face the Lunaris King. "Looks like it's finally my turn to speak." His usual confidence had returned in full. "My Lord — you can stop worrying over the Empire. I know exactly how to handle them."
Dolion eyed him, skeptical. "What exactly do you mean? You have a plan?"
"Obviously." Ivan glanced toward him, savoring it. "Unlike you, I didn't lose a battle and simply sit around afterward."
Dolion's jaw tightened.
"I was doing something far more important," Ivan went on, "while the rest of you were getting beaten by some little kingdom." His smile widened. "So. I have the key to winning."
"Err — err — Ivan—" Dolion's irritation was climbing fast.
Ivan turned toward him, all innocence. "Did you say something, Dolion?"
Before Dolion could answer, the room changed.
It happened all at once — an overwhelming pressure dropping over the hall like a weight none of them had braced for. Dark. Heavy. Suffocating. For a single, unbearable second, it felt as though the air itself had thickened past breathing.
Everyone froze.
The pressure was strong enough that several of the guards along the wall buckled at the knees, fighting just to stay upright.
Draxil clutched at his skull. "Such... heavy pressure—" His legs gave out beneath him. "It feels like my head is going to split—" He collapsed to the floor.
And then, as suddenly as it had come — it was gone.
Silence blanketed the hall. Slowly, one by one, heads lifted. Every eye in the room turned toward the Lunaris King.
He was looking directly at Ivan.
"Ivan." His voice had dropped to something quiet — quieter than before, and somehow far more frightening for it. "How many times have I told you to stop this little performance of yours in front of me?"
Ivan understood immediately. "Yes, My Lord." His head dipped. "I understand. It won't happen again."
The Lunaris King said nothing for a long moment. Then, finally: "Very well." His gaze settled on Ivan. "I'll entrust this task to you."
Ivan's expression brightened at once.
"But remember — the plan's implementation will take time." His eyes swept the table once more. "At least two years."
No one moved. No one spoke.
"Until then, all of you strengthen your nations. Prepare them for what's coming."
Ivan nodded, all confidence restored. "Understood, My Lord." A faint, satisfied smile crossed his face. He pressed a hand to his chest. "And thank you — for trusting me with this. I won't disappoint you."
"Now that Ivan will be handling the situation within the Empire, there's another matter I wish to discuss." The Lunaris King's gaze shifted. "And this time, it concerns you, Dolion."
Dolion felt sweat forming on his forehead under the weight of that stare — and perhaps that was exactly what Ivan had been waiting for. The smile on his face only widened.
"You know, don't you, Dolion, that your defeat has left the greatest stain on our alliance's history?" The King's voice stayed calm, almost gentle, which somehow made it worse. "So. Explain yourself. What happened? How did you lose?"
A pause.
"And more importantly — tell me this first. Why did the two of you, Dolion and Ivan, plan an attack on Valenford without consulting me?"
Dolion kept his composure as he answered. "Ivan approached me about attacking Valenford. He called it a joint invasion. But Noctenvale never mobilized its forces."
The Lunaris King's eyes shifted toward Ivan.
Ivan understood at once. His turn.
"Well, My Lord — I thought Leki's death was too good an opportunity to waste. I believed we could use it to wipe Solaris influence out of the western region entirely." A brief pause. "But later, I received some rather interesting news from within the Empire. My attention was pulled there instead."
"Hmm." The Lunaris King gave little away — he wanted the full account before he judged anything.
"I assumed Velkyria was strong enough to overwhelm that little kingdom on its own." Ivan shrugged, easy. "I suppose my assumption remained just that. An assumption."
"You said you received news." The King's gaze didn't move off him. "I want to know what it was."
Ivan's smile weakened slightly. "My Lord, I can't tell you yet. I'm still working on it."
"What did you say?"
"My Lord — please, don't worry. When the time comes, it'll all become clear. The information ties directly into the plan we just discussed, so there's nothing to concern yourself with."
"Hmm." The Lunaris King turned the words over. "Very well. I'll remember what you've said." His attention shifted back to Dolion. "Now, Dolion. Your turn. Why did Velkyria lose?"
The pressure on Dolion sharpened. Sweat beaded heavier on his brow.
Draxil noticed. Watching his king struggle beneath the weight of that stare, he stepped in.
"My Lord, if you'll permit me — I'd like to explain. Since I was the one who signed the armistice with the Valens on Velkyria's behalf—"
"Draxil, no." Dolion cut in at once. "Let me explain."
Draxil hesitated. "My King, this is already unbearable for you. Allow me to carry it."
Dolion said nothing for a moment, then finally nodded. "Fine. You speak."
Draxil turned to face the Lunaris King fully. "My Lord — we weren't supposed to lose." He drew a breath. "As you know, we'd already captured two of their cities. Only one major stronghold remained in the south — Hower." His expression sobered. "That's where everything changed."
The King's eyebrow lifted. "And the reason for your defeat wasn't military strength."
"No, My Lord."
"Then?"
"I don't know the whole of it myself, honestly. But from what I've been able to piece together during my meet with there representative during armistice — the Valenford army fought differently this time." Draxil pressed on. "They broke a rule that had held for centuries. They crossed their own borders and defeated us on our own territory."
Every head in the room turned to listen.
"And all of it traces back to their new king."
Silence settled. Even Ivan looked genuinely thrown.
"They crossed the border?" he murmured.
The Lunaris King's eyes narrowed, his voice carrying real surprise for the first time that night. "The Valens crossed the border?"
"Yes, My Lord." Draxil continued. "They captured our port city, Wester, by sea, and cut our supply lines. They took back both cities we'd already claimed while our forces sat concentrated around Hower." A pause. "In the end, they surrounded us entirely. The encirclement broke us — and Velkyria lost one of its most valuable assets in the process. General Varek."
The Lunaris King said nothing for a moment. "Hmm. That tracks." His expression hardened, just slightly. "If the Valens have truly broken a rule that's governed their military for generations, we'll need to handle them with far more care going forward."
"Indeed, My Lord." Draxil pressed on. "We've also heard their new king has won the support of the Valen nobles. He's focused now on economic development — building Valenford toward independence." A brief pause. "And there's one more thing."
Every eye in the hall fixed on him.
"Valenford is not what it used to be." Something shifted in Draxil's face. "They no longer behave like cowards. That old fear — it isn't there anymore." His voice steadied, firmer than before. "I saw the change myself. We shouldn't underestimate them."
The shift in his expression didn't go unnoticed. Everyone in the room understood exactly what it meant.
The situation had genuinely changed.
"Hmmm." The Lunaris King leaned back. "We'll have to do something about this. Otherwise, that nation could become a serious obstacle to our plans."
Draxil lowered his eyes. "And since the defeat, my King has been blaming himself daily. It's been unbearable for him as well."
"Huhh." The Lunaris King let out a slow breath. "Alright. Alright. I understand." His gaze settled back on Dolion. "If Valenford becomes economically self-sufficient and keeps developing at this pace, it could become a genuine threat to us in the west."
Before anyone could respond, a familiar voice broke the quiet.
"Sounds interesting..."
Ivan leaned back in his chair, a slow smile spreading across his face.