Chapter 5: The Omen of War and Shadows of Betrayal
The universe was boiling; the Lion stepping out of his den was not to hunt beasts, but to exterminate entire races. Every galactic nation was scrambling to raise its defenses, and a terrifying silence hung over the "Planet of the Mother," as if life itself had come to a standstill. A heavy gloom draped over the common folk across all empires, for Nadia had been their guardian angel and a heart of compassion for all. The masses lived in tragedy, torn between the agony of loss and the fear of what was to come. Their angel was dead—the white flower who radiated the mana of darkness, like a moon shining in the dead of night, her hair as black as an eternal dusk. She had been the tree under which many sought shelter, but with her death, the leaves of the "Planet of the Mother" were scattered by the terror of the public and the conflicting interests of the nobility. The vassal planets began to reassess their political standing.
In the White Palace, built of crystal that shone like light, inside an elegant yet simple office crowded with books, sat a young man in his hundredth year. Surrounded by a golden aura and possessing stark white hair, he was flipping through the pages of the "Book of News"—an invention that fused magic with technology to display videos and events across the galaxies in real-time. His solitude was interrupted by the arrival of his chief servant, a graduate of political science and warfare from the "Sovereign War Academy." The servant entered with solemnity and bowed his head:
— "My lord, the Empress Mother went to the throne room today."
The young man laughed bitterly and said:
— "My mother truly has no fear! My father never leaves the palace at ease because he trusts neither the fleets of the Central Continent nor his own guards; he does not even trust his own throne. My father trusts only one man: The Grand Chamberlain. He is the teacher of half the powerful beings on the Planet of the Mother, a man whose strength has reached a level that makes even the Emperors respect him, not for his age, but for his overwhelming authority. My father once told me that the Grand Chamberlain could erase demons from the cosmos. My mother only takes risks because he is her teacher; she will return to her palace soon."
The Chamberlain asked him seriously: "My lord, may I speak on a matter?" The Prince nodded, and the Chamberlain continued: "My lord, although you are not directly involved in the problem, you will be the one to bear the blame. You are the Chief of Staff of the (Golden Lion) Intelligence, and not a single ant moves on the Planet of the Mother—or outside it—without passing beneath your eyes."
The First Prince sighed and said: "Yes, I will be punished. I knew of the problem shortly before it occurred, but I did not intervene despite the lack of time. Perhaps if I had moved, my brother would not have lost his training or been poisoned. But my grandfather, (The Emperor of Gold), defeated me; he covered my sources with his money and blinded my eyes to the truth. I found out too late. Therefore, I must accept the penalty and go to claim glory on the battlefield. Glory does not come from reporting news, but from war! My army must take flight; remaining here will only let our swords rust. We have not gone to war since I took charge of the Golden Lion Intelligence." He concluded his command: "Summon the Grand Elders and the High Generals. My fleets must launch now!"
The events shifted to a majestic tower in the Continent of Magic, a fantastical land far removed from the noble style of the rest of the planet. At the summit of the tower, inside a legendary office overlooking the void and surrounded by books like a floating staircase, sat two men and a woman: The Grand Sorcerer (Head of the Tower), The Emperor of Gold, and the Dean of the Magic Academy.
The Dean laughed mockingly: "She is not dead... haha, you are all afraid!"
The Emperor of Gold replied coldly: "I did what I was told; I transferred huge sums of money. To whom and why? I do not know. I am a man of finance, and I only deal in money."
The Grand Sorcerer said in an anxious tone: "I told you, Nadia was my student, a genius who strayed from the path and surpassed us all in her own way. But if she is not dead, then where is she? All the magic sensors in the universe are under my eyes searching for her aura, and it does not exist! If Nadia loved you, she would give you the world; if you harmed her, she would burn your world. She is the heir to the devil's darkness and the former commander of the Extermination Forces. Even the Devil Ancestor himself said that had she been born of demonic lineage, she would have been the Empress of Devils. Tell Elizabeth to stay in her palace and freeze her activities; a wounded lioness might burn her entire forest down with her."
At the Sovereign War Academy, twenty-five members of the Academy's Executive Council stared toward the blackboard. Standing before them was a giant of a man with bulging muscles, his body covered in scars that told stories of bloody battles. He was the Dean of the Academy, one of the few who had reached a level of power rivaling the "Sovereign" and nearing that of Alexander. He was also a student of the Grand Chamberlain.
He raised his head and said sternly:
— "I know Nadia was your friend, and you were in overlapping classes. I myself was one of those close to her. But beware: do not interfere in this revenge, neither for good nor for evil. You are children of the Academy, and this is your home. Your mission is to protect the public and prepare to receive refugees. This is a war of succession, and our interference will only increase the bloodshed. Protecting the planet and the continent is our responsibility, and any interference from any of you in Nadia's case will be met with death at my hands, without questions. Stand up and prepare everything."
Silence fell over the hall; there were tears in the eyes of some, sparks of vengeance in the faces of others, while some smiled in schadenfreude. Nadia had belonged to this council, and she had both lovers and enemies within it. The Dean concluded his speech: "I am going to the battlefield myself to try and stop Alexander from killing even the innocent in the name of Nadia's blood."
While silence loomed over the Planet of the Mother, a war of a different kind was igniting on the Continent of Trade and Industry. Nadia held huge stakes in industrial unions and countless patents. The wolves of finance learned that her only heir was the Seventh Prince, who was currently poisoned and unconscious, so every opportunist launched a fierce war to plunder Nadia's assets while Alexander was preoccupied with his revenge.
However, Nadia's chief servant was no ordinary man; he could have fought them for a hundred years, but he remained in a defensive stance, awaiting Alexander's return, for he was the only one who held Nadia's official will. Everything depended on defense.
The Continent of Trade and Industry is the maddened engine that controls half the resources and manufacturing of the cosmos. It is ruled by the "Money Council," composed of the owners of trade and industrial unions. The Trade Council and the Industrial Council were always at odds; Nadia belonged to the Industrial Council, while Elizabeth belonged to the Trade Council. This was one of the fundamental reasons for the burning hostility between Nadia and Elizabeth.