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Aric had called this meeting with everyone present because the current situation the king had placed him in meant that all his plans would have to work without his physical intervention. If that were the case, he needed to ensure he could delegate effectively and trust his team members to execute their parts.

"I had a talk with Aszer two days ago... and tomorrow, the Byzeth Kingdom and its forces will begin multiple raids on Valeria... orchestrated by me."

Hearing these words, everyone remained silent, but it was clear what was going through their minds. Was that not madness? How does one attack his own empire as an offensive against another?

It might have seemed foolish on the surface, but there was nothing surface-level about Aric’s ambition.

"I know some of you are confused... Why would a Valerian prince lead a raid on his own kingdoms and empire? Well, that I won’t explain. But do I look like a fool to any of you? And even if I ever acted like one, in the end, was I not vindicated? Was there not always a grander scheme?"

The prince’s eyes trailed over each person in the room, and although they remained silent, it was clear they agreed with him. Aric was not one to act foolishly.

"Wait, I’m sorry... Did you say Valerian prince?" Twicher’s voice echoed from the Rune Stone.

"Shut your mouth," Borag growled.

"Listen," Aric’s voice cut them off before they could continue. "I should have killed you all in that tavern at Ezra’s Path, but I gave you a chance to be something more than common bandits. And I’m giving you another now."

Aric exhaled deeply as he walked closer to the fireplace. The flames danced gracefully, casting shadows on the stone walls.

"I am a forgotten prince who seeks to take over a kingdom by attacking my own empire. If I fail, I will most certainly die—whether by Aszer’s hand or for treason against Valeria. And you—"

He turned from the fire to look at them before continuing.

"All of you will most likely die with me for my sins. However, if I succeed—if we do everything right—then you all will be loyal not just to a prince, but to the ruler of Byzeth, the most economically important kingdom to the empire. This victory will propel me to the forefront of the race for the crown."

Aric slowly paced around the room.

"Wealth, power, and glory... they will be nothing compared to the rewards of our victory."

The prince stopped, looking each of them dead in the eyes.

"So, I ask each one of you here, and I offer you a true choice: Will you rise or die with me, or will you leave and find your own path?"

The room fell silent for a short moment before Borag and Twicher spoke through the Rune Stone.

"We live to serve you, Your Highness," they proclaimed.

Then Lerai followed, and Alan, and each of the others, saying the same phrase as they bowed their heads.

"We live to serve you, Your Highness."

Aric smiled—a genuine one.

"I am honored... and I will not fail you."

He sighed as he composed himself, his tone returning to its usual stoicism.

"Now, let’s return to the matter at hand. I will not be here for a while, so you must follow my instructions carefully."

Aric went on to lay out his plans. He instructed the Lord of Heidz to work closely with Borag and his men. He would tell them who in Miredis was under his control so the bandits would leave them alone, while they wiped out all other authorities using information Hitoshi would provide.

Once this was done, the lord would use his influence to replace those authorities with people loyal to him which would mean people loayal to the prince, increasing Aric’s influence in Miredis to almost total control.

While Miredis was being taken, Lerai would diligently work on new MPG weapons—either producing more of the current designs for Borag’s men or creating new types. He would make the bandits as powerful as possible.

Alan would begin training the bandits in using MPG, as he was currently the most skilled user.

Finally, Serina would act as the cavalry. If anything were to ever go wrong or required a high-level intervention, she would step in. She would also relay updates and take advanced orders from Aric through a single Rune Stone.

"I take it all of this is understood? Dismissed."

Everyone nodded as they stood and dispersed, while those connected via the Rune Stone disconnected.

This left Aric and Serina alone in the room.

They stayed quiet for a while, simply staring at each other.

"So... have you succeeded?" Aric asked.

"Yes, I entered the 9th circle last night," Serina replied.

Aric nodded. "Well, congratulations... Now, for what I have taken, what is my sacrifice?"

Serina looked deeply into his eyes.

"You paid the price from the start—your life. It seems it was all ordained, even what you’ve been given."

"You speak to the Weaver of Balance?"

Serina nodded. "Yes."

"Then how do I speak to the Weaver of Fate?"

She shrugged. "I have no idea. Everything about you is an absurdity. Your path doesn’t follow the usual laws. You must understand it on your own."

Serina tapped the chair beside her before standing.

"Please, come sit."

Aric walked over to the chair and sat down. Serina went behind him, placing her hands on the back of his neck.

"Now that you’ve broken through, how much more effective will this session be?" Aric asked.

"Significantly more, especially since we’ll be going all night."

Aric glanced at Serina, and she glanced back. They both laughed.