"So tell , Lucien…" Arthur's voice was calm, yet beneath it pulsed a storm. "Do Chronos truly have the guts to go to war against Keldoria?"
He leaned forward on his lion-carved throne, his gaze glinting like steel in torchlight.
"Is it really worth losing the war against Elysia… over nine million gold coins? Think carefully. Even if we honored the full agreent, you'd receive one million per year. But if you push us into war…" He paused, letting the words cut through like a blade against the neck. "How many soldiers will die? How many cities will burn? What will the war cost Chronos, Lucien?"
Lucien Vale froze. His gaze t Arthur's—and in that mont, he saw it.
Madness.
Not the loud, frothing kind. This was sothing far more dangerous: a cold, calculated derangent. A ruthless clarity that only a man cornered by power and vision could possess. Arthur Tesla wasn't bluffing.
He would burn his entire kingdom to the ground—just to deny Chronos its pound of gold.
Lucien's fingers twitched by his side, almost instinctively reaching for the comfort of control. But there was none. He had co prepared. When he'd first accepted the task of delivering Chronos's demands, he had expected resistance—yes. Perhaps a delay. Even a renegotiation. He had rehearsed his approach: deliver pressure with poise, raise the threat subtly, allow a month's delay if necessary… then apply the weight of Chronos's military might.
But this? This wasn't resistance.
This was defiance.
Arthur Tesla had shattered the script. He had not only refused to honor the agreent—he had executed a Chronos' knight in cold blood, exposed their infiltration network, and now threatened to ally with Elysia.
It was political lunacy. And yet… it was horrifyingly calculated.
Arthur knew Chronos's strategy. He knew how to wound them where it mattered.
Lucien couldn't bluff his way out of this. Not here. Not now. Arthur had placed Chronos in check—and the worst part was, he was right.
If Keldoria and Elysia ford an alliance, the balance would tip. The flow of gold would an nothing if the warfront collapsed. Chronos wouldn't just lose revenue. They would lose ground. Influence. Legitimacy. Everything.
Lucien remained still, the reality crashing in like a tidal wave. Slowly, his eyes lifted to Arthur's again. His arrogance was gone, replaced by a grim understanding.
This isn't a decision I can make, he thought. Not alone.
He wasn't a general. He wasn't a king. He was just a ssenger.
And now, the ssage had changed.
I must report to His Majesty Brandon Ravis. This is no longer about a paynt. This is about war. Alliances. And survival.
He took a breath, steadying himself before stepping forward with a low, respectful bow. His voice, once edged with pride, now carried humility.
"Your Majesty," Lucien began carefully, "this humble envoy of Chronos cannot decide on the matter Your Majesty has just introduced. This goes far beyond the original scope of our agreent. It is a matter that only our royal court and His Majesty Brandon Ravis can deliberate on."
He bowed deeper.
"I ask for your grace. Allow to return to Chronos and deliver this ssage in full. I apologize for the tone and offense I may have caused earlier. I did not anticipate… this developnt. I will depart imdiately, and return with an official response."
Arthur regarded him silently for a mont, then leaned back with a slight smile—not one of warmth, but of victory.
"That is precisely why I wanted to speak to Brandon Ravis directly," Arthur said, his tone casual but sharp. "Not with a middleman."
He rose from his throne, his cloak falling around him like a shroud of judgnt.
"But fine. I will allow you to leave—on one condition."
Lucien tensed.
Arthur's eyes narrowed.
"The knights and mages Chronos embedded in Keldoria—your so-called troops that were supposed to help defend against Elysia will be captured and taken into custody. Every last one of them. Their fate will depend on how Chronos responds to the new agreent."
Lucien's jaw tightened.
"And one more thing," Arthur added, his tone like frost. "If you so much as whisper a warning to your knights and mages here—if even one of them escapes or disappears before our n reach them—I will take it as confirmation that Chronos has chosen war."
"And if that happens… Keldoria will officially form an alliance with Elysia. I will personally sign it."
Lucien swallowed hard. His thoughts spiraled. For the first ti in his diplomatic career, he had walked into a negotiation and been disard, outmaneuvered, and cornered—all in a single conversation.
With another deep bow, he responded, "Understood, Your Majesty."
Arthur nodded slowly, as if sealing a verdict. Then he spoke again, casually. "Good. Anyway, do you have any questions for before you leave?"
Lucien blinked, stunned by the offer. For a second, he opened his mouth, only to close it again. There was sothing he had planned to ask. A trivial matter about the books Arthur had published, and how they were being sold for such absurdly low prices. That question had been important when he was walking into the palace.
But now?
That thought had evaporated like mist under sunlight. Now, there was only one thing on Lucien's mind—returning to Chronos as fast as possible.
He needed to speak to Brandon Ravis. Imdiately.
The reports they had on Arthur Tesla—of how he had changed after his ascension, how he had beco a "surprisingly competent" ruler—were laughably outdated. Arthur hadn't just beco competent.
He had beco sothing far more dangerous.
He's not a man Chronos can afford to take lightly anymore, Lucien thought grimly. If we let our guard down even once… he'll beco a beast we won't be able to cage.
Lucien shook his head slowly. "I don't have anything more to ask."
Arthur raised an eyebrow, but said nothing more.
Outside, the sky had turned a dusky orange. The palace walls cast long shadows across the marble floor.
"Very well," Arthur said. "It's getting late. If you wish, we can arrange accommodations for the night. You're a guest of Keldoria, after all."
But Lucien straightened his posture and replied without hesitation. "Thank you for your warm hospitality, Your Majesty, but I must decline. I need to return to Chronos as soon as possible. The sooner we deliver your ssage, the sooner you'll receive our official response."
Arthur gave a small nod. "As you wish. After all, you are still an envoy of Chronos."
He paused. "I hope your journey back is safe."
Lucien bowed one last ti and turned toward the grand doors.
Just as he reached the door, Arthur's voice rang out once more. "Wait."
Lucien stopped mid-step.
"I almost forgot," Arthur said, raising his hand and gesturing to the side.
Klein, Arthur's ever-silent aide, stepped forward with sothing in hand. He approached Lucien, offering a leather-bound book with a firm but respectful nod.
Lucien hesitated for a mont, then accepted it with both hands.
Arthur's voice echoed behind him. "That book contains my theories on economic developnt—written by my own hand. Consider it a parting gift."
Lucien looked down at the cover. The title was etched in bold gold script:
The Theories on Economics – by Arthur Tesla
Lucien took the book, bowed once again, and without another word, exited the throne room.
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