Walking inside this palace was always a dreadful experience. As soon as Zephyr dropped me off, I walked toward the castle in the distance. I wanted my report to be done and to organize my own house.
The Sakarai banner of the rising sun from a blue background adorned every available space in the long hall.
Lord Mai Sakarai was a lanky man with a shaved head, a sugary demeanor, and a depraved mind. With him was his new pet, Miyke Lense. Miyke was new to Insatel, and only Mai knew where the creepy midget came from. He had no discernible talent or worth of any kind, yet he climbed fast on the social ladder.
I stopped about twenty feet away and bowed down. "Lord. I've returned."
He pretended to only notice me now, even though the murmurs of his bootlickers carried my name to him long before I set foot in here.
"Carlos... welcome home." He looked up from some papers Miyke handed him. "Tell us, how is his holiness Viego?"
"He is well, Lord. Wishes you and His Majesty good fortune and is looking forward to the upcoming wedding," I lied seamlessly.
His smile spread. Sneaky little shit. I've never been able to see inside his head.
"So is Jin from what I've heard." He shared a disgusting smile with his yes-men sitting at tables close to his throne. "Tell me about the young Cortez princess... I heard she is quite beautiful." The whole family was a despicable lot. Look at those lustful eyes over a fifteen-year-old child.
"Princess Isabella will make a wonderful bride for Prince Jin. She is indeed a beautiful young girl, my Lord," I answered.
"Hahaha... good. My dear guardian, I know you just arrived and want to rest, but unfortunately, I've need of you now," he talked down from his throne with pretended sadness. Another execution? Why not just use a fucking blade and some trash who's willing to wield it?
"I'm ready, Lord."
"Zephyr Astoria..."
I managed to keep a steady face and waited for him to continue.
"Reports said he put a wall around his wormhole of a village. He is preparing... but the fool trained the man already, didn't he, Memphis?" he asked the man at the table closest to him.
Memphis Lane was the Commander in Chief of the armed forces of Malai. About fifty years old, short brown hair with a lot of silver mixed there. His age now started to show, but he was still a top-five swordsman in the army. Battle-tested, calm under pressure, and his experience allowed him the luxury to see situations more clearly. Also, a man of honor, from what Zephyr told me.
"Yes, Lord, the army is trained," he stood up and informed the room.
He was also a smart man who understood more about the depravity and rot surrounding the Sakarai royal family than me. Yes, the army was trained... and respected their Master Zephyr already... just like old man Memphis.
"My brother forbade me to make an enemy out of the man. He will take matters into his own hands once his son is married and Dharma's allegiance is secured." He looked annoyed as if he or anyone could possibly kill Zephyr.
The news wasn't a surprise. Zephyr predicted this long ago. No man with his power can possibly be allowed to gather support without his allegiance to the crown first, which he already refused multiple times. Things were accelerating now.
"Anyway... I need you as his trusted 'Rival'..." What do you know about rivals or friendships of any kind? You slimy fuck. "...to infiltrate this..." He looked at Miyke.
"Emet Village, my Lord," Miyke added.
"...yes, that place. Since you're close, you have a better chance of staying longer, and it won't raise his suspicion. Unfortunately, the scouts we sent never returned. He probably already disposed of them with that... frightening power of his."
He shuddered, thinking of such an end. The problem was, Zephyr never found any scouts... or disposed of them.
Something was wrong.
"We sent sixty-nine and counting, Lord." Miyke, like a good dog, made sure the numbers were read from his stack of papers.
"Right... As my first guardian, will you accept?" he asked with a disgusting smile.
"Your will, my hands." I bowed deeply, reciting the same old garbage I'd been saying for years.
I could barely hide my smile. It was perfect. I could head back by tonight and arrive tomorrow afternoon if I made good time.
"Ah, my most trusted." That smile spread and covered most of his face. That face, that smile, it made my stomach turn. 'Most trusted' my ass. 'Your only blessed' would have been more accurate.
"You will need a reason. I can't have him suspect anything... I'm tired of having to fear every time I walk outside and look up at the sky," he said, looking at the ceiling.
His death was guaranteed already. And these walls, these pathetic cockroaches surrounding him, won't make any difference. You're living on borrowed time.
"How about training, Lord?"
Memphis had everyone's eyes on him.
"Explain," he said to the commander.
"Lord Em has men of his own from Dharma. Don't you?" he turned toward me and waited.
"I do. Fifty men in total," I answered.
"So why not arrive under the pretext of training? Lord Mai can write an official letter asking him and send payment," he turned back to his lord.
The people whispered and looked toward the snake in that ridiculous chair imitating his brother's in Tetra.
"I have to pay the man again? He has more gold than most of my own overseers..." he looked annoyed. His overseers were basically just thugs he lent his support to and allowed them to terrorize smaller villages in his territory.
"...fine. Miyke, write the letter and gather the coin. Send my 'eternal friend' a thank you with it."
Miyke walked off, doing what he was told.
"Carlos, the letter and coin will be delivered to your villa soon. Go make preparations, and have your man report back every few days about the comings and goings of that shithole... understood?"
I didn't overdo it since it would betray my true feelings. "As you say, Lord. I'll send my man within a week with the first report." I promised.
"Yes... go with Ehlite."
With another show of respect, I quickly turned around and walked past the noble ants, who avoided my eyes.
Once outside, I walked to the stables where a soldier waited for me.
"Lord Em. I'm Yem and serve directly under Lord Commander Lane. This letter's contents is for Leader Zephyr's eyes alone."
He handed me the letter with a dead serious expression. "Safe journey, Lord."
I nodded and put the letter inside my jacket. "Thank you, Captain Yem."
He nodded curtly and pulled his cloak over his head, then he soon disappeared from my view.
Good things first. I get to go home with the blessing of that cockroach and take my men who already received some of his training and will be delighted to pick it up full-time.
A lot of questions:
• Who killed Mai's scouts? Zephyr wouldn't do that without telling anyone. He had no reason to hide how he killed a few spies.
• It couldn't be him... I was certain. Who is helping him from the shadows? Why? Do they know him from his past? Why would anyone commit such killing just to keep his movements a secret?
• Also... Memphis's secret letter. I wanted to read it now, but he said it wasn't for me. What could it say? Does Zephyr already have his allegiance secured?
I knew how much they learned from him and respected him. Mai was a fool, who, unlike his older brother, had no interest in leading soldiers of any kind. He left the second-largest army in Insatel in others' hands. Now those others... just handed me a letter behind their Lordship's back.