"Iron within, iron without!"
Zoris slammed his right fist against his chest plate.
"Iron within, iron without!"
Dozens of young men replied in unison.
Their average age was only fourteen, but their youthful faces bore the stern solemnity of hardened soldiers. Children holding guns were just as deadly as adults.
Perturabo had trained them for four years, and now, finally, it was time for them to repay him!
Miltiades personally led the team to arrest the Ninth Wise Man. Zoris, Hakor, Barabas, and other warriors who had shown leadership talent were tasked with taking over the defenses of Lochos's various gates.
The Tyrant was almost assassinated. Though the assassins had been captured, the turmoil was far from over. Regardless of whether there were other masterminds, the Tyrant had to get to the bottom of it to uphold the royal family's dignity. Whether to purge traitors or eliminate rivals, the immediate priority was to seal off the city, preventing anyone from entering or leaving.
"By order of the Tyrant, the Anvil Camp will immediately assume control of the city gate defenses!"
Zoris showed the parchment bearing the royal seal to the garrison, his voice resolute.
Behind him, Anvil Camp warriors stood with their guns raised, facing the garrison troops.
Both sides were on alert but maintained restraint.
The garrison's optio frowned slightly. He had heard of the Anvil Camp. Lochos residents saw it as the royal family's charity, adopting a bunch of children. Since it was funded by the royal treasury, no one objected, and no one really thought of these children as soldiers.
But when these children pointed guns at him, no one doubted they were playing around. Their posture was practiced, clearly the result of extensive professional training.
"We're on the same side! Lower your weapons!" At the optio's command, the garrison soldiers at the gate lowered their gun barrels.
Zoris also gestured, and the warriors behind him lowered theirs.
This was their first armed standoff with regular troops, but they had all killed before. At Perturabo's strong insistence, the royal family had handed over all condemned criminals to them for execution.
Only by letting them shed blood could they be prevented from panicking at the sight of corpses in battle.
Lochos had been at peace for a long time; many garrison soldiers probably had less experience than them.
With both sides lowering their weapons, the atmosphere eased considerably, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Whether adults or youths, they were all flesh and blood; none could withstand a bullet. If a firefight started, no one could guarantee surviving unscathed.
The optio, "What do you need us to do?"
Zoris said, "We would appreciate the garrison's assistance in outer perimeter defense. These are beyonder times. If we cause any offense, I hope you will understand."
The optio smiled. "It's our duty. We all serve the Tyrant."
Since Zoris had extended goodwill, he was happy to reciprocate; after all, there was no conflict between them. The Tyrant sending these half-grown kids to take over gate defense clearly showed distrust in the garrison.
The optio was loyal to the royal family, yet now suspected of disloyalty; anyone would resent that. But he had heard about the unrest in the city. The Tyrant's distrust of the garrison meant there were indeed bad actors in the military. Otherwise, the Tyrant wouldn't go to such lengths.
But the optio had a clear conscience. He wasn't twisted enough to deliberately clash with the Anvil Camp. If a firefight started, they'd be labeled rebels even if they weren't. Why bother?
Someone else taking over gate defense was a good thing. Since the gates were no longer his responsibility, he was just providing support. If something did happen, the blame wouldn't fall on him.
"Halt! The city is sealed! No one is allowed in or out!"
Zoris stared at the carriage racing towards them, its wheels grating loudly on the stone pavement in the night.
"Final warning!"
Zoris raised his hand. The warriors behind him raised their guns in unison. The optio immediately ordered the garrison to do the same. Following along couldn't be wrong; it wasn't his order anyway, so why overthink it?
But the carriage ignored the warning and continued towards the gate. The driver's whip cracked in the air as he shouted at the gate, "Open your eyes! This is the Second Wise Man's carriage! Who dares stop us?"
Bang bang bang! Zoris fired, followed by a storm of gunfire.
The garrison, a beat slower, also opened fire.
Regardless, empty the magazines first.
The hail of bullets shredded the ornate carriage. Wood splinters and metal fragments flew inside. Blood seeped through the door seams, pooling darkly on the stone pavement.
"You, go check." The optio pointed to a soldier.
The soldier pulled open the shattered door. A body in a purple robe slid out onto him.
The soldier recognized the bloodstained face, his voice trembling. "It's the Second Wise Man!"
He peered inside the carriage. "And his wife and children!"
Zoris waved his hand, expressionless. "Drag the carriage into the alley. Don't block the road. Clean up the blood. Move quickly."
With a riot in the city, it was human nature to seek safety. Everyone wanted to hide. But the gate was sealed, and they had been warned repeatedly. Yet they still tried to force their way through. If that wasn't guilt, what was?
Even if it was the Second Wise Man, he had it coming. If you weren't the one who sent the assassin, why were you running?
The optio suggested, "Why not leave the carriage in the road? As a warning to others."
Zoris pointed out, "If it's blocking the road, won't they be too afraid to come?"
The optio was taken aback.' Wasn't that the point?'
"Sigh!" The optio's eyes widened in sudden realization. 'You want to fish, don't you?'
The optio lowered his voice. "Is that wise? What if the Tyrant gets angry?"
Zoris said, "This is how the Anvil Camp operates. Act first, report later. Royal Charter! The garrison doesn't need to shoot. I'll take full responsibility!"
Perturabo had been attacked. Right or wrong, Zoris didn't care. Anyone trying to leave the city now was an accomplice!
...
Dammekos didn't rush back to the palace. The city was still too chaotic. If the mastermind dared to assassinate the Tyrant in public, they might have other contingencies. The theater assassins were dealt with, making the theater the safest place for now. With layers of military and Anvil Camp guards outside, and Caelan and Perturabo inside, the sense of security was absolute.
'I have the mighty warrior Perturabo. Who dares harm me?'
Caelan said, "Send men back to the palace first, clear the route, and check for explosives or ambushes."
Perturabo ordered coldly, "Detain all absent Wise Men and their families. If they resist, kill without mercy."
Dammekos nodded, "Do as they say!"
Dammekos was obsessed with theater, as were most nobles. With a famous troupe from other city-states performing in Lochos, it was highly unusual that only two of the Twelve Wise Men attended. Even if some were unable to come due to urgent matters and planned to see the play another day, ten absentees were too many.
They might not be masterminds or involved in planning the assassination, but they were at least aware of it. Choosing to remain silent while knowing the Tyrant was in danger, they probably wouldn't have minded if Dammekos died.
Dammekos had always been tolerant of the Wise Men, negotiating as long as core interests weren't touched. But publicly assassinating the Tyrant was beyond rebellious; a heavy blow was necessary! Dammekos would have loved to purge them all, and besides, this wasn't a purge; it was excising rotten flesh from Lochos! Those who knew but remained silent were as guilty as the assassins!
Since they harbored treacherous intent, the Tyrant no longer needed to play nice with them. Lochos was, after all, the royal family's Lochos. No matter how powerful the Wise Men, they were subordinate to the crown. If he was determined to purge them, no one could stop him.
Ennan and Mondak, however, were at the theater, forced into the same danger as the Tyrant, inadvertently clearing themselves of suspicion.
Though Dammekos wouldn't stop investigating them, if they passed scrutiny and proved their innocence, they would surely rise in the future. A blessing in disguise.
Ennan was low-ranked among the Wise Men; Mondak was an outsider, disliked by the others, and the most loyal to Dammekos.
The Anvil Camp and the palace guard worked together, prioritizing the seizure of the city gates. Apprehending the Wise Men was like catching turtles in a jar.
Within an hour, the nine absent Wise Men were all arrested and brought to the theater. Except for the Ninth Wise Man, whose hands were tied tightly behind his back, the other eight were not bound, but all looked ashen.
Dammekos frowned. "Where is the Second Wise Man?"
Perturabo answered, "The Second Wise Man tried to force the city gate. The Anvil Camp executed him under wartime regulations."
The Anvil Camp had reported it. The body was still at the gate, identified.
Dammekos said, "Oh."
'Good that he was dead. Pity the other Wise Men hadn't tried to force the gate. If they were all dead, it would save so much trouble.'
Dammekos's gaze scraped across Claude's face like a knife, his voice laced with gritted teeth. "Claude, I granted you the position of Wise Man. I treated you well, by my own conscience. Why did you betray me?"
Claude sneered bitterly. "The winner writes history. I have nothing to say!"
"I did this. I admit defeat!"
Caelan stared into his eyes and slowly shook his head. "No, it wasn't you."
Caelan could tell at a glance that Claude wasn't capable. He was a good judge of character.
"It was me!" Claude suddenly struggled excitedly. Losing was one thing, but no one could deny him that!
Caelan questioned, "Did you hire the assassins?"
"Though I didn't hire them, I was the one who leaked the information!" Claude was rather proud, puffing out his chest and lifting his chin. "If I hadn't suggested the Tyrant bring his family to the play, how would they have gotten such a perfect ambush opportunity?"
"Used as a pawn, and you don't even realize it!" Dammekos was almost amused by his pride. And you're proud of that?
Claude admitted, "I used them as pawns!"
"Gag him!"
Dammekos didn't expect to get anything out of Claude. 'If this fool were the mastermind, it would be an insult to my intelligence! Why did I even make him a Wise Man?'
Dammekos's icy gaze swept over the remaining eight Wise Men. The Fifth Wise Man hurriedly prostrated himself. "My Lord, I swear by the gods, I had nothing to do with this! I truly was detained by other matters today."
Dammekos narrowed his eyes. "What matters?"
"I have a concubine..."
"Enough, you don't need to explain." Dammekos raised a hand, interrupting. 'The Fifth Wise Man's lustfulness was no secret. As the first to declare his innocence, his credibility was fairly high.'
"And you? Do you have anything to say for yourselves?"
In Lochos's political system, the Twelve Wise Men were akin to a cabinet on ancient Terra, the power core second only to the Tyrant.
They were both the highest decision-makers of Lochos and an important link between the royal family and the nobility. Except for the Third Wise Man, who was personally appointed by the Tyrant, the other eleven were prominent nobles of Lochos. Their families' influence permeated every corner of Lochos, even able to counterbalance the Tyrant's decisions on certain matters.
If the Tyrant was strong enough, the Twelve Wise Men would be subservient. But once royal authority wavered, they could harbor treacherous intentions, even plot assassinations or coups, as the Ninth Wise Man's betrayal showed.
Precisely because of their entrenched noble power, Dammekos had to be cautious, even if he longed to kill them all. These Wise Men represented not only their personal interests but also the interests of the entire Lochos nobility.
Even a tyrant needed evidence; otherwise, it would only intensify the conflict. He could certainly massacre the Twelve Wise Men, but the cost would be a full-scale backlash from the nobility. Dammekos had no evidence they were involved in the assassination, unless they confessed like the Ninth and Second Wise Men. The Ninth had admitted it, and the Second had fled in guilt, irrefutable evidence.
"My Lord, I've been sick for days."
"My Lord, my work is just too busy. I really couldn't make it."
"My wife is about to give birth. I have to take care of her!"
"His wife is my sister. No experience with her first child. I was too worried."
Several Wise Men actively defended themselves, offering various excuses.
Dammekos gave them a chance to explain, extending an olive branch, as long as they weren't directly involved. But giving them a chance didn't mean he would let them off easily.
Dammekos spoke gravely, "There were twelve Wise Men. I have been forced to remove two!"
"And the rest of you, though all high-sounding, are you truly innocent?"
The Wise Men were terrified, cowering under the Tyrant's accusations. Letting the Tyrant vent and curse a bit was nothing; talking back would be suicide.
"Except for Ennan and Mondak here, who among you can prove your loyalty?"
"I don't want excuses. I want evidence!"
Proving you didn't do something is far harder than proving you did. If you did it, you'd leave traces. Evidence could be found. If you didn't, how do you prove it? This was practically a trumped-up charge!
"Father," Perturabo spoke calmly, "this may not be related to the other Wise Men. There must be foreign instigators."
Dammekos asked, "Oh? And who do you think is the most likely suspect?"
"Kardis." Perturabo answered decisively. "Adolphus, the Tyrant of Kardis, has always been arrogant. He is jealous of your achievements and envious of my talents."
In truth, everyone knew the real reason for the assassination, Perturabo. His public denial of the gods, silencing the priests, was a major blow to the temple's faith. If everyone became a nonbeliever like Perturabo, what was the point of the temples? So the temple priests were likely the ones who hired the assassins, perhaps even those who had lost debates to Perturabo.
They were one with the murder cult. The assassination was to protect their faith. Once he was dead, they could claim Dammekos died by divine punishment. Even if someone suspected, they could say the assassins had the gods' blessing, allowing them to succeed.
Dammekos wouldn't let the priests off, but that wasn't the answer he wanted. Since he was assassinated, he had to maximize the benefit.
If he could prove another city-state's tyrant hired the assassins, Lochos would have a casus belli. It didn't matter if outsiders believed it, because no matter what evidence he produced, they wouldn't believe it anyway. They'd just say he was using it as a pretext. Even if they did believe it, so what? They wouldn't surrender.
Dammekos needed internal unity. It was enough that the people of Lochos believed it.
"Exactly! It must be Adolphus!"
"Adolphus is treacherous! He once viciously cursed Perturabo! Hiring assassins is perfectly plausible!"
"The murder cult has long colluded with Adolphus! Last year they sent assassins to kill a border noble of Lochos! The evidence is solid!"
"My Lord, declare war on Kardis immediately! Make them pay blood for blood!"
The Wise Men rushed to agree, speaking of hearsay as if it were fact. Even if the evidence couldn't withstand scrutiny, it was enough. No one would be too critical. Even the one who proposed declaring war was just showing loyalty.
Dammekos ordered, "Then so be it. Declare war on Kardis!"
The Wise Men's expressions froze. 'Wait, you're serious?'
Mondak was uneasy. "My Lord, should we reconsider?"
"No need. As you said, I will make them pay blood for blood!"
Perturabo quietly stepped back. At this point, the true mastermind was irrelevant. What mattered was who they wanted it to be. Both Perturabo and Dammekos were eager.
Dammekos's gaze swept over the assembly. "Any objections? Speak freely."
The Wise Men immediately vied to voice their agreement. "My Lord's wisdom is clear! Adolphus's crimes are proven! He must be punished severely!"
"Adolphus is a wolf with a savage ambition! To dare assassinate our Lord is an irreconcilable enmity!"
"Declare war! Make Kardis pay blood for blood!"
Their voices grew more impassioned. By the time they finished, they had convinced themselves. They had to believe it.
....
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