CHAPTER 70: THE MEETING [2]

Alaric remained seated for a moment longer, unmoved beneath the veil of the white curtains.

Then, he slightly tilted his head—an almost imperceptible gesture.

But it carried weight.

And in response, four seats manifested into reality.

Three on the right, one on the left. Golden-framed. Crimson-cushioned. Ornate yet solemn. Regal, yet not gaudy.

The seats shimmered with quiet mana, as if molded by command alone.

The four of them—Auralyne, Caldrith, and his two subordinates—glanced to either side. At this point, they were no longer surprised by such divine phenomena.

Without needing an explanation, they moved and took their places.

Auralyne sat on the left, close to the curtain where Alaric’s presence lingered just beyond. Caldrith took the nearest of the three on the right.

His two companions followed—still wide-eyed, still adjusting to the sanctity of the space they now inhabited.

The moment they sat, both subordinates stiffened.

Their eyes widened as pure mana surged through the air—like mist flowing through their bones, seeping into their very cores.

It was not invasive... but persistent.

And then—

Alaric’s voice rang out again from behind the curtain.

"Relax, it isn’tharmful,"

He said calmly.

"Don’t resist it."

The two flinched, but didn’t speak.

"You’ll need its power,"

He continued,

"for the tasks ahead."

His voice was impersonal now—like a teacher commanding from above.

"And since I promised a gift for all of you,"

He added,

"this is yours."

A pause.

"I doubt you’ll contribute much to the discussion that follows... so let it elevate your cultivation while you still have the chance."

The two subordinates looked to Caldrith for confirmation—but he simply nodded.

Their hands formed cultivation seals. They sat on the ground in lotus position, closed their eyes, and began cycling the foreign yet exhilarating power that had flooded their veins.

The throne room grew quieter, yet heavier, as their cores adjusted—reforged by the divine mana surrounding them.

*****

✢═─༻༺═✢═─༻༺═✢

✶ I Reincarnated as an Extra ✶

✧ in a Reverse Harem World ✧

⊱ Eternal_Void_ ⊰

✢═─༻༺═✢═─༻༺═✢

*****

Auralyne remained still, eyes narrowed.

Caldrith sat upright, still processing the gift he had just received—still humbled by the earlier touch on his forehead that had nearly shattered his soul and reassembled it into something more.

Then Alaric spoke again.

"Caldrith,"

He said, voice direct.

"How do you plan to make the fall of Velmora Royal Family legitimate, Acceptable to the public and unhinged by the Empire. "

Caldrith inhaled, deeply.

His eyes widened again. He hadn’t expected to be questioned this soon. But he caught his breath, composed himself, and began:

"...It may not sound like much, Lord Aurelian,"

He said,

"but our plan was to create chaos within the capital."

Alaric said nothing.

Caldrith continued,

"And once the capital descends into confusion, we would take advantage of the gaps in security. Strike the palace. Eliminate the royal family."

The silence did not interrupt him, but neither did it encourage him.

"After that, we’d elect a puppet king,"

Caldrith went on,

"one who’d rule publicly, while we governed from the shadows. Ensuring stability. Gradual reform."

Finally, Alaric spoke.

"Simple,"

He said.

"But flawed."

Caldrith flinched slightly—but nodded.

"Yes... I can see that now,"

He admitted.

"I was short-sighted."

A moment passed.

Then Alaric replied, his tone neither cold nor mocking—but firm.

"Good. Owning your mistake is the first step to growth."

He shifted slightly on his throne, though no one could see it.

"Now let me show you why your plan fails."

He began to enumerate—one finger at a time:

"First: The kingdom is infested with the Empire’s influence. You think you’ll install a new king, and they’ll just stand by?"

Alaric’s voice sharpened.

"They will manipulate public opinion. Instigate rebellion. Or worse—intervene directly."

Caldrith lowered his head.

"Second,"

Alaric continued,

"the nobility—addicted to influence—will never support a change they don’t control. You’ll be seen as a threat to their indulgence."

A breath. Then—

"Third. The imperial envoy within the court."

His voice deepened.

"If you let them live, they’ll sabotage everything from within. If you kill them, the Empire has the legal right to retaliate. You lose either way."

Caldrith clenched his fists.

"And last of all,"

Alaric finished,

"you’re forgetting that perception is power. You can’t just kill a king and place another. You have to make the world believe it was always meant to happen."

The room went silent again, filled only with the sound of flowing energy.

Caldrith spoke quietly.

"...Then what would you do, Lord Aurelian?"

Alaric’s voice turned thoughtful. Almost pleased.

"My vision is not far from yours. But it is... cleaner. More inevitable."

He leaned back, though the veil hid the motion.

"We won’t start with rebellion. We’ll start with alliances."

He outlined it like a military campaign:

"Gather more rebels. Unite the neutral factions. Promise them what they seek—not freedom, but a future they can live with."

"Then, extend offers to certain nobles. The ones still capable of reason. Bind their loyalty through contracts, debts, or divine pacts."

A pause.

"Those who resist—record them. Observe them. Let them play their hand."

His voice grew heavier.

"They’ll either be absorbed into the new kingdom... or made into examples."

Then came the next part—chilling in its precision.

"We’ll split our rebellion into two forces,"

Alaric explained.

"One will assault the royal palace. Kill the royal family—but not completely."

Auralyne’s eyes narrowed.

"And at the peak of that chaos... you will arrive."

He gestured toward Caldrith.

"You will fend off the attackers. You will rescue what remains of the king. And in his dying breath—he will name Auralyne Viresta Caelthorn as his rightful heir."

A silence descended.

One that spoke louder than any proclamation.

The game was already won.

And no one had even made the first move.

-To Be Continued

======

Guys, check out my new book.

[Dimension Walker: The Veiled Paragon]

And please leave a review about whether it is readable or not. If not than why? Please let me know in the comments or review so that I can understand what I’m lacking or what needs to be improved. I also wish to know if it was worth your time.

Anyway, Happy reading.

=====