CHAPTER 95: COUNTER PROPOSAL

In the heart of the Godoka kingdom, within the vast, silent stone confines of the Royal Audience Chamber, King Alvan sat upon the Sunstone Throne.

Though richly decorated, the room felt tense, charged by the King’s palpable fury.

To his left, on a carved bench slightly lower than the throne, sat Agni, the King’s trusted advisor, who had just finished reading a message scrawled upon a parchment scroll.

To the King’s right, in an equally respected seat, was Lord Brahma, the Kingdom’s ancient Protector and the eldest individual in the room—a figure of such wisdom that even the King himself deferred to his counsel.

Brahma, whose long, white beard contrasted sharply with the dark wood of his seat, watched the King with deep concern.

"How should we respond, Your Majesty?" Brahma asked, his voice low and steady, a calming counterpoint to the tension.

King Alvan didn’t answer immediately. His jaw was clenched, and he let the scroll’s demand sink in before he lashed out, stomping his armored fist on the side arm of his throne.

The sudden clang of metal on stone echoed through the chamber.

"This is pure conspiracy," King Alvan gritted out, his eyes blazing. "They are pushing us to respond aggressively, raising such demands, Lord Brahma. They know what they’re asking is absurd...but still."

"I know, Your Majesty," Brahma responded, sighing softly.

"They need a reason to annex our kingdom under the banner of the Unified Races Council. They want us to refuse so they can brand us as ’uncooperative’ and ’treacherous’ before they march."

The King rose halfway from his seat, his rage fueling his movements. "One hundred soldiers for the frontlines! How can I send our young generation to die on that battlefield? Their sons and daughters are being trained under that Academy, polished to be hardened warriors, imbued with power. But our children, Lord Brahma, most of them haven’t even awakened their auras! How can I send them to die under the claws of the Eclipse Beasts?" he bellowed, the desperate frustration of a protective ruler evident in his voice.

"Calm down, Your Majesty," Brahma instructed gently, though his tone held undeniable authority.

"This is just how they want you to react. An emotional, furious rejection."

A suffocating silence spread in the room as the King slowly sank back onto his throne, his breathing harsh.

Agni fidgeted with the scroll, then hesitantly opened his mouth.

"Can we not simply reject their demand, Your Majesty?" Agni asked, still clinging to the most direct option.

"We can’t," Brahma stated flatly before the King could speak. "They want just that, Agni. It provides the perfect pretext to attack our kingdom in force."

"What should we do then?" Agni asked, confused and helpless, recognizing the trap on either side.

A slow, calculating light returned to King Alvan’s eyes. He settled back, a flicker of something cunning crossing his lips.

"How about we accept under certain conditions?" the King said, the softness of his voice now more dangerous than his fury.

Brahma leaned forward, intrigued. "What do you suggest, Your Majesty?"

"They’ve asked for one hundred soldiers for the frontlines," the King elaborated, counting on his fingers.

"We’ll send those soldiers. But... eighty of them will be our seasoned veterans, warriors with certain experience in skirmishes and local fighting. The remaining twenty will be children between fifteen to twenty years of age."

He paused for dramatic effect, then delivered the crucial condition.

"The condition will be that these twenty children are to be admitted into that Academy of theirs, taught to awaken their auras, and only after they pass out can they be sent to the frontlines," the King finished, a subtle smirk playing on his face.

Agni immediately grasped the genius of the maneuver. "So, if those twenty children are taught in the Academy then..."

Brahma cut him off, his own face now breaking into a rare, satisfied smile. "We’ll be getting twenty aura users for our kingdom, trained by the Council’s own resources, and their parents would happily send them, instead of blaming His Majesty for sending their children to die."

"We can also add another condition, Your Majesty," Agni spoke up, his mind now working in sync with the King’s deception.

"How about teaching the rest of the eighty warriors basic aura techniques? A concession for sending our most experienced fighters."

King Alvan threw his head back and laughed heartily, the tension finally broken by triumph.

"Hahaha! Great, Agni! In this way, we won’t be depleting our strength entirely, and we will gain eighty potentially strong warriors in case they survive. A brilliant addition!"

The King and Agni both looked expectantly at Brahma, seeking his final approval on the precarious plan.

Brahma was silent for a moment, contemplating the political risk versus the potential reward of securing Godoka’s first batch of formally trained aura users.

Finally, a wide, knowing smirk creased his face.

"That’s a great suggestion, Your Majesty," Brahma concurred.

The King laughed out loud again, delighted by Brahma’s approval.

"Alright. Send the message, Agni. Frame it with the utmost respect and goodwill. Let’s see how they react to this generous compliance then," the King commanded, his voice now imbued with cunning satisfaction.

*******

The air over the Veridian city teleportation hub shimmered, the light coalescing in a bright, brief flash. The energy subsided, leaving Armin standing on the designated platform.

He took a deep inhale, filling his lungs with the distinctive, mixed scent of the city—a blend of woodsmoke, old stone, and a faint, underlying metallic tang from the clockwork foundries.

"After such a long time," Armin murmured, a wide, genuine smile spreading across his face, the pleasure of homecoming evident in his features.

His eyes then drifted toward the distance, settling on the Academy—a huge, imposing building even from this distance.

His keenly trained ears were already picking up a faint, disturbing noise originating from that direction—a subtle chaotic energy beneath the normal city din.

"What’s the occasion? Is something special going on there?" he mumbled, his low voice touched with curiosity.

He sighed dramatically, affecting an air of obligation. "Guess I’ll have to check. I’ll see that old fool in the meantime too," he said, the corner of his mouth twitching into a familiar smirk.

"Hope you’re doing well, Hamdal." Armin said softly, a hint of playful mockery mixed with affection in the name.

The Sword Saint took a single, deliberate step. In the space of a blink, he was gone, vanishing from his spot as completely and silently as if he had never been there at all.