Chapter 74: Coalition
Putting the war map away for the very first time all day felt just like taking off a restrictive pair of boots.
Without any formal organization or given orders, everyone naturally drifted into the main living space.
It was the undeniable gravity of people who spent months surviving together, automatically seeking the same room at the end of a long day.
Chewing loudly, Brak worked his way through a roasted bird, occasionally tossing a clean bone toward the rug.
Sitting cross-legged on the floor, Kessa caught the scraps effortlessly while carefully sharpening a hunting knife.
She definitely didn’t need to sharpen it, considering she possessed literal claws, but the repetitive motion seemed to soothe her feral instincts.
Rutheus already poured his third cup of wine.
The old man grumbled constantly about elven vintages lacking a proper bite, yet he never stopped drinking them.
Lirael occupied a plush chair slightly apart from the rest of the group.
She was still actively calibrating where a former enemy sellsword fit into a lethal family that formed entirely without her.
Finally closing her ever-present portfolio, Caelindra stared blankly at the crackling fireplace.
The secretary looked thoroughly exhausted by the fast-paced reality of war planning.
Firlia sat at a small side desk nearby, swiftly writing a letter that she folded shut before anyone could read over her shoulder.
Watching the quiet chaos unfold, Kane leaned comfortably against the wooden wall.
’Look at this ridiculous group,’ he mused fondly.
’All this happened because a grumpy merchant sold me a sealed fallen angel for ten gold coins, and I walked into a forest camp looking for a fight.’
Thora materialized right beside his elbow.
She always appeared there, possessing the comforting gravity of the person who was there before anyone else even existed in his world.
"Tomorrow we march toward Milfheim," Thora murmured, keeping her voice low.
"Yes," Kane agreed, offering a slight nod.
"And you’re going to negotiate directly with the Empress," she pressed, arching a curious eyebrow.
"Yes."
Pausing for a long moment, Thora studied his relaxed profile.
"She’s going to be..."
"Probably," Kane laughed softly, knowing exactly what she meant without her needing to finish the sentence.
"You haven’t even met the woman yet," Thora pointed out, shooting him a skeptical sideways glance.
"Milfheim is an empire ruled exclusively by highly powerful, mature women," Kane explained, his lips curling into a smirk.
"I know the place. I’ve already met four of her knights. I conjecture I have a very accurate general picture of what to expect when those doors open."
’If the name of the empire wasn’t a big enough clue, the developers definitely had a specific type in mind,’ he thought, highly amused by the impending diplomatic meeting.
Silence stretched comfortably between them before Thora spoke again.
"Will you come back?" she stated calmly, leaning closer.
"Always," Kane promised, meaning every single word.
Leaning her head against his shoulder, she just stood there.
There was no theatrical performance, no petty claim of ownership, and zero jealousy.
She just offered the weight of a partner who had been present for every single moment of his rise.
Flames slowly burned down to embers in the stone hearth.
People gradually drifted toward their individual rooms, leaving the main hall quiet and empty.
Kane remained standing by the window long after the others retired.
Sitting in her favorite high-backed chair, Grieselda had not moved an inch.
She felt far more present now, and while the intricate mark still rested on her collarbone, its oppressive energy felt much quieter.
[The World Tree seed.]
Turning his head, Kane met her golden eyes.
[You actually chose it.]
"Yes," Kane answered aloud.
[You are planning to plant it right at the mountain pass.]
"Yes."
Looking past him, she stared at the streets outside the glass, and her hands moved again to frame her silent words carefully.
[It will change that pass permanently. Whatever grows from a true World Tree cutting... it doesn’t just unhappen once the fighting ends.]
"I know," Kane said.
[You’re altering the physical and magical landscape of a continent just to win one single battle.]
"I’m altering the landscape of a continent to win everything that comes after this battle," Kane corrected her, his eyes hardening.
’If Menual wants to play a long game, I will just rewrite the board.’
She studied his face for a long time, her expression unreadable.
[Eight hundred and forty-seven years.]
Grieselda sighed softly, her hands moving in tragic grace.
[I waited sealed in the void for eight hundred and forty-seven years. And somehow, you are exactly as much trouble as I expected you to be.]
"Is that a complaint?" Kane challenged, crossing his muscular arms.
Turning her gaze back to the moonlit window, she shook her head once.
That faint, almost-smile that first appeared at the Sylvandar fountain surfaced once again, and it was a rare expression that Kane quickly decided was one of his favorite things in this world.
"Get some sleep," Kane advised gently, pushing off the wall.
Sunlight barely touched the manor roof before a visitor arrived the next morning.
Opening the front gate himself, Kane found Lyssel standing in the morning air.
She looked tired, her honey-blonde hair pinned up in a rush, completely abandoning the carefully managed aristocratic style she wore to the royal banquet.
’She looks so much fucking better when she isn’t trying to perform for the court,’ Kane thought, leaning comfortably against the gatepost.
Meeting his eyes, she lifted her chin stubbornly.
"I’m not staying long."
"Alright," Kane replied, waiting for her pitch.
"My father’s political coalition is officially dissolved," Lyssel announced, her voice tight but remarkably steady.
"Three of the five allied houses pulled their support the very second the queen made her post-tournament announcement regarding your new status, so my father is currently adjusting his position."
"And what does that have to do with me?" Kane asked, genuinely amused by the collapsing political web.
"He wants to secure a new alliance before the other lords swallow our territory," she answered proudly, refusing to look away or show weakness.
"My father wishes to talk to you."
