Age of Adventure

Aero is walking through the courtyard and most of the servants that is seeing the Chancellor in the Palace was perplexed.

Because it looks like the Chancellor is rushing to walk faster.

They felt perplexed because it almost seems like the Chancellor is anxious. Aero is not anxious nor he is excited.

But of course in the eyes of the servant it looks like he is nervous. Because his walking pace is faster than the most of them have ever seen.

Aero have never walk fast in the Palace and that gives the wrong impression to the servant.

They believe the always calm walk Aero always taken when he adjucate matters between the two faction in court to be his original walking speed.

Actually his walking speed is like this. He walks slow on purpose when he is thinking matters of the two factions because it gave him time to think.

They might be AI but to Aero they have this intelligence no different than humans. That have always perplexed him.

They all have their desires, ambitions and they all have the tenacity to survive

They did not act like some kind of program, in any way. If not for the fact he knew this is a game, Aero might have thought he have been transported into another world.

And the reason he walks like this is because today the King summoned Aero to his royal room.

As Chancellor and the right hand of the King, Aero of course quickly came to answer the summons.

In a few moments, Aero finally arrive at the King room. The guard let him enter and he walk inside the room.

The King is waiting for him. Without saying anything Aero sit himself opposite the King.

’Your Majesty, I have come’ The King signed and nodded with a bitter smile on his face.

There is also a frown on his face.

’Your Majesty, is there anything you like to be counseled on?’ Aero asked

The King seems to hesitate to ask Aero but finally after a moment of silence King George finally decided to come out with it.

He looks at Aero and said

"Old friend, I don’t want to burden you but I see that only you could do this task for me. At least in my eye, only you have the highest chance of succeeding in this matter’ He said and then he coughed. Aero eyes narrowed.

Is the King......sick? It looks like a cold. Aero then put that on the back of his mind and started thinking about King George task.

He pondered for a moment and then he asked King George

"Your Majesty. What is the task about?" Aero asked. The King then stand up and went to the open window.

Aero rose up from his seat and walk to the window standing shoulder to shoulder with the King.

The King look at the people, and Aero look beyond the sky of Vanheim.

Their gaze might be seeing different scenery and have different objective but the end result of their ambition would complement each other.

Aero had a sense of what the King is about to ask of him.

Sighing Aero ask King George without averting his gaze to the distant sky.

’Is it Karak, Your Majesty?’ George smiles a proud smile and nodded

’It is as you deduced, old friend. I want to task you to negotiate Karak Federation to swear fealty to my Kingdom’ George declared

Aero forehead creased. Karak Federation is on the north west of Vanheim. It is also a very prosperous region with their trading houses and exotics good from even distant land appears in them.

Aero once stopped in Karak and recognize the difference of government between them and Vanheim and any other government in the Vilajeri Continent.

One of the differences is that Karak Federation instead being ruled by a hereditary Kings, it was instead ruled by the four noble houses of that country.

From what Aero understand, is that these four noble houses are elected in turn every four years with each houses have their own signature policy.

Their main economy lies on trade and sea product which make them one of the richest country in this entire Vilajeri Continent

Long before Vanheim was prosperous, Karak have always been the envy of any poorer nations.

But of course, times have changed, and a new wind has blown by and changing course. This is the era that Vanheim would rise.

The winds of change have blown in favor of Vanheim.

It is no longer poor, nor it is weak. Even if Karak is ten times more prosperous, Vanheim possess enough military power to turn that prosperity into ruins.

Aero look at the man beside him. He looks frail with his coughing but Aero see something eels. Even now, this person before him is slowly growing to become an overlord.

This task is showing the whole world his ambition and this is the first step.

King George want Aero to negotiate Karak fealty. It seems a simple enough task but Aero knows the underlying message that it will brought to the Vilajeri Continent.

King George want the four noble houses of Karak to swear obedience and fealty to him which means to acknowledge George as King of Kings.

Aero smiled. The Lions is no longer only roaring. It has now brought out their claw. It was always hidden. But now it has been brought out.

A lion that is about to enter the Great Hunt

King George want to become Emperor by his own right.

Aero understand it because he studied the customs and culture of this world. For example, it’s like this.

Duke is of a higher title than a Count. A Prince is of a higher title than a Duke. A King is the sovereign of all. And, an Emperor is the sovereign of a King.

It sounds simple but it is not. Especially when it is about Emperor.

If Karak accepts, every major ruling House will still rule Karak but if the Emperor orders them they could not refuse.

Aero knows what King George is trying to accomplish. By making Karak accept his rule, his path to imperial power would be acknowledged by the people and the scholars of the world.

It does not matter how much land you rule, how much soldiers you could muster, or how much kingdom you burn and raze to the ground

The culture of this world is a little bit complex. The path to imperial power is not always depended on military might.

But military might does help in paving the road. He could easily send his soldiers to take down Karak but he didn’t.

If he really wanted to, he would not have back the Anti War faction so strongly.

King George is doing this for the whole world to slowly acknowledge him as the rightful successor of the Old Empires.

The Wise Emperors of Old did not always kill their way to become Emperor.

The Wise Emperor of Old integrate his enemies into their clans, treating them well and good, form marriages with them and persuade them with benevolence and righteousness.

Aero almost scoffed.

King George was never like this before he meets Aero. He never cares much about reputation viewing it useless in the past.

It wasn’t until he was often reminded by Aero of how important an image and one reputation is that the King have begun using it to his advantage,

King George wanted to emulate the Wise Emperors of Old.

To persuade a kingdom to capitulate without the use of a single blood and win him an eternal name of a Wise King.

Even if after this any other people try to claim themselves Emperor they would be met with opposition from scholars and the people if King George succeeded in his scheme.

After all, compared to a King that is benevolent and full of righteousness, any other Kings that does not possess such qualification would surely be rebuked and despised.

The wind blows from outside the windows and Aero sleeves seems to be ruffled. He smiles bitterly because he knows who King George is targeting.

He is targeting Zeus of the North. He is trying to widen the gap that Zeus have in the hearts of many people of the continent.

George is trying to paint himself as the good and Zeus as the evil. It does not shock Aero. Even in his world, this is the easiest way to unite the thoughts of others.

To give them someone to hate and a common enemy.

No matter how Zeus try to turn the table after this, it would be useless. Because.... the massacre of Asgaro has already won him the title of a Butcher King.

Compare to King George shining reputation even if Zeus managed to rule the northern continent, he would always be met with resistance.

Could it be King George wanted the people of the North to sing songs of him and one day ask him to liberate them from the yoke of tyranny?

Aero only smiles at this thought. The Lion is not old. It is sick...but it is still strong.

George wanted their fealty without war. After all it has been voted in the Parliament in these couple of days.

Aero did not interfere in the proceeding because he could the hand behind the strings

The Anti War faction could be considered a puppet and the King is the puppeteer. No wonder the King did not fear the Parliament usurping his power.

The King gives the people an illusion of choice when there is always only one choice. Aero understand it. The King understand it. But do all of them understand it?

They look at each other and smiles at each other, like they could read each other minds and thoughts.

Then Aero ask

’Your Majesty think highly of me. If there is any reward in this?’ Aero shamelessly ask. The King heard this word and then he laughs and he nodded

’Of course you will be rewarded. Five thousand gold and an armor from the archive’

Aero only smiles listening to the reward like he could not care that much and he look back at outside the window.

He then retracts his gaze from the distant skies of Vanheim and his gaze landed on the common people below the Palace, below the high towers of Kings and Queens.

Then he sighed.

’The people suffering could be alleviated because of this matter. Not many blood will be shed and not many women would become widows and sons and daughters become fatherless if we succeed’ He closes his eyes and then like always Aero bring out his Oscar acting capability into the mix.

He put his hand on the King shoulders and look toward him with a solemn gaze and said.

’Your Majesty, you can give me the reward but know this. That I do this for our old friendship and for the people of Vanheim that I love. This is my kingdom too, Your Majesty and I too wish for it to become the center of the world’

King George smiles with gratitude and he look at the distant skies. His eyes seem to gaze further than the skyline of Vanheim.,

It was like he was already the Emperor and the whole land under the sky belongs to him. Then he looks back at Aero and said

’I never doubt your sincerity, old friend’ The King said as he nodded.

And then he added

’But, if you do succeed, how could I, as the King of Vanheim not reward your merit. You yourself said that rewards and punishments must be fair. Only in that way, the righteous could rule and the unrighteous be vanquished. If one contributes to the Kingdom, his deeds must be rewarded. And the same for misdeed and punishment’

Aero nodded

’Your Majesty is wise’

The King only nodded and then he said

’Will you accept this task for me, old friend?’

Tting

The sound of quest notification sounded in Aero ears

KARAK FEALTY

Get the Karakians to swear fealty to Vanheim.

Rewards

: Fame increase

: Reputation increase

: White Dragon Armor

: Intellect increase

: White Dragon Greaves

: White Dragon Boots

: 500 thousand gold

: Contribution towards the Kingdom

: Possible advancement to Nobleman

Warning for failing

: Karak will wage a war

: Assassination attempts towards George

: Assassination attempts towards you

: Karak will ally with Niovar.

"Yes, Your Majesty I will accept" Aero was giving a calming smile towards the King assuring the King he need not to worry.

They then continued looking outside the window, letting the wind blows by them cooling their body

Then King asked without looking at Aero

"Will you go today?" The King asked.

"No, I will go tomorrow" Aero reply, his eyes looking at the people of Vanheim. King and minister, standing side by side, shoulder to shoulder, looking at the state of the world and scheming against all of things under the Heavens

This kind of trust between a monarch and his minister is a stuff of legends.

Aero know at that moment that no matter how many times the parliament would try to undermine his position in the court in the future, he knew the King would always protect him as long as he did not commit treason.

And Aero knows he would rather become the loyal minister because he never had the intention of being King.

He likes being the hand behind the curtain, moving pieces. Then another wind blows by and Aero exited the room, leaving the King to look at the distant skies and land.

**********************************************************************

Instead of Amazon i think it would be easier if I make a patron page for Age of Adventure. because I don’t know how to publish a book and put it on Amazon. Anyway, thank you for the suggestion TDGOriginal. A shout out to Lihan Hei Long . You always help me see the mistakes I make.