Age of Adventure

MEANWHILE IN VANHEIM

VANHEIM THRONE ROOM

A messenger came to the throne room bearing a message.

The messenger looked flushed with the message as he immediately kneels down and when the King gesture hi to speak, the messenger then relayed the message

"Your Highness, General Who Pacified the North, Lord Aero has returned home" announced the messengers.

George eyes beamed and a smile formed on his face. He never looked so happy. So does his commander Marco and Arcturus.

The courtiers on the court on the other hand felt a little bit different.

The courtiers and minister all have an unreadable expression. But their eyes betray their intentions.

They are not pleased to hear the return of Aero of the East

The atmosphere in the Throne Room was tense.

Some of the ministers were looking at each other exchanging secret glances.

They all know what the return of the General who Pacified the North means for the power dynamics in the court.

And they all felt uneasy

Aero is highly favored by the King. He is trusted and almost like a teacher to the King. The King respect Aero words and heed his counsels on almost everything.

The subordinate is loyal and the superior is appreciative. Such relationship between monarch and subject is rarely seen before in Vilajeri Continent

The minister and the other courtier knew that the King had always said that if Aero return, he wants to make Aero part of the Court.

After all, the last attempt by the King to make Aero joins the court fails.

Aero rejected the offer not wanting to become a ruler of a state and his title as Duke. That act was praised by many scholars and won Aero the support of the people

Some ministers of the court also believes that Aero does not desire power and is a loyal subject of the Kingdom.

But Josh doesn’t believe that. He bowed down but he sometime glances up at the King sitting in his throne, looking happy.

And he sneered. Josh is an assassin class player.

Josh is also one of the many players that were chosen to fill the Court position after the return of King George from his self-imposed exile.

The King trusted the players more after Aero elevate the King to the throne.

So he elected many officials that are players instead of the NPCs after his return. Josh was one of them and he too had the ambition to climb up the social hierarchy in Vanheim

The courtiers are in delicate positions in the court.

They had to serve their master but if they curried favor too obviously the other courtiers would notice. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Then they will act against them.

Josh has learned that any Attempts to gain the favor of the King must be subtle.

Aero on the other hand got the lucky straw.

He was with the King since even before the King was powerful which makes the King believes and support him even more.

Most people would always choose to ally themselves among those with those who have powers.

However, Aero saw things differently. Joining power with the most powerful can be advantageous or disastrous.

Why? Because the powerful will try to swallow you up and when they do swallow you they won’t even leave bones to bury.

No one will count on you if they are already strong. Your existence and worth is diminished under such power.

Josh believe Aero choose a weak leader to whom Aero could create a relationship of dependency.

And Aero gamble proved right. Aero becomes King George strength, his intelligence, his spine.

Thus, when King George gains power, he too gains power indirectly on the basis that the King listens to him.

All the people of Vanheim listen to the King and the King listen to Aero which means the people of Vanheim is actually listening to Aero orders instead of the King

Aero claims to not want title and power.

That in itself make Josh distrust him even more. Josh has analyzed and researched Aero many hours in his life.

Aero has this air of naïveté that protects him from the accusation of wanting power. Appearance of Aero naïveté is instead an effective means of deceit.

Those who make a show of innocence are usually the least innocent of all. And if Aero could hear the assessment from Josh, he himself would agree.

Aero is skilled in indirect manipulation, that much Josh could agree and even respected.

The way he manipulated this country to kneel and give their freedom under one man is an example of his manipulation.

A manipulation that Josh knew Aero did from the shadows.

Then the King spoke

"Summon Lord Aero quickly to the palace. He must be tired in his journey but I must see my old friend swiftly" the King voice tone is full of eagerness.

This does not go unnoticed by the other courtiers

The Palace Guards quickly went out to execute his orders.

The courtiers could only wait and hope Aero does not accept whatever position that the King will offer him or a struggle for power in the Court will surely happen.

This is why the throne room atmosphere is tense.

Bringing Aero into the court will tip the balance between the Pro-War faction and Anti-War Faction.

Aero is known as a shrewd strategist but he is also known to love war.

Any players that see his action in the Battle of Coro knows he enjoys the war and he is fucking great at it.

To emphasize, he is crazy good at it.

The way he control his emotion in the battlefield, remaining calm under duress for example.

And the way he baits and traps his enemies to fall for his scheme and plots.

The way he quickly pinpoint the enemies’ personality and acted based on that information. No one would believe that Aero does not love war.

If not for his prowess slightly lacking compare to the Zeus of the North, it will be no problem to called Aero the War God of Vanheim.

Aero love power and he knew how to use it well and brilliantly. The crucial foundation of power is the ability to master your emotion.

An emotional response to a situation is the greatest obstacle to power.

Emotions cloud reason and if you cannot see the situation clearly you cannot prepare for many things and be ready without any degree of control.

Aero loves war. This is an acknowledged fact

Which means if Aero enter the Court the Pro War faction will gain an ally. And a formidable ally would Aero be.

Since the King always listen to Aero whatever Aero says King George will surely listen.

In the court right now the Pro-War Faction believe that Vanheim need to attack Niovar while Vanheim have the upper hand.

And then finishing that quickly marches to the Holy Land in Duvar and declared George to be the Emperor.

On the other side of the court, The Anti-War faction believes that the other Kingdoms in the Eastern Continent will agree to be subjected under Vanheim rule by means of diplomacy and persuasions.

Both of them wanted the Kingdom to prosper and King George to be coronated Emperor. But their methods are slightly different

In other words, they have different methods of achieving the same goal.

These are the two factions that exist in the Court right now after Vanheim won the war against Vetten.

The expansion of Vanheim is fast and as such the court personnel was also expanded to deal with many things all around the Kingdom from the stretches desert of Nairhell to the lush fertile plains of Vetten with its abundance of iron mines.

The Court was asked to disperse for today by the Ceremonial Minister as the court session is suspended because the King wanted an audience with Aero alone to discuss some things.

Josh felt uneasy.

He whispers to one of his other colleague and they nodded. Josh needed to know what Aero thoughts and intention before the next court session.

They all exited the room with mixed feeling and with many thoughts swirling in their heads.

They traded glances and words, and all of them is scheming and plotting as they wait the decision of the King

And they all felt nervous and anxious.

Will Aero.....enter the court and throw a stone into the already calm lake? That is what they were all thinking.

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This is the last Chapter for this month. Anyway this is the beginning of the new arc. Hope you like it and please vote for the story. See you all next month