Chương 125: The Only Meaningless Thing Is Having No Purpose

In Virelia, within the royal palace, King Oscar presided over the council in the great chamber reserved for meetings of the Crown. The atmosphere was tense. The war against the coalition of the Central and Southern Lands was bleeding the kingdom dry. Resources were dwindling, the Crown's coffers were emptying, and with each passing day, poverty spread further among the population. But the stalemate at the front was not the only thing concerning Oscar. The real problem was hunger.

The citizens could barely afford the necessities of life. And a hungry people was a dissatisfied people. If the situation deteriorated any further, the Crown would inevitably lose its authority, making it far easier for the enemy to gain the support of the population. It did not matter that there was a mage on the other side. An old king who had lived several centuries ago had once uttered a phrase that remained surprisingly relevant even today:"It matters not who the king is.

If he cannot feed his people, he is destined to fail as a ruler. The people would rather have a pig on the throne with full bellies than a king who is strong in battle but incapable of feeding them". That ruler had been Edmund Corvax. At the time, House Hawk had yet to rise to power, and the kingdom was ruled by House Corvax. Ironically, Edmund himself, in an attempt to remain faithful to the philosophy expressed in his words, had emptied the kingdom's coffers in an effort to feed the entire population.

His policies had contributed to a famine of enormous proportions, the consequences of which had not been completely resolved even by his sons and grandsons. And, in yet another cruel twist of fate, that same crisis had contributed to the downfall of House Corvax and the rise of House Hawk. Oscar remained seated at the head of the table, idly twirling an exquisite dagger between his fingers. Serjey was the first to speak.

"Your Majesty, the people can barely afford one meal a day. The price of bread, milk, and other necessities continues to rise unchecked. I propose a decree imposing a price ceiling, so that essential goods may once again become affordable". Oscar interlaced his fingers before his face and remained thoughtful for several seconds. Then he shook his head.

"Such a measure would destroy the merchants. Karl, what do you propose?" Karl cleared his throat.

"Your Majesty, we could request another loan from the Von-Wol family". Oscar immediately turned toward him.

"And plunge ourselves even further into debt? We already owe that greedy family I don't know how many crowns". Karl lowered his gaze. Oscar then turned his eyes toward Declan.

"You have nothing to propose?" Declan remained silent for a few moments, carefully considering his choice of words.

"We could temporarily increase the tax burden on the nobility and clergy, Your Majesty. It would be an emergency measure, but a necessary one to prevent a popular uprising while also supporting the war effort". Serjey immediately intervened.

"Without the nobility and clergy, the kingdom would not exist. We cannot tax them any further". The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

"They can barely pay their current taxes", Karl added.

"An increase would almost certainly lead to rebellion".

"Furthermore, they are already supporting the war by sending us the soldiers of their finest houses and clans", Serjey continued.

"Demanding that they pay additional taxes would be seen as a grave insult". Oscar remained silent. Then he slowly rose to his feet. He walked around the table, passing the councillors one by one, until he reached the opposite head of the table. He stopped and turned toward them. His gaze was cold and resolute.

"Thank you for your proposals. However, I believe I have found a more effective solution to address the problem in the short term". The three councillors immediately became attentive. Oscar raised the dagger, studying its blade for a moment.

"We will reduce the quality of the coins currently in circulation and mint new ones with a lower intrinsic value". Declan furrowed his brow. Oscar continued:"This will increase the amount of money available, giving the people more coins to spend. They will then be able to afford bread, milk, and other necessities". For several seconds, no one spoke. The three councillors exchanged bewildered glances. Declan was the first to react.

"Your Majesty, that is not how it works. Such a measure risks-""It is decided". Oscar's voice was curt.

"Do as I say". Without another word, the king turned and left the chamber. The council was over. In the Southern Lands, Seer Aelira sat upon her throne with her eyes closed, completely immersed in concentration. The great chamber was silent. Then, suddenly, a black portal opened before her. Xarath emerged from the darkness. At the same instant, six mages teleported around him, forming a circle and preparing to attack. Xarath merely smiled.

"Well. You sensed me immediately". One of the mages turned toward Aelira.

"What should we do with him, Seer?" Aelira slowly opened her eyes.

"Leave me alone with him". The six mages remained still. The Seer continued:"You wouldn't be able to kill him even if you tried". The mages exchanged glances and, without argument, nodded. One after another, they vanished from the chamber. Xarath took a few steps forward. He studied Aelira carefully.

"You look more tired than usual, Seer".

"Xarath…so you finally decided to show yourself". Aelira stared at him without displaying the slightest emotion.

"Are you here to beg me to remove your limiters?" Xarath's smile widened ever so slightly.

"She will be the one begging me once she hears my proposal".

"Then speak. I have no time to waste". Xarath remained still.

"I have the Queen Mother as my hostage. I can deliver her to you whenever you wish". Aelira did not bat an eye.

"And in exchange?"

"You will remove my limiters". He paused briefly.

"Seems like a fair deal to me". Aelira stared at him impassively.

"And what am I supposed to do with the Queen Mother?"

"You could use her as leverage against the King. Exploit her influence. Or kill her". Xarath tilted his head slightly.

"She would be a valuable political pawn, especially if you truly intend to become queen". Aelira remained silent for a few moments. Then she answered.

"I intend to become queen, but on my own terms". Xarath said nothing.

"If I thought like you", Aelira continued, "I could simply teleport to the royal palace and kill the King this very instant. But what would I gain? Without the people's consent, I would be nothing more than a usurper". Her voice grew firmer.

"If, instead, I win the war, I will be a legitimate queen". Xarath slowly shook his head.

"You truly believe in things like legitimacy?" He regarded her coldly.

"You haven't changed at all. You're still the same fellow student I knew centuries ago: ignorant and deluded". Aelira clenched her jaw.

"Better ignorant and deluded than empty like you". Xarath did not react.

"Tell me, what have you been doing all this time?" Aelira continued.

"Killing without reason? Destroying cities at random?"

"Something like that".

"You had found a purpose here". For the first time, a note of bitterness entered Aelira's voice.

"You could have helped me win the war. Instead, you abandoned everything".

"I did it because you imposed those limiters on me". Xarath took a step forward.

"Without them, I never would have left".

"I couldn't afford to keep you at my side with that kind of power", Aelira retorted.

"You could have betrayed me at any moment and seized control". Her gaze hardened.

"Wasn't that the reason you joined the coalition in the first place?" Xarath stared at her for a long moment.

"We have known each other for centuries, and you truly think power interests me?" His tone remained calm.

"Thrones and crowns are nothing but inventions. Illusions". He paused briefly.

"And as a mage who has lived for so long, you should know that better than anyone". Aelira hesitated. When she spoke again, her voice was quieter.

"Return to my ranks, Xarath". He remained silent.

"When we win the war, I will remove your limiters. You have my word". Xarath stared at her for a long time. Then he slowly shook his head.

"No". Aelira did not look away.

"I will not give in to your demands. You will have to win this war on your own". A black portal opened behind him. Xarath turned toward it.

"And when you do, you will realize that this purpose of yours is meaningless". He stepped into the portal and vanished. The chamber fell silent once more. Aelira was alone. She slowly sighed. Her red eyes settled on the spot where the portal had just disappeared.

"The only meaningless thing…is having no purpose". Then she closed her eyes again. And returned to her concentration.