CHAPTER 3


    THE AFTERMATH


    After saying their pieces, Arat and Delimira remained silent, forcing Hans to break the awkward tension, “So we are inParv’s place, right?”


    “Mhm”


    “What happens now?” He asked nudging her.


    “I ain''t have the faintest clue." She sighed, "You are surrounded by fifty Dominion knights. Your gryphon knight order—”


    “...They are mine?” He questioned, flustered.


    “I don’t see any other imperial here.” She stood up, prompting Hans to ask quickly, “Where are you goin’ now?”


    “You wanna spend your whole day in that bed with Mr Arat, be my guest?” She countered.


    “Heck no.” Hans jumped out, jolted quickly to her side, and both stepped out of the room. A lavish hall, similar to where he was staying in Grimgar. However, there were far more people staring at him. Some he knew and some he didn’t. “What the hell is this?” He whispered to her.


    “Didn’t I tell you, you are the hero of Grimgar and thanks to your PM, everyone knows you as Prince Hans Parv.”


    “But isn’t this going overboard.” Hans was flustered, he was glancing at his so-called Gryphon knights who were locked in a staring contest with the knight association''s people and Concordia not far in joining them. While Elves were looking at them from a distance they had their own agenda written all over their faces. “I really wanna go back to the bed.” He cried inside.


    “So you woke up dear nephew.” Samwell addressed him quickly.


    “Dear nephew? Did he forget how I chased him out of Edenberg? Politicians really don’t have a spine.” Hans showed a polite gesture and responded, “Dear uncle. How have you been?”


    “Thanks to you, I’m not facing much criticism—”


    “Is that sarcasm I’m smelling." Hans whispered then said loudly, "You should’ve done your job in saving your citizens. There is so much a foreign prince can do.” He saw Samwell coming up with a jab so he quickly continued, “But I didn’t do much. It''s all your Knight Association chairman who provided me with the means to act upon. You should thank him not me.”


    Kansas saw Hans weaselling out, in the chaos. He lost almost half of his wealth and wanted to recover it through Arat. But Hans mentioning his name in front of these people had significantly reduced the chance.


    Arat came running to his side and whispered. “We can pay, Prince Hans—”


    “Why would we empty our coffers for them.” Hans said indifferently, “If you have that much to spare. Shouldn’t you help our people live better lives?”


    “It''s good to see you thinking of your people, but we shouldn’t be shameless here. We need to hold the dignity here—”


    “Shove that dignity back to your throat, Mr PM. It was you who exploded this situation. I don’t want to waste the hard-earned taxes to fill these joker’s pockets.” Hans said shaking his head and asked, “But what is happening here.”


    Arat nodded in response, “Elves are here because they want to ask something. Knight Association is here to be on the lookout because of Gryphon knights. Concordia people are here to take you back and Bernard is here because he has huge balls.”


    “I really don’t want any more bloodshed because of the past. Can’t you do something?”


    “I’ve already proposed a solution. In Parv, the merits and sins, both pass down. He is beyond redemption but his son can buy his pardon by his servitude.”


    “You were serious?” Hans raised his brows.


    “I''m always serious, Prince Hans.”


    “Then let''s get this over with,” Hans said as he marched towards Chris who was standing beside Rudolf and others. “Shook! Shook! Shook!” Within a moment several Gryphon knights surrounded him, moving in union to protect him.“Do I need to get accustomed to this? Man!” He sighed and asked Arat who followed him, “What do I do now?”


    “Not here." Arat shook and explained, "It must be back in Parv, he needs to take the vow in ‘Sunspark’, the highest peak of this world,”


    Hans doubted. “I thought your Bow knight doesn’t want me there—”


    “Yet he can’t stop you if you want to,” Arat said, amused.


    However, Hans had his own thoughts. He whispered, “No, I can deny all I want, but he is right. People are pinning their hopes in me, I can’t just blow them up can I?”


    As they were inaudible to others, they tried to make sense of what these two were talking about. “Ahem, ahem!” Arat broke the stillness when they reached Chris, “You know the merits and sins of your ancestors follow its descendants in Parv, right?" He asked Chris point blank, adding, "I won’t force you but there is only one way Bernard and your family could survive—”


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    “I’ll do it—”


    “Chris!!” Reina who was silently watching this facade of Arat’s spoke, interrupting them. “No one can touch your family in Clandor—”


    “I''m tired of this, Queen Reina,” Chris spoke as he glanced at Hans and recalled his words. Just as he heard those, he repeated them, “I can’t run from what I am, a Parvian born. I’ve to embrace it.”


    Arat heard those resolute words and declared, “Then you’ll take oath tomorrow first light, as have the knights before you. You’ll be serving as Prince Hans''s  first knight.” Arat didn''t want to hear any objection, but there was one who interrupted with enthusiasm, “No, No. That''s not right. I’m the first one.” Vanir who was god knows where throughout the attack and drama, finally showed up.


    He passed through everyone and came to Hans. However, seeing an unidentified elf boy, the Gryphon knights unsheathed their swords spooking Vanir.  “I...I said I’m the first—”


    “Where the heck were you till now then, Vanir.” Hans frowned, scanning him from top to bottom. He breathed a sigh of relief, fortunately, Vanir wasn’t harmed in any way. “Winters,” Hans said turning to her. “Can you take that punk outside?”


    “Hell no, this is fun. Two boys fighting for your FIRST. I should’ve brought popcorn” Delimira said amused.


    “Winters, there is time for everythin—”


    “Fine. Fine cranky prince.” Delimira lunged at Vanir and dragged him out saying, “They are talking about the knight, Junior. You are not a knight so you don’t count.” While she dragged the whining elf out. Several people who are well versed in mana circles were baffled to see a first-year elf boy with three big circles inside him. “What kind of a monster is he?” Eleanor couldn’t hold and said.


    “The kind who serves me,” Hans responded, his head high proud while the elves contemplated why they weren’t aware of Vanir’s existence. But Hans had no luxury to relish those faces, he scoffed and turned to Arat, “We have some time till tomorrow morning. So what are you going to do?”


    “There is much to discuss." Arat shone with wisdom, "As the prince of Parv, you are obliged to be a part of this discussion.”


    “What is it about?” Hans asked, giving off a calm and collected vibe.


    “Xandor—”


    “When are we taking his head off?” Hans interrupted, his calm and collected demeanour turned edgy.  “Where is he?” He asked.


    Arat nodded to Hans with respect and asked irrelevant people to go back. Concordia always stayed away from politics so they all left Hans with Parvians and when only the decision-makers remained, he addressed them solemnly. “I’ve summoned you all for one reason. Xandor has King Samson’s body, fortunately, he didn’t have the celestial weapon, but with Rebellion, I doubt he could harness King Samson’s ability of sharing his infinite aura. He will have an army with buffed-up aura grades.” He stressed the latter part.


    “It''s always a Parvian mess.” Norwin said, infuriated, “Name it once when a catastrophe wasn’t because of a Parvian—”


    “Thanks for the compliment.” Hans said with a huge smile as he commented further, “Blaming others for your own incompetence is human nature. I thought you were better than this.”


    “How dare a toddler —”


    “This toddler is at least thinking of a solution instead of whining, hero King Norwin." Hans pointed out, "I wasn’t taught to mind my dignity, Was the case the same for you?” Hans spoke with an irrefutable tone. The imperial blood in him was showing colours. However, before Hans could turn it into a battlefield, Arat interrupted, “We have found Xandor’s possible location. So please both of you calm down.”


    “What''s with you, prince,” Arat whispered.


    “Fifty dominion knights are watching me. It would be bad if I let someone walk over me.” Hans whispered back and Arat, amused, turned to the audience and continued. “It''s somewhere in Sleeping Giant Mountain Range.”


    “The border,” Samwell commented.


    “Yes,” Arat nodded, “The mountain range serves as a natural border between Clandor and Parv.”


    “That''s a lot of areas to cover,” Eleanor spoke and since both Parv and Clandor won’t allow others in their soil. It was up to them to pinpoint their hideout. He turned to Arat and asked, “Since you are telling this, he is not on your side of the mountain, right?”


    Arat nodded with a grin, “Yes, he is definitely on the Elven side of the mountain, and has his own army of elves and humans.”


    “I need a number, how many living people are with him?”Norwin jumped into the conversation.


    “Thousands or even more." Arat shook his head as he had no definite answers, "He has been rescuing people from traffickers, from injustice and even from poverty. They are innocent people, but to them, he is their saviour and they will do everything to stop us.


    “They are not innocent. They’ve made their choice.” Norwin prompted.


    “And that is because of who?” Hans who remained silent, interrupted the adults. “You are the very people who forced those innocent to choose Xandor. It was all your fault.” Hans pointed.


    “It''s easier to criticise than run a kingdom, parvian prince,” Eleanor said, firm.


    “Yeah, I have no clue how to run the kingdom. But it doesn’t wash away that you people are the ones who allowed this to happen. What would those elves be thinking, choosing a human over their king? Haven’t you thought about it? You asked about Vanir, didn’t you? Learn his story and you’ll understand that how many people you’ve pushed towards Xandor.”


    Eleanor had no words to refute, he already knew how corrupt the elven lords had become because of the power struggle between the new council and royals. Hans''s words had stung him. “I will, but that is not the agenda here.” He turned to Norwin, “Even if we allow you to enter, the Council won’t.”


    “I know you want us to handle them…” Norwin replied, glancing at Parvians, “We should discuss this more privately.”


    “Let''s do that.” Eleanor accepted.


    It didn''t take a genius to figure out what Norwin wanted so Arat resumed, “Since we are not welcome to listen. I hope you can give us back some peace and take your business elsewhere. This castle is still ours till tomorrow, right?” Arat''s words made them realise they were discussing things in the Parvian allotted mansion.


    “I’ve no qualms with it. But I''ve yet to ask what I came here for?” The silent Reina spoke, yet her mind and gaze darted on Hans. She asked him, “How much do you know about Seed of Night?”


    “I was wondering that too. What is it?” Hans had heard Samson speak and even his baffled expressions weren’t shy in his undead face. Hans was eager to know so he got a bit excited.


    “An ominous thing,” Reina answered, “It once had destroyed the whole world—”


    “Sweet. Now it''s in my hand." Hans glanced at everyone in the room, a smug smile etching all over his face. He snickered, adding, "Another reason why others should back off.”


    “Cocky as your bastard father." Reina said, infuriated, her eyes looking him with an unreasonable abhorrence, "That thing is not just dangerous—”


    "Listen, lady." Hans gestured his hand to stop her speaking, "I''m not him and I’ve no bone to pick you with, yet. And quite frankly you are not that pretty. For the first time, I’m thinking of my father as an idiot to throw away his life in vanity... I’ve already got enough on my plate. What happened with you and him is your frickin'' business. So I’m asking you, very nicely don’t make it mine. PLEASE.”


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