Chapter 26: The Negotiations
Before the First Royal Examination, exactly 3 weeks ago, leading up to the Cardinal's arrival was a period of intense, focused reconstruction of Prince Highway. While the capital buzzed with the energy of Alexius's new meritocratic recruitment notices in the entire realm, Cardinal Alistair Beaumont, Papal Legate of the Holy See, arrived with the quiet dignity of a true statesman, his procession showing only clerical authority, a display of ancient authority rather than martial might.
They met in the Great Hall. The atmosphere was thick with unspoken tension. Alexius, seated on his throne, appeared the image of a confident sovereign, his recently healed arm a quiet symbol of the price he had paid for the peace. Cardinal Beaumont, a tall man with sharp, intelligent eyes that seemed to miss nothing, began the proceedings with masterful diplomatic skill.
"Your Majesty," the Cardinal said, his voice smooth and resonant. "I come to you bearing the profound grief of His Holiness, Pope Pius II. The actions of the now-traitor Valerius de Avarus are a stain upon the Church. He betrayed his sacred vows, and he betrayed his rightful sovereign. His sin is his own, and it is not the will of the Holy See."
He had immediately separated the man from the institution, offering a shared grievance. Alexius inclined his head, accepting the diplomatic game and offering one of his own. "Your Eminence, the tragedy is indeed great. The traitor Valerius's actions were a matter of Leonese law. That he was a man of your faith is a sorrow, but his crimes were those of a citizen against his state."
The lines were drawn. This would not be a holy war but a political negotiation. "Let's speak in the royal solar so you and I can speak freely with relaxation after your long journey." Cardinal nodded and said, "Thank you for your consideration, Your Majesty." Later, in the privacy of the royal solar, the true nature of the discussion revealed itself.
"Let us speak freely, Your Majesty," Cardinal Beaumont said. "Bishop Valerius was a prominent leader of the Conservative Faction within the Church. His spectacular and humiliating failure in Leo has severely weakened their position. Their calls for a holy war against you are ringing hollow, even in the halls of the Holy See."
Alexius's mind seized upon the information. The system had flagged the Church's internal politics as a key factor, and the cardinal was laying the cards on the table. "And your faction, the Progressives, is gaining momentum. I assumed."
A flicker of appreciation showed in the cardinal's eyes. "His Holiness has long championed a more enlightened path. He believes, as do I, that 'humanity' is a grander concept than just one race. The gods, in their infinite wisdom, created many sentient peoples—man, elf, dwarf, and beast-kin. They are all part of the grand tapestry. To declare one race supreme is a form of blasphemous pride. Our purpose should be to unite all of God's children against the true darkness."
This was a stunning revelation. The Progressive faction's ideology was in perfect alignment with Alexius's own radical reforms. Here was not an enemy, but a potential ideological ally.
"Then we are in agreement on principle," Alexius said, his path forward suddenly clear. He outlined his proposal: the Concordat of Aethelburg. The Church in León would be protected by the Crown, but it would also be subservient to it. A new, progressive bishop would be appointed, subject to his approval.
The Cardinal saw the opportunity immediately. While the Church would lose its political autonomy within Leo, it would remove a conservative embarrassment, install a progressive ally, and secure a stable relationship with the Leo Principality. It was a deal he was empowered to make, especially given the other pressures facing the Holy See.
"The Holy See cannot afford a protracted conflict with Leo, Your Majesty," the Cardinal admitted, his tone turning grim. "Not now. Our internal strife is one reason. The other is that our military orders, the Holy Templars, are stretched to their breaking point. There are… rising demon incursions centrally across the continents. The loss of two hundred Templars and two swordsmen here was a catastrophic blow to our operational strength."
The deal was struck with a smoothness that was almost anticlimactic. For his crimes of treason, Valerius de Avarus was to be stripped of his title as bishop and demoted to a simple priest. He would be exiled to a small, remote parish in the southern kingdom of Barlius, a fate of powerless obscurity worse than death for a man of his ambition. A new, progressive bishop, a man known for his wisdom and tolerance, would be appointed to Aethelburg. The Church in Leo would cooperate with the Crown.
With the treaty signed and sealed, a palpable sense of relief filled the room. But the Cardinal's expression remained heavy.
"Your Majesty," he said, leaning forward. "I have fulfilled my duty to His Holiness. But I must now speak to you as one leader to another, sharing a burden that transcends our politics. The demon incursions are but a symptom of a far greater, more terrifying disease. There is a reason the Holy See is consolidating its power, a reason we could not risk a war with you. It is the news from the south."
Alexius listened, his full attention rapt. This was the true purpose of the cardinal's visit.
"As you know, beyond the southern kingdoms lies the Great Southern Ocean," the Cardinal explained, his voice low and somber. "And in that ocean are the vast island nations, maritime empires, and kingdoms of immense wealth and ancient lineage. Or rather, there were."
A cold dread began to form in the pit of Alexius's stomach.
"Over the past six months," the Cardinal continued, "we have been receiving fragmented, terrified reports. A sudden, overwhelming invasion. Not of men, not of ships, but of sea monsters. Horrors from the deepest trenches of the ocean. Krakens that can pull entire fleets to the depths, leviathans whose backs are the size of hills, and swarms of lesser, chitinous beasts that overwhelm coastal cities in a single, bloody tide."
He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in. "Three weeks ago, all communication with the Archipelagan Empire, the largest and most powerful of the island nations, ceased entirely. A single, magically sent message was all that came through before the silence. It spoke of cities being dragged beneath the waves and a shadow rising from the sea. We believe the entire nation has fallen. Wiped from the map."
"This is what the ancient prophecies of all faiths have forewarned," the Cardinal whispered, his face pale. "They foresee the Great Enemy of all races in the entire world, the Demon Lord, who was sealed away in the age of myths. The scriptures say his awakening will be heralded by the beasts of the world running rampant. These demon incursions, these monsters from the sea… they are not random events. They are the signs of his return."
The Cardinal stood, his expression one of profound, existential dread. "Our seers, our diviners, our astromancers… they are all in terrified agreement. The epicenter of this awakening, the place from which the Demon Lord will most likely breach the veil of this world, lies in the abyssal depths of the southern ocean."
Alexius felt as though the floor had dropped out from under him. The civil war, the political maneuvering, his plans for rebuilding Leo—it all seemed like a child's game in the face of such a revelation.
The System, which had been silent, now blazed in his vision, its light a stark, blood-red klaxon of ultimate alarm.
[!!! WORLD-LEVEL THREAT DETECTED !!!] [Event Chain Initiated: [The Demon Lord's Awakening]] [Precursor Event: [The Southern Sea Invasion] - ACTIVE. Status: Catastrophic.] [Prophecy Analysis: High Probability of Imminent World-Ending Scenario.] [Projected Impact on Leo: Tsunami incursions on southern coast, massive continental refugee waves, global political and ecological collapse, direct confrontation with demonic forces highly probable.] [Estimated Time until Awakening Event: Possibly 20 years from now.] Signs indicate imminence.
He had won the war for his kingdom. He had won the peace with the Church. And his reward was the knowledge that his entire world was on the verge of being annihilated. The peace he had secured was not a time for rebuilding. It was a countdown to the apocalypse. Cardinal bowed and requested, Please consolidate your power in the southern fragmented kingdoms and states. At least we can resist that threat better than pathetic states." And he exhaled his breath and assured, "Of course, we cannot support openly, but Pope guarantees backdoor support in consolidating your power in the South. At a bare minimum, make empires and republics not move against you. May God's blessing be with you." and back to normal posture and wait for an answer from the prince, but Alexius can only nod. (Continue…..)