"Dante, why are you doing this? After all that I have done for you, why must you attempt to foil my plans?" the high king said with his back turned to the duke as he waited for him outside.
"Are you saying that because you truly do not know, or are you pretending that I don't know your true plans" the grand duke replied with a steely look in his eyes.
"Are you seriously doing this because of that bitch? You would betray your father twice for the same woman? To think I raised such a snake." Gallen scoffed.
"Slight correction to your words, you never raised me. It was my mother who raised me, you just sent me to the frontlines to get me killed hoping it would make succession easier." the grand duke said, his hand gripping the hilt of his sword tightly.
"Yeah, indeed, I didn't raise you, nor did I care for you, but I never sent you to the front lines to have you killed, no matter what, in the end, you are still my own child… I sent you here to keep you away from the politics of the center." the high king said after slightly nodding, yet also at the same time partially denying the accusations.
"Is that why you let brother take everything away from me? To keep me safe? What kind of twisted protection is that? You take everything from me just to keep me safe? In that case, I never asked for your protection." the grand duke retorted with an annoyed, angry, and disgusted look on his face.
"Enough, I can see that words aren't going to get into your head, I am going to have to beat it into your head." the high king said as he turned towards the grand duke.
"Heh, you are awfully confident for someone weaker than me…Come at me" the grand duke laughed, and welcomed the attack.
The grand duke, Dante, stood ready with his sword drawn, a red aura surrounding it. The high king, Gallen, also had his sword drawn and covered in a golden aura as he charged towards Dante. The two clashed in a fierce battle, their swords clashing against each other with a deafening sound.
Gallen swung his sword with all his might, but Dante was quick to dodge and counterattack with a swift slash to the high king's side. Gallen grunted in pain, but quickly regained his composure and retaliated with a powerful thrust. Dante managed to block the attack, but the force of the thrust sent him stumbling backwards.
The two continued their intense exchange, each one determined to come out on top. Dante was fast and agile, using his speed to his advantage and landing several quick strikes on Gallen. The high king, on the other hand, was strong and powerful, using his brute force to overpower Dante's defenses.
The two warriors locked swords once again, their eyes locked in a fierce stare down. Suddenly, Dante kicked Gallen in the stomach, causing him to stumble backwards. Seizing the opportunity, Dante slashed at Gallen's sword arm, causing him to drop his weapon. Gallen let out a roar of pain as he clutched his wounded arm.
With Gallen now disarmed, Dante had the upper hand. He pointed his sword at the high king's throat, ready to deliver the final blow. Gallen looked up at Dante, defeated and with a sense of regret in his eyes.
"STOOOOOPPP" john screamed from the gate of the training hall, almost as the grand duke thrust his sword into the high king in a battle high state.
"Fuck" the grand duke exclaimed as he realized what he had almost done and knocked out the high king.
Dante had emerged victorious, but the victory was bittersweet. He had defeated his own father and had no idea what the future held for him. He sheathed his sword and turned to walk away, leaving the high king to his thoughts and regrets. The battle was intense, long, and grueling, both warriors were battered and bruised, but Dante's aura kept him going till the end.
"Uncle, grandfather," John panted as he approached the two men. "I've made my decision."
The Grand Duke stood up straight and let out a cough. "Cough. So, what is it?" he asked, a sly smile playing on his lips. "I won't be angry either way."
John drew in a deep breath and looked at the two men with a determined expression. "I've decided to stay in the North," he said, nodding firmly.
The High King's expression soured immediately. "What? Why?" he exclaimed.
But the Grand Duke's face broke out into a wide grin. "Yes!" he exclaimed, his eyes alight with excitement.
John quickly explained his thoughts. "This wouldn't be much different than what you wanted, Grandfather. I'll gain battle experience and knowledge of the world, and it'll give you time to build my faction. There's no need for me to be exclusive to either of you. You both want to support me, right? So it can be done this way as well. There's no need to fight."
The High King let out a sigh, his expression clearly showing his discontent with John's choice. "Huuu," he began, "if you think that's the best course of action, then I'll leave it be for now. But mark my words, Dante, if the boy wants to, send him to my estate, I'll see to his education myself, if you're unable to."
The Grand Duke, unfazed by the High King's words, waved his hand dismissively. "We'll see about that, Father. Now, please, leave. Your presence is souring my mood."
The High King's annoyance was clear in his tone as he retorted, "Rude fucker. I'll leave once I've recovered enough. Just don't expect me to come back here anytime soon."
The Grand Duke, gestured for John to follow him as he walked back into the castle. "Come on, kid. Follow me. I'll show you to your room."
**********
"So kid, what are you plotting?" the grand duke asked John with a hint of suspicion in his voice.
John replied with a sly smirk, "Well, it's not like I trust you any more than grandfather. All I know about you is what you've told me. But this way, you both will keep each other in check, won't you?"
The grand duke raised an eyebrow, "Is that so? Well, I suppose we'll just have to see."
They arrived at a grand, spacious room, and the grand duke gestured for John to enter. "This will be your room while you're here. Make yourself at home."
John looked around the room, taking in the luxurious furnishings and decorations. "Thank you, grand duke," he said with a respectful nod.
The grand duke nodded back, "You're welcome. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some things to attend to. I'll see you at dinner tonight."
After walking a bit further the grand duke let out a deep belly laugh, "HAH! This kid played us both like a toy, father. HAAH! It seems like I won't have to worry so much about you in the end. He should be able to hold his own weight in the court in a couple of years' time.
As the grand duke stopped walking for a moment to revel in his realization, he murmured to himself, "Truly, that kid, of all my brothers' children, should be the one to take the throne. He didn't just take after your looks, Nadia, the kid also carries your brilliance." He was unaware of the soft smile that had formed on his face.
************
Back into the room which john had been assigned during his next few years in the north, John could be seen sitting on his bed with his legs folded, and eyes closed, a worried expression on his face.
"So what you're saying is that maybe because the spell was overloaded due to not only sending my soul but the two of yours as well, we could have gone into a timeline where things were greatly different than anticipated," John said inside his conscience as he rubbed his forehead with an annoyed expression.
"Not exactly but yes," Pallas replied as he turned his face away from the annoyed expression of John.
"Ahhhh my head ahhhhhhhhh it hurts," John said as he shook his head in frustration.
"Well, what can we do now? The milk has already been spilled. John, you calm down as well. For now, it is better for you to focus on getting stronger. I can't say anything for sure, but I have a feeling that if someone else really was responsible for causing strife between our races, then they would have had to plan for centuries. And seeing that a major part of your empire's recent history is still pretty similar, the world should not be much different than our own. But first, you must get stronger. There's no use thinking of other things right now, they're all but pointless distractions," Kostas interjected and explained his views on the situation.
"I hate to admit it, but the Titan's words are right. While I may have fucked up, not all hope is lost yet. And for all we know, these changes may even be somewhat beneficial for you," Pallas added.
"Huff, fine, let's focus on integrating the multiple energies in me till we can get a clue then," John said as he exited his conscience space.
As the sun set slowly, the day of John's trial had ended, a near civil war avoided, and as chaotic as it may have been, the day had been quite beneficial overall for John.