A man in his late twenties sat imposingly on a massive throne. He had hazel eyes, light brown hair, and a cocky smirk that seemed to linger on his visage at all times. It was a smile that proclaimed, "The world is mine to take!"
It wasn't just the man's smile that announced his overbearing confidence. The room he sat in was constructed nearly entirely from marble, from the massive pillars to the spotless white floors. A few statues lined the sides of the chamber, all of them depicting the very man sitting on the throne.
"Sir Immortal Emperor. We, Northell, request aid. The treacherous cowards in the east have been extending their slimy arms towards your land. Let us teach them a lesson on your behalf!"
A large man with a pockmarked face bowed his head, his eyes fixed on the polished marble floor. The man's square face was clean-shaven, and flecks of grey marred his dark brown hair. Wearing a clean blue suit reminiscent of those seen back on earth, and having a clean golden chain bracelet wrapped around his wrist, his visage would be quite dashing if not for the clear struggle with acne in his youth.
"Hmm… Groge, you said your name was? And your friend here is Han?"
Sitting on an impressive marble throne, the man before them gestured at Han, who was dressed similarly to Goerg.
"It's Goerg, your majesty."
"Well, I don't think I have any reason to help you."
Goerg's head shot up.
"What? Why, Sir Emperor? Surely you still want to claim the East as your own! Please, allow us to help you!"
The man lifted his gloved hand to his chin, his gold-encrusted armor shifting as he rubbed his chin.
"Well, it's just Easthill, right? After I destroy the west, Easthill will fall in no time. They're just living on borrowed time. And besides-" The emperor glared down at the duo, "- You are just trying to use me for your revenge, right? You pissed off Easthill, they failed to wipe out your villages, and now you want to pay back their attack."
Goerg shifted around for a moment, and Han quickly spoke up.
"That's true. We originally wanted to take revenge on our own, but Easthill has noticed our efforts and has been hunting down our men and crushing our businesses. Even when we move further west, their men still track us down. Not just in Easthill and Miaan, but even in the city of Champion too. That's your land, Sir Emperor. You say you are holding off on destroying Easthill, but why not let us take a chunk out of them while you handle the West?"
Any sign of hesitation had long since left Han's eyes. After they escaped from the East, the aging traveler looked positively at the idea of settling back down and not forcing further conflict. Many of his friends had died in Easthill's attacks, but his son was still alive, and he wanted Joff to live a good, peaceful life.
Unfortunately, Easthill quickly realized many of the northern villagers had survived, and they quickly began utilizing all their influence in Miaan to hunt down the members of Northell.
"I suppose that isn't such a bad idea. Still, aren't you pretty incompetent? Look where I stand now. Do you think I ever had to ask someone for help? If you haven't been able to take your revenge on your own, aren't you pretty useless?"
Han wanted to get up and punch the cocky bastard in the gut. Incompetent? It was thanks to his management that there was any Northell at all! Gritting his teeth, Han resisted his urges. This was their only decent chance at damaging Easthill. To the side, Goerg, looking as calm as before, spoke up.
"No, your majesty. It's just, not all of us are as brilliant as you. Still, I assure you, with your support, we will easily make a mess of Easthill's operations."
The emperor smiled, nodding his head a few times.
"I like the way you talk, Goger. Alright, I've decided! Stewart, bring these two out and give them supplies!"
The emperor pounded his fist against his throne and a cleanly dressed man walked out from the side of the room.
"Again, my name is Lewis, sir."
Lewis began escorting Han and Goerg from the room, and as they exited, he spoke with a quiet voice.
"Shitty Emperor. I was a baron before, and now I'm forced to be his servant! He can't even get my name right! A stuck-up, cocky, useless bastard. I await the day he falls from the throne with bated breath!"
Han and Goerg looked at the man in shock. The so-called 'Immortal Emperor' had a poor reputation outside the country of Glory, but now it seemed that even here, he wasn't well-liked. One of his closest aids was cursing him out, right in the middle of the royal palace!
'If it's as Lewis here claims, then we should get our supplies as soon as we can. This place might be falling apart soon.'
Han paused for a moment, a seed of doubt creeping into his mind.
'But if he's such a terrible leader, how has he held on to the position for years? Something feels off.'
~
Back in the throne room.
The emperor pulled off his jewel-crusted gloves and began massaging his temples with his fingers.
"Is Northell related to the chaos in Miaan right now? Their villages were destroyed pretty close to when the Longgrass and Ring merchant groups disappeared, and they were trading associates…"
He would have to watch Northell's movements carefully. Their enemy's movements in the last few months made little sense. Why destroy some random villages? What happened to the merchants? How did Easthill fail their attacks?
He raised a finger into the air and began tracing it around. A thin trail of elementless magic seeped out, hanging in the air as he created a diagram.
"Northell."
"Merchants."
"Easthill."
Pausing for a moment, the emperor added another name to the list.
"Cult of Gale."