Chapter 6 - The Conference
—Fwoosh!
An urgent meeting was held promptly after informing all the prominent and distinguished nobles to attend.
When the esteemed guests were made aware of the Underworld's Monarch behind the recent incursion through the quick briefing, the pale looks on their faces were in disbelief of something that hadn't occurred once in the history of the Olympus Empire!
Under the weight of this predicament, the atmosphere became solemn before it took a different turn from an individual's expected arrival.
The Emperor, Zeus, had stepped up to take on this unprecedented circumstance with his belated entrance to the conference!
And thus, the meeting began.
"This is an unforeseen turn of events." Zeus only started to speak, yet the room was filled with the magnitude of this dire situation.
"Since everyone is well-informed of the predicament, I trust that my subjects will come to understand my decision. With regards to the Monarch of the Underworld's demand, a Chess Tournament will be held in the Olympics Stadium tomorrow."
All of a sudden, Zeus declared a statement that left everybody with a flabbergasted expression; perturbed by the unexpected announcement!
—Bustling!
"Your Majesty, I strongly object to this. There must be another method to eliminate the Underworld's Monarch rather than follow along with their absurd demand." A nobleman who appears to hold the rank of a marquis, speaks up with his hand raised.
"I am no different either. The Empire's reputation would plummet if we were to surrender to an unknown enemy's threat like that." Speaking after the marquis is a viscountess.
"Surely, there must be a way to avoid having to play along with their schemes? The possibilities of being tricked by them are extremely high. If we were to make the Chess Tournament happen, we'd never know when they'd commit another atrocity to achieve an advantageous result for their gains." This time, it was a baroness.
"Not to mention the extra costs needed to reform the stadium to match the theme of the tournament. It had already been prepared to hold the typical Olympic Games. Thus, changing it in only a day would largely affect the Empire's treasury and require a vigorous workforce." At the far back of the table, a count stood up to give his response for the Emperor to clearly hear.
"Ahh~"
Out of the blue, the sound of a lady's yawning resounds in this heavily tense atmosphere, dumbfounding those who were stating their disapproval of the Emperor's words earlier.
"Countess Hermes Cyllenian, this isn't the time to feel drowsy. We ought to finish this swiftly before the situation worsens." The marquis aimed his gaze at the lady who had the seat closest to the Emperor's right side.
"Oh, my apologies. I was merely presenting you with the chance to realize your mistake, but alas, it appears all of you haven't caught on." Her chin on her hand as her elbow rests on the table, Hermes utters with a listless smile.
"If there's a mistake we should speak of, it ought to be the Imperial Knights' Commander who has left the Palace with his troops at the most crucial yet coincidental time." The marquis proceeds to shift the topic, placing his glance upon a formally dressed knight who is seated nearest to the Emperor's left side.
"..."
At that moment, the attention of everyone was directed towards the so-called Commander, finding him with his arms crossed as well as his eyes closed. In contrast with a person's typical disputant reaction, this knight expresses nothing once he opens his eyes to see the spectacle occurring around him.
Blue poppy as its color, his irises illuminated with a glimmer which sent a chilling sensation to those who were staring at him not too long ago. And as daunting as his eyes were, his hair resembled the ashes of his enemies; a pale gray stained his every strand!
"I am the Emperor's sword, and I heed my master's calls, hence my actions are within His Majesty's commands. For I may be Somnus Lethe, the Imperial Knights' Commander, I do not possess the authority to wander around as I please, Marquis Benedict." Somnus gave his reasonable and irrefutable answer as it had the Emperor's name on the line!
It further supports Somnus' alibi when the Emperor himself isn't confuting the claims! In fact, the ambience soon returns to a serious silence where no one dares to inquire about the knight again.
"Moving forward, I would like to clarify that the Underworld isn't a laughing matter, especially the Monarch of the aforementioned organization." Hermes fills the uncomfortable quietude.
"If that isn't sufficient evidence, I'll give you a reminder that the Monarch managed to set foot inside the Imperial Palace. And, believe it or not, she was an enemy who could withstand His Majesty's Blessing, bringing forth calamitous destruction in her wake."
"..!!!!"
⟨ Blessings ⟩
Bestowed upon humans by the heavens, these are powers which will alter a mortal life for the better or for the worse. Only to be granted by the sudden appearance of a life-threatening crisis or an awakening with the Temple's assistance, these are the only known methods of gaining such a miracle.
There are 7 Categories that a blessing can belong to. In some cases, a Blessing may receive two categories because of its innate complexity; never was there a three categorized Blessing.
The categories consist of ‹Null›, ‹Passive›, ‹Psychic›, ‹Elemental›, ‹Maledict›, ‹Phenomenal› and ‹Divine›.
Aside from ‹Divine› and ‹Null›, the others are Blessings that can be nonspecific in terms of strength, force, utility, intellect, etc. Whereas ‹Null› is the classification of non-blessed humans, ‹Divine› is a celestial power that rivals the rest of the categories.
As such, if someone's Blessing were to be ‹Divine›, their power would be unfathomable; far exceeding the realm of impossibility that mortals can't hope to achieve. Be that as it may, it's unbelievably rare of a sight to witness a ‹Divine› Blessing. Not even a century can birth an individual with this scarcity.
But there are exceptions to this…
That's right. The Emperor of The Olympus Empire, Zeus, has a Blessing within the ‹Elemental› and ‹Divine› categories!
Without a doubt, once everyone heard of a foe who could outmatch Zeus and his Blessing, it became a catalyst for the meeting's ambience to turn grimmer by the seconds!
—Chatter! Chatter!
"Surely, you jest. His Majesty's thunder has always been known as Heaven's judgement, and furthermore, there has yet to be someone capable of enduring it." The baroness nervously let out a laugh, hoping for it to be a joke.
"Lady Cyllenian's statements may come out as unimaginable, but it's unquestionably true when His Majesty isn't refuting." Somnus solidifies the severity of the situation.
"..!"
"That can't be.."
"Impossible! For a person to withstand His Majesty.. Must mean.."
Quietude ensues in the atmosphere where no one is capable of grasping the truth yet. With the exception of the Commander..
"The Imperial Knights, excluding the Palace Guards, are personally trained by me, their top-notch leader. If we were to speak of their competence, they could hold off a Chimera on their own."
"However.. With how the situation progressed previously, if the Imperial Knights were in close proximity to the intruder alongside me, we wouldn't stand a chance against the Monarch and, instead, increase the burdens on His Majesty's shoulders."
"Y—"
"Even if I wasn't in the vicinity to observe how the incursion went, I could discern the damage caused by the intruder. With my deduction, I believe I shouldn't shamelessly overestimate my abilities, and as such, I can tell you firmly that my presence in this incident would play no importance." Somnus cut off the marquis from speaking.
—Chatter!
"A Chimera.."
"Doesn't that require a dozen men to subjugate it?"
"If that's the case, the Underworld's Monarch can be considered a national threat to the Empire!"
—Bustling!
"In other words, how should we approach this dilemma? As a matter of fact, we cannot afford to come off as a powerless empire against a single organization. The pride of our people is on the line, including the nobles as well." Marquis Benedict sighs in defeat after taking a couple of seconds to accept the truth.
"Indeed. We have conquered many kingdoms through the years, which is why the slightest internal conflict can lead our enemies into rash thinking!" The viscountess lends her opinions.
"To be fair, I find this to be unsavory. The Empire has come so far through wars and expansions, yet it solely took one intruder to spoil it all entirely. Is this honestly how we'll let things be?" An elderly nobleman had risen up, and he seemed to display a deep disfavor as he stood there with his viscount status.
"It isn't that I don't put my faith in Lady Cyllenian's words, but it's hard to swallow the fact that the intruder handled His Majesty's lightning and came out unscratched by it." It looks like a marchioness has emerged with her opinion!
—Chitter-chatter!
At present, once the discussion lasted longer than an hour, the nobles started to feel the inability to act against a greater foe. Their arguments ranging from denial to acceptance became unsuccessful in compromising the enemy's demand.
It's at this point that someone has to speak up before the situation goes nowhere, which will not delay the inevitable.
"The individual who wins in the Chess Tournament will represent the Olympus Empire and play against the Underworld's Representative."
At long last, a prideful and charismatic voice overflowed the room as it completely captured everyone's attention and silenced the remaining speakers!
It was Zeus, the Emperor!
"The Chess Tournament's announcement will be issued in the next hour. Nobles and commoners alike are permitted entry because it'll provide a wide range of talented individuals."
"Gather the hidden prodigies by granting adjustable prizes for their participation and victories. It'll one day prove to be beneficial for the Empire's future."
"Hermes Cyllenian will be assigned as the temporary organizer for the Chess Tournament. If there are issues or suspicious aspects in the Olympic Stadium, I can trust that you'll handle it adeptly, Countess."
"Yes, Your Majesty." With no questions asked, Hermes stood up with her head bowed.
"Somnus Lethe and the Imperial Knights are to be stationed at the Olympic Stadium. If trespassers are sighted, apprehend them and report it to me promptly."
"As you command." Standing up, Somnus saluted with his right hand on his chest where his heart was.
"And finally, I'll be overseeing the tournament with my own eyes." Zeus presented his subjects with another shocking development with his inclusion in the event!
"To everyone who has gathered here today, you'll spread this event's details to the far edges of the Emperor by using your vast connections. It's essential for the Empire to gain benefits through the talents that'll emerge in this Chess Tournament."
"Once the match against the Underworld is over, the outcome of it may differ from our expectations and that's why we must put substantial investment in the participants who'll one day serve our cause."
"The Underworld has the personnel and affluence. However, it doesn't carry the history that our Olympus Empire prided itself on."
"Keep this in mind everyone. If an enemy preys on us, we'll give no mercy to them. Our victory is forever assured." His golden eyes shone ablaze!
In no time, Zeus' determined and confident voice had an impact on everyone's detrimental mindset, prompting them to feel a sense of victory before the tournament even began!
—Claps!
"And with this, the meeting is dismissed."