Chapter 6 - 2.1 - The Council

It was late at night, nearing dawn. No one in the city was awake, except for the drunks and revelers celebrating the arrival of the new king. They seemed excited, as if this event would change everything.In other times, we might speak of Merlin's activities, but for now, we must focus on what is unfolding in the castle.At the center of the city, which currently resembled more of a fortress due to the state of siege, stood a towering structure.It was extravagantly luxurious, its walls reflecting a pristine state of preservation. Its gothic style bore a resemblance to the Cologne Cathedral of our world—though somehow even larger, more imposing than anything we would encounter in everyday life.Inside the building, smooth white stone halls contrasted sharply with the darker walls. In some places, those walls were even lined with gold—a potent nullifier of magic, at least for simpler spells.Beyond the throne room, filled with panicked nobles and servants debating endlessly, there lay another, more secluded chamber. Accessing it required passing through several magical doors, the first of which was hidden behind the throne itself.The chamber was narrow, and in its center, James III stood within a runic circle.He was a tall man, looking somewhat unwell, as if sleepless for days. His sparse beard highlighted his prominent mustache. Not a handsome man, but he embodied that rugged, virile archetype from the 1970s.He was dressed as a king and even wore the crown that had belonged to his father. The royal garments suited his noble figure, though it was clear he had let himself go. A man of middle age, which led one to believe that his father must have been around 70 when he met his untimely death.James stood anxiously at the center of the circle, adjusting his cloak as if it were choking him. But it was only his nerves—this was not how he had imagined his coronation day, especially with a rival contender vying for his throne.Once he steadied himself, he spoke:"Descend."The circle beneath him began to move, shifting downward like a magical elevator, needing no cables for support. Technology had taken a unique path in this world.The descent took about a minute, during which time James must have swallowed hard twenty times, sweating like a pig about to be slaughtered. He kept adjusting his long hair, as if striving for perfection.When he finally reached the bottom, in what appeared to be a deep subterranean chamber far below the kingdom, a single light about 10 meters away served as the only illumination, aside from the blue glow of the runes under his feet.He walked toward the light and, seemingly addressing the shadows, said:"Good evening, ministers... I come to hear the Council's final decision regarding my coronation. Let me state upfront that I expect your full support, as the rightful heir of my father."A woman dressed entirely in white appeared beside him, as if emerging from nowhere. She was albino, her facial features flawless, with her hair neatly tied back and her eyes entirely white. When she opened her mouth to speak, even the inside of her mouth and tongue were pale. But before she could utter a word, James bowed."Lady in White, it is an honor to have you as my defender.""Don't think for a second that I like you, James. But Brittany is one of the most important nations in this part of the world. And that one wielding Excalibur doesn't sit well with me. There's not a drop of noble blood in him."She paused, her ethereal presence becoming more apparent as she moved closer to the light. Then she continued:"Now, as we begin the meeting, we will start by introducing the Council members and their initial stances on the matter of the coronation. First up, the Minister of Knowledge, Anansi, the Spider-Man."A light illuminated the figure of Anansi, who sat perched atop a tall pillar. Another figure was visible next to him, seated on a neighboring pillar, though their silhouette was obscured by shadow.Anansi was a tall, black man with four eyes and six arms—three on each side. His mouth featured sharp, protruding fangs. His long hair, braided, reached all the way to his feet, and he wore finely detailed, luxurious robes. Without delay, he spoke:"I've voiced my opinion a thousand times, false king. You've already been running the kingdom while the old man couldn't even react to the world around him anymore. And I've always had a major problem with slavery. Men without freedom tend to revolt, you know? My support is firmly with the new contender for the throne."A heavy silence filled the room. The Council's disagreement could very well lead to civil war, and everyone present knew it. More presences were felt in the chamber, likely the other members of the Council. Tension hung in the air, voices beginning to rise before the Lady in White intervened."Order, gentlemen! We are all civilized here..."Anansi's smirk was noticeable to all as he added:"Are we, though? Let's be honest, war is inevitable, and—""Please, Anansi! There will be time for debate later... Now, moving on to the second Council member, the Minister of War, the Last Tengu."Another light illuminated the pillar next to Anansi. Seated atop it was an elderly man, with a dark red face, long eyebrows, wings, and, of course, a large, thick nose that resembled a sausage."No, there will be no war. The country's army won't fight in any conflict! That is my stance, I will remain neutral! After all, it is not right for us to decide which of the two is the true heir to the throne. They should settle it in a duel. Let's see whom the sword chooses!""Next, we have the third Council member, the Minister of Fortunes, Púca."Another light shone, illuminating yet another pillar. The room now seemed well-lit overall, though the pillars remained mysteriously cloaked in shadows—likely some standard procedure. This time, standing atop the pillar was a creature resembling a monkey, with completely black, long fur, yellow eyes, and a demonic appearance. Its voice was hoarse and deep."I don't know, I haven't made up my mind yet. Curiously, just before the old man's death, I felt the balance of chaos shift in the world. A powerful new creature of chaos was born. Coincidentally, a new claimant to the throne appeared shortly after. Merlin has been watching the stone, which makes me think even more. My advice? Let's go to war, for now, I'll back the one wielding Excalibur.""The next member to speak is the fourth Council member, the Minister of Justice, the First Golem, Adam, Father of Humanity."Another light illuminated a figure who, in stark contrast to the others, appeared utterly ordinary. He was neither tall nor short, neither fit nor unfit, not handsome but not unattractive either. The sort of man you would picture if you looked up the word 'man' in the dictionary."Look, Púca, no offense, but I think trusting a demon's offspring is a terrible idea. It's no coincidence that creatures of chaos are inherently unpredictable. And as I recall, it was Merlin—also the son of a demon—who prophesied the sword in the stone. Besides, my track record of challenging those in power isn't great, so I've decided to support James. All he needs to do is accept the influence of the Holy Church in the kingdom, as should have been done centuries ago. That would also solve the issue of slavery, Anansi, don't you agree?"The Lady in White interrupted Adam's reasoning, raising her voice."I must remind the Council members that Brittany is the most important country in the world right now, and what is decided here will determine the course of history. I will also remind you that this first phase is only for presentation and for declaring your initial stance. Moving on to the fifth and final member, the Minister of Health, Cuca the Witch."A light shone on the final pillar, revealing a strikingly beautiful woman with full breasts and youthful features. She wore a black dress, gothic and pale, with heavy makeup and long, slick hair. She had fangs instead of teeth, her hands were scaly, and her nose was perfectly sculpted. Her long nails, painted black, resembled the talons of an eagle. Her voice was calm, almost angelic."I agree with Adam; we need to support James. It would be foolish to place all our trust in some unknown figure who, according to rumors, seems too weak even to carry the sword. Moreover, our protectorates would find it odd, to say the least, that someone—rumored to be a mere girl with no royal blood—would end up taking the throne of Brittany. The prophecy claims this person would save the kingdom, but there's nothing to save. The finances are healthy, and our only concern should be the coronation of James III, which was already a certainty."Taking a deep breath, the Lady in White resumed her role and announced the next phase of the meeting:"We will now move to the attack phase. If anyone opposes the coronation of James, you may now speak. If no one wishes to do so, we will proceed to the final defense phase."The pillars lowered, bringing everyone in the room to the same level. Anansi was the first to stand. He could no longer contain himself."I just want to make it clear that no one less than the child-snatcher herself is siding with James, which is absolutely insane." — Cuca seemed visibly irritated by this remark but maintained her composure. — "But let's get to what really matters. It's madness that you all want this fool James as your true king. I've been on this council for centuries, and by Nyame's grace, what has this wretch contributed to the kingdom? We're seen as a backward, slave-owning nation because of him, and you expect the Holy Church to come here and peacefully change the minds of the citizens? There will be blood! One way or another. Know that if you support James, I'll leave this council."Púca then hunched forward even more, his spine seeming to elongate as he spoke:"Look, I have no problems with poor James, but I trust my intuition. Let's just go to war already."It was the Lady in White's turn to declare the third phase:"Well, for the defenses, I suppose I'll start. But I sense it won't be necessary—does anyone here feel inclined to change their position?"A deafening silence filled the room, and James couldn't stop trembling before the council's figures. He had to speak:"Tengu! You need to help me! As for Anansi or Púca, I know they're too chaotic to change their minds, but you—you're reasonable!""If you want my support, it's simple. I'll allow the army to quell the rebellion within the city, but you must challenge the aspirant to a duel. That way, we'll only have to deal with a war to suppress the uprising if you win."Cuca spoke up:"That makes no sense, and it's entirely unfair—you know that well. On one side, we have the bearer of Excalibur, and on the other, a man so out of shape he can't even see his own feet! If that's how it's going to be, I'd prefer Adam to challenge the bearer instead. Being James's ancestor, we could argue he has a claim to the throne."Adam couldn't hold back in the face of such a proposal:"But darling, I'm the ancestor of 100% of humans.""That doesn't matter! It would be the council's decision, and according to the kingdom's laws, ancestors can assume the throne in extreme cases!"James, realizing this would be the end for him and his family, decided to counter the argument."Wait! Both of you. I actually see no problem with passing the throne to Adam. I swear! There'd be no opposition from me. Merlin won't rest until he sees my head on a silver platter anyway. But you need to give me a safe haven—some isolated island or anything of the sort!"Púca leaped from his seat and stood before James."Actually, it's not a bad idea for one of us to assume the throne right away... Hmm... If you'll allow me..."The demon reached his hand out and plunged it into James's head, ripping out his brain through the back of his skull.The Lady in White beside him screamed in shock as the other council members looked on with suspicion."By the gods! This is a coup!" she cried out.With his other hand, Púca placed a finger to his lips and made a soft "shhh" sound. Then, contorting his body, he began slipping inside James's corpse through the gaping wound he had just created. The seemingly lifeless body convulsed and slowly stood, now with the demon inside. As if he were donning a skin suit, Púca, now inhabiting James's body, looked at Cuca and said:"Would you give me a hand here?"Cuca muttered ancient, forgotten words, summoning mystical energies that flowed into James's body, reconstructing his face slowly.The nobleman, now with Púca in control, turned to the Lady in White and said in James's voice:"The majority now votes in favor of James III—or rather, me—for the coronation. Of course, provided that I challenge the bearer of Excalibur to a duel. And I accept. Cuca, send one of your little servants to deal with James's family."Terrified, the Lady in White could barely contain herself as she spoke:"But... you... you killed him!""No, my dear, he's alive. Vegetative, but alive. I never let his soul leave the body. After all, if I took his form, I would still be black, and that wouldn't fool anyone unless they were blind."Anansi rose as well."Well, I'm leaving. I'll keep my promise, especially now that you'll surely be killed in the duel and they'll hand the kingdom over to Merlin. I was only in this position for the paycheck anyway. Who knows, we might meet again sometime. Au revoir, everyone!"Showing the same intent to leave as Anansi, the Lady in White attempted to follow, but she was stopped by Adam."Look, granddaughter, I've got nothing against you, but if I allow a spirit to leave here and reveal that James is a demon in disguise, things will go badly for me, you understand?"Adam then pulled a dagger from his belt and raised it toward the Lady in White, who didn't react, confused about his intent. But he then plunged the dagger into his own hand, spraying his divine blood onto the spirit, who screamed in agony as her spectral form began to burn."I exorcise you, every unclean spirit, in the name of God the Father Almighty, and in the name of Jesus Christ, His Son, our Lord and Judge, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, that you may depart from this vessel of the Lord, Lady Alba, whom our Lord has called to His holy temple, that it may be made a temple of the living God, and that the Holy Spirit may dwell therein. Through the same Christ our Lord, who is to come to judge the living and the dead, and the world by fire."As the prayer was recited, the spirit began to disintegrate, her essence fading from this world. She cursed everyone in the room, especially her ancestor, who had ended her soul, regretting ever siding with a slaver. Adam continued his prayer as her essence vanished completely."Poor child, I hate using divine blood to exorcise those who don't deserve it. But I hope you rest in peace in the vast nothingness."James III groaned, vomiting a massive amount of blood and some of his former organs, now replaced by Púca. Then, speaking with difficulty, he said:"You son of a bitch! How could you use a miracle right next to me? If even a drop of that blood had touched me, I'd be worse off than she was!"