The council chamber was a sight to behold, filled with grand, high ceilings and banners that seemed to proclaim the Kingdom of Althea's wealth and power. A long table stretched across the room, with several men and women seated around it, their eyes all trained on him as he entered.
Yan Chen's eyes scanned the room quickly, assessing the crowd. A few of them looked anxious, their eyes flicking nervously toward one another. There was a palpable tension in the air, and from the way they reacted to his presence, it was clear they feared him. It made his lips twitch into a grin.
As he walked to the head of the table, he caught the eye of a tall man with sharp features. The man's gaze was unyielding, and for a moment, Yan Chen felt like he was being scrutinized, as if the man were trying to figure out if he was an imposter or not.
But it didn't matter. Yan Chen wasn't interested in playing this game seriously—not yet, anyway. So, he took a seat with all the grace of a man who had been doing this for decades, though inside he was still trying to figure out the basics of court politics.
"You're late, Your Grace," the tall man spoke, his voice even, yet there was an underlying bitterness.
Yan Chen turned his head slowly toward the speaker, his expression unreadable. "Am I?" He took a long breath, savoring the dramatic silence before speaking again. "Forgive me. I was... delayed. The matters of the kingdom do require some consideration, after all."
The ministers exchanged uncertain glances, unsure how to respond to the aloof demeanor of their Duke.
Without missing a beat, Yan Chen glanced at the glowing mission screen that popped up before him:
Mission Objective: Prevent the Kingdom of Althea from descending into war. Reward: 100 Points. Failure: Execution.
"Interesting," he muttered under his breath. "War, huh? And they're all sitting here like it's a dinner party."
The ministers, having overheard his muttering, went stiff at the mention of war. The tension in the room thickened.
"Your Grace," the tall man spoke again, his voice softer now, "the council has already discussed the terms of the peace agreement with the neighboring kingdom. We only require your final approval."
"Peace agreement, you say?" Yan Chen asked, glancing at the others around the table. The mission screen flickered briefly—an indication that it was linked to whatever this agreement was.
He didn't even need to play the role of the ruthless Duke for long. Yan Chen's eyes scanned the faces of the council members—some hopeful, some uncertain. The ones who seemed too eager were his first targets. He'd have to tread carefully, planting seeds of doubt where needed to steer the situation in his favor without raising suspicion.
"Well," Yan Chen said, crossing his arms casually, "tell me, how do you plan to avoid the... inevitable conflict with the neighboring kingdom?"
The tall man seemed to hesitate. "The matter of... our borders and resources, Your Grace. It's been growing increasingly tense."
"Ah," Yan Chen murmured. "Politics. How boring."