Sion looked at Felix in silent horror, mostly because he had no idea what he should ask in the first place. It was all just too much to stomach at once. He had seen and experienced firsthand the power of the Arcadian in front of them. It was one thing to hear his outlandish, and certainly exaggerated, stories about his distant homeland, but it was something completely different to experience... This. From the manner in which the Arcadian Emperor addressed Arthur, Sion deduced a lot. There was very little room for negotiation with someone wielding so much power. The man wasn't a pompous and pampered noble of the sort Sion was so used to meeting in Saftia. He was a warrior. A general whose orders were absolute and to be executed without question. If that was everything, he could try to convince himself that fighting that man would be hard, but possible.

  However...

  The woman who spoke with such dignity and authority, a woman who introduced herself as the Empress, was a Kitsune. A being that accompanied only the Summoned Heroes. A being whose power was feared and praised in myths and legends. The most powerful Kitsune in Saftian legends was called Dante. He was the companion of the Summoned Hero, Julia Van den Berg. His power was enough to conquer cities and unite Saftia. At the peak of his power, however, he had only four tails. Dante, who had never married Julia, was fiercely loyal to his Hero and Lady. But that woman had nine tails and was the Empress. That meant she was his wife...

  And yet...

  Compared to the last recording, the Kitsune was like a second thought. The Gods of the Arcadian Pantheon couldn't speak louder... And the Goddess herself... Goddess Hestia was the wife of that man. Sion's mind simply went blank at that thought. The implications of that revelation were too serious and broad to simply acknowledge everything at once. But there was also one very important thing. Only the Emperor mentioned Arthur's noble title. For everyone else, that unimaginably powerful man was just a soldier. Even the Emperor spoke to him like one soldier to another... That was probably the most horrifying thing to realise. Arthur Ives was, first and foremost, the Arcadian Inquisitor, a soldier, and then he was a noble. Not the other way around. Previously, Sion was afraid that the Arcadian Empire might have a few more people like the Count in service. Now, he was certain of that, and the fact that there weren't just a few. Arthur Ives might be one among hundreds, if not thousands, of soldiers just like him.

  What was even more frightening, Arthur just received permission to use his full power. That implied he was holding back…

  But there was hope for him in the very words of the Arcadian Emperor. If you decide to make friends, they will be friends of Arcadia. Never before in his life was Sion as glad as he was now. When he’d decided to be friendly to the somewhat crazy man who had introduced himself as a noble of an Empire that no one had heard about. His throat was dry and he was too shaken to even try a small sip of wine that might betray how much he was trembling. It was fear. The fully justified fear of a man who knows that he was stuck between powers that utterly eclipsed him. But, just a single glance at the sour face of the Cardinal told him that the clergyman had it much worse.

  "Your Emperor seemed to be certain that you are fine. That wasn't the wishful thinking of an overly optimistic man..." Baroness Elene looked at Arthur with the careful stare of someone who wanted to hear an answer, and feared it at the same time. She took a deep breath and asked: "Who are you really, Arthur Ives of Arcadia?"

  "I'm the Inquisitor of his Imperial Highness," Arthur answered with a smile. "But that tells you nothing. First, I need you to understand one thing. Are you familiar with the Legends from the Age of Heroes? How much do you know about the events you call the War in Heaven? Do you even know against whom the Gods of Nilmerthis and their Heroes fought back then?"

  "Why do you ask?" Felix squeaked more than answered, his dry voice barely squeezing through his parched throat. He grabbed a glass of water and emptied it. After that, he continued with a far more normal tone. "The Gods of Darkness and their servants attacked the Heavens and waged war against our world. However, our Gods are silent about the aftermath."

  "You know enough then." Arthur nodded with a small cold smile. "Except the war wasn't waged in the Heavens. It took place on the surface of the continent I call my home. It was waged on Aderon. During that time, the Enemies that should never be called by their names or titles descended upon our world. Many Gods and Goddesses died during that time. Most of their Heroes fell in countless battles as well. They were victorious, but they won only a battle. The war lasts to this day. The Enemies spent their time plotting and are, once again, trying to invade our world. The Arcadian Inquisition is tasked with hunting down any and all traces of those Enemies. We have the power and authority to declare war upon any country found guilty of collaborating with them, willfully or not. I am one of the highest-ranking Inquisitors, but don't let that fool you. I'm as replaceable as you would replace a broken glass."

  He lifted his empty cup to emphasise his point and placed it on the table with a hollow thud that echoed in the silence of the room.

  "But replaceable doesn't mean expendable." Arthur continued with a calm and firm voice. "We left no one behind." He quoted with a voice so full of certainty that it surprised the Saftians. "That means that, if we can, we collect even the ashes of our fallen, or tear their dead bodies from the deepest pits of hell if we have to. The power at the disposal of my Lord is unimaginable. But, to fully comprehend what kind of man he is, let me introduce you to him."

  Arthur stood up and once again turned on the first recording and stopped it. The aura and power of that man once again filled the room.

  "My Lord, Theon Avalon, The Champion of Eriar, The Chosen of the Archangel, The Bringer of Equilibrium, The Husband of Hestia, The Unforgiving Storm of Zephyr, The Starchaser of Hera, The Brother to Zeus, The Prophet of Tisiphone, The Wrath of Vali, The Herald of Verka, The Protector of the Weak, The Bane of Void's Servants, The God Slayer, The Vengeful One, and The Conqueror."

  "The God Slayer?" Cardinal Felix asked with a shocked expression.

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  "Indeed. While the remaining Empresses were away from the capital and working personally to end the conquest of Cridia, a foreign God arrived with a diplomatic team of the Princess of a neighboring country. Their God insisted on the meeting with the Emperor and his wife. However, upon seeing that she was a Dryad, he attacked her, but was slain by the Emperor instead. That, of course, was an act of war."

  "To kill a God... It is hard, but not unheard of. It's no wonder that your neighbours declared war-"

  "No." Arthur's voice was like an executioner's sword when he interrupted the Cardinal. "It was my Emperor who immediately declared war and sent his Immortal Legions. He conquered that country, a country that was roughly three times larger than Saftia. It fell in less than four months. Their Gods were killed, enslaved, or knelt before the Emperor and swore to serve him. Some of them are now part of our Pantheon. The one that was killed will stay dead. The one enslaved was sentenced to a millennia of labour for his sins."

  They all looked at the hologram of the Emperor in fear.

  "And I am his enforcer," Arthur added quietly, and even though his voice was soft, it sounded like a threat. "I am the Herald of the Pantheon of Arcadia."

  "Arthur..." Cate looked at him with a slightly worried gaze, but he smiled reassuringly at her.

  "I don't want to scare you, because for now, I consider you my friends. However, I need you to realise that I am fully capable of making arbitrary decisions that would have long-lasting consequences." He looked at the nearby Paladin and asked. "What level are you?"

  "Eighty-nine, Sir." The man answered then Arthur switched his gaze to his companion.

  "Ninety-three, Sir."

  "Considering all my subclasses, I'm nearly level six hundred. Estimates like level difference can't really give you a true picture of my strength, but this is the best I can offer. Yes, I have many subclasses, as does nearly every single soldier of Arcadia." Arthur slowly moved his gaze until his eyes met Sion's and he smiled. "But I consider you my friend, Sion, and by the power granted to me by my Lord, I name you a friend of Arcadia for as long as you don't turn your blade upon my homeland and those I consider dear. As for you, Cardinal Felix, I don't know you and you don't know me. Despite that, you used your authority to cover my existence. You serve the Saftian Gods, and because of it, I can't treat you the same way I treat Sion. However, you certainly aren't my enemy and I want to think of you as my friend."

  The sense of relief that flooded the room was palpable.

  "It might sound absurd, but I am more afraid of the power of the Emperor of Arcadia than the power of King Razak." Sion shook his head in disbelief. "I will need time, Arthur. There are questions I certainly should ask, but this was unexpected. I... I need to think before I start asking questions."

  "The same goes for me as well. To see the Gods with my very eyes was something I never dreamt of experiencing." Felix smiled with a solemn smile. "I will have... So many questions, Lord Ives, that you might think that you are talking with a child. But not now. Later, when I'm ready."

  Arthur moved his gaze to Elene, who smiled in surprise, then she asked. "I really can ask anything?"

  "Indeed."

  "We saw two of your Empresses, and you mentioned a third. How many women does your Lord have?" She asked with a giggle. "I'm just curious..."

  "The Emperor has ten wives and a fiancée, last I knew." He answered with an amused smile while Lady Elene looked puzzled. "I'm sure they would have a lot to say about Saftia and your customs. Especially the ones concerning women."

  "They wouldn't like it, most probably..." Elene lowered her head, and Arthur noticed the ashamed and sorrowful gaze of Sion, who looked at his wife with silent support and love.

  "No." He shook his head. "There once was a country that treated its women even worse than Saftia. It was called Berna and it no longer exists. That was one of the reasons why its entire culture and religions were expunged from the pages of history."

  Elene smiled, but said nothing more. The Paladins and Amos were equally shocked when Arthur's gaze rested on them. The soldiers were very surprised that he even considered them worthy of looking at. Amos just smiled and shook his head to indicate that he had no questions. The highest level Saftian Paladin clenched his fists on his sides and looked at Arthur.

  "I know this is audacious of me, Lord Ives, but you are a Paladin? Like us? We heard the stories about you and your deeds."

  "Indeed." Arthur nodded.

  "Could you please teach us? We heard from the soldiers of Baron Howthorns that you possess a skill that every Paladin has heard about, but I don't know anyone with it. Could you teach us Lay on Hands, my Lord?! Could you teach us Aura skills?!"

  Arthur closed his eyes and slowly nodded. "Could I? Yes. Will I? Should I? These are far more appropriate questions. Everything depends on you." Arthur then turned, "Since it seemed that you withheld your questions for now, Sion and Felix, it is my turn. How is it possible that soldiers of your fellow Baron attacked you, Sion? Is that normal?"

  "Yes." Sion simply shrugged. "A certain level of autonomy is allowed among the nobles. The nobles of Saftia often engage in border skirmishes for control of land. Isn't that normal everywhere?"

  "No. In Arcadia, something like that would be considered treason. Even in the neighbouring Kingdoms, the feuds between nobles are solved during sanctified duels. A military action like this one would be scoffed at, at best, and treated as treason at worst." Arthur shook his head. "At what point would your King intervene?"

  "I have no idea..." Sion shook his head. "But I would guess that as long as he received his taxes and tithe, he wouldn't care if someone took over half of the country..."

  "Incompetent fool." Arthur snarled, making everyone tremble. It was obvious that the Arcadian wasn't asking his questions just because he was curious. "What kind of forces can Baron Tamal muster?"

  Sion opened and closed his mouth, then he glanced at Felix, who furrowed his brows as if he were trying to recall something.

  "A few companies at best." Felix shrugged. "He probably can count on the help of the local Temple, but they would only have a handful of Templars right now."

  "You are going to have a new city, Sion," Arthur said with such a deadly calm voice that it made everyone in the room flinch involuntarily.

  "That wasn't a question, Arthur..." The Baron chuckled nervously, desperately hoping that the Arcadian was joking.

  "No, it wasn't..." The Inquisitor said, pouring himself a glass of citrus juice. "He attacked the city I like and kidnapped Catherine. I will take his head as compensation. While his execution can wait for a time, it's only being postponed. I won't forget his crimes."

  Thank you all for reading.

  I wish you all a great day and as always I wait for your comments.

  A big thanks to and who edited the chapter!