Kingdom Building Game: Starting Out With A Million Upgrade Points! - Chapter 81

Chapter 81: A Part Of Their Plan
A they were all stunned by his words, falling silent immidatly.

Every eye turned to him, awaiting his next command.

“I said we are expecting someone.”

“Until they arrive, I want no further interruptions.”

They all bowed their heads, each calmin down, though unease still lingered in the air.

Moments passed in silence. Then, a voice suddenly spoke.

“I’m sorry to keep you waiting, my lord,” the voice said.

Everyone turned as a figure emerged from the shadows that appeared behind them—a figure they had not noticed until he was directly before them.

A silver haired red eyes man who covered the lowar half of his face.

It was none other than Ivan, the Deathwalker.

“Ivan,” Arkanos called with a hint to excitement in his voice. “It’s nice to see you back.”

The fallen angel, Abaddon, narrowed his eyes sharply. His gaze locked on Ivan, his expression was calm, yet intense, as if he were irritated but somethim but he kept his expression neutral.

‘I didn’t sense his presence until he were directly behind me.’

Abaddon thought, he narrowed his gaze, his eyes probing into Ian’s existence yet he could not uncover anything, he then smiled.

‘How peculiar… I can’t identify the abilities he possess… an irregular, perhaps.’

His smile turned slightly sinister.

‘Things just keep getting exciting. I like it.’

Arkanos leaned forward on his throne, his gaze locking onto Ivan.

“Have you completed your findings?”

Ivan dropped to one knee. “Yes, my lord.”

“Good,” Arkanos said, his eyes narrowing slightly. “Present them.”

“Of course,” Ivan said as he rose.

He stepped forward, his voice bevimung steady as he spoke. “Apart from identifying all the noble houses that are rebelling against you, I have also uncovered the involvement of your previous generals.”

“The five former generals have joined the ranks of the rebellious nobles. Their names are as follows: Jareth, known as the Thunder’s Wrath, Serilda, the Blade of Frost, Dagon, the Iron Colossus, Freya, the Crimson Huntress, and Malrik, the Shadow Reaper.”

Arkanos’s expression hardened, though he remained composed. “Go on.”

Ivan nodded. “It’s clear that the nobles are driven by power and greed, as expected. However, the generals are motivated by revenge. They harbor resentment for past grievances, which has made them susceptible to aligning with the rebellion.”

Arkanos’s fingers drummed against the armrest of his throne. “And the Akerians? What have you learned about their desire for the ring you mentioned before?”

Ivan’s expression grew more serious. “The Ring of El’Deron, as it is called, is believed to be a Uster—an artifact containing a nature spirit. Based on my findings, I deduce that the spirit residing within the ring is none other than your mother, my lord.”

The words drew a collective gasp from those in the room… Not from Arkanos and Abaddon though.

Seraphine stepped forward, her eyes wide with shock.

“What are you talking about? The previous empress is dead. How can this be?”

Arkanos raised a hand, silencing her. “Calm yourself, Seraphine. Spirits are not like mortals. They are beings born of law and essence; they do not simply die. Their essence persists, though their state may change.”

He turned back to Ivan. “But why do the Akerians want this ring? As I understand, no one can summon a contracted spirit except the contractor or their descendants.”

Ivan inclined his head. “You are correct, my lord. However, the Akerians are not the ones who truly desire the ring. They are acting as intermediaries. The ring is a bargaining chip in a transaction with an organization calling themselves ‘The Angels of Ruin.'”

The mention of the name caused Abaddon’s calm demeanor to falter. His eyes widened briefly before he quickly hid his reaction. “What?” he said, his voice almost a whisper.

Arkanos’s gaze sharpened, his expression turning predatory. “Ah, so you know something, Abaddon.”

Abaddon stammered, his silver tongue failing him for once.

“I—I don’t. The name just sounded familiar, that’s all. I may have heard it centuries ago.”

A system notification flashed before Arkanos.

〘 ⋄ A Lie ⋄〙

His lips curled into a cold smile. “It seems you take me for a fool, Abaddon. I’ll deal with you later. It seems you need to be reminded of what it means to serve me.”

Abaddon folded his arms, his gaze sharp as he smiled slightly, seeing it as an opportunity it test his power against the emperor.

“I look forward to it.”

“Don’t,” Arkanos said coldly. “Only pain awaits you.”

Turning his attention back to Ivan, Arkanos’s tone softened slightly. “Is that all? Do you know why this transaction is so important to them? If they wanted the ring so badly, why not simply state their terms and let a war break out if I refused?”

Ivan’s expression grew grim. “Unfortunately, I was unable to uncover the exact details of their motives. However, I did take the time to research spirits and their nature. I learned that the previous empress is in a state of Daias Sleep.”

Arkanos raised an eyebrow. “Daias Sleep? Explain.”

One might think because Arkanos was a programmer of the game he was to know everything about it, but such a notion was as absurd, there are different programming teams in a game company.

He was simply in charge of fixing bugs, so if a bug never occoured in a program he would have no knowledge of it.

Ivan continued.

“Daias Sleep is a dormant state for spirits who have expended their essence to the point where they cannot manifest or interact with the physical world. They enter this state to recover over centuries, sometimes millennia. While in Daias Sleep, they are vulnerable to being bound or exploited by those who possess their vessel—be it a ring, a gem, or any other artifact.”

A heavy silence settled over the room as the weight of Ivan’s words sank in.

Arkanos leaned back in his throne, his expression unreadable, though his mind clearly churned with thoughts.

“So,” Arkanos utter, his voice barely audible, “they seek to exploit my mother’s spirit. And they are willing to risk war to do so. Interesting.”

Arkanos thought silently raced, ‘But the ring would be useless to them unless, there is a blood relative of mine among them.’

‘That much I’m sure, I fixed such a bug that prevented such items from being duplicated a while back, so I’m very certain about this.’

Ivan knelt once more. “I will continue my investigation, my lord, and uncover the exact terms of their transaction. With your permission, I will also ensure that the Angels of Ruin are kept under watch.”

Arkanos nodded slowly, his gaze drifting toward the shadows. “Do so.”

“As you command,” Ivan said, rising to his feet with a bow.

Arkanos leaned back in his throne with a contemplative look.

“It seems I will have to secure the Ring of El’Deron while it remains in the royal tombs.”

Seraphine frowned, stepping forward cautiously. “But won’t that be desecrating the grave of the previous Emperor?” she asked with a touch of concern.

“No,” Arkanos replied.

“I am merely collecting an item that is rightfully my inheritance, securing it from the clutches of my enemies. That is all.”

Seraphine sighed, bowing her head slightly. “I understand,” she said, though her tone suggested some lingering unease.

Before the silence could settle, Abaddon broke it. “Now that the big reveal is out of the way, are you finally going to tell us why the rest of us are here?”

Arkanos’ eyes snapped toward Abaddon, his sharp glare causing the fallen angel to smirk faintly in response.

With a heavy sigh, Arkanos leaned forward, his hands clasping the edges of his throne. “For the Berserker Knights…”

“you are here because I need you to oversee the safety of the dwarves on their journey. They are tasked with acquiring the resources necessary to complete the steam engine they are forging.”

Utilia stepped forward and placed a fist over her chest. “Understood, my lord. We will ensure their protection.”

Satisfied, Arkanos turned his gaze to Sylvana, who had been waiting silently near the edge of the room.

“Sylvana…”

“…you mentioned earlier that you had something to report?”

Sylvana stepped forward, bowing slightly before speaking. “Yes, my lord. The storage houses are reaching their capacity. At this rate, we won’t have anywhere to keep the crops we’re producing.”

Arkanos frowned with mild disappointment.

“Then simply stop planting for a while,” he said, as if it were the most obvious solution.

Sylvana’s eyes widened in shock. “Wait, what? No, that’s not what I was suggesting,” she said hurriedly, shaking her head.

Arkanos’s brow furrowed. “Then what were you suggesting?”

Sylvana took a deep breath. “I was thinking we could sell the surplus food to weaker noble territories for a reduced price. It would help them improve their circumstances, even slightly, while also solving our storage issue.”

Arkanos’s expression softened as he mulled over her suggestion. “I see,” he said after a moment. “That could work. However, you’ll need to speak with the Minister of Trade about implementing it. Make sure it aligns with our current strategies.”

Sylvana nodded, relief washing over her face. “Understood, my lord. I’ll see to it immediately.”

Arkanos leaned back once more, his gaze sweeping over the gathered assembly. “Any other reports?”

When no one spoke, Arkanos nodded. “Good. Prepare yourselves for the tasks ahead. The coming days will be pivotal.”