"I suggest we get Liam Maddach out of this House now!" Varcon said.
The Baron sighed as he lowered his head.
"I thought it was clear that my decision on the matter is final. We will let this small matter play out." He let out a warm breath before continuing, "As the customs of the House mandate me in this situation, I will have to seek counsel with the Elders… Not for small matters."
Varcon sat down obediently, nodding as he twirled his wine.
Nearly all the Elders were seated in the conference room, ready to give their opinions regarding the announcement the Emperor had just given them.
If Gorath had his own way with things, he would have simply discussed this matter with his Calculor and strategist.
At least they might have useful information about how to move forward.
But, just like everything, the formalities slowed things down.
"The Immortal—" Gorath stopped, feeling strange calling his God Emperor immortal despite the announcement, but he went on, "The All-Knowing and Gracious God Emperor Vossian has given us an announcement. I brought you all here to discuss this matter."
Elder Aisha nodded, still shaken by the announcement.
"I know how to move forward, my Lord," Vaelric replied.
"We will have to choose our representative for the Imperial Throne. The faster we decide on the matter, the earlier we can put our resources into building them up. This should be our main goal—to have a Maddach as Emperor," Vaelric commented.
'Finally, something useful…' The Baron nodded.
The Elders had a habit of rambling and gossiping, even in important meetings. Vaelric, one of the younger Elders who had also trained in the ways of the Calculor despite never officially being one, was far ahead of the others.
"We know that." Varcon smelled his glass before taking another sip. "The only problem is deciding who we should choose to support for the throne."
The Elders, fearing that they might make the wrong comment and offend the Baron, turned to him.
Gorath shrugged. "I am open to suggestions. That is why I brought you here."
Elder Thorne smiled. "It's clear that the next Baron is Valen, so I was thinking that maybe Kaelus should be the next Emperor."
Thorne was one of the Elders who had not been happy with the Baron's decision to choose Valen as his heir, but since another position was opening up, the Baronship meant nothing to him anymore.
His grandson might be able to become Emperor.
Varcon sneered as he shook his head. "Valen has proven to be the most worthy youth among us. Kaelus is a number two and always has been."
This wasn't an insult—it was a fact.
Among all the children in House Maddach, Valen stood out.
And even though Kaelus Maddach was great, comparing him to Valen was like comparing a jungle cat to a Bengal tiger.
"I was just giving my opinion. That's all…" Thorne gritted his teeth.
Varcon clapped once. "So it is settled, then. Valen should be the Emperor, while Kaelus will be the next Baron of the House."
That was not a bad idea.
But Cheng knew that another idea was coming out of one of the Elders.
Vaelric, knowing Cheng's look, saw that the Calculor was expecting him to react. "There is another choice. Valen is still too young. Even if he is smart and strong, he still lacks the experience to lead an organization."
"Nonsense. He has led a few companies to success," Varcon replied.
"But nothing that will prepare him for the Throne. But right here, at this table, we have one." He stared at the Baron.
Gorath straightened his back as he glanced toward Calculor Cheng. 'It was just like how he said the conversation would go.'
"While the Baron is Emperor, Valen will lead House Maddach, where he will be trained to be the next Emperor. And when he takes his place on the Throne, then Kaelus can become Baron," Vaelric concluded.
Everyone stayed quiet.
It was a good plan.
The optimal one.
The Calculor had already discussed this plan with the Baron, but it needed to be heard from an Elder to solidify it among the group.
Varcon pulled his beard. "That's an idea I can get behind." He shook his head in approval.
The Baron turned to both Aisha and Thorne. "So, is everyone good with the plan?"
'I was hoping to get Kaelus to be Emperor. But I guess a guaranteed seat as Baron is not bad either.'
Thorne was tempted to debate the matter, but he could not think of any argument against their idea. "It's good with me."
"Elder Aisha?" Gorath asked, seeing that Aisha had something on her mind.
She shook her head. "This is not right. We are planning to take the Throne of the All-Loving and Gracious. This is our Father we are talking about."
Tears flowed from her eyes.
"Father" was what most followers of the Temple of Vossian used to refer to him.
However, they were only allowed to call him that in a religious context.
This was not.
She stormed out of the room before any of them could comfort her.
Varcon laughed. "I told you we should have stopped her from joining the Temple."
The Baron, tired of the meeting, tapped the table with both palms. "That concludes this meeting."
Three of the Elders left, with only Vaelric remaining. "Mind telling me why I'm called to stay, Cheng?"
"You are the only member of the Elders who is not senile." Cheng rubbed his fingers together, trying to find the words. "Or a religious fanatic."
Vaelric pitied Aisha.
The God Emperor was her everything.
And now, her everything was coming to an end.
"The other Houses are probably doing the same thing as we are. They, too, have chosen their representative," Cheng calculated.
"And just like us, they will be putting all their resources into theirs," Vaelric replied.
The Baron and Cheng agreed.
The hardest war was not the battle of the Empire against its enemies.
It was the battle of the Houses.
Each House had a Calculor or a few.
The problem was that they were all capable of calculating each other's moves and responses.
So each House always chose the safest and most efficient route.
It was the only reason why there had been no wars.
The real battles were among the Calculors.
The reason why most of the economic battles between the Houses always resulted in a stalemate.
And even if a House 'lost,' the loss would be too small to even matter.
So for hundreds of years until now, peace between the Houses had been the best decision.
But now, risks had to be taken if they wanted to win the Throne.
"This is when the real fight starts." The Baron took a deep breath as he saw his Calculor calculating the possibilities against the other Houses.