The President of Esteria returned to the country, his face bearing the weight of fear and humiliation—as if he carried a disaster he had never prepared for. The moment he arrived, he called for an emergency meeting, gathering all pillars of the state: ministers, military leaders, and heads of the royal families.
He entered the grand hall with slow steps, and a heavy silence filled the room. Standing before them, he took a deep breath and began to speak in a shaky voice:
"I ask you all… to remain calm. What I'm about to say… will change everything."
Murmurs and anxious glances spread across the room, but they all fell silent to listen.
"Esteria… is now officially… under the rule of the Vandor Empire."
The words struck like lightning. One minister gasped, another nearly fell from his seat, and shock spread across every face in the room.
The President continued, his hand trembling slightly:
"The military leadership has been completely replaced… it's no longer under our control.
The Minister of Economy and the Minister of Foreign Affairs… have both been dismissed and replaced by officials assigned by the empire.
As for the royal families… they will no longer have the freedom to act as they please. Strict oversight will be placed on their every move, and any decision must be approved by the Emperor himself."
He paused for a moment, then looked up at them with weary eyes:
"I… had no choice. It was either this… or we lose everything."
Silence filled the hall once more—but it wasn't understanding. It was fear… shock… and the painful realization that the Esteria they once knew—was gone.
In the village, as Raven sat quietly inside his home, an official entered swiftly, his expression serious and his voice carrying a hint of concern.
Official (calm but firm):
"Raven… I have important news. Esteria has now fallen under the rule of the Vanor Empire."
Raven slowly raised his gaze, responding in a calm tone with a hint of surprise:
Raven:
"An empire? There are still empires in this era?"
Official:
"Yes… The Vanor Empire is one of the few remaining. It consists of five nations under its banner. Their decisions are swift, and their army is terrifyingly well-organized. Esteria is now fully under their control."
A brief silence followed before the official continued:
Official:
"I know you've taken your revenge. The head of Everin, who was responsible for your imprisonment and the death of your friend… he's gone. But now, I ask you to stop attacking the remaining royal families."
Raven looked at him, as if waiting for a deeper explanation.
Official:
"Any attack now will be considered a direct threat to a state under Vanor's protection… and this is no ordinary country. You can't compare Esteria's power to Vanor's. Facing an empire like that would be disastrous."
Raven remained silent for a moment, then slowly nodded, as if his mind had started to think in a new way.
Raven (calmly):
"I understand… things have changed."
...
In the Arcadia headquarters,
Roderick: Calmly, his eyes fixed on everyone "Lina! What's the situation there?"
Lina: Nervously glancing at the paper in her hand "Same as before. Nothing has changed. They aren't moving, not doing anything."
Roderick: Seemingly puzzled but calm "Very strange!"
Ivan: Thoughtfully, "It's not strange. Since they signed a peace treaty, they seem committed to it."
Zarius: staring at everyone without concern "I hope they stick to it. We don't want to lose our trade due to their problems. We're here for our interests only, nothing more."
Neris: Cutting in "Away from this topic, there are rumors that Vanor has taken another state and now controls six states."
Adrian: Calmly "It's not a rumor, Estiria has fallen under Vanor's rule. It's a fact!"
Ray: "Just like that? No resistance?"
Zarius: Laughs dismissively, crossing his arms "What resistance are you talking about? Estiria is one of the weakest countries on the continent. They have nothing but money."
Noel: Curiously "Do we have any involvement in its fall?"
kain: Calmly watching them "What a foolish question."
Noel: "I'm just looking into everything. I have men in different countries who provide me with information. What I know is that the attackers were two. One attacked Evren using lightning magic, and the other attacked Falconir with fire or magma. Someone's name just came to mind."
Roderick: "Who is this person?"
Noel: "I suspect it's kain, and the description matches."
Ivan: Shocked, looking at Kain with curiosity "What? Why did kain attack Falconir?"
Roderick: Staring seriously at kain "kain, were you the one who attacked them?"
kain: "Oh, no use denying it. Yes, I attacked them and killed them."
Roderick: "Why?"
kain: Looking around briefly, then answering "I had a friend who attacked them, so I helped him. That's it."
Ray: "The one using lightning magic?"
Ivan: Focusing on Kain "Who is this friend?"
kain: "The one present during the money handover."
Ivan: Suddenly remembering "Oh, I remember now!"
Zarius: Smiling sarcastically, shaking his head "What's this, kain? You found something interesting. I think what you did was actually very good."
Lina: With a knowing smile "Of course! For someone like you who loves fighting, it's very exciting. But... if they find out that kain was the one who attacked them, what will we do?"
Ray: Frowning, speaking sharply "What kind of question is that? If they try to retaliate, both he and his empire will perish!"
Lina: Angrily interrupting Ray "We're talking about an empire, not a small country. Ray, don't speak before thinking!!"
Roderick: "Well, let me tell you something new about Vanor. Normally, the head of state or the emperor is the strongest. But the emperor of Vanor is very weak. There's someone behind him, and he's the strongest. Let's wait and see what happens."
Zarius: "I don't like these unclear things."
Lina: With a hint of caution "And don't forget, we might be working with them soon. Most of our trade partners have already started working with Vanor."
Noel: Thinking carefully "It's fine, we'll work with them if necessary."
Roderick: "We've received 800 million Phoenix. Has the money been distributed to you?"
Everyone: In unison "Yes."