Chapter 17
The queen, that terminal case of paranoia who seemed to crave being sold off, now revealed exactly why she'd held onto her throne all this time. She was competent. Incredibly so.
"Ledgers. Troop dispositions. The hidden fortunes you've stashed away. And a full accounting of your clan's assets. Bring them all to this queen."
The moment she extracted oaths of submission from the five tribal chiefs, Mirien put them to immediate use. In the blink of an eye, every secret of Kaien's five greatest tribes—the so-called Five Pillars—laid itself bare before her.
"From now on, the five of you will not fight. The instant I hear of any quarrel between you, this queen will intervene. No more scheming behind my back. No more plots or plans. Report to me every morning. Detail everything you did the previous day."
The chiefs' expressions varied wildly. Faces twisted like they'd bitten into shit. Souls fled from their eyes. Some stared vacantly at the submission tattoos now etched into their flesh. One even sobbed pitifully, tears streaming down despite standing before the queen.
But what could they do? It was over.
With Aiden at her side, the queen spent the better part of half a day stripping them bare. Yet it wasn't mere extortion for her own gain.
"These roads. These two. Why are they severed?"
"That bastard killed one of our warriors over some petty spat, so we blocked it in retaliation."
The five tribes were mortal enemies. They'd only joined hands briefly against their common foe: the queen. Fellowship or cooperation? Never in the cards. Jealousy and rivalry had bred peak inefficiency across Kaien on every level.
And the queen addressed it.
"Connect the roads. Opening this route will shorten logistics lines and bring massive benefits to the kingdom."
"You want to let that bitch profit?"
"Who're you calling a bitch?! You're the one who provoked us first!"
"Shut your mouths, both of you, or I'll invoke the submission oath and make you parade naked through the streets."
"....."
"....."
"Connect the roads. Do not test this queen's patience."
She wielded the chiefs like toys, deftly untangling the mess. Road networks realigned. Unified boundaries for tangled farmlands. Ownership claims for mines, so snarled from endless bickering that no one knew what belonged to whom anymore—streamlined and centralized. And more.
Contrary to her suspicious first impression, Mirien reorganized the kingdom with proactive efficiency.
"This should suffice for now. Handle the minor details yourselves—I trust you will. Report every morning on the progress of my directives. My subordinates will watch you. Slack off or scheme behind my back, and you'll taste my wrath."
"We obey........ Urk."
Seeing the chiefs tremble, unable to stomach the humiliation, Mirien flashed a sly smile.
"We'll discuss mediating disputes among the lesser clans and minor tribes, and other kingdom reforms, in due time. Dismissed for today."
The five chiefs, architects of corruption, assassinations, betrayals, and countless plots poisoning the realm? Gone. All that remained were the queen's administrative slaves.
Only Aiden and the queen remained in the audience chamber.
"Satisfied?"
"Yes. My heart feels a bit lighter. With my greatest rivals now bending to my will, running the kingdom will be far smoother. Even simple tasks were impossible amid the uproar from all those clans and tribes. Thanks to you."
"Good. Then please resume exports of Soul Flame as promised."
"I will. It's one of our key exports. Cornac the guild master, was it? I'll need to speak with him. Since I owe you, repayment is in order."
The queen looked at Aiden. She'd said eye contact was only for prophecies, sex, or fights.
He dipped his head to avoid her gaze, bowed, and turned to leave the chamber.
"Then I'll take my leave."
"I forbid it."
Returning to his quarters was still off the table.
"Raise your eyes and meet this queen's gaze."
Aiden paused, puzzled.
"Another prophecy? I have no more to give........"
"No."
"Pardon?"
Not a prophecy? Then why demand eye contact?
The queen was smiling. Not a challenge to fight. Then what?
As strange thoughts crept in, she approached and clasped his hand tightly.
"I promised a reward for your aid."
"Yes, you did."
"Then receive it."
A sigil etched onto the back of his hand, then raced up his arm to settle below his elbow.
"What is this?"
"An oath."
"What kind?"
The queen didn't answer. Instead, she made a request.
"You've gained immense reward. Grant this queen one more favor."
Immense reward? That oath just now?
What the hell kind is it?
But she only smirked mischievously, offering no explanation.
"Kaien's kin fear Betua raids and earthquakes above all. Precisely foretelling them is vital. Until now, prophets and shamans filled that role. Their power was immense—no chief or even this queen could touch them."
Mirien sighed, her face heavy with grudges.
"The three grand shamans you toppled? Child's play. The problems born of prophets' and shamans' grip on power are far from trivial. I want to seize that power for myself."
No way.
"You want me to stay in Kaien?"
Abduct and imprison him? Yesterday's futures held no such thing. But he'd chosen the vague third path at a butterfly-effect fork, clouding her future from his actions.
Fear rose—then she burst out laughing.
"No need for that. You have your own life; I can't force it. Just one thing: Periodically prophesy Kaien's quakes and Betua raids for me. Share those visions only with my subordinates. That alone will strip away much of the prophets' and shamans' power."
Not hard at all.
"I'll send subordinates to you regularly. Divine their futures and tell them alone. Can you manage?"
"Easily."
"Good. That suffices. I'll provide shaman's robes. Tomorrow morning, meet at the central plaza before Echoing Castle. There, before all, I'll announce you prophesy only for this queen."
Mirien seemed thrilled. The chiefs. The prophets and shamans. Her foes, the power-holders who'd plagued Kaien. With them swept aside, visions of her true reign danced in her eyes.
"Look into this queen's eyes."
She demanded eye contact once more.
"Your name?"
"Aiden. I run a fortune shop in Yurtel."
"I see. Do you know this queen's name?"
"Yes."
"Speak it aloud."
Aiden frowned at the odd command. Why? What was this about?
But he couldn't refuse the queen.
"Mirien."
She smiled.
"Good. Go. Ask the guild master about the reward I've given you. How you use it is yours to decide. I'm curious how you'll act."
He rolled up his sleeve to inspect the oath sigil on his forearm. Shadow-etched, it gleamed subtly, beautifully formed.
"What does this oath do?"
No answer.
He left the chamber without one.
The queen was bold.
"The great oracle has agreed to divine for this queen, for Kaien's sake! Kaien need fear no quakes or monster raids! Anxious futures are no more!"
The next day, her proclamation to the throngs of dark elves before Echoing Castle unleashed ecstatic cheers.
Of course, some wore shit-eating grimaces. Minor chiefs. Clan heads. Shamans and prophets looked abysmal, even at their politest.
But what could they do? No one outdid the great oracle's accuracy.
A simple announcement, but a declaration of war. She'd weaken the prophets and shamans, end their reign of terror.
With the Five Pillars in hand and futures hers, the queen was now Kaien's true sovereign.
And she never forgot her helpers.
"I promise to resume Soul Flame exports. Your antidote saved this queen."
"Thank you! Thank you!"
"Paltomas flowers too—for your guild, twice yearly, on a fixed schedule."
Cornac's eyes bulged. He grinned like he'd lick her feet on command.
"Ahh, great queen! My thanks! Such a treasure!"
"Precious to the whole kingdom. Use it well."
"Of course! Haha!"
She showered Aiden's group with more. Pouches brimming with Kaien-exclusive gems and treasures, one for each of the five.
Cornac beamed ear-to-ear. The escort knights blinked in daze as they pocketed theirs.
Thus ended their business in Kaien.
"You're in Yurtel, right?"
"Yes."
"Tourist city, I hear. I'll visit often."
He'd entered a stranger, left a revered oracle. Even without using his powers, his Yurtel shop would draw a more diverse clientele.
They left the familiar caves, sunlight a novelty as they surfaced. Back in the count's car, bound for Yurtel.
"Sun's Tear production is viable now, right, Guild Master?"
"What a question! Uhahaha! Thanks to you, great oracle—I've profited huge! Paltomas flowers! Royal garden exclusives in Kaien, and now ours! Yurtel Alchemy Guild thrives forever!"
"Looking forward to it."
The car buzzed with cheer. Knights debated what to buy with their gems; Cornac raved about potion profits from the flowers.
Then it hit Aiden: the oath sigil on his arm.
"Guild Master."
"Haha! Yes, great oracle! Anything! I'd lick your feet!"
"Know anything about oath sigils?"
"Not all, but the major ones, sure."
"This one—what does it mean?"
He showed his forearm. Cornac's merry face shifted oddly.
What was that look?
"Haha! When did you get that...... Impressive!"
What?!
Why the face of a dad finding porn on his son's PC, chuckling 'Heh, my boy's grown'?
"Who? Not some random dark elf. A chief or shaman clan, right? Must've really wanted to impress you to mark that."
The lecherous grandpa vibe creeped Aiden out.
"No—what is it?!"
"Showing off, eh?"
"I don't know! What sigil is it? The queen etched it herself. Wouldn't explain. That's why I'm asking......"
Cornac's grin froze. He stared at Aiden's face and sigil, back and forth, then asked in a dumbstruck voice.
"The dark elf queen...... marked you with this?"
"Yes."
"Blackmail?"
"Huh?"
"Read her past, found some dirty secret and squeezed her? Explains the flowers!"
"No blackmail!"
"Then she chose to mark you?"
"Yes! What is it? Explain!"
Cornac giggled incredulously, then sobered into baffled seriousness.
"It's the sigil of a sex slave. The master's mark. Lets you command the oath-bound utterly...... the sticky, erotic kind."
".........Pardon?"
Silence blanketed the car.
Finally.
"You enslaved the dark elf queen?! Great oracle, are you sane?!"
Cornac's wail—or was it laughter?—erupted.