Author's note: A little disclaimer. This is a world far different from our own. In this world there are only three continents. East, middle and west are just to name the location of these continents. It is totally unrelated to the current or past events. I am an asian myself and currently living in North America, so please I do not mean any bad. Thank you always for reading. I hope you enjoy 🥰
Thanks to the tonics, he still can ran from the guards but he is unable to escape due to the unprecedented baggage.
"Hic, hic, hic..."
"Quiet!" He hissed at the little girl. "This is not what they told us! Tsk."
The ruler of the far east continent received an information about the weakening strength of the Empire. The greed of the east that makes them kill each other for a piece of land had wondered, what if there are more land in the far west? What if they just take more from there?
The East is filled with uncouth people, and there are so many people, so many. Food is never enough, land is never enough and power is never enough. Even how many of your own you killed, there are still thousands of them that will snatch everything away from you.
His lord is tired of protecting his own feudal land and the only way to get out of the sick cycle they have to get away from the East.
One day the feudal lord saw a mage reflected in water, at first they are scared because it is the first of witnessing such absurd phenomena but the words of the mage gave them enlightenment and knowledge about an Empire in the far west which is thriving than any place in this planet. The continent the mage spoke of sounds like a promise land and they crave for it. For years they have so many failed attempt to break into the borders but recently they got a help from the inside. Their lord sent the bests of his warriors and met the mage in the water for the first time.
The mage told them where to set up a camp and how to prevent beasts from attacking them. They told him who to kill in order to get hold of the power of the Empire. However, before they head out out of that place, one of them took a hostage.
When he saw a glance of the little girl, he find himself entranced and decided to convinced his comrades that having a hostage will be beneficial so that the mage or the place where they entered will not stab them at their backs and if things go haywire, they can exchange the girl for their lives.
Now, it seems that it came true, though upon seeing the man with his red eyes, he knows that an exchange of hostage for his dear life will not happen. He thought of killing the girl so he can move faster like his comrades but his instincts is telling him that he will die right away if he let go of this tiny life in his arm.
As per their training, they all separate from each other in order to get away faster than being in a group. However, the disadvantage of such act is they do not know if someone had died or if he is the only one that remains. But all they need to do is just get out there.
Not far from the distance, he smelt a familiar scent. He turned his head and saw a figure sitting down against a tree. He contemplates if he should go and help but an injured comrade will be nothing but a hindrance. Then he feel up the inside of his pouch.
'I am running out of tonics.'
He cannot help him, but stealing his comrade's tonics will help him greatly. He put down the girl who is already far tired from crying and passed out once again. He slowly and precisely sneak in behind his comrade but-
.....
When Joseph felt the foreign presence, he tried to lower his aura as possible. Joseph is a lot bigger than this people and his idea might not have work if there still light. However, there is not even a moon in the sky which might make his plan work.
The man approached him precisely and when he is in arms length, he grabbed his neck and have no intention of letting go. The man wriggle his body, in attempt to break free and then pull out a dagger to stab Joseph's wrist however he lost his strength soon after from the lack of air.
"Using my comrade's blood, you ev-"
Then he is gone. Joseph who been enduring his fury all this time snapped the mans head out of his body.
"Evil? You guys did it first."
Joseph's glowing red eyes blended well with his blood covered armor. He used one of the dead body's blood to attract the last remaining foreigner. He thought he might fail if they have a mindset to forget your own comrade and just save yourself, but in order for these foreigners to last to their monstrous pursuit, if not magic, then these guys should have some sort of medicine or potion to make themselves tireless. Which Joseph and his knights confirmed after searching on the ones they had killed.
Joseph calmed down.
"The diamond seal's order is no joke."
He was planning to play around this mission, he was thinking of making Benjamin anxious and not finishing the job right away.
His plans were to kill one each night then leave his knights here in order to make sure the foreigners could not ran away, then he goes back to Spade to be at the breakfast table and do some work while making Benjamin crazy and making him beg for Joseph to finish right away.
It was a good plot of revenge, but the little diamond bearer ruined it. As a king and a knight, the power of the diamond seal is impeccably and unavoidable.
Joseph approached the passed out little girl. He gently uncovered the cloak covering her and sighed in relief.
It is not his daughter.
This is the other reason while he have to finish this right away. When he saw the group with this little girl, his fury exploded right that instant. The group might was trying to make a deal with them in exchange of the girl but when he cannot contain his aura, they understood that no such deal will happen and they spread out like little cockroaches.
"Bring this girl to the prime minister. Treat her gently, she is a seal bearer. Tell that man that I will be back after taking care of some stuff in Spade."
"Sire, should some of us come back with you?"
"No need, just protect that girl, going back by myself will be easier too."
And just like that Joseph disappeared in the darkness.
....
Benjamin came down from the Emperor's room. He tried to slip away as early as he can so there are only few knights who will see him coming out of his father's room.
"Seriously the stress will kill me, I really need a vacation."
If he really needs one, he should do a short one before the war breaks in.
"I should snatch Kaleid from Spade so that I have a snack and tea maker."
He jokingly commented but he knows that even if he does take a break, everything will still at the back of his mind.
"Ah... I want some good news for a change."
"Your grace!"
"Oh! Sir Alfred! How was your mother, or should I say father, the Duke of Leo?"
"Good morning to you your grace, the Spadian knights had been waiting for you." The young lad ignore his superior unnecessary greetings.
"Oh! Good work! Seriously I will kiss them one by one if they finished their mission!"
"Your grace, please refrain yourself, your image is already embarrassing enough."
"What do you mean? That is my charm! Wait, don't tell me you guys already passed the gossip to the Spadian knights."
Benjamin pushed his face to the stony figure of Sir Alfred. The man avoided his glare.
"Ahhhh!"
The Spadians knights have a strict oath of secrecy but it does not mean that the knights will not talks among themselves. Benjamin got shivers when he thought that the gossip might even reach Clover Country. The loving fatherly look on the Duke of Virgo's eyes gave him shivers.
"Your grace! Please composed yourself."
"Composed what?! I have nothing left! From now on I will not hold back and be eccentric as I want to be!"
The young Knight sighed and continued on reporting. He really thinks that working with the Prime Minister is such a hassle.
"The Spadian Knights saved the heart seal bearer and is currently being taken care of inside the castle."
"What?!"
"The Spadian Knights saved the heart se-"
Benjamin stood up and ran inside where the knights are waiting for his presence. Alfred gave another heavy sighed and followed the prime minister.
"He is totally a pain."
...
"How are you feeling?"
"Hic!" The girl hide behind the maid.
"Your grace, it seems that the child was traumatized of the events that took place."
Benjamin Tsk in the insides and he took another glace of the shivering girl and noticed the tiny heart seal below her eyes.
'It is really quite small, does it mean that the heart seal is getting weaker? The seals are getting weaker? Is there a possibility that the clover seal is gone for good then? But Dia's seal's seems to be the strongest out of all the former Diamond seal bearers.'
"Take care of her like a special guest and call some doctors.... Female doctors, it seems she is scared of men. Sir Alfred, please put the best guards for her, a couple should be enough, more than that will make her worst."
"Your grace, how about informing the Heart Country? They must be practically looking for their seal bearer."
"Let's hold on that for now, I'll talk with the King of Spades for that matter. And let them look for all I care, they did not guard their own seal properly."
Benjamin watch the people exited his office one by one.
There are a lot of variables and he cannot focus on one. It seems that everything connects each other but some does not make sense.
For sure Joseph have a spy or two in Heart Country, Benjamin believes that he will hear more when the King of Spades comes back.
The Heart Country was not mentioned at all at the prophecy, but it does not mean they are excluded from it. The fate of the Empire is the fate of the four countries. It is unthinkable that something wrong might be brewing from the country that is supposed to be the Mother of the other three Countries. The country that have given the Empire the best Empresses.
"Empress huh..."
Something amiss is definitely bothering Benjamin, the constancy of death among the empresses of the current Emperor.
In his old man's reign as the Emperor, the man had three empress and all of them died mysteriously, except of Benjamin's mother who was stripped of her title after losing the heart seal in her. Benjamin's mother hid the fact that she was carrying the son of the Emperor out of rage and given the boy to the orphanage, she soon gone crazy and died according to some people Benjamin asked when he tried to find out what happened to her.
People felt bad of the woman that was in the street carrying a baby doll in her arms. They tried to help her and give her shelter and food but the woman always goes back to street. The commoners who took care of Benjamin's mother until she has passed were very kind people, which is the reason why Benjamin never turned against the Empire. Even though he finds the sick obsession of the nobles with their titles and the seal bearers, Benjamin believes that in contrast the Empire have the kindest citizens.
"Why we cannot have all the best?"
One way or the other, when someone is good, somewhere, someone is Evil. The balance that makes fate have sense but at the same time absurd.
"But I guess, no one knows what is good, until they know what is bad."