The Kingmaker System

The people’s eyes turned to Zale Turquoise, his presence commanding as if the air itself shifted around him. His long silvery hair spilled like liquid moonlight over his shoulders, a few strands framing his sharp features. His attire was a rich blend of emerald and black, intricate patterns curling across the flowing fabric like living waves. Gold accents traced the edges of his robe, and a belt of interwoven cords cinched his waist, securing layers of elegant fabric that draped with effortless grace.

Pinned to his chest was the jewel he held moments before—a brooch of deep green, its polished surface gleaming like a captured shard of jade, bound in an ornate gold setting. It drew the eye, not only for its craftsmanship but for the quiet pulse of power it seemed to carry. His gaze, a piercing shade of blue, swept across the hall with the sharp clarity of a blade, leaving little doubt why whispers followed in his wake.

Augustine turned to look at him and asked, "How could you possibly do that, Your Majesty?"

Zale smiled before he looked at the two criminals on the ground, who eyed him cautiously.

He stepped ahead and placed his hand over the man’s head gripping his skull.

"Showing you all should be faster." Zale spoke and his eyes glinted green before the green mist flowed from his palm into the man’s head. The man started convulsing and the woman gasped struggling to break free.

"Wha-What are you..." The knights holding the man gasped.

"It’s fine to let go of him now." Zale said, "You must know that we Merfolk have the power to manipulate the minds of people, Your Majesty?"

Augustine nodded thoughtfully and Zale smiled.

"It allows us to sometimes interrogate the criminals who could even take their secrets to their graves. Once my aura enters the man’s brain, they are forced to take orders from me and answer to my questions with absolute truth."

The woman gasped and Zale smirked before he looked at Augustine.

"Now, shall we find out if His Highness Eric and Marquis Ryujin are really the perpetrators of today’s assassination or are they only being framed?"

Arian stepped ahead beside Augustine before Eric and Davian walked closer to Ocean. Sol who had been watching from the crowd broke free from there and ran up to Ocean’s side. Davian too crouched beside Ocean while watching Zale. He understood it in an instant when he saw the glinting green brooch over Zale’s breast. It was one of the brooches that Ocean had handed over to those who were a part of his Plan.

Merfolk had the special ability since centuries which allowed them to attract and enchant the sailors. Their history included the stories of Lorelei, they were the kind who could sing and attract the ships only to sink them and prey on the humans as well as build their own empire in the depths of the ocean.

Their shapeshifting bodies and enchanting aura was enough to just attract the prey but ever since they started dealing with the other species they stopped using those methods and relied on ethical trading.

Still, the Merfolk also had the power to control and manipulate the minds of their prey if they got close enough to touch their preys like how Zale was demonstrating. Ocean knew about this which was why, as his Plan C he had asked Miri, Zale and Damon to meet him for breakfast in the slums to discuss the plan.

The Plan C was mostly for the related people to wait and observe till the time for them to step ahead came. Just like now.

Ocean stayed kneeling, not moving an inch as if he had been frozen in that state.

"Please go ahead and ask," Augustine said.

"No!" The woman shouted.

"Shut her mouth." Arian commanded the knights holding her down and they obliged.

Zale who held the man’s head asked, "Is it true that His Highness Eric had ordered you to carry out today’s assassination?"

The man’s mouth opened and his dazed eyes stared off in the distance as he spoke.

"N...No."

The people gasped and Augustine also flinched, the Sestian people were still waiting anxiously.

"Then, did Marquis Ocean Ryujin or any of his men order you to assassinate the King and Crown Prince of Denril?" Zale asked.

"No." Came the reply which made the tensed men relax.

Augustine gasped and looked at Ocean who had been kneeling, he couldn’t help but feel guilty for instantly believing the words of the assassins.

"Is your son really held captive by Marquis Ocean’s men?" Zale asked.

"No."

"Do you even have a son?"

"No."

The people around now couldn’t help but keep mum. Sol leaned close to Ocean not speaking anything as he knew Ocean was only waiting.

Zale’s eyes flickered over to Ocean for a split second before he asked, "So, His Highness Eric and Marquis Ocean are completely innocent?"

"Yes," the man spoke.

Eric released the breath that he had been holding before he kneeled beside Ocean.

"Mas-Marquis Ocean, did you hear that? It’s clear now that we’re innocent. Please rise." Eric said but Ocean didn’t move.

Augustine noticed this and pursed his lips, clenching his fists at his sides.

"Then who did it?" He asked.

Zale asked, "Who gave you the orders to carry out this assassination then?"

The man’s mouth opened but then the black froth started seeping out and Zale frowned before he watched the man twitch and then fall to the ground.

"Wha-What just happened?" The knights gasped but in an instant, both Ocean and Sol understood what it was.

Followed by the man, the woman too started convulsing with the black froth oozing from her mouth and she too went limp.

The knights who checked them gasped, "Th-They’re dead."

Augustine was stunned, "What? How is that possible? Didn’t you say that your aura would command their brain? Then how did they die?"

Zale looked at his palm, his expression grim before he looked at Ocean.

"It wasn’t me who killed them, Your Majesty." Zale spoke.

The confusion spread across the people but even he understood what their sudden deaths meant, before grimly adding.

"They died because of the curse of secrecy."

Augustine gasped while Arian frowned not understanding.

"What’s the curse of secrecy?" Arian asked and Zale sat on his knee before the man’s dead body.

He opened the man’s mouth and pulled his tongue out which had the black incantation etched on it. Arian’s eyebrows furrowed deeper seeing that.

"What’s the meaning of all this? Who could do that?" He demanded.

Augustine who had only heard of such curses was silent as this was a big thing now. It was as good as a declaration of war.

Augustine looked at Ocean, his guilt multiplying, "Please rise, Marquis Ocean Ryujin, I apologise for suspecting you. It had been my great misjudgment to doubt the man of honor as yourself."

"Master," Davian whispered as he leaned over to Ocean’s side but Ocean wasn’t listening to them anymore.

He heard the sound of a clink and he turned his eyes towards the clock that lay shattered on the ground.

Sol’s eyes also drifted over to that spot and Ocean gripped Davian’s hand.

"Don’t let go of Sol." Ocean spoke before he rose to his feet.

Augustine smiled tentatively watching Ocean, Ocean rose to his full height before he spoke.

"It’s not the end of it, Your Majesty." Ocean announced.

"What?" Augustine asked and Arian flinched as he sensed something from the fallen clock.

Arian stepped beside his father, gripping the hilt of his sword.

The dead couple on the ground suddenly twitched along with the man whom Arian had killed a while ago making someone from the crowd scream. Before long the three staggered to their feet with nothing but black holes for their eyes and black mist emanating from their bodies as the black veins rushed over their pale skin like rashes.

"Plan D!" Ocean shouted and before anyone would react the pillars of light shot up from the brooches that were on the people.

"What’s the meaning of this?!" Augustine shouted before he felt his son grab his arm and suddenly he was swallowed up by the blue light.

But before he could manage to completely lose his vision he saw the glint into the eyes of Ocean Ryujin who suddenly looked no man but a being far beyond his imagination.

Plan D involved the mass teleportation spell that Ocean had prepared with Lyall’s help. He had Lyall place the mana devices all across the ballroom for such bigger emergency in which he wouldn’t want his family or any collateral damage around.

The devices were solely controlled by Ocean and as soon as he saw that the things were going to go out of hand, he casted the spell teleporting all the humans and those who possessed his brooches out of the ballroom to a safe place at once leaving only those who weren’t humans.

Simultaneously after the teleportation spell had gone off the mana barrier rose to keep anyone from outside to come in and anyone from inside to go out.

Ocean removed his coat and folded the sleeves of his shirt back to his elbows as his Dragon’s Presence lashed out like a beast that was finally allowed out of its cage.

The fractions of black mist rose from the broken clock and the zombie trio surrounded Ocean Ryujin who stood in his spot.

His blood sizzled and his mana enveloped his being. He smirked at the black apparitions which looked more like the death eaters hover around him.

"I never expected this but I guess, the Golden Serpent doesn’t cease to impress me with her vile mind." Ocean spoke as his arms slowly started changing.

The smooth, unblemished skin turned into shiny blue scales and the long, pristine fingers turned into large sharp black claws. His eyes glinted dangerously as the faint blackish blue scales started appearing as waves up from his neck.

The number of the black apparitions were around twenty or so with their misty form it was obvious that killing them would be tricky since they would keep coming back if any physical attack was used against them. The trio seemed more like the mutant cheetahs whom Ocean had faced years ago.

Ocean couldn’t help but feel the sense of thrill run through his blood as it had been a long time since he had to go all out.

He would enjoy this thoroughly.