The Kingmaker System

Duke Aurelius was too on edge to think straight while Sol paced around gripping the mana stone pendant that Ocean had given him.

Marquis Fairisles and the royal mages of the Denril palace were currently working to find a way to break the barrier that was etched over the ballroom. Even though the glass over the windows were broken but the strong mana barrier wouldn’t allow even air to enter.

"Is it not opened yet?" Duke Aurelius asked Marquis Fairisles.

"The barrier is too strong, it’s taking time." He responded as his forehead was slick with sweat while he was trying his best to break through the mana barrier.

Augustine and others were teleported outside into the garden in the snowstorm all of a sudden along with all the knights and servants. He couldn’t understand what was happening but soon realised that everyone was out apart from Marquis Ryujin and that some unknown men were ready to receive the people who would be out there. The people handed everyone blankets and the guests who had been too shocked just accepted it.

Damon, Zale and Miri had taken it up to themselves to get the guests to return to their rooms using the snowstorm as the excuse. The people were far too happy to leave and soon enough only the ones who were directly related to the matter going on stayed in that place.

"Lyall, what’s the meaning of this?!" Duke Aurelius shouted at Lyall who also stood outside.

"I’m sorry, Your Grace. It was Master’s orders."

"But why weren’t we informed of this?!" Eric demanded.

Rune jumped down from the balcony returning after trying to find a way to somehow get inside the ballroom.

"Young Duke, did you find a way to go in?" Davian asked and Rune shook his head.

"Every place is blocked, even if I use brute force, it’s useless." Rune said.

"What if I use my sword?" Arian asked as he stepped ahead unsheathing his sword.

"Highly unlikely," Davian mumbled, "Master must have foreseen this as well, but can you please give it a try?"

Duke Aurelius looked at Arian with a hopeful gaze and Augustine who had no idea of what was going on watched his son step ahead, his sword in hand ready to slice the doors off.

"Stop!" Sol who had been silent up till now shouted.

He stomped over and stood before the doors with his arms spread.

"Even if you did break this barrier there’s nothing you could do against what’s in there." He shouted.

"Sol, what are you saying? Are you telling us to just wait out here while my da-Marquis Ocean fights with those creatures alone?!" Duke Aurelius shouted.

"Why do you think he threw us all out?" Sol shouted, "We’ll only be in his way of we stayed in there."

Duke Aurelius was one step away from exploding but Augustine exploded before him.

"Can anyone tell me what’s going on here? First there were explosions, then an assassination attempt by some cursed individuals and now there’s some strange creatures here?!"

Arian turned to look at his father and Miri stepped ahead, Duchess Konstantinos and Celestia were by his side with Duchess holding his arm.

"Please calm yourself, Your Majesty. What’s happening in there is a controlled disaster." Miri said.

"Please allow us to explain it to you in private, we cannot possibly tell you out here." She spoke coaxingly.

Duchess Konstantinos who had been silent for a while spoke, "It’s already too suspicious that Marquis Ocean was prepared for all this as if he knew it was all going to happen. What are you possibly going to explain, Your Majesty? Are you possibly also involved in all this?"

Miri frowned, "I’d only ask you to have some patience while that person in there is fighting the monsters that are beyond your power, Your Grace."

Duchess Konstantinos frowned but before she could speak Marquis Fairisles felt the sound of the low hum that was coming from the mana barrier disappear.

"The barrier is down!" He announced.

Duke Aurelius and Rune at once rushed in followed by Davian, Eric, Arian and the knights.

Duke Aurelius gasped as he saw the figure lying on the ground in the middle of the ballroom. The other three dead bodies lay sprawled around but there was the refreshing scent in the air which carried the sense of purity that one would find in the Temple.

Ocean lay motionless on the ground, Duke Aurelius crouched at his side at once tears threatening to spill from his eyes.

"Re-Ocean... Ocean?" He spoke gently touching the handsome face of the unconscious young man.

Marquis Fairisles crouched beside him and held Ocean’s wrist for a moment before he sighed.

"He’s fine, he passed out from using too much mana." Marquis Fairisles spoke before he scanned the area. "He must have cleansed this whole area to not let any traces of those vile creatures linger."

"Grandfather, when will be wake up?" Rune asked.

"A few hours."

Rune sighed deeply almost slumping over and Davian scooped his arms under Ocean’s knees and his neck lifting him off the ground.

Rune gasped as he glared at Davian, "Wha-What are you doing?"

"Taking him to his room." Davian said as he held Ocean properly in his arms.

Ocean’s head rested over Davian’s shoulder and Rune reached out almost to take him away but Davian stepped back.

"Your Highness, please hand Marquis Ryujin over to my son. We’ll take care of him." Duke Aurelius said firmly but Davian didn’t seem like he was going to budge.

He glanced once at Ocean’s pale face and the mana that had dwindled to a great deal. His aura might cause trouble but he didn’t feel like letting Ocean off of his sight. He had a strange fear coiling in the pit of his stomach, he couldn’t help but tighten his grip ever so slightly.

"I believe I should take my chaperone back to his room, Young Duke and others can help the others." Davian said gesturing towards the people who were now coming inside the destroyed ballroom.

"Sol, let’s go." Davian spoke and the little boy looked once at Duke Aurelius who frowned.

Rune and Duke Aurelius almost followed Davian to pick a fight to retrieve Ocean/Reina but Marquis placed his hands over their shoulders.

"Let’s fix this before Ocean wakes up." He told them and the two men turned to look at him.

They weren’t willing to, but they could see that Ocean needed rest and the last thing they wanted was to let him handle even the aftermath right away after expending so much mana to save all of them.

Rune sighed and looked at Eric who stood beside Arian.

"What were those creatures?" Arian asked looking around.

"Let me ask you again, Your Majesty, King of Nelius," Augustine spoke looking at Zale, "What have you all been planning behind my back?"

Arian who saw his father being out of loop and angry sighed deeply.

"I’ll explain," Arian volunteered making Augustine look at his son in utter disbelief.

"You... Arian, you were in on this too?!" He gasped and Arian sighed running hand through his fiery red hair.

"As you know, Ocean Ryujin is a well connected man so," Arian started, "from his sources he got to know of the trouble that was going to happen tonight."

Augustine gasped and Arian continued, "He knew if anything were to happen to you or me then both the kingdoms and the people who had been looking forward to the peace would have to face the war again. He didn’t want that after all of our efforts so, he called for everyone here for his help to not let the peace be threatened."

Augustine’s face morphed through different expressions with the color draining and returning to his face hearing his son’s explanation.

"Then, he must also know who had been responsible for this, wouldn’t he?" Augustine asked, with the way his arms trembled at his sides showed that he was holding himself back a great deal.

Arian sighed, "That I don’t know, but according to his plans, he wanted to see who these people were and likewise focus on your safety. That’s why, he gave us all these special brooches that he designed himself. They are enchanted with the defense spells that can also go automatically in case the wearer is in danger."

Arian showed his brooch and Augustine noticed the similar types of brooches on everyone around him apart from Duchess Konstantinos and her daughter.

"But, why didn’t he come straight to His Majesty and tell him if he knew of this information?" Duchess asked and Rune sighed.

"We had been enemies a couple of months ago, Your Grace. If a Sestian Marquis suddenly came to know of the assassination plot of His Majesty of Denril then who would likely be suspected? With all of us being here, he planned to protect us all including the people of Denril so that no one would have to see that nightmarish war again." Rune explained making Celestia clasp her hand at her chest.

"Then... what about those people suddenly dying and coming back to life?" She asked. She had been the most horrified seeing that.

Rune and Duke Aurelius looked down and she could sense that there was something more to this than what was being presented.

Zale who had gone through this decided to take the lead, "Those creatures, My Lady were demons... Or I’d call them cursed puppets who were sent to carry out their mission even if their bodies had died."

Celestia’s face turned white as the snow and Rune clenched his fists while Augustine frowned. He had heard a great deal about demons and he had learned that only Dragons were capable of defeating demons. Then how could a man do that?

"But it’s impossible for anyone to deal with the cursed unless they are-"

"Marquis Ocean is capable of doing that." Damon sighed and Augustine looked at him before he ran his hand through his hair.

"Then... I guess, we’ll have to wait until he regains his consciousness." He muttered bitterly.

Everyone who were a part of Ocean’s plans had expected things to go south but this was out of the equation. If not for Ocean then they would have definitely failed this peace treaty and the kingdoms would have been forced into a war more brutal than the earlier one.

Augustine’s word would be the last but even at this moment Ocean’s word would be the only one that could protect the peace that was currently hanging by the thread.