Building a Kingdom and Conquering the World

Mehis was bustling with life.

Merchants rolled their wagons toward the mountain slopes, their wheels grinding against the dirt roads as they hoisted the banners of the Sun God Company. Miners stumbled out of the tunnels with pickaxes slung over their shoulders, faces smudged with soot and sweat after hours, or even days, spent underground, their eyes blinking against the daylight like moles.

Women moved through the streets, clutching the hands of their extroverted children as they made their way toward the public schools. institutions recently built under royal decree. Laughter mingled with the clang of pickaxes, hammers, and the creak of merchant carts. Shops also lined the roads, their shelves stocked with tools, bundles of herbs, iron trinkets, and supplies brought in from the capital and other parts of the kingdom.

Inside a luxurious carriage rumbling across Mehis, King Henry and Princess Eleanor Sylvanhart sat facing each other. Together with the noise of laughter, the smell of iron slipped through the open windows.

"So you mean there are many carriages like this in your Empire?" Henry asked, his tone measured, but the curiosity beneath it was difficult to hide.

He looked around the carriage, though calling it a mere "carriage" hardly did it justice. It was a marvel. Its interior far larger than its outer appearance suggested. At least six times larger, with enough space for two velvet-lined couches and a bed fit for a queen. Warmth also filled the space, far removed from the chill outside.

Eleanor gave a faint nod, answering with a quick note - "Not many. They are expensive. Most of the upper nobility have one or two, but not this big. I am a princess of the Empire after all."

Henry's brow creased as he considered her words. Any kingdom or empire producing such magical carriages so casually must be teeming with mages, as common as the snow that covered his lands. He needed more information and arms.

Eleanor's gaze drifted out the window again, taking in the streets, the buildings, the miners, and the families - "It is very different from what I imagined" - she said quietly.

Henry tilted his head. "And what were you expecting?"

She hesitated, still not used to others being so carefree around her - "In the kingdoms down south, they think these lands are lifeless… a place where gods punish sinners. Only the high nobles know life still clings to these lands. But even I did not expect this."

Her golden eyes lingered on the children laughing as they walked to school, on the line of miners shaking dust from their coats, on the busy shops open for business.

"The situation here is way better than in those kingdoms beyond the forest" - she added, her voice somewhat distant - "A prison of ice where flowers can still bloom, and hope clings to the land… I hope I can find my hope here as well."

Henry looked into her eyes. "Princess" - he began, causing her to turn toward him - "Do you mind telli—" - Before he could finish, a burning sensation flared in his coat pocket. He immediately pulled out a small black parchment, an item he had obtained from Luna.

"Oh… a Whispering Parchment" - Eleanor observed, her voice tinged with curiosity as she eyed the black slip in his hands - "I thought these lands did not have any remnants of magic. I can barely sense Mana because of that Frozen Forest you mentioned."

Henry, seeing no reason to lie, simply said, "A mage from the south traded it to me."

Eleanor's eyes flashed with a sudden intensity. "A mage from the south?" she repeated, her tone both careful and threatening. "And what did she want in return?"

"Books" - Henry answered, noting the shift in her expression. Guessing what she feared, he quickly added - "None contained information about the thing you are looking for, only magic."

Eleanor searched his eyes for any hint of deception. "I would like to meet her sometime; maybe she can help me find what I am looking for. I also have a lot of books on magic."

"When we reach the capital, I'll make sure of it," Henry said with a smile before turning his attention to the parchment in his hand. Golden letters were materializing on its surface. Eleanor's interest seemed to wane as she returned her gaze to the window, if it was not related to her own quest, it barely warranted her notice.

Henry began reading, his eyes carefully passing letter by letter. It was a letter from Leier. Once he finished, he leaned back against his seat, absently tapping the wooden frame of the carriage door. Silence befell the carriage.

-x-

Meanwhile, hundreds of miles away, the black parchment in Leier's hand glowed with golden script, revealing only a few disjointed words. Yet they were enough for her to grasp the message:

"Divide. Infiltrate. Discord."

The three words vanished from the parchment like dust on the wind. Without a word, Leier approached the corpse of the man she had just killed, rifling through his belongings with no regard for the blood smearing her hands.

"Here it is," she muttered, withdrawing a rolled paper, an ordinary map of the forest they occupied, marked with an X — "This must have been their target." Her bloody finger stained the map as she studied it. Then she glanced at the women in her team, their figures half-hidden by darkness.

She would need to plant some of them among the opposing forces, ideally in positions of privilege or influence. But first, she had to gather more information.

"I hope you have all rested enough" - Leier said. Despite having no sleep herself, she radiated energy - "We are going to depart immediately. Our first task is to observe the team not far from here. When the moment is right, a few of you will slip in among them and serve as our spies. Then, your next orders will be given in time."

Silence befell the clearing. A clear, but unsound agreement. They were Shadow Guards. They had been training nonstop for their mission.