Imperator: Resurrection of an Empire

Once all the build points had been spent the days returned to the normal grind, though Julius's new focus was on getting the newly established Great Tree to a point where the newly hired operatives could be indoctrinated to the cause.

And beyond that brought the representatives of the two Elite divisions representing the Kingdoms light and dark into the same meeting.

Commander Berta was seated in his full armor helmet resting on the table, while Miri the village girl was sitting opposite with Zeff standing slightly behind and to the side as support.

"Thank you both for coming, as you both should be aware the reason Ive called this meeting is to discuss the newly established Great Tree and to formulate a method to offer them real world practice in operations, and... at the same time perhaps testing my very own royal guards at the same time, not that I don't trust them but still its good to remind the people that their leader is protected by the best."

"I see..."

"So... what do you propose Sir?"

"I was thinking of having a series of 'missions' created that the Great Tree will issue to recruits upon them meeting certain training criteria and if they pass the test they move on to the next phase of training, failure of course means a return to their original training."

"I see so a step by step method as it was?"

"That's right."

"And how will these tests be performed?"

"Well for the fairness of those taking the exam I cannot reveal the exact nature to you commander since your side is the defender and as such would never know an attack was coming without intelligence to begin with, so we'll save that for a later date when we perform a full war game shall we?"

"Indeed, testing the men's reactions to these tests will be insightful to say the least."

"So on the surface we'll have a few exams but the best ones will be 'assassinating' a member of the Royal Guard or leadership within the army whom usually is guarded by the royal guards, and then an infiltration mission into the palace itself to a specific room that will serve as a treasury. Again to keep fairness the targets will change regularly so routines and similarities can be eliminated, no physical harm is allowed and all members are to be informed that should a 'death' occur it is to be taken to be real at least until the end of the simulation or if the call to arms is called to react to a real emergency."

"Hmmm that sounds feasible, but without being able to know the details in depth how do we properly setup for this to occur?"

"Simple for the next week inform all the palatial guards and staff that we will be conducting a test and that should they be marked by special blade that does nothing more than leave a red mark on their skin they are 'dead'."

"And the infiltrator?"

"That will be me."

"YOU! Your majesty, I know our agents are still brand new but you really don't need to..."

"Enough, Miri I get what you want to say but this is to show both sides just how hard I want this test to be. On the day of the test I will inform those off duty to be able to observe from afar so as to not interfere with the test itself."

""Understood.""

The challenge was lain Julius their king was going to break into his own palace like a thief in the night, meanwhile the Praetorians his own royal guard would be trying to stop him.

Normally they would not get any notice at all of an infiltrator like this but, by letting them know the challenge difficulty was elevated further just the way he liked it.

"My elites, let's see just how elite you really are."

~

A week later

The night wrapped itself around the palace like a shroud, the moon casting a pallid light over the high stone walls surrounding it, separating the King and his palace from The Eternal City.

Julius crouched in the shadow of the eastern perimeter, his black cloak blending into the darkness, his crown left behind in favor of a dark cowl.

He tightened the leather straps of his gauntlets, flexing his fingers.

Dressed not as a royal but instead as an assassin, head to toe in black cloth, even having darkened his skin with ash.

The Praetorian Guards patrolled in pairs along the battlements.

They moved with precision—helmets polished to mirror-finish perfection, spears sharp enough to split bone.

Julius had drilled with them himself, each man a testament to his military prowess.

But tonight, they were not loyal soldiers.

They were obstacles.

And obstacles were meant to be removed.

Julius crouched lower, his gaze locked on the two guards stationed near the garden gate.

Their eyes roamed the courtyard, their armour clinking softly as they shifted their weight.

They were alert, but not alert enough.

Julius waited in the shadow of a column, counting the seconds it took for one of them to glance over his shoulder.

It was a six-second window—just enough.

He moved like a shadow, his soft souled boots silent on the grass.

Before the first guard could turn, Julius had his hand over the man's mouth and the dagger dragged across his neck.

No blood sprayed but instead a red line was left on the throat of the man and following orders he made no sound but instead threw his hand up to clasp at his throat acting as if his throat had been slashed before falling to his knees.

The second guard turned at the sound—a fatal second too late.

Julius had hurled himself forward after 'killing' the first guard, the blade catching the man under his chin and driving upward, leaving another red line upon his skin.

He likewise offered up no sound aside from a simple gurgle once before collapsing, his halberd clattering uselessly to the ground.

Julius retrieved his dagger, pretending to wipe it clean on the dead man's tunic.

"First mistake,"

he muttered, stepping over the bodies.

The garden stretched before him, a maze of hedges and statues.

He moved quickly, keeping to the shadows, his mind a battlefield of calculation and instinct.

He avoided the main paths, ducking behind statues of gods and kings—one of which bore his own likeness.

He paused for a moment, smirking at the irony of hiding behind his own marble image.

"You've always been a fine distraction,"

he whispered, patting the statue's foot before continuing on.

At the entrance to the east wing, a pair of guards stood vigilant.

Their spears crossed over the door barring any entry, their expressions grim.

These were seasoned men, veterans of campaigns Julius himself had led.

He studied them for a moment, assessing their stance, their breathing, and the angle of their weapons.

They were good, but no one was perfect, not even himself.

Julius unslung a small pouch from his belt, pulling out a handful of iron caltrops—small, spiked devices designed to maim.

He scattered them across the stone path, then whistled softly. The sound carried in the still night air, drawing the guards' attention.

"What was that?"

one of them muttered, stepping forward.

"Probably just a cat,"

the other replied, though his grip on his spear tightened.

The first guard took another step—and hissed in pain as a caltrop pierced his boot and stabbed slightly into his foot, while still a caltrop these were designed to only lightly pierce the skin and not actually maim those unlucky enough to tread upon.

He stumbled, clutching his foot in shock, and Julius was on him in an instant.

The dagger slid between the gaps in the man's armour, punching through armour like paper by avoiding it all together.

Julius twisted the blade slightly, silencing the 'dying' man's gasp, then spun toward the second guard, as the first fell to the ground 'dead'.

The remaining soldier lunged with his spear, the blade cutting through the air where Julius had been a heartbeat earlier.

Julius ducked low, closing the distance in a blur.

He caught the spear shaft with one hand, driving his dagger into the man's armpit with the other.

The guard's scream was short-lived as Julius wrenched the weapon free and drove the pommel into his skull ending his 'life' with a simple tap.

The bodies crumpled to the ground, 'lifeless'.

Julius wiped the sweat from his brow, his breath steady despite the exertion.

He carefully collected the caltrops and slipped through the door into the palace's east wing.

Inside, the air was cool and faintly scented with incense.

The royal archives were at the end of a long corridor lined with tapestries and suits of armor.

Julius moved swiftly but cautiously, his footsteps muffled by the thick red carpet.

He paused at each corner, listening for the telltale clink of approaching guards.

The sound came sooner than expected—a pair of guards patrolling the corridor ahead.

Julius pressed himself into the shadows, his mind racing.

He couldn't afford a prolonged fight here.

The hallway was too exposed.

Instead, he waited until the guards were directly in front of him.

Then he struck.

The first guard 'died' without a sound, Julius's dagger slicing cleanly across his throat.

The second had time to draw his sword, but Julius was faster.

He caught the man's wrist, twisting until limb was hyper-extended to the point of breaking.

The guard screamed, the sound echoing down the corridor, and Julius cursed under his breath.

He silenced the man with a quick 'stab' to the heart, but the damage was done.

Footsteps thundered in the distance—reinforcements were coming.

Julius didn't hesitate.

He sprinted down the corridor, reaching the archive door just as the first shouts rang out behind him.

He picked the lock with practiced ease, slipping inside and slamming the door shut behind him.

The room was dark, the only light coming from the moonlit windows.

Shelves upon shelves of scrolls and ledgers surrounded him, but Julius knew exactly where to look.

He crossed the room to a locked cabinet, broke the seal, and retrieved the blueprints.

Rolling them tightly, he tucked them into his cloak and turned toward the door.

The reinforcements had arrived.

He could hear them shouting orders, their boots pounding against the marble floors.

Julius grinned.

Let them come.

As the door burst open, Julius hurled a heavy ledger at the first man, stunning him as it collided with his chest.

He moved like a whirlwind, his dagger flashing in the dim light.

One guard fell, then another, and if this was real blood would be pooling on the polished floor.

Julius didn't stop, didn't hesitate.

By the time the last guard slumped to the ground, the room was silent once more.

Julius stepped over the bodies, his boots no longer moving silently in his wake.

He exited the archives and made his way back through the palace, avoiding the main corridors and slipping past the few remaining patrols.

By the time he reached the outer wall, the alarm bells were ringing, and the courtyard was in chaos.

Julius scaled the garden wall with ease, disappearing into the night like a ghost.

When he finally stopped to catch his breath, far from the palace, he unrolled the blueprints and studied them in the pale moonlight.

A grim smile played across his lips.

The documents were safe.

The mission was a success.

And the bloodshed?

Necessary.

"Long live the king,"

he murmured to himself before vanishing into the shadows.

But not for to long since just a block away he rejoined with Miri and Commander Berta atop a three-storey building overlooking the palace walls.