"The Kingdom of Cassander, is it..."
"The situation in the south remains unchanged. If the Empire does not intervene, history will likely take its original course."
Seated upon the Iron Throne, Cassius pondered in silence. He narrowed his eyes, waiting quietly for the arrival of the envoy from the Kingdom of Cassander while summoning memories of his past life.
He possessed those memories after all; he was thoroughly familiar with the lore of Elezerg and understood the general course of the Great Disintegration of Holy Fadlan.
At present, the realm stood merely in the first phase of the collapse—the "Battle of the Three Emperors."
The so-called "Three Emperors" referred to Wilhelm of the Kingdom of Thrace, Otis of the Kingdom of Cassander, and Felipe of the Kingdom of Seleucia.
Ten years ago, Aragorn I had spoken words that echoed to this day: "Teotihuacan is the brightest jewel upon the imperial crown; possessing it means possessing the imperial throne."
Thus, the three heirs of the late emperor had plunged into a protracted, near-frenzied war over Teotihuacan, the "City of Sunlight."
Each claimed to be the sole legitimate heir of the old emperor and the future ruler of Holy Fadlan.
Under years of incessant warfare, Teotihuacan had been battered into ruins, claiming the lives of millions. The once-glorious City of Sunlight had degenerated into a meat grinder.
Following that "War of the Scarlet Sunset," the three kingdoms had suffered devastating losses, leaving them incapable of controlling their territories. In response, godblood nobles across their borders led their troops into rebellion, establishing one petty realm after another across what had once been the Holy Fadlan Empire.
That marked the second and longest phase of Holy Fadlan's collapse—the Clash of Kings.
It was during that period that Tiamat's Dragon Tyranny had unfolded.
*The Clash of Kings...* Cassius thought.
For now, the three successor kingdoms—having inherited nearly all of the Holy Fadlan Empire's legacy—remained far too formidable. Each king commanded a Godblood Legion comprising dozens of legendary champions, remnants of the legendary Blazing Sun Legion.
If the Cinder Empire launched a rash sneak attack, it would inevitably provoke a desperate, ferocious counterstrike from the Kingdom of Thrace.
When that happened, Cassius would merely be paving the way for the Kingdom of Cassander, already the most dominant of the three, granting them the chance to unify Fadlan.
That was the last thing Cassius wanted to see.
*Tsk, at this stage, diplomatic threats, extortion, and deception must remain the primary tools. The goal is to squeeze as much tangible benefit from the three kingdoms as possible.*
*At the very least... I must seize the Katepa Hills south of the Anzeta Corridor to secure a forward base for expanding into the continent.*
Cassius slowly opened his eyes, a glint of rapacity flashing in his pale gold irises.
From outside the hall came the voice of a tiefling guard.
"Your Majesty, the envoy of the Kingdom of Cassander has arrived outside the palace."
"Let them enter."
With a heavy, rumbling sound, the palace doors slowly parted.
Guided by attendants, the delegation stepped into the great hall. It was a sizable mission numbering over a hundred individuals, comprising guards, officials, scholars, and others. They brought with them several heavy, ornately decorated wooden chests inlaid with gold thread.
The leader appeared to be a man in his thirties, clad in a bright, form-fitting tunic beneath a flowing robe woven with gold, red, and orange threads. Atop his head rested a crown shaped like the rising sun—the standard vestments of a cleric of Amaunator.
Clearly, the Kingdom of Cassander attached great importance to this diplomatic mission. Not only did they intend to foster goodwill with the Cinder Empire, but they also took every opportunity to project that they were the true and legitimate heirs of Fadlan.
The head cleric stepped forward, bowed deeply in salutation, and began:
"Greetings to—"
He hesitated for a fraction of a second, but smoothly continued without a hitch: "—Your Imperial Majesty."
"I am Navin Bessarius, envoy of the Kingdom of Cassander. His Majesty King Otis has sent me to convey his regards and congratulate you on unifying the Great Anzetta Waste and ascending the throne as Emperor of the Cinder Empire."
"This is a modest token of gifts, offered as a symbol of His Majesty King Otis's personal friendship."
Navin raised a hand, signaling several burly fighters to carry the chests forward and lift the gilded lids.
Instantly, dazzling radiance bathed the hall. The chests were brimful of gold and precious jewels.
Cassius let out an appreciative chuckle.
"As expected of a monarch ruling the 'Land Blessed by the Sun God.' Wealthy indeed."
"Navin, convey my gratitude to King Otis for his gifts. Tell him that I am more than pleased to befriend a human of such generosity."
"Of course, Your Majesty."
Navin bowed once more, entirely calm and composed.
Several hulking ogres strode into the great hall, heaved the heavy chests onto their broad shoulders, and carried them off without a word.
Cassius continued:
"However... an ambitious ruler like King Otis surely did not send an emissary across such distance solely to offer personal friendship, did he?"
"Do you—or rather, does the Kingdom of Cassander—have a request of the Empire?"
A flicker of delight passed over Navin's face. He quickly clasped his hands and answered, "Your Imperial Majesty, your wisdom leaves me in utter awe."
"His Majesty King Otis does indeed hope to forge a partnership with the Empire. He even wishes to enter into a secret pact with you, that we might become close allies."
"Allies?"
"As far as I know, the Empire has had no prior dealings with the Kingdom of Cassander, nor do we share any common interests. On what basis would we speak of an alliance?" Cassius asked in a measured tone.
Steeling his expression, Navin spoke with solemn gravity: "The Cinder Empire and the Kingdom of Cassander share a common enemy."
"What enemy?" Cassius feigned ignorance.
Navin hesitated for a moment, then firmly spoke the name:
"The Kingdom of Thrace."
"Your Majesty surely knows well in your heart that should the Cinder Empire seek to expand southward, the Kingdom of Thrace is the greatest obstacle standing in your path."
"If you cooperate with us... we can crush the Kingdom of Thrace together."
Cassius neither agreed nor disagreed, merely offering a faint smile. "Anyone who knows me is well aware that I have always been a peace-loving sovereign who prioritizes the welfare of his subjects. Therefore..."
He paused.
Inwardly, Navin scoffed at the preposterous claim.
*A peace-loving red dragon who just annihilated an entire kingdom?*
*What a joke.*
Though he thought as much, Navin betrayed none of it, listening with bated breath for what would follow.
Cassius peered down at Navin with his golden pupils, his voice dropping low. "If we work together—what does my Cinder Empire stand to gain?"
"Two-thirds of Thrace's territory."
"On behalf of His Majesty King Otis, I pledge to you that all lands north of the Radiant Mountains shall belong to the Cinder Empire. The Kingdom of Cassander requires only the southern territories of Thrace."
Navin had evidently prepared this pitch well in advance, delivering it with practiced fluency.
His terms were extraordinarily enticing—so much so that Duoluo, listening from the side of the hall, found his breath hitching.
Yet Cassius knew Otis's true design.
South of the Radiant Mountains, within Thrace's capital of Auguste, the "City of Sunrise," stood a Pyramid of the Sun God.
Legend held that the new emperor would hold dominion over all the pyramids, and upon the summer solstice, conduct a sacred sacrificial rite simultaneously across every one of them.
When that time came, the Sun God would once more bestow boundless, transcendent power, allowing new generations of godbloods to carry on the glory and majesty of Holy Fadlan.
Otis was by no means seeking genuine goodwill with the Cinder Empire. Rather, he believed that once the Kingdom of Cassander—or the Second Fadlan Empire—completed the sacred rite of "Solar Radiance," the Cinder Empire would pose no threat at all.
Any ceded territory would merely be held in temporary trust, easily reclaimed whenever he wished—along with the total annihilation of the Cinder Empire.
Chapter 382