Ken shuffled out of the living room. He dragged his shoes on the wooden floorboards. Scuff. Scuff. Scuff. He walked down the hallway. He slipped into the bathroom. He locked the door with a soft click.
He stood in the center of the small room. He dropped the goofy act completely. His sleepy eyes turned incredibly sharp and cold. He stood up perfectly straight.
He raised his right hand. He snapped his fingers.
The air shimmered. An exact magical clone appeared next to him. The clone wore the same wrinkled suit. It grabbed its stomach and made a pained face.
"Stay here and make some noise," Ken ordered quietly. "Act like you have a stomachache."
The clone nodded. Ken dissolved into the dark shadows. He completely vanished from the estate. He had a very important meeting to crash.
---
The Belmontian Council chamber remained extremely chaotic. The politicians continued to shout at each other. They could not reach a decision. The fear of the Black Magicians paralyzed them.
A prominent council member finally stood up from his chair. He wore a dark red suit. He looked incredibly angry. He slammed his fist on the marble desk. The loud noise echoed across the vast room. He demanded total silence.
The other ministers stopped yelling. They looked at the angry man.
"We are wasting our time arguing!" the council member shouted loudly. He pointed a finger at the Emperor. "We have a designated official for this exact problem! We created a specific role for hunting down dark magic users! Where is Senator Lancelot?!"
The entire room gasped softly. The name sent a chill down their spines.
The council member did not stop. He paced back and forth. He looked at the other politicians.
"He is not just a Senator anymore!" the man declared boldly. "He holds the noble title of Archduke! Archduke Lancelot commands absolute authority over these matters! It is his official responsibility to hunt Black Magicians! He has the resources! He has the power! Why has he not taken action?!"
The politicians murmured in agreement. They looked around the room. They expected the masked entity to step out of the shadows. They expected him to solve the problem immediately.
"The Archduke operates in secret," Minister Thorne noted nervously. "He does not attend these public sessions. We do not even know his real face."
"That is unacceptable!" the angry council member argued. "A Kingdom has fallen! We need our best weapon! The Archduke must act right now! We pay him to protect this continent!"
The Emperor raised his hand.
The simple gesture silenced the entire chamber. The Emperor looked down at the angry council member. His eyes were cold and piercing. He did not like people shouting in his presence.
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"You are speaking out of turn," the Emperor stated firmly. His voice carried immense power. "You demand action from Archduke Lancelot. You question his dedication to this Empire. You are making a massive mistake."
The angry council member swallowed hard. He took a step backward.
"Archduke Lancelot is not ignoring the situation," the Emperor clarified smoothly. "In fact, his team was the very first to relay this critical intelligence to us. His shadow network discovered the fall of the Bluemoon Kingdom hours before our own border scouts noticed the dark fog."
The politicians stared at the Emperor in pure shock. They realized the masked entity was always ten steps ahead of them.
"The Archduke does not wait for our bureaucratic debates," the Emperor continued. "His team is already in action. They are actively gathering intel. They are monitoring the enemy forces right now."
The room went completely silent. The politicians felt a deep sense of relief. They also felt a deep sense of fear. The Archduke was incredibly efficient.
A few hours passed. The sun began to set over the capital city. The Belmontian Council took a short recess. The Emperor returned to his private, secluded office.
The office was large and very quiet. Tall bookshelves lined the walls. A massive oak desk sat in the center. The Emperor stood by the window. He looked out at the glowing city lights.
Suddenly, the air in the room grew incredibly cold. The temperature plummeted. The shadows in the corner of the office began to swirl. They twisted together.
A bright purple magical communication circle materialized on the floor. It was a direct, highly secure transmission. The circle projected a tall, dark hologram into the room.
The Emperor turned around. He looked at the hologram.
The projection showed a man wearing a high-collared black cloak. Elegant gold embroidery lined the dark fabric. A smooth, terrifying black mask covered his face. A single, glowing purple eye shined brightly in the center of the mask.
It was Archduke Lancelot.
The Emperor did not flinch. He stood tall. He offered a small, respectful nod.
"Lancelot," the Emperor greeted him. "I expected your call."
"The situation is critical," Lancelot stated. His voice was deep, cold, and utterly devoid of human emotion. It echoed slightly in the quiet office. "The Black Magicians have secured the artifact. They plan to awaken a dangerous entity. The Bluemoon Kingdom is currently under their absolute control."
"I know," the Emperor replied. He walked over to his desk. "My council is panicked. They want to intervene. They cite our moral duty as a Great Empire. But sending our army across the border is incredibly complicated."
"It is a logistical nightmare," Lancelot agreed smoothly. The hologram flickered slightly. "We cannot unilaterally intervene in the political affairs of another sovereign nation. If we march our military forces into Bluemoon without authorization, it is an act of war. The international treaties strictly forbid unprovoked border crossings. The other kingdoms will turn against us."
The Emperor frowned. "Then our hands are tied. We must wait for an official request for aid. But the King of Bluemoon is trapped. He cannot send a message."
Lancelot let out a soft, chilling chuckle. The sound lacked any warmth.
"You rely too much on traditional paperwork," Lancelot mocked calmly. "I do not wait for official requests. I do not let bureaucracy dictate my movements."
The Emperor narrowed his eyes. "What are you proposing?"
"I am contacting you to confirm my intent," Lancelot announced with absolute authority. "I will personally lead the counter-attack. I will dismantle the Black Magicians entirely. I will recover the stolen artifact."
"You cannot just invade them," the Emperor warned firmly. "The political fallout will be massive. You will cause a global incident."
"There will be no political fallout," Lancelot countered. His glowing purple eye burned brighter. "I already solved the diplomatic issue. I consulted the Royal Houses of the neighboring territories. I spoke with their shadow leaders. I explained the apocalyptic threat. They understand the severity of the situation."
The Emperor stared at the hologram in pure disbelief. The masked entity had completely bypassed the entire government structure.
"They collectively granted their absolute approval for my intervention," Lancelot confirmed coldly. "The red tape is officially cut. My actions are fully sanctioned by the international underground. I have full clearance to operate within Bluemoon borders."
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