I Became the Villain Alpha's Omega (BL)

"Your Majesty. May the Light of the Empire ever shine upon you."

The three court mages lowered themselves into a formal bow.

King Alderon regarded them in silence before giving a slight nod. "Rise."

Three court mages, dressed in the dark, heavy wool robes of the Imperial Arcane Division, stood in a neat, rigid line near the center of the rug.

Alderon sat behind his desk, his long fingers folded loosely over a stack of untidy parchment. His face was pale, his eyes shadowed by deep, hollow circles that made him look ten years older than he was.

"Do you know why I called you here?" Alderon asked, his voice low, dry, and entirely flat.

The head mage, a man named Cassius with grey hair and spectacles resting on the bridge of his nose, bowed his head deeply. "We do not, Your Majesty. We were told it was a matter of urgent review."

Alderon didn’t answer right away. He reached into his coat, pulled out a small velvet pouch, and tipped its contents onto the flat wood of the desk.

A heavy red stone rolled across the table, stopping just short of the inkwell.

"Duke Valtrane gave this back to me," Alderon said, resting his chin against his palm as his gaze settled upon the three men. "He claims there is something wrong with it."

Cassius frowned, stepping forward a half-pace. "Wrong with it, Sire? The hearth stones were inspected and blessed by the central tower before they were distributed to the northern outposts."

"He says it attracts beasts," Alderon interrupted, his voice dropping an octave, completely cutting Cassius off. "He says the moment his men activated these stones during the subjugation, the monsters in the area went completely frenzy. They were swarmed. He barely brought his troops back alive."

The three mages exchanged quick, bewildered glances.

"That... that can’t be, Your Majesty," the second mage spoke up, his voice trembling slightly. "The hearth stone formula has been unchanged for years. It is pure fire-elemental mana encased in a stabilized quartz shell. There is no blood magic, no baiting array, no corruptive spellwork inside it. It is physically impossible for it to draw beasts."

"And yet," Alderon said, his eyes narrowing into sharp slits, "the Duke is not a man given to wild imaginations. Nor is he a novice who mistakes a bad blizzard for an anomaly."

Alderon leaned back in his high-backed chair, letting out a slow, tired breath. "I had every intention of looking into this matter the moment Duke Valtrane first brought it to my attention. Yet before I could summon you and have it examined, the matter concerning Iryna’s poisoning arose, and my attention was necessarily turned elsewhere. There were too many urgent matters demanding my judgment for me to spare the time this required."

His gaze settled upon the three court mages standing before him.

"Now, however, the palace has quieted, and the more pressing matters have been brought under control. I would no longer have this matter left unattended. If Duke Valtrane believes there is something amiss with it, then I want to know precisely what it is, and I want an answer immediately."

The third mage, a younger man with sharp features, cleared his throat hesitantly. "Sire... if I may speak freely?"

"Speak," Alderon commanded.

"Is it possible... that His Grace may have been mistaken?" the youngest mage asked at last, though the question came slowly, each word chosen with considerable care. He lowered his gaze for a moment before continuing, evidently aware of how delicate the matter was. "I do not mean to question the Duke’s judgment, Your Majesty. It is only that, from what we have been told, there may be another explanation."

He hesitated again.

"Perhaps he believed he saw something that was not truly there. Or perhaps the object appeared different to him because of the circumstances in which he encountered it. Such things can happen, particularly when a person has been under considerable strain for some time."

His fingers tightened slightly within the folds of his robe.

"His Grace’s health has been declining of late, has it not? And with the duties placed upon him, the demands of his position, and the strain brought about by the recent events, it would not be entirely surprising if his mind had begun to suffer beneath the burden as well. Exhaustion can affect a person’s judgment in ways that are not always immediately apparent."

BRAK

Alderon’s hand slammed flat against the wooden desk, making the inkwell rattle and all three mages flinch violently backward.

"Are you telling that the Duke is insane?" Alderon snarled, his pale face suddenly flushed with a cold, terrifying rage. "Are you standing in my private study telling me the Northern Duke doesn’t know the difference between a monster horde and a hallucination?"

"N...No, Your Majesty!" the young mage squeaked out, dropping to one knee instantly. "That is not what I meant!"

"Watch your tongue," Alderon growled, his breathing heavy as he stared down at the trembling man. "Zarius has fought on those borders since he was young. If he says the stones are broken, you do not question his sanity. You question your own incompetence."

Cassius quickly bowed low, trying to defuse the King’s unpredictable temper. "Please forgive my assistant, Sire! He spoke out of turn. We are not accusing the Duke of lying. But... surely Your Majesty understands that we can’t simply accept a claim that would overturn what has been established through years of study and practice without physical proof. We must conduct a trial."

Alderon stared at Cassius for a long, suffocating moment before the tense line of his shoulders slowly relaxed. He leaned back in his chair, the fire in his eyes dulling back into exhaustion.

"Then go and test it," Alderon said flatly. "Take the stone and examine it under proper conditions. If you require more samples, send word to the Duke and obtain them from his estate. I do not care how many tests must be performed. If there is truly something wrong with that stone, I want to know what it is."

"At once, Your Majesty," Cassius said, quickly picking up the stone and wrapping it tight in a linen handkerchief.

"And Cassius," Alderon added, his voice dropping into a low, bone-chilling whisper that made all three men freeze near the door.

"Yes, Sire?"

"If it is discovered that those stones were tampered with, or that there has been any negligence or misconduct within your people, I expect the matter to be dealt with accordingly," Alderon said, his gaze passing steadily over the three mages. "Your integrity is not something I am willing to see compromised. Whatever the cause may be, I expect the truth to be uncovered and the proper measures taken once it is known."

"Understood, Your Majesty," Cassius replied quietly, bowing his head.

"Then see that I receive the truth before I am forced to seek it myself."

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