Virat: Abandoned by Destiny
Chapter 58 — The Shadow That Reached the ThroneNarrator
"Strange, isn't it..."
"An axe is made to cut wood."
"The main part of an axe is made of iron."
"But iron alone cannot cut wood."
"So another piece of wood..."
"Must be placed beneath the iron to create its handle."
"And that same wood..."
"Must be held while the iron cuts another piece of wood."
"What does that mean?"
"To cut wood..."
"Iron alone is not responsible."
"Sometimes..."
"Another piece of wood is responsible too."
"Politics between kingdoms can be the same."
"One kingdom may hold the power..."
"Another may hold the position..."
"And sometimes..."
"The one standing between them..."
"Becomes the reason the blade never reaches its target."
The golden light of morning slowly spread across the horizon.
The night disappeared behind the mountains.
A few thin clouds drifted across the sky, their edges glowing beneath the rising sun.
Beyond the borders of the Kingdom of Spades...
A black horse raced through the forest.
THUD!
THUD!
THUD!
Its hooves struck the damp earth at tremendous speed.
Alistair sat upon its back.
His dark cloak moved violently behind him.
His eyes remained fixed ahead.
He did not look back.
The Kingdom of Spades had already disappeared behind the trees.
His destination...
Was another kingdom.
Another throne.
And this time...
He carried something more dangerous than a warning.
He carried the truth.
The horse suddenly entered a dense section of forest.
The trees became taller.
The sunlight became thinner.
Alistair pulled the reins.
The horse slowed.
Then stopped.
Silence.
No road.
No travelers.
No guards.
Only the quiet movement of leaves above them.
Alistair dismounted.
He walked toward a particular patch of earth.
Several days earlier...
Before leaving Restart Village, he had deliberately placed several small paper figures along the route.
They looked like nothing more than pieces of paper pushed into the ground.
But they were part of his secret network.
Alistair crouched beside one.
He touched it.
For a moment...
Nothing happened.
Then—
SHIIIIING...
A faint golden light emerged from beneath the paper.
The soil began to glow.
The light expanded.
And suddenly—
The black horse appeared within the same circle of light.
THUD!
The horse landed firmly.
Alistair mounted.
His expression remained unchanged.
His secret network had saved him hours of travel.
But the information it had carried was far more important than the time.
Lazim had arrived.
And he had not come alone.
Armed men.
Bandits.
Soldiers.
Enough men to turn a political dispute...
Into an armed operation.
Alistair looked toward the distant direction of Restart Village.
His eyes narrowed.
"So..."
"The day has begun."
He pulled the reins.
The horse moved forward.
Restart Village
At almost the same time...
Restart Village stood beneath the growing morning light.
But the village no longer felt peaceful.
Lazim stood before the villagers.
Behind him were armed men who claimed to be there for protection.
The villagers had gathered around the old meeting hall.
Brald stood at the center.
Lazim held the golden parchment in his hand.
"The agreement is simple."
His voice remained polite.
"Accept the protection of the Holy Kingdom..."
"And Restart Village will receive financial support."
"Gold."
"Resources."
"Protection from external threats."
His eyes settled on Brald.
"And you will remain Village Chief."
Brald looked at the parchment.
"And if I refuse?"
Lazim's smile remained.
"Then you resign."
A few villagers exchanged uneasy glances.
Brald remained calm.
"Protection does not require ownership."
Lazim's smile became thinner.
"You misunderstand."
"No."
Brald answered quietly.
"I understand perfectly."
A silence fell between them.
Lazim folded the parchment slightly.
"Then perhaps..."
"You should understand something else."
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He looked toward the villagers.
"Restart Village is surrounded by powers far greater than itself."
"The Holy Kingdom."
"The Kingdom of Spades."
"And the kingdoms connected to the sacred river."
"You cannot remain isolated forever."
Brald's eyes sharpened.
"And that is exactly why you want this village."
Lazim said nothing.
The silence itself became an answer.
The Shadow Network
Far from the village...
Alistair suddenly felt a faint vibration beneath his cloak.
He stopped the horse.
A small paper figure activated.
He pulled it out.
The paper unfolded.
Words appeared.
Alistair read them.
His expression barely changed.
Brald had responded.
The message confirmed what Alistair had already begun to suspect.
The Kingdom of Spades had refused to intervene.
Alistair folded the paper.
"So..."
"That is the reason."
He continued riding.
The decision of the King of Spades was not as simple as refusing to help.
It was the result of decades of political history.
Geographically...
The Kingdom of Spades held an extremely important position.
The upper regions of the sacred river passed through its territory.
The river eventually carried purified water toward other kingdoms.
Restart Village stood at a crucial point in that system.
Because of the village's purification ritual...
The river remained safe for the kingdoms downstream.
Years ago, several kingdoms had recognized the importance of the river.
They had entered an agreement.
No kingdom could deliberately stop its flow for personal gain.
No kingdom could use the river as a weapon.
And Restart Village...
Despite being located near the borders and influence of the Holy Kingdom...
Had been recognized as an independent settlement.
Its independence existed for a reason.
The village was not simply a piece of land.
It was part of a system that affected multiple kingdoms.
Alistair's eyes moved toward the road ahead.
"If Restart Village disappears..."
"The consequences won't remain there."
He understood the political calculation.
If the village were destroyed or abandoned...
The purification process would eventually stop.
The kingdoms downstream would begin losing access to clean water.
And the first kingdom they would be forced to depend upon...
Would be Spades.
That would give Spades enormous influence.
Water.
Trade.
Resources.
Political leverage.
A kingdom controlling the source of something essential did not need to conquer every neighboring kingdom.
Sometimes...
It only needed to control what those kingdoms could not live without.
But there was another problem.
The Holy Kingdom.
The relationship between the Holy Kingdom and the Kingdom of Spades had never been warm.
Their borders had seen disputes.
Their rulers had disagreed over territory.
Trade routes had caused conflicts.
The sacred river had been another source of tension.
And in the past...
Their disagreements had escalated into war.
Not once.
More than once.
So if the King of Spades attacked a man claiming to be a Holy Kingdom minister...
And that man truly was an official...
The consequences could be disastrous.
One sword strike...
Could become a border conflict.
One dead official...
Could become a declaration of war.
One wrong political decision...
Could bring two kingdoms back to a battlefield they had spent years trying to leave behind.
Alistair understood.
"The King of Spades didn't refuse because he was weak."
"He refused because he couldn't afford to be wrong."
The horse continued forward.
But Alistair knew something the King of Spades did not.
Lazim...
Was not a recognized minister of the Holy Kingdom.
Alistair reached inside his cloak.
Another paper figure unfolded.
This message had traveled through his secret network into the Holy Kingdom.
The response was short.
No official appointment.
No recognized position.
No record of Lazim serving as a minister.
Alistair's eyes became colder.
"So..."
"He isn't a minister."
He immediately sent another message.
This one went directly toward a Holy Kingdom minister with access to the royal court.
The message contained everything.
Lazim.
Restart Village.
The land.
The contract.
The threat.
The claim of Holy Kingdom authority.
The possibility of an attack.
But Alistair deliberately kept one thing.
Brald's original letter.
He touched the folded document beneath his cloak.
"This..."
"Will be shown to the King himself."
The black horse continued through the forest.
Above him, a few birds crossed the pale morning sky.
Then disappeared beyond the trees.
The Seal of Betrayal
Days passed.
The forest became plains.
The plains became mountain roads.
The black horse continued carrying Alistair toward the Holy Kingdom.
Every evening...
He checked the roads.
Every night...
His network moved information.
Every morning...
He continued forward.
Until finally...
The massive walls of the Holy Kingdom appeared beyond the horizon.
White towers rose above the surrounding land.
Banners bearing the kingdom's insignia moved gently in the wind.
The roads outside the capital were crowded.
Merchants.
Knights.
Travelers.
Church officials.
Soldiers.
The Holy Kingdom was alive.
Powerful.
Organized.
And completely unaware...
That someone was using its name to threaten an independent village.
Alistair entered through an outer route.
He did not need to search.
His network had already arranged the meeting.
A man waited near the road.
He wore the robes of a senior royal minister.
His expression was intelligent and serious.
The moment he saw Alistair...
His eyes narrowed.
"Alistair."
Alistair stopped.
"Maelis Vorne."
Maelis gave a faint smile.
"It has been a long time."
"We don't have time for memories."
The smile disappeared from Maelis's face.
"Then tell me."
Alistair began walking beside him.
"Lazim entered Restart Village."
"He claims to be a minister of this kingdom."
"He offered protection."
"Gold."
"Resources."
"And land."
Maelis's expression hardened.
"Land?"
"Yes."
"Under what authority?"
"That is what I came to discover."
Alistair continued.
"The Kingdom of Spades refused to intervene."
"Because of the possibility of war between Spades and this kingdom."
Maelis remained silent.
Alistair continued.
"The two kingdoms already have a history of conflict."
"Neither ruler wants to make the first move without proof."
Maelis nodded slowly.
"Understandable."
"But there is more."
Alistair looked at him.
"Your kingdom has no record of Lazim."
Maelis stopped walking.
"What?"
"I checked through my network."
"He has no recognized appointment."
Maelis's expression became serious.
"If that is true..."
"Then someone is using the name of the Holy Kingdom without authority."
"Exactly."
They continued toward the palace.
Maelis looked toward him.
"Why didn't you send the proof through your network?"
Alistair's hand touched the letter beneath his cloak.
"Because some proof..."
"Should not travel through paper."
Maelis understood.
The Royal Palace
The massive palace doors opened.
The throne room was quiet.
The Holy King sat upon his throne.
Several officials stood around him.
Maelis stepped forward.
"Your Majesty."
The King looked toward him.
Then his eyes moved to the man behind him.
For a moment...
The King simply stared.
Then a faint smile appeared.
"It has been a long time, Alistair."
Alistair bowed.
"Your Majesty."
The King's expression carried familiarity.
"Alistair..."
"The Shadow Hunter."
Alistair raised his head.
"I have come because Restart Village is in danger."
The King's expression immediately became serious.
"Speak."
Alistair explained everything.
Lazim.
The contract.
The demand for land.
The pressure placed upon Brald.
The claim that Lazim represented the Holy Kingdom.
The possibility of an attack.
The refusal of Spades.
And finally...
The evidence that Lazim was not recognized as a minister.
The throne room became silent.
The King leaned forward.
"Do you have proof?"
Alistair reached inside his cloak.
"Yes."
He walked forward.
A folded letter was placed before the King.
The King opened it.
The handwriting belonged to Brald.
The letter described everything.
Lazim's arrival.
His claims.
His demands.
The promised gold.
The promised protection.
The demand for land.
And Brald's concerns regarding Restart Village.
But at the bottom...
Was an official seal.
Maelis stepped closer.
His expression changed instantly.
"Your Majesty..."
The King looked at him.
"What is it?"
Maelis stared at the seal.
"This is not an ordinary seal."
The King stood.
"Explain."
"It belongs to the highest administrative authority of the Holy Kingdom."
A silence fell across the throne room.
"It is used only for matters officially recognized by the Crown."
Maelis looked toward the documents Lazim had presented.
"If this letter is genuine..."
"And Lazim's documents carry a different seal..."
"Then someone has either forged an official identity..."
"Or..."
He paused.
"There is a traitor inside the Holy Kingdom."
The King looked at the documents.
His eyes became colder.
"This seal..."
He touched it carefully.
"I know it."
Maelis nodded.
"So do I."
The King compared the documents.
Then...
His expression changed.
"The seal on Lazim's document..."
"Is false."
Maelis answered immediately.
"Completely."
Silence.
No one moved.
The King slowly stepped away from the throne.
"How long has this man been operating under our name?"
"We don't know," Maelis answered.
"And how many people has he already contacted?"
"We don't know."
The King looked toward Alistair.
"And Restart Village?"
"Already surrounded by danger."
The King closed his eyes for a moment.
When he opened them...
The ruler had returned.
"Emergency declaration."
Several officials froze.
"Your Majesty?"
"Activate the royal emergency protocol."
The atmosphere changed instantly.
"Send orders to every military command."
"Prepare one thousand soldiers."
One official hesitated.
"One thousand?"
The King looked directly at him.
"Yes."
"This is no longer a local dispute."
"It concerns the unauthorized use of the Holy Kingdom's authority."
"It concerns an independent settlement."
"It concerns our relationship with the Kingdom of Spades."
"And if Lazim has already begun an armed operation..."
His voice became colder.
"...then every day we wait gives him more opportunity to turn this into a war."
Maelis bowed.
"Understood."
The King looked toward Alistair.
"You said Restart Village is already in danger."
"Yes."
"Then we leave now."
The palace bells suddenly rang.
BOOOONG!
BOOOONG!
BOOOONG!
Across the capital...
Soldiers began gathering.
Armor was prepared.
Horses were brought forward.
Weapons were distributed.
Orders traveled from one military command to another.
The city that had begun its morning peacefully...
Was now preparing for an emergency.
Within a short time...
One thousand soldiers stood ready.
At the front stood the Holy King.
Beside him...
Maelis Vorne.
And behind them...
Alistair.
The Shadow Hunter.
Before mounting his horse...
Alistair turned toward Maelis.
"Maelis."
Maelis looked at him.
"Yes?"
Alistair remained silent for a moment.
Then asked quietly:
"How is Celia.........Vorne?”
Maelis's expression softened.
"Celia is doing well."
A small pause.
"She is going to become a mother again."
Alistair's eyes softened slightly.
"Good."
Before either man could say anything else—
The King called from ahead.
"Alistair."
Alistair turned.
The King was already mounted.
"We are leaving."
Alistair nodded.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Maelis mounted his horse.
The palace gates opened.
The army began moving.
THUD!
THUD!
THUD!
One thousand soldiers passed through the gates.
The golden banners of the Holy Kingdom moved above them in the wind.
Alistair rode near the front.
His black horse moved steadily beneath him.
He looked toward the distant road.
Restart Village was waiting.
And somewhere between the two kingdoms...
The political consequences of Lazim's deception had already begun to grow.
Restart Village
At the same time...
Restart Village had entered chaos.
The contract dispute no longer mattered.
The argument over the position of Village Chief had become meaningless.
Two names now filled the streets.
"Lily!"
"T!"
Villagers searched everywhere.
Near the river.
Along the roads.
Inside the forest.
Around the houses.
Lanterns moved through the darkness.
Voices echoed between the wooden buildings.
"Check the eastern road!"
"Search the riverbank again!"
"Look behind the houses!"
"No one has found them!"
Brald stood silently in the middle of the village.
His face remained calm.
But his eyes were different.
He already understood.
Something was wrong.
He slowly turned toward his house.
The front door stood slightly open.
A cold breeze moved through it.
Brald walked toward the entrance.
The door creaked softly.
Creaaak...
"Lily?"
No answer.
"T?"
Silence.
He entered.
The house looked almost normal.
The table.
The chairs.
The familiar walls.
Yet something felt wrong.
Brald's eyes moved across the room.
Then stopped.
A small object belonging to T lay on the floor.
He bent down.
Picked it up.
His fingers tightened around it.
For several seconds...
He simply stood there.
Outside...
The villagers continued searching.
Far away...
One thousand soldiers were moving toward Restart Village.
And between those two points...
A political storm was gathering.
The Kingdom of Spades had chosen caution.
The Holy Kingdom had chosen action.
And Restart Village...
Had become the place where both decisions would eventually collide.
Narrator
"One king refused to draw his sword..."
"Because he feared starting a war without proof."
"Another king..."
"Moved the moment the proof appeared."
"Between them..."
"One man carried the truth."
"Alistair."
"The Shadow Hunter."
"But while kingdoms prepared their armies..."
"Restart Village was already paying the price."
"Lily was missing."
"T was missing."
"And the people searching for them..."
"Still did not know the truth."
"Because sometimes..."
"The greatest political battles..."
"Begin with something as small as a single piece of land."
"And sometimes..."
"They end with kingdoms standing on opposite sides of a battlefield."
The road to Restart Village had begun.
And this time...
The shadow was no longer moving alone.
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