ARC 2 CHAPTER "Zero"
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It had already been a few months since my team and I had crossed into Carja lands. The mission?
Simple on paper, gather intel, recover relics, and bring back anything of value to our kingdom.
In practice? Well, a bit more complicated. Between dodging nosy guards, greasing palms, charming scholars, and occasionally pretending to be drunken tourists, we somehow pulled it off. We'd managed to uncover and transport a small fortune in relics and enough ancient data to keep our very few researchers busy for years. The fact that no one had ended up in a Carja dungeon was a miracle in itself.
Of course, we had to be discreet. The last thing I needed was a diplomatic crisis because some overeager soldier decided to "liberate" a golden sun idol in broad daylight. We advanced our work slowly, maddeningly so, at times, but it was necessary. The reparations flowing from King Avad were keeping our treasury nice and plump, and I wasn't about to jeopardize that over impatience.
"All set, boss. We're ready to leave whenever you are."
I looked up from my notes, stifling a yawn. "Good. Let's move. I'm already missing home... and a proper bed that doesn't smell like sun-dried merchant sweat."
We were holed up in a comfortable enough house in Meridian. Rheia, our master of spies, had secured it well in advance naturally. That woman had a gift for being five steps ahead of everyone. Not just here, across every Carja city and outpost, she had agents in place: bartenders, beggars, merchants, scribes, even the occasional temple priest. Honestly, there were days I suspected she had eyes in places even the Sun himself couldn't reach.
And with our best operatives equipped with Focus devices, information flowed fast. Rheia's reports were sometimes unsettlingly detailed.
Avad didn't take a royal dump without us knowing the size, shape, and probable fiber content. I'd actually stopped reading those parts of the reports. There's such a thing as too much intelligence.
I gave the team the signal, and we began the process of leaving quietly. No grand caravans or visible convoys. Everything was packed in unassuming crates, disguised as trade goods: spices, textiles, grain. Beneath them? Relics, data drives, old world schematics... the good stuff.
The journey home wasn't exactly glamorous. The roads between Meridian and our kingdom were long and sometimes dangerous. Bandits. Machines. The occasional nosy Shadow Carja patrol.
Our group, traveling light, took the "merchant route" winding through outlying villages, forests, and mountain passes without much trouble.
We traveled by day and camped by night, always careful. No fires. No loud chatter. Each morning we checked our Focus feeds for messages from Rheia. So far, the Carja seemed blissfully unaware of what had vanished from their vaults.
On the seventh day, after navigating one last treacherous mountain pass, the sight of our homeland finally came into view, "The Gate" the former Daytower fort now under my rule, was very different, more sturdy, more modern, and more powerfull, no army would pass without paying a heavy price.
"Home," I said quietly.
We made our way toward the city gates. Our return had been planned: the guards knew to wave us through without much fanfare. Within an hour, we were inside, safe, successful, and ready to deliver our haul.
But as we passed through the bustling streets, I saw someone who made me stop.
I quietly sent a signal through my Focus, a coded pulse only my men and the city guards would recognize. In an instant, ten soldiers moved in, surrounding the figure I had discreetly pinpointed. No commotion, no shouting, just a silent tightening of the noose. Each of them carried specialized weapons, modified thanks to the relic tech we'd been recovering. There was no way I was letting this man escape.
Not this man.
He didn't so much as flinch. The circle of so many weapons seemed beneath his notice. In fact, he stood there with the casual poise of someone deciding which wine to pair with dinner.
"What's the meaning of this? I've done nothing but engage in a fair trade," the man said calmly, his tone light, almost amused. His eyes flickered from face to face, sizing up the soldiers, and I could tell: this was someone used to walking into and out of traps. If anyone could still escape this, it was him. And knowing him... he'd probably do it with style.
I raised my hands, palms open in a gesture of peace. "No need for alarm, fair trader. You're not in danger. In fact..." I smiled thinly. "I'd like to propose a trade of my own. What do you say?"
He tilted his head, the faintest smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. "Is this how you usually conduct business? Seems a bit excessive." His gaze flicked to our soldiers' weapons, clearly intrigued. I could almost see the calculations running behind those sharp eyes.
"Only when the other party happens to be the great and elusive Sylens."
His smirk deepened, though his eyes narrowed. "Ah... I see. So the mask comes off."
There he was. The infamous Sylens, tinkerer, rogue scholar, manipulator, and one of the few minds who truly understood the old world tech scattered across the land. A man with secrets layered beneath secrets.
And right now, he was standing in my capital. In my kingdom.
I'd be an utter fool to let him walk away.
No, this man wasn't leaving. Not if I could help it.
"Let's not play games, Sylens," I said, voice steady. "You know what I want. Knowledge. Technology. You've spent your life chasing the past, I've built a kingdom shaping the future. Together? We could do far more than either of us alone."
He gave a soft chuckle. "Bold words. And what makes you think I'd be interested in staying... voluntarily?"
"Oh, I'm not naive," I replied, stepping closer. "You're not a man who can be bought with shards or threatened. But imagine this, a kingdom where you can work freely, with the resources you've always lacked. No one hunting you. No petty kings trying to claim your genius." I leaned in just slightly. "And access to everything we've gathered from the old world, and so much more."
For a long moment, he said nothing. Just studied me, eyes gleaming with that dangerous, restless intellect.
Finally, he exhaled slowly. "You're either very brave... or very foolish."
I grinned. "Why not both?"
He laughed, a genuine laugh this time. "Very well. You have my attention, at least. But I warn you... keeping me here will be far harder than you think."
I gestured for the soldiers to lower their weapons, though they didn't relax entirely. "I wouldn't expect otherwise. Welcome to your new home, Sylens. Let's see what wonders we can build."
Inwardly, I allowed myself a moment of satisfaction. The game had just changed. I had a genius in my grasp now, and my kingdom's future had never looked brighter.
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Very sorry for the huge break, but my work is insane right now. I will try to send a new chapter next week. Thank you for the support and messages.
Love you all dear readers.