“Before starting the regular lessons, I’d like for the parents to introduce themselves to the rest of the class just like your children did on their first day in our school. Who wants to go first?” Nanth asked.
Vastor stood up before the Headmaster was done talking. The event was his idea and so was the speech.
He had Filia’s and Frey’s classes “conveniently” merge for the day so that he didn’t have to repeat himself.
“Hi, everyone. I’m Archmage Zogar Vastor, vice-Headmaster of the White Griffon and Head of its light department. These are my children, Filia and Frey. I hope we’ll get along well.” He wore a warm smile and his tone was that of the average man.
Yet from that day onward, those who still dared badmouth Zinya did it in the secret of their chambers, whispering like conspirators afraid of being charged with treason. Their children were instructed to behave and those slow on the uptake learned the hard way that disrespect would be no longer tolerated.
Vastor would hit the parents of the bullies where it hurt the most. Their reputation, their business, and any chance they had to even get an audience from one of the six great academies crumbled like sandcastles facing high tide.
The parents, in turn, spared no effort in disciplining their unruly heirs and showing the lord of the land how sorry they were.
Life became quite boring for Tezka, but the many smiles and friends that Frey and Filia made in the following days were the best reward the ancient monster could ask for.
***
Griffon Kingdom, City of Valeron, Royal Palace.
The destruction of the Golden Griffon had done more than keep Thrud’s army from resurrecting. With the lost academy gone, the Unwavering Loyalty array had disappeared and its effects had quickly faded.
In order to gain the trust of the citizens of the regions she had occupied, Thrud had used Skinwalkers to replace the most respected and influential nobles of each district. The members of that particular Fallen Race could copy everything about their latest victim.
From their physical appearance to their gait, their manner of speaking, and even their memories. A Skinwalker could play his part to perfection, recollecting distant events down to the most insignificant detail as if he had actually taken part in them.
That was until a Skinwalker got peckish.
Then he would fall prey to his own hunger and devour someone else, no matter the who or where. The Unwavering Loyalty array was the only reason Thrud’s Skinwalkers could keep their base urges in check during the war.
Once the slave spell was gone, it took the monsters less than one day to reveal their true nature to their loyal subjects.
On top of that, before bringing the Doppelgangers to his lair, Leegaain made sure that each one of them would “betray” its nature and run away in front of plenty of witnesses.
The Father of All Dragons had granted Protheus’ children safe haven, but demanded for them to take full responsibility for their actions and make up for them to the best of their ability.
The Skinwalkers, the Doppelgangers, and Thrud’s final video revealing that Orpal had been alive all along made the united front of the traitorous regions fall apart in the span of hours.
They all promised each other to fight until the last breath like brothers, swearing oaths of undying loyalty.
The moment the meeting was over, however, each one of them rushed to contact the Royals and discuss the terms of their surrender. Without the Mad Queen and her army, there was no hope of victory.
The rulers of the renegade regions knew that the first one of them to switch sides would get the best deal in exchange for their help against their associates. No one among the rulers had a single doubt that the others were already trying to sell their skin as bargaining chips.
In politics, guilty or innocent didn’t matter as much as how useful you could be.
The Royals had no qualms about playing their best cards.
They reminded the traitorous lords how the Crown still had the support of the Awakened Council and that the elders of the Council would love to replace the useless nobles.
When the negotiations failed or someone dared play too hard to get, the King would say a single phrase and make it public on the interlink.
“I’m sending Supreme Magus Verhen there.”
At that point, one of two things would happen. Either the lord of the region called back and begged for their life, or the people of their region would riot and offer the lord’s head to the Crown as a peace offering.
Everyone had watched the videos of the Tiamat’s rampage and no one wanted to experience it on their own skin. According to the rumors, Phogia was still burning from the Thousand Flames and Bima was still scarred by the destruction that Lith had caused by bursting its gates open.
On the one hand, no blood was spilled and no more battles were waged to reunify the Kingdom. Diplomacy was more than enough to bring everything back to how it was supposed to be.
On the other hand, however, it was a hollow victory. While on the maps it took a few days to make the Griffon Kingdom whole again, in reality, the borders past Thrud’s former domain might as well lead to another planet.
There were thousands of traitors to apprehend, trial, and sentence. Half the people of the Kingdom were terrified of the Royal Army and panic made peace but an empty word.
One side rejoiced while the other trembled in fear, yet neither of them could thrive without the other.
Such a situation made the justice system of utmost importance.
The actions of every single guard, Constable, and Archon had to be beyond any suspicion. The Crown couldn’t let anyone think that the law was being used as a cudgel to beat the losing half of the Kingdom into submission.
Every sentence and document provided as proof didn’t just have to be impartial, it also had to seem as such. There could be no lingering doubt of planted evidence or rigged trial.
Archon Jenma Griffon knew that never before had her role been so vital for the Kingdom. Based on her performance and that of her fellow Archons and Constables, the peace so painstakingly achieved would endure or crumble.
Also, never before had she been summoned to the Throne Room to receive an assignment. Usually, she would receive confidential orders through the secure channel of her amulet or she would be summoned in the privacy of the office of a minister in case state secrets were involved.
Jenma was a branch member of the Royal Family and although she had the right to undergo Valeron’s trial, she had never desired to rule.
The royal blood in her veins and her silver eyes had granted her the opportunity to rise to the role of Archon and it was more than enough for her. Sometimes, she found it to be too much.
Being at the top meant being responsible for everything that went wrong in her department.
