Chapter 386: The Kingdom of Kassander
"The Kingdom of Kassander, huh."
"The situation in the south remains unchanged. If the empire doesn't intervene, history might proceed as it originally did."
Cassius sat upright on the Iron Throne, contemplating. His golden eyes narrowed as he waited quietly for the envoy from the Kingdom of Kassander to arrive, memories of his past life surfacing in his mind.
After all, he possessed memories of his previous life, familiar with the backdrop of Erezaghe and the overarching process of the Holy Fadlan Empire's great collapse.
Currently, they were only in the first phase of the collapse—the "War of Three Emperors."
The so-called "Three Emperors" referred to Wilhelm of the Kingdom of Thrace, Otis of the Kingdom of Kassander, and Felipe of the Kingdom of Seleucia.
Aragon I had once remarked a decade ago: "Teotihuacan is the brightest jewel in the empire's crown; possessing it signifies imperial authority."
Thus, the offspring of these three emperors engaged in a prolonged and frenzied battle over Teotihuacan, the "City of Sunlight."
Each claimed to be the sole heir of the late emperor and the future sovereign of the Holy Fadlan Empire.
Over years of warfare, Teotihuacan was reduced to rubble, and millions perished. The former "City of Sunlight" became a bloody grinder.
Following this "Crimson Sunset War," all three kingdoms were severely weakened and unable to maintain control over their territories. Within their borders, divine nobles broke away with their forces, establishing numerous smaller states on the remnants of the Holy Fadlan Empire.
This marked the second phase of the Holy Fadlan collapse, and the longest one—"The War of Kings."
It was during this period that Tiamat's draconic hegemony occurred.
"The War of Kings..."
Cassius pondered.
Currently, the three kingdoms, inheritors of nearly all the Holy Fadlan Empire's legacies, were still too powerful. Each king commanded divine legions comprised of dozens of legendary-level warriors—remnants of the "Radiant Sun Legion."
If the empire rashly launched an attack, it would undoubtedly provoke a fierce retaliation from the Kingdom of Thrace.
Such a move would only benefit the already-dominant Kingdom of Kassander, granting them the opportunity to unify Fadlan.
This was an outcome Cassius absolutely did not want.
"Tsk, at this stage, it's better to rely on diplomatic threats, extortion, and deception to extract as many tangible benefits as possible from the three kingdoms."
"At the very least... securing the Carterpe Highlands south of the Anzeta Corridor to establish a foothold for continental expansion is a must."
Cassius slowly opened his eyes, a greedy glint shining in his pale golden irises.
The voice of the Tiefling guards came from outside the hall.
"Your Majesty, the envoy from the Kingdom of Kassander has arrived outside the palace."
"Let them in."
With a thunderous rumble, the heavy palace doors slowly opened.
The envoy party entered the palace under the guidance of attendants. Their delegation was quite large, numbering over a hundred people, including guards, officials, and scholars. They also carried ornate golden wooden chests adorned with intricate designs.
Leading the group was a man appearing to be in his thirties. He wore a bright long-tailed suit, draped in a yellow, red, and orange mantle embroidered with golden silk threads, and topped with a headdress shaped like a rising sun—a standard attire for Amanata priests.
Clearly, the Kingdom of Kassander valued this mission, aiming not only to establish friendly ties with the Ember Empire but also to convey the message that they were the true heirs of Fadlan.
The lead priest stepped forward, bowed deeply, and began to speak:
"Greetings—"
His tone faltered for a moment but continued smoothly, "Your Imperial Majesty."
"I am Navin Bessalius, an envoy from the Kingdom of Kassander. His Majesty Otis has sent me to extend his greetings and to congratulate you on unifying the Anzeta Wasteland and ascending as Emperor of the Ember Empire."
"This is a modest gift, representing His Majesty Otis's personal goodwill."
Navin gestured, and several burly warriors stepped forward, carrying the ornate chests and opening their gilded lids one by one.
Instantly, golden light flooded the hall as the chests revealed their contents—gold and jewels in abundance.
Cassius chuckled and praised:
"As expected of the king ruling the 'Land Blessed by the Sun God,' such wealth indeed."
"Navin, convey my thanks to His Majesty Otis for his generous gift. Please tell him I would be delighted to befriend such a magnanimous human."
"Of course, Your Majesty,"
Navin replied, bowing once more with a composed expression.
Several towering ogres entered the hall, hoisting the heavy chests onto their shoulders and carrying them away.
Cassius continued,
"However... for a visionary ruler like His Majesty Otis, I doubt this visit is purely about personal goodwill?"
"Is there perhaps something the Kingdom of Kassander—or rather, you—wish to request of the empire?"
Navin's face lit up with delight. He clasped his hands and replied earnestly,
"Your Imperial Majesty, your wisdom leaves me in awe."
"Indeed, His Majesty Otis hopes to cooperate with the empire. He even wishes to establish a secret pact with you, forging a close alliance."
"An alliance?"
"But as far as I know, the empire has had no prior dealings with the Kingdom of Kassander. Without any shared interests, how can there be talk of an alliance?"
Cassius asked in a neutral tone.
Navin steadied himself and replied gravely,
"Because the Ember Empire and the Kingdom of Kassander share a common enemy."
"What enemy?"
Cassius feigned ignorance.
Navin hesitated briefly but resolutely uttered the name:
"The Kingdom of Thrace."
"You surely understand that if the Ember Empire seeks to expand southward, the Kingdom of Thrace stands as your greatest obstacle."
"If you cooperate with us... we can jointly destroy the Kingdom of Thrace."
Cassius neither agreed nor refused. He simply smiled and said,
"Those who know me are aware that I am a peace-loving ruler who prioritizes the welfare of my people. Therefore..."
He paused, his tone deliberate.
Navin inwardly scoffed at this claim.
A peace-loving red dragon who had just annihilated a kingdom?
What a joke.
Though he thought this, he concealed it well, listening intently for what would come next.
Cassius's golden eyes bore down on Navin as he asked in a low voice,
"If I were to cooperate with you—what would the Ember Empire gain?"
"Two-thirds of the Kingdom of Thrace's territory."
"On behalf of His Majesty Otis, I promise you that all lands north of the Glorious Mountains will belong to the Ember Empire. The Kingdom of Kassander only desires the southern regions of Thrace."
Navin seemed well-prepared, delivering his response smoothly and convincingly.
His proposal sounded alluring, causing Marshal Dolo to visibly react, his breathing quickening.
But Cassius understood Otis's true intentions.
South of the Glorious Mountains, in "Dawn City" August, the capital of the Kingdom of Thrace, stood the Sun God Pyramid.
Legend held that the new emperor would preside over all the pyramids and, on the summer solstice, conduct a sacred priestly ceremony simultaneously in all of them.
At that moment, the Sun God would bestow infinite power, reviving the divine descendants and restoring the glory of the Holy Fadlan Empire.
Otis likely wasn't seeking friendship with the Ember Empire. Instead, he believed that after performing the "Sunlight" ceremony, the Kassander Kingdom—or the Second Fadlan Empire—would easily overpower the Ember Empire.
The lands they temporarily ceded could be reclaimed at any time, perhaps even with the empire itself destroyed in the process.