The Kingmaker System
Chapter 354 - 353. Peace And War (1)

Chapter 354: 353. Peace And War (1)

As Damon’s substitute aide, I stood behind him alongside his original aide while he greeted King Augustine. The grand hall gleamed under the golden light of countless chandeliers, their radiance casting elongated shadows across the polished marble floors. The murmuring of nobles and officials faded into a subdued hum as the King’s sharp gaze settled on Damon first, his expression unreadable.

Then, his eyes flickered toward me.

A spark of recognition ignited within his gaze, the corner of his lips curving—not with warmth, but with something closer to intrigue.

"Aren’t you the water mage?" he asked, his voice carrying the weight of authority, though beneath it, curiosity lingered.

I met his gaze without hesitation. "Yes, Your Majesty," I replied, placing a hand over my chest in formal acknowledgment. My words bore the appropriate respect, but my eyes remained steady—unyielding, offering no hint of submission.

A quiet pause.

Augustine tilted his head slightly, his scrutiny unrelenting. "It has been quite some time since you last appeared. Where have you been?"

"I had been occupied with work at my father’s territory, Your Majesty," I answered smoothly. "Please forgive me for not being..."—I allowed a deliberate pause, weighing my words—"present at court as often as I should have."

Though my tone remained polite, I knew he would recognize the underlying defiance.

For a moment, he observed me in silence, his expression giving away nothing. Then, he turned his attention back to Damon.

"Are the preparations for the ball complete, Duke Lancaster?" he inquired.

Damon inclined his head slightly. "The preparations are all finished, Your Majesty."

"Good." Augustine nodded, though his gaze briefly flickered back to me before he dismissed the gathered nobles.

As the courtiers dispersed, I slipped away toward one of the back corridors where the guards were sparse. Damon followed, his presence a steadying force beside me.

"I’ll be in the conference room but I would be invisible I will only be there to overlook the talks between Augustine and Eric so, once they are done I’ll see you straight that your residence at night." I instructed, my voice calm yet firm. "And also—thank you for your help so far."

Damon pressed his lips into a thin line. "Please don’t thank me, Master." His voice was quiet yet resolute. "I’m honored that you chose me for this. You’ve done more for us than you realize—purging the corrupt religious roots of this kingdom, saving countless lives. It is we who should be grateful to you. And we are."

I studied him for a moment before reaching out, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"You’ve done well—standing strong, holding out against everything," I murmured. "After all of this is over, if you ever need my aid, don’t hesitate. Call for me from the bottom of your heart, and I’ll come."

A rare, genuine smile touched his lips. He nodded, the weight of our unspoken understanding settling between us before he turned and walked towards the conference room first.

As soon as he disappeared down the hall, I activated my invisibility spell. The air around me shimmered momentarily before swallowing me into nothingness.

I made my way toward the conference room where Augustine would soon meet with the three Princes of Sestia.

Intel from Sestia had confirmed what I had already anticipated—the Golden Serpent was furious. Enraged that her son had not been invited to Denril, she had been unsatisfied despite the duel’s coverage flooding the kingdom’s newspapers. I knew she would attempt to incite conflict again, but this time, there was no room left for her schemes. If she so much as dared to utter the word ’war,’ she would find herself facing the direct consequences of civil unrest. Roger would throw her from the throne himself.

By now, the armies of both nations had begun their retreat. Their leaders had chosen peace after years of bloodshed. Of course, not all soldiers would be content—many would feel that this truce had come far too late. And I wanted them to feel that way. Their discontent would only serve to highlight the greed of the current monarchs, proving to the people that this war could have ended long ago.

Instead, it was the future generation who had brought an end to the conflict—securing not only peace but the unwavering support of the masses from both nations.

The final stroke of this victory would be the upcoming peace ceremonies held in both kingdoms. A formal celebration to solidify what had been won.

For now, however, the treaty had been drafted, and Eric, as Sestia’s representative, would be signing it alongside Davian and Rune as witnesses. This moment would propel Eric into the light—cementing his claim as the rightful Crown Prince of Sestia. And that thought alone filled me with pride.

As I neared the conference hall, I spotted Davian walking toward it, flanked by Denril’s knights. The golden insignias on their armor gleamed under the flickering torchlight, their movements crisp and disciplined.

I adjusted my pace, keeping to the shadows, but Davian abruptly stopped.

He turned around, his silver gaze scanning the space around him with a quiet intensity.

Even through my invisibility spell, he had sensed me.

Uncanny.

I would need to speak to Silas about strengthening my mana-concealing device. If Davian could detect me this easily, he would recognize me even when I was in Reina’s form. And that would create a mess I couldn’t afford.

Davian’s eyes narrowed slightly, as if trying to pinpoint my exact location.

"Ma—" he started, only to halt as the knights beside him turned in concern.

"What’s wrong, Your Highness?" one of them asked.

Davian hesitated before shaking his head. "It’s nothing," he said smoothly, resuming his pace toward the conference room.

I matched his steps, moving soundlessly beside him. Our mana and aura clashed again, crackling like opposing energies caught in the same current. The friction made me sigh inwardly—I would have to find a way to suppress this as well.

Davian tilted his head slightly, sensing me at his side. Without a word, I reached out, gently touching his arm to confirm my presence.

A flicker of amusement crossed his face, and a small smile tugged at his lips.

He said nothing, simply looking ahead and continuing forward.

And just like that, we stepped into the next stage of this game.

The conference hall was vast, its high ceilings adorned with intricate carvings that depicted past wars and peace treaties etched into Denril’s history. A massive world map stretched across the far wall, each kingdom carefully marked, its borders outlined with golden ink. At the center of the hall stood a large oval table of polished white marble, its surface pristine yet commanding, with chairs placed at precise intervals.

At the head of the table sat the King’s chair—elevated just a step above the rest. A subtle yet undeniable reminder of the hierarchy within these walls. The heads that were selected to be there for this meeting were also there at their designated spots waiting, including Damon and one more person whom I was expecting to see sooner or later.

Eric and Rune were also already present from Sestia’s side, engaged in quiet conversation as they waited. At the sound of approaching footsteps, they turned, their gazes settling on Davian as he entered the room.

Without hesitation, Davian strode forward, his presence steady and composed. He took his seat on Eric’s left as his right side was already taken by Rune, maintaining a careful balance between formality and familiarity. I still wondered what happened between them, I thought they were best friends but now they seemed like strangers. Was it because Eric was separated from him and he found my brother to fill the place as his best friend?

I remained unseen as I observed the whole room to see if there were any signs of foul play and confirmed that there weren’t any. With measured steps, I made my way toward the world map and leaned against the wall, arms crossed over my chest. From this vantage point, I could observe them all without drawing attention.

And so, I waited for the show to begin.

A few minutes later, the grand doors of the conference hall swung open.

Augustine entered along with Arian.

The air shifted instantly, as if the very atmosphere recognized the authority. Without needing a word, every person in the room stood, bowing in silent acknowledgment of his presence.

Arian’s eyebrows furrowed though and his sword which was at his side even for the peaceful talk vibrated ever so slightly as if responding to my presence on the room and Arian looked around.

I almost smacked my head cursing myself for leaving behind my mana concealing bracelet. Augustine, Eric, Rune and the others didn’t sense me even while I was coming and when I entered but these two Princes were a pain.

Augustine’s gaze swept over the gathered Princes before he strode forward, his movements deliberate yet effortless. He took his seat at the head of the table, settling in with an air of quiet dominance.

Now, the real discussion would begin.

"It has been nearly a decade that the war had kept us against each other," Augustine started.

"I never thought a day would come when the peace would happen with so much ease." He let out a wistful chuckle.

"It still would have been impossible if not for... the mature and sensible Prince Eric and his friends." He said and I tilted my head.

"It’s still a shame that we could never reach this conclusion earlier, Your Majesty. I am only saddened by that that a lot of people had to die on both of our sides before we had the strength to accept peace." Eric responded and I smiled.

"Indeed," Augustine said and Eric stood up.

"Before we start talking about the treaty there is one thing that I must do," Eric said.

"What might it be?" Augustine asked.

"I sincerely extended my apologies to Denril for suffering so much because of a misjudgment from our side and I am thankful for the King to have a big heart to accept the peace despite everything."

I watched Eric with a tender gaze.

"About time, I was wondering when this apology would come," Arian spoke up without any filter again and I sighed.

"Pardon?" Eric straightened up.

"Though I would have preferred the apology of the King who didn’t think twice before declaring a war on us. If not for this war then we would still be a prosperous and happy nation." Arian said and I rolled my eyes.

"Arian," Augustine spoke in a low warning tone making the rash boy to almost roll his eyes but he went quiet.

Eric who should have been offended only smiled in response though.

"I understand your frustration for Sestia’s rash decision, Your Highness Crown Prince Arian." He said.

"But my Master says,"

I looked at him as he said that.

"If you wish for peace then you should also know that you would have to be at war. And without a war, you wouldn’t appreciate your life, your strength and even the peace that you desire."