Castle Throne Room, Zamart's P.O.V.

I slowly approach the king, who is speaking with his council. I am not looking forward to what I have to tell the king. The king is a tall and broad shouldered man although he has some paunch nowadays. He has short grey hair and a well trimmed grey beard.

The only thing that keeps him from looking truly regal is his small and sunken eyes. They give the king a devious look, more like a swindler than a king. I have never liked looking into the king's eyes, even back when he was just the prince consort. I bow and wait for the king to acknowledge me before speaking.

"Your Majesty I regret to inform you that your daughter, Princess Mericel, did not survive the casting of the spell."

King Raden says "Never mind that what were the results?"

I can't believe my ears. How can the king care more about the summons than his own daughter? It's not like Princess Amercy who was the daughter of the previous Prince Regent, this is his own flesh and blood that just died. Am I just seeing things or does he appear happy about it?

"Ahem...we successfully summoned all fifty available summons, Your Majesty. Although twenty-two of the forty-nine were non-combat classes such as crafters and farmers leaving only twenty-seven combat types."

King Raden says "That's fine, as long as the other nations can't summon anyone next year during the normal summoning time everything will go according to plan. Teach the non-combat summons enough about the nation to get by. Then send the crafters to the appropriate guilds and give the farmers each a parcel of empty land."

'Yes we summoned all of them and it only cost your daughter's life! I wish I dared say that to his face. The more time that passes since the queen died the more I find myself wondering what I'm even doing here.'

"As you command My King!"

Knight Commander Tarrik says "Your Majesty, why bother with the non-combat summons? Just throw them all in the pit."

As usual Tarrik doesn't think or understand anything. He is a complete idiot and so out of shape he has to have his armor enchanted to support its own weight because he can barely move himself around. I understand the king needed to bribe his family into supporting the crown but to put such a buffoon as Knight Commander of the army is just ridiculous!

King Raden says "Because economic prosperity is a weapon as well, sometimes even more powerful than an army. Besides, we lost a lot of subjects after my wife's death before we closed the border."

Well what did you expect when both the queen and her eldest daughter died in the same week. This country has been ruled by a queen since it was founded and you took the throne and named yourself king the same day she died. I still believe you killed them and if I could just find proof I would kill you myself even if I had to bring this entire castle down on both our heads to do it.

Knight Commander Tarrik says "Yes Your Majesty."

King Raden says "Tarrik I leave the twenty-seven combat types to you, train them well and make them believe we are fighting for our survival against the other nations who want our land. It is your job to turn them into an elite fighting force that is loyal to me!"

Knight Commander Tarrik says "As you command!"

"Your Majesty, there was one other issue. None of the forty-nine summons registered as a Grand Summon or had an Advanced Class."

King Raden says "Are you saying that piece of trash beastman was the Grand Summon? How could it be? It was a level zero with no class!"

'You shouldn't call him trash and underestimate him just because you hate and envy beastmen! Not to mention coveting their mineral rich mountains and fertile valleys.'

"I am not sure Your Majesty, it could be because he was meant to be summoned in the Beast Kingdom."

King Raden says "It doesn't matter, it's dead by now. A Summoned Hero is only powerful because they have the power to level up, without that it can't possibly survive the pit."

"I'm sure it is as you say, Your Majesty. However, just to be safe I would like permission to send a summoned creature after him just to be certain"

Knight Commander Tarrik says "What would be the point, he was injured and unarmed when we threw him down there, I doubt he even survived the fall."

Chancellor Marvok says "If you had ever faced them in battle you would know there is no such thing as an unarmed beastman, Tarrik."

Marvok served the queen like me but he has always been a political animal and I've never trusted him. He is a tall dignified man and looks utterly trustworthy, and he uses that to play the noble factions against each other. I doubt even the king trusts him but he is a very useful man. 

Royal Historian Dammer says "Your Majesty I have consulted the records and was unable to locate any mention of a black furred beastman of any race anywhere in the records. There is also no record of a beastman ever being summoned before. As you know, the beastmen have no mages, so they are unable to perform the summoning themselves."

King Raden says "So you are saying this could be the Grand Summon then? Very well, Zamart, you have permission to make sure of him."

I bow and move over next to Dammer now that I am no longer reporting. Dammer is the only one here I would actually trust, he served the queen and her mother before her just like I have. He is in his seventies and looks it, I am afraid he doesn't have much more time left. Which is unfortunate as he has one of the best minds I've ever encountered, if only he had mage talent he would have probably surpassed me.

Then a figure steps out of the shadows to kneel before the king. He is a rail thin man with a dark complexion, he is a master of shadows and it has marked him. I know for a fact he can't be trusted, no one who makes deals with the darkness can ever be trusted. Yet the king seems to trust him and relies on him for all sorts of dark deeds.

Spymaster Quill says "It is done Your Majesty. Everyone outside of your council, who knew of the summoning or of your daughter's death are dead."

'What? The healers? Even the king should be cautious of angering the church! I know he has some sort of arrangement with the High Priest but even so four healers going missing won't be ignored by the church!'

King Raden says "Good job Quill. Make sure the rumors say that the princess died while attempting to negotiate with the 'bandits'. We need to make sure the people hate the rebels so that when we use the army to wipe them out we are seen as the heroes. Now the next stage of the plan can proceed!"

Spymaster Quill says "Yes Your Majesty. I will begin immediately."

King Raden thinks "Just one year from now, I will be able to conquer the other nations and rule the continent!" 

'If that day comes I feel sorry for the people of this continent. Maybe I can send some messages to old friends warning them of what the king is planning?'