Infinite Paths: The Raging Phoenix

As Branden, Lorene, and Orcis made their way toward the imposing throne, a heavy tension hung in the air. The opulent chamber, adorned with intricate tapestries and gleaming marble floors, seemed to close in around them. Their footsteps, usually muffled by the chatter of courtiers, echoed ominously in the vast hall.

Their approach drew cautious attention from the gathered advisors and guards. Where once polite smiles and deferential nods had greeted them, now they were met with wary gazes and hushed conversations. An undercurrent of unease flowed through the room like a brewing storm.

The King's face was etched with anger and suspicion, his brow furrowed and his eyes narrowing as he fixated on Branden and his companions. His fingers rhythmically tapped the ornate armrests as he studied them intently.

Reaching the base of the throne, they instinctively knelt as a display of respect and deference. They remained in that posture, heads slightly bowed, awaiting the king's response. The atmosphere within the chamber had grown stifling, and an undeniable tension gripped the room, as if it could snap at any moment.

"Branden…" the king said.

"Yes, Your Majesty?" Branden said.

"I received some concernings piece of information about your recent activities," The king said while studying Branden after he raised his head.

"I sent you to deal with the matter on the port town, after we lost several ships to them, but it seems that you didn't repel the enemies despite the fact that they destroyed half of the port town, but you also invited them to our lands when you could have captured and kept as a prisoner one of their most important people. What is the meaning of this?"

Rain couldn't ignore the striking shift in the king's behavior. It was a very different attitude from his previously pacifist and diplomatic stance he usually showed. The king's words now carried an unusual aggressiveness, a significant change from his past commitment to peace.

Rain found this change perplexing. Why would the king be so willing to risk another war, especially considering the devastating consequences of their previous conflict with the sea folk? He couldn't grasp the rationale behind this sudden shift in attitude.

Fighting against the sea folk would pose a formidable challenge, far more daunting than their past skirmishes with the magic people. The sea folk had the upper hand, as they didn't need to come into land, and they possessed powerful sea creatures capable of wreaking havoc along the human kingdom's shores.

This situation left Rain deeply puzzled and concerned. He couldn't help but wonder what had transpired to bring about such a drastic change in the king's perspective, one that jeopardized their peaceful coexistence.

"Your Majesty, I concluded that reaching a peaceful solutions would be better for the matter," Branden said. "While we had one of them captured, we only used such methods to force them to negotiate with us. As such, we obtained one week of truce to solve the issue with the sea folk. It seems that some people have been capturing them over the decades and their patience reached a boiling point."

Branden demonstrated sound judgment by not disclosing the identity of the final captive. This individual held immense significance as they were important to the seafolk and the son of the Sea Emperor, Seadir.

Revealing this critical piece of information to the humans could be highly risky. It might tempt the human authorities to utilize the prisoner as bait to draw the sea folk, including their leader, into a dangerous situation. Such actions could potentially escalate the already precarious circumstances and jeopardize the fragile peace that had been maintained.

Branden's discretion in this matter was a wise decision, ensuring that no hasty actions disrupted the delicate balance they had managed to preserve.

"That isn't what I heard. The reports say that you invited three powerful sea folk warriors to our lands to cause havoc against some people. Weren't you the one who caused the attack at Lord Joanis residence three days ago?" The king asked.

"Your Majesty, I wasn't the one who did that," Branden replied.

Branden's claim of innocence in the attack on Joanis's residence was genuine, and he spoke the truth. However, even in the absence of concrete evidence, Joanis chose to exploit the incident to his advantage.

This decision showed Joanis's willingness to manipulate the situation to further his own agenda, even if it meant casting doubt on individuals who were not involved in the attack. Joanis's actions demonstrated a shrewd and calculated approach to advancing his goals, even if it meant falsely accusing others.

"You didn't do that? But one of your subordinates attacked, didn't he?" The king asked.

"I can't say for sure, Your Majesty," Branden said. "We split a while ago to increase the investigation speed. I didn't see any of my subordinates attacking any place. May I ask who saw the attacker and when exactly that happened?"

Branden's statement wasn't an outright lie, but it also wasn't the complete truth. He was treading a delicate line, trying to navigate a situation where any misstep could lead to severe consequences, including being labeled an enemy of the kingdom for deceit.

His choice of words and actions reflected the precarious nature of his position, where revealing too much or too little could have dire consequences.

Rain couldn't help but feel a slight sense of relief that Branden hadn't attempted to betray him at that moment. Nevertheless, the overall situation was undeniably growing more complex and challenging, and Rain understood that he needed to remain vigilant and adaptable to navigate the unfolding circumstances.

"You may not ask. I have enough evidence to suspect your intentions, Branden," the king said. "The sea folk destroyed three ships that belonged to lord Joanis, and you assumed that we still had room for negotiation? I have known for a while that you have some history with him, but I didn't think that such a thing would be enough to make you decide to destroy his family's name.

The fact that you also began to investigate other families is also suspicious."