Chapter 114: Their Respective Paths 3

Polena’s suggestion of potential Dragonian Empire involvement, while mere speculation lacking conclusive evidence, nonetheless rang alarmingly plausible upon further reflection.

Among this world’s myriad magical disciplines, certain forms stood intrinsically apart – their very foundations antithetical to conventional mystic practices.

While mastering the classical elemental forces like fire and lightning remained widely embraced alongside object-binding enhancements, other avenues trod far murkier paths shunned by moral compunctions.

The Northern Kingdom of Calmarr’s expert necromancers manipulating paper constructs or raising undead servitors had indeed featured in the original canon.

Yet as Polena intimated, spellcasting involving souls represented an entirely distinct – and distinctly forbidden – subset of the arcane arts.

This realm’s predominant religious doctrines, whether the Holy Church or our Heretical foundations, fundamentally censured any magical pursuits transgressing the divine natural order.

Over time, certain applications inevitably gained broader acceptance thanks to pragmatic utilization.

However, specific media remained anathema no matter the justifications proffered – blood, souls and the sanctity of living human essence chief among them.

Oddly enough, humanity exhibited surprisingly little compunction toward employing desiccated corpses as mere empty vessels once vacated by their animating spirits.

For those without a soul were regarded as discarded husks – the vital essence being the immaterial psyche itself bestowing life and individuality.

In stark contrast, any magic directly involving the living or their very souls and sustaining life-force drew intense scrutiny and prohibition even among modern mage circles.

Yet inevitably, such proscribed knowledge only fanned certain obsessive flames – those craving ever-greater arcane mastery inevitably defying such taboos through grisly, unethical experimentation upon both themselves and unwilling test subjects.

The consequences ultimately culminated in these dangerous renegades being officially excommunicated from mainstream magic societies under the reviled designations of ‘Witch’ and ‘Wizard’ – their sovereign domain becoming the Eastern empire of Dragonia.

Which lent substantial credence to Polena’s ominous theory regarding the mystical forces potentially marshaled against us.

‘While some modern mages have begun dabbling in such forbidden practices, for a mere Advanced Rank 6 like Queen to be so trivially subdued points to extraordinarily potent actors involved – hardly the work of any ordinary practitioner.’

Moreover, the reigning Holy Emperor Sigismund Ferdinand’s deeply devout piety made it highly unlikely he would ever sanction employing dread witches or warlocks – no matter how politically expedient.

Thus, I found myself concurring with Polena’s surprising assessment that Dragonia seemed the likelier culprit behind this outrage.

A revelation swiftly followed by another disquieting notion giving me pause:

“But if so, why would the Dragonian Empire perpetrate such actions against us?”

The Holy Emperor unquestionably harbored compelling motives – the Heretical Alliance consolidating his domestic opponents into a formidable united front he could ill afford to ignore.

Yet Dragonia maintained no such overt tensions with our present alliance beyond its peripheral proximity to Repsodis territory.

A region where…my thoughts screeched to a halt as the ominous realization dawned.

Repsodis – that long-standing imperial frontier abutting Dragonian dominions.

Whose ruling duchess, my own contracted betrothed Estelle, now occupied the de facto second-in-command position within our alliance by dint of that formal pact.

While legally binding, that arranged engagement essentially secured Bohemia’s sturdy confederation with Repsodis.

A fortuitous alliance Dragonia would undoubtedly seek to strengthen my personal standing within as a prudent geopolitical maneuver.

Which meant this entire outrageous incident could potentially constitute some audacious gambit precisely aimed at that very objective.

‘In fact, the only real internal threat to my position right now is Lady Queen herself – our relationship having already grown quite fractious even before this crisis.’

Certainly, the notion of abducting a fellow sovereign ruler within our unified coalition strained credulity as an overly reckless ploy.

Yet as I struggled to conceive alternative theories, Polena’s grim hypothesis continued accruing unsettling plausibility by process of elimination alone.

When I tentatively broached the unpalatable possibility, she offered a grim nod of reluctant affirmation:

“An undeniable overreach, yet not an impossibility we can entirely dismiss either. And if I may be so indelicate, they are our contracted allies – it would not be inconceivable for them to attempt leveraging you through such audacious means.”

“Certainly, with Queen’s unexplained absence, I stand to benefit the most from this situation on its surface. Enough to potentially arouse suspicions regarding my potential complicity…”

A ploy ostentatiously promoting my interests, yet simultaneously ensnaring me within their intrigues through the optics of cultivated obligation.

However, lacking substantive evidence beyond mere circumstantial intuition, I could hardly voice these misgivings to my father outright.

For if my uneasy conjectures proved accurate, it risked fracturing our alliance with Repsodis altogether – an outcome with catastrophically destabilizing ripple effects across our entire confederation which must be avoided at all costs right now.

Forced to recognize this avenue’s unavailability for the present, I found myself compelled to chart an alternate recourse despite my profound reservations.

Truthfully, my stance toward Queen had always been one of profound ambivalence at best – our relationship defined by perpetual undercurrents of mutual disquiet and rivalry even before this crisis.

Unlike my other familial bonds which my reincarnated self still cherished as pseudo-consanguinity…she represented an openly antagonistic element ever intent on undermining my ascendancy at every turn.

While politically awkward, should this indeed constitute some excessive internal gambit, I could conceivably approach it as a positive development overall.

‘It could easily become a landmine obliterating everything we’ve achieved thus far… In which case, her outright removal might paradoxically prove the lesser evil.’

Having previously endured assassination attempts from within our own ranks, I inevitably emerged wary of any perceived internal threats in the wake of that trauma.

Yet that pragmatism remained tempered by profound trepidation over the catastrophic ramifications should I misjudge the situation.

Not only risking igniting a feud with Repsodis, but potentially handing them potent leverage to coerce future concessions from myself.

An untenable scenario necessitating a cautious intermediate approach while I probed for further clarification.

‘In any case, I cannot simply remain idle. If Estelle truly orchestrated this outrage, I must confront her directly and resolve this impasse through negotiation.’

With that stark realization, I resolved on an ostensible pretext to secure a personal rendezvous under the premise of soliciting Repsodis’s cooperation in the ongoing search for my missing sister Queen.