The Third Prince Of Darkness

My Utkanc match with Alpshar lasted nearly an hour, but in the end, the winner was Alpshar. Toward the end of the game, I deliberately allowed him to win to prevent him from learning more about me. Additionally, this ensured that no hostility would arise between us. Of course, if I had taken the match seriously, we probably would have ended in a stalemate again.

Meanwhile, the battle below continued. The war had likely started at least a few hours before I arrived here, and by my estimate, the battle had been raging for over three hours and it looked like the battle would continue for a while.

When our Utkanc match ended, Alpshar stepped away from the board, leaned back, and placed his hands on the edge of the table. His face carried the trace of both victory and a cloud of thought.

"You presented me with an interesting game, Ethan," he said. "But actual wars are always more complicated than this board. Someone like you should be able to see beyond it."

I nodded silently. I understood what Alpshar meant. While he analyzed me and my strategies, he also knew that I was trying to decipher him. But he didn't care. His confidence was greater than any concern about what his opponent thought.

He stood up, clasped his hands behind his back, and looked down. From where we stood, we could see the battlefield below. Smoke was rising, and soldiers continued fighting for their lives. Both sides were nearing the brink of exhaustion, but it was clear that Alpshar was indifferent to this. To him, the losses on both sides were merely numbers.

"Watch, Ethan," he said, gesturing toward the battlefield. "This chaos you see, is always something that can be controlled. When you are strong enough, even chaos bows to you."

I stood up and moved a bit away from him, watching the scene outside. Seeing thousands of soldiers clashing reminded me once again of the weight of responsibility on a leader's shoulders. Every loss would probably feel like a wound for a leader. But for Alpshar, this was merely part of the game.

I felt Alpshar standing beside me. Without taking his eyes off the battlefield, he spoke. "You know, Ethan, the path to gaining power lies in recognizing weakness. You learn the flaws of the defeated and emulate the methods of the victorious."

I didn't respond to his words. They were the clichéd thoughts of anyone chasing power. But I couldn't deny there was much to learn from him. What made Alpshar such a dangerous figure wasn't just his strength, but also his ability to wield his mind as a weapon.

"My losses do not reveal my weaknesses, Alpshar," I finally said. "My losses are merely sacrifices. Victory always requires some loss."

A faint smile appeared on Alpshar's face. "An interesting perspective," he said. "But no matter how valuable a leader's sacrifices are, how the people perceive those sacrifices is even more important. If your people see you as weak, there's no way to stay on the throne."

His words always felt like a test. Every sentence was like a knife probing my mind, searching for vulnerabilities. Yet his inability to fully figure me out must have frustrated him. I neither portrayed myself as an idealist nor as a monster. In his eyes, I had to remain an ambiguous threat.

"If keeping my throne requires me to lose the respect of my people, then the day I claim that throne, I'd be no victor but a slave," I said. "That's not my path."

Alpshar raised an eyebrow. "So, you care about your people that much?"

"Yes, I care about my people," I replied. "And I won't hesitate to make sacrifices to protect them. The key is making the right move at the right time."

Of course, this was partly true and partly false, but it was necessary to say these words for the mask I was wearing.

He seemed impressed by my words, but I couldn't gauge how genuine his reaction was. While speaking to him, I chose my words carefully, planning my strategy as meticulously as I did on the board. In trying to test me, Alpshar was revealing himself. Every observation, every comment, exposed his fears and weaknesses.

I looked at the battlefield once again. I had to accept that we'd lost this war. But I also knew this defeat wouldn't mark the end of my story. The vassalage Alpshar offered to me would be a mask I'd wear temporarily. To achieve my ultimate victory, I'd play the role required.

"Have you ever considered better ways than shedding so much blood, Alpshar?" I asked, feigning sincerity in my voice. "Peace imposed through power is only temporary. But when achieved through justice, it becomes lasting."

Alpshar chuckled briefly. "Justice?" he said dismissively. "Justice is merely another form of power. Without power, there can be no justice. The battle below shows how justice is forged. When the strong prevail, their justice becomes reality."

"And what will your justice look like? After all, you've likely won this war," I asked.

Alpshar turned to me with a faint smile. "My justice?" he repeated, gazing back at the battlefield. "My justice is a world where those who follow my rules live, and those who don't meet the soil. A system where the strong survive. Simple, yet effective."

"So, you're going to kill my father…" I murmured.

"Isn't that what you wanted, anyway? Besides, how else could you rule Asina?"

Alpshar wasn't entirely wrong. If this war hadn't occurred, I would've likely launched a coup against Richard within the year. But now, that wasn't necessary. Still, the fact that Alpshar understood me so well wasn't just because of a simple Utkanc match. He likely knew much about me through his spy network. Every step he took was calculated, thinking ten moves ahead.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

I took a deep breath as I looked at Alpshar. "Yes, that's true," I said. "Richard is an intelligent and capable ruler, but he's still young and strong. It's likely that his reign as king could last for centuries, during which time he'll have more children. This means my rivals will multiply."

Technically, no matter how high a person's Kaizer power is, certain requirements must be met to have children at an advanced age. However, in my case, as the wielder of the dark element, I'll probably be able to have children until the day I die. Thinking about it now, if I don't want an army made up of my offspring, I'll need to restrain myself even more in my relationships.

"And you also have an unfinished duel with him, don't you?" Alpshar said, breaking the silence.

"You even know about that…"

I met Alpshar's words with silence. As I watched the battlefield, my thoughts raced against each other. His intelligence was impressive. I couldn't deny that, but it also unsettled me. This discomfort wasn't just about sensing the presence of danger; it was the thought that someone might trap me in a game of wits. What Alpshar did wasn't just about being one step ahead—it was about imprisoning his opponent in their own mind.

"Yes, that's true. I have an unfinished duel with Richard," I finally said, keeping my voice calm and composed. "But it doesn't matter. Whether I won or lost doesn't change the position I'm in now."

Alpshar tilted his head slightly. "But that duel must linger in your mind like a shadow. Knowing you, I'm certain you won't feel truly satisfied until you defeat him."

I let out a short laugh at his words, though it was less of an amused chuckle and more of a cold challenge. "Satisfaction," I said. "I didn't set out on this path to be satisfaction, Alpshar. Victory isn't achieved through satisfaction; it's achieved through control. For me, Richard is merely an obstacle. Defeating him is no different from knocking over a piece on the board."

He considered my words carefully, a faint smile playing on his lips. "You really live as if you're in the middle of a game, Ethan. But this game board exists only in your mind. In the real world, victory must be absolute and final. Just like defeat."

"You're right," I said, turning my gaze from the battlefield to him. "But defeat is not always absolute, Alpshar," I continued. "Some defeats are merely the heralds of the next victory. If a leader can't understand that, then no victory they achieve will ever hold meaning."

Alpshar listened to me with interest, though a subtle expression of mockery crossed his face. I chose to ignore it. In his mind, this conversation was just another strategy game, much like the Utkanc we had played earlier. But for me, it was a way to lay the foundations of my future triumph.

Honestly, I don't think it's entirely accurate to call my current situation a defeat or an escape. For someone like me, there is no such thing as fleeing from battle; the fight is merely postponed until an advantage is gained against the enemy. That's exactly what my current situation was. Officially, the main coalition army might have been defeated, and I may have lost in a one-on-one fight. But these outcomes occurred because I lacked the advantage. If I had been the one commanding the main coalition army, we wouldn't have suffered such a catastrophic defeat. Likewise, had I fought Alpshar with my full strength, I believe I would have won.

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That said, I won't hide behind excuses or think of myself as perfect. I acknowledge that I made many mistakes in this war, and despite everything, I still believe there was a chance of victory, no matter how difficult it might have been. But what's done is done—or rather, this chapter of our story is temporarily closed. Yet, just as the sun rises after every night, every chapter ends only to give way to a new page and the writing of a new chapter.