I Became The Extra King With Seven Wives-Chapter 55: Explaining To Arges [2]

I knew perfectly well that I was playing a highly dangerous game. But what in the blazes was the point of possessing omniscient knowledge of the future if I did not make a ruthless use of it? I was certainly not going to cower in the shadows when I literally knew the moves my enemies were fated to make.

Simply executing the handful of traitors I currently knew of would not suffice, it would be far from enough. I wanted to lure every single one of them out of hiding, ensnare them in a massive, inescapable net, and burn them all to ash at once.

"There is no need for such worry, Arges," I said, offering a nonchalant shrug. "I have carefully constructed the perfect battlefield for them. I have virtually handed them the weapons and removed their greatest obstacle. All they must do now is step onto that battlefield to claim their grand reward. But they must step in for my trap to spring. Do you understand?" I asked, my golden-amber eyes locking onto him.

Arges nodded slowly, though his rigid posture betrayed just how uneasy he remained about using myself as live bait.

"Uncle, look at me," I said gently, my tone softening slightly.

When he finally met my gaze, I offered him a simple, earnest smile.

"I cannot afford to lose you, and Helios certainly cannot afford to lose you. The coming weeks may very well prove to be the most critical in the entire history of our Kingdom," I stated, without a trace of exaggeration.

If Helios were to fall to the Black Sun, the chances of recovery would be almost nonexistent. Perhaps the ’Protagonist’ eventually managed to salvage the realm by the end of the Game, but it was an exhaustingly long narrative. Rumor had it there were expansions, DLCs, and even potential sequels in the works back in my old world, so I truly had no idea how it all definitively ended. Regardless, I refused to lean on such a pathetic, fragile hope.

This was my Kingdom now.

"I need you to listen to me, and listen carefully," I urged.

Arges nodded sitting back, his expression hardening.

"I will soon be departing on a sudden journey outside the capital, taking Eleanor with me."

"Y—Your Majesty? At a time like this?"

"Just listen to me, Arges," I sighed, rolling my eyes at his immediate concern.

Reluctantly, he nodded for me to continue.

"I require you to secretly select two of your most trusted men from within the Royal Guard to escort Eleanor and myself during this excursion," I instructed.

"It shall be done, Your Majesty."

"I anticipate being absent for perhaps a week at most. During that timeframe, the Black Sun will undoubtedly begin planting the seeds for their grand takeover of both the capital and the Flame. They will initiate their coup by targeting my mother and Lenora," I explained darkly. "My wives will be the immediate secondary targets. Diana, her sister, and Asthenia in particular will be highly sought after the moment they secure my family."

"I swear upon my life, I will not let any harm befall them," Arges said.

"I know you will not," I smiled warmly. "But I need you to be exceedingly cautious, and act with the utmost stealth. Remember, I publicly stripped you of your title today. Officially, you command no one. I presume your Vice Commander of the Royal Guard is currently occupying the post in your stead?"

He gave a curt nod.

"Then you must orchestrate everything through him. In truth, I severely doubt our enemies will attempt a full-scale assault here during my absence. Rather, they will most certainly try to assassinate me out in the open first, ensuring my death before proceeding with their hostile takeover of the capital."

"Y—Your Majesty, please do not speak of your own death so casually," Arges sighed, his shoulders slumping.

"It is merely the truth, which is precisely why I am relying so much upon the men you provide me. As far as the rest of the court will know, Eleanor and I are merely departing to a secluded estate to consummate our wedding night," I said.

"I gather you have an entirely different objective in mind, Your Majesty," he said, releasing another long sigh, knowing full well I had no intention of revealing my motives to him just yet.

"Do not worry yourself over my affairs. I will survive. My main concern is that my family and my wives remain untouched while I am gone," I said.

"Leave their safety to me, Your Majesty," Arges assured.

"That is also why I strongly advise you to send Morgana far away from the capital, Arges," I added, thoroughly shocking him.

Before he could even formulate a protest, I held up a hand.

"She will only be a burden to you here, believe me. Send her to Luminar immediately. She will arrive weeks before the academy officially opens its doors, but she will be entirely safe within its walls. More importantly, it will spare you the constant anxiety of worrying for her wellbeing. She is your greatest vulnerability, Arges; the Black Sun would not hesitate for a second to use her as leverage against you," I explained reasonably. "Besides, considering I just humiliated and defeated her in front of the entire court, it would not appear the least bit suspicious to anyone if you decided to send her away from the capital to recover in peace."

Arges blinked at my words, confusion washing over his features.

"Your Majesty, I truly do not understand... what are your true feelings regarding my daughter?" He asked.

"You do not need to understand," I replied with a dismissive shrug. "Your daughter will be safe far from the capital, so send her away on the morrow, the very moment she awakens. Given the events of today, I sincerely doubt she wishes to risk seeing my face anytime soon. Thus, she will hardly be difficult to convince. Am I wrong?"

"You are not wrong..." He nodded bitterly.

Figures. There was no conceivable way any woman in her right mind would not harbor hatred for a man who had publicly beaten and humiliated her so thoroughly while insulting her during the whole time.

"Then, regarding the marriage, Your Majesty," Arges asked gently. "Was it truly a permanent decision after all?"

I offered a thin smile. "What did you think? Of course it is permanent. I am quite certain she will eventually find someone wonderful within Luminar."

That Protagonist will definitely be an excellent fit for her.

"I do not believe there is a man in this world better suited for my daughter than you, Lumiel..." Arges suddenly said, his tone dropping its formal distance, speaking entirely as a father.

My smile faltered instantly, and I looked at him in surprise.

He only smiled softly in return, lost in distant memories.

"Following my wife, Fidena’s death, Morgana rarely ever smiled. She merely kept swinging whatever she found, burying her grief entirely in her training. But from the moment I brought her to the royal castle, from the very day she first met you... she would always run to me, chattering endlessly about Your Majesty and the training sessions she shared with you, a wide, radiant smile blooming across her face," he reminisced.

"She was simply amused by the joy of beating me into the dirt," I scoffed, rolling my eyes at the sentimentality.

He chuckled softly before shaking his head. "She was but a child, so perhaps there was indeed a measure of innocent amusement in it. But I know she genuinely—"

"Enough, Arges," I cut him off. "It is far too late to sway my mind, and I sincerely doubt that even if you were to beg her, she would ever accept reconsidering our betrothal now. Rather, I am actually planning to humiliate her a bit further in the future."

If I truly wanted to recreate the Morgana from the Game, the woman who had lost everything and knew had to grow, I had to push her much closer to the edge.

"Y—Your Majesty?" Arges stuttered, entirely caught off guard by the admission.

"Do not fret, I have no intention of breaking her hand again. She simply needed a harsh lesson in humility," I said, standing up from the couch and brushing off my cloak. "Regardless, ensure she is sent away from the capital by morning."

"I shall do exactly as you command," he nodded in understanding.

"In due time, I will also arrange for my wives to be safely escorted there, but not just yet. I don’t like the notion of using them as bait, but our enemies must not harbor any doubts regarding our vulnerability. Right now, they fully believe this is the perfect, golden moment to strike, and I want them to continue believing that illusion until the trap snaps shut," I stated seriously.

Arges smiled a complex, slightly wistful smile and nodded.

"That is a strategy your father would have vehemently disagreed with, Your Majesty," he observed.

"My father would have attempted to negotiate a peace treaty with the Black Sun," I retorted dryly.

Arges let out a sudden, rare bark of laughter. "Perhaps. It is very possible indeed."

I smiled at him and finally turned to leave. But, remembering a lingering detail, I paused, reaching into the inner breast pocket of my coat. I pulled out a small, elegantly crafted glass vial filled with a rich crimson liquid.

"Here. If my memory serves me correctly, that hot-headed, scarlet-haired idiot has an immense fondness for pomegranates. This is a concentrated, restorative extract of the fruit," I said.

I also vaguely recalled that pomegranates were supposed to be exceptionally good for one’s health. I had always heard quite positive things about the restorative properties of red fruits back in my old world, so it certainly could not hurt her recovery.

Tossing the small vial through the air to Arges, who caught it in one large hand, I pulled my hood back over my head and slipped out of the silent mansion, melting away into the deep shadows of the night.