Chapter 25 A Temporary Problem
Voss stared into the dying campfire as the first light of dawn touched the horizon. The general sat across from Darius, still armed, still dangerous, but no longer in immediate attack posture.
"I should have killed you last night," Voss said quietly. "That would have been the simpler choice."
Darius sat with his back straight, expression calm. "But you didn't. That tells me something."
Veth leaned against a nearby tree, arms crossed, clearly restless. "I still think we should fight him. All this talking is making my blood itch."
"Quiet," Darius said mildly. Mara remained silent beside him, her golden eyes fixed on Voss with quiet, unwavering distrust.
Voss rubbed his jaw wearily. "I have fresh intelligence from three different empires. They are mobilizing in force. Not just scattered Husband Hunters anymore. Full legions are being pulled from border defenses. The bounties on your head have reached absurd levels. Enough gold to buy a small kingdom outright. And that is before the Pantheon started intervening openly."
Darius nodded slowly, showing no visible fear. Just focused attention. "How openly are the gods moving?"
"Divine agents have been sighted in three major capitals," Voss continued. "They are pressuring rulers directly now. The Husband Hunters are being reinforced with temple warriors and blessed weapons. You are no longer considered a political embarrassment or a minor anomaly. You have become an existential threat to the entire order."
Veth let out a sharp laugh. "Good. Let them come. I have been bored since my war ended. A real fight would be welcome."
Voss shot her an irritated glare. "You are part of the problem. The War Incarnate walking peacefully beside a man like a loyal companion. It defies every report, every legend, every piece of intelligence I have ever received."
Veth’s grin widened dangerously. "Jealous, general? Would you like to walk beside me instead? I promise it would be much more exciting than whatever dull life you lead."
Voss ignored her and turned back to Darius. "I expected raw ambition. Fanaticism. Even outright madness. Instead I find exhaustion and careful, methodical planning. You dismantled a sixty-year war without seizing the power vacuum it left behind. You carry two Calamities and treat them like equals instead of tools or monsters. You minimize death even when killing would be faster and safer. What are you actually trying to do, Valeborn?"
Darius met his gaze steadily across the fire. "I am trying to break the system that created all of this. The Pantheon made the Calamities into weapons. They cursed my bloodline for their own purposes. They maintain control through fear and carefully managed chaos. I intend to remove that foundation entirely."
Voss was silent for a long moment, processing the words. "That is more dangerous than simply wanting a crown. Because it actually makes sense. A man who does not want to rule their empires, but wants to end the game completely. The rulers will never accept that."
Mara spoke softly for the first time. "You are starting to believe him."
"I am starting to see the pattern," Voss admitted. "And that terrifies the empires more than any monster would. A man who does not seek their power, but seeks to dismantle the entire structure that supports it."
Veth pushed off the tree and stretched her massive arms. "Enough philosophy and deep thoughts. When do we get to break some skulls? This conversation is becoming tedious."
Voss glared at her again. "Your constant bloodlust is not helping the situation."
Veth grinned wider. "It is very entertaining watching you try so hard not to like any of us, general. You keep fighting it."
Darius raised a hand before Voss could respond. "General Voss. You have a choice to make. You can return to the empire and report that I remain a threat worth destroying. Or you can walk away and allow events to unfold as they will."
Voss stood slowly, armor creaking. "I still have my orders. But I am no longer convinced those orders serve the empire’s long-term survival." He looked directly at Darius. "You have approximately three weeks before every nation on this continent starts hunting you openly."
He paused, his expression grim.
“And that’s assuming the gods wait that long.”
Darius absorbed the warning without any outward reaction. "Then we will move faster."
Voss turned to leave but stopped after a few steps. "One more thing. The Bloodline Architect. Whoever created the curse on your family is beginning to move pieces more actively now. Be careful. This is much larger than just the empires and their petty fears."
Veth called after him with a mocking tone. "Running away so soon, general? We were just starting to have fun!"
Voss did not reply. He disappeared into the trees without another word.
Mara watched the spot where he had vanished. "Can we trust him?"
"Not yet," Darius said. "But he is thinking. That is more dangerous to the empires than blind obedience."
Veth stretched again. "I still say we should have fought him. Would have been far more entertaining than all this talking."
Darius stood up carefully, hiding the fresh wave of internal pain as the two powers inside him shifted and clashed again. "We have three weeks. Maybe less. We need to reach the next Marriage Ground before the real storm arrives."
The three of them began walking again. Behind them the forest remained quiet, but the continent was waking up. Armies were mobilizing. Gods were watching more closely. And the man who had once been dismissed as the weakest prince was now at the center of a gathering catastrophe that threatened to reshape everything.