The grand hall of Esteria's palace, once a place of awe and majesty for Haruto, now felt like a gilded cage whose doors had just been flung open to reveal a den of serpents. The silence that followed King Alistair's stunning arrest was more deafening than any battle cry. It lasted only a moment before it was shattered by the sharp, clear voice of Duke Valerius.
"Treason!" the Duke roared, his hand on the hilt of his ornate sword. He was a man carved from ambition, with a hawk-like nose and eyes that held no warmth, only calculation. "You see, people of Esteria? This shadow-spawned otherworlder and his band of monsters have not come to save us! They have come to usurp our throne!"
The royal guards, who had just apprehended their king, hesitated, their hands slackening on Alistair's arms. Their loyalty, so easily swayed by Haruto's shocking revelation, was now torn by the authority in the Duke's voice.
"He speaks the truth!" Lyra cried out, her voice ringing with elven clarity. "We have shown you the proof! The King's shadow does not lie!"
"Proof?" Duke Valerius laughed, a cold, hollow sound. "A parlor trick! A manipulation of the very darkness he commands! Who among you can truly say you understand the arts of shadow? He could make any of your shadows confess to murder! This was not justice; it was a witch hunt!"
Haruto felt a cold dread seep into his bones. He had been naive. He thought the truth, once revealed, would be enough. But Valerius was a master of a different kind of magic—the magic of fear, doubt, and political maneuvering.
"The King, for all his potential faults, has kept Esteria safe from the true Demon King," Valerius continued, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial tone that carried through the hall. "And what does this 'Shadow Hero' offer? Chaos! An alliance with beasts of the forest and creatures of the dark! He is not our savior; he is the catalyst for our destruction!"
Before Haruto could formulate a response, Duke Valerius turned to the captain of the guard. "By the ancient laws of succession, in a time of crisis with the monarch compromised, the High Council may appoint a Regent. I, Duke Valerius, head of that council, hereby assume the Regency until the stability of the kingdom is assured. Secure the former king in the north tower. And seize the shadow mage!"
The spell was broken. The guards, now given a clear chain of command and a target for their confusion, moved with renewed purpose. But they were not fast enough.
Haruto didn't need to give the order. As the guards surged forward, the shadows in the hall congealed into a solid wall of darkness, swallowing the advancing men whole. They emerged a second later, disoriented and weaponless, on the far side of the room. It was a non-lethal but stunning display of control.
"We are leaving," Haruto stated, his voice calm but resonating with an authority that surprised even him. He looked directly at Duke Valerius. "You crown yourself with lies, Regent. But remember, lies cast the longest shadows. And I am their master."
With a nod to his allies, they melted back into the crowd, using the confusion and a network of pre-planned shadow portals orchestrated by their dryad ally to escape the capital. They had won the battle of truth but lost the war for the throne in a single, masterful stroke by a political virtuoso.
As they fled into the night, Haruto knew the game had changed. They were no longer rebels exposing a corrupt king. They were insurgents fighting a legitimate, if deceitful, government. And Duke Valerius was a far more dangerous enemy than Alistair had ever been.