As the carriage neared the fortress, rows of mounted knights lined the approach, their armor glinting in the sunlight. The carriage slowed before the fortress gate, where the knights raised crisp salutes.
"We greet His Highnesses, Prince Tristan and Prince Lucien, and the Lord Marshal!"
From the second carriage, Wilhelm stepped down, nodding curtly. A knight captain approached and removed his helmet in respect; his expression grave.
"Marshal," he said, "forgive the abrupt welcome, but there's something you should know."
Wilhelm's eyes narrowed. "Speak."
"The city's been restless these past few days," the captain reported. "Unfounded rumors have been spreading, stirring public unrest. Security around the palace and key districts has been tightened, but the situation remains volatile. There have already been several protests outside the palace gates—"
"It's worse than I expected," Tristan muttered, drawing Lucien's attention.
"Yes," Lucien replied flatly before drifting back to the window
They had heard whispers in the villages along the way, so it wasn't entirely surprising. Whoever orchestrated the false flag hadn't wasted any time setting their pieces in motion.
Tristan glanced at him. "Is there a way to quell the unrest? To ease the public without dragging us into a war?"
Lucien gave a slight shrug. "That depends on what the Empire wants—on the direction it intends to take."
Tristan frowned. "What do you mean?"
"If the goal is peace talks," Lucien said, turning fully to Tristan, "we don't need to suppress the rumors—we let them fester. Make them uglier, more outrageous. But the villain isn't us, it's the Zerounix."
He leaned against the cushion. "When the unrest reaches its peak, we issue a statement: 'The Empire has observed a significant naval presence near its maritime borders—an act that has raised grave concern among our people. We formally request an explanation from the Zerounix Kingdom.' That frames us as the aggrieved party."
Tristan exhaled slowly, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I understand the logic—fight fire with fire—but this invites international scrutiny. If an investigation follows and inconsistencies surface, it could blow up in our face."
Lucien shook his head, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "No, this works in our favor. Let Zerounix deny it and call for a neutral inquiry to preserve their honor; we'll welcome it. Once the trail leads to a third party, we're victims, not perpetrators. That's when we extend a hand for peace talks. With the observers watching, would Zerounix dare refuse?"
He wasn't technically lying; the rumor had originated from a third party.
He'd been wondering how to stop the war, but it wasn't particularly complicated. The third party practically handed him the script, and his job on Earth trained him well for games like this.
Tristan's brow narrowed. "Then why not expose the true instigator outright and propose a joint investigation with Zerounix? Should they refuse, we look transparent, and they appear guilty."
Lucien tilted his head slightly. "Appeal to transparency? In a game where everyone wears masks?"
Tristan studied him with an unreadable expression. The steady rhythm of hooves permeated the air as the carriage crossed the drawbridge, flanked by mounted knights.
"Your plan works if Zerounix refuses," Lucien began again. "But what if they feign cooperation? Muddy the waters and throw the blame back at us. They don't need to be right—just loud. And by the time that happens, the public's patience will have already burned out. Then war won't just be likely; it'll be inevitable."
A brief stillness followed before the noise outside drew their attention to the window. A surging crowd had gathered.
"Cowards!" someone shouted. "Silence is treason!"
"If the throne can't protect its blood, how will it protect us?!"
"Zerounix mocks us—and we bow our heads?!"
"Where's the retaliation? Where's justice?!"
Knights pressed into the throng, forming a wall of steel around the carriages, but the masses refused to yield, their fury rising like a tide.
"And to ease the public," Lucien met Tristan's gaze, "deploy knights across the capital. Have them aid and reassure citizens, not confront them. That way, we keep the people's trust while quietly tracing the source of the rumors."
Tristan said nothing. His eyes returned to the furious crowd outside. His arms crossed tightly over his chest, fingers tapping against his bicep in restless rhythm—unconvinced, but out of moves.
"I know you dislike my idea," Lucien said, pulling Tristan's eyes to him. "But in this game, we don't win by being right—we win by staying one step ahead. Let them shout. Let them doubt. But when the dust settles, make sure the world remembers only one version of the truth: ours." He offered a faint smile and leaned back. "That's the difference between survival and ruin. Still, if you have a better plan, I'm all ears."
Tristan didn't respond. His lips pressed into a thin line, brows drawn tight in thought, but his silence was answer enough.
After a moment, he exhaled sharply. "You said the end goal was peace talks, right? But what if the Zerounix declares war instead?"
Lucien tapped the window, gesturing toward the chaos outside. "We live in a society that prides itself on honor. Would Zerounix really risk declaring war after being exposed as dishonorable aggressors?"
"No," Tristan admitted. "But the chance isn't zero, is it?"
"That's right," Lucien said. "But even if they do declare war, their economy would suffer. Trade is their lifeblood. Once they're branded as villains, who would deal with them? Their reputation would crumble, and even their allies would begin to waver."
Tristan fell quiet again, his eyes fixed on him as though weighing every word. Then he asked, "And what of the third party? What if they stage another false flag?"
"If they do," Lucien drawled, summoning a book and flipping it open, "they'd be doing us a favor. It would be as though they handed themselves over willingly." He scanned the page, his voice distant. "But if they're smart, they'll stay quiet now that they know we're watching."
"You really think everything through, huh?"
Lucien shrugged, eyes still on the book. That was because he didn't want to be sent to the battlefield and die there. But that wasn't something he could say out loud.