章 1: The plan

In the heart of a distant, vast, and magnificent world, where magic and peculiar phenomena were commonplace, lay a gorgeous city. The jewel of the Franca empire, named after the first princess of its founder, Rose De Franca.

The artistic architectural style, booming economy, and robust, mighty walls housing hundreds of soldiers and defensive war machinery made this city the pride of the empire.

Within the palace, vast enough to encompass an entire village with its tall towers adorned with beautiful mosaic windows, servants scurried about, preparing for one of the biggest and most important meetings this world had ever seen. Kings and Emperors were scheduled to arrive in less than one hour to decide the world's fate in an extraordinary meeting.

In one of the palace's chambers, a young woman paced nervously. Even if she had prepared a speech to convince the world's rulers, she failed to calm her tense nerves. Yet, she had to convince them to make the only choice that would save the world from a disastrous calamity.

She knew her young appearance played against her. After all, in a world where strength was valued above all, how could an individual, appearing no older than twenty-five, convince those mighty rulers to choose her plans? One that most would dismiss as crazy, no less.

However, she was convinced that their only hope to survive what was to come relied on it.

"Breathe, Elisabeth. You can do it! You can convince those old fogies." She murmured, taking a deep breath to muster courage before her stressful speech. "For the world's future, you have to!"

Knock, knock, knock.

"Your Highness, it is almost time. Should we head to the great hall to welcome them?" the palace's head butler asked from the corridor, his familiar voice relieving a bit of her panic.

Taking a deep breath, Elisabeth instantly recomposed herself, answering with the dignity befitting royalty as she opened the door, "Yes, please. Lead the way."

Simultaneously, in front of a massive stone structure, servants bowed and guided the first arriving guests.

The towering edifice, a technological marvel mixing alchemy, enchantments and deep study of space, was called a Gate. Used for long-distance travel, it granted the nobility swift access to distant lands.

The mana hummed as a blonde, middle-aged man, followed by two people, stepped out of the thick blue veil covering the Gate.

Standing over two meters tall, with a stern, shaved face and wearing a luxurious costume, he scanned his surroundings warily with his deep blue eyes. His right hand rested on the pommel of his beautiful sword, and his tensed muscles promised a world of pain to any threat to his liege.

"At ease, Marquis Mathias. Nothing will happen. After all, the world's rulers are gathered here," said King Leon, an old man looking well beyond his seventies. Despite his advanced age and white beard, his pale grey eyes emitted a sharp glint of wisdom as occasional green hues flashed in them.

"This is my duty, your majesty. I swore to protect you no matter the location," replied Mathias with the strictness expected from someone with his demeanor.

"Come on, you're always so serious. What are you expecting to happen in the palace of the Franca Empire on such a grand occasion? A terrorist attack? Stop your paranoia and enjoy the meeting." The mischievous-looking blue-haired lady accompanying them snorted.

Her elegant dark blue dress fluttered in the wind as she fixed her cape, causing the complex magic symbols embroidered on it to come to life. More than mere decoration, they represented her rank as the captain of the royal mage order.

Before Mathias could respond, King Leon frowned, interjecting, "Enough, Alice. We didn't come here to enjoy. Save your rivalry for later." Then, he gazed at Mathias reassuredly. "Everyone answered the call to discuss the world's fate, not start a world war. Let's head in. I'm eager to discover what solutions will be brought to the table."

Simultaneously, a young servant approached them. With a polite bow, he demanded to be followed to the great hall, where they would be served beverages and wait for the last guests.

On their way, they marvelled at the architecture and art as they strode into the vast room. Magnificent, engraved marble columns supported a high ceiling adorned with colourful paintings depicting the glorious past of the Franca Empire. Bright lights, reflected by intricate mosaic glasses, danced everywhere in an enchanting spectacle.

Meanwhile, a charming young woman sitting at a large round table smiled at them before focusing on the next entering guests as they took their seats.

Her young age and graceful appearance attracted their attention. No older than twenty-five, her hazel eyes glimmered softly. Her neatly braided blonde hair caught the light, giving her a mysterious aura. A white ceremonial dress embroidered with regal golden patterns draped her supple skin, accentuating her beauty as her bright smile helped the guests to relax.

After a few minutes and with every seat filled, she stood up, her voice echoing delicately in the large hall.

"In the name of the Franca empire, I, Elisabeth De Franca, welcome you, kings, emperors, and nobles to Rose. I have invited you today to discuss what is to come and what countermeasures and contingency plans must be made to avoid the worst."

"As many know, my ability allows me to peer into the future. I have seen a war, the greatest that has ever occurred since the beginning of time. I have seen death and destruction everywhere. Nothing and no one still stood after its ravages. That's why I called for this extraordinary meeting. Without working together, we won't overcome this crisis!"

As her words lingered for a moment, the hall rapidly erupted into boisterous exchanges.

Despite knowing why they were invited, hearing about a disastrous war from the mouth of the world's most renowned oracle overwhelmed them. Especially after its prophesied ominous conclusion.

"Who is going to start it? Tell us his name so we can kill him right here and now and avoid the catastrophe!" Someone shouted, forcing the loud chatter to calm down to listen to her response.

If they could prevent the impending death and destruction scenario by eliminating the culprit in advance, why wouldn't they?

Unfortunately, Elisabeth shook her head and closed her eyes. "The menace is veiled in shadows, escaping my sight. Perhaps the culprit has powerful anti-divination artifacts, has abilities to escape prophecies, or isn't born yet. Regardless, we still have a window of twenty-five to thirty years to prepare, give or take."

"We must allocate significant resources and bolster our military prowess to confront this threat head-on!" declared the emperor of a renowned nation, his voice resounding with authority and determination.

"That's an excellent idea. We should also establish magic schools for commoners. After instructing them for a while and making them mages, we'll recruit them in our military," King Leon proposed, his expression brightening with optimism.

However, scornful glances met his proposition. Who would accept letting commoners mix with nobles in a world of aristocracy?

"I never thought I would hear something so outrageous. Do you truly intend to turn commoners into mages? Are they to be elevated despite their inferiority to even the lowliest noble? Did you finally become senile, old man?"

A deafening silence descended in the hall as everyone's eyes enlarged. The man who disrespected King Leon was the self-proclaimed Beast Emperor, a dangerous man no one dared to go against.

On the brink of unifying the entire southern continent, he stood as the most war-driven ruler on the planet. The Beast Emperor exuded pride, even arrogance, embracing the philosophy proclaiming 'might makes right'.

"It's merely a logical proposition. No need to be vexed, even if it doesn't suit your fancy. You resemble a child denied dessert for the evening. Quite endearing," King Leon retorted, his lips curling into a mocking smirk. Who was he to endure public humiliation from a mere brat?

"Pfft," Alice, the mischievous mage, couldn't stifle her laughter, earning a deadly glare from the Beast Emperor. If not for the meeting, he would have shredded her into pieces in a second.

King Leon glanced at her, his expression shifting to one of admonition, sensing trouble stirring in the air like a gathering storm.

"Please, everyone, calm down," a neighboring kingdom's king began, his voice amiable yet firm. "While King Leon's proposal to allow the formation and recruitment of mages seems sound, it carries significant risks that we cannot ignore."

"Consider the ensuing chaos if commoners flooded our cities seeking official magical education. It would disrupt our supply chains and threaten the stability of our realm."

"Moreover, we must acknowledge the sheer numbers of the common folk. Even if their magical abilities are inferior to ours, granting them access to such power poses a grave threat to our control."

He emphasized their superiority by insisting on the worst part, making King Leon frown.

Nurturing commoner mages, no matter how weak they were, without means to monitor them to ensure they wouldn't abuse their powers, commit evil deeds, or rebel over a large territory didn't seem that great of an idea to any of the rulers.

It would be too much work for too few benefits. Investing millions of gold coins to force them into submission was also out of the question. After all, they wouldn't be strong enough to make a big difference, anyway.

Every ruler nodded, agreeing with him as Elisabeth's voice suddenly resounded strongly.

"If I may have your attention. I have a plan. You may not like it, but it has the highest chance of success."

Everyone turned to gaze at her, waiting to hear the strategy they wouldn't like with curiosity.

"In order to survive the future great war, we must take drastic measures. We need to summon warriors and educate them before we run out of time."

They unanimously grimaced, agreeing with her. They didn't like that plan.

"Are you for real? After the commoners becoming mages, we have the summoning of aliens as a proposition..."

"King Leon, I can't hold my laughter in anymore." Tugging at her king's sleeve, Alice said, tears welling in her eyes.

"I'm still wondering why we took you with us..." Muttered Mathias in annoyance.

Meanwhile, King Leon ignored her and asked, his eyes gleaming in interest, "Why would we summon warriors? Isn't it easier to train our own?"

Elisabeth responded, her voice filled with enthusiasm, "We discovered an old magic ritual that allows us to summon several million otherworldly human souls. They will then be reincarnated in our world with their memories sealed until they reach the age of thirteen, becoming authentic inhabitants of our world!"

"Past that age, their memories will merge, forcing a unique talent based on their personality and lifestyle to awaken. In addition, they will also be able to see their status, allowing them to improve the areas they are lacking in. In short, they will have a unique talent like the nobles and a tool to help them progress much faster than any warrior from our world."

"What about the price?" Beast emperor asked, tapping on his desk pensively. He knew such a potent ritual couldn't be free from experience.

"Half of our world's life energy will be consumed to fuel the spell. I know it's a lot, but the world will end up destroyed if we don't pay it. Despite the steep price, the world will slowly recover," Elisabeth answered.

"How are we going to control those warriors? Are we just going to summon the equivalent of several million nobles equipped with amazing tools only to let them loose in the wild?" A long-eared king asked, frowning in concern.

"Do not worry. We have that covered. Along with the summoning ritual, we found and deciphered another spell. This one allows us to detect otherworldly souls."

"With it, your kingdom's mages can locate them from the moment we proceed with the summon until they turn thirteen. After that, each kingdom can train and control them however they want."

After the shocking revelations, the rulers inquired for further specifics regarding the plan for the next few hours, filling the hall with boisterous discussions.

"What do you think about the plan, Alice?" King Leon asked.

"I'm not sure. I have never heard about that ritual. However, as a mage, I find it disheartening to lose half the world's energy to use it. The potency of our spells will be halved," she pouted, unhappy about the price.

"According to Elisabeth, it is our best shot at survival, though," Mathias said, sharing his opinion.

"Mhhh, that's indeed a plan no one likes. However, it is true that having millions of controllable warriors with special talents and rapid development in less than three decades is indeed tempting. I need more time to make a choice."

After hours of discussion, the blazing sun gave way to the glowing moon. Yet, no one voiced their decision. Thus, they agreed to finalise it the next day.