Space Odyssey: Spectre-Chapter 57: Vexical Royal Family

"The arrogance!" CRASH! A vase smashed into a wall as the prince screamed in anger. "I have done so much to try to usurp my father's control and he dares to ignore my requests for meetings." He was fuming as his size increased with his muscles taking on a hideous appearance.

The Imperial Guard Oberon West sighed as he dodged a table that slammed into a wall. The first prince was a handful and a hair trigger for emotional outbursts. But this was the horse that Oberon had shackled himself to.

"Even if his power and control over the nobility is diminishing he is still the leader and emperor of this nation. That title alone makes many loyal to him over you." Oberon explained as he dodged a couch. "I told you that you need more recognition to get more supporters. It is only thanks to Archduke Beltrum that we have made it so far. Now please calm down."

Another vase exploded in the prince's hand as he growled which was followed by a few deep breaths. The prince began shrinking down to his normal skinny form with his shirt and pants loosely hanging off of him.

"That is easier said than done, Oberon." The prince answered, "unlike my sister I won't debase myself by mingling with commoners to get recognition from others. I suppose military achievements would be best. I should find some soldiers to prop myself up with."

"That should be one of your methods but you should find other methods as well. Relying on a single method will not do much for you." Oberon suggested as he walked over to sit in a chair that was not destroyed.

"Then I will throw a party to celebrate our victory over the Victorium. I will invite nobles from all factions to curry favor." The prince began changing into a new pair of clothes. Kicking aside the corpse of a maid that was killed during his rampage. "What about that student of Admiral Dakota's? What was his name?"

"Jace Steel? I can send a request for him to become one of your personal soldiers but from the very little his file revealed I doubt it would work out. But I can still start putting out feelers for soldiers that might be useful to our cause. Then I will see about the military commanders loyal to us getting posted on the Crystoph Federation border." Oberon informed the prince as he relaxed in his chair. Before he came into the room he already had a plan. Oberon was one of the few guards from the old guard and was more loyal to the former emperor than the current coward.

"That will suffice, see if you can blackmail that cadet. From what I understand he is an exceptional engineer as well." The Prince finished dressing and rang a bell. "Clean the room."

A group of maids walked in and began cleaning the room. A few frowned as they carried out their fellow maid's corpse. "Will that be all Prince Cassius?"

"No, where is my sister? I want to talk to her." Prince Cassius Vexical, the first prince of the Empire of the Vexical demanded.

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"Princess the emperor has refused another meeting with the prince." Her attendant handed her a file. "This is the classified file on Jace Steel."

The princess chuckled, "my brother will come look for me. Tell him I refuse to see him. Make sure my Imperial Knights are present. I don't want another maid dying because that idiot can not control his temper." The princess told the attendant who bowed and walked away.

After the attendant was out of earshot the princess's personal maid stepped forward and poured her some tea. "Are you sure that is a good idea?"

"My father wants to rile up my brother. I would be an unfilial daughter if I did not help him out." The princess explained as she began opening the file and began reading the contents. "Besides it was entertaining enough watching him squirm the other day, I don't need to see him for some time."

"Understood princess," the maid stepped back as the princess silently read through the file. While she was reading another maid came up and whispered in the ear of the princess's personal maid. The maid nodded and wavered her hand dismissing the newly arrived maid. "Princess, the Archduke is attempting to smuggle Kitinol into one of the systems under your control again. It has failed but it seems he is intent on undermining you with unconventional methods."

"That damn Beltrum. Talk about a worm that won't just die. How much family does he have left?" The princess asked as she sighed. freeωebnovēl.c૦m

"He has his daughter, four grandchildren, and a child on the way." The maid answered.

"Have one of the grandchildren killed, whichever the oldest is." The princess ordered, "use my assassins. I doubt he will get the message or stop but I am not playing with people's lives just because something makes me uncomfortable."

"Understood princess, was there anything else?" The maid asked with a bow.

"Yes. Inform all nobles in our faction, or that we are friendly with to not bother with either Oculus Station or Jace Steel. All we would end up doing is making a ruthless enemy and annoying the military's neutral faction." The princess sighed as she read over the file again. "This Jace Steel is interesting. It seems they made a second file to hide his actual file."

"Why would they do that?" The maid asked as she whispered to another person. Giving the order to pass along the information.

"They would only do that if they had something that needed to go in the file but falls into a rule of needing a fake file. So it could be one or more of three things. He could be an undercover operative, which I doubt. Then there was the option of him being a high ranking noble or royal that is under a false name, I doubt that even more. The last, which is far more likely, is that he has an S-Rank compatibility with the system." The princess explained, faintly hearing something in the distance which sounded like her brother going on another rampage.

"S-Rank?" The maid asked.

"It means he has more control over his abilities and talents and more freedom in using them. As far as I know only a few other S-Ranks are alive. One of which is-" The Princess stopped as she could hear her brother getting louder. "Destroy this file." She would have to dismiss her brother personally it seems.

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"We rarely get a chance to do this nowadays." The emperor grunted in pain as he sat down. "How are things these days Dakota?" the emperor asked as he grabbed a cookie from the plate.

"Fun," Dakota answered with a chuckle. "I never knew ignoring the nobles and telling my subordinates to do the same would bring me so much joy."

Natius chuckled as he waved at the butler, "you are dismissed." Once the butler left he snapped his finger and a barrier appeared, enclosing the room. "Okay we are completely alone now, how are things going on your end?"

"Good so far. Project Tartarus will commence after the new cadets finish their probationary term. Fenris is commencing preparations for the other projects we talked about. We will soon have our spy in the Union and the Inquisitors. Was there anything else?" Dakota asked as he leaned back and sipped on a cup of tea.

"Yes, the Victorium has discreetly reached out to me. The High Priestess, which is essentially the head of their military, wants to sit down for a talk. I need your help to arrange it." The Emperor explained.

"You want to discreetly talk with them. That will be a bit difficult. We will have to arrange it for several months down the road. Project Tartarus would be able to facilitate it without interference from other factions." Dakota answered, "the Rogue Metal Legion has reached out to me as well, to thank that student of mine. Apparently he caught their interest."

"Jace Steel is an interesting young man. I hope you do not mind, I sent him a level four classified military file about Project Tartarus." The emperor stretched. "I believed it would be beneficial for him to have some insight into his future."

"That is fine with me. But Fenris will likely be livid, you know how they get when it comes to these projects." Dakota chuckled, "actually I am more worried about how much attention we were getting on a galactic scale. Aside from Crystoph, have any other countries taken a hostile interest in what we are getting up to?"

"The Oda Empire, New Hexarian Republic, Leonair, Montez Kingdom, Rogue Metal Legion." The emperor's carefree attitude disappeared. "All of them have taken a special interest in what is going on in our crumbling empire."

"Will any of them be a problem?" Dakota frowned, he did not expect the Leonair, Montez Kingdom, and the Oda Empire to care. But it makes sense that the New Hexarian Republic and Rogue Metal Legion would be interested.

"Oda will likely send Shinobi to investigate. While the Legion are more interested in Jace and the AI Core design. The rest will likely send diplomats and spies to find out what is going on in our kingdom, those I can take care of." The Emperor answered as he shook his head, "Now then, how is your daughter?"

Dakota flinched and chuckled.