Evil Samurai In Cultivation World

The Dazearyn army had contacted the Argrian campsite in the valley of the dead, and they had agreed on a place, date and time for the Emperor of Dazearyn Empire, Gilbert Gottfried to meet with the new ruler of Argria, Blake Bancroft.

"Your highness," Commander Selvig intoned, as he and the group of soldiers, who were acting as escorts for the emperor, began to get ready for the meeting with the Argrian King. "I would hope that you approach the meeting with a cautious mind. Although the Argrians may be telling the truth - and given how confident they were about it, it did mean that there is a slight chance that they are truthful - the timing of it all still remains suspicious. It might not be a stretch to say that they were spying on us; even the confidential matters, and we can't afford to cooperate with such a group of people for a long time."

"I know that very well, Commander Selvig," the Emperor said, as he got ready to enter his carriage. He walked towards the carriage, and the soldiers who were surrounding him slowly moved out of the way to make way for their Emperor, bowing their heads in respect. The Commander and a few of his men walked behind the Emperor, and Gottfried continued, "The timeline does seem suspicious, but if they are in fact telling the truth, then I'm afraid I won't be able to do anything else as it goes against my beliefs."

"But your highness, if we decide to keep those people close, then it would only hurt us more in the future. They were able to spy on us, the martial world's largest and most powerful empire. Who knows what else they'll do if we cooperate with them?" Commander Selvig said, his voice filled with concern.

"I understand your concerns, Commander Selvig. But I am not going to abandon my ideals in order to destroy those who may be our opponents in the near future, that too without any evidence. If I turn my back on my ideals, then I'm nothing more than a reckless and merciless conqueror. My ideals are the only reason I became the emperor of this great Empire. Without it, I am nothing," he responded without turning his head. "So Commander, I suggest you keep digging until you do find evidence. Although I may not be able to annihilate them if they are in fact found to be telling the truth, I would have a valid reason to destroy them if they plan to wage a war against the great Dazearyn Empire."

Emperor Gilbert Gottfried clenched his fists and turned his head, shifting his gaze towards the commander, "Trying to wage a war against a country ruled by a messenger of God is simply a crime against God, and they shall be punished for it," he answered, and Commander Selvig breathed a little easier.

"Well, that's that. But only if you find any evidence to prove it, Commander. So you better get to work," the Emperor said and he snapped his fingers as a solider brought an Argrian soldier with him, handcuffed to his own hands. The soldier pulled the Argrian soldier with force and led him towards the Emperor, who placed his hand on his shoulder, "I hope you enjoyed your stay in the Dazearyn army campsite, messenger William. I believe you have already been acquainted with our 'interrogation officer', Jacob Harrison. He's usually a shy guy, but he is always thrilled to welcome a guest. I'm sure he's glad that you came along!"

The soldier who was handcuffed was none other than messenger William, who had handed the message of General Ivan to the Emperor, and tried to read his thoughts. He had been handed off to the Dazearyns temporarily as insurance.

"Y-yes y-your high-highness… i-it's been a w-wonderful stay h-here. I am d-deeply i-indebted to y-you all," Messenger William, whose pants were soaked and his hair disheveled, stuttered as he spoke, trying his very best to smile, but failed miserably. Anyone with a brain could easily figure out that he was not having a 'wonderful stay'.

"Nothing's ever quite what it seems, is it?" The Emperor spoke with a smile as he slightly increased his grip on the messenger's shoulders, who let out a small squeal as a result.

"I s-suppose not, y-your highness..." Messenger William smiled weakly in response, and the soldier whom he was handcuffed to pulled him back, and entered a different carriage. 

Both the Emperor and the commander watched as the Messenger disappeared from their view, and the Emperor turned to look at Commander Selvig and said, "Well then… It's time to go, Selvig!"

Selvig looked at the Emperor who entered the carriage for a second, and shook his head.

'Sure, he could definitely stick to his ideals', the Commander reflected. 'But did he really think he wasn't just a merciless conqueror, or is he simply lying to himself?' The Commander stared out at the dirt road that led to the valley of the dead, before entering the carriage, uncertain of what the answer was.

******************

The Dazearyn carriages arrived at the valley of the dead, where they were greeted by General Ivan and his subordinates, who pointed them towards another carriage which they were told to get into in order to reach the destination where the meeting with the new king of Argria was set to take place. 

Although the Dazearyns were not too keen on abandoning their own carriages in favour of the Argrian carriages, General Ivan calmly responded that although the new king was supported by most of the public, they had been attacked by a terrorist organisation just a few weeks ago which made the public to be on edge. And therefore, in order to avoid suspicion, he asked the Dazearyns to move to the Argrian carriage so their presence doesn't cause a disturbance to the public.

In the end, the Dazearyns, who were initially reluctant to change carriages, did eventually agree to their request, as they too wished to keep a low profile. The soldier who was with messenger William uncuffed him and let the Argrian soldiers take him away, as they changed the carriages.

The Dazearyn soldiers all boarded the Argrian carriages which, they saw, was a luxurious room on wheels than a simple carriage. The interior of these carriages were large, with drinks and desserts present, and they even had servants, both male and female, with their sole purpose being pleasuring the guests. After letting the poison expert test the drinks, most of the Dazearyn soldiers availed themselves of a drink except the Emperor and the commander, who barely noted the luxurious interiors of the carriage. It was a common instinct for the Emperor to not be swayed by the kindness of whom he considered to be a 'problem'.

The carriage reached its destination after traveling for more than three hours. The location that they had decided to have the discussion was the city of Trivonte, about two hundred miles south of the valley of the dead. They were planning on having their meeting inside the Destiny Church, a newly built church that hasn't yet been opened to the public.

"Did we reach our destination?" the Commander asked, as he realised that the carriage had stopped moving.

"We have reached the city of Trivonte," as if to answer the question of the commander, the carriage driver's voice was heard from the outside of the vehicle. "I hope that you enjoy your stay at Argria." the servants who were assigned to the Dazearyn soldiers flashed a charming smile as they spoke, and they waited for them to exit the carriage.

The soldiers collected themselves and shuffled out of the luxurious carriage, and were immediately captivated by the beautiful architectural marvel that was the Destiny Church. The exterior of the Church was striking, with two soaring towers on each side and intricate carvings with green and blue stained glasses as its windows.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" A voice drifted over as Emperor Gilbert Gottfried was staring at the building in front of him, and his eyes immediately swept over to the person who spoke, his face showing partial interest.

"I apologize if I interrupted you. But I'm afraid we have bigger things to discuss today, Emperor." the man chuckled, and continued. "I am the son of Hannibal and Isabelle Bancroft as well as the newly crowned king of Argria, King Blake Bancroft. It's nice to meet you, your highness!"

"It's nice to finally meet you as well, King Blake. I, Gilbert Gottfried, the Emperor of the Dazearyn Empire, is delighted to have a civil discussion with the King of Argria." Gilbert Gottfried smiled in response, but they didn't shake each other's hands. It just didn't happen.

"Well then, shall we enter the church and have a chat?" King Blake Bancroft pointed at the Church as he turned around and walked towards it, stopping for a second before speaking. "Alone, if you don't mind?"

The Emperor shifted his gaze from the King and onto his Commander, and nodded his head. He then stepped forward, and followed the King of Argria as both of them walked towards the Destiny Church, leaving their soldiers behind.