The Conquerors Path

"When, I'm getting ready to forget everything, I called you up here, telling you explicitly to come alone, and you, with your mind, should have understood that I would have my reasons for it. What I am doing now is going out of my way to help you, so isn't it a basic courtesy to at least follow the one instruction that I gave you?"

"And don't go telling me shit like these two still followed you. You are their ruler, the future Empress. Being best friends or not, when it comes to at least saving your sister, don't you know where you should draw the line? Or are you that self-absorbed, living in your world, that you think everything would be fine if you said that you are sorry?"

"What kind of fantasy are you swimming in? Yes, family takes things and allows leniency and stuff, but it can't always be one-sided, Carmel. How am I to help you when you can't even follow a single small instruction of mine? And here I sat telling how I have to sacrifice my connection for you to a tribe that I care deeply about, and all you seem to care about at first is just guilt and doing nothing about it."

"I at least thought you would say something along the lines of not needing it or getting rough enough to command the two idiots by your side to stay back. But once again, you swallowed up my goodwill without even trying to help out my side. What is that all about? Do you think relationships are all about me doing things solely for you?"

By the end of my last words, Carmelia had put her head down. Even she can't go forth to argue against the very idea itself. Each of the sentences I put forth shows fully the selfishness that she kept portraying. Due to living in her nice princess style, she easily accepts the goodwill of others and takes it for granted.

True, that's no problem when the rest of the people around her are below in her status and are trying to cozy up to her. But that doesn't work for me, and she, having lived like that, went with the flow I am giving her, taking all my goodwill as if it's granted without her having to reciprocate it at all in any manner.

Carmel and Carmelia were going forth with that bubble-like life of theirs, but now I have popped it, showing them the reality that lay in front of them. Shame and guilt flowed over Carmelia's face as her head stayed down, while the other two clowns on her side kept staring at me with sharpened gazes, just wishing to pounce and tear me apart from my words, though even within that, I could see a hint of happiness in their eyes.

'Mostly thinking that I am not out of the race for her heart, right?'

I mused their thoughts, so ever-present, that in itself made me smile a bit inwardly. Thanks to the word and powers I talked of before, these two idiots seemed to have their brains restarted up as they kept their mouths shut. Now understanding the idea that they just can't go to screw with me for no reason at all.

The atmosphere in the room got very cold, and it was well for me. The trip is something I can use to push forth another past connection between us that Carmel and Carmelia can't remember. Well, of course, they won't, but I will make sure they will remember it in today's traveling and also deal with 'that' slowly slumbering away in them.

"Sigh... I didn't even want to talk this much."

I spoke again, my head was covered with my hands, my frustration ever-present. But I didn't let that hold me for long as I looked down at Carmelia again, my voice turning soft as I spoke.

"Sigh... let's just get this over with. There's a lot else I have to do."

My wordings making Carmelia flinch. She bit her lips, but in the end, she couldn't seem to overcome the problem itself as she raised her head, her eyes forcefully meeting mine. The connection stayed powerful for a moment, after which her face turned fully cold, her gaze turning ice-like.

"Let's get this over with then."

Her voice was a string of cold whispers, and I could understand that she was holding back everything she wanted to say to me for now, probably planning on rekindling her relationship with me, asking for my forgiveness after she dealt with the issue of her little sister Tria, right now that situation being the most important one to be dealt with.

I inwardly nodded my head at her action, her presence now showing off her stance as the next ruler, pushing down the emotions of the moment to deal with the bigger picture.

'But even then she didn't tell the two not to come.'

And I can understand it, the two of them are her best friends, and she doesn't want to push them away, especially not now when our relationship seems rocky at best. Moreover, she really does care for these two due to them knowing each other since young, and that's why I will be destroying their relationship during this travel.

As I said, I didn't plan for these two on my plan! But I definitely planned for some stuff to break their relationships in my plan B, though there isn't a 100% guarantee that it might work, due to the fact that such a strong relationship won't break easily, not until the highest level of betrayal comes into play. And I have already set up things for that.

'Though it needs very elaborate movements to get it done.'

So the question came on why I need to break them off, and it's simple, actually. I don't like them being this close to Carmel when she becomes my woman. It's a simple reason for possessiveness. She can talk with boys and all, after all, as the next ruler, she will have to deal with a large variety of different people of all genders. But I don't want such a close relationship of friendship with boys existing for her when she becomes my woman.

There are many reasons, jealousy I might feel, and even above that, I don't want to risk putting two reliable shoulders to cry on for her in the future for any reason, only I should be the one for that. It might be possessiveness and itd also my planning to not get myself into any problems in the future with Carmel.

After all, I am going to be having a harem in the future, and jealousy is an emotion that can cause actions that can make anyone regret. Hence, I don't want to take any risk in that department. Having a girlfriend with such an extremely close friendship with a boy screaming 'we are just platonic' is a flag I need obliterated in the beginning itself.

Cause a simple slip and everything changes, though the question is isn't it much simpler to just kill them off and be the support she needs in her time of crisis? Why do that when I can use these two in a much more efficient manner? After that, I can kill them off, first fulfill my needs then give them swift release.

There exist no big issues between us, and killing them off like that and using them still fills my heart with guilt. But I will still do it for the happy future I want. I will then live with this guilt in my heart, putting it with the rest I have collected, or I might just remove that memory completely, who knows...?

"Have you prepared yourself?"

I asked, to which the three nodded their heads. I had already informed Carmel of the fact that the trip might take some time due to the fact that going to that location isn't easy even with spatial transport. Hence, I took a 4-day leave, and so did Carmel, and I am guessing these two did it too. I have already informed everyone I have to, and the savory part was when I saw the light of despair shining in Trisa's eyes at the fact that she wouldn't be able to see or sleep with me for some time. She already sinking into the abyss.

And this time away from me will only make things better for me. Thus having centered my thoughts, I looked at the three, all of them now having calm expressions as I spoke.

"Then let's head out, shall we?"

With that, an illusion covered over mine, my vestige turning into one of the ordinary, while the three did the same. Truthfully, it would be much easier if Carmel took the help of her Empire to do this, but with my wording of how secretive this tribe is and all, she decided to take this into her own hands even though she could just deploy an extremely powerful fighter from her Empire.

The deeper inner reason being towards her free-spirited nature of wanting to have adventures and be free for just a moment.

'Which she is so dearly going to regret'