Shattered Sanity

(The Next Morning, White Castle, Duke Drew Dawnriver’s POV)

Duke Drew Dawnriver had barely begun his breakfast when a servant entered the dining hall carrying a sealed letter, informing him that a carrier pigeon had arrived from the Imperial Academy earlier that morning.

”The Imperial Academy? Does that stupid boy really think of me as his father or something?”

Drew muttered to himself before opening the letter, as despite his snide comment, he read the contents of the letter with full attention.

[ Lord Dawnriver,

I am one of your son’s friends at the Imperial Academy, and having witnessed his arrest earlier today, I am writing this letter in haste with the limited information currently available to me, so please forgive me if it might not later prove to be entirely true.

Apparently, there was a terrible incident within the Academy today, during which a large number of students lost their lives under circumstances that remain largely unexplained.

Riven was present during the incident and is confirmed to be one of only three survivors, having personally helped save the life of another student who was on the verge of death.

However, the Academy’s investigation has apparently established that the weapon used to kill several of the deceased students was Riven’s halberd, Sky-Cleaver, which has resulted in his immediate detention while the authorities await the arrival of Imperial investigators from the capital.

Despite these accusations, it is my personal belief, shared by many others within House Argent, that Riven could not possibly have committed such an atrocity.

I am therefore writing to you in the hope that you possess the wisdom and influence necessary to intervene, as those of us who believe in his innocence have little understanding of what we can do to help him.

Yours truly,

Circuit. ]

By the time Drew finished reading, the expression upon his face had changed considerably, as the implications of the letter gradually settled within his mind.

For a few seconds, he remained seated without speaking, his fingers tightening around the parchment before he abruptly pushed his chair backwards and rose to his feet.

”Someone bring Archimedes to my private study immediately! Tell that old man I have something rather important to discuss with him!”

Drew commanded, as the servants hurried to obey while he folded the letter and strode out of the dining hall without bothering to finish his breakfast.

By the time he reached his private study, his earlier excitement had gradually transformed into something considerably more calculated, as he began considering the extraordinary opportunity that had unexpectedly presented itself.

For years, Drew had been searching for a legitimate reason to challenge the Imperial crown without exposing House Dawnriver to accusations of open rebellion, and now, through circumstances he could scarcely have anticipated, that opportunity appeared to have arrived at his doorstep.

Nearly twenty minutes passed before the study doors finally opened, revealing an elderly man dressed in the modest robes of the White Castle’s head librarian.

Archimedes entered with his usual unhurried steps, his long grey beard resting against his chest while the faint lingering scent of feminine perfume suggested that he had been interrupted in the middle of something considerably more interesting than another conversation with the Duke.

”Your Grace, I was informed that you required my presence rather urgently. Has something happened?”

Archimedes asked, as he closed the door behind himself and approached the desk.

Drew turned towards him with an expression that immediately caused the elderly librarian to raise an eyebrow.

”Archimedes, what do you say, old friend? Are you finally willing to abandon that ridiculous charade of being a librarian and take up arms for House Dawnriver once again?”

Drew asked, as an unmistakable excitement entered his voice despite the seriousness of the circumstances.

Archimedes studied him for several moments before responding.

”What happened, Drew? You haven’t spoken about taking up arms with such enthusiasm in several decades, and I doubt you’ve summoned me here simply because you’ve grown tired of watching me organize your books.”

The Duke allowed himself a faint smile.

”I finally have it, Archimedes. An opportunity to challenge the Emperor without being the one to draw the first sword.”

Drew explained, as he placed Circuit’s letter upon the desk and gestured for the elderly man to examine it.

”Apparently, a large number of students have been slaughtered at the Imperial Academy, and the authorities are attempting to pin the blame upon that mutt we sent there. They’ve already detained him, and Imperial investigators are being summoned to determine whether he was responsible.”

Archimedes slowly unfolded the letter, reading its contents with considerably greater patience than Drew had displayed earlier.

However, rather than sharing the Duke’s excitement, his expression gradually became more serious, as he recognized the potential consequences of interfering in an investigation involving the deaths of several noble students.

”Do we know that the boy is innocent, Drew? Can you tell me, without a shadow of a doubt, that he had no involvement in these murders? Because if his weapon truly was responsible, then there’s always the possibility that....”

Archimedes paused, allowing the implication to linger between them.

Drew shook his head.

”I don’t know whether he’s innocent, and frankly, that isn’t the question I’m particularly concerned with at the moment. What matters is that the circumstances surrounding these deaths appear sufficiently uncertain for us to challenge the Academy’s decision and demand a proper explanation.”

Drew replied, as he leaned forward and rested both hands upon the desk.

”My bloodline is dying, Archimedes. You know perfectly well that I have no particular affection for the boy, but he’s the only opportunity I have left to break away from the position the Emperor has forced upon House Dawnriver.”

His expression hardened as he continued.

”I sent him to the Imperial Academy hoping that sooner or later he would become entangled in something significant enough for us to exploit, and now that the opportunity has finally presented itself, I refuse to sit quietly inside this castle while the Emperor decides House Dawnriver’s fate.”

Archimedes remained silent, allowing Drew to finish without interruption.

”The only question I have is whether you’re willing to stand beside me, old friend. Because if I’m going to travel to the Imperial Academy and cause the sort of uproar I have in mind, I would feel considerably more comfortable knowing that you were accompanying me.”

Drew asked, as he looked directly into the elderly librarian’s eyes.

For a long while, Archimedes offered no response, as the implications of the Duke’s request demanded considerably more thought than the man appeared willing to give them.

After all, the elderly librarian was far more than the harmless scholar he had pretended to be for the past century and a half.

A Paragon Rank Ascendant, Archimedes was the strongest warrior within House Dawnriver, possessing a degree of power that placed him amongst the most formidable individuals in the entire Valdrak Empire.

Yet despite his extraordinary strength, his existence had remained concealed from the other noble houses for more than a hundred and fifty years, with most believing that the legendary warrior had perished long ago.

If he were to reveal himself now, openly declaring that his loyalty to House Dawnriver had never wavered, the balance of power surrounding Drew’s household would change almost immediately.

Even the Emperor would be forced to reconsider the consequences of provoking a Duke who possessed the support of a living Paragon Rank Ascendant, particularly one whose reputation had once been sufficient to discourage entire armies from challenging him.

However, Archimedes understood that revealing his survival would also sacrifice the greatest advantage House Dawnriver currently possessed.

For as long as the world believed him dead, his presence remained an unexpected weapon that Drew could employ whenever circumstances became desperate enough to justify its use.

Once that secret was exposed, there would be no returning to the quiet existence he had maintained within the White Castle.

Eventually, the elderly librarian released a long sigh before raising his gaze towards the Duke.

”I’m with you, old friend. However, you must understand that we’ll decide whether this is truly the hill we’re willing to die upon only after we’ve reached the Academy and examined the circumstances for ourselves.”

Archimedes replied, as his expression became considerably more serious.

”If the boy is more innocent than guilty, then perhaps we can use this opportunity to demand answers concerning what happened to your other sons and place some long-overdue pressure upon the Emperor. But if we discover that he was genuinely responsible for slaughtering those students, I expect you to retreat with me rather than sacrifice everything we’ve preserved over the past century.”

Drew listened carefully, offering no interruption as Archimedes continued.

”Nevertheless, I’m willing to accompany you. Although I’d prefer to travel as the harmless old librarian everyone believes me to be, rather than announce to the entire Empire that the Black Hand has returned from the dead.”

A faint smile appeared beneath his grey beard.

”If circumstances demand that I take up arms again, then I’ll do so. But until that moment arrives, I would rather keep our enemies wondering whether House Dawnriver possesses anything worth fearing.”

Drew’s expression brightened considerably, as the elderly man’s agreement appeared to remove the final obstacle standing between him and the opportunity he had been waiting for.

”Excellent. I knew I could count on you, old friend.”

Drew replied, as he retrieved Circuit’s letter from the desk and carefully folded it into his coat.

”Then I suggest you pack your weapon and make whatever preparations you need, because we’re leaving for the Imperial Academy in five minutes.”