The Sinful Young Master

Chapter 382: Meeting the prime minister

”Let me be clear about something,” Bahste said, his pleasant tone never wavering.

”I am not criticizing your methods. In fact, I find them admirably pragmatic. You identified a potential disruption to established power structures and attempted to neutralize it through legal and political means. That shows initiative and strategic thinking.”

He stood and walked to a window overlooking the city, hands clasped behind his back.

”However, you were hasty. You underestimated your target, you rushed the execution of your plan, and you failed to account for variables like Prince Milan’s intervention or the boy’s actual combat capabilities.”

He turned back to face them.

”Haste is the enemy of effective scheming, gentlemen.

It introduces unpredictability.”

”We understand, Your Excellency,” Halvren said carefully.

”But surely you agree that Jolthar Kaezhlar represents a threat? His power, his defiance of authority, his influence over—”

”Of course he’s a threat,” Bahste agreed easily.

”Any individual with that much power and that little respect for traditional hierarchies is a threat. The question is not whether he’s dangerous; it’s how we handle that danger.”

He returned to his desk, settling back into his chair with the grace of a predator at rest.

”Here is what I think,” Bahste said, his pale eyes fixing on each man in turn.

”Jolthar Kaezhlar is indeed dangerous. He defeated Princess Tamnarasi, which means his personal combat power exceeds most of the individuals in the capital. He has the loyalty of powerful women like Cleora Aravain and Matriarch Raayani of the Blue Rose. He’s building something in Tekkora that could serve as a model for others who question imperial authority. And he’s just proven that he won’t be bullied or intimidated.”

”Then we need to act,” Richardus insisted.

”Before he becomes even more powerful, before—”

”Before what? Before he actually threatens the empire?”

Bahste’s smile was unsettling.

”Or before he threatens our positions within it? There’s a difference, Minister Richardus.”

The finance minister opened his mouth, then closed it, clearly unsure how to respond.

”I agree with you that action must be taken,” Bahste continued.

”But not hasty action. Not an obvious action. Jolthar Kaezhlar has proven he can defeat direct confrontation. So we don’t confront him directly.”

His fingers drummed on the desk in a precise rhythm. ”We isolate him. We turn potential allies into enemies. We create situations where his strength becomes a liability rather than an asset. We make him paranoid, stretched thin, and reactive rather than proactive.”

”How?” Halvren asked.

”Should I spoon-feed you everything?”

Bahste’s smile widened fractionally.

Both ministers shivered seeing the old man, as they felt an intense pressure pressing down on them from the old man. And it was gone in a few seconds.

Bahste chuckled as he continued.

”Oh, there are so many options. Legal challenges to Tekkora’s legitimacy. Trade restrictions. Investigations into his associates. Quiet support for his enemies. We make his life complicated enough that even his considerable power can’t solve every problem.”

He leaned forward.

Both ministers looked at each other; they were sweating a lot, but they listened with great concentration, not missing even a beat.

”And we do it slowly, carefully, with plausible deniability at every step.”

”You’re saying we should continue working against him?” Richardus clarified, trying his very best not to stutter.

”I’m saying you should be smarter about it,” Bahste corrected.

”No more rushed trials. No more public confrontations. We operate in shadows and use proxies. We turn this from a direct conflict into a war of attrition.”

His pale eyes gleamed.

”And we wait for him to make a mistake, because everyone makes mistakes eventually. Especially proud young men who think their power makes them invincible.”

Both ministers nodded, though with varying degrees of comfort. Halvren looked relieved to have guidance from someone with more authority. Richardus looked thoughtful, already planning his next moves.

”One more thing,” Bahste added, his voice dropping to something almost gentle, which somehow made it more threatening.

”Fail again, and you’ll find your positions subject to... review. The Emperor doesn’t appreciate officials who create problems rather than solving them. Am I clear?”

”Perfectly clear, Your Excellency,” they said in unison.

”Excellent. You’re dismissed.”

The two men rose and left quickly, the doors closing behind them with a soft thud.

As soon as they left, a dark miasma entered the room slowly, and as it entered, it was forming into a human-like shape. The miasma didn’t take a definite shape, but it certainly resembled a human with big horns.

If normal humans were present, they would have died just by taking a small breath of it, but Bahste was completely normal and watching the miasma with a casual demeanor.

”Bahste, why didn’t you tell them to just kill the boy?” a deep, rough voice came from the black mist, which was now standing before the desk. The shape filled the room, covering all the exits, and the light dimmed down too.

Bahste just leaned back and said, ”I don’t think we can do that. Not with the men I have.”

The black miasma was not simply darkness. It was Mahravna, a Rax’ashs deity, the king of a race bred from pure malice and ruin. He had been in contact with several humans already, turning them to his side, and Bahste was just one of them.

”Don’t you think you are giving too much credit to that boy?”

”If I am giving too much credit, why would a being like you show interest in such a feeble human being?”

Black miasma swirled a little faster in the room, like he was irritated or something, giving out a click sound.

”Set the boy aside for now. What progress have you made on the matter I entrusted to you?”

Bahste leaned forward with his hands placed on the desk, his chin resting on the back of his hands.

”It may take some time.”

”Don’t make me wait. We have a lot to do once you prepare it.”

The black miasma lingered for a moment longer before slowly dispersing, retreating into nothingness until the room stood as it once had.