Since the battle was far away from solar system, Varian naturally didn't know what was going on.
But a man who was appointed in one of the important positions against all expectations by Regent Baldur did learn something.
Former Prince Theoron stormed through the hallways and rushed into the palace. Without taking care of any propierity, he channeled his aura and slammed the huge gong in the throne room.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Three loud bangs produced by aura clashing against metal reverberated across the main palace. It was a request for an urgent meeting by an official to the Duke.
Powerful auras spiked in the capital city and like torndados bending, the beams and clouds of aura bent, all converging onto the main palace.
As someone who's not even a rank 3, Theoron couldn't bear the influence of so many auras locking onto the location at once and collapsed onto his knees.
Not even a second later, more than a dozen officials, appointed in some of the highest positions of the duchy rushed into the throne hall.
"It's you?!"
They were all baffled when they saw Theoron lying beside the gong. Despite being drenched in sweat and panting for breath, the young man was the only one in proximity for such a feat.
As the Minister of External Affairs, Theoron did have the authority to do initiate three-gong call.
But it's reserved for emergencies and emergencies alone. Unless there's a war-like situation, it shouldn't be invoked.
The argument was even more against Theoron—a foreign race official who's on the seat purely because Regent Baldur appointed him.
After the near successful coup of Barix on Centaurus, no official was happy to see a Barix prince, even if former, to take on such an important position.
But out of fear towards 'Prince' Baldur whom they wouldn't even dare to oppose, they relented.
In their minds, this guy would remain for some time before being replaced. Even if Prince Baldur wanted him to remain, he couldn't take care of this bastard after he leaves the regent post.
Until then, they decided to 'tolerate' his existence.
Now they all wondered whether they were wrong.
How dare this dirty-blooded, inferior specimen invoke the emergency call that even the most qualified ministers would dare not?!
But to their utter surprise and Theoron's overwhelming despair, Regent Baldur still hadn't entered the hall.
Theoron gnashed his teeth and his knuckles paled. Looking at the contemptous eyes staring down at him, he said without care.
"There are fluctuations of powerful awakeners near Centaurus. At least rank 6, with a good chance of being rank 7. Only the Prin—
Regent can resolve the crisis before it engulfs us."
The expressions of the ministers changed.
An old minister who previously disdained to even breathe the same air as Theoron grabbed the man's shoulders in a tight grip and looked into his eyes. "Where? What's the proof? Where is it coming from? Spit everything!"
"I…" Theoron flinched as his shoulder blades cracked and blood soaked the old minister's palms.
The old man didn't care.
He didn't even trust Baldur to solve the issue. He just wanted to know which way the fight was happening so that he could escape from the other side.
Centaurus had been unlucky in the previous war. They got hit by the distant aftermath of a rank 9's attack, according to some, the legendary princess' attack no less!
They lost too many important planets and too many powerhouses along with a good chunk of their population, which kickstarted their decline.
He didn't want to witness the Collapse 2.0. No, he just wanted to get the hell out of this place and seek aslyum.
Theoron brushed a few buttons on his shirt and a few holograms appeared, showcasing the location relative to the duchy.
It was more quite some distance away for normal purposes. But if it was really rank 7s, these bastards would break layers of space when fighting and cross interstellar distances in matter of hours.
The other ministers fell into a severe anxiety after realizing the situation and looked on to the entrance, waiting for Regent Baldur.
"His Majesty hadn't been to court since the envoys appeared, has he?"
"In a closed doors meditation, they said."
"But…"
The consensus was built more quickly than ever. Even lifelong arch-rivals who never agreed on any political decision joined hands and they all rushed to the grand home of the regent.
Disregarding the guards who bravely said 'no', they barged in. The maids and butlers who tried to stop were flung away.
Most of them were injured. Some of them died. But no one cared.
Theoron followed behind, his mind a mess.
"Pardon our intrusion, Your Majesty!" The ministers announced before the final door and knocked it open.
…What greeted them was a lavish, ill maintained and empty room.
The ministers stood still, like they were petrified. A depressing silence took over and they turned to each other in stiff movements, like robots with rusted necks.
Then they barged into other rooms, one after another, in vain hopes.
No results.
There was no Prince!
Heck, there wasn't even traces of him living here for the past three days!
"Damn! Damn it! This is why I don't trust outsiders!"
"Fuck him!"
"He doesn't care about his own position, why should we?"
The outraged spoke equally outrageous things and rushed to the capital's spaceport.
There was no suspsense. Taking their family and servants, they fled the duchy for the nearest Haven.
In a few minutes that followed, the injured maids and butlers dragged themselves out of the palace.
Execpt for the corpses, only Theoron was left standing. No one cared what he did.
The Prince also wanted to esacpe.
It's easy for him to seek asylum. And honestly, this place and his service had been nothing but painful.
It'd be great if the place named 'Centaurus' ceased forever.
Yet…
Theoron took out a spar Baldur gave him right after his appointment and sent the short but important news.
The one-time spar, a treausre that's given to him to be used only when his life was danger, shattered.
Theoron exhaled deeply, looking at the sky with a blank gaze.
"Half of my blood comeas from this place…I hope this place revives to its past glory and when it does, I hope it's without their petty-prejudice."
Only the wind heard his prayer.
