[Volume 2 | Chapter 61: The Iron General]

On another side of Windsor, the late afternoon sun cast long shadows through the walls of the Northern Spire, painting Lorelei Bismarck's chamber in shimmering tones. From her position behind the mahogany desk, the Viceroy appeared almost ethereal with her light blonde hair and pink highlights catching the dying light while her oval glasses reflected the sharp patterns of Windsor's skyline beyond the floor to ceiling windows.

Pandora Kircheisen stood before her, silver hair still bearing traces of the summer heat that had plagued her afternoon paperwork session. The Windsor Investigation Department had been particularly demanding today, drowning her in bureaucratic minutiae that served little purpose beyond keeping her desk perpetually cluttered with reports she neither wanted nor needed.

"I was in the middle of reviewing incident reports, your Excellency," Pandora spoke devoid of preamble. "This had better be worth abandoning the meticulous chronicle of petty theft and public intoxication plaguing our city's streets. I do hope your summons is not merely another veiled excuse for a tea party, or I may be inclined to test the structural integrity of your office."

Lorelei's lips curved into an infuriating smile that somehow managed to be both genuine and calculating. It was a expression Pandora had grown to associate with conversations that would inevitably complicate her life in ways she'd rather avoid.

"My dear High Inquisitor, when have I ever summoned you for anything less than matters of the utmost importance?" replied Lorelei, gesturing toward the plush chair positioned across from her desk.

"Shall I provide a chronological list, or would you prefer them organized by category of offenses?"

The evening light shifted subtly as clouds drifted across the sun which further casted the office in deeper shadows.

Despite her protests, Pandora found herself resignedly settling into the offered chair. No matter the situation, Lorelei Bismarck's requests were unfortunately absolute.

"Your capacity for sarcasm remains impressively intact, though I suspect today's particular brand of irritation stems from more than mere paperwork interruptions."

"Meaning?"

"Mr. Belmont's training session this morning proved enlightening, I was told by you." The Viceroy's fingers drummed a gentle rhythm against her desk's polished surface. "Your assessment of his abilities was not exaggerated. I believe that's what's truly responsible for your current agitation, isn't it? He's progressing less quickly than you anticipated."

Pandora's lips pressed into a thin line.

"If you summoned me here to discuss proper training methodologies—"

"Regardless, I summoned you here," Lorelei authoritatively interrupted, "because certain developments require immediate attention. Developments that extend far beyond Windsor's comfortable boundaries and delve into territories that demand the particular expertise of someone who once painted the Northern Theater in shades of mercury and blood."

The metaphor was clear.

When Pandora Kircheisen spoke again, her voice carried the winter edge that had made Sugoroku armies falter during the Third World War.

"What developments?"

Lorelei promptly reached into her desk drawer, withdrawing a folder bound in deep crimson leather. The imperial seal of the Wallachian Empire gleamed from its cover in gold leaf catching the dying light like drops of molten metal.

She then placed the folder between them.

"Three days ago, our external communications received an inquiry from the Imperial Registry of the Tachyon Empire's Centrum Supremum. Standard procedure, they claimed. Routine verification of refugee documentation for one Acacia Belmont, recently granted citizenship under extraordinary circumstances."

Pandora's expression remained perfectly controlled, but something flickered in her golden eyes—recognition, perhaps, or the first stirrings of understanding.

"The inquiry was rather thorough," Lorelei continued, opening the folder to reveal documents bearing official seals and elaborate calligraphy. "Birth records, family lineage on the House of Belmont, confirmation of the Annerose Incident's impact on surviving bloodlines. Every detail was meticulously documented and authenticated by the appropriate Wallachian authorities."

"How fortunate that our bureaucratic allies proved so accommodating."

Lorelei sharply smiled at Pandora's sarcasm.

"Indeed. I suspect you already know the identity of our mysterious benefactor."

Before she answered, Pandora studied the pages of documents in about half a second. To someone accustomed to deciphering verbal deception, codes, and sophistry through text, the paperwork appeared flawless. The stamps were in precisely the correct locations, the signatures matched hundreds of archived examples she cross-referenced through her mind, and even the proper aging techniques applied to make recent fabrications appear authentically aged. Yet beneath the surface perfection lay traces of a particular methodology that spoke to its creator's identity.

With that, she had her answer.

"Wilhelm von Rosenwald."

The name fell between them like a stone into still water.

"Erzherzog Wilhelm Heinrich von Rosenwald," Lorelei corrected, satisfied with the deduction. "First Minister of the Imperial Chancellery, Archduke of Germania, and for the past few years, my—rather—our most valuable ally in the Wallachian Empire."

Pandora had known, of course, that Acacia's identity required external validation to withstand scrutiny from the Centrum Supremum. The Irregular's survival and subsequent citizenship represented too dramatic a narrative shift to escape notice from imperial intelligence services. But knowing that such arrangements existed and confronting the specific individual responsible created entirely different categories of political complexity.

"I assume that his cooperation extends beyond merely falsifying immigration documents."

"Correct. Wilhelm understands, as we do, that the current trajectory of competition between the Four Great Hegemonies leads inevitably toward catastrophic conflict. The territorial losses during World War III, the mounting social tensions, the increasing degradation of traditional power structures... they're all symptoms of systems that have outlived their usefulness."

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

Lorelei turned to the earthbound stars beginning to flicker to life in the deepening evening.

"Project AJAX is our best hope for preventing that catastrophe. Seven Aeterna Armamenta, representing a different aspect of Ein Sof Ohr, collected and coordinated to reshape the structures that govern all Empires."

"And the Archduke's role in this grand design?"

"Someone must prepare the Wallachian Empire for the changes to come. It must be a man with the intellectual capacity to understand the necessity of our actions and the political position to implement the required reforms." Lorelei's glasses caught the light as she tilted her head. "Wilhelm possesses both, along with the rather useful ability to fabricate convincing documentation when the situation demands it."

Pandora rearranged about a dozen pieces in her mind as she absorbed the information. The existence of a high-ranking Wallachian ally cogently explained several previously puzzling elements of Lorelei's confidence and planning scope. It also introduced new variables and potential complications. Pandora's instinctive distrust of unseen collaborators warred with the recognition that such an alliance held undeniable strategic value.

Originally, Pandora believed that Wilhelm von Rosenwald was merely someone Lorelei anonymously bribed to falsify a simple stamp and travel document that Pandora had indeed visited Eichenstadt to pick up a boy named "Acacia"—merely a "void" document if anything to convince the Centrum Supremum of her claims when they went to register Acacia's citizenship.

Regardless, the possibility of him being a long-term ally wasn't something the High Inquisitor didn't account for. If worse came to worst, she would simply have to switch tactics and eliminate his potential reach in her own plans if need be. It wasn't anything too complicated.

"So, in telling me this, I would not be wrong in believing that this revelation serves the immediate rather than the theoretical."

"Perceptive as always. Yes, the Annerose Incident has created an opportunity we cannot afford to waste. Twenty noble families eliminated in a single coordinated strike, with their deaths attributed to an unknown assassin with no apparent political motivation."

"And?"

"The Wallachian government has humbly requested assistance from Tachyon intelligence services in investigating the incident. Specifically, they've requested the expertise of someone with experience in analyzing coordinated attacks and identifying the capabilities required for such a precise execution."

Pandora sighed.

"They've requested me."

"Yes."

"Well, the Archduke already fabricated my last visit, suggesting I actually picked up Acacia at Eichenstadt while taking a cursory examination of the case. Though... to formally request aid from our Empire's Divine Court over a year later? That's quite the delay, wouldn't you say?"

"Because it's just a pretense."

Lorelei produced another document from the folder, this one bearing the official seal of the Wallachian Foreign Ministry.

"Your formal investigation into the Annerose Incident requested precisely by Wilhelm, whose jurisdiction extends to Eichenstadt… it perfectly provides the primary justification and establishes the need for your presence there. The security assessment and administrative evaluation components also expand the scope of legitimate discussion topics, while the intelligence cooperation framework provides grounds for developing ongoing communication channels that serve our larger strategic agenda."

Pandora studied the document carefully. Indeed, an official investigation would provide perfect cover for coordination with Wilhelm while establishing her presence in the Wallachian capital during a period when such cooperation might prove essential. The timing also created a convenient separation from Windsor during whatever developments Lorelei had planned for Acacia.

And also…

"I also need an alibi for when the Bloodhounds do their magic… So, when do I leave?"

"Tomorrow morning. A diplomatic transport has been arranged, along with the necessary credentials and briefing materials." Lorelei's expression grew severe. "This represents our first direct contact with Wilhelm since the Project AJAX's inception. Everything we've built depends upon successful coordination between all parties involved."

A pang of guilt shot through the High Inquisitor.

"That's far too early. What about Acacia's training?"

Lorelei's expression softened slightly, but her tone remained resolute.

"It won't be every day, so you'll have to tell him to follow a self-enforced regimen, but on the weekends, Ezio and I can—"

"That won't do," Pandora interrupted curtly, which left Lorelei stunned. "Acacia is my responsibility. I'm the only one who can train him."

"Pandora, I know you feel responsible for him—"

"Then you should absolutely know that you're overstepping a boundary you can't cross."

The two women locked gazes across the Viceroy's desk. After a moment, Lorelei leaned back in her chair and steepled her fingers together.

"You will leave tomorrow morning, High Inquisitor Kircheisen, as per my orders, as Viceroy of Orion," she said in a tone that brooked no argument.

Even though Lorelei was technically her superior, Pandora's expression grew dark as her eyes flashed dangerously. Her fingers twitched slightly, a subtle hint at the potential violence simmering beneath her controlled facade. Suddenly, the room seemed to darken around them, as if the shadows were responding to the High Inquisitor's agitation. Concurrently, prana leaked from her body, seeping into the air and making it heavy with the unmistakable weight of a predator preparing to strike.

Then, like the fleetness of the wind, it dissipated.

"I'll find a sufficient substitute for Acacia. You don't need to bother yourself with him." The ebony woman merely shrugged her shoulders. "How long do you anticipate this investigation requiring?"

Lorelei deliberated for a moment. She had seen Pandora's wrath, and that was enough to give her a moment of pause.

Should I... use it now?

But perhaps that was the purpose of revealing her hidden animosity at that very juncture.

"...Long enough to establish the necessary foundations for future cooperation. Short enough to avoid arousing suspicion about the true nature of your discussions." Lorelei's fingers resumed their gentle drumming against the desk as if trying to calm herself down. "Wilhelm has prepared extensively for this meeting. I trust you'll find his perspectives on our shared objectives both illuminating and productive."

The sun had fully set during their conversation, leaving the office illuminated by artificial lights that created sharp contrasts between shadow and brilliance. Through the windows, Windsor's evening activities continued, oblivious to what transpired just now—citizens returning home from work, students gathering in public spaces, the peaceful rhythms of a city unaware of the forces reshaping its future.

Pandora rose from her chair.

"I'll need detailed briefing materials on the Annerose Incident. Real information, not the sanitized reports circulating through official channels, if you want to make this trip more believable than the last."

"Already prepared, along with a comprehensive background on all relevant figures in the Germania Duchy and Wilhelm's specific connections. You'll find him quite remarkable, I think. His intellectual capabilities rival your own, while his understanding of the broader strategic picture demonstrates the kind of vision we'll need to succeed."

"And if the investigation reveals information that conflicts with our objectives?"

"Then we'll adapt accordingly. The beauty of coordinating with someone of Wilhelm's caliber lies in the flexibility such partnerships provide. I suspect you'll find that his definition of success aligns remarkably well with our own."

Pandora moved toward the door, mind already shifting toward the practical considerations that would dominate the next several hours. Arrangements would need to be made for Acacia's continued supervision, mission parameters established, and contingency plans developed for various potential complications.

"One final question."

She paused at the threshold, turning back to where Lorelei remained seated behind her desk like a spider at the center of a web.

"How long have you been planning these particular turn of events?"

Lorelei Bismarck regarded her for a long moment before answering.

"Since the day I had the power to wonder, and wander."

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