Magno is walking along the road to the military base, together with the knight and Antonia, and looking at the soldiers lined up to one side.
- Discipline seems to be up to date.
But as he looks at Antonia, he notices that she is amazed to see the soldiers organized in that way. However, an old man wearing a monocle, a military hat with a yellow star and the city's coat of arms in the middle, and wearing the uniform of a high-ranking army officer, soon comes up to them.
- Sir, it's been a while since we've seen each other.
He smiles and shakes his hand cordially.
- Me too Supreme General Cobalsk.
He soon realizes that Antonia is with him and asks.
- My dear sir, who is the girl accompanying you?
- That's my sister, she's come to visit the city today.
On hearing this, Cobalsk greets her politely, shaking her hand in a friendly manner.
- Nice to meet you miss, I'm the Supreme General of the Wiki City Army, my name is Cobalsk Von Digom and you?
- I am the Second Deputy Feudal Lord of the Seven Lakes Fiefdom, and my name is Antonia Histol Kirbom.
He smiles.
- So, Miss Antonia, let's continue the tour.
But Magno quickly goes over to him and whispers in his ear.
- After I've walked her around the city, I'll be holding an emergency meeting, so go and contact the other generals as soon as you can.
Knowing what this was all about, he kept his posture so as not to express it in front of Antonia.
- Understood, sir.
Suspicious of the whole thing, Antonia soon interrupted them.
- What are you talking about?
They are startled by the sudden questioning, which ends up in a slightly desperate expression on Cobalsk's part.
- Nothing relevant that you need to know.
She smiles when she sees his brief nervousness.
- So please, don't delay, I'm very interested in everything I've seen here.
- In fact, we're already on our way, so you won't have to wait long. - Magno comments a little nervously.
She doesn't quite understand, so she asks a little confused.
- All right then, shall we go?
So they walked into the base, and on the way they came across several soldiers, who were circulating quietly and even talking to each other.
However, when they saw them passing by, they quickly went to the side of the road and saluted.
She sees all this and is impressed.
- Wow, that's really cool!
In a proud tone Cobalsk expresses a brief smile while Antonia shows enthusiasm at what she is seeing.
- Yes, discipline is taken very seriously in the Wiki Armed Forces.
His words fascinate her, and she then goes on to talk about her daily life in the castle where her older brother lives.
- At the castle in the capital, the guards protect me and the soldiers walk straight past me as if I didn't even exist.
Magno looks at him without her realizing it, while Cobalsk speaks to her and she notices his action.
- This must be terrible, Miss Antonia. If I were the commander of Mr. Charles' forces, I can assure you that this would not happen.
However, Magno looks around thoughtfully and indeed, he was thinking about something, specifically his brother's plan.
"I'm here with Antonia trying to ensure her loyalty to us, I hope he's now doing his part in the plan he himself made."
While all this was going on, Charles in his castle in the capital was waiting for someone in his meeting room, which has a huge painting of the fief's coat of arms in the center of the floor.
It also has chandeliers that illuminate the place very well and portraits of every feudal lord the Seven Lakes Fiefdom has ever had, of which there were 15, if he counted himself.
Then the expected guest arrived, the Minister of the Imperial Economy and his entourage, and as Charles sat down, he looked at him seriously.
- So, Charles Histol Kirbom, I have come here personally today to tell you that I have been notified about the tax evasion of the Seven Lakes Fiefdom, so could your lordship answer why this has happened?
His blue eyes, from behind round-rimmed glasses, didn't hide his serious look towards Charles.
Everyone there was wearing formal clothes and they were both looking at each other seriously, but without losing his composure, Charles answered him frankly.
- This year's harvest has been badly affected by the cold, the drought, the high heat and the great storms. In addition, the mineral mines in my territory are becoming scarce and, finally, livestock farming has suffered from the same difficulties as the harvest, which is why I decided to maintain the services rather than pay all the imperial taxes.
The Minister remained calm, but was clearly irritated by the response of the Feudal Lord of the Seven Lakes.
- Look, I don't care if this year has been good or not, what matters is that you hand over the thirty percent tax on everything you've produced, since you haven't done that, I'll give you a month to hand over what you owe, or the imperial forces will occupy your fief and overthrow your family to put one of the Emperor's trusted people in its place.
His face tensed, the situation becoming more and more serious, on the verge of a physical confrontation, but no one there could beat each other up, even if they wanted to.
- Really?
The minister looked him in the eye and replied in an intimidating tone.
- Would you dare put this miserable fiefdom, which can't even pay its imperial taxes on time, up against the largest and strongest empire of human nations?
He calms down in the face of this unquestionable threat to his feudal rule, and begins a brief reflection together with an answer in which he speaks with extreme confidence.
- Times have changed, you know. And I don't want a war against Emperor Kirsim, so I've prepared everything for the transportation of the missing taxes, and if you want to check their veracity, just look out the window.
The Minister gets up from his chair along with some of his entourage and goes to the window Charles pointed out.
And seeing the wagons and carts full of agricultural and mineral resources as they needed to be delivered, he became a little angry because he was sure he had been deceived and now he wanted answers.
- So, Lord of the Seven Lakes, why didn't you send it to the imperial coffers on time?
His tense face changed to one of tremendous confidence mixed with arrogance.
- My real intention with all this is that I want you to see my proposal to the Emperor, and if I did that I wouldn't be able to send my suggestion to our Emperor so quickly.
He looks him in the eye again in a calm, clearly irritated tone.
- How audacious Lord of the Seven Lakes, well, since I'm here in front of you, make this extra time I'm going to waste worthwhile.
Charles continues to smile as he asks for the butler, who is standing next to him.
- All right, bring me the papers, Gilberto.
Soon the old butler was handing them the documents, which he was holding with his left arm.
- Here, my lord, everything is described point by point.
Strangled by the whole situation, the Minister looks on haughtily as the butler hands over the documents.
- Read everything and tell me if you agree to do this. - Orders the feudal lord.
The first piece of paper had a name written on it, which caught his attention.
- Industrial expansion project for the Kirsim Empire?
He was filled with confidence and enthusiasm.
- That's a suggestion that would really benefit our immense empire.
The Minister looked him in the eye with a clearly haughty and arrogant gaze, because after all, despite its size, the Seven Lakes Fiefdom has little economic and political significance within the Kirsim Empire, making any suggestion coming from the fiefdom irrelevant, so his gaze showed a repetition of what always happens, ignorance.
- What would be the reason for me to take this suggestion to the Imperial Feudal Council?
For his part, Charles sits back in his chair confidently.
- Minister, although our Empire is immense and is the strongest among the Human nations, we still have our great external adversaries, such as the Empire of the Demons and the Empire of the Angels...
He pauses for a moment and begins to express an extremely confident smile.
- As you and I know, they are arming themselves for a possible catastrophic war on all known lands, and here comes this plan, when it all happens, we will have the chance to be the power that will run the world after that war, all if we do it.
Seeing the intention of the project, he frowns and speaks convincingly in his argument.
- Do you think I'm going to believe all this? There are so many possible variables that it could put the entire Empire on a tightrope.
Charles stands up in his chair and sees the tension building in the room, so he replies confidently.
- You know, Minister, there are some things you only get one chance at in life, and this is one of them. It's up to you to decide whether to take the risk of doing this or to regret not having done it in the future.
The minister stands up angrily, hearing this bold response from the feudal lord, but he calms down, changing his threatening tone to a calmer one.
- Look, I'll propose it to the Imperial Feudal Council, but be aware that a sudden change in the way the entire Empire's economic chain works...
Then he looks at him seriously.
- It could cost you and the entire Feud of the Seven Lakes a great deal, especially when there is no guarantee of success in what is being proposed, but before I do that, I will read it end to end, because proposing it could cost me my position.
Hearing this response from the Minister makes him sit back down in his chair, pleased just to see the possibility of his suggestion being proposed to the Imperial Feudal Council on the horizon.
This is a senate made up of all the feudal lords of the empire, acting as a small limit to the Emperor's powers.
And at this he speaks a little cheerfully.
- I know that, and that's why I won't back down from my position, I understand what could happen to me, so I'm ready for anything.
Observing his conviction, the Minister left without further ado, and his entourage followed him with a look of contempt for Charles.
As soon as they had gone, the butler turned to the liege in a worried tone.
- Your Lordship, are you sure you really want to do this? Wouldn't this be too risky for you?
- Without a shadow of a doubt, I would never do such a thing without being completely sure of its realization, after all, this project is very seductive to them...
He begins to express an extremely confident expression as he too leaves the meeting room.
- But I think he'll just throw away the papers, and then I'll authorize my brother to expand his inventions throughout the fiefdom, because what he's done in Wiki City is impressive, his inventions are incredible, especially his military inventions, with him becoming my right-hand man I'll have the chance to regain the prestige of the fiefdom from my parents' time.
He stops when he reaches the door.
- Also, my spies are watching the Empire's top brass around the clock, so if they plan anything against us, I'll know.
So, in Wiki City, the three of them arrive at the soldiers' military installations.
There are seven large barracks with the capacity to house 100 soldiers, and each room can accommodate four soldiers.
Although they are relatively simple structures to build in Magno's opinion, his sister is impressed by the large structures in front of her, as she has never seen anything like them in the Feudal Capital.
- These structures are different from those in the city, they are so beautiful.
- It's just that these structures have been designed to fit a lot of people into a smaller space, so it's better than building house by house, in fact, this structure is called a barracks. - He comments with confidence.
Indeed, the barracks were magnificent for someone who had never seen them, let alone heard of them, with their numerous windows and balconies.
Its architecture left nothing to be desired, as there were columns similar to Greek Ionic columns at the entrances, which were accompanied by large ornate wooden doors.
The architecture, similar to that of the 1910s, amazed Antonia's eyes.
- This is impressive, my brother! Why don't you do this in the capital? - she asked, her eyes sparkling with amazement.
For his part, he tries not to talk about the agreement with Charles on these infrastructure issues, so he calmly answers her, showing a little joy.
- Well, that's because of a company in town, in fact these barracks and even that palace of mine were built by construction companies.
- That's interesting, so I'll ask Charles to hire them to build some things in the Capital when I get back.
He smiles a little when he hears that.
- You don't have to, but if you want to, you can try, because I've already talked to him and handed over some paperwork.
His enthusiasm increases exponentially and he comments with great joy.
- Then I'll try to speed it up!
- All right then. - He says as he strokes his head and gives a brief smile again.
Then Cobalsk interrupts them, commenting as he pulls an iron whistle from his pocket.
- It's time.
And at the whistle, the soldiers who were inside the barracks start to come out in their uniforms, including the officers.
- Attention! - Cobalsk shouts.
Everyone lines up side by side.
In view of the good, quick synchronization seen, he praises Cobalsk's work of discipline.
- It looks like everyone is well disciplined, well done Cobalsk.
He's quite cheerful, but doesn't show it in front of his subordinates, just comments in a serious tone.
- My lord, that was easy, I just had to be stricter in my discipline compared to the training of the knights, because they were all too stubborn to be taken lightly, so the only solution was to be stricter until they were obedient.
In this way, Magno inspected his troops, looking them in the eye, and as he did so he thought about tomorrow's parade.
"They'd better be well disciplined, because I have a bad feeling about tomorrow's parade, so I'd better send them to the Feudal Capital just in case."
However, after all this, Antonia interrupts his thoughts by tugging at his uniform.
- Brother, I'm sleepy, can I go to sleep?
Hearing this, he looked at the horizon and realized that it was already sunset even though it was cloudy, so he looked at her and answered calmly.
- All right, then let's skip our walk and go to my residence in the city, shall we?
She begins to feel a heavy weight on her eyelids, which she struggles against so as not to close her eyes and fall asleep.
- Thank you, brother.
Then he strokes her head as he thinks, looking at her.
"I don't want what happened to me to happen, so I have to prevent the possible coup that could happen tomorrow."
So when he arrived at his residence, which was a large house, in front of which was a courtyard surrounded by a steel fence, the house itself had three rooms, but spacious, a kitchen, a bathroom and a living room, and with a garage, so that if he had an emergency he could go there.
And he could see the house from afar as he drove by in a car similar to those from the early 1920s.
"I haven't been here for a while, when you have such a tight routine, it's hard to enjoy time at home."
In this way, he puts her to sleep in the room next to his bedroom, at which point he orders two knights who were in the courtyard to guard the property.
- Take care of her as if she were your life.
- Yes, sir!
He then returns to the small palace where he administers the city.
Arriving at his office late at night, he finds the Prime Minister, the Minister of the Economy, Supreme General Cobalsk and the Knight waiting for him inside.
- Well, I think everyone in this room knows what this meeting is going to be about.
Nobody says anything.
So Magno, who was standing in front of his chair, sits down and comments.
- Well, let's get started.
The Prime Minister begins the debate by questioning him about the direction of the corridors of the small palace from total military displacement to Feudal Capital.
- Are you absolutely sure about doing this, my lord?
- Of course, tomorrow could decide the future or the end of the Seven Lakes Fiefdom, and frankly, that parade tomorrow will be the way to demonstrate strength to the possible conspirators against my brother.
- So that's why you reviewed the army's readiness today? - asks the old general when he realizes that his intention was to mobilize the city's military to go to the capital.
He replies with extreme frankness.
- Yes, and what I saw was very satisfactory.
Getting up from his chair, Magno takes out a map from his desk drawer.
The map could occupy almost his entire empty desk at that moment, and on it was a map of the entire fiefdom, showing the rivers that cut through its territory and the borders with the other fiefdoms.
The old map still serves as a locator, because the borders described on the map are from a year after his parents' great conquests, after which the fief had no territorial changes.
With that, he points to the Feudal Capital, which is there under the name Histolópolis.
- Here's the deal, tomorrow's show of force is to prevent a coup d'état from happening, so I'm going to deploy my personal group of knights to protect my sister, and Cobalsk, make sure everyone is heavily armed and properly equipped.
- Yes, sir. - He replies.
Then Magno continues.
- Prime Minister, I need you to ensure that the police forces are properly armed for a possible attack by the coup plotters in our city, at this point they know that Wiki City could become a risk to their coup.
He becomes tense, but replies calmly.
- I'll keep an eye out for any suspicious movements.
Then he gets up from his chair in a serious but controlled manner.
- Minister of Economy Julio, it was a lot of work for you to help me with that document I gave my brother, so I owe you my sincere thanks.
He fixes his glasses cheerfully.
- It is I who should be grateful, my lord.
Magno looks out of the window, seeing the sea of lights of Wiki City at night.
- There's no room for error now. - He says in a serious, thoughtful tone, as he takes in the view of the city.
At sunrise.
Sounds of vehicles driving along a dirt road.
Many troop transport trucks similar to those of the early 1920s crowded together, armored vehicles, artillery of different sizes being towed by horses, all this was heading for one place, the Feudal Capital.
Riding alongside the knight, Magno thinks as he sees the glow of the Capital's structures on the horizon from afar.
"The time for action is near."