Soulbound: Dual Cultivation

Chapter 513: The advantage

The Blackmare king remained seated for a moment after the plan had been laid out, his gaze lowered slightly as though weighing something deeper than strategy alone. When he finally looked up again, there was a quiet shift in him, not hesitation, not doubt, but a decision that carried more than just military intent.

"There has been history between our kingdoms," he said, his voice steady, though no longer edged with resistance. "Distrust. Rivalry. Grievances that have not been forgotten."

King Highmoor did not interrupt. He simply listened.

The Blackmare king continued, "But those matters no longer hold the same weight they once did. Not in the face of what is coming."

A brief pause followed.

"I am willing to set them aside," he said plainly. "To forego old grudges, and recognize Valerion not as a rival, but as an ally. As a friend, if necessary, in this war against a common enemy."

The words settled with quiet significance.

King Highmoor studied him for a moment, then gave a slow nod, acknowledging not just the alliance, but the intent behind it.

"That is not a small decision," he said.

"No," the Blackmare king replied. "It is not."

Without another word, King Highmoor reached for a nearby vessel of wine. The gesture was simple, but deliberate. He poured into three cups with steady hands, the faint sound of liquid filling them breaking the silence in the tent. Once done, he lifted one and handed it to the Empress, then another to the Blackmare king, keeping the last for himself.

For a moment, the three of them simply held the cups.

Then King Highmoor raised his slightly.

"To necessity," he said.

The Empress’s lips curved faintly. "To victory," she added.

The Blackmare king gave a small nod. "To survival."

Their cups met lightly, the sound soft but carrying meaning far beyond the act itself.

They drank.

When the cups were lowered, the air in the tent felt different. Not lighter, but more aligned, as though something that had been uncertain before had now taken form.

King Highmoor set his cup aside, his expression returning to one of focus.

"There is something else," he said.

Both the Empress and the Blackmare king looked toward him.

"I will be sending a messenger," he continued, "to my brother."

A faint pause followed.

"He is far from here," King Highmoor added. "On another continent."

The Empress’s brow furrowed slightly. "You had not mentioned him before."

"I had not intended to involve him," King Highmoor replied. "Not unless it became absolutely necessary."

The Empress watched him closely. "And now it is."

"Yes," he said simply.

He moved slightly, resting one hand against the table as his tone grew firmer.

"The scale of this war has changed," he continued. "What we face is no longer contained within borders or rivalries. If we are to stand against it, we cannot afford to limit ourselves."

The Blackmare king considered that. "Your brother," he said. "What does he command."

"Little power," King Highmoor replied. "And resources that do not answer to this continent."

A brief silence followed.

The Empress nodded once, as if confirming the necessity of the move. "Then call him," she said. "If he answers, it will shift the balance further."

King Highmoor’s gaze hardened slightly, though not with doubt.

"He will answer," he said.

The decision settled into place alongside the others.

The alliance had been formed.

The plan had been set.

And now, the war would begin to draw in forces far beyond what any of them had originally intended.

The silence that followed their toast had barely settled before the Empress spoke again, her tone calm, almost casual, yet carrying a weight that neither king could ignore.

"There is something you both need to understand," she said.

King Highmoor turned slightly toward her, sensing the shift in her voice, while the Blackmare king straightened, his attention sharpening.

"I do not have unlimited time here," she continued. "My presence in this world is... temporary now."

A faint pause.

"I will have to ascend soon."

The words landed heavily.

The Blackmare king stared at her, the meaning taking a moment to fully settle before his expression shifted into clear astonishment. "Ascend," he repeated, his voice lower now. "You mean..."

His eyes narrowed slightly, searching her face.

"You are no longer bound to this world as a celestial."

The Empress met his gaze without hesitation. "Yes."

That single answer seemed to explain more than any detailed account ever could.

The Blackmare king leaned back slightly, exhaling as realization dawned. "Then that is how," he said quietly. "How you were able to tear through our defenses so effortlessly."

He gave a short, almost disbelieving shake of his head, the memory clearly still fresh in his mind. "No ordinary celestial could have done that. Not with such ease."

King Highmoor remained silent, though his gaze rested on the Empress longer than before, as if weighing the implications of what she had just revealed.

The Blackmare king’s expression shifted again, this time not into concern, but something unexpected.

His morale rose.

A faint, almost incredulous smile touched his lips as he leaned forward slightly. "Then our chances are far better than I thought," he said. "If someone like you stands with us..."

He let out a quiet breath.

"The first celestial in more than a thousand years to reach ascension stands on our side."

There was a note of awe in his voice now, unhidden.

"With that kind of power," he continued, "reclaiming lost territories is no longer just ambition. It becomes possible."

The Empress did not return the optimism.

Her expression remained composed, her gaze steady as she responded. "Do not place your hopes too heavily on me," she said calmly. "My time here is limited. Once I ascend, I will no longer be able to interfere directly in the affairs of this world."

The reminder tempered the rising confidence slightly.

The Blackmare king nodded slowly, acknowledging the reality of it. "Even so," he said, "having you now is an advantage none of the fallen kingdoms had."

King Highmoor finally spoke, his tone measured. "Then we make use of that advantage while we still have it."

The Empress inclined her head slightly. "Exactly."

A brief silence followed, though it was no longer uncertain.

It was focused.

The Blackmare king’s earlier doubt had not disappeared completely, but it had shifted into something far more resolute. "Then we move quickly," he said. "Lechia cannot wait."

King Highmoor nodded once. "No. It cannot."

The Empress’s gaze hardened just slightly, her voice quiet but firm. "Because once I leave this world," she said, "the balance will change again."

And this time, it would not be in their favor unless they acted before that moment came.