Chapter 255: The Golden Statuette

The declarations did not end there.

[Lana Whitmere: In that case, Hidden Dragon Province will support Divine Province too. We choose the First Homeworld Legion.]

[Silas Venn — Dragon Tiger Province: I’d rather not have my grandmaster throw me out of the order. Dragon Tiger supports the First Legion.]

[Soren Hartwell — Harrowmere Province: Harrowmere supports the First Legion.]

A short while earlier, Divine Province’s Lords had feared being left alone. Now, seeing so many of their countrymen stand beside them, they were deeply moved.

Some understood what this meant for the men who had started it.

[They wanted to isolate us. Instead, they’ve split the Homeworld!]

[Let’s see how the Council explains this!]

[Think they’ll come crawling back?]

The sudden change left the organizers furious and unprepared.

[Nerissa Vaust: This was the Homeworld Council’s decision! What’s wrong with you Crown Provinces? Do you mean to betray the Homeworld?]

Malcolm sounded less angry than alarmed.

[Malcolm: Our Crown friends, these sanctions were aimed only at... at Divine Province, which has disgraced our world. They have nothing to do with you!]

Their plan should have been certain to work. Leaving the main force meant throwing away the Legion rewards. Fall behind once, and the gap would only widen.

Who would sacrifice the future of a million Lords just to stand up for Divine Province? Even if a Governor agreed in a fit of anger, the Province’s Champions would never follow.

Yet here they were.

The Homeworld Council had never pretended very convincingly to be impartial. But if this dispute ruined the Homeworld’s result, Malcolm would still lose his Council seat.

[Malcolm: Our friends in the Jade Court, please talk some sense into your countrymen!]

[Corven Talcrest: What do you think you’re doing? As the Crown’s recognized authority in the Seventh Realm, we order you to follow the Council’s decision and join the Second Legion immediately!]

Lana had stopped caring about consequences.

[Lana Whitmere: The Homeworld Council? Don’t pretend you don’t know it’s a puppet propped up by Western Beacon.]

Malcolm, a member of the Concord Society, one of Western Beacon’s three great organizations, answered awkwardly.

[Malcolm: Lady Whitmere, you shouldn’t make such reckless accusations.]

[Lana Whitmere: You have no shame, but you still object when someone says it openly?]

[Malcolm: Let’s leave that aside. Matters have reached this point. Please consider the greater good of the Homeworld.]

[Lana Whitmere: The only great thing I’ll be looking after is my big ginger cat. You can look after yourselves.]

Cassian laughed as he read the exchange.

"She has a temper rather like yours," he told Darian.

Darian nodded approvingly.

"I like her."

Cassian took out the spoils left after he had selected what he wanted from the Individual Contest and distributed them among the others.

They knew he had a Legendary Troop Building that could keep recruiting Dawnwings. They felt no need to stand on ceremony.

His Riftward friends were one matter. The Lords from Westmere, Kingsreach, and Saint Peter Marches insisted on paying. Their purchases brought him another five hundred million Aether.

By the time the goods had been divided, even Rowan, the weakest of Divine Province’s Homeworld Champions, had two squads of Legendary troops.

Rowan let out a long breath.

"A few months ago, I couldn’t even have dreamed of a day like this."

No one asked about Cassian’s Mythic reward. They knew better than to pry.

After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, Cassian sent them off.

"Get some rest today. Be ready for tomorrow’s Legion Contest."

"We may only have a thousand Champions," Darian told them, "but with the strength we have here, there’s still hope of reaching the top ten thousand."

Seraphine remained fired up.

"The top ten thousand receive ranking rewards. They won’t compare with the top thousand or the top hundred, but one bad result won’t break Divine Province."

The others nodded.

As the Champions left, Darian, Seraphine, Elara, and Nessa stayed behind. Darian had quietly sent the others a message asking them to remain.

"Something else?" Cassian asked him.

"Remember what I promised you?"

Darian waved a hand before anyone could answer. Several golden statuettes, each about a foot tall, appeared on the table.

Cassian’s eyes lit up.

"The acting awards? You actually got them! House Frost has connections in Western Beacon too?"

The Golden Statuette was the invention of Oscar, a famous entertainment Lord from Western Beacon. It was an Epic item. It added no combat strength, but its functions were unusually useful.

Oscar’s family released only a few each year. Most ended up in western hands.

"Of course we have connections." Darian straightened proudly. "Even so, this was all I could get."

Cassian opened the panel.

[Golden Statuette — Epic. Unbound.]

[Property One: Prices in the Hall of Renown are reduced by 5%.]

[Property Two: Perfect control over facial expressions, voice, and body language.]

[Effective upon binding. Does not need to be equipped. Lords only.]

"Very nice. Thanks, Darian."

"Thank you, Lord Darian," Elara said.

Nessa beamed at him.

"You’re the best. After Cassian."

"No need to thank me."

He was plainly pleased that they liked the gifts. A little more respect from Cassian would have made it even better.

After the others left, Cassian considered the statuette for a moment, then opened the Exchange. He traded the unbound Epic statuette and eight million Aether for its Legendary counterpart.

When the golden light faded, he examined the new item. His eyes widened.

"It can do that?"

The Hall of Renown discount had risen to ten percent. The perfect control over expression, voice, and movement remained, and a third property had appeared.

[Property Three: Spend Aether to disguise the information and appearance of yourself, your Heroes, or your troops. The effect depends on the strength of both sides and the Aether spent.]

"A disguise. Not as extraordinary as Embryonic Transformation among the Thirty-Six Heavenly Arts, but more than enough."

He sighed.

"And of course it costs money."

Cassian bound the statuette, then paid the Aether required to use its new property. Golden ripples flowed over his body. When they settled, he looked exactly like Seraphine.

He laughed.

"Perfect for robbery, murder, and letting someone else take the blame."

The voice that came out was Seraphine’s too.

In an excellent mood, Cassian sent Darian ten grains of Legendary Moonrice.

[Cassian Vale: That Golden Statuette is very useful.]

Over the next day, nothing about the Homeworld’s political struggles remained hidden. Threats and offers flew openly through the Channels.

No matter what Western Beacon, the Black Banner, or the Jade Court tried, twelve Crown Provinces refused to abandon Divine Province.

To the Jade Court, this confirmed everything. Divine Province had to be acting for House Frost, the Caerwyn Dominion, and House Valcrest.

Twelve Provinces. Twelve hundred Champions taken out of the main Homeworld force.

Cassian had been condemned for killing a few dozen Black Banner Champions. Now the Council’s own meddling had cost it twelve hundred fighters. Ordinary Lords and Champions alike were furious.

The organizers could only hold their ground and pray that the Second Legion still reached the top hundred.

They gave no thought to the First Legion’s prospects. A force of barely a thousand Lords, hoping for a ranking? Ridiculous.

——

In a private Channel with only eight members, the conversation was scarcely more hopeful.

[The Legion Contest is about to begin. Is everyone ready?]

[Ready for what? This First Legion of ours exists to make the Council miserable. Do you really expect a thousand people to win ranking rewards?]

[I don’t know what our superiors are thinking. The Council’s conduct was disgusting, but this was too impulsive.]

[I think it feels wonderful. Why must the Crown always think of everyone else? Have you forgotten the hundreds of thousands murdered in Clearautumn Marches? The Jade Court talked about the greater good then too.]

[Valcrest has a point. Speaking of which, isn’t one of your relatives following Cassian? Could you help me buy an Eclipse Chapterhouse Blueprint?]

Every one of the eight was a Provincial Governor. All had chosen to support Divine Province.

[Our Province lost thirty percent of its Lords as soon as we announced our choice.]

[People go where they see a better future. You can’t blame them. More will probably move away after the contest.]

[Still, I admire Cassian’s influence. Besides our eight Provinces, another four have chosen his side.]

[Divine Province’s strongest Lords are formidable. Perhaps we can fight our way into the top ten thousand.]

[It won’t be easy. A construction contest depends on gathering resources as much as fighting. We only have a thousand Lords.]

[No use saying more. Even if we have a one-percent chance, we should fight for it. It’s time.]

Golden announcements appeared in the Homeworld Channel.

[The Legion Contest of the Contest of Champions has begun.]

[All Homeworld Champions, together with their Domains, will now be transported to Fivefold Heaven.]