Accidentally Summoned To The Dark Throne

Chapter 8: The Logistics of Sovereignty

The sound of water echoed through the Underworld throne room. It was the noise for a long time after the map disappeared. Evander stood beside the throne his arms crossed. He stared at the space where the purple lines had been. He still felt the surface world around him. It was a feeling of rain and a distant sound of a broken sword.

Vespera did not move. She watched Evander with a look. Her generals were trying to understand what had just happened. A single human, with no magic had destroyed a military division.

A low hum came from the archway. The teleportation circle glowed with a red light. The runes spun slowly. They were synchronizing with an anchor from the river basin. A moment later General Zorion stepped through the distortion. He wore crimson armor covered in yellow dust. His battleaxe was on his back. He did not smell like blood. The battle had been an execution from a distance.

Zorion stopped at the base of the steps. He looked up at the throne. He saw Vespera and Evander. He took off his helmet. He showed a battle- face and eyes that burned with respect. He knelt on one knee. It was a gesture he only made for Vespera.

The western basin is secure Zorion reported. The third infantry division of the Radiant Empire is gone. We took three hundred prisoners. Our scouts are clearing the canyon of equipment. I have never seen a campaign clean. We had zero casualties.

Vespera turned to Evander. She let him lead the conversation. Zorion noticed it. He kept his eyes on Evander.

What is the status of the captured equipment, Zorion? Evander asked. His voice was calm.

Zorion straightened up. We recovered over fifteen hundred sets of high-grade human steel armor. We got two thousand broadswords and forty supply wagons. The weapons have holy runes. They are uncomfortable for our soldiers to use. But the metal is refined.

Do not distribute the weapons Evander said. He stepped down from the dais. The holy runes can be traced. I want every sword, shield and breastplate stripped. Load them onto our transport sleds. Deliver them to the obsidian smithies. Melt them down. Use the steel to reinforce our northern outposts.

Zorion nodded. It was a precaution. What of the prisoners? The soldiers want them to work in the sulfur mines or be executed.

Execution is a waste Evander replied. The sulfur mines are almost at capacity. Adding prisoners will increase the need for guards. It will raise the chance of a riot. Transfer them to the agricultural sectors. Have them clear the channels for the mushroom harvests. It is work.. It keeps them isolated. Give them half the rations of a laborer. If they work well promise them a ration.

Zorion stared at Evander. A demon general would have. Tortured the prisoners. Evander just calculated their caloric intake. He assigned them to a sector to minimize the underworlds food deficit.

It shall be done Zorion said. He bowed his head.

Before you return there is one thing Evander added. General Caelum will realize his division is gone. He will not think logically. He will try to gather forces and launch a counter-offensive.

I want you to leave a small scout detachment at the mouth of the canyon. Make it look like a large demonic army is dug in.

You want to delay him? Zorion asked.

I want him to waste resources fortifying the border fortresses Evander explained. Every day he spends preparing for a siege is a day I have to solidify our control over the human merchant guilds.

Zorion picked up his helmet. He saluted Vespera and Evander. He turned back toward the teleportation circle. The crimson light flared. He vanished.

Vespera walked down the steps. She stood beside Evander. You handled him well. Zorion values strength.. You showed him a different kind of strength.

It is not about impressing him Evander said. It is about stability. If the generals do not trust my decisions they will act on their own. In a system that is dangerous.

He paused. A notification flashed on his vision.

System Notification: Castra District infrastructure update. Guild Master Ovan has initiated a high-level meeting with the merchant coalition. Local network stability dropping due to increased anxiety levels. Proxy sync recommended.

Evander sighed. The human guild master is getting nervous. The disappearance of the division has caused a ripple. They are terrified of what the High Priestess will do.

Be careful Evander Vespera said. Seraphina is a woman. She may have been tricked by your forged documents.. Her instincts are sharp.

Let her look Evander said. She is looking for a demon spy or a rogue grand mage. She will never suspect that the person orchestrating her downfall is the trash-class commoner she threw into a hole.

He initiated the proxy sync protocol.

The transition was a sensation. Evander felt like he was falling through data lines. His awareness stretched across miles of rock and earth. It slammed into the iron shell of the sentinel.

His eyes snapped open. He looked through the slits of the silver mask. The darkness of the abandoned warehouse, in Castra greeted him.

He checked his status.

Vessel Stability: Ninety-five percent.

Local Network Connectivity: Perfect.

Territory Integration: Fourteen percent.

He pushed open the wooden door of the warehouse and stepped out into the narrow muddy alleyway. The rain had. A thick freezing fog had rolled in from the surrounding hills. The fog wrapped the district of Castra in a grey shroud. The streets were unusually quiet for this time of the evening. The usual lanterns outside the taverns were dark. A few citizens hurried past wrapped tightly in their cloaks their heads lowered, avoiding eye contact.

The news of Bishop Malakars arrest had clearly shaken the citys sense of security. When the church began purging its leadership the common people knew that the inquisitors would soon turn their attention to the lower districts. They would look for anyone associated with the disgraced faction.

Evander walked with a deliberate stride toward the Castra Adventurer Guild. His silent march aura was partially active. It dampened the crash of his iron boots so that he moved through the fog like a phantom made of iron and shadow.

When he reached the guild hall he found the oak doors guarded by four high-tier mercenaries. They wore the badges of Ovans private guard. They were not the low-rank fighters who hung around the reception counter. These were experienced veterans armed with crossbows and enchanted halberds. When they saw Evander emerging from the mist their bodies went rigid. Their hands tightened around their weapons.

Let him pass.

The heavy iron-reinforced valve swung open revealing Investigator Brian. The scarred man looked exhausted. The dark circles under his eyes showed that he hadn't slept since their encounter the evening. His hand was nowhere near his sword. He simply held the door open his head slightly lowered as Evander stepped into the warmth of the hall.

The Guild Master is waiting for you in his quarters upstairs. Brian whispered, his voice raspy. He struggled against the magic wound that Evander had exposed the night before. The whole district is on a knife-edge. The merchant coalition is losing their minds. You better have a plan to fix this.

I always have a plan, Investigator. Evander replied through the modulated processors of the mask. His voice sounded like iron grinding against stone. Manage your guards. Keep the perimeter secure. If a single church scout gets within fifty yards of this building your life will be the resource I reallocate.

Brian swallowed hard. Nodded. He stepped back into the shadows of the foyer as Evander marched past him toward the spiral staircase.

The upper floor of the guild was a contrast to the rowdy tavern below. The corridors were carpeted in dark blue velvet. The velvet absorbed all sound. The walls were lined with oil paintings depicting the victories of the Castra sector. When Evander reached the heavy mahogany door of the Guild Masters office he didn't bother knocking. He simply pushed it open. Stepped inside.

The room was filled with the scent of burning tobacco and expensive wine. Guild Master Ovan was not sitting behind his desk. He was pacing back and forth in front of a stone fireplace. His silk robes were disheveled. A gold-rimmed cup was held tightly in his hand. Sitting in the leather chairs around the room were three individuals. Each was dressed in the elaborate garments of the citys wealthiest merchant houses.

When Evander stepped into the room the conversations stopped instantly. One of the merchants a man with a heavily jeweled hand let out a small gasp. He stood up retreating behind his chair as if Evander might attack him.

You're late. Ovan said, turning to face Evander. His sharp features were illuminated by the flickering light of the fire. We have a crisis. A massive crisis.

There are no crises Ovan. Evander replied. There are unexpected shifts in environmental variables. Identify your guests so we can proceed.

Ovan took a breath. He tried to regain his composure in front of his associates. This is Master Boros of the Grain Coalition. He gestured to the man. Master Jonathan of the Text Coalition and Lady Lysandra of the Mineral Exchange. They are the individuals who currently hold the supply contracts you ordered us to manipulate.

Evanders silver mask turned slowly. He scanned each of the merchants in turn.

Activating Sub-Skill: Deep Appraisal.

The data displayed perfectly in his vision. It allowed him to see how close these individuals were to breaking under the pressure.

We were told that this arrangement would bring us profits. Boros stammered. His fat fingers twisted a gold ring around his thumb. We bought up the grain rations exactly as you instructed. We used the church credit tokens you provided.. Three hours ago General Caelums personal guard seized our primary warehouses in the upper district. They didn't ask for prices. They didn't offer payment. They simply posted a decree stating that all food supplies are under martial requisition due to a frontline emergency.

The frontline emergency is not our concern. Evander said coldly.

It is our concern if they decide to execute us for hoarding resources during a war! Jonathan shouted. He stood up from his chair. His voice cracked with terror. The High Priestesss inquisitors are currently tearing Bishop Malakars estate apart. They are looking at his transactions. It is a matter of time before they trace the credit tokens back to our houses. If they find out we used church funds to buy out the militarys food supply we will all hang from the gates by midnight.

Ovan looked at Evander. His eyes were narrow and sharp. They are right Coordinator. The atmosphere in the district has changed. Seraphina isn't just investigating a theft anymore. She is looking for a conspiracy.. To make matters worse the third infantry division has gone completely silent. The military command hasn't received a report from Sub-Commander Kaelen since midday. The rumors are saying they were wiped out by a demon lord or that they deserted. The General is in a state of fury. He is looking for someone to blame. Our grain monopoly is the target in his sight.

Evander walked to the center of the room. The sheer weight of his iron shell made the rug creak under his feet. He looked at the four humans. Their faces were pale. Their bodies were trembling from a combination of greed and terror. They were minded creatures. They were incapable of seeing the pattern of the board. They only cared about their survival and their gold coins.

Your warehouses were seized because you allowed them to be visible. Evander said. His voice dropped to a intimidating register. Did you truly believe that a military force under pressure would respect the laws of commerce? A real coordinator does not rely on the goodwill of an army. You should have moved the grain to the district cellars twelve hours ago. I suggested it in my layout.

We didn't have the labor force to move that volume without attracting attention! Lysandra spoke up. Her voice was firmer than the others. Though her stats showed her heart rate was dangerously high.. What about the iron ore? Your proxy bought out every scrap of metal in my exchange using those same church tokens. The local blacksmiths are currently striking. They have no materials to repair the towns ballistas. If the demons attack tomorrow this fortress will fall. Our gold won't matter anyway.

The demons will not attack tomorrow. Evander stated flatly.

How can you possibly know that? Boros demanded. He stepped forward. His anxiety spiked to eighty-nine percent. Are you in league with them? Who are you under that mask? Are you a rogue mage from the capital? A foreign agent trying to destroy this province from within?

Evander turned his silver mask directly toward Boros. The red light of his coordinator interface flared behind the eye slits. It cast a crimson glow across the merchants face.

Sub-Skill activated: Aura of the Abyssal Tyrant.

Sudden suffocating pressure dropped over the room. The temperature near the fireplace seemed to plummet. The air became thick. It made it difficult for the humans to draw a breath. Boros fell back into his chair. His mouth hung open. His skin turned a shade of grey. His anxiety level spiked to ninety-nine percent. He hovered on the verge of a panic attack.

You are asking the questions, Master Boros. Evander said. His voice echoed with that layered effect. It simulated a deity speaking through a metal vessel. It does not matter who I am. What matters is that I am the individual in this province who can keep you alive. If you attempt to withdraw from our agreement or if you attempt to speak to the inquisitors I will disable your houses connection, to the trade network within five seconds. You will find your assets frozen. Your credit tokens dissolved into nothing. Your secret ledgers delivered directly to the High Priestesss desk before you can even leave this hall.

He let the pressure hang in the air for a seconds making sure the lesson was well-learned before lowering the aura back to normal. The merchants. Clutched their chests as the heavy weight left the room.

Ovan wiped sweat from his forehead looking at the iron sentinel with newfound terror. You... You completely control the system access codes don't you? He whispered. You didn't just forge those logs. You have a line into the empires main system.

I am the coordinator Evander repeated, his tone flat and professional. I don't forge the system; I manage it. Now listen carefully to your instructions if you want to survive the night.

The merchants leaned forward completely broken their resistance crushed by the display of power.

Ovan you will take your guard and go directly to General Caelums headquarters Evander commanded. You will not complain about the seized warehouses. Instead you will offer him a solution. You will tell him that the guild has discovered a cache of provisions in the lower district cellars left behind by Bishop Malakars conspirators. You will offer to deliver those provisions to his frontline units free of charge as a sign of the guilds loyalty to the empire.

Ovan blinked in confusion. Free of charge?. We spent thousands of gold pieces acquiring that grain. We will lose everything.

You will lose nothing Evander countered. The provisions you are going to offer him do not exist. You are going to promise him delivery within twenty-four hours. This will give him hope. It will stop him from conducting further searches in the lower district. It will buy us the time we need.

What happens after twenty-four hours when the food doesn't arrive? Boros asked, his voice trembling.

Before the twenty-four hours are up the news of the divisions disappearance will finally break through the militarys communication block Evander explained. When the General realizes his army has been wiped out he will not care about grain contracts or lower district warehouses. He will be forced to declare a military retreat from the border sector to protect the inner provinces. The fortress of Castra will be evacuated by the military within three days.

The room went silent. The merchants stared at him their minds struggling to process the scale of the prediction.

Evacuation? Lysandra whispered. This is a border fortress. The empire has held this ground for three centuries. They would never abandon it.

They will abandon it if they believe a demonic army of fifty thousand men is currently sitting at the mouth of the basin waiting to march on their unprotected flank Evander said.. That is exactly what they are going to believe because my scouts are currently ensuring that the illusion is flawless. When the military leaves the guild and the merchant houses will be the authority left in this city. You will inherit the infrastructure of Castra for the price of a few thousand grain bags.

Ovans eyes widened as the strategy finally became clear to him. The coordinator wasn't trying to make a profit by selling expensive food to a starving army. He was deliberately bankrupting the military authority creating a fake strategic crisis and forcing the empire to abandon a massive territorial asset so that the guild could take complete ownership of it from the inside.

This isn't a market manipulation Ovan murmured, his voice full of awe. This is a conquest. You are stealing a fortress city from the Radiant Empire without declaring a war.

The empire is an optimized machine Evander said, turning toward the door. It relies heavily on centralized authority and religious dogma. When you remove one gear the entire mechanism begins to tear itself from its own internal friction. Go, Ovan. Speak to the General. Deliver the promise. Master Boros, Lady Lysandra, Master Jonathan... Return to your estates. Prepare your transport wagons. When the military evacuation begins you will be responsible for moving the citys remaining wealth into the district vaults under my coordination. If any of you hesitates the system will delete you.

He didn't wait for their replies. He pushed open the door. Stepped back out into the corridor leaving the four humans to stew in their fear and ambition.

Evander walked down the stairs. Exited the guild hall stepping back into the freezing fog of the lower district. His mind was already moving ahead calculating the amount of time it would take for High Priestess Seraphina to receive the fake scout reports from the river basin. She was a fanatic. She was also a political survivor. She would see the loss of the division as a sign of divine disfavor or a trap set by her rivals in the capital. She would support the evacuation to save her skin leaving General Caelum to take the blame for the military failure.

The variables were aligning perfectly.

He walked down the alleyway returning to the abandoned warehouse where his proxy shell was anchored. He closed the door secured the iron latches and sat down on a stone crate in the center of the room.

System command: Initiate disconnect sequence. Transfer consciousness back to source anchor.

The purple data lines flared more and Evander felt his mind being pulled away from the cold iron sentinel flying backward through the dark void of the earth until he opened his real eyes in the Underworld throne room.

He let out a breath his physical lungs expanding as he adjusted back to his true body. The cold crisp air of the cavern felt refreshing after the thick polluted fog of the human city. He stood up from the floor his real hands slightly trembling from the strain of managing two separate operational identities within such a short window of time.

Vespera was still there sitting on the step of the dais her chin resting on her hand as she watched him return. How did the human merchants react? She asked.

Exactly as expected Evander replied, walking up the steps to stand beside her. They are terrified. Their greed will keep them on the track I have laid out for them. Ovan is currently on his way to the headquarters to deliver the fake food promise. The human general will buy the lie because he is desperate for any solution that saves his reputation.

The evacuation? Vespera asked, her eyes shining with anticipation. Do you really believe they will abandon Castra?

They have no choice Evander stated, opening the territory map once more with a flick of his fingers. The purple interface expanded, showing the Castra district sector. The blue lines representing the military assets were already starting to flicker their connection to the central sanctuary network growing increasingly unstable as the internal purge intensified.

Look at the power grid Evander said, pointing to the glowing lines that ran beneath the citys streets. By arresting Bishop Malakar Seraphina has shut down the secondary synchronization nodes that maintain the citys barriers. The fortress is currently vulnerable to a tier magical strike. Caelum knows this. He knows that if the demons attack while the sanctuary is divided the city will fall in a matter of hours. When he receives the scout reports showing a massive demonic army dug in at the basin his survival instinct will override his orders. He will initiate the retreat to save his remaining knights.

Vespera stood up her robes falling into perfect alignment around her slender frame. She looked at the map at Evander, her expression filled with a profound sense of triumph. If Castra falls into our hands without a fight we will have a path into the empires western provinces. The human commoners will look to the guild for leadership. The guild will be answering directly to you.

They will be answering to the system Evander corrected her his eyes cold and focused. I do not care about ruling them Vespera. I care about optimization. When Castra is fully integrated into our network we will use its manufacturing facilities to supply our rings with human technology. We will combine their metalworking techniques with your deep forge magic to create an infrastructure that the empire cannot match.

He closed his eyes his mind accessing a tier of his Abyssal Coordinator class that had just begun to unlock as a result of the territorial integration progress.

System Notification: Territory Integration has reached fifteen percent. Class evolution module unlocked: Abyssal Architect path available. New skill options available for selection.

Evander looked at the options displaying in his vision.

Option 1: Advanced Resource Siphon. Allows for the extraction of seven percent of all raw minerals from integrated sectors without the need, for physical labor.

Option 2: Network Mimicry. Allows the proxy shell to perfectly replicate the signature of a specific human class bypassing high-tier sanctuary detection arrays.

Option 3: Structural Deconstruction. Allows the coordinator to target any fortification built using a standard magical matrix and disable its primary supports from a distance.

He didn't hesitate. He selected Option 2: Network Mimicry.

Selection confirmed the system voice announced. Network Mimicry skill acquired. The iron sentinel proxy shell can now simulate the energy signature of a tier human Vanguard or Mage class. Synchronization time: Three minutes.

Evander closed the interface a dark smile finally touching his lips. General Caelum thinks he is dealing with a rogue mercenary construct he whispered. High Priestess Seraphina thinks she is hunting a bishop. Let them maintain their illusions for a while longer. When the next phase begins I will use their holy signatures to open the gates of their inner sanctuary from the inside.

Vespera moved closer to him her hand on his shoulder. The air felt strange like it had a power that was growing strong after being held back for so long.

The contract is going as planned Evander she said quietly.

The contract is the start Evander said, looking out at the huge dark caves beyond the throne room. Now we get to make the decisions that will shape this world.

Tell General Caelum to get ready to leave. We are about to take over a city.

The map screen closed with a beep and the throne room went back, to its usual quiet darkness. The silence didn't feel like a problem anymore; it felt like Evander and Vespera were waiting for their opponent to make a mistake like a player waiting for the perfect moment to win.