The room was quiet, save for the soft crackle of the fireplace. Rin stood by the window, watching the clouds shift above the distant peaks. The light cast long shadows on his face, sharpening his expression into something unreadable.
"What do you suggest our next move should be?" Rin asked without turning.
Arkan, still kneeling, hesitated. "Even though I fully support you now, the nobles and forces who backed Kaelion will have doubts. They may try to align with the other princes. We should deal with them first."
Rin nodded slightly but didn't speak. His eyes remained on the horizon.
"We will deal with them soon," he said at last. "But I think something else comes first."
Arkan glanced up. "What is that, Your Highness?"
"The Crown Prince. He's far stronger than either of us. If he suspects I know about what happened,or even thinks I might know,he'll move. Quietly. Efficiently. He won't come charging through the front. He'll crush us slowly. We need to make a move against him."
Arkan frowned. "What do you suggest?"
Rin turned now, face calm. "We redirect their attention. Create chaos where they least expect it. Force them to look west."
"The West?" Arkan blinked. "But... they've been unstable since Valen vanished."
"Exactly," Rin said. "The two Princes want to kill their way to the Soul Stage,that means they will start a war very soon. Let's give them the perfect opportunity. We start a war before them."
Arkan's eyes widened. "We don't have the authority to declare war. If the Princes pin the blame on us, we won't survive it."
Rin stepped forward. "They won't. The eastern territories are too valuable, especially my territory, they won'tallow the westerners to attack us. And no one wants to throw away the largest soul bomb factory or a Soul Stage expert. They'll hesitate. Besides, after what Valen did to the West, no one there will believe this was an individual act. They'll assume it's from the top. The Emperor's shadow still looms."
"Even so, it's a risk."
"It's a better risk than letting them gut us in the dark."
Arkan stayed quiet, then finally asked, "What's your plan?"
"You and I will lead a strike on the nearest border nation. One that Valen previously antagonized. Many of their leaders were killed. We take out more of their generals and pin the deaths on retaliation for Ryvaris's men."
Arkan raised an eyebrow. "The man who tried to kill you?"
"Yes," Rin said flatly. "They don't need to know that. We'll say we have proof their people killed him. It gives us a cause. Justification."
"How many should we kill?"
Rin's smile was cold. "They say a general's head is worth ten thousand men. Let's start there. If they don't respond, we go back and kill more."
Arkan nodded slowly. "I will gather my men. And with you leading... we'll strike whenever you say."
Rin turned again to the window, his voice lower. "Then we go now. I want their bodies burned. Only the heads should remain. Line them up. Make it clear this is revenge."
Lightning cracked faintly in the distance, as if the world itself knew a storm was coming.
Later that night, as preparations for the raid were underway, Rin sat alone focusing on the plan, going over maps and troop placements. His eyes were heavy, but his thoughts sharper than ever. There was no room for error. This move wasn't just a distraction,it was a declaration. The message had to be clear: Rin Solas would not be cornered, not by princes, not by this world, and not by the weight of tradition.