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ATLA, In A Darker World: 59 I'll Need A Blade
🕑 Added 2024-12-19 22:33:21 +0000 UTCPolitics was a bitch.
At least that's what he heard.
In his last life, the inner workings of higher society had remained an enigma to the bald man. Most of what he knew of the rich and powerful was one-sided hearsay.
Social animals who fail to climb the ladder of success could only gaze at the summit from below, nursing their wounds with fellow dreamers who shared their plight. Denied entry into the walls of power, they sought solace in conspiracy theories and stereotypes — false truths made to soother their bruised egos.
Luca, had been one of them.
To him, politicians were nothing but lying, scheming, greedy, who baited the masses with illusions of progress only to fatten themselves at the feast. His bias wasn't helped with his obsession with medieval western fantasies — Kingdom building tales of power struggles and political intrigue, filled with betrayal, bloodshed, and power grabbing.
Yep, it certainly didn't help one bit.
He's assumed politics in the real world wasn't as dramatic. But now?
Sitting across from King Bumi, listening to the proposition laid before him, Luca couldn't help but think that his treasured novel genre didn't lie.
“.... You want me to kill your trusted advisor?” Luca asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Hehehe…".
The king chuckled while raising his fork.
“'Kill' is a strong way of putting it. I think the term 'Putting him to rest' is a better fit. Don't you think?”
Luca frowned.
“Why?”
“Why?” The feasting king dropped his cutleries and placed his hands on the table.
A cold gleam flashed in his eyes as numerous thoughts flew through his mind.
Someone had been trying to undermine his authority in Omashu for a long time now.
Unfortunately, they had never given him the opportunity to root them out for good. Instead, hiding disgustingly in the dark like rats and playing all these schemes he so despised.
“A kingdom can't have two kings”.
(Feels like something Bumi would say if he got serious, so Let's conveniently ignore the fact that the Earth Kingdom has two rulers here)
Bumi's expression turned stone-cold.
“Neither can a city have two rulers. You should understand what I mean”.
Luca understood. At this point, it wasn't difficult to connect the pieces.
When him, Mingxia and the group were supposed to be taken to The King, Huo stated that the Grand advisor had authorized their transfer.
Coupled with Bumi's words on how Huo was seen with the Grand advisor, it was clear who it was. The collaborator incident back at Haican needed to have someone strong backing it up to avoid reaching Bumi's ears.
Who else could be stronger than the second in command to the King himself?
“I have been informed of the incident back at the stronghold. I know everything that happened that night. The ins and outs of the situation”.
Bumi explains.
“So you knew of the trafficking of skilled Earth Kingdom citizens from the beginning”.
“No”. The reply was flat. “I learned of it three months ago”.
“After all, hundreds of citizens disappearing every time. Families never seeing their loved ones again. Once something reaches a certain intensity, It is impossible to completely suppress”.
That was a fact.
The Earth Kingdom Collaborators had been selling so many skilled refugees to the Fire Nation. Overtime, the repercussions would surface.
It was impossible to silence everyone.
“The fact it took so long to reach me made me know just how deep this conspiracy went. Someone in my court was undermining me and allying with the Fire Nation. I had to find out who”.
“So I secretly placed my men at key Strongholds around to gather intel. Unfortunately, I didn't receive word of The Haican incident until one week later”. Bumi's eyes narrowed.
His fingers tapped the table, each motion deliberate.
“Apparently, my insider had been killed in the trafficking tunnel and had his body blown up to bits”.
He added pointedly.
Luca froze under the weight of Bumi's glare.
“...... Oh, I see”.
For the first time since this conversation began, Luca felt particularly awkward. Back at Haican, he had killed several Earth Kingdom soldiers and their captain in the tunnel.
Then, Mingxia's blasting bomb had done the rest.
It didn't matter then, after all, he thought they were all bad guys.
Now?
From Bumi's tone, he definitely knew that he was the one responsible.
“As I was saying”. The glare lessened.
“With the matter made large and no one left to silence your group, they were ordered to be transported here. To Omashu. But this wouldn't do. In such a scenario, I found that this situation could be used to my advantage”.
Luca realized.
Bumi had long since known there was a traitor in his court. Unfortunately, the enemy didn't know that.
Due to the lack of knowledge, the insider would try as much as possible to keep the news from reaching Bumi the moment it was discovered.
However, there were no more collaborators at Haican to finish the job. Hence, only the next best option could be carried out. Eliminating them once they entered Omashu.
Unfortunately, Bumi also received the news as well.
All he had to do, was wait.
Luca, Mingxia and the others were used as bait.
“So you used us as bait?” Luca asked apathetically.
“Well ..... Not exactly. You could see it that way, though”. The old king grinned.
At this point, it didn't matter anymore.
Luca understood.
If Hou's appearance under the authority of the Grand Advisor wasn't enough to spill the light on who was responsible for all this, then his sudden death after he was caught an imprisoned was.
The Grand Advisor.
“So as it turns out. My trusted advisor isn't so trusted now is he?” Bumi laughed.
“Why?” Luca asked.
“Huh?” Bumi snorted confused. “Didn't we just get to the why?”
“I mean, why me?” Luca corrected.
“You have discovered your mole. As Omashu's ruler, why don't you kill him yourself?”
This was what Luca wanted to know.
In Luca's understanding, Huo's death had been a futile move.
Leaving him alive would undoubtedly reveal everything, but killing him was the same.
Bumi wasn't an idiot. Even if just like the advisor thought, that Bumi didn't know any of this, huo's death would let him know that something was a foot.
As Omashu's king, it wouldn't take much to pinpoint who was behind it. Once done, Bumi could just have him killed.
At least, that was what he surmised.
So since the Grand Advisor had been exposed. Why bring him into this?
However…
“Oh that? Well … No, I can't”.
Wait … What?
A pig snort escaped from him seeing Luca's confusion.
“Mr Goody Two-shoes Consul has been the advisor here for twenty-five years. Just like my father was king, his father was the advisor. Such connections have been forged for a long time and has great impact on the snobby nobles living around here. Huo's death means that I have no substantial evidence to have him executed”.
Luca raised an eyebrow.
“Is that necessary?”
“Well … No . Hehe". Bumi snorted a chuckle. “... It wouldn't be in normal times. However, there's a war going on, last time I checked”.
At that moment, his face turned serious.
“... My kingdom is at war. More internal strife is the last thing I need at this point. Goody Two-shoes Consul has a high prestige here. So no, I can't just ...... get rid of him”. That last part was done with air quotes.
“Even if I wanted to, it would be challenging to do so without catching him off guard. He's a powerful Earthbender. Taking him down without doing it personally would be …. Messy”.
Saying this, his gaze lingered once more.
“This is where you come in”.
“Bring me his head. And I'll let your friends go, cleared of all charges. Supplies? Take what you require. I'll even overlook you skipping town afterward. You have my word”.
“And if I refuse?”
“Then leave. But I'll have them executed”.
The room fell silent. Tension thick in the air.
Finally, Luca spoke dryly.
"If your information is correct, then you should know them prior to Haican right?" The chuckle ended.
This was the truth. For Mingxia, Dandan, Peng, Meilin ... Luca barely knew them.
“Of course. It was in their testimony, after all”. The soldiers had interrogated Mingxia ad her group thoroughly back at Haican. It was the same thing here at Omashu.
Luca knew this.
“So why would you expect me to risk my life for them?”
“Well …. Call it an old man's intuition”. Bumi grinned.
“... My gut tells me you will do it anyway. Although, it really doesn't matter to me. After all, whether you go through with it or not, I lose nothing”.
“So little Firespitter …. What will it be?”
Luca furrowed his eyebrows without responding for a while.
Time elapsed.
Eventually ......
“I'm gonna need a blade”.
His words made the old king grin widely.
“That's more like it”.
