Galaxy's First Ruler

Planet UGF-P02

Many changes had taken place in the last six months within the Headquarters of the United Galactic Front.

The strength and capabilities of the Supreme Commander got questioned many times. The back-to-back assassination attempts on a King by a group, placed at the top of UGF's wanted list, was one reason.

The other being his periodic absence from the HQ, for weeks.

It didn't matter if both the assassinations failed, or that his strength had enhanced with every absence. Those who had a vendetta against UGF added falseness among truths masterly.

*

Imhotep looked at the marching troops through the windowpanes in his office. He had a cup of red wine in his hands and a cigar in the other. And the color on his face kept turning from the red of anger to the yellow of fear.

Knock! Knock!

"Come in."

The heavy doors to his office opened a man in the uniform of General of 1st Quad walked in.

"Long live his majesty, the King."

Imhotep turned around and went to his chair. The man didn't dare to stand up without permission. Imhotep looked at the head of the green-haired General, and let out a puff of dense smoke.

"Rise, General Otmar."

General Otmar had a clean shave, and the green color of his eyes tried to match with his hair but failed miserably. His height was average, but in front of the seated King, he looked puny.

"Supreme Commander, you asked for me?"

"Yes. Have a seat."

Seeing Otmar getting comfortable in his chair, Imhotep tapped the table. An attendant came rushing in, and with no need of orders, served the newly appointed General a drink.

Imhotep put down his wine cup and took out a piece of paper from his drawer.

"You want to inspect the Supply spaceships of the Royal family in the Kingdom of Divine Beast?"

"Ah… Yes."

"I know you…"

"Attendant, bring me a plate of cupcakes."

Imhotep narrowed his eyes as General Otmar cut off his words. Imhotep shook his hand at the sweating attendant to bring whatever was asked.

"I know you have a grudge against me for not promoting you to the rank of General. But going against the Royal family, with no proof, is an invitation to war."

"Supreme Commander, the disappearance of Eydis… General Eydis was because of her stupidity. If it was me, I would have never fallen for such an obvious trap."

Imhotep looked into the eyes of General Otmar. And pondered why the fuck his answer was nowhere close to the question asked of him.

He regretted he couldn't save Eydis, but letting go of Boudicca out of his hands was an even bigger blow to him. He remembered the scream that had shaken the Galaxy and his shattered plans. The three years that he was supposed to wait for happily, had turned into a hopeless matter.

But the position of General couldn't remain empty for long, so he had to promote Otmar. The search for the traces of his eldest daughter had still occupied the wrath of the Red Dragon and was yet to be directed at UGF. At a time like this, provoking the Royal family of Divine Beast was foolish for anyone.

"I can't sanction this appeal, General Otmar. I advise…"

"Attendant! My cupcakes. Bring a milkshake too."

Imhotep felt an itch in his long scar and saw the attendant come rushing in with a plate full of cupcakes. General Otmar crammed his mouth with them, sprinkling many of the crumbs on Imhotep's desk.

Nom Nom Nom Slurppp!

The annoying sound of chewing and drinking wine reached the far corners of the enormous Hall. Imhotep took a puff of cigar and pondered if General Otmar's curses were even real or not. There just seemed to be too many of them.

"My advice for you is to pull back most of the forces and focus on the whereabouts of the Hallowed Phantom instead."

"I don't like this advice, Supreme Commander."

Imhotep closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He was only a breath away from annihilating the green-haired bastard.

"It's an order."

"Ok then."

A wry smile came upon Imhotep's face, seeing sudden change.

"If there's nothing more, then you can leave."

"Ah! Supreme Commander, our spies in the 1st Quad have found out that an Earl has sent troops to the Death Separation. There is a possibility of a Darkling spawning in one of the new Dungeons."

"WHAT?! Why didn't you tell me this before?"

The cigar in Imhotep's hand got crushed by his sudden reaction. His chair got thrown backward as he stood up and towered in front of General Otmar.

"The most important piece of news and you didn't…"

"Attendant! My milkshake?"

Crackkk!

A hundred-kilometer-long and thousand meters deep ravine opened on one moon of the planet. The planet shuddered with many quakes. And water in the oceans churned up to hundreds of feet.

"Ah! Supreme Commander, you were saying?"

Sigh!

Imhotep sighed and took out another cigar. General Otmar suddenly took out a lighter and reached out with his stretched hand. But it couldn't even cross half the table between them.

Imhotep left Otmar's hand hanging mid air and asked.

"Tell me about this Darkling and Earl of the 1st Quad."

"Ah! You know there were three 'Compasses' that got stolen from one of our bases 50 years ago, right? Well, they could locate Darklings. As all the Darklings became extinct in the last Galactic War, the UGF didn't scour the Galaxy in search of thieves. Should I head to the Death Separation to have a look?"

"NO! Nobody's permitted to go to the Death Separation. Don't you remember my notice from 6 months ago? You can go now. I need to go somewhere."

"But… But my milkshake?"

Imhotep's eyes almost popped out in anger, scaring the General for the first time.

He saw Otmar leaving his office and the door getting closed. In the next moment, he disappeared and arrived at an unknown dark corridor. To the distant reaches of his sight, he saw the walls on either side lined with many dusty cupboards.

After walking for many hours, feeling the fluctuations of Mana, Imhotep stopped in front of a broken cupboard with only one drawer. He opened the drawer and, from the plethora of little things, took out an ancient-looking compass.

The tip of the compass' red needle kept oscillating while pointed in a particular direction.