Galaxy's First Ruler

Planet VR-252

In the Kingdom of Swordless, the 3rd Quarter of the Milky Way Galaxy, there was a red-green planet called Rosalia by the locals.

The sweet smell of roses lingered in the planet's atmosphere without overwhelming the living beings on it. A famous myth told of an enormous Rose-deity that used to travel among stars before shedding its material self as a cycle of rebirth. And the last seed left by that Rose-deity was Rosalia, the Planet VR-252.

Despite many other Gods and pagan cultures, Rosalia was the prime and undisputed deity to be worshipped. It was their mother, their Ancestral Spirit, their creator, and their destroyer. The earthquakes were the beating of Rosalia's heart, and tsunamis were its efforts to sprout again. The rains were its reward for virtues, and the floods were its wrath for sins.

North of the equator, there was a continent called First Nation. And House Venomous Rose had been overseeing the entire planet since anyone could remember anything. Some even said their history was even older than the formation of the Planet itself. But those kinds of statements got buried as nothing but heresy.

In the middle of the First Nation, there was a beautiful and vast manor. It was white, with red conical tops, and fields of roses surrounded it from all directions. It was the home of Count Drago Goranov, the head of House Venomous Rose. On usual days, countless servants, guards, and guests used to sway in the manor, like trees in a storm. But today it was as silent as a windless night.

"Drago, thinking more is useless. You know, right?"

At one end of the long table, within the spacious study hall, Count Drago Goranov was seated with his head down, seemingly in deep contemplation. His red hairs were short, and he had a light red beard. His tanned face couldn't hide his pressed brows, as if he was facing a deep internal struggle.

On his opposite was a man in a black greatcoat, bald and fat. His nose was like a thumb protruding out of his face, and his thick lips felt like being stung by bees, multiple times. On his chest pocket, there was an insignia of two almond-like shields. He was the head of House Twin Shield, Count Sunurp Dulcis.

"So you were the one who had manipulated my brother. And you all…"

Count Drago turned his head to look at the familiar faces. Among them were his cousins, his Chief of Security, many politicians, and the right-hand man of his brother.

"Haha! No need to hate them. They have just chosen a better Head for their House."

The mocking voice of the fat bastard reached Drago's ears. A sigh left his mouth as he asked.

"Sigh… What do you want?"

"That's the spirit! Make no mistake Drago, all the Barons under me and a sizable amount of force under your dear Chief of Security have surrounded the manor. All routes leaving the manor are cut off, and your personal spaceships, well let's just say they aren't 'personal' anymore. Haha!"

Crack!

Count Sunurp took out almonds and cracked them, before eating with ugly chewing noises. Drago eyed the slight smile on his face as Sunurp gestured to throw an almond towards him and said through gritted teeth.

"What… Do… You… Want?"

"Oh, for fuck's sake! Can't you see the scroll in front of you? Just sign on it to make me the official owner of this planet and I would let you live a happy life for many years. Ah! I still can't believe that you sent most of the guards for the annual Rose Festival and waited to go with the last force of Barons. And here I thought only the young Goranov is a mindless shit. Is there a way to say the phrase 'The apple doesn't fall far from the tree' in reverse? HAHAHA!"

HAHAHA!!!

The study hall quaked with the resounding burst of laughter from all the friends and family members that had betrayed Count Drago. But his next actions were so strange and unexpected that their laugh experienced sudden death.

Count Drago stood up from his chair slowly, under the watchful eyes of many Viscounts and Barons surrounding him. He looked at the chair on his right where his wife used to sit, drinking tea, while he muttered the songs of Blesses Ones for his inner peace. He craned his neck up to look at the ceiling and then at the empty shelves. None had even asked where all the books were.

Two tears trickled down on the table as he said.

"I will miss this place."

Shouuu!!!

Under the horrified eyes of Count Sunurp and others, the entire body of Count Drago turned into fresh red rose petals.

*

Hundreds of miles away, there was a tree, taller than any mountain and visible even from space.

The tree, which felt more like a sapling, had a platform at the top. From the top, the platform looked like a rosebud about to bloom. This was the Holiest Place on the planet, the home of the Ancient Oracle, Everlasting Tower.

Count Drago, standing at the edge of the platform, opened his eyes. The wetness of his eyes could barely withstand the terrifying gales. But his footing was as solid as the tower's foundation. Looking at the sun for a moment, finally, he said in a broken voice.

"Fire... in the hole."

BOOOOOM!!!

On the horizon, a sun seemed to appear, as the result of an explosion equivalent to tens of nuclear bombs. That was the direction where his manor had used to stand with pride.

"As your son said, it's just a pile of rocks. It's our memories that are special."

An ethereal voice reached Count Drago's ears, making him turn around. He gave a deep bow and said.

"Ancient Oracle."

"Fire in the hole?! You are still fascinated by the phrases from Barren Earths?"

A wry smile came upon Count Drago's face, hearing her comment. He followed the Ancient Oracle's gaze, who was looking at the mushroom cloud, getting taller and taller by seconds.

"Making you hide your Rank for dozens of years and now this? Your son is truly a genius. I hope he will bring 'HIM' to us."

Count Drago remembered the face of a curious child in his arms, and a proud smile came upon his face as he said.

" Haha! No, he is not a genius. He just always liked to pretend like others."