Background
On Eriadu, power lied not with the Imperial governors, viceroys, nor the warlords. Instead, a most authoritative group, hailing from Corulag, developed the world and made sure that the planet became a great work of industry and technology. Five families ruled Eriadu, and they were known as the Quintad. Mel Krasznius knew this fact, and as a newly appointed Eriaduan noble, he was expected to exploit it.

Mel had received millions upon millions of currency in the form of Imperial Credits from an old friend, a Serennoan Count whose name became a blur in Mel's mind after a traumatic head injury he was given during his service in the Imperial Fleet. Taking the fortune back to Eriadu, he had enough money to buy an industrious town. And he did.

Being a traditional ceremony on the planet, Eriaduan noblemen traveled to greet the new leader of the town, Governer Mel Krasznius, gentleman to the noble, soldier to the Empire, and wise man to the sage. The Imperials welcomed him as governor of Tires, the city he had bought, yet the noblemen were not too impressed. If he failed in his duties during the ceremony, where he must play host at a glorious banquet, then he would not be allowed to rule Tires, that is, until the Empire was finished with the Civil War and they intervened, but there was no telling of how long that would last.

[To be continued]

The guests had arrived a few hours later, and each needed not an introduction. However, the formality of the situation forced Kilkaz to introduce them as they graciously nodded and marched from the top entrance on the second floor to the ground floor by means of a pearl-and-marble staircase.

"Duke Marchek Atlin and his wife, the Dutchess Terra Atlin!" Kilkaz announced. The article the usually implied which one carried rights to the fortune. Another pair marched through, along with five more trailing behind them. The stainless white-marble floor brazened with a brown dye sparkled as if it rocked from side to side. Mel could not allow conflict to occur. Because of this, he made sure to keep politics, social gossip, and anything else fun away from the table's conversation.

"The honorable Viceroy Nikos Valentia and his wife, Vicereine Martia Valentia!" Kilkaz announced in a loud yet polite voice. Not a soul spoke after the introduction. The highest-ranking political figure of the region arrived. However, that was not the reason everyone in the room honored him; he came from one of the five families of the Quintad, and not being able to please him surely meant Mel would lose his position, his Eriaduan honour, and his rights to the land. The Governer's fiefe became the prize on the table. Either he'd win the coin toss or lose all that became important to his family. His incapability of losing such a thing prevented him from staggering at the sight of the Viceroy.

Mel bowed low at the Viceroy, who in turn returned with a nod. "Thank you for receiving me, Viceroy Valentia."

"You are most welcome!" said the morbidly chubby and aging Viceroy. Mel did not expect the Viceroy to have such a jolly attitude. It seemed as though Santa Claus walked in, except with lavish clothing and a necessity to drink now and then.

The guests waiting at the table did not sit down until Valentia did. However, it did not take long. The obese man could not go down the stairs without gasping for air. He removed his black top hat and covered himself in his thick, red cloak. The guests could not help to stare.