I regressed and became the Sword Ice King

Darkness crept, with a stillness that settled in comfortably, like the rays of light that came with the rise of the sun. The room was constructed in a circle, its diameter the size of two classrooms joined together.

Within that room, darkness and silence were intertwined; seven figures were seated around a round table of dark oakwood and mahogany, its texture smooth to the skin, and its intricate designs of dignified stock and floral patterns palpable.

The silence was soon replaced by the sound of blazing flames as six magical lamps turned on automatically around the circular room, illuminating the prestige of the seven individuals locked in a staring contest on their maple-crafted chairs, adorned with ornaments of jewels. Once the room was lit, the buried brilliance of the room radiated in a magnificent hue.

With its golden walls and a roof ordained in smooth, marbled stones, radiating a bright blue color that took the shape of a rose.

It radiated down on the round table, illuminating a cerulean brilliance on the white marbled tiles of the floor and the onyx-brown round tables, adorned with pastries and teas, which would probably go to waste. The seven figures wore black cloaks that hid their identities and thoughts, protecting themselves from one another, but one of them easily pulled off the hoodie that hid his identity.

A goldish-brown-haired man with sharp crimson eyes and a golden-brown goatee sat on one of these chairs. His gaze scanned the room, with a crafty smile plastered on his face. "Ladies and gentlemen, are we still not comfortable enough to converse?" The King asked the individuals who had preferred to keep their identities to themselves, unperturbed by their decision.

His question was met with a stifling silence that caused an uncomfortable shudder to creep up his spine slowly.

Cold sweat dropped from his forehead as he struggled to maintain his smile. "How amusing. Your king asks you to uncover yourselves," The King spoke once again, his tone condescending, but no one yielded. "My King, do you intend to use the Blue Rose as a form to practice your royal rule?" one of the figures asked, his voice distorted in an unnatural manner.

The King's gaze snapped to the figure at his far left, the fourth from him, unable to guess who could have spoken before him. 'I would have asked for your heads, bastards,' he thought, easing the urge to kill them all once again. This wasn't the first, nor the second or third time that the Blue Rose had called forth a meeting.

Though most of their meetings were merely formalities and simple plans, it was evident in their timing for another meeting that changes would occur.

With a sigh, he ignored their refusal to his command and began the topic of the day. "Shall we commence the meeting?" "Of course, my King," another figure said, their back rested on the chair, with their hand placed under their chin within their cloak, the sixth from the King.

"We commenced this meeting on the matter of the Juns, didn't we?" Another spoke out, with the same disfigured voice as the rest, their gaze shifting through the room though their hoodie, unbeknownst to the rest, the first from the King.

"Indeed. Now they are at their lowest. With the death"– "Disappearance" A figure, the second from the King, was cut off by the fourth figure that spoke to the King. "…Indeed. 'Disappearance'. We ought to strike when the iron is hot, no?

It will be best for us to act now".

The King interjected, "What do we have in mind? I'm open to your ideas," taking a sip of his tea with his legs crossed. "We may as well get Raffaelo Jun under my command, now that he doesn't have someone to protect him."

The fourth figure spoke up, causing a settling mood within the room. "It seems like we've forgotten that he has three 10th stars and an 11th circle within his family. Would it be safe targeting him when they are most likely on edge?"

After a brief silence, the King spoke first. "Yes, they have good prodigies. But with the help of everyone present here, subduing them should not be an issue." The fourth figure asked, their surprised tone hidden behind their mask, "Do we already have plans to subdue the Jun's daughters? After all, three of them are more than qualified to become the Patriarch."

"Indeed, they are, but do not forget one important aspect," the second from the King said, their voice contorting much more deeply than it had all this while. "They are women. It would be a mere act to simply marry them off to families loyal to the King, ensuring their demise is under his scope."

"Are we at that junction where we will use gender as a means of subduing the Juns? This is a family that has been here for countless generations and has served the Kingdom. There must be a better, legitimate way of putting them under our control." The fourth figure snapped at the second, a vague sensation of annoyance etched in their distorted voice.

"Forgive me. You are right. If we want to handle this matter, it should be without gender discrimination." The second said, attempting to correct their blunder, if any. The King chuckled.

"Yes, the idea of political marriage is a good one. He has five of them, ensuring one is under my command is an easy feat. But if we must take the Juns down, then we must get rid of any idea of a 'Patriarch' resurfacing."

"I have an idea," the first, right to the King, spoke up after a bit of silence on their end. "Why don't we change the rule of Patriarch Ascension? Instead of leaving it to the people they govern, why not put it in the hands of the Patriarchs themselves?"

A brief silence descended upon the dark room, the flames dancing to their crimson hue within the magic lamps, as the King tapped his finger on the table. "If we make a consensus, then whichever daughter or mother comes up for the position can be easily rejected." He muttered, contemplating the idea.

"It's not just any of their daughters. Three of the Juns' daughters have deviated from the path of the Sword. Even if she is in the eleventh circle, how can a Grand Mage lead a family of swords?" The first included, their conversation reverberating with the dark blue marbled walls.

"That is true. We will do just that. In that case, we will let them have an 'acting' Patriarch while they receive direct rules from us. The Imperial family will be in charge of their affairs going forward." The King said, resting his shoulders on the obsidian chairs, a satisfied smirk on his face. 'Good riddance, huh, Michaelo Jun'.

"Then, how about we seize their assets while at it?" The King asked, his fingers placed under his chin, his thoughts reeling in. The Patriarchs had noble titles of Dukes and Duchess, with the twelfth family serving one level behind as a Countess.

The Jun family had over thirty villages in the north, including a total of twelve towns under their rule. That was basically all the villages and towns present north of the Imperial Kingdom. They served as a border Duchy to the Northern Mountains and Highlands. It was cold most times of the year, and summer would only come for two or three months.

The Northern mountains were home to monsters and demons, with the weakening of the plane between the Mortal Realm and Demonic Realm decreasing further. However, with time, the number of portals that spawned began to increase, and with it, the level of difficulty. If anything, the Juns did the Kingdom a great service by remaining in the North to prevent demons from reaching the rest of the Kingdom.

And in return, the King allowed them to keep the carcasses. Though it might not sound like much, the demon and monster pelts, cores, and other valuable materials obtained from their kills were something that had been under the Juns' full control and were their major source of income and funds, aside from the taxes paid by the villages and towns.

They also owned mana stone mines and some valuable resources, none of which were available to the King. So now that the Patriarch was gone – not just any Patriarch, but Michaelo Jun, whom they had to be careful with – he could finally get his hands on everything he ever wanted. After all, he was the King, and everything in his Kingdom belonged to him.

"Seizing their assets will limit them further, but finding a logical means of doing so should be the first priority." The first from the King replied. "Of course. I have something in mind already.

The Bloody Colosseum…is what they call it now." As his fingers tapped the hard surface of the smooth obsidian table, his gaze flickered, a sinister hue hidden within, as he focused on nothing but the future he would grasp in his hands.

Everything must play out as he wanted it, and everyone must move to his will. He was the King, and everyone, including the stubborn families such as the Juns, would be put under his feet. 'I will use your family as my scapegoat, watch and suffer in the afterlife, Michaelo Jun'. A smile crept up his face, and his gaze relaxed, as if everything else would fall right into its place.

"Well then, let's move on to the next topic." The figures present were fully aware of the topic their King would bring up next. After all, it was the main purpose for him targeting the Jun family for so long.

"How do I make Raffaelo Jun mine?"