Chapter 383: Learning about the surroundings

Sir Arthur looked at the group, studying each of their emotions silently, before finally speaking up as he looked at the golden-eyed youngster with a growing smile.

"You know Aiden, your question is actually quite good." He nodded, grabbing the attention of everyone in the room once again.

"After all… why would you possibly care about such petty and bothersome squabbles, right?" He asked as a mysterious, knowing smirk stretching across his bearded face.

Immediately, the air in the room became heavy, still, rather awkward even. Aiden's usual aloofness instantly vanished, he looked at the old man, with cold eyes and a stern outlook dominating his expression.

His sister, Lily, was looking rather similar to his brother. Her usual cheerfulness vanished, replaced by a serious look. Though she remained seated, it was clear she was ready and could jump into action instantly if the situation soured even further.

Galina also focused her golden eyes on the white-bearded old man. Whilst her face was hidden behind her faceless thin frame of the mask she got from his Young Master, her eyes carried no trace of the previous kind and shy little girl. There was a fierce passion burning in them.

Even the royal siblings, Drake and Scarlet turned serious after the old man's strange words. Though they preferred avoiding unnecessary trouble, they couldn't sit this one out and leave their friends in trouble if push comes to shove. 

"What do you mean by that, Sir Arthur?" Sara asked with a heavy, stern gaze fixed on the old man's figure, studying his body posture and movements. If possible she wanted to de-escalate the trouble. Explaining a fight in the back office area alone would be rather troublesome, not to mention if the higher-ups in the headquarters would learn that one of the participants was the legendary Roaring Lion!

Having been suddenly placed under such heavy scrutiny, the old man, Sir Arthur didn't seem to mind it at all. He ignored all the others and just kept his attention on the long black-haired boy.

Still, as his lips parted he responded to Sara's inquiry first.

"Nothing much. Nothing much…" He muttered, before taking a blink. In an instant, the strange look vanished, the previous gentle, warm smile replacing it, he looked at the youngsters in the room, nodding his head at them.

"I didn't mean to come out as intrusive or offensive in any way. If I did so, that was not my intention and for that, I humbly apologize. Everyone has their secrets, and I can respect that." 

He winked at Aiden with his last sentence, his intent was clear. His actions, his look, his words were saying: 'I know your secret, boy'. 

Whatever he meant by his earlier words, Sir Arthur didn't elaborate further and returned his attention to the earlier topic.

He turned and looked at Sara as he asked.

"Miss Examiner, did you perhaps bring a map with you? If so, may I ask that you unfold it over the table?"

Nodding, a large yellowish piece of rolled-up pergamen appeared in her slender little arms, which she promptly unfolded, using a couple of rocks that she also pulled out from probably from some space-related treasure she had.

As the pergamen was slowly unfolded and weighed down, the topographical map of a large piece of vaguely familiar land appeared in front of Aiden and his group.

At the southern reaches of it, the city of Higrove appeared as an irregularly shaped rectangle-like body just at the side of a light blue line that represented the nearby river they all knew.

The large forest was like a huge mass of green that encompassed a huge portion of the south, southwest and even stretched up to the north, covering most of the explored, visible space of the western border, ultimately ending somewhere at the generic line where the capital Elsaid could be found.

West to the capital around a thousand or so miles a huge mountain range separated the Kingdom from the huge black mass that covered almost all of the eastern half of the explored landmass. 'Trachian Empire' was written with large white letters at the center of it. Most of its space was coated with black paint, even its geographical features were like a mystery.

Finding this very puzzling, Aiden raised the question almost instantly.

"Excuse me, but why is the east covered in black? Do we no nothing of that part of the land?"

To his surprise, his question was answered by Sara and not the veteran old man.

"The Trachian Empire has closed borders. 'Outsiders', as they call all those they did not conquer and enslave, are not permitted to enter." She said, turning to look at the old man as if urging him to speak.

"Before you say, we do have some information, after all, we have several scouts behind their borders, albeit not too deep. Still, most of this information is considered top secret, and it is not displayed on the publicly available maps, such as these."

He spoke with a smug-look smirk donning his bearded face. In the next moment, before any one of them could speak up, he pulled out another rolled-up pergamen and placed it atop the unfolded map.

"However, I do have a bit more up-to-date and detailed version with me. Though I shouldn't be doing this, to understand everything, I am willing to show this piece to you. Hope you can appreciate it." He added quickly unfolding it and placing it over Sara's map using her weights as well.

Now, instead of the ugly black paint, many more details could be seen, although, just as Sir Arthur has said, only up to a certain point.

Behind the mountain range and below it, neighboring the Kingdom of Draquilea, a humongous, bloodthirsty giant, the Trachian Empire stretched over and conquered most of what was known about the eastern half of the continent's landmass.

Yes, continent. What was the entire world for most, those at the highest standing have already known from either by the teaching and preaching by the so-called wandering Priests and Priestesses of the Holy Kingdom of Arboria to the north, and through some sea-loving explorers that what they lived on was a giant mass of land over an endless-looking ocean.

Sadly, none who ventured further away from the shores have either been forced to return due to the constant storms and horrific sea monsters inhabiting the dark depths or were never heard from again…

Many small dot-like villages and some amorphously-shaped cities could be seen lining up every now and then, acting like small oases in the giant, stretching Forlorn Desert.

Unfortunately beyond what seemed to be the edge of this giant sandy mass of fiery death, not much was explored besides a Fort-like city that probably served as the checkpoint. 

"Fort Borlstadt. What is beyond it?" Seeing that beyond that point, the same black mass was present once more, he couldn't help but ask with an inquisitive look.

"We do not know. So far, we could not get past that point." He admitted with a sigh. He pointed at a small place just below the Saronite Mountain Range called 'Caephra Valley'.

"This place… The Caephra Valley is what we believe they have a secret base constructed and are currently gathering most of their forces."

Seeing that no one reacted to his words, Sir Arthur could only sigh and explain a bit more.

"This place is rumored to be connected through a giant, underground maze-like cavern system to the nearby Saronite Mountains, and even supposedly has exits in our end."

Looking at it, suddenly, an old story came to Drake's mind. He jumped up, with a shocked expression.

"Wait… Isn't that the supposed place of some Trial Grounds? I remember the tales my fath-, khm, that I was told when I was young."

"Yes." Sir Arthur nodded, taking a glance at Aiden as he answered. "It is rumored that there are deathly trial grounds there. Supposedly some ancient, long-since-vanished race lived there or created the trial. The only thing we know is that nobody could really attempt it, as the air inside is strange…"

Suddenly, Aiden's expression twitched, and a strange glint of light flashed through his eyes. Still, he managed to suppress his rising interest in the topic and instead asked as he focused on the Trachian side of the map.

"If that is true, why are you all even worried? Can they cross to our side of the border in any way, or do they need to go through the trial for it?" He asked.

"We are not sure." The old man admitted, shrugging his shoulders, with a helpless look on his face. "The cave system is vast, as I mentioned, it's like a giant maze, a labyrinth. Strong, brutal, ferocious monsters inhabit the depths, even adventurer's like myself have to be careful if we were to go explore."

Then he shook his head as he continued.

"Still, if an army were to decide to clean it up…"