Arthur doesn't waste any more time with the mysterious Lis before going to look for Eliza. His mind is buzzing with questions about this woman, along with a growing curiosity and interest, but now he needs to prevent members of Josephine's family from starting a war that could endanger his friends.
He doesn't know where Eliza is, but he sees guards rushing towards the back of the mansion, so he cautiously follows in that direction.
The gardens along the sides of the grand house are much larger and more luxurious than those of Josephine's mansion, with a variety of plants and trees. But beyond the tall walls lies a dense forest and a lake at the very rear of the property.
'These guards seem a bit lost...' Nyx comments in his mind while trying to use her magical senses to locate Eliza, though she still doesn't fully understand this ability, which limits its range.
'Yeah, we need a better vantage point...' Arthur walks along the side of the house until he finds a spot where no one can see him, then begins to climb the mansion walls.
The windows and ornate textures make the climb easier, and with agile movements, Arthur quickly reaches the roof. To his surprise, someone is already there.
"You took your time," That sweet, melodious voice doesn't startle Arthur; instead, it makes his lips curl into a loving smile.
"So you came here too," He turns and sees his mother smiling at him. "Is what that woman said true?"
Aria's eyes sparkle, and her smile becomes slightly teasing. "Why do you think I was listening?"
"Mom..." The confident smile on his face shows his certainty about that.
Aria lets out a light sigh, as if she doesn't like how well her son knows her. "It does," Her expression becomes slightly stern. "As soon as she mentioned it to Eliza, I extended my senses and noticed a group of mages preparing explosive runes a few miles away."
"Explosive runes?" Arthur can't help but feel a bit apprehensive. "Are they really members of the Drummond family?"
Aria nods. "It seems so. And they're planning something big, probably enough to destroy everything within a mile radius around the mansion."
"Damn!" Arthur exclaims aloud but then looks back at Aria with an expectant gleam in his eyes. "Can you do something about it?"
She remains silent for a second, looking into his eyes with a curious expression. "Is that what you want? To help Eliza?"
"It's not just about Eliza," He quickly responds. "If more of these Whittlees die, especially at the hands of the Drummonds, it will turn into a war, and Josephine and Oliver will never be safe..."
"But such a spell would expose me greatly, both to the Drummonds and Eliza, as well as to any other powerful mage within a few thousand miles."
Arthur doesn't understand much about magic and doesn't know what secrets his mother hides about her past, but he understands that attracting attention is usually not good.
"What's the other option?"
"Kill the mages and deactivate the runes up close," she says.
"Then let's do it,"
Aria points to an area of the forest near the lake where there are several red dots surrounding five blue dots. "Those are Eliza and her brothers..." As she speaks, two blue dots disappear, leaving only three behind.
Arthur feels a slight bitter taste in his mouth, and Aria notices it from his expression. "She's fine, those were two guards... But they won't last much longer. I can't help them and deal with the Ascended Mages and their runes at the same time without using great spells..."
"I'll help them," he quickly states.
"Baby..." Aria says in a loving tone while her eyes shine with anticipation. "Those are Champions... I know you're feeling very powerful, but be careful."
"Leave it to me," Arthur is confident since he only has to support Eliza and her brothers, not fight enemies alone.
Aria nods and then, with another hand gesture, makes some boxes appear in the air, and from them emerges his assassin's tool belt and his sword. "Don't do anything too daring. I'll deal with the mages in a few minutes and join you. Also, they may have Astral Beasts..."
"I'll help with those," Nyx materializes her body next to Arthur to say that.
"Good, so let's go," Aria nods, then finishes her spell and starts floating towards the Drummonds' mages.
Arthur smiles as he watches his mother disappear into the air like a shadow under the moonlight. He turns in the direction where Eliza and her brothers are in the forest, 'Let's go, too, Nyx!' he speaks to her mentally and then jumps off the mansion roof.
From another shadowy corner, a mysterious figure watches his body appear as if from behind an invisible barrier for a second before vanishing into the forest.
"What a powerful mage, kukuku~" That's Lis, who couldn't see or hear Arthur's conversation with Aria due to her protective barriers.