Chapter 877

Chapter 877: Understand, the true meaning of Family.

A contained explosion rattled the capital for days, onto weeks, months, and eventually, years. True to Hidros’s word, peace between Alphia and the Empire was reached. King Igna made great strides in leading each party towards a mutual understanding. The revolution led by Queen Eia concluded. The factions settled into surface-level understanding, behind the scenes, who knew, and honestly, who cared. Condition on such an agreement was brought by the relinquishment of Kreston. The latter returned to being a pious state ruled by the newly appointed Pope. Hidros weren’t the only ones fighting for an equal way of life, the new pope, from what rumors read over the Arcanum and sparely acquired information by spies, was an agent of god himself. An apostle who when by the name, Carrigan the II, in remembrance of Carrigan, saint of Aphsoltry. A man whose tale was weaved into history centuries ago, the first man who approached the demi-humans. Respect is granted to this day, though the church’s left his teaching.

Wracia Empire and advancement towards the new continent greatly boosted the Empire’s coffers. Access to the promised land, such became the name of the virgin soil, was limited to the affluent. Emperor Sultria was offered land, and as the head of the Alrosia United Kingdoms, accepted the gracious gesture. Independent kingdoms watched from the sideline, wishing and envying the position of Easel Run Gard, a small and powerless island when is said and done. Many worshipped the King for his masterful statesmanship, together with Hidros, Easel Run Gard, tutored underneath King Igna, launched a technological revolution. The world moved into a new age, the age of Magiology, the true coming of King Staxius’s theory. On the agreement between Alrosia and Wracia; Phantom was forced to forsake military secrets, mainly, how Maicite was used to catalyze power. Cobalt Unit would have figured out the process, eventually, after massive backward engineering. The surrender meant one thing, and one thing alone, Hidros, Phantom, and Alrosia were at the mercy of the Wracia Empire. The latter’s sword, King Juvey, wasn’t very active in the following days and months after the incident at the capital. The loss of key personnel and a simple man known as Xen had truly broken his heart. The rapidly greyed hair lost the vicious tenacity renowned and feared around the world. The Kingdom of Melinda shook by the attack. Many states, on orders of the emperor, were stripped and given to members of the church, thus increasing the latter’s strength and lowering the former. A key addition to the political map was the island of Greenwhoot; the birth place for the tenacious bearer of the dragon’s blood, the Sadian people. Their chiefdom evolved into feudal rulership, at the head, the crowned King of Greenwhoot, first warrior of Sadian, King Ezel. By his side, the bishop of Manitee, Lord Zenit of the Eastern Cross. The man under whomst Oat served.

Thus, an age of relative peace ensued, where the Wracia Empire, United Kingdoms of Alrosia, and independent nations lived through trade and a collective understanding of war and its disadvantages. The golden age of conquest faded into text onto history books. The newer generations arrived with some bearing magical elements, and others, naught save the affinity for the basic elements. Magic as in spellcasters altering laws to cast fireballs and summon barriers was replaced. Similar to music, the culinary world, and art – it lived through various noble families wishing to keep the history alive. Far as the general population was concerned – the ability to cast spells without incantation under a military context, such as; adventuring and monster-slaying, solidified itself as the new norm. No longer was there a need to understand how the process worked. The era of Claireville Academy ended, from which, spawned the beforementioned dogma of commoners straying from the magical path. Magiology on the other hand, spiraled into a great subject where many scholars worked. The umbrella Staxius opened grew to shield even the Wracia Empire and other nations. The founder’s notes were regarded as national treasures for Hidros – copies were made but none could ever decipher the tongue in which it was written. Speculation and intrigue around the pages spawned various rumors; ‘-he who understands the founder’s words will understand the true nature of the world.’

‘The pages contain the secret to immortality,’ albeit, the latter already existed in the form of Nightwalkers – true elites in the upper echelon.

Sun rose over the capital, April 28th of X113, read upon suspended holographic displays over the castle. Few advertising airships flew on the simple reason of nostalgia. Airships were akin to clouds over the capital, no matter the advancement, they would keep on circling and give news through text. Improvements came in form of smaller vessels that flew in even pairs. Elon’s dynasty and the University of Rotherham worked to simplify the holographic display and boost its strength, resulting; little toys abled to project screens as large as full-sized buildings.

Camera flashes and snapped flooded the castle’s inner wall, the royal transport arrived. From it, exited King Igna and prime minister éclair. Everything looked the same save a few changes here and there, the inner-castle town repurposed into offices for the various state-driven departments. The front of the castle, the same space a few years back, didn’t move, the interior changed into minimalistic and clean. The receptionist came equipped with expensive holographic displays – opposed to paintings, there laid windows through which one could see the Alrosian market, price increase, and price drops. Investor meetings, the proposition of expansions, and application for loans from the Ardanian bank. There laid a key difference between Alrosia and the Wracia empire, money. Hidros stands as the richest continent in the world, people live a lavish life, commons to the truly rich – poverty remained; however, the good faith of the King provided shelter and food for those unable to provide for themselves.

Plaustan, untouched and relatively undiscovered, had the biggest change. Hotels, resorts, restaurants – the domino effect; lady Elvira, on knowing travel between nations would become accessible to everyone, invested a lot into building an empire of resorts. The gamble paid off, travel boomed into a highly profitable market; businessmen, conglomerates, each rushed, the gold lust. The land-owning nobles watched from their palaces as investors ran to them for a permit to build. The Guardian of Plaustan, an old friend from the Staxius era, simply told the buyers to return to the capital and negotiate with the King’s team. Thus, another gamble fortified Hidros’s spot as a country of wit. Villages turned into towns; towns built into cities – diversity of careers made the heretic continent a viable land for survival. Despite the church’s obsession with keeping tradition, Carrigan II, earned himself the title – Duke of Kreston, and contrary to what many expected, opened the gates to his land. He allowed other religions to settle and truly build Kreston as a province of faith and worship. No matter the pressure placed on his shoulder by other priests, Carrigan the II never wielded for he was hand-chosen and groomed by the Church of Syhton. Backed by them, and bearer of a noble title – such was Hidros’s play in keeping the continent united.

.....

Igna and éclair entered the castle, passed security, and vanished into the inner layout, “-negotiations went well,” exhaled éclair, “-good job, Vengeance.”

“Whatever,” he shrugged, “-two’s elapsed, we’ve yet to find the king or princess Loftha. Should we really carry?”

“Trust me, Vengeance, I’m doing my best for the betterment of Alrosia.”

“You say that, negotiations strayed. Without Emperor Sultria’s vote, we can’t waltz into Iqeavea and depart for the promised land.”

“I’ll get his vote, don’t worry,” he skipped and passed Vengeance, oncoming nobles caught his attention to which the prime minister stopped and began conversing. Vengeance simply rolled his eyes and carried along, the outer walkway, exposed to the elements by the archways of marble, soon turned towards the common room left untouched since Igna’s departure. An outline sat at the counter, “-Yui,” he approached and took a seat.

“Vengeance,” she sipped, “-how was work?”

“Boring, I sat there and read a script.”

“No one wants to bring up the incident of Laura’s ceremony,” she said.

“What about you, how’s work?”

“What do you think,” she slammed the counter, “-I feel like shit. I gave the green light, it’s my fault we lost Igna, who knows where he is. I went and checked, there was nothing, nothing save a disfigured body. Did I kill him... I don’t know.”

“Don’t beat yourself up,” he said, “-we did what we must. The death was orchestrated by the church in cahoots with Alphia’s four greats.”

“Alrosia United Kingdoms, what a fucking joke,” she exclaimed, “-a united front they say, if the master had chosen not to ally with those damned puppets, he’d still be alive, not a shell. We screwed up, bringing Sultria into Haggard’s business was the cause for all that trouble. I can’t unsee it, the arrival of Patek, the death of Loftha and possibly Igna, it’s fucking insane – we wanted a strong front against the Wracia Empire, what we got was a two-faced Empire of cowards. The emperor has no influence, not to mention the empress, she’s just a figurehead, a supermodel. We accepted them and took on their weakness, because of that,” she slammed the counter again, “-éclair was forced to betray his master, I know damn well how gutting that must have been. He told me about the dinner, the face master made, the reserved smile, it was like he already knew what was going to happen. The call I made with him, he didn’t once blame nor chastise my betrayal, master simply accepted it for what it was... WHY,” she yelled, “-FUCKING WHY!”

Vengeance looked at her with a hallowed expression, he motioned countless times to remained silent, alas, it didn’t matter. A lift, headed to a helipad, opened at the start of her monologue, from it exited a fierce-looking lady cradling a toddler. She stopped and lent her ear, on Yui completing her speech, the lady handed the babe to an assistant and walked, sharp red heels stopped at her back, “-pardon me, Yui, care to repeat what thee said?”

“Why should I?” she sipped, “-nothing I say is ever accepted or taken into consideration. Vengeance, thank you for being a good listener, I know we share the same loyalty to the master. I regret what I did if I could turn time, I’d disobey éclair and followed my heart’s wish,” the stool spun to the guest, “-holy mother of all gods,” her lashes fluttered, “-it’s you, Empress,” her expression didn’t once feel threatened, “-how very gracious, the visit must have cost thee much trouble.”

“Yui,” the dangerously annoyed stare passed from Vengeance to Yui, “-kindly, if you don’t mind, repeat what you said?”

“Pardon her,” interjected Vengeance, “-she’s a little drunk. You know, frustrations of strenuous work.”

“No, I’m not overworked,” she fired, “-here’s the truth, supposed elder sister to Igna, you and your empire failed my master. I don’t care anymore, I’m done serving hypocrites – the capital is dull, the people walk without much attention, the castle is boring. There’s no life, no character, a simple shell of glory my master’s arrival,” she reached for her phone, “-Yui, éclair – do what thee must, we play on a global scale,” the transmission cut, “-those,” she plastered the recording over Eira’s face, “-are the last word he said before being blown to bits. Guess what, Loftha died by the hand of Ziu Patek, the alliance between families to bring peace to the stability of Alphia was just a ploy, a scheme neither the spymaster nor the king could detect. Ambassador, what a joke, to think, they’d have the guts to ruin a funeral, a ritual master respects the most. Before he went, you know what he did? He bought land around the family crypt and ordered anyone who served the Haggard and its affiliated companies to be buried there if they had nowhere else to go. Tis the caliber of man my master was – someone who truly understood the meaning of family.”