"Chen… Is it true that the He Clan was involved…?"
In a guarded room, Chen Ming sat in front of a metallic table with a wall-sized mirror in front of him, where he could see the reflection of his father asking, visibly pale. With an ashen expression, Chen Ming nodded and explained in a heavy voice.
"Yes… General Yuan was there and attacked us… He nearly managed to kill Erik, a direct disciple of the Arcane Order…"
"That damned He Clan dragged us into a disaster…" The man in the mirror's reflection couldn't help but comment, filled with terror and indignation. Chen Ming asked seriously.
"How are things over there?"
"Complicated. The He Clan's capital was razed without any chance of resistance, and all their territory has been confiscated. Meanwhile, everyone involved with the He Clan is under scrutiny… Things don't look good for us. Many are trying to take advantage of the situation to bring us down…" The man explained with visible bitterness. But quickly, he looked at his son and asked in a serious tone.
"How's your situation?"
"I'm currently in custody and have been interrogated a couple of times, but my life isn't in danger. I managed to earn some merits here, and there are people speaking on my behalf." Chen Ming commented with a small sigh. The man in the reflection nodded gravely and spoke in a solemn voice.
"Well done. Cooperate as much as you can and stay safe. I'll try to find a way out of this disaster. But if I fail, you are our hope. If our clan perishes because of this, the responsibility to revive it will fall on your shoulders. I'll make some preparations for that."
"…I understand, Father. I'll do everything I can." Chen Ming replied in a solemn, almost dramatic tone. Seeing his father nod with satisfaction, Chen Ming added with a hint of uncertainty.
"Father… I have some connections with Erik Verne, the direct disciple of the Arcane Order, and I played an important role in an operation he led to rescue over 150 young people alongside other direct disciples… It's possible they might put in a good word for us."
"…I see. I'll try to arrange an audience. Well done." The man in the reflection commented in a serious tone, though a small smile couldn't help but form on his face before cutting off the communication.
When the mirror returned to showing his reflection, Chen Ming slumped back into his chair and let out a long sigh as he stared at the ceiling. He never imagined things would turn out this way, barely surviving a deadly trap only to end up in custody, interrogated, with his family on the brink of disappearance.
"What shitty luck…"
Chen Ming muttered in a bitter voice, just as the door opened and four armed guards entered, escorting a stern and sharp-looking man. After checking something on a hologram only he could see, the man looked at Chen Ming and spoke in a strict, serious tone.
"Time's up. From now on, you'll be escorted to the flagship of the 7th Brigade and will remain there until further instructions."
"Understood…" Chen Ming nodded and rose from his seat, at which point two guards escorted him out of the room.
…
…
…
"He Guangzhe, to think you'd fall into demonic cultivation."
In front of a completely white prison cell, engraved with countless runes on every surface and an energy barrier serving as a door, Ryoma commented as he looked at the man inside. The man in the cell appeared middle-aged, thin, with sharp features and a defined profile. He raised his gaze to look at the Master-level of the Arcane Order and replied with a disdainful expression.
"So, the little deserter now has the guts to question me."
"You speak with too much arrogance for a traitor on death row." Ryoma retorted in a cold voice as his mana vibrated dangerously. Guangzhe laughed coldly and replied.
"Heh, whatever I've done, you're not worthy of questioning me. When you were still in diapers, I was a powerhouse."
"And yet you couldn't withstand a single strike from me." Ryoma shot back with disdain, souring Guangzhe's expression. Ryoma then added in a cold, almost eerie tone.
"Besides, it seems you're convinced everything will end with your death, heh. The sin of attacking my granddaughter isn't something that can be paid with death. Your fate, and that of your proud descendants, will be decided by the Court. And as it happens, I've been investing in the private prison business for a while now… I'm going to enjoy the next few millennia."
Ryoma's words caused the man's face to visibly pale, and he quickly replied, trying to maintain his composure.
"The Emperor will never tolerate such humiliation. If he doesn't execute me with a thousand cuts himself, he won't rest easy."
Ryoma couldn't help but show a smile of pure contempt and soon replied in a cold tone laced with blatant mockery.
"Did you ever think he'd allow the Order's ships to get so close to the capital? And yet, here we are. The Order and the Boreal League are willing to do whatever it takes on this. The war machines are already roaring at full throttle. We can either go and make the Virelians pay or secure the 'inner courtyard.' The decision lies with the Emperor…"
"…"
Hearing Ryoma, Guangzhe couldn't help but fall silent, his face pale, internally hoping Ryoma was just bluffing. He would rather die by a thousand cuts than fall into the hands of the Arcane Order's Court. Because no matter how torturous his death might be, it would be 'quick.' Meanwhile, falling into the Court's clutches meant being stripped of his power and freedom for the rest of his life, reduced to little more than a slave.
"I hope you're satisfied with your end, Guangzhe, because I certainly will enjoy it." Ryoma commented coldly before turning around and leaving the area.
"…"
Left alone, Guangzhe couldn't help but let out a long sigh filled with a myriad of emotions, including disappointment, regret, and a certain sadistic madness. At that moment, Guangzhe quickly sat in a lotus position and began meditating to calm his mind and control the insanity that had practically consumed him. After what felt like months, Guangzhe opened his eyes, looked at one of the guards patrolling the corridor, and spoke in a cold, determined voice.
"Bring someone with decision-making power. I have crucial information and want to negotiate."
Hearing Guangzhe, the guards exchanged glances before nodding, and soon one of them hurried off. At the same time, Guangzhe let out a long sigh and stared at the ceiling, lost in thought with a somewhat bitter and aged expression on his face.
(Is this what you wanted to achieve with your visit, isn't it, Ryoma…? There's truly no worse scheme than the direct and inescapable one…)
After another heavy sigh, Guangzhe closed his eyes again and focused on meditating to maintain his rationality. So much time relying on demonic cultivation had taken its toll, and the madness had infected him to his core, likely leading to the decisions he made.
Even so, though he was already the greatest sinner in his clan's history and would be remembered as such for eternity, he couldn't allow his clan to disappear in his generation. No matter the price he had to pay, he at least had to leave a hope for the future, and for that, he needed to be as rational and lucid as possible.
…
…
…
In the middle of an elegantly furnished living room, a beautiful young woman with chestnut hair and bright blue eyes sat. She wore a sophisticated business suit, looking like a capable and experienced leader. The woman received a cup of tea from another woman who looked almost identical to her, except with slightly wavier hair and dressed in a black robe bearing a logo of two machetes on the chest.
"How have you been, Sofia?" The woman in the assistant robe asked as she handed a freshly made cup of tea to her sister. Sofia let out a sigh and replied in a tired voice while taking the cup.
"A bit tired. With the war against the Virelians reigniting, the demand for specialized artifacts has skyrocketed, and we're having serious supply issues… That's why I haven't been able to visit these past months. I can barely sleep… But putting that aside, how have you been? Have you made progress with your alchemy studies?"
"I've been doing pretty well. Arcane Fenixara has been teaching me with great patience, and it seems I'm not far from taking the alchemy assistant exam." Clara replied with a calm smile as she sat across from her sister. Sofia fell silent for a moment before asking solemnly.
"Have you heard anything about the boss…?"
"Arcane Fenixara mentioned something. Apparently, Master Eldurdóttir managed to rebuild his mana system, but he dropped several levels and is still unconscious." Clara replied sadly, letting out a long sigh at the end. Sofia also let out a heavy sigh and commented.
"Even after all this time, I still find it hard to believe something like this happened…"
"I feel the same…" Clara sighed again as she spoke, at which point Sofia looked up at her sister and said in a serious tone.
"Clara… A supplier offered me a managerial position with a high salary…"
"Did you accept?" Clara quickly asked in a serious tone. Sofia shook her head and explained gravely.
"No. Although it's been over a year since the boss left me in charge of the auction house, I plan to keep following his orders until he wakes up, no matter how long it takes… But it got me thinking… I believe it's best for you and Martin to start looking for options… In the end, we don't know what might happen, and it's better for you two to have a secure future in case the worst comes to pass…"
"You know, Arcane Fenixara offered to take me as a disciple." Clara commented with a small smile. Sofia looked at her sister with an excited smile on her face.
"That's excellent news! Congratulations!"
"You don't need to congratulate me. I told her I'd wait for the boss to wake up to ask for his permission." Clara replied in a calm voice, which made Sofia's eyes widen in surprise.
"Why are you looking at me like that? We're twins; our deepest thoughts aren't that different. The debt of gratitude we owe the boss is immeasurable, so no matter what happens, he's my boss, and I'm his assistant. Only he can change that. But you're right about one thing—we still need to think about a future for Martin. Let's start looking for options so he can at least restart his formal education."
"That's exactly what I was thinking." Sofia nodded with a warm smile and soon added seriously.
"We still get the boss's salary monthly, and thanks to my job, I've earned good money in commissions, so I have a decent amount saved. With that, we could send him to study."
"I've spent part of my salary on books and ingredients, but I also have some savings. I'll help too." Clara explained with a smile. Sofia smiled back and replied.
"Then when his camp ends, we'll pick him up and explain everything."
"Let's do that…" Clara replied softly, but couldn't help adding with a hint of melancholy.
"It's a shame the boss can't see how much he's improved…"
"Yes… Martin worked so hard to stand out at camp…" Sofia commented in an equally melancholic voice, then added with a touch of hope.
"But let's not lose hope. There are still a couple of weeks before camp ends… Maybe the boss will wake up and see it…"
"You're right. I'll pray for that to happen." Clara added with a small smile as she looked at the beautiful landscape outside the window.
…
…
…
"How's Erik doing?"
In the middle of the medical bay, Ignis appeared in a flash of blue fire and quickly asked, looking at Sigrún, who was adding new potions to the medical capsule. Eleonora, who was sitting nearby with Seraphina, let out a long, heavy sigh before explaining in a burdened voice.
"He still hasn't woken up. His spirit grows stronger every day, but his hair remains dull, and it doesn't seem like he'll wake up anytime soon…"
"I see. Then I suppose we'll really have to resort to 'that.'"
"What do you mean, Ignis?" Sigrún quickly turned and asked seriously, to which the phoenix replied in a complex tone.
"There's a way to help Erik recover from his spiritual wounds… Since the forced severance of his contract with Ebonique was the worst wound to his spirit, if we restore it, I can use my fire through her to help him wake up…"
"Let's do it. We're not wasting any time." Sigrún quickly announced with resolve, surprising the thoughtful Seraphina and Eleonora.
"Are you sure, Sigrún? The young master broke the contract for a reason…" Seraphina asked seriously. Sigrún nodded and explained in a firm tone.
"I know, but right now, nothing matters more than Erik's recovery. I'll apologize on my knees later if I have to and deal with all the consequences. As long as my Erik is healthy, I can handle anything."
"You're right. Nothing is more important now. Let's do it." Eleonora stood up and commented seriously, leaving only Seraphina, who, after a few seconds, let out a long sigh and said.
"I'm a disgrace as a maid… Let's do it."
***
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