Chapter 265: Epilogue: A Token Measure (1/2)

”That concludes our report on the disturbance on the Central Continent. We predict that the nation of Almir will spend the next few years recovering and reorganizing after they annex the former Tenundian territories. Assuming there are no other unforeseen developments, they will likely enter an age of progress and development over the next few decades, dramatically increasing their national power. It is the suggestion of this committee that we use this opportunity to build long term influence with the country by offering our services for rebuilding and logistics operations.” Amalia Cardanis explained in the dry voice of a veteran politician, pausing briefly to check her notes.

”As to the person known as the Dragonknight Erasmus, who stood at the center of these events, we have concluded that he is a well-intentioned imposter who borrowed the legacy of the famed order for his own purposes. Investigations into this individual and his background are still ongoing, and we will be compiling another report on the matter in the near future. Regardless, we have added him to the list of priority observation targets, so any further questions regarding his activities can be directed to the Divinations department.”

The Archmage only half listened as the Chairman of the Committee for International Affairs finished her report on the recent Lacotian invasion. Nothing that she mentioned was new to him, and their analysis was basic enough that he questioned the value of even having this committee if they couldn't bring in more useful insights.

[As I recall, they have a pretty substantial budget. Perhaps it's time to look into allocating funds elsewhere.]

He glanced around the rest of the Mage's Guild High Council and took note of the expressions he saw there. For the most part, experienced mages were skilled at concealing their emotions, but he'd attended thousands of these sorts of meetings over his long life and had developed a knack for reading them. What he saw there was a little disappointing.

[Hmm. It seems that most of the council believes this event to be concluded. I assume they are merely satisfied with not having to participate in another grand coalition against Lacot now that the threat has passed. Have any of them even begun to work through the implications?]

The Archmage suppressed a sigh. It was depressing, especially considering that many of the mages sitting in this hall were once students of his, and therefore should have at least some experience in reading subtext. Perhaps he needed to reevaluate the way he taught his disciples.

[Its a good thing I've already started my own investigations.]

The Chancellor of the High Council, a decrepit human male named Horace Vulenti, spoke next. His thin, wavering voice barely audible over the discussions of the audience sitting in the gallery. ”Very well, we will move onto the next topic of discussion. Does he Committee for Magical Beasts, Monsters, and Mana Anomalies have anything to report?”

Sedras Craighand, the dwarven Chairman stood up from his seat and address the council. ”Indeed, Chancellor. We have recently begun looking into the strange events taking place in the Vale of Silence in southern Dovistan. As some of you might be aware, the forest is home to some of the largest and most dangerous monsters in the Inland Sea Region, and the people of Dovistan are frequently subjected to attacks from beasts who have wander outside of its borders.”

There some muttering from the galley at that, as the younger mages broke into more frenzied whispering. This was understandable, since the guild's leaders had long avoided mentioning anything related to the topic. The Archmage believed the stated reason was to avoid worrying young mages receiving postings in Dovistan, but that was hardly the full truth.

Sedras continued, ignoring the disturbance his words were causing. ”Ordinarily, only a handful of these wandering monsters appear over the course of the year, which makes the resulting devastation manageable. Recently, however, the number of attacks have skyrocketed. In the last month alone, there have been 12 separate appearances, including one from a Behemoth class monster that took the combined effort of nearly a hundred high ranking adventurers to take down.”

The Archmage blinked. This was news to him. Between rebuilding his Observation Lens and keeping an eye on the central continent, he'd completely missed this development.

[This is troubling. Could something have happened to the empire in the south?]

Not wanting to wait for someone else to figure out what to say, he broke in. ”What steps have you taken to uncover the source of this change?”

Silence filled the hall as his words resounded.

The chairman swallowed audibly. It was practically unheard of for the Archmage to speak during one of these meetings. Being asked a direct question like this was probably more than he was prepared to deal with.

”Ah..ahem. Yes...well, we have posted an emergency request through the Adventurer's Guild to investigate the problem. They've mobilized several of their experts, including the Crimson Disaster. I believe...” Sedras sorted through the compiled reports in front of him. ”Yes, they departed from Vivous nearly a week ago, and so far have been keeping in daily contact with the guild headquarters in Medun. They've already encountered several powerful monsters on their route, but nothing that they haven't been able to handle.”

The Archmage pondered that for a few moments. It was a reasonable course of action, straight out of the Mage's Guild procedural handbook. Rather than risking valuable mages on a dangerous investigation, it was far better to leave it to the adventurers, who were not only cheaper, but had more experience in these sorts of mission. That said, he wasn't sure if it would be enough.

[That second energy disturbance took place in the Vale of Silence. Based on what I've seen from events on the Central Continent, this rash of monster attacks cannot be a coincidence. If the worst has happened...]

He surveyed the council. It appeared that they were waiting for him to speak again.

Standing, he raised himself to his full height, and began to do the one thing he'd been trying to avoid ever since he first established this council.

He started giving orders.

”Place all guild branches in Dovistan on alert. Tell them to be ready to evacuate should the country collapse. Pull two companies of battlemages from the defenses along the Brittle Peaks and redirect them to Medun. I'll provide the transportation myself if our infrastructure cannot manage it quickly. The guildmaster of the branch in Talgel is a reasonably accomplished Space Mage, correct? Have her relocate to Medun as well and get in contact with the Adventurer's Guild there. If their investigation team requires extraction, have her assist to the best of her ability.”

Silence reigned in the hall as every single mage in attendance watched him.

Feeling a momentary surge of annoyance, he spoke again. ”That is all. Now get to work.”

After a few moments, the council burst into a flurry of activity.

--------------------------------------------

”So, how goes the conquest?” The emperor asked between bites of gull fruit while reclining in his sedan chair. The current bearers were doing their best to maintain a steady gate as the imperial procession continued their meandering way through the port city of Hulgathan. It would not do to make the emperor uncomfortable and suffer the fate of their predecessors.

Lithkala repressed the momentary shudder of revulsion and fear that threatened to overwhelm her as the man's gaze slid over to her. She'd gotten quite good at it over the last few months. ”Your armies are scattering your enemies before them, Divine One. Only the Strider Lords of the Southern Grasslands and the dwarves of Kathar Donan still resist you, but it will not be long before they fall as well. Soon, you shall be the sole ruler of everything south of the Golden Mountains and west of Blistering Wastes.”

”Oh? So the generals are still having trouble with the dwarves? It been almost a month since they started that siege. What's taking them so long?”

”Divine One, it is difficult for your soldiers to fight underground. In order for them to stand in the dwarven tunnels, they need to be substantially enlarged.”

”How pathetic...but I guess that makes sense. Whoever thought sending giants to attack a dwarven citadel was a good idea is clearly an idiot.” He replied with a snicker. ”Remind me to have them executed for incompetence.”

Lithkala knew better than to remind him that it had been his decision, so she merely bowed her acquiescence. The emperor would soon forget about the issue anyway.

”As boring as it might be, I suppose I could lend a hand. I've already had my fill of dwarf skills, but there might be a few skilled ones worth harvesting. Hmm...” The emperor frowned, sending a surge of panic through Lithkala, and she nearly stumbled over the cobblestones paving the street as a result.

Finally, he tossed the gull fruit core over his shoulder, not caring that fell amongst the sullen crowd of Hulgathan citizens lining the streets, and asked. ”What were the Blistering Wastes again? Some kind of desert?”

Feeling relieved that is was only a question and not a recrimination, she answered with a bowed head. ”Divine One, the Blistering Wastes lie to the far east of your empire. It is a land of intense heat and sand that stretches all the way from the Golden Mountains to the Sea of Return. While many of your predecessors have ordered expeditions to chart its expanse, few have returned. Those that did carried stories of phantom cities of white stone that appeared on the horizon as if by magic, but, try as they might, the explorers could never seem to approach them.”

”What? You're telling me that, even with access to something as ridiculous as magic, generations of your people have been unable to make it across a desert? That's hilarious. Out of curiosity, did they say anything about the inhabitants of these phantom cities?”

Clearly, he was interested in the possibility of a new race of victims he could extract power from. Lithkala was well aware that he'd already stolen as much as he could from the countries which had fallen to his armies.

”Not to my knowledge, Divine One.” She replied quietly, wondering if she had the will to take advantage of this opening. ”However, I have heard rumors that speak of a race of strange creatures, half humanoid and half beast, who are protected by spirits of wind and sand. They have been glimpsed along the edge of the wastes from time to time, and it is believed that they might be the builders.”

”Half Beast? What, like part snake or cat? Or do they have a jackel heads or something?” The emperor asked curiously.

”I am not sure, Divine One, but I can look into it once we return to the capital.”

He nodded. ”Yeah. Do that.”

”As you wish, Divine One.”

They lapsed into silence for a few moments, before the emperor sagged in his seat. ”Ugh, this is so boring. Why are we doing this again?”

”You wished to pass before the people of Hulgathan, Divine One. I believe you desired to 'bathe in their resentment,' as you called it.”

”Not sure why I even bothered conquering this dump in the first place.”

”Although I may be incorrect, Divine One, I believe it was to serve as a staging base for your eventual invasion of the North.” Lithkala offered humbly. These lapses in memory had started getting more severe, and she was beginning to suspect that the emperor's mind was deteriorating as a result of his unusual power source. That, or perhaps he was simply falling deeper into insanity.

”Ah, that's right...I feel like there was more to that. Did it involve...dogs, or something?”

”Divine One, I believe you are speaking of the beasts you modified and released on the northern border. Although I cannot speak of how successful that effort was, the rangers of the Vale of Silence have been reporting increased monster activity. They fear that the Lord of the Vale has been awakened and may be on the move.”

”Yeah, now I remember.” The emperor replied casually before laughing. ”So that's all it took to prod him into action? I thought I might have to burn the forest down, but this is great. Don't forget to let me know when he finally comes out into the open.”

”I will Divine One, but it is equally possible that the Lord of the Vale will rampage to the north-”

The rest of her statement was cut off by a pair of muffled explosions. Two of the sandstone buildings lining the street collapsed onto the procession, crushing several of the Imperial Guards and trapping the remaining members between mounds of rubble, and shrouding all of them in a cloud of dust and broken masonry.

Coughing, Lithkala tried to stand back up in the aftermath, only to find that one of her legs had been pinned under debris. It didn't feel injured, but she would have to spend much of the next few minutes digging it free. As such, she had an excellent view of the doomed assassination attempt as it unfolded.

”Death to the tyrant!”

”Kill the usurper!”

Shouts rose from the crowd of Hulgathans as they charged the few remaining members of the guard detachment, quickly overwhelming them.

The emperor's bearers, sensing that they were about to become victims of the resulting carnage, had abandoned their charge in chaos, leaving the sedan chair tilted over on one side, occupant still within.

For many rulers, this would have spelled the end. Even the most accomplished warriors of the Empire had trouble dealing with the stone-like hides of Hulgathans, and few could withstand their incredible strength. It was only because of the overwhelming numbers of the Imperial Army that they'd succeeded in conquering the obstinate people. However, this was not a typical ruler, by any stretch of the imagination.

The sedan chair exploded in a burst of force, hurling shards of painted wood in every direction. The monster, who'd single-handily slaughtered the best warriors and mages the Empire had to offer, then simply raised one hand and swept it in front of him. An barely perceivable wave passed through the Hulgathans, and, as one, they collapsed in squalling heaps, legs severed just above the knee.

”Now this is more like it!” The madman cackled. ”Its been awhile since anyone's had the guts to try and assassinate me. I have to admit, I didn't even see this one coming. Now, how should I handle you? What method would be most effective in teaching you the foolishness of opposing me?”

He paused theatrically with one hand on his chin, neither noticing or caring that his audience was unable to pay full attention. Finally his face lit in an evil grin. ”Ah! I know. Now's a great chance to try out a new summoning spell I've been working on. You see, I've been wondering how long someone can survive when a portion of their blood has been transmuted into acid. So far, I haven't gotten the ratio right, but with this many test subjects I might have a real breakthrough!”

It took nearly an hour for the last of the Hulgathans to die, and by that point Lithkala had grown numb to their screams.

-----------------------------------------

”Have you heard the news, Master?!” Palthia asked hurriedly, her robes in disorder as she ran up the steps to the Aerie.

Balthus chuckled at his young charge's enthusiasm. ”I assume you are speaking of the news the peddler brought in this morning about the events on the central continent.”

He didn't bother to look up from the saddle he was mending. Kathalnia had been a bit too energetic in her maneuvers this morning, and had snapped two of the balancing straps. Thankfully, there were plenty of replacements stored nearby, but he would probably have to switch to stronger materials if she got any bigger.

”Do you think its really true? Could someone have figured out how to do the bonding ritual without a keystone?” Palthia asked in a rush as she slid to a halt next to her old mentor.

He shrugged. ”Its possible, but I am more inclined to believe that the mysterious individual is one of the longer-lived survivors of the Great War. One of the ones that went their own way when the Order nearly collapsed. Why he felt the need to step into that conflict, I cannot guess, but I'm sure he had his reasons. Regardless, I'm sure the Chapter Master will be sending a representative to investigate in the near future.”

The young star elf deflated, obviously disappointed by his interpretation. Seeing her like this was a bit painful for him, especially since he could sympathize with her plight. Ever since the last keystone was used nearly a decade ago, no other initiates could complete their bonding and become full members of the Order. If there was an alternate method...

”Cheer up, little one. Perhaps the Chapter Master will see fit to assign me to the investigation. If so, I will be sure to bring you along.”

Plathia gave him a big smile. ”That'd be awesome!”

Balthus chuckled again. His charge had long wanted to see more of the world, but the Order's current circumstances made that difficult.

”I'm going to go get packed!” The rambunctious elf announced before sprinting back towards the stairs.

”Eh? But nothings been decided...and she's gone.” The grizzled veteran sighed.

[I guess I'll go volunteer for the mission.]

An echoing roar sounded from another part of the Aerie, quickly answered by others of a similar nature.

”Its lunchtime, I know! Give me a minute!” He yelled back before heading towards the cold storage.

[Lets see, there should be about five dragons here today, including that glutton Nurbinen, so I think about twelve side of beef should suffice.] He thought to himself as he went looking for the feeding cart. The other caretakers were always leaving it in weird places.

-----------------------------------------

Below is a [Status] update for Mike at the conclusion of this volume. Please feel free to skip ahead to the next chapter.

-----------------------------------------

[Status]

Michael Rasmussen

Race: Human

Age: 15

Class: Skill Master

Tier: 4 (Low)

-------------

Title: Aspirant Ascendant (NEW)

Multiverse Traveler

Blessed One

Hunter of Renown

Battlefield Healer

Kal'Thel

Philanderer

Hero

Dungeon Savior

Undinekath

Saint of Healing

Nemesis of Demons

Adversary (UPDATED)

Wyrmkin

Fortuitous Alchemist

Known to the Lurker

Conjurer of the Draconic Bloodline

Dragonknight

Elementalist

Battlemage

Iron Soul

Slyphkath

Renowned (NEW)

--------------

Skills:

--------------

Primary Skills:

--------------

Communication Magic (Rank 4) (RANK UP)

Advanced Healing Magic (Rank 3) (RANK UP)

Appraise (Rank 4) (RANK UP)

Journeyman Almiran Military Swordsmanship (Rank 2)

Advanced Water Magic (Rank 1) (TIER UP)

Advanced Fire Magic (Rank 1)

Advanced Air Magic (Rank 1) (TIER UP)

Intermediate Earth Magic (Rank 5) (RANK UP)

Basic Light Magic (Rank 3) (RANK UP)