Chapter 361: Old Grudges, New Enemies

Within the palace that crowned a mountain of Aleisterre, King Donatien Charlemagne sat upon his throne as he eyed his ministers below. All kept their heads bowed, feigning tireless diligence. None dared to idle or lift their gaze. All knew that so long as Donatien Charlemagne sat upon that throne, no assassin could touch him—much less slay him.

Footsteps rang through the vast hall where all sounds were deliberately hushed.

𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

The king did not speak. He merely turned his head toward the side chamber from which the sound approached.

Few were permitted to stand so close to the throne; those who did were second only to the king himself.

"Astrologer Selene. What is the matter?"

The astrologer Celine stepped forward. Of all who dwelt in this palace, she was among the very few who could meet the king's gaze as an equal without explicit leave to do so.

"The stars have spoken," she intoned. "The three fugitives who once fled the capital have crossed again into Aleisterre's borders. Even now, they draw near the three newly built cities that stand upon Selwyn's old lands.

"Though they have shrouded themselves from divination, but no veil may hide them from the gaze of the stars. Your Majesty, what is your will?"

Her strange, beautiful eyes glittered like constellations as she spoke.

"The nameless knight, Wang Yu. The youngest daughter of House Dovan, Avia. And Sieg, the wingless dragon. I did not expect those three to return to Aleisterre. And though it be Selwyn's ruins they tread..." Donatien's voice was low, thoughtful.

"Left unchecked, they remain a threat. The Nightblades hold them in great esteem, and this Wang Yu has risen as Archbishop of the Church of Nightfall—a faith spreading through more and more lands. Inaction will only breed trouble.

"You have done well, Celine. Remo, take Black Benn with you. Add a supreme mage as well—yes, Paul will do. Use the teleportation arrays installed in the new cities. Whatever their intent, take them by surprise and end them.

"If Sieg dares reveal his draconic form, use the relics the Dragon Cult left behind to kill him outright."

The king's eyes gleamed darkly as he gave his command.

The Minister of War accepted the order and summoned Remo, a mid-rank grand knight, and Black Benn, the renowned high-rank grand knight whose deeds in the war against Selwyn had won him merit and lavish rewards. Both grand knights had been summoned to the field.

Such forces were rarely dispatched from Aleisterre; the king's resolve to destroy Wang Yu's company could not have been clearer.

As for Paul, he was a senior mage of the Royal Academy. Though he was growing so old that his power was starting to wane to the level of a mid-rank mage, his arsenal of spells and peerless precision left him a weapon of terrible potency.

The knights bowed and departed to fetch Paul. After a brief bout of preparation, they would depart at once before their prey could slip away.

They weren't worried about losing Wang Yu's trail. With the tokens that Selene had provided, all they had to do was look toward the stars. The constellations themselves would guide their steps.

Black Benn, for his part, was exultant. He had nearly slain these same foes before, only for them to escape from the capital. This time, he would not be denied.

"You are swift to act, Your Majesty," Selene said softly when the hall again fell quiet. "But the knight Wang Yu is not among the trio present. The third member is Sieg's younger sister, Noelle."

By then, however, the knights had already set off.

Donatien Charlemagne arched a brow. "Is the knight Wang Yu not with them? Have they parted ways? No matter. They are all rebels—kill as many as you can. As for the knight, keep an eye on him. Inform me when you next identify his whereabouts.

Then, he dismissed her. "Now, go. You shall have what you require."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Selene replied, then departed at once without pomp or ceremony. She did not curtsy.

The king paid her no mind. He was long accustomed to her lack of ceremony. She was an invaluable tool, and such tools were afforded their quirks. So long as he reigned from this throne, his authority was absolute.

Selene's gifts were indispensable: foresight, farsight, and truthsight. Whereas the Ryder family had a power that could preserve the stability of the realm, hers existed to preserve the crown's absolute dominion.

Meanwhile, some distance from Aleisterre, Wang Yu disembarked from Skyborne City. He kept Sieg and the others within the Seed of Eden and raced on alone toward their destination.

"Agents of the crown are coming for us? How do you even know that? Your reach really has grown impressive—do you have spies even inside the royal court? Their inner circles aren't easy to infiltrate."

He needed no mount or vehicle. Wang Yu himself was their conveyance now. He moved faster across rough terrain than any alchemical motorbike could hope to match.

Not long after crossing into Selwyn's old dominion, a slit opened in the Seed of Eden. Avia handed him a Perfect Fractal lens. With it, he could commune with Charles through the Void Chatroom.

Wang Yu shook his head. "I thought Aleisterre was full of traitors and turncoats, but that was all an act. Aleisterre knew of the Selwynian spies from the very beginning and used them to feed bad information to Selwyn—and they didn't even know it. No wonder they lost so badly."

"With that astrologer at court, no one would be able to infiltrate the palace," Charles replied, shaking his head from afar. "At most, someone like Uller could manage—the sort who works, keeps their head down, and never thinks beyond their station. Beyond that? Donatien would never allow it."

He dismissed Wang Yu's musings with a weary sigh.

"But seriously, there's a strong force after you. Be careful. I do have some good news for you, though."

"Let me guess—they didn't send a legend after us?"

"That's hardly good news, but it's true."

"No more of these guessing games. Out with it, or I'll have Fang or Edward thrash you by proxy!"

Charles groaned. "Good grief. I try to help, and this is what I get. You know, it's because of you that I noticed them at all. After you destroyed those devils, ‘One' grew far stronger and was able to glimpse further into the threads of fate. Upon spotting those hunters sent against you, 'One' told me at once.

"The good news is this: Edward is nearby. He's secured the backing of the Church of Light, and his power is formidable. He should be able to hold off one of the knights. There are two knights in total, plus a mage. Can you handle them, or should I summon more aid?"

"Here are their identities..."

"As long as there are no legends among them, I can handle it. Otherwise, I'd have no choice but to run. With Edward nearby, there's nothing to fear. If they want to take me on, let them try. I'll leave them buried here."

He curled his lips into a cold grin. Once again, the royal family had loosed its hounds upon him. The irony was laughable. Did they truly think he was still that mere knight of old? He was not a man to keep grudges—but in this case, not a single one of his enemies would walk away alive.

"Oh? Quite audacious, aren't you? Seems like I'll need to hurry up and grow stronger, or you and Edward will leave me in the dust."

"Come to think of it, the royals didn't send their hounds the last time Sieg and I crossed back into Aleisterre territory. Why not?"

Wang Yu narrowed his eyes as the thought struck him. Sieg had set foot in Aleisterre before, but Selene, the royal astrologer, hadn't seemed to notice.

"I only just learned about that from 'One'," Charles replied after a pause. "Last time, the demons shrouded Selene's sight with the power of the void. Their aim must have been to eliminate other variables. In other words, sufficiently strong void energy can block even an astrologer's gaze."

"I didn't know you were coming this time around. In the future, if you give me advance notice, I can have 'One' veil your presence while you're here. Once the search party arrives, I'll have 'One' cover your trail. The rest is up to you. Keep the Prayer Network open—I'll feed you their movements to the best of my ability."

"That's more than enough. Thank you."

"Are you sure you don't want me to call in any reinforcements?"

"No need. Too many cooks will only spoil the broth. I'm not going to let any of them leave this time around."

"Let's hope your power can match your bravado," Charles replied, sighing.

Wang Yu smirked. Speaking with Charles was as relaxing as ever, despite how long it had been since he had left Aleisterre. Charles, who had once seemed unreliable, was growing into an ever more dependable ally.

And casual though he had been with Charles, Wang Yu was feeling a rising sense of bloodthirst.

"Two grand knights and one mage. We'd better prepare. If the Professor doesn't intervene, it won't be an easy fight. Black Benn, huh... I'll take you down this time."

He halted, braced himself, and contacted Edward, preparing for the impending assault.

Meanwhile, within Aleisterre's borders, on the frozen steppes that had once belonged to Selwyn, three hunters advanced through the storm. Their fighting spirit and magic were shaped into shields against the wind and snow alike as they forged into the harsh environment.

"According to Selene, the quarry is nearby. Once we take a stellar reading, we'll know their precise position. Mage Paul, please continue to watch the surroundings."

Grand Knight Remo swept his eyes across the white, desolate plains, calm and unhurried. Their prey would not escape. The mage Paul was dependable; Black Benn was not. For all his zeal, he was only useful in combat.

From within his cloak, Remo retrieved a slender telescope and aimed it at the cloud-covered heavens. This wasn't a matter of sight, but rather ritual—whether the stars themselves were visible mattered little.

"Strange... the star-signs are hazy. Could they have split apart?"

His brows furrowed. Stellar guidance was supposed to be precise, almost infallible—yet whatever readings he now only gave him a vague sense of his targets' direction. Selene had spoken of such a possibility if the targets had parted ways. In that case, he would have to choose a single quarry to regain focus. Very well, then Sieg—

Suddenly, a ring of violet lightning blazed into being above them, a crushing halo of gravity that slammed the three down into the depths of the snow without mercy.

"?!"

Paul was even more shocked than Remo. He had layered the plain with detection wards, but had sensed not the faintest ripple of magic. Where could such a high-tier gravity spell have arisen?

No answer came. On a hill far into the distance, Wang Yu raised his arm, manifesting a spear of high-energy blood.

He hurled it with a snap of his wrist.

The air trembled, then exploded.