Transcendence, page 24
part #6 of The Beginning After The End Series
While I had experience with events like this from my former life, I knew very little of the politics involving the three kingdoms. Tess, on the other hand, knew exactly who was important, and knew their various personalities. By subtly leading the conversations and keeping them brief, while making sure not to offend anyone, Tess made my night much easier.
Perhaps the only downside to having her beside me was the occasional glare and pinch she gave me whenever she caught me returning a smile to the many ladies who greeted me.
She seemed to think I should only extend courtesy to those members of society outside my potential dating range.
“Brother!” Ellie called from the crowd.
Looking around, I caught sight of her—she was excitedly waving her arm amidst a group of friends. Even from here I could see the glimmering bracelet she wore, embedded with the pink beast core of a phoenix wyrm I had gotten for her and Mother. I waved back, and headed over to them. When I reached the group, my sister unexpectedly wrapped her arms around my waist.
“Ellie?” I said, startled.
“H-He really is your brother!” a pig-tailed girl in a puffy dress stammered as she tugged on Ellie’s sleeve.
“Girls, I’d like you all to meet my brother Arthur, and Princess Tessia,” Ellie announced, puffing out her chest as she wrapped her arms around my free arm.
“It’s an honor, General Arthur! Princess Tessia!” said a curly-haired girl in an overly-embellished white dress.
“You were so cool up there, General Arthur,” another girl exclaimed, inching closer to us. “Is it true that you took no injuries at all when you defeated the retainer?”
Looking at these little girls’ sparkling gazes, I suddenly felt embarrassed.
“As pretty and fragile as he looks, he’s actually one of the strongest mages in all of Dicathen,” Tess answered for me.
“You’re so lucky to have him as your brother,” a small girl with bobbed hair and a frilly dress said jealously. “My oldest brother wasn’t able to get into Xyrus, so he’s going to some no-name academy in Carn City, and my father sent my second brother to fight in the war after he caused trouble with another noble’s daughter.”
I watched silently as my sister resumed gossiping with her friends. It was a relief to see her laughing and smiling, as opposed to shedding tears over my injuries and our parents being far away.
After I gave my sister another hug, Tess and I walked away from her group.
“It’s funny how my sister always finds the need to introduce me to everyone she knows,” I said with a smile. “Even on her seventh birthday party at the Helstea Manor, she told every one of her little friends.”
“She just wants to show off her older brother,” Tess giggled, lightly holding onto my arm. “Even girls her age love to gossip and brag about what they have, and for Ellie, her one and only brother is a great source of pride.”
“Well, I’m just glad she seems to be surrounded by girls.”
“I’m sure your sister is pretty popular with the boys,” Tessia teased.
I froze, glancing back at my sister and her friends, just in time to see a small group of noble boys approaching them.
Tess tugged on my arm. “Come now; don’t be overbearing.”
My eyes shifted toward the back of the venue, where a large brown bear was gnawing on a thick bone. As if sensing my gaze, Boo stared at me with intelligent eyes. I jerked my head, pointing toward Ellie and her group.
Boo turned, and after noticing the group of boys, nodded once.
I nodded back.
He knew what had to be done.
“What are you doing?” Tess asked as I turned back and resumed moving across the room.
Behind me, I heard a loud growl and the frightened screams of little boys. “Nothing.”
After greeting a few more nobles, I excused myself and found a chair, where I slumped down to rest. My legs were on the verge of shaking, but I was still pleased at how well they’d healed.
Tess seemed to be searching for someone, stretching her neck as she tiptoed to see over the people around us.
“Wait here,” she blurted, before bolting off into the crowd. After some time, I spotted her heading back with General Varay beside her, a downcast look on her face.
“General,” I greeted her, getting up from my seat.
“General,” she echoed tersely, her eyes examining me.
“I’m so sorry, Arthur,” Tess apologized. “General Varay said she left. She didn’t want to see you.”
“What are you talking about?” I replied. “Who didn’t want to see me?”
Tess sighed deeply. “Claire Bladeheart. She was here today.”
Chapter 29
The Confidence To
ARTHUR LEYWIN
“How many troops do you need?” King Blaine asked as we studied the detailed map spread across the round table.
“Three—no—two divisions should suffice,” I answered.
“General Arthur, the western coast is where we need to be allocating most of our forces,” Rahdeas countered, placing his finger near Etistin and Telmore City. “Sending nearly twenty thousand troops up north will make this area too vulnerable.”
“I have to agree with Elder Rahdeas,” King Alduin added. “There are several battles near the coast that have been going on for days. Withdrawing even a single division would tip the balance in the enemy’s favor.”
Queen Priscilla rolled up the transmission scroll she’d been reading. “We are still evacuating civilians from both Telmore and Etistin. If forces on the coast are withdrawn, our troops will be pushed back and the battles will move to the cities.”
“Commander, we can perhaps send some of the elven troops stationed near Asyphin City down toward the edge of the border. Two divisions seem feasible,” Queen Merial advised, her brows knitted in concern.
Seated in front of me, Virion turned his gaze to the Lances, all standing upright behind their respective artifact holders. “Generals? What do you think?”
“General Arthur’s vague suspicion based on the loose evidence of what he thinks he ‘saw’ doesn’t justify sacrificing a city or two.” General Bairon nearly spat the words.
“Bairon’s nasty tone aside, he makes a good point,” said Mica, the female dwarven Lance, who looked no older than my sister. “Moving that many troops a few hundred miles will take time, even with the help of teleportation gates.”
“General Aya? General Varay? General Olfred?” Virion asked. “Do you all agree?”
General Olfred, the oldest of the Lances, nodded. “It is too much of a risk.”
“Sorry, General,” the elven Lance beside me whispered before speaking up. “I agree—it isn’t wise.”
We all looked to Varay, who was the only Lance here that I wasn’t confident I could defeat.
“If General Arthur’s claim is true, the right choice would be to send two divisions—if not more—up north,” the Lance answered curtly.
It was surprising to have General Varay’s support, but it worked against me in this case. However, Virion took advantage of her words to introduce the idea I really wanted to go with.
“General Varay is right in that, if what General Arthur claims is true, troops must be sent. After all, there has only been one sighting of a retainer since the war started—if a retainer and a Scythe lead this next attack, the damages would be catastrophic without appropriate measures.”
Everyone nodded in agreement.
“Therefore—” Virion paused, his eyes shifting from one Lance to another— “I propose we send two Lances along with General Arthur to investigate whether or not there really is going to be a major attack led by a retainer and a Scythe up north.”
The rest of the council exchanged glances, each of them waiting for someone to come up with an argument against it.
“Commander.” King Blaine spoke up. “The Lances are the central figures for the divisions out in battle right now. If they are gone for too long, morale will decrease. And if a retainer or Scythe shows up in battle—”
“King Glayder,” Virion interrupted, his sharp stare piercing the human king. “Why do you think the Lances have refrained from partaking in most of the battles so far?”
The red-haired king remained silent.
“It’s quite simple. It’s not worth it,” Virion continued. “Large-scale destructive spells cast by any of our Lances would kill not just the enemy’s army but our own as well. Even if we had everyone retreat, this is home ground. Land will be destroyed and left uninhabitable. Even if the Lances withheld their power and fought with the soldiers out on the field, sword in hand, there would still be casualties and deaths—on top of the risk of attracting the Alacryans’ retainers or Scythes.
“Always keep in mind when fighting that our citizens have to live on this land. The goal is to win this war, but we must also preserve as much of our civilization as possible.” Virion’s authoritative gaze shifted from one ruler to another, directing this lesson to everyone present in the room. “That being said, if we can avoid a large-scale battle, with both Scythes and retainers fighting on the other side, by simply sending two Lances, then I’d say it’s a small price to pay. Our troops can go a few days without their leaders holding their hands.”
Although the Council’s reluctance was evident on their faces, they slowly nodded in agreement.
Virion clasped his hands together with a smile. “Good. Now which two Lances will accompany Arthur on this investigation up north?”
A thin hand rose from across the table. “Lord Aldir is the artifact holder for my two Lances. Although he is not here, I think it’s safe to assume that I can volunteer to send them with Arthur.”
I resisted the urge to smile. Everything was going as I had planned.
Virion played it cool as well, acting as if he was pondering Rahdeas’s decision.
“Indeed! Since Lord Aldir is not present, I think it’s only sensible to have the dwarven Lances under Elder Rahdeas’s command,” King Blaine seconded.
“The battles are taking place in Sapin, so I agree that sending General Olfred and General Mica would be the ideal option,” Queen Merial added.
Virion nodded slowly, as if almost reluctant. “Very well. General Olfred and General Mica, temporarily under Elder Rahdeas’s command, shall head up north with General Arthur to investigate the possibility that a retainer and a Scythe are planning an attack.”
Both dwarven Lances bowed respectfully, as did I.
“This is a reconnaissance mission, but I leave the situation to your best judgment. Priority is to not alert our enemies, especially if a retainer or Scythe is present. If circumstances permit a realistic chance of averting a full-scale battle, you may engage. Remember, our priority is to keep the battle away from civilians,” Virion added. “Prepare to leave tomorrow at sunrise. Rest of the Lances, dismissed.”
Walking through the dim hall outside the meeting room, I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, feeling the tension release from my chest. I had always hated meetings like these—tense and full of roundabout ways to say no or invent reasons not to take action unless certain that there was a personal benefit. While the Council appeared to present a united front of leaders from all three races to the public, their deep-rooted ideals and selfishness toward their own kingdoms were immediately apparent when you stepped into a Council meeting. Aldir’s execution of the Greysunders for their betrayal had inspired a certain amount of fear in the other royal families, but King Glayder, in particular, had grown bold since the war began in earnest. It was only the force of Virion’s leadership that allowed any consensus to be found within the Council meetings.
Though Virion and I had achieved our desired result, this was just the beginning. I scratched at my neck; Gideon’s concealing paste made my skin itch profusely, but I couldn’t take it off until I was alone. Despite the discomfort, I had somewhat enjoyed the rest of the evening. But one thing weighed heavily on my mind: Claire had been at the party.
She had seen me, but hadn’t wanted me to see her. I hadn’t seen her since Xyrus; the last memory I had of her was the sight of her being impaled. I tried to think of reasons why she was avoiding me, but the sound of footsteps behind me snapped me back to reality.
“Looks like we’ll be on a mission together!” a high voice sounded from several paces behind me.
“General Mica, General Olfred,” I greeted them politely, turning to face them.
“Just call me Mica.” The childlike dwarf smiled, while General Olfred simply nodded in acknowledgment.
“I’d prefer to preserve the formalities,” I said, gently refusing. “You are my seniors as Lances, after all.”
“At least the boy has some manners, despite his meager upbringing,” General Olfred said with a raised brow.
Boy, we’re really going to get along.
The only real impression I had of General Olfred was from when I had first been taken to the floating castle after the incident at Xyrus Academy. He had saved me from Lucas’s brother, General Bairon, back then. However, he had only been following orders.
“Well, if you’ll excuse me. I should get some rest for the long journey tomorrow.” I bowed lightly before turning back to the main staircase.
As I walked up to the residential floors, I probed Sylvie’s mind to see whether she was awake. Seeing that my bond was deep in slumber, I took a small detour.
When I reached the room at the end of the hall, I knocked on the thick wooden door.
“Coming,” Tessia’s voice called out.
The door slid open without a single creak, and Tess stood on the other side. She was dressed in sleepwear but her hair was still dripping with water.
“You’re la—Arthur?” Tess gasped. “What are you doing here?”
“Sorry.” I smiled. “Were you expecting someone?”
“Yes, Caria was supposed to come over. Arthur, what’s wrong?” she asked, noticing my blank gaze.
“Nothing. You just look a lot different from when you were at the event.”
Tess wrapped a towel around her head as she scowled at me. “Wow! Thanks for pointing that out!”
Realizing my mistake, I quickly shook my head. “No, I meant it in a good way. You look more like the Tessia I spent three years with way back then.”
“You need to work on your flattery skills,” she said, her tone flat. “Wait—no, actually. Don’t work on them.”
I laughed self-consciously. “Do you want to take a little walk with me?”
She pulled a thin robe over her sleepwear, and accompanied me down the hall toward the balcony where my sister had set up her target planks. Neither of us spoke as we walked side by side. Our arms weren’t linked as they had been at the event, but this somehow felt more intimate.
We reached the grassy terrace surrounded by trees, but continued walking until we were at the very edge. Sitting against the thick trunk of a nearby tree, I stared out at the night sky. The clouds below us moved slowly, dimly lit by the large moon overhead.
“The stars are beautiful,” I said admiringly. Coming from a world where brightly-lit cities masked the stars, being able to see such a serene spectacle was a blessing I had come to appreciate.
“It’s quiet nights like these when I wonder if there really is a war happening down below us,” Tess said softly. “I sometimes come out here and imagine that the clouds below us are the ocean, and I’m floating aimlessly on a boat. Childish, right?”
“I think you have the right to be a little childish at times,” I said. “You’re the head of an entire unit now. You’re responsible for the lives of the people you lead. That’ll never be an easy burden to carry, no matter how much experience you gain.”
“You say that as if you’ve been one,” she replied, bringing her knees close to her chest. “You’re technically a general, but the Lances don’t really lead soldiers.”
“You’re right, and in that regard I have it much easier. The main duty of a Lance is to single-handedly overpower an opposing enemy of their own caliber.” I turned to my childhood friend. “Which brings me to why I wanted to see you.”
“Does it have something to do with what you were talking about with Grandpa and Gideon?”
“Was it that obvious?”
“You’re not the type to do something as sentimental as this without reason,” she pointed out. “You either have to go away for a long time, do something dangerous again, or both.”
“Am I that much of an open book?” I asked, looking away from the stars and into her twinkling eyes.
“You’re more like an open chapter.” Tess smiled. “There are some parts that are so obvious, yet there are times I feel like I don’t know you at all.”
“Such as?”
She shook her head. “Well, for one thing, I want to know how you’re such an expert at everything you choose to do. What’s your secret?”
“Secret?”
“Magic, fighting, artificing, giving speeches—hell, even espionage and military strategy,” she listed. “I know complaining how unfair it is won’t do anything. I’m just curious.”
I held my tongue. The temptation to reveal everything about my past life had been growing each time I saw Tess, but now wasn’t the time. “I just read a lot of books when I was younger.”
“I don’t know what I expected.” Her expression was full of doubt and disappointment, but she didn’t question me any further.
“Tess, you don’t need to be in such a hurry to get stronger. You’re doing fine,” I comforted her.
“It’s just frustrating.” She said wearily.
“Frustrating?”
“I try my best to catch up to you. My mana core is just a half-step behind yours, I’m a beast tamer just like you, and I’ve studied under some of the best teachers in the continent, as well as an asura, just like you. Yet, I feel like the closer I get to reaching you, the farther you slip away from my grasp.”
