"I CAN'T believe this," Luna said in a shaking voice while looking at the magic circle around the Royal Capital. "That's an ancient spell."

Right now, she stood on top of the abandoned tower of the "Fire Wielders." Of course, it was empty now. Still, since the tower was still standing proud and tall, she and Lord Denver decided to use it to check on the Royal Capital.

After getting on the top of the tower, she created a common bird that shared its vision with her. She made it fly around the Royal Capital to check on it since she had been having an ominous feeling ever since they returned there.

She wasn't prepared for what greeted her.

"An ancient spell around the Royal Capital?" Lord Denver, who stood beside her, asked. "What kind of spell is it?"

She gulped before she gave him an answer. "A spell to awaken ancient monsters."

"Ancient monsters?!"

She nodded before she turned to him. "To be precise, it's a spell to awaken the ancient Crades that have been into sleep in the last divine war."

Crades were human-eating monsters that have been terrorizing the empire since time immemorial. But since the older and stronger Crades had been into sleep, the ones that remained until now were weak and can easily be handled even by average Mana-users. That was why the Crades of today hid in the forests or deserted islands. It was their way of protecting themselves against humans.

But of course, the ancient Crades would be different.

"Someone has begun a ritual to awaken the ancient Crades," she said worriedly. Even though her mind wanted to deny it, she already had an idea as to who created the ancient spell. "It's going to be dangerous if the ancient Crades awakened, Lord Denver."

The former captain nodded in agreement. "They have been asleep for centuries. They will definitely wake up starving. And hunger makes them stronger."

"That's true, but that's not the only problem, Lord Denver," she said. "The Nystroms wouldn't be able to protect the Royal Capital. Even Lord Wixx, Lord Ainsworth, and Lord Forrester aren't here. If the ancient Crades awaken, they would be too much for us. Even with the help of the other Fire Mages, I don't think we can contain them."

"But if the empire is attacked, won't His Majesty deploy his royal knights to protect the citizens?" he asked, confused.

"During the previous war where Auro Moonchester made the Black Serpent and the Supreme fight, he sacrificed his people," she said, remembering the memories that she had as the Moon Priestess in the past. "He lured the ancient Crades to the Royal Capital back then using the blood and flesh of his own citizens."

"But why would a king do that?"

"Because he wanted to distract the Supreme when he realized that the Fire Mages are winning the war," she explained. "He knew that the Supreme wouldn't be able to resist helping the innocent people get caught up in a cruel war. Unfortunately, I died after that so I don't know how the war ended. And how the Fire Mages were accused of betraying the empire."

"Oh," he said. "If Auro Nystrom did that in the past, then he can do it again."

She nodded firmly. "We have to stay here and gather allies. I don't trust Lord Noel Sherwood but he's one of the people that can help us protect the empire from the Crades. But he seems to be missing these days."

"I'll go and find him," Lord Denver offered. "I think I have an idea as to where he might be."

"Really?"

He nodded before he explained. "The last time we talked, he told me that he's looking for Lord Ainsworth's descendants. When the Golden Tiger betrayed His Majesty a few years ago, the members of the House Ainsworth was locked up somewhere. I believe Lord Denver is looking for them."

"Then, how will you find him?"

"We were both former captains of the Four Orders," he explained. "We have a unique way of locating one another."

"Then, I'll leave it to you."

He nodded firmly. "How about you, Miss Luna? Do you really intend to stay here? I thought you were going with Lord Forrester's group after we determined that Miss Stella, your sister, is going to the Plane."

"I can't leave now that we have a problem that we have to deal with here," she said. "Moreover, this is a mess that my own sister made. I need to clean it up myself."

The former captain looked confused, then his eyes widened in shock. "Are you saying that Miss Stella is the one who created the spell that would awaken the ancient Crades?"

"Stella is a strong witch like me," she explained even though it hurt to admit that her sister had done something that she shouldn't have. "And I felt the aura of a Moonchester in that magic circle surrounding the Royal Capital. Stella is the only person here who has the power of a witch and the aura of a Moonchester." She turned to the direction where the "eye" that she created could see the White Tower where the Royal Archmage resided. "I need to take that bitch down first."

"Who?"

"The Royal Archmage."

Lord Denver gasped at what she said. "Miss Luna, are you saying that you're going to take the White Tower down?"

"They're not as powerful as you think they are, Lord Denver," Luna said, then she turned to the former captain. Before she regained her past memories, she used to think that the White Tower was a scary place filled with strong mages. But after retrieving her memories and training in the Solarium for the past five years, she was confident that she could take down the tower. After all, only the Royal Archmage was the real problem and she just knew how to deal with her. "Don't worry, I will win."

***

"LUNA won't be going with us to the Plane," Asher Forrester announced to Julian and Solenn. Right now, they were in an empty room in Nystrom Mansion. He needed an empty room because of the transportation spell that he created to follow Stella aka Elaine Moonchester. "She and Lord Denver have encountered a problem in the Royal Capital."

Solenn looked surprised by his declaration. "What kind of problem?"

"Apparently, Stella aka Elaine Moonchester created a spell that will awaken the sleeping ancient Crades."

The two children looked shocked by that.

"Then, it means she found the lair of the ancient Crades in the Royal Palace," Julian said worriedly. "But why would she awaken them? Is it still a part of her plan to have her revenge against Aku Moonchester?"

"We don't know about that, and we don't have time to deal with it," he said. "Let's just leave the problem to Luna and Lord Denver. As soon as we're done with our own mission, we will hurry back and support them. Right now, the best help that we could offer them is to return as soon as possible."

The two children looked at each other as if they were communicating with their eyes. Then, they both turned to him and nodded respectfully.

He was about to say something when he felt Elaine Moonchester use her power.

Thanks to the spell that the Keeper called Kelsi attached to the former Moonchester princess, they were able to detect her movement. The Keeper gave him the device that would tell them where Elaine Moonchester was head to.

He infused that device with his own spell– a spell that would take them to wherever the former princess would go to. Discreetly, of course.

"Elaine Moonchester is already leaving the Royal Capital," Asher Forrester announced to the children, then he extended his hands to them. "Hold onto me tight, children."

***

JULIAN was surprised when all of a sudden, he found himself with Lord Forrester and Lady Solenn suspended in the air.

He was even more shocked to see a strange yet familiar gate in front of them. Although he had to say that the sight of unusually pale and long arms slowly dragging Elaine Moonchester inside the gate was a little unnerving.

"Julian!"

Julian immediately turned to the voices of his family. He was surprised to see his parents and little brother looking at him with a shocked look on their faces. Oh, he didn't realize that Elaine Moonchester was in the North until he saw his family.

And they all looked worried about him.

"Mother, Fathe, Winter, I'll be fine," Julian assured his family. From the corner of his eyes, he could see that Lord Forrester and Lady Solenn extended their arms to reach for the divine energy inside the gate. He did the same before he gave his family one last longing look. "Take care of yourselves."

***

"HOW LONG are you going to talk among yourselves?"

Tilly turned to Nia Moonchester who already looked impatient. Ah, they made the princess wait and she wasn't happy about it. "We apologize for that," she said because she still had manners. Sometimes. "Let's now open the gate of the land that drinks blood."

"Finally," Nia said sarcastically. "I thought you were going to take forever before you move."

She just rolled her eyes at the royal princess.

Then, she handed Winter to Kiho. Her husband stood closer to her when Nia approached them. She noticed that the royal princess already held the vial with Aku Moonchester's blood in her hand, and so she pulled out the vials that contained her blood and Lord Forrester's separately.

"Let's begin," Tilly said, then she opened the two vials and poured the blood in the snow-covered ground. "To the land that drinks blood."

Nia opened the vial in her hand and poured the blood on the same spot as her. "To the land that drinks blood."

***

"HOW ARE you feeling, my lord?" Elis Ripperton asked him after his soul settled in his new vessel. "Is Aku Moonchester's physical body good enough to be your temporary vessel?"

"Not as good enough as Kiho's but this will do for now," Kyro, now in Aku Moonchester body, said while sealing the child emperor's soul inside a small bottle. Of course, it wasn't an ordinary vial. It was made of materials that could only be found in the heavens. Only such thing could lock up an old and powerful soul such as Aku Moonchester's. He was glad that Yumi, his beloved wife, was able to take care of it all these years. "Now that I have his body, you may leave now," he said, then he turned to the Blue Dragon. "You need to go to your spirit guardian, don't you?"

The Blue Dragon nodded. "It seems like the little tiger has bitten my bait. I need to greet him as his "older brother.""

He just nodded as a response. "How about the winged-guardian that Aku Moonchester plans to use for his plan?"

Now that he was in the child emperor's body, he couldn't really use his full power to teleport or fly high up into the sky. If he did that, Aku Moonchester's body might get torn into pieces. He couldn't afford to lose his new vessel until he gets a hold of Kiho.

"I can prepare it before I leave, my lord," his servant said. "Are you going to attack the Fire Mages's hiding place just like Aku Moonchester's plan?"

"Winchell is already awake so I want to get rid of him before I go after my son. That hot-headed flaming bird will become a problem if he assists his sister in the fight," he said. "I also need to wait for Yumi to return anyway, so might as well wipe out an entire clan to kill time."

Elis Ripperton laughed softly at what he said, then he bowed to him. "I will now prepare the winged-guardian for your departure, Lord Kyro."

"Thank you," Kyro said, then he looked at the silver ball of energy inside the bottle. He could feel that Aku Moonchester was trying to break free from it. But of course, his efforts were futile. "Don't worry, I will wipe out the entire Fire Mage clan as a token of gratitude for "lending" me your body, Aku Moonchester."

***

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