Book 3. The Long Journey. Chapter 159. Bad News.

“Everyone, hold and wait,” Adrian ordered in a calm, not at all raised voice, sending his words throughout not only the entire front of the citadel but all the walls, watchtowers and bastions in the range of over forty kilometers. Given that no one was fighting or using Qi to shout, he was capable of accomplishing this much with a reasonable level of effort required. However, had a battle been going on and had many people been filling the air with Qi and spiritual energy, then even someone as strong as him wouldn’t be able to send the orders all around just by using some Qi.

Having said what he needed to say, Adrian took a few steps back, crouched slightly, then leaped off the watchtower he was standing on. He flew through the air, his the brown-black military uniform fluttering ever so slightly under the wind’s pressure. Just before he landed on top of the mound, He aided himself with a minuscule amount of Qi and created a gust of wind under his feet, not for any particular sake but because he never enjoyed rough landings. As a result, he stepped onto the solid mass of rocks and earth in a very gentle manner, holding both of his hands joined behind his back.

“Their appearance,” he mused, looking at the two fast-approaching riders. Even though his eyesight was great, he couldn’t tell the details from forty kilometers away. Thus, he waited patiently for the pair to get closer and when his vision cleared at around fifteen-kilometer mark, he murmured. “The guests received by the Ruishi Federation and friends of Mustafa’s son?”

He was positive that he recognized the two boys correctly, but despite that, he was a little annoyed. Their information network had been focused on the north and the far west as per the agreement of the Four Kings, so it couldn’t be helped, and the chaos in the south wasn’t helping one bit. In consequence, even though he was aware of the rough picture, his information was both somewhat outdated and somewhat… perhaps not inaccurate, but not detailed enough for his liking.

For example, he knew that the war between Mustafa’s side and Yimar Maar’s side was going on. He was also clear on the movements of the Ikarian armies and their short-term goals, which didn’t include an attempted invasion on the Holy Union. This piece was certain as an invasion on such a scale would require reinforcements from the Ikarian mainland, while that place was currently preoccupied with its own problems. It could be said that they knew enough about the grand picture to feel secure… alas.

It didn’t change that fact that they had neglected the more in-depth information gathering from the south. As a military man, he didn’t like this approach, especially since he was the one assigned to protecting this part of their southern border. However, he needed to admit that in the grand picture, his personal discomfort meant little considering the gains their alliance was about to make.

“But still, it means that I’m going to be the one lowering his head to kids and asking them what is going on,” he muttered discontentedly. He hated being in the dark about important matters and he was sure that those two didn’t come here in the middle of a raging war just to sightsee. The question of how they had gotten through Yimar Maar’s territory at a time like this remained to be answered, but he would likely have no other option than to resign himself and simply ask the kids about it.

And just as Adrian was pondering such unpleasant thoughts, Laien and Yin had crossed the wastelands and started climbing the one-kilometer-high mound.

Happy that they would be able to talk to someone immediately, they had naturally headed towards the person who jumped off one of the citadel’s watchtowers. Considering the number of people that appeared all around the walls and towers, they were seriously glad that any potential misunderstandings could be prevented. However, maybe they were a bit too happy… was it because they had been dealing with unreasonable people for the past months? Were they so surprised to see some military men acting with common sense due to that? Probably yeah, it was exactly that.

The little over two kilometers of the mound was crossed by them in the matter of tens of seconds, and that was when they needed to start slowing down halfway through. Of course, they could have stopped abruptly in the last one hundred meters, but they would have also left quite some bruises on this rocky earth. They were coming here to ask for a favor, so damaging parts of the fortifications would be nothing but counterproductive.

“Welcome to Aegis,” the brown-haired man greeted them once they stopped just about five meters in front of him. Given that the man was quite tall, almost two meters high, and that the mound kept climbing up all the way to the layer or walls, their faces were just about at the same level, maybe with the man’s being slightly higher. “As a representative of the Holy Union, I, General Adrian, greet the messengers,” the man said very formally, though with a casual smile on his face. He tilted his head to the right and for a brief second, looked down at the right side of his own chest.

There, on the brown-black military uniform of his, was sawn a black sigil of a horse archer. Above the sigil, four golden stars laid, signifying the man’s rank - General.

“Would you mind identifying yourselves?” Adrian requested straightforwardly, the tone of his voice sounding quite amiable and welcoming.

Laien and Yin looked at each other, then nodded in agreement and first and foremost, they took out the blue diamond sigils they had recently received. The sigils had two crossed weapons engraved on the top side of theirs, a spear and a sword. Just to make do with the formalities, Laien and Yin flicked the round diamonds to the other side, displaying many letters of beautifully engraved Ruishian text.

“Core Martial Sigils of the Ruishi Federation…” Adrian said, his eyes open wide. How could he not know that there weren’t even ten people who had those sigils bestowed upon them? With the agreement of the entire Ruishian Grand Council, those things couldn’t even be awarded! Moreover, the hidden giant of the Ruishian Federation vowed to avenge the death of any owner of those sigils by all means necessary! Those two blue diamond sigils, they alone gave those two boys status comparable to his own as one of the best Generals of the Holy Union!

For two kids to have received those Core Martial Sigils, it was unthinkable! Just what could have happened in the Ruishi Federation to bring such results? If before he had been slightly annoyed at their lack of detailed intelligence reports, then now he was thoroughly filled with regret!

Little did he know that it wasn’t the end to the surprises those two boys were about to give him. Once they confirmed he had recognized the blue diamond sigils, they put them away, only for the black-haired of the kids to retrieve two more round sigils. One of them was made of white marble and had a golden roaring tiger engraved on its front, while the other was created from crimson ruby, displaying a scroll on its upper side. Respectively, the backside of the first of the sigils was filled with golden, Arkarian letter, while the second one had Ruishian letter engraved on its back.

“…” For the first time in ages, Adrian was speechless, his mouth hanging open as he stared at the sigils in the hands of the black-haired boy. The ruby one was a Diplomat Sigil of the Ruishi Federation, an item that granted its owner a vast amount of political power, only inferior to the blue diamond High Diplomat Sigil. This item was amazing in itself, but it was the second one which caused Adrian to shiver. Its name was comparatively simple, ‘Roaring Tiger Sigil’, but the weight behind it was immense. In brief words, it held the power equal to the High Diplomat Sigil of the Ruishi Federation, only its origin wasn’t that hidden giant of a country, but the monster which had been roaming the west for the past half-millennia, the state-city of Makarash.

“I’m Laien and he’s called Yin,” Laien said with a satisfied smile, causing Yin to chuckle a little. The situations like that, they never got old. “We’ve come to seek the audience with your ruler, King Emeric. We also wish to meet with the three of remaining of the Four Kings, especially with the Warrior-King Azuresky,” Laien explained, using a half-formal manner of speech. He didn’t like being all stiff like that, but he understood there were moments that called for it.

It took General Adrian a good moment before his brain recorded the meaning of Laien’s words. He shook his head, as if trying to make himself awake, then rubbed his eyes with his hands. Whether it was by a coincidence or not, the amount of power those two boys, who were neither children nor adults, wielded, was beyond belief. Still, if Adrian knew the degree of power Laien, in particular, wielded in the far south, in the Sarkcente Kingdom, he would probably start feeling dizzy enough to collapse. The sheer amount of elite and supreme experts at the high ranks of the Realm of Heroes that at the moment stood behind Laien and Yin’s back was utterly terrifying.

“An audience… uh, I see,” Adrian said absentmindedly. However, when he noticed the smiles on the faces of the boys and realized that he was making a fool out of himself, he coughed a few times and quickly collected his thoughts. He wasn’t just anyone either and while it was true that his influence couldn’t be compared to that of those two boys, his mind wasn’t weak enough for the shock he had received to persist for a prolonged amount of time. “I’m sorry to inform you, but our King isn’t in the country at the moment. In fact, the same goes for the Warrior-King Azuresky, King Pavel, and King Filip,” he said apologetically. It wasn’t hard for him to guess that those boys came here with a very important matter, but their timing was just too bad. There was nothing he could do for them.

This piece of news startled Laien and Yin, but the two boys didn’t lose their heads just yet. “Where did they go?” Laien asked, barely resisting the urge to ask many questions all at once.

“I guess it’s fine to tell you,” Adrian said after giving the matter some thought. It wouldn’t be much of a secret anymore within the next day, so the need to suppress information wasn’t there anymore. Moreover, considering the status of those two boys and their theoretically friendly affiliation, there should be no problem telling them. “The Four Kings set out on the northern subjugation campaign. The tribes and clans to the north of us had been causing trouble for centuries, so using the period of instability in Arkaria and in the southern Eulene, they chose to deal with them once and for good,” he explained politely, though no longer with a smile as to not be rude towards the boys.

“Where are they now? How far away?” Laien asked immediately, his heart beginning to beat faster and faster. If they couldn’t get help from the Holy Union, then Arslan and the others would be in a lot of trouble! They could cling onto the hope that the Ruishi Federation would move out in large numbers to save Arslan’s party, but that was neither certain to happen nor reliable enough as a plan! Their enemies were, after all, paying proper attention to the Ruishian border, unlike this northern one!

“Hm,” Adrian frowned a little, trying to count time from when their King had set out. Then, he replied with a sigh. “They should be around fifteen thousand kilometers north of here, plus minus two thousand. They should have gathered their armies and by tomorrow morning, they will be moving out to conquer the northern tribes and clans.”

Hearing Adrian say so, Laien couldn’t help but grit his teeth. Fifteen thousand kilometers… how long would it take for the round trip? A messenger on an elite mount would be faster than a flying beast, but even he would take almost twenty hours. Then, there was the problem of coming back and another seven thousand kilometers from the border to the area Arslan was at. Even assuming that the Four Kings would unhesitatingly agree to their request, abandoning all their own plans and the gains they were sure to make in the north, there wasn’t nearly enough time.

“Is there no other way?” Laien asked anxiously, his face growing flushed. If they couldn’t secure some kind of help here, then Abdain would most likely kill all their companions! “Aren’t forces stationed on the borders too? And people who are left in the country? Is there a way for them to move?” he asked hurriedly, alas, the expression on Adrian’s face told him the answer before any words fell from the man’s mouth, thus causing his agitation to grow further.

“We’d need to be authorized to move first,” Adrian said sternly. “Without the permission of our King, I’m not going to move my men. The same goes for the rest of commanders. If you are seeking military aid, then your only way is to go to the Four Kings and request it from them or wait for their return,” he elaborated, sympathizing with those two boys. If it was just a small unit, then he could overlook sending them out… but he was sure that what they needed weren’t a few mediocrely strong experts. For the true core of their force to move out, that wouldn’t happen without their rulers’ permission… though just as he was thinking so, his eyes went wide once again.

“This… this…” Laien mumbled, his body shaking, his fists clenched so hard that his fingers started turning white. He had been calm while he could still see hope, he could still be calm when he was the one in the middle of danger, but he couldn’t keep his cool once someone precious to him was the one in peril. It had been so with Rune all the way back when he had been having trouble with Genzie, it had been the same when Siana was in danger, and it was the same now that Arslan could die.

Was there really nothing more he could do? No time? Could Julien hold on for long enough for the Four Kings to permit reinforcements? Or maybe the Ruishi Federation would help after all? Not enough time… what if they woke up sooner? What if they didn’t waste those dozens of seconds to get their heads clear or those long minutes to scour the area before leaving the mountains? What if in the end, they arrived too late and Arslan, Reian, Sirius, Kasha… even Johan, Albert and Sarah, and their own guards all the way from the Sarkcente Kingdom, what if all of them died?

Just thinking about this terrifyingly real possibility was making Laien unable to catch a breath. He gasped, his mind turning hazy, though, at the same time, all that stress was causing him to subconsciously release his aura. It wasn’t at full strength, it fluctuated and was chaotic, but it was still powerful enough to startle Adrian and all the nearby border guards who were able to sense it. For a youth as long as that to be releasing an aura comparable to that of a marital master of the second or third rank, it was something that was seen only once every few centuries!

“Laien, calm down.” However, before Laien got fully lost in his own fearful thoughts, Yin called out decisively. Adrian expected those words to have little effect on the black-haired youth, but to his surprise, Laien seemed to snap out of his delusions. “General Adrian,” Yin picked up while Laien was attempting to even out his breathing. “Are there people with a rank higher than you in this place or somewhere nearby? And if so, could you bring us to talk with them as soon as possible?” he inquired, not yet ready to give up. If one refusal was enough of a reason to stop trying, then they might have as well stayed in the mountains and cultivated there, in seclusions, for a few years!

“Well,” Adrian groaned silently. Nothing good would come out of making those two boys meet those two brothers, given the older one’s temperament, but he couldn’t bring himself to say so and rob those kids of their hope. “Two sons of the Warrior-King Azuresky are currently residing here along with the eldest Princess of our Yali Kingdom. I don’t know if you can achieve anything by talking to them, but I can bring you over right now since they are in the citadel,” he informed somewhat reluctantly. As people said, the oldest son of Azuresky’s was a less-reserved version of his father. Negotiating with someone like that Prince… it could be extremely hard in wrong circumstances, and as far as he could tell, those boys were in just this kind of wrong circumstances right now.

“Please do so,” Yin said eagerly, whereas Laien seemed to have regained his calm entirely. The two youths looked at him with anticipation and hope, causing Adrian to sigh secretly.

Having no other choice, he used his Qi, transforming it into a platform of wind with which he brought all three of them into the air. “I’ll bring you over to the inner gardens. From there we will be able to get straight to the royal quarters,” he explained amiably. The boys were in a hurry, so that was the least he could do for them. But… he really wished he had had more information on hand prior to their arrival; as he had feared, their alliance had missed a huge opportunity due to focusing all of their resources on one specific plan while neglecting the other areas. Alas, there was no point regretting the spilled milk too much, so they could only move forward as planned.

Regrettably, for those boys, the conclusion he had just come to was likely also the same one the eldest Prince of Azuresky’s was going to stand by.

“Thank you, General Adrian.”

Yet, he wasn’t able to bring it up when that green-haired youth thanked him and when two of them smiled at him with genuine smiles.

A moment later, after quickly passing by the curious gazes of the many soldiers, the three of them landed in a relatively spacious courtyard that had a few trees, flowers and other greenery in it alongside a fountain in the very middle. For the rough environment of the citadel, it was quite a luxurious place to have and maintain at all times, though it was far from being extravagant.

“You can leave your horses here, no one shall touch them,” Adrian declared both to Laien and Yin and to the two nearby guards, who by the way had been startled awake by the sudden appearance of their superior. The two men saluted nervously, worrying that additional hours of training would be assigned to them for slacking on the guard duty, but luckily for them, Adrian didn’t spare them a second glance and led the two mysterious youths he had brought with him into the royal quarters.

As the three of them walked, Laien and Yin sensed General Adrian release his aura and sweep the entire surroundings with it. “Strong,” the two of them couldn’t help but think. Not only was General Adrian a martial master of the sixth rank, what was apparent from his Qi, but he also appeared to be a high-ranked spiritual master too, though they couldn’t be sure exactly how high. Fourth or fifth rank was most likely, but they weren’t exactly curious enough to ask or risk using their own auras to probe him, as the man would most likely notice what they were doing.

“Resting room it is, lucky for us,” General Adrian said half to himself and half to the two boys he was leading. The ‘resting room’ or a ‘living room’, whatever one were to call it, was a comfortable, big room where nobles would rest, relax, and play. For what the boys needed now, that room would do well enough; they wouldn’t need to change places to an audience room or anything else.

“We’ll be intruding,” Adrian said loudly and at the same time, knocked three times on the door to the living room. With his rank, he didn’t exactly need to wait for a response, especially since this citadel belonged to him and his family, so he pushed the door open and entered right afterward. At first, he intended to introduce Laien and Yin and try to speak on their behalf before handing the conversation over to the boys, but his tongue twisted itself when he saw his youngest daughter in the company of the three royals. Could it be that when he wasn’t looking those two befriended each other?

While Adrian was thrown off, Laien and Yin also entered the room and took a look at those inside. Their gazes were quickly drawn to the youth with the most presence, the perhaps eighteen or twenty years old black-haired and brown-eyed young man. The oldest son of Azuresky’s, his calm and confident demeanor were the most noticeable things about him. By his side sat a young woman, maybe two years younger than him, but almost as if by contrast, her presence was withdrawn, so it was impossible to tell whether she was strong as a practitioner by a mere glance. On the other hand, on as far as the purely visual aspects went, she was a true noble beauty with long dark-blond hair and light-brown eyes. She appeared just as calm and her companion, but in her eyes, a hint of curiosity and playfulness could be seen, though it was also accompanied by a note of reserved caution.

Then, there was a second pairing. Just like his older brother, the younger of the two princes had black hair and brown eyes, but both his facial features and his expression were more lighthearted and playful. He was probably just about thirteen, fourteen years old. Next to him sat a black-haired and black-eyed girl of similarly cheerful features, though she seemed to be good three or four years younger than the Prince, at about ten years old.

“Ekhm,” Adrian coughed once, then said with a smile. “I apologize to be interrupting all of you, but two important guests arrived just a moment ago and wished to see you. The Ruishi Federation and the City of Makarash are backing them strongly, so I hope that you can have a productive talk,” he said rather politely, cutting his planned words short due to the look the eldest Prince was giving him. Whatever the reason was, that cold glance was making him rather uncomfortable. For a young man to be making him feel like that, as expected of the Warrior-King’s eldest son, or so he would say.

“Will you join us in the conversation?” the First Prince asked with a slight smile, betraying none of his inner thoughts. It was likely that apart from the target of his glance, General Adrian, no one else noticed that look which was urging to stop beating around the bush and get straight to the subject.

“No,” Adrian replied without a second thought. “I will leave it to the youths to speak amongst themselves. I’ll be waiting in the courtyard, so please do send them over once you’re done talking,” he said amiably, expecting the chat not to last all that long. Seeing the First Prince nod, he nodded back and swiftly left the room, closing the door behind himself.

“Now then,” the First Prince began saying with a smile. “First, come over and sit,” he said and tapped his thigh with a finger, sending out three streaks of wind-element Qi. Two of them swirled around the two already occupied sofas, while the third one reached for another one. The wind then rearranged them into a circle around the round table in the middle of the room, all without one bit of Qi leaking out or being wasted. The moment the sofas were placed down, the wind dissipated naturally, having run out of strength at the exact last moment. This level of control, it was definitely not something that was seen commonly, not to mention the First Prince’s cultivation base.

A martial master of the fourth rank… it looked like the future of the Bolan Kingdom and the Holy Union was secured with a descendant like that.