1179 Empyrean of Yalen
Arthur was standing in his runic house with excitent boiling through his blood. It humd a song that yearned for adventure alongside his friend, whose ideas could not be called anything but lunatic. To kidnap the prince of Yalen and threaten the royal family into submission…
"Bold!" exclaid Arthur with a grin. "But I know that the king would never yield, Oriole. This plan of yours is too human for soone who was willing to sacrifice an entire city to get rid of !"
Kera has now beco the focal point of resistance in the union. The entire population hated the kingdom for what they have done when Alio attacked, and Arthur's speech at the morial further fueled their resolve to rise against the crown.
Although things would not go as Oriole demanded, he was still brilliant for pulling off sothing this bold at such a dangerous ti. The union was a powder keg about to explode, and Oriole might just be the trigger that detonates it!
Furthermore… that speech about evidence and truth, it might start the rebellion now.
It has been few hours since Markus left the runic house after guiding him here, and Arthur planned on advancing his control of wrath in the anti. However, this interview changed everything. A knock arrived on his door, hurried and galloping. "I can hear your heart from across the door, Markus," said Arthur after wearing his cloak and opening the door. Outside was a tired Markus, who seed to have been running around ever since the interview aired.
"I apologize for the late visit, but have you seen…"
"The interview?" asked Arthur with a smirk. "I knew it would alarm you."
"You don't seem surprised by this change, sir," asked Markus as he adjusted his necktie, confusion written in rolling sweat on his face. "Is this sothing that you have a hand in?" he asked with expectations.
"I have nothing to do with it, but I know the person behind it," said Arthur with a teasing tone as he walked into the house, allowing Markus to follow inside. "He is not a murderer, if that is what you fear."
"I just fear the consequences of angering the kingdom," said Markus with hurried steps into the house. "We might need to change our plans, since this incident has already alerted the kingdom. Our attack will be t with preparations!"
"The mont you raised a weapon against a seer, you should have expected that," said Arthur as he browsed the liquor bottles in his refrigerator, before closing them with a sigh. "Do you happen to have any orange juice here?"
"I ca here to inform you that the attack will be pushed forward," said Markus with a frown. "My lady has received intel that the king plans on responding to this threat via extre ans that would endanger the entire city of Yalenia."
This ti, Arthur paused as his relaxed attitude disappeared. His hand was reaching to sa cabinets as he froze, turning toward Markus with confusion. "What ans?"
"I cannot reveal that secret, but this kidnapper played with fire. There is a reason that no one takes anything from the Yalen King, and the world is about to witness that firsthand."
"I said… what ans?" asked Arthur again, his voice dropping several octaves. His hoarseness alard Markus, as he witnessed the golden glow that appeared underneath the hood. As the eerie eyes stared at him, Markus flustered and shifted.
"I-I cannot say," he stuttered, more nervous than before. "I would never betray my lady's trust."
"Then let's go and et your lady," said Arthur as he rushed to his robes, pulling them around his body. "I thought that I could take a mild approach and sneak into the capital, but if the king can endanger him, I will crush the entire union in a day."
His domineering words sent shivers down Markus' spine as he stared at the figure throw the doors open and leave. With a hurried gate, he rushed toward the central clock tower, where the resistance hid itself.
Markus led the way after reaching the Square of Heroism, where chaos filled the festival. Everyone watched the interview, and so of them cheered while others prepared to flee.
Arthur entered the clock tower a lot easier this ti, and t the masked lady who seed troubled. Even as the two entered her room, the lady was still anxious and pacing around. At first, she did not realize Arthur was here.
"How did it go, Markus?" asked the lady as she paced around, panicked. Her mask was still on her face, glued to ensure that she would remain anonymous.
"I contacted the leaders of each faction, and everyone is prepared to attack Yalenia at a mont's notice. However, our new ally wanted to et you," said Markus with hesitation, as if knowing that it would anger his lady.
"Guest?" asked the lady as she paused, turning toward them. Seeing that Arthur was standing behind Markus, she paused before her voice returned to its composed state. "How can I help you?"
"I heard from Markus that the king is going to take an extre asure against this incident," said Arthur as he advanced forward. "I happen to know the kidnapper responsible, so I would not wish that they get hurt."
"I understand your reasons, but I cannot reveal these secrets to just anyone," said the lady as she held her hands together in front of her dress. "Such a revelation might cause a leak in information. If the kingdom catches such a blunder… I would be discovered."
"You are soone close to the Yalen Family?" asked Arthur with a frown, his shift in mood alarming the two. An emotional disturbance in a strong person was enough to alert others around him.
"I cannot deny nor confirm that assumption," said the lady without any fluster that her identity got revealed. "Please do not pry further into my identity. It was you that wished for anonymity, not ."
"The situation has changed, but I never asked to learn of your identity. I want to know if the person who kidnapped the person is in danger."
"…Caleb Yalen is a degenerate who knows nothing but to please himself and harm others, but he still lives to this day. What do you think the reason is, exactly?"
"His father."
"And the father of his father," said the lady, which made Arthur frown. "Ruling families has founders of the empyrean rank, and they maintain the safety of their respective nations. Although the Yalen King is a failure of a seer, who could do nothing but read minds, his father is far more capable."
The tension thickened in the room. Arthur's focus honed in on the masked lady, a palpable urgency radiating from him. The weight of her words about the Yalen King's lineage was heavy, hinting at terrifying powers passed down through generations.
"You speak of this seer...this lineage founder. It sounds as though he possesses abilities more formidable than his son. Am I to understand it was his power that protected Yalen all this ti?" Arthur leaned forward, the glow beneath his hood pulsing a warning.
The lady shifted uncomfortably; the weight of Arthur's intensity almost tangible. "Indeed. Though the current king's talents lay solely in ntal probing, his line is ancient, blessed with abilities far more… expansive. The empyrean of Yalen was said to have the ability to see the future, past, and even create prophecies."
Arthur absorbed this, the gears in his mind whirling. Temporal magic was as rare as it was feared. If the Yalen King's ancestor possessed even a fraction of such power... "How can we defeat soone who could affect the future and past?"
"I don't know. But we can see the evidence of his powers in the simple fact that Caleb Yalen was never supposed to rule, destined for hedonism. Yet here he sits, untouchable even for the most egregious violations. I suspect not due to any competence on his part, but his very existence ensures sothing...watches."
"This is…" Arthur trailed off, overwheld. If true, it changed everything. Caleb was not only an obstacle, but potentially a ticking ti bomb. "…then is that how they intend to respond?"
"I know not the king's intent." The lady sounded defeated. "Perhaps desperation breeds even more monstrous acts." She hesitated, a hint of pleading in her voice, "...when an entity is rumored to manipulate ti, anything is possible. There may be no way to protect your friend without revealing them."
"Markus," he spoke, voice low but firm, "Arrange a carriage. Prepare whatever supplies we may need for an extended journey. It sounds as if…"
He glanced back at the masked lady. No bargain would co this ti, no leverage from a fragile alliance. Only truth lay between them now.
"…it sounds as if I shall be paying a visit to the City of Yalenia myself."
Arthur no longer cared about being anonymous. If Oriole was in danger, then he would risk everything to save his friend, as the latter did for him.
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