Sylvester decided to hurry to Sandwall County as the girl's whereabouts were nearby. Although uncertain of her current location, he was determined to use all his resources to locate her.
However, this meant an early departure from Kinman City, leaving Lady Bethany's rise to the Grand Wizard rank unfinished.
"You can still do your training with the soldiers, perhaps train them at the same time. Remember, you must push yourself to the limit." Sylvester reminded the woman as they stood near the exit gates of the city.
Lady Bethany went for a hug and grabbed Sylvester. "Thank you for coming here, Your Grace. I extended my hand to you for help when we met in Green City the last time. I didn't expect you'd take it seriously. But, here we are, with me officially becoming the heir."
Sylvester patted her back before mounting his horse. "Beware of your brother, the Duke's Council, and the Prima. Women in power face opposition, as was the case with Duchess Iceling and her Prima revolt."
Bethany took his words to heart. "What became of the Prima in that instance?"
Sylvester smiled and looked up to the sky. "May the Holy Light enlighten us—and the souls of the dead. Farewell, my lady. I shall pray for your success in finding a match."
She giggled and waved. "And I will pray that you see success in all your endeavors…kid!"
"..."
Sylvester shot an angry look for a split second, but he didn't stop and rode the horse fast. The pair galloped along the Desert Road, which had become nearly deserted due to the spreading news of the war.
Other than a few daring traders, no civilians traversed the arid desert road. Sylvester even stopped the traders and always checked their goods in case they were carrying something or someone illegal.
"Why the haste?" Felix inquired. "Are you searching for something?"
"Not something. It's someone. I once told you about my visions since I was young. I used to see a small child in them, and my latest vision indicated that she was somewhere near Sandwall County. If we don't hurry, she will be sold to the Desert Cannibals if she hasn't already been." Sylvester disclosed the information, as it was pointless to keep the vision a secret anymore. What was going to happen had already occurred, after all.
Felix still couldn't be bothered. "Who is she that you're so concerned about?"
"She's the last surviving royalty of the Sorrow Kingdom! Princess Xylena Sor Blackheart. And even if she weren't a princess, I'd still attempt to save her."
"..."
"Why didn't you say that earlier?! Ugh, let's hurry to the County then." Felix also rushed now, realizing the significance of the Sorrow Kingdom having a remaining royal member. It would aid Sylvester tremendously, after all.
They made strides and eventually began to see the distant walled city. But surprisingly, the road had ended a long way back, and they rode their horses on strange red sandy terrain. They could see the high and mighty Wall of Void standing tall and firm on the left. At the same time, they could perceive the distant Tower of Godless hidden behind some mist.
"The ground is red because of blood," Felix revealed. "Since we've had so many Desert Cannibal invasions, their blood has stained the land surrounding Sandwall City. You can even find their bones scattered here."
"You get invasions on both sides of the city? If I remember correctly, Sandwall City is on the edge of a cliff." Sylvester questioned, as he had believed that the invasions only came from the other side.
"Of course." Felix pointed to the West, towards the Snake River. "We get invasions during winters. Since the mountain glaciers don't melt much, and there's not much rain, the river becomes shallow enough for them to cross. So we get hit on our southern border. But when that occurs, we also summon Duke's forces and annihilate them from both sides."
Soon, Felix began to recount his life spent in Sandwall County. "I used to watch the battles from the city wall. I remember vomiting the first time I saw it, feeling disgusted. But gradually, it got better. I killed my first cannibal when I was five, and since then, I never stopped."
'What a savage place.' Sylvester thought. 'No wonder he never gets bothered, no matter how many people I kill in whatever ways.'
"Oh! Look at that contraption on the tower of the city wall. I used to make the guards haul me up from it instead of going through the city gates." Felix pointed at the pulley system. Then he gestured towards the right side of the walls. "Behind there is a tomb. My mum's ashes are kept there. Let's go and pay our respects to her; I'll introduce you."
"Let's do that." Sylvester quickly accepted the suggestion, knowing how much Felix loved her.
Soon they approached the walls of the fortified city. The gates remained closed for them since Felix had not been home in a long time and was unrecognizable.
"Oye, Tucker! It's me! Remember how I beat your ass in arm wrestling last time?" Felix shouted at the top of his lungs.
Instantly, a young man's head emerged from the gap between the walls at the top. "Felix? Is that you?"
Felix grinned and displayed his thumb. "Aye, it is I, your handsome young master. Now open the gates, for I bring with me the renowned Sylvester Maximilian!"
"Who?" The man questioned abruptly.
"..."
It was then that Sylvester realized a significant predicament. 'Oh! People only know me as Lord Bard, but not by my real name.'
"Bard of the Lord, the Archbishop! How can you not recognize him? Look at his face and hair," Felix roared back. "Now open the gate before the heavens strike you for disgracing Solis' blessed."
Woosh!
Immediately, the gates began to open with a loud noise of stones grinding. The gate seemed to be made of five-inch thick steel and comprised two parts. One had twin steel doors that opened conventionally, while the other was a drop-down gate.
"Follow me," Felix rode in speedily and turned right towards the tomb. It was a large, cubical structure with a single massive dome at the top, constructed entirely of dark gray stone and marble. It was neat, well-preserved, and depressing.
Felix hastily dismounted, tethered the horse nearby, and then ran past the guards into the building. Sylvester also followed him briskly.
It was a massive building with many corridors. So after a few turns, they finally arrived at a spacious opening, a hall of sorts, with nothing but a marble block in the middle of the room, inscribed with words. On top of the block was a glass case in which the ashes were kept in a gold container.
Felix sat down next to the marble block and spoke cheerfully, "Mum, this is Sylvester. I told you about him the last time I came back. Don't be fooled by his handsome face. He's a really shrewd man. But he's kind at heart. After all, I chose him as a friend."
Sylvester smiled and listened to Felix's monolog in silence, all the while gazing at the jar containing the ashes. Felix had told him about his life story and why he hated his father so much. So he understood why Felix was so emotional about his mother.
'I feel a strange warmth in this hall that was absent in the rest of the building.' Sylvester felt and wondered what it was.
"Mum, I must go now. I will return later and tell you about my days in the Holy Land. Unfortunately, the great war has resumed, and I will probably fight in it too. So please wish me luck."
With that, Felix stopped speaking and stood up, appearing much more refreshed than before, as his face beamed with a broad smile.
"Let's go, Max. I'll show you the Western border wall. The view from the top is splendid, and you can even see the first village in Masan from there," Felix suggested and once again led the way enthusiastically.
But Sylvester stayed behind momentarily as he heard a strange murmur emanating from the ash container.
"Thank…youuu~"
'Am I hearing things?' Sylvester wondered and talked to Miraj.
"Did you hear that?"
Miraj bobbed his head. "What do you mean? Isn't there a pretty lady standing there? She's waving at me."
Sylvester looked ahead and saw nobody. But, unlike before, when he could see ghosts by touching Miraj, he couldn't see the figure that way either.
'What the hell are you, Chonky?'
Confused, but sure who the woman was. Sylvester bowed his head and replied. "You raised a good son."
Then he turned around and hurried to meet Felix outside the tomb building and head to the western wall. He was not in a rush to meet with the Count, as Sylvester outranked the man on many levels. If anything, the Count was supposed to chase after him to meet him.
"The breeze is incredibly refreshing on the western wall since it's so high and overlooks the farmlands of the Masan," Felix informed him. "We used to practice shooting arrows from there and try to kill small animals below."
'So many folks with brown and darker skin here. It's hard to know who is from Masan and who isn't. There could be many spies and assassins here.' Sylvester was focused on something else in the meantime. 'I need to be careful here.'
Soon, they reached the tall western walls without any obstacle. There Felix led the way after greeting the commander and stood by the wall's edge.
As Sylvester climbed the stairs, a strong breeze hit his face. He took off his mitre to be careful and walked beside Felix. But he was not prepared for the truly breathtaking view.
The Western Wall was situated on a huge cliff that bordered Masan and Sandwall County. On top of the cliff, the wall's height added more grandeur. Just looking down could make people feel dread, as the height meant certain death for any ordinary man or knight.
"How tall is this cliff?" Sylvester inquired.
"Slightly more than three hundred feet. This is the difference between East and West Sol. The East is situated on elevated land. But, this is also our misfortune, as this means we are close to the top of the Wall of Void, even though it's unreachable for us. From Masan's side, climbing is impossible. But due to the same reason, barbarians attack here," Felix explained.
'This makes sense.'
"Look there, that's the vil… Wait a second, I think I see something!" Felix stopped speaking abruptly and noticed something on the left of the wall, near the Wall of Void. "Is that…"
Bam! Bam!
Ting! Ting!
"YES! The drums and bells ring!" Felix roared. "Bring out your spear, Sylvester! It's a Cannibal attack! Let's go and cut them up. Experience the fighting style of cannibals right from the source.
Sylvester gazed upon the base of the Wall of Void once more, and lo and behold, there stood a few thousand cannibals.
'How big is their population to be able to invade so much? Didn't Saint Wazir say their special festival is coming? Then how massive will that horde be?'
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