"I'll see you later, Mum. This time once the whole ordeal is over, we will finally have long-lasting peace." Sylvester hugged Xavia one last time before heading back to Sandwall County. "And don't cry… it'll be hard to leave."
Xavia nodded her head and hugged him back. "Be safe, Max. You're too careless sometimes. Aurora has told me many times about your almost failed adventures."
At last, Xavia felt Miraj hug her, too, so she whispered to him. "Thank you, Lord Chonky. Please keep Max safe."
"Maxy is my duty, don't worry, Big Mum." Miraj chirped and jumped back to sit on Sylvester's shoulder.
With that, Sylvester shared a glance with Sir Dolorem, acknowledging the unspoken understanding between them.
"Please send the prisoners immediately. I'm sure Niel will enact his schemes faster this time since he knows I know everything." Sylvester bid everyone farewell. "Rex, be good and train diligently if you wish for me to train you one day."
Rex raised his fist up. "You got it, Godfather! I'll be very strong very quickly."
Finally, Sylvester began making his way into the air, walking as if in a park. He climbed higher and touched the clouds. Then he started his fast sprint towards River City, where King Kaecilius now ruled. There were a few things the man needed to be warned about before he officially left.
Thankfully, although not as fast as flying, it only took Sylvester two hours to arrive at River City. He descended onto the rooftop terrace and walked down without any hindrance since the soldiers easily recognized him.
"Where is King Kaecilius?" he questioned a random servant.
"H-He's in his solar…"
Sylvester nodded and hastily made his way into the King's private tower. He arrived at the top floor, where the large circular room occupied the space as the King's working room. It provided a beautiful view of the surroundings.
Knock!
Sylvester entered without receiving any acknowledgment. "How is everything going, Kaecilius?"
The burly man immediately stood up. "May the Holy Light enlighten us, Your Holiness. The administration of the city has been swift, and all the dissenting lords and ladies are being listed out. Soon, we will go after them. The fealty ceremony is to take place in six days."
"That's good. Remember, Kaecilius, they may appear pleasant and welcoming on the surface, but deep down, they harbor discontent. They will try their best to find an opportunity to get rid of you or harm your interest, because you're not born into wealth through generations." Sylvester warned the man. "Keep your family and children safe, and welcome to the vile world of nobility. There are no friends, only personal interests."
Kaecilius looked into Sylvester's eyes and questioned back. "What about you, Your Holiness?"
"For me as well, I have personal interests with you. As long as you remain a just king who supports humanity's advancement on all fronts—be it health, food, education, or social hierarchy, we are friends. If you turn into Conrad or his father, then I will have a problem with you and will make it my life's goal to remove you," Sylvester honestly and quite brutally gave Kaecilius a reality check.
The burley ex-slave nodded. "Are you threatening me, Your Holiness?"
Sylvester feared nothing. "Yes—Consider this a warning. I won't mince my words; I'll be clear with you. I'm your friend only as long as you're not an enemy of the faith and society. Don't let greed and wealth corrupt you; do not disappoint me."
Sylvester's unfiltered words set alarm bells ringing in Kaecilius' head. The realization he came to was necessary, and he rejoiced that it came on time. Indeed, Sylvester wasn't doing charity. He had his own goals, and if he were to stand between them, he would face the same fate as Conrad before him.
"Kaecilius, just be a good king and human being. That's the bare minimum requirement I expect from you. For the rest, you can run the Kingdom with the help of mentally sound advisors. As for the ongoing war, I don't need anything from Riveria. Just keep your Kingdom out of it—as well as your armies." Sylvester sternly commanded him for the last time and prepared to leave again. "I won't stay; there's work to be done in Sandwall. If there is anything important to discuss, you can send a missive, and I shall speak to you directly."
Sylvester walked over to the large window and jumped out with no care, walking away on the invisible floor created by his magic.
Kaecilius simply stood in place, watching Sylvester's fleeting back. He reminded himself a dozen times to never mess with this one man, no matter what happens.
'Nobody who stood against him survived for long—history is the witness.'
…
It took two days for Sylvester to journey across the vast lands and reach Sandwall County. He had been gone for almost a week, and in that short time, the dwarves had built so much that it was hard for Sylvester to recognize the place.
He saw the New Holy Land from the sky. It was a vast city divided by three giant circular walls. The outermost wall was two meters thick and at least fifteen meters high, made of strong stones and strange black cement. Complete with watchtowers and cannons, already manned by soldiers.
Beyond the high wall was a clean city with wide roads and small canals. The towering houses, reaching up to five floors, were wide as well, accommodating a significant number of people.
Then came the middle circular wall. It was one meter wide and ten meters tall, armed with cannons and soldiers. Inside the walls were tall mansions, parks under construction, small ponds, and taller buildings going as high as eight floors.
At last, there was the final circle, the smallest yet most important. The wall was also ten meters tall and two meters wide. In the middle was the colossal sky-high castle with its mighty towers and pointy roofs. Made to look different with some white material and gold coatings at the tops, it befittingly earned the name New Holy Land.
Surrounding the castle were smaller structures designed in the style of church monasteries, with wide roads, some greenery, and a focus on efficiency. Almost the entire city, excluding the central castle, had a solid sandy color, with some white paint used here and there, creating intricate patterns on the walls.
It was unique, and Sylvester loved it.
"How did they make all this in such a short time? It was just a slum last week." Sylvester wondered as he landed on the grounds outside the middle castle.
"You're back!"
Boom!
Right from the top of the castle, Aurora jumped and landed before Sylvester, shattering a good chunk of the ground and leaving a small cloud of dust.
"Darn you, woman!" Just as Aurora landed, Dwarf Chief Elrog emerged from the ground like a fairy. "How many times do I have to tell you? Stop destroying the flooring. You will pay for this one—Ah, may the Holy Light enlighten us, Your Holiness."
Sylvester nodded and looked at Aurora. "What's going on? How did you make all this?"
She smirked. "Well, we have a thousand dwarves, almost half a million people, and seven Grand Wizards. Making a city was somewhat easy when we all knew some level of Earth Magic."
Sylvester had to agree. It made a huge difference. Just having that many Grand Wizards to help was overwhelming, and the fact it took them a week to make the city meant they weren't even rushing it.
"That is… wonderful. Let's go inside now. Riveria has fallen, and now only the Holy Land remains. The loyalists stand with us, but Niel's plans have taken a more sinister turn." Sylvester ordered her and strode into the castle.
Aurora briefed Sylvester about the events in the meantime. "...By the way, an elf had come to see you. It's the same one we saw in Masan."
Sylvester abruptly halted. "Where is he?"
"In the dungeon. I didn't know if I should trust him since he openly said he wasn't a Solis believer. I feared he was sent for something nefarious, so I took precautions. But don't worry, we didn't torture him and gave him good food." Aurora explained and changed her course toward the dungeon already.
"Postpone everything. I'll meet with him first." Sylvester changed his mind and hastened his steps. "Don't let anyone in. Understand this, Aurora. If my plans work, we might just secure a new temporary peace agreement with the Beastaria."
Aurora silently hummed in response. She couldn't help but feel it was strange, as Sylvester never kept her away before and openly divulged his plans. However, just like in Masan, when it came to elves, she was kept away. Curiosity was a tricky beast to contain, and it was gradually piquing her interest in his affairs.
'She's doubtful.' Sylvester smelled her emotions right away. 'I'm sure she won't leave me even if she knows. But… this isn't the right time.'
Soon enough, they arrived at the newly constructed floor of the dungeon. It wasn't damp or dark as they usually were. There were plenty of torches, and the walls were all dry.
"He's in there." Aurora pointed.
"Thank you. Please stand guard here." Sylvester entered the enclosed room and closed the gate behind himself, placing elder runes for secrecy.
Then he turned around and saw the same, young-looking elven man, smiling while sitting by a table and reading a book.
"I must say, I'm slowly getting used to living in dungeons now." Avanss jokingly remarked.
Sylvester grabbed a chair and dragged it to sit opposite to the elven man. "Thousands of years of animosity can't be erased within a year. And people fear those who suddenly appear."
Avance chuckled. "You and your rhymes. So, how have you been, my dear nephew?"
Sylvester didn't react to it since he expected that much. What he did focus on was the scents of emotions, which included delight, surprise, and peace. "I'm doing fine. Has there been a reply from His Majesty?"
"You mean your father?" Avanss tried to gauge Sylvester's reaction but saw nothing. "He wrote a letter. Here, you can read it."
Sylvester took the folded parchment from Avanss and broke the seal before reading it silently.
[To Sylvester,
My dear son, I had almost believed I had lost you. I worried for Xavia and sent men to retrieve her, but alas, I was too short-sighted and uncaring, only bringing you harm. But your letter has filled my heart with overwhelming joy, and hope to one day meet you personally and—apologize.
It must have been difficult. It must have been frustrating. The hard life you led is my fault, but how you conquered your challenges fills me with a father's pride. You may have never met me, or perhaps even despise me, but you have occupied my thoughts for years—I've missed Xavia from the moment I lost her.
I do hope my next actions can help me redeem myself. I will cease the war for a year from my side. The dragons will have to do the same, as they lack the strength to battle alone. You can call back your Inquisitors if you deem fit—If needed, just ask, and I will also be there.
This small parchment is not enough to convey my feelings and words in full. I hope one day, we can meet—so our family can be complete.
And please tell your mum that I'm still 'utterly dazzlingly handsome' and have grown wiser. I'm sure she must have a lot of frustrations and curses to unleash upon me—so trust me, to once again be with my family, I'm ready to relinquish all and cross the sea.
Your loving father,
Rathagun Xeed Eldaron.]
Sylvester felt a surge of excitement in his rapidly beating heart. Of course, he was excited to see that his father wasn't an unreasonable man.
"Thank you, Avanss."
The elven man smiled. "Oh, my dear nephew. You spoke too soon—I'm sure you'll repeat that after seeing the gift your father sent."
Sylvester straightened his back. "Which is?"
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