"Am I the only one who has an idea where master went?" Zephyr, who had not reacted to Kyran's MIA status, asked no one in particular.
True Void scowled at him, "If you know something, just say it! Why are you only speaking up now?"
"No one asked," Zephyr replied matter-of-factly.
Everyone's expression turned blank at the banter between the two.
Aron cleared his throat and said, "Tell us where."
Zephyr tilted his head to one side and replied, "You should know where it is. Since you guys thought he could have returned to 'that place,' where else in the Human plane would one be— at the same time— not entirely in?"
Aron and Jared seemed to realize what Zephyr was saying, and their eyes lit up.
"That's right!"
"Right? What's right? Can we please not talk in riddles?" True Void complained.
Zephyr shrugged, "That place is the Regis Family's jurisdiction. I cannot disclose anything in front of other people."
Euan, Hugh, Malek, and the rest did not refute. Though they were currently working together, it did not mean they could share everything about each other.
"I'm surprised you know about that place," Aron commented, looking at Zephyr skeptically.
Zephyr pursed his lips and turned his nose at Aron, "Humph, don't say you are my master's relative. Why can't I know about it? It may only be a small patch of land, but it is still where I came from!"
'What happened to not wanting to disclose anything in front of other people?'
This thought crossed everyone's mind while wearing a blank expression.
However, the expression of most people present in the meeting changed to shock the moment they realized Zephyr's implication. As far as they were concerned, he was only a child mage that Kyran probably picked up somewhere. It did not occur to them that he was someone from a foreign land.
That was right. To most, the conversation between Aron, Jared, and Zephyr only sounded like the Regis Family got hold of a place connected to another 'world' and that the latter came from there. None of them truly understood Zephyr's implication.
Even those who already knew Zephyr was a Quilin were also shocked. Initially, they thought he was a mutated beast from the south. But now they believed he could be considered an 'outsider.'
Only True Void, Anette, and the selected few that knew Zephyr managed to keep their shock to a minimum.
As for Aron and Jared, they were reeling in both amazement and shock. If their understanding of Zephyr's origin was correct, and he considered Kyran, his 'master,' did that mean Kyran had bonded with a—?
"Don't get ahead of yourselves," Zephyr's cutting words instantly brought them out of their reverie. "I am not what you think I am— at least half of it anyway."
He paused briefly before continuing, "Let's not get sidetracked. Master is probably in that place to find help. He definitely realizes that dealing with the enemies alone with only this level of military strength is not enough."
True Void's illusionary brow twitched at Zephyr's straightforwardness. He could almost imagine Kyran hitting him on the head to shut him up or warping him away as punishment.
"Find help?" Jared asked, his brows furrowed. "How can he find help in that place when it is only a— ah!"
Realization dawn not only on him but also on Aron and Anette.
"Did you mean to say he plans on using that?" Jared and Anette asked in unison.
On the other hand, Aron seemed to recall something and shook his head, "No. Kyran may have entered that place for an entirely different reason. Let us not jump to a conclusion."
"I don't really understand what you are talking about, but since we now have a lead to where Kyran is, someone has to go find him," Malek diverted the discussion back on track.
"We'll take care of that. Just as he said, that place is under our family's jurisdiction and can only be entered by us," Aron consented.
"Alright," Euan also nodded. "Now that we have that covered, let us reconvene after we—."
"Urgent report from the palace, your Majesty!"
A soldier's booming voice followed by a loud knock, cut Euan midsentence.
Aron, Euan, Malek, and Jared exchanged glances inside the small conference room, and without saying a word, Euan gestured at the soldier standing guard by the door to let the soldier outside in.
The soldier opened the door, and the one outside immediately entered and knelt on one knee.
"Please forgive my intrusion, but an urgent report came from the palace with the Queen's seal."
As the soldier said this, he took out a rolled parchment tied with a golden ribbon. On the ribbon was the Queen's seal— a purple iris.
Euan waved his hand, and the parchment flew to him. He caught the parchment with his right hand and immediately removed the ribbon.
A soft sizzling sound was heard as he undid the ribbon, a telltale sign that the ribbon was enchanted. The enchantment was likely to prevent others apart from Euan from opening the parchment. If others opened it, the parchment would probably catch fire and turn to ash.
When Euan unrolled the parchment, it gave off a faint golden light, and a voice spoke in his mind.
"Your Majesty, let me start by putting your heart at ease that my people, our son, and I are safe. Please forgive my intrusion on the matters pertaining to the Royal Family's and the empire's welfare. However, my people noticed suspicious activities among the nobility and even members of the Royal Guards, which caused me to make my move in your absence. My people discovered several nobilities meeting with the Royal Army's Research Division representatives in several locations inside and outside Meliora. Such meetings would not have piqued my interest. However, the locations they frequented made me wary because it was where the old transmission arrays were located..."
Euan's eyes widened after hearing Iula mention the told transmission arrays. Without waiting to hear the rest of her letter, he looked at the rest through eh projection and said at once.
"Scout your perimeter! Haylee's people may have already been transported near your location—!"
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Euan was midway through his sentence when a series of explosions rang out from the other end of the line.
It was unknown where the explosion came from or if it actually sounded from all three locations. Nevertheless, as soon as it sounded, Eoin's projection disappeared while Hugh's image distorted slightly.
Malek slammed his fist on the table as he said, "They actually dared start their assault in Starhorn!"
"T-This...!" Ezra paled at the sudden turn of events. He was the one who gave them the news about Haylee's people finally making a move and somehow felt responsible for not affirming their current locations.
No. That was not entirely right.
As far as Ezra and the Spirits were concerned, Haylee's people had not left their camp. If this was the case, then it meant they misjudged how many nobles were under her command.
"Don't worry about us, Head Master. We'll handle this side," Hugh told Malek, and without waiting for the latter to respond, he disconnected.
BOOM!
Not even a second passed after Hugh and the rest of the Conclave disconnected, a faint explosion was heard from Ezra's end.
Ezra's projection shook as he looked at them with a bitter smile. "Just as Chairman Hugh said, please do not worry. We'll handle this side."
With that, Ezra also disconnected.
Euan clenched his fists as he looked toward the now-projectionless table.
"Haylee had the Royal Army's Research Division and other noble families reactivate the old transmission arrays," he explained. "It will be easier for them to move around the empire in a short span of time."
"How are they able to reactivate those arrays?" Malek demanded. "Don't tell me more noble families and the Royal Army are hiding unregistered Array Specialists? More importantly, why are those old transmission arrays still there? Didn't your father order those to be destroyed?"
Euan did not take offense at Malek's attitude toward him. He also knew that his late father had destroyed the old transmission arrays. However, the ones who executed the order were not from the Arthall Family but the Winfrey Family.
Seeing Euan's agonized expression, Malek more or less figured out the answers to his questions.
"As far as I remember, the old transmission arrays had direct access to other transmission arrays close to the headquarters of the four big factions in the empire," Jared started to say.
"Yes," Euan agreed. "This explains why they attacked Starhorn and Noser first."
Malek stood up and looked at them with furrowed brows, "The Crown Princess and the Boyd Family are likely to march toward the Regis Estate. We should prepare as well."
He was worried about Stella and the others. But Hugh and the rest of Euan and Mannick's men were there, so he could only calm his raging heart and focus on other matters.
The three also stood up.
Aron said, "I will leave guarding this place and the rest of our non-combatant clan members to you both. The rest of my people and I will return to the estate."
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