An Owl's Rise

Chapter 480: Chapter 480 Next Steps

After they had indulged in some delicious foods and drinks rich in magical energy, and simply chatted with each other, Evelyn and her companions sat down for a serious discussion.

The first order of business was assessing their current goals.

Obviously, the major one was fully destroying the Tyrannis Union, but Lucia had told Evelyn that they were still keeping that a secret from Maeve.

Lucia had instead told her that their objective in infiltrating the Miris Sect had been to search for friends among beasts that had been captured by the Tyrannis Union.

Technically this was not a lie, though it was really only a secondary objective, at best.

Still, whether Maeve actually believe the story Lucia had fed her or not hardly mattered.

She was clearly furious with the Deamhain Sect destroying what should have been her new home and harming her great aunt who had done everything in she could to help Maeve escape her dangerous family situation in the Urstug Federation.

Even if she suspected something, showing hostility towards the only ones left willing to help her would be a foolhardy move.

The Deamhain Sect had already been pressuring the Miris Sect before Evelyn, Lucia, Rehni, Aralee, and Bylur had arrived.

While their actions might have accelerated and enhanced hostilities, there was little doubt that a conflict was already brewing.

"However, from the intelligence that we’ve all gathered during these last few years, I don’t believe that we’ll be able to make much headway in the Tyrannis Union right now. Most of the sects are on high alert, and skirmishes are common. Plus, the situation could have become even more hectic in the last eight months. We’ll certainly want to look into what’s currently going on, but I doubt it will be feasible for us to make a move as things stand." Rehni said, carefully going over what they could expect.

Of course, the subtext of what she truly meant was that they were not strong enough to strike at the Tyrannis Union again.

While all of them had made progress, even Evelyn, as minor as it was, their strength still was not anywhere near enough to go head-to-head against one of the world’s greatest powers.

Their only means of causing any damage without quickly being caught was subterfuge. Something that would be difficult after what they had done five years ago, which had caused all sixty-six sects to become more guarded.

"Trying to reconnect with the Roost also seems to be a dead end so far. We’ve searched extensively to try and locate an owl connected to the place, but our efforts have been unsuccessful. They don’t seem to exist anywhere in the world right now." Aralee said, wearing a frown.

If they could return to their home, they would gain far more options than they had currently.

Melisandre would now doubt do everything she could to support Evelyn, and their group would gain access to far more extensive resources and information networks.

Though there were many valuable items to be procured in the Verdant Warlord’s domain, it was often up to chance if an individual would receive something useful for them.

In the Roost, they would be able to trade for what they wanted so long as they had the credits.

"That leaves staying here to continue to grow stronger, searching for a suitable individual to become the Verdant Warlord’s successor, or assist Maeve in becoming the head of her family." Lucia said, listing out the realistic goals that they could pursue.

Just glancing at her friends’ and sister’s faces, Evelyn could tell that none of them were keen on extending their training session.

She may have spent nearly five years unconscious, but they had used that time to advance themselves tirelessly. No doubt they wanted to leave the domain and experience the outside world again.

There was something about the place that was mentally draining.

"If I can weight in, I’ll need at least a few weeks to fully recover and breakthrough to the mid-grade of the tyrant rank. After that I’ll be fine leaving the domain."

Evelyn truthfully wanted to stick around for longer and explore the third level that she had never been to, but she could read the room.

Everyone else wanted to get back out into the real world and continue to make progress towards their more immediate objectives.

Growing their magical abilities was potentially an eternal endeavor. They could spend centuries forced on the goal, but then everything else would pass them by.

Power was merely a means to an end. Allowing themselves to be entirely caught up in its pursuit would only serve to harm them.

"Ehem." Maeve coughed, drawing attention to herself. "If I may suggest, I think... No, I know that becoming the head of my family will help us the most right now. We have decades to find someone suitable to receive this domain’s true inheritance. But the patriarch of my family is already in a weakened state and is withering away.

"Each branch of the main family has been scheming and growing their power for years now in anticipation, but no one has made any truly definitive moves since a successor has not been named yet. It will be much easier for us if I can be installed as the next head before my great grandfather passes away and open infighting occurs."

What Maeve was saying made sense.

Having her as the head of the powerful Taidale Family would give them a base within the Urstug Federation near the border with the Tyrannis Union, and access to the family’s resources and information network.

No doubt there were extensive stores of magic crystals and rare items within the family’s vault that only the family head had access to.

"I see no reason to object. What about the rest of you?" Lucia said, putting the decision up to a vote.

Evelyn noticed Bylur, Rehni, and Aralee glance towards her. She could tell they were waiting for her to give her option. The three of them would go along with whatever she wanted.

"Once I’m recovered, I see know problem with assisting Maeve. I’ve got a lot of aggression that has been building up while I was in a coma that I want to get out. I’m sure that Maeve’s backstabbing relatives will be perfect for that."