As Arthur walked in the streets of his beloved city, he couldn't help but feel the atmosphere here had changed a lot since the last time he was here.
Before the city reeked with the scent of blood wherever he walked. However now there was nothing but prosperity and calmness all around.
Even the people living here looked happy. They all came out of their homes and started to pay their tribute to him.
And he only felt proud to be able to provide shelter to them and see such happiness on their faces.
"Ah, I can't believe I'm back," he sat on his seat in front of the lake while everyone else sat around him. He was really happy, and everyone could tell that just from looking at his face.
"We did everything we could to make the empire stronger and more stable," Amelia said in low tone as if she wanted to evade even talking directly with him.
"I can see that," Arthur paused before a thought came up in his mind, "I want to build an empire where everyone lives happily and in peace. I want to save all those who stood on the right side and were destined to be overrun and killed by those tyrants."
His words came out of the blue, but they came from the depth of his heart. He took in a deep breath before returning to think about the current stressing problem he had.
But first he needed to know the updates from everyone.
"Oh, where is Agnus?" he asked while looking around and couldn't see him.
"He…" Ron paused before glancing at everyone else here, "was held captive recently," he added with a dejected face that made Arthur pause and frown.
"What happened?" he asked with a serious face. Agnus was one of the most important pillars in his empire, one who couldn't lose. Not now, especially not now.
"He wanted to try a new weapon at the frontline," Madly said before adding, "but the city he was stationed at got attacked and surrounded. We tried to send reinforcements, but that came too late."
Arthur clenched the arms of his seat while his air changed drastically before asking:
"Where is he now? Where did that happen?"
"The three ladies are seeking him at the moment," Amelia hurriedly said as everyone noticed the anger of Arthur, "they located a group taking him hostage somewhere so deep and far away from our borders."
"They are trying to go there and rescue him," Ron added while Arthur suddenly stood up.
"That won't work," he looked to his four warring pillars and without hesitation they all stood up with him.
And then everyone stood up as well.
"Stay here," he said to Nicole, "she is my guest and my friend. So treat her nicely until I return," he instantly turned into a dragon before Amelia hurriedly said:
"You just returned… why not take a day or two rest first?"
Everyone nodded as they expressed their agreement on this proposal, however Arthur simply flapped his wings to rise slowly in the air while giving them his answer.
His friends and his empire leaders looked at his shadow in the sky while he was flying so fast and vanished in no time from their sight.
"Sigh, he just came…" Ron softly said before Madly hit him with her elbow while motioning with her head towards the totally dejected Amelia.
Her face told everyone here how bad she was feeling at the moment. She thought he would stay with her for some time before going out once again to fight.
But she felt like he didn't even see her at all or care about her.
"That was slightly harsh," Doaf flew beside Arthur while the other two flew in silence.
"What do you mean?" Arthur asked while his mind was busy thinking about Agnus.
He built his entire plan on this young gifted man. He knew how skilled Agnus was, and so losing him now came as a deadly blow to him.
He had to save him before anything else. That was why he didn't hesitate to move out and go without even staying any more second there.
"You know… girls waiting for their men coming back from war won't feel good when they leave at once for another one," Doaf tried to give him a hint here.
Arthur suddenly got what he meant. He knew Amelia must have been waiting for him, and he just hoped to stay a really long time with her.
But he had such a stressful matter to deal with, one he couldn't even postpone for a single more day.
Tina, Sara, and the scorpion queen were leading their armies and trying to go directly towards the place Agnus was held at. However they were moving so slow to free him fast.
Plus he was totally sure that Agnus was held captive at one of the strong strongholds of the enemy, meaning that there must be a strong grandmaster there guarding that fort.
Even if his three ladies combined their forces together, they wouldn't be able to stand a chance against such a formidable opponent.
Only he and the four alongside him could do that. However the words of Doaf resonated in his soul, making him inwardly sigh.
'Gege…' he simply said that before she hurriedly said:
'I got it!'
Far back inside the lake city, Amelia stood there with a dejected look over her face. She was hurt before by Arthur doubting her as a traitor, and now he was treating her in a cold way.
She felt her heart shattering under all this pain. And so she sat on her seat with weak will while lost in thoughts while watching aimlessly the lake.
Everyone else kept their distance from her, giving her a moment where she could feel her pain and try to deal with it.
This wasn't the first time they saw her act in such a way.. In fact they decided among themselves not to bring the name of Arthur in front of her.
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