404 Stroke Of Luck
With a flash of light and twisted space, the airships that had sieged Black Iron Fort appeared above a green and vibrant meadow. Stray bolts of lightning accompanied the sudden appearance of the magic ships, striking the green ground and forming blackened, charred spots, but these were only residual bolts of lightning that had been caught in the teleportation just before the magic ships managed to get away from Elante.
"Phew, that was close." Nedra let out a sigh as she saw the brightly lit sky. The animals in the surrounding areas had been chased off by their sudden appearance that was followed by several lightning strikes, but there was a peacefulness that lingered in the air.
Leon nodded his head in agreement before suddenly pausing in surprise. He turned around and walked to the side of the Blood Breaker before looking over the edge.
There was a large lake under the Blood Breaker that stretched into the distance. At the bank of the lake, an old Elf was seated on a wooden chair. He held a small teacup in his hand and a small stool with a kettle was standing to the side.
"That is...!" Leon naturally recognized this man. After all, Vera had made sure to educate Leon and his companions on the identities of the various important officials of the Elven Empire, as well as their roles and known strengths.
Right now, sitting at the bank of the lake was none other than Russo, the old Councilman who presided over a region of Rivera that excelled in agriculture and the production of other materials that provided a large percentage of the foodstuff and other essential materials that were consumed by the entire continent.
"Oh, how unfortunate." Russo sighed as he watched the many powerful figures descend from the sky after discovering him. He had just come out here for a simple fresh breath away from all the stress. This was his safe haven where he could admire the scenery without any problems.
"Councilman Russo. How fortunate is this encounter?" Leon smiled as he landed on the ground. From the intelligence that the rebels had collected, Russo had the lowest combat power among the High Council. His strength peaked at Peak A rank with no divine power, and with his old age, rumors about his strength deteriorating had also started going round.
Russo looked at Leon and several emotions passed through his eyes. He sighed and closed his eyes for a moment then spoke when he opened them again.
"If I surrender, will my life be spared?" He asked.
"Of course, I will personally see to it that your life is preserved." Leon smiled and said, deliberately showing off the fact that he held a lot of sway in the decisions that would be made during the war.
"Very well, then. I surrender." Russo said and raised his hands.
Leon walked over and held open his hand. A handcuff made of black stone appeared in his grasp and he cuffed Russo. When the cuffs were fastened, several thin bolts of black stone extended and stabbed into the skin of Russo's wrists. The old Elf felt a lot of his power leave his body but he was not surprised.
The material that had been used to make the handcuffs was called Darkstone. It was a special mineral that had the ability to lock away the mana within a mage's or warrior's body, leaving him vulnerable.
Russo knew he was taking a huge risk in handing his life over to the rebels. They could kill him in spite, but even if he fought and struggled, he would still most likely be captured. In fact, he felt that the chances of being killed in that situation was even higher.
"Don't worry, you can trust my word. Nothing too bad will happen." Leon patted the man's shoulder as someone came to lead him into the holding cells of the Blood Breaker. With the Darkstone cuffs, he would not be able to escape. Even without them, there were many powerful enchantments that ensured that A rank captives could be held.
"I guess I can only put matters in your hand. Please take care of me." Russo nodded and allowed the rebel to lead him away. He was very calm about everything.
After Russo was led away, Leon turned to the side where Nedra was standing. The white haired lady had her hand on the shoulder of a white haired boy that looked to be about ten to twelve years old. Hunter had undergone another growth spurt. He had gone from looking like a six year old to his current appearance.
Nedra had brought Hunter along with her for this war. She said that it was to 'open his eyes', even though he was still very weak, still an E rank.
"Things are going better than expected. What a stroke of luck that we happened to appear where Russo would be." Nedra said with a bright smile as she noticed Leon's gaze.
"You are right. Let's keep going, we need to return to safety before Elante can find us again." Leon said. The reason why they had not been able to return to safe harbor at once was because of how they needed to teleport in a hurry before Elante would be able to corner them. This brought about the need for them to make multiple teleportations before they could return to their base.
The two returned to the deck of the Blood Breaker and after a few minutes, the space around the ships distorted, which was followed by the abrupt disappearance of the magic airships. With the high quality of the magic airships, the teleportations were quick, short and precise, and before long, the ships returned to one of the major bases of the rebels.
Meanwhile, elsewhere several powerful beings convened for a meeting.
In a large and resplendent hall, several majestic beings that came in all sorts of varying forms, shapes and races convened. They all faced the golden double doors that led into the hall with expectant expressions.
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