Magical Soul Parade - Chapter 352: Aethelos Moves
Back at the Soul Sanctum, the expression on Finn’s face flickered slightly where he sat waiting, and his head turned towards the southern horizon.
“It seems someone’s happy…” he muttered, a ghost of a smile flickering on his face before it disappeared. He had felt his Errant Sword surrender itself fully to Althea through his connection to it despite the distance. And that could only mean one thing…
She was about to fight someone very seriously.
Good. Everyone has started to move, then… he thought silently. The news was probably rocking the world already, and that meant he would begin to see the response he wanted very soon.
Finn remained seated on Ryuga’s side, resting with his back against the dragon’s black, coiled form. He looked like a king on a throne, waiting for his challengers to arrive.
I hope I won’t have to wait too long.
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Continent of Aethelos. Outside the world tear.
A private court session was being held between the Queen of Aethelos — the Undying Flame, and her most trusted subjects, warriors, and counsellors.
A report had just arrived from the world tear. And even though it was from Aethelos’ secret, well-trusted information channels, the absurd contents made the Undying Flame question its authenticity.
“Queen Monarch Undying Flame, this is good news! Just yesterday, we, the seat of counsellors, came together and prepared an analysis of the Ossuary and all that we now know of them,” a middle-aged man with brown hair that looked more red than it was brown stood up and said.
He was the first to take the initiative and speak immediately after the informant delivered his report of the Error Bearer’s domineering take-over of the new Soul Sanctum.
“We came to the conclusion that unless a drastic action is taken against the Ossuary, the extinction of not just our great Aethelos, but also every other continent of the world, is a hundred percent certain.”
Gasps immediately filled the room as different seats of the chamber frowned at such an ominous analysis. But unlike with most other councils where different factions had differing views and goals, no one raised a rebuttal.
It was as though, despite their shock, they all knew just how much analysis and in-depth findings the counsellors must have taken to come to this conclusion.
“For everyone seated in this room, it is no news that the world tear is simply the least of the Ossuary’s hidden secrets,” the man continued, looking at everyone pointedly before settling his gaze deferentially at the crimson-haired fiery woman seated on the throne.
“We all now know of this so-called ’Lost Age.’ If a whole era like that could be wiped out entirely from history, then what stops the Ossuary from doing the same yet again?”
“The seat of warriors support this thought, Undying Flame,” another man stood, this one more lithe and slim, yet a viciously dangerous air was about him that made one know he wasn’t to be judged by his looks.
The man seemed to be the head of the seat of warriors in this Aethelosian council. He bowed deeply, then said the same as the speaker for the counsellors, urging the Queen to take drastic action, lest they all be doomed.
The Undying Flame listened with her eyes closed and her chin resting on her hand in thought.
Silence reigned for several seconds as the council waited to hear their queen’s response. Finally, she opened her eyes and breathed out deeply, a fiery light seeming to glow within them.
Without having said anything yet, the council members, and especially the warriors, knew her stance and couldn’t help the ready smiles on their faces.
For the Undying Flame to have even the slightest change in expression, she had definitely chosen to attack.
Her lips parted, and she was about to give a string of orders that would either destroy Aethelos in one go, or save all of them at once. There was no in between…
But just as she was about to speak, the door to the chamber burst open, shocking everyone into silence, including the Undying Flame herself, who raised a brow very slightly.
The guards at the door surely knew just how terrible an act it was to interrupt a private court session like this. That, coupled with the extreme disbelief in the guard’s eyes, was the only reason why no one spoke, waiting for the guard to deliver the urgent message.
“Q—Queen Monarch!” the guard stuttered, falling to his knees with his head bowed low. “U—Urgent report from the east of the continent! The Seneschal Ossuarist School has been wiped out entirely!”
Everyone stilled upon hearing the shocking report at first, but then frowns immediately colored their faces right after. This was shocking, yes. But was this all the guard was so frazzled about?
“A total of five-hundred foreign Ossuarists, all of them reported to be of the Preceptor rank, arrived at the Seneschal school and leveled it within minutes!”
That addition sent the entire court on their feet. Shocked curses, swearing, and murmurs of disbelief pervaded the entire court. Forget the Seneschal school itself. Wasn’t this an act of war? A total disregard for the sovereignty of Aethelos as a whole?
Five-hundred Ossuarists? And not just any kind of Ossuarists… These were five-hundred Preceptors, a force never seen before, that invaded their lands!
“Undying Flame! My liege! We must act now! My men and I are ready to move at a moment’s notice. We can ready our loyal-bred Ossuarists in minutes and set off to annihilate these invaders!” The warrior head was broiling and brimming with rage, his eyes red and bloodshot.
In his rage, he seemed to have glossed over the fact that neither he, nor the ’loyal-bred’ Ossuarists he’d mentioned, were enough to cause a dent in an army of five-hundred Preceptors, not to talk of annihilating them.
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A/N: Many thanks to Preet_0 for the Magic Castle super gift and many golden tickets! I promised to do a 10-Chapter Mass Release, so this is the first of it. Expect the rest across the next 24-hours!
Cheers 🍻
Astrl
