Chapter 703

“Are you sure you don’t want any help?” Ajax asked, he felt incredibly bad about the current situation yet at the same time he couldn’t deny that he only offered the help as a common courtesy, he never expected them to take him up on it.

“You have yet to finish healing your own leg and recover your own Mana after that Duke Hearthbound.” The healer bowed deeply. “The complex nature of this next part is something that would be better done by yourself anyway.”

Ajax couldn’t argue that point. The healers had helped Ajax heal his leg all the way to the ankle yet the complex joint was an issue to make without a soul blueprint to help one progress. The reason for removing Ajax from the healing carriage however had more to do with the intimidating dragon all but hovering over it.

“Why do you bother with those sticks?” Aurexion asked as Ajax exited the carriage on crutches.

“Because I don’t want to waste the limited Mana I have managed to regain.” Ajax answers as he makes his way towards his bond intending to climb onto his neck. “And I will not be hopping around like an idiot.” Ajax more than had the balance and Stats needed that the loss of one leg would hardly hamper his mobility outside of combat situations or fast travel across long distances, hopping on one leg however would look no less stupid regardless of how well balanced and resilient he was.

Ajax had managed to recover almost half his Mana since the healers had been able to help regrow his leg from the knee to his ankle with only minor investment from him to pave the way for their healing spells. That they had focused so much on his injury despite there being other champions with much worse injuries spoke of how worried the army was about a follow up attack.

“Did you already tell them what happened?” Ajax asked as he jumped up on Aurexion’s neck where he continued to heal his leg.

“I answered some questions before I grew bored.” Aurexion answered. “I have something much more interesting to focus on now.”

Ajax had to agree with Aurexion that the hammer he picked up was much more interesting. It was far and away the best piece of equipment he had ever seen, certainly not the most complex since that still went to the gauntlet Khalysstra had gifted him, but the most powerful.

“You plan on unlocking Space Mana?” Ajax asked.

“Of course I do.” Aurexion snorted at the obvious question. “Space is the best element for a physically focused fighter. It provides the best defense as well as the best way for us to bypass the most annoying defenses.”

Ajax couldn’t argue that point. By itself Space magic wasn’t the best offensive tool for a mage, defensively was a completely different topic but offensively all they could do was help land physical attacks without making contact or displace the opponent. For a physical fighter however, bypassing annoying defences, teleporting close to their target or teleporting them in the path of a blow was enough to end a fight on the back of a single attack.

The next few days were quiet as the entire force of the Republic had gathered once more, the only obvious absences were the champions from Brightstone that had clearly returned to their homeland. The entire army took this as an opportunity to lick its wounds, all champions were back on their feet following the two battles that took place but most of them weren’t yet back to full strength.

“How are you feeling?” Ajax asked Aranor as he approached the old elf.

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“Weak.” Ajax could feel the displeasure in Aranor’s response at the state of his own body.

Aranor pushed his Mana channels too far in the last battle, the effects of the potion he took as well as the last spell he cast had done lasting damage to his Mana channels, the damage wasn’t irreversible but it would be at least a century before they would naturally heal, time the elf simply didn’t have.

“Why not return?” Ajax asked.

“Because Sylvanthal needs me here more than they need me back home.” Aranor answered. Unlike most other champions Aranor didn’t have a family to return to, he had dedicated himself to learning magic and serving the royal family. As much as he knew that King Sylvian and Arianwyn would like for him to return and live out his last few years teaching magic and being a bodyguard he was more valuable here as the eyes and ears of his kingdom, his short remaining lifespan meaning they weren’t risking much.

Ajax knew not to push that point further so instead he swapped the topic. “Why haven’t they attacked yet?”

It had been a few days and while Ajax knew the beastkin had suffered heavier losses, the fact that their losses were more permanent in the form of dead champions instead of injured ones it should mean that their remaining forces would be back on their feet faster.

“Something big is happening.” the prince said as he joined the two of them and heard the last questions asked. “The beastkin finally opened a direct bargain with my father looking to trade the squads they captured for our prisoner.”

The importance of keeping a hold of their prisoner had dropped significantly for Gryndor. The final battle alone had proven Ajax’s strength more than any words from the prisoner they had could, getting almost two full squads back was worth more than keeping a single champion prisoner.

“What could they be after?” Ajax wasn’t sure why the beastkin would give them time to recover. “Highmountain and the beastkin would never trust each other, the longer this war the lower the chances their plan works out.”

Everyone agreed with Ajax’s words. Even if the beastkin were to somehow conquer the Republic, they most likely wouldn’t be able to keep it as Sylvanthal or even Gryndor could potentially take it from them. With the political connections the two had with each other it was even possible they would work together and share the territory.

“They want a ceasefire.” Shadow appeared next to them, his sudden entrance put more than a few of them on edge as none of them had sensed the assassin before he wanted them to. “After all this death they want to just walk away.”

“They’re giving up?” Ajax was surprised, considering how much they invested and how sure of their victory they had been up to now.

“They realized they wouldn’t be able to hold our dungeons even if they manage to win the war.” Shadow answered. “Brighstone surrendered to Highmountain, the takeover is still fragile and unlike the beastkin coupe the royal family are now a ducal family.”

“Did they say how long?” Aranor asked.

“They haven’t reached out to the council yet.” Shadow reveals.

“Five years, with a binding contract.” The answer surprisingly came from the prince.

“They want us to kill each other and solve their problems for them.” Aranor can only laugh with suppressed fury as his enemies move all but seals his fate, in a swift move it removes him from the battle in a way he has no way to answer.

“They believe they’ll be able to match Ajax and me in five years?” Coming from anyone other than Aurexion or Ajax the question might sound overconfident but everyone knows it's anything but.

“There will most likely be a loose alliance between Highmountain and the beastkin where they will try and covertly duplicate the dungeon sharing the rest of us have been starting between the two of them.” The prince points out. “They are hoping that our own exchanges will break down as the Empire and Deepwood might try to mimic their actions and unify their races, leaving the Republic alone and facing threats on all sides.”

“Well most sides.” Aranor points out. “Gryndor lost only one champion in this war and nobody believes the Empire can conquer you with Ajax and Aurexion returning home. They probably expect that you will take advantage of all the rest of the wars to absorb the Empire instead.”

“So it's over just like that?” Ajax asks. “The war will just end?”

“I wouldn’t call this an end.” Shadow says. “They’ll offer to put it on hold for a few years and the Republic can’t afford not to accept. We lost too many champions and our people need time to rebuild. Especially with Highmountain waiting in the wings in case we try to end the war now and finish off the beastkin.”

A five year ceasefire might as well have been a peace treaty back on Earth, but here with the lifespan of nobility and rulers stalemates or brief ceasefire lasting five years was not odd. Selfish as it was this was a particularly bad outcome for Ajax, with his leveling speed five years could mean at least fifteen levels and this would mean a lot of dungeon in Brightstone, Highmountain and all of the dungeons the beastkin had access to that he wouldn’t be able to delve yet under the guise of reparations. It was an outcome he hadn’t expected.

With Shadow and Aranor moving to report the updates they received to their own nations, the prince put up a privacy barrier around Ajax and Aurexion. “My father and brother also want you and Aurexion to be part of the negotiations. He is after all your prisoner.”