Legacy of the Dark Sage

If Kyran joined them, they might end up with an easy win and lose more than the chance of providing a stage for everyone there to form a synergy— he could rob them of the sense of accomplishment in winning a battle.

Considering all this, Kyran decided to simply observe from afar. Then again, he might not have the opportunity to watch the battle itself because of the plan Achim and Nahir prepared.

Part of the Armakea Border’s HQ is also within the chasm walls. But there is a wide crack on the chasm leading toward Armakea, like a ravine, and is where most of the buildings, and outfields for assembly, greenery, or training are done.

The Armakea’s steel wall faces south, while the gates that leads inside the country is facing north. Thus, the steel wall is called the Southern Wall, and the gates, the Northern Gates.

Using the terrain to their advantage, Achim and Nahir devised a plan to ambush the enemies as they enter the valley that led to the border’s Northern Gates. If they succeed in this, they could subdue the enemy before they could even reach the periphery of the Armakea Border’s HQ.

While Achim and Nahir’s forces left, Kesiah’s forces remained. Her forces were divided into two groups: one group was on standby in Armakea Border’s HQ while another guarded the Eidum’s Border HQ.

Though the two borders could already be considered allies, there was no telling if another group from the nearby fort’s reinforcements decided to go there directly. The enemy leaders might think that the Eidums had all transferred to the Armakea HQ, leaving their home ground unguarded. If this was the case, then they could use that chance to take over it and trap the Eidums in the Armakea HQ. So long as they waited for more reinforcements, then they could dispose of all the Eidums, and took over their border, killing two birds in one stone.

The one who suggested to split Kesiah’s forces was Kyran. However, it was Achim who proposed it during their meeting under Kyran’s instructions. He did this simply because he wanted others— in particular, their enemies— to believe that the brains on their side were Achim, Nahir, and Kesiah. If the enemies targeted them and succeeded, they would not expect another brain working in the shadows.

Since Kyran decided to stay in the Armakea’s border, Kesiah stayed at the Eidums.

As for Cyneah, Kyran had her transferred to the chamber meant for the King’s use, so he could monitor her condition’s progress better. The ones who administered the blood-replenishing pill was Oded or Yalen, however, with the latter staying by her side almost all the time.

Meanwhile, the appearance of a silver humanoid dragon had reached every Sovereigns keeping an eye on Somuli.

When this news reached Dusk and he reported it to Axil, her brow could not help but twitch slightly.

There were a handful from the Guardians who knew Kyran also possessed Draconic magic and Axil was one of them. When she heard about the silver humanoid dragon appearing at a war between the Eidums and Armakeans, she knew at once it was Kyran.

Feeling conflicted about the situation, she let out a sigh and rub the bridge of her nose. She was inside her domain and was looking through an oval crystal mirror that projected Dusk’s report. He even managed to get a recording of Kyran’s image as the silver humanoid dragon.

“For you to go to such lengths as using Draconic magic to save the Eidums, seems like you’ve finally found her at last,” Axil muttered with a slight shake of her head. Her expression then turned grim. She looked at Kyran in the projection and said, “But knowing this will only make things difficult from now on especially when she holds the key in winning over the Somuli Sovereign’s allegiance. Flos will be after her soon. As for Ruin… he might already be onto you.”

After a while, an amused smile appeared on Axil’s lips then as she added, “What will be your next move, new Dark Sage?”

Somewhere in Somuli, a figure in a long red coat was also watching a projection from a dark red disc. It did not show the silver humanoid dragon, however, but a human with dark hair that fought unrelentingly against several knights in silver armor.

The figure’s lips curled into a wide grin as its red eyes glinted in excitement.

“Have you come because of the Saint, my little prey?”

The figure was none other than Ruin’s essence.

In another time and place, several silhouettes were gathered around a round table that projected two different recordings.

On one side, it showed the silver humanoid dragon, while the other showed a recording of a dark haired young man in black single-handedly battling a High Orc.

One of the silhouette, suddenly spoke and said, “What do you all think?”

“What we think you ask? Whatever do you mean?” Another silhouette, which seemed to belong to a woman responded. “I only see two uninteresting beings, one who seems bored enough to go down the Lower Realm, and another who seems only know how to beat up his enemies— all brawn with no brains.”

Someone scoffed at the woman’s words and said derisively, “Bored? All brawn with no brains? I think you are talking about yourself.”

The one who spoked sounded like a young man.

Hearing this comment, the woman simply snorted and said, “Do not mix up those traits as someone else’s when it is clear you are describing your self.”

“What does that supposed to mean?” The young man growled.

“That, is exactly what I mean.”

“You—!”

“That is enough.”

The first one to speak warned them in a stern but calm voice, prompting the two to stop.

A short silence ensued around them before the first silhouette spoke again.

“Anyone else who wants to say something?”

Another silhouette, which seemed to wear an oversized robe, raised its hand. A timid sounding voice, which was hard to discern whether it came from a young woman or a young man, said, “If I may, Your Grace.”

“You may.”

“That silver armored man… I don’t think he is one of them.”

“Hm,” the first silhouette, who was called Your Grace, regarded the one wearing an oversized robe with interest. “Why do you think so?”

“He is far too weak to be one of them.”

The other silhouettes broke into a hush discussion, seemingly in agreement with the silhouette in oversized robe’s observation.

The woman who first made her remark snorted in disdain but did not say anything. She was not really interested in anything pertaining to that realm.

“And what about the other?” The first silhouette asked again.

“Um… I am not sure what you want to hear, Your Grace. But… are we not looking at the same person?”

Another hushed discussion broke out around the table and the first silhouette let out a humorous chuckle.

“An excellent observation,” the first silhouette praised the one in the oversized robe. “Since you are the only one who noticed this, I have decided to send you there and find that young man.”

“M-Me, Your Grace?”

“Yes.”

“I…”

“I am curious about him,” the first silhouette continued to say before the one in oversized robe could respond. “In his fight with that beast, he did not have an aura, nor his presence could be detected. But when he appeared in that silver armor, it has been confirmed that he manifested the Power of Chaos. What was even more curious, was when he reappeared donning a dark armor, his aura and presence disappeared again.”

As he said this, another recording appeared that showed a figure in dark purple armor fighting a woman in red crystal armor.

Most of the silhouettes’ countenance seemed to change at that point. They became restless as their eyes suddenly glowed with a strange light while watching the new recording.

Even the woman who found the discussion uninteresting had shown interest.

“Your Grace, you don’t mean that the young man might actually have…”

“After all these years, have we finally found a lead?”

“Is it the real one this time?”

“The Heart of the Cosmos, has it appeared at last?”

One after another, the silhouettes commented in excitement. It had been a long time since the last time they heard about the Heart of the Cosmos’s whereabouts.

“It is worth looking into,” the first silhouette said, not denying nor confirming their doubts. “We all know the ones who took and hid it among the remnants of the Ancients, are the Silver Dragon Tribe. That young man can manifest their power and he seems to resemble the Ancients. The probability he possess it is quite high.”

Then he turned to a silhouette right across him and added, “Don’t you think so, Lady Ames?”

Ames’s eyes flickered as the first silhouette looked at her. Like the rest, she also appeared as a silhouette, but her golden eyes glowed piercingly and threateningly. Still, she did not say anything and simply looked at the first silhouette.

The tension between the two was palpable enough that even with their projection-only state, everyone inside felt it vividly.

“I-If that is the case, then I will gladly go and find that young man, Your Grace.”

The silhouette in oversized robe suddenly blurted, wanting to alleviate the tension.

The first silhouette nodded, “Good. I will send you these recordings, and the coordinates of that plane. Leave as soon as you have completed your preparations.”

“Thank you, Your Grace.”

“We are done here.”

The whole room darkened at once, forcing everyone to leave.

In a room, seemingly carved from crystals, a ten-meter radius platform with a Draconic Rune-filled array hovered in midair. The runes on it glowed and whirred at a dizzying speed, but then suddenly stopped. Crackling noise sounded at the center of the array as Ames slowly materialized.

As the platform descended, two figures in silver armors appeared on each side. When the platform landed, Ames stepped down from it, and the two figures knelt before her.

“Lady Ames, the Emperor has asked for your presence at the Sil Sanctuary.”

The one on the right told her.

“That can wait,” Ames replied as she hastily made her way to a room at her right. “I have something urgent to do. I’m going to the Regis Terram.”𝔬𝗏𝓁xt.𝒸𝑜𝓂

“But Lady Ames,” the second figure raised his head in surprise. “The Emperor forbid you from going there again after your last visit. If you insisted he might end up destroying it for good.”

“He won’t,” Ames said with a voice full of conviction. Her expression hardened yet her golden eyes flickered with gentleness as she continued, “He can’t. Not when a new Dragon Lord has appeared. Unfortunately, the Celestials has already found him. I must go and warn his people.”