The end of October arrived, and with its arrival, three things surfaced that both shocked the Kingdom and the Continent.
First, the seven territories from the exiled Nobles were all claimed by the Crown Prince. It was a shock as everyone thought Trist would claim them and use this leverage to go toe to toe with the Crown Prince and contend for the Crown.
However, the Second Prince instead offered everything to his older brother. In return, the Crown Prince conferred Trist the title of Duke.
However, this title would only be for show. Trist had no territory; neither did he have any wealth under his belt to flaunt.
But did that matter? No, for the title was enough to give those who wish to become Duke enough pressure to make them shut up. Trist lost all interest in politics, for if he steps back in, doing what he had done would be all for naught. Besides, he was doing something more interesting.
Suppressing the Nobles.
Like Count Shickly and Marquis Liron, the Dukes now have been tied with the Trist. If they wish for them to stand out, then only by going above Trist would they be able to stick their heads up—it was now near impossible.
With this, Trist’s stance had been somewhat cleared. The contest for the Crown shall disappear. Only the stupid ones will wish for something to happen.
As for Colt, he asked the Crown Prince to help with procuring the ingredients of the cure. In short, Colt received nothing.
With a little bit of cleaning and some coercion, the Kingdom was put together faster than anyone would have thought.
The Royals finally managed to clean up the troublesome Nobles. However, that doesn’t mean crimes would disappear, but using the incident of Slavery as a pretense, many reformations were made to suit the times.
The Kingdom was heading to a better future. Everyone on the Continent was beginning to see them as a True Major power three hundred years after its establishment.
The Second shock would come in the form of the emergence of another army under the Edgeworth’s name. The Army consisted of a measly 52 members and had no name; thus, they were called the [Hidden Dragon Army].
Information about this Army remains unknown, but considering one of the strongest Army on the Continent was led by another Edgeworth, their existence was spreading like wildfire.
After all, the prideful Knights who saw them sang praises of them.
The third appeared two days before the last of October. The topic of the cure being completed appeared surfaced.
And indeed, the Tiger Manor once again provided a new kind of light to the people. The first batch of people to be cured would be the ones Colt took in his home. The children and the elderly were the first ones to be helped, then everyone else.
The medicine came in large batches. Jin cured everyone without asking anything of them…he would later be known as the Beautiful Fairy for his kindness.
A title he would both rue and feel proud of.
Two days later, Jin managed to provide 1,000 bottles with the help of the Kingdom Apothecaries and Alchemists.
The preparation to combat the disease was ongoing, but another wave of new information surfaced from the North.
***
[Forest of Illusion].
Over at the West Area of the Continent, there was the Forest of Illusion, a vast land that could measure up to the Magical Beast Forest in terms of scale.
The inhabitants of the Forest of Illusion were Magical Beasts as well, but that’s not what makes it a Forbidden Land.
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It was like so because of the many Illusory Formation set up by the Phantasmagoria Family.
The entire Forest was a place where only the Phantasmagoria could traverse. The beasts within it were those that evolved to roam around the land of confusion and illusion.
Those who enter the Forest would be lost in an eternal cycle that would lead to certain death.
In the middle of this Forest was a small town. This small town was called the City of Darkness, stemming from the name that gave birth to the first Illusionist, the Goddess Darkness.
In this small town was a Mansion called the Mansion of Darkness, where the strongest Pantasia Illusionists resides.
The doors slowly opened with a creak, and from inside, Julius walked out. He had a sour expression.
“Are you okay, Julius?” a man with a robust body appeared behind him.
“I am all right, thanks for worrying, Eldest Brother Vast.” Julius showed Vast a smile.
Vast did not say anything, but he already knew that Julius was not well. After all, Julius was already nearing his limitations.
His mind and body had been overwhelmed with 100 years of experience and knowledge. No one, not even a Demon, should have been able to live through such an experience.
“Don’t be too serious, Eldest Brother. Come on, we should go home now; Mother should be waiting for our arrival.”
Vast smiled from behind the black mask that he wore. Julius turned himself into a golden cat and left on Vast’s embrace.
They left the town for they were not allowed to stay there. The house constructed for them was detached from everyone else.
After a while, they landed in front of an old mansion.
The mansion itself was old, but the surrounding was well kept.
Vast was just about to enter the mansion when he heard a certain voice, “You’re back from meeting the Elders, Julius?”
Julius, in his cat form, quietly turned to his right and saw a golden-haired lady, “Why have you come here, Family Head? Do you not have anything better to do?”
“Do you really hate your sister that much, Julius?”
The Family Head of the Phantasmagoria Family, Ellaine Phantasmagoria, Julius’ older sister. She was also one of the six Grand-Pantasias on the Continent. She was nearing the perfection of Illusory Art and closed to replacing the previous Supreme-Pantasia.
“You know damn well that I hate your guts. After what you did, do you…just tell me what you want; I don’t want to argue, Ellaine.”
“It’s nothing. I was just leading your usual guest here. She wants the usual, huhuhu, it seems like young love is blossoming. But I didn’t peg you to like those older than you, my dear Julius.”
“Screw off.”
Julius waved his paws around as Vast entered inside.
Ellaine left but not before leaving the words, “Well, thanks for helping me dispose of Serzious…” she spoke of the one Neun killed that night when Colt and his group was ambushed.
Julius snorted and said nothing else. He was not proud of leading someone else to death, and just remembering Colt’s and the others’ eyes was enough to make him feel uncomfortable.
“I hate you…” Julius entered the mansion with Vast.
As for Ellaine, she simply smiled.
Julius, upon entry, went to the top floor of the mansion. There, he found his siblings taking care of a woman with ears like his. The woman was on the canopy bed, resting.
The woman had golden hair and golden eyes; her beauty incomparable to any of her race. She was a cat person that radiated with innocence and beauty; she was Lea Phantasmagoria, Julius’ Mother,
Julius transformed back to his humanoid form, and once Lea saw him, she smiled, saying, “It’s good to see you again, Sir Messenger. Do you have news about my son today?”
Julius’ mouth twitched but managed to force himself to smile and nod his head, “Yes, Miss, I have a lot to talk about, Sir Julius.”
“That child does not want to see his mother at all. Such a brat he is…I wish to hug him at least once after so long.”
“Haha, I assure you he feels the same way. He’s just too busy with his training...”
Julius’s report consisted of him apparently being taught with care by the family.
“How wonderful…” Lea was delighted.
And Julius could only show her a smile.
Lea Phantasmagoria was a kind and beautiful woman. She loved her children very much. However, she could not recognize them even if they were to stand in front of her, for she was eternally cursed to see someone else’s face if Julius was to appear before him.
Julius cannot hold her, for she would not allow it. After all, a woman would not let some messenger like him touch her for no reason.
“How lovely, so…Julius is all right. I just wish he and Ellaine are fine like this. Sir Messenger, is Ellaine…is she all right as well? I have not heard for her as well.”
“She is, do not worry. She is also helping Sir Julius with his training.”
Lea’s face beamed with delight, “Good, good, that’s how siblings should be, cough…’
Mother! Everyone but Julius cried after seeing Lea cough a mouthful of blood. She wiped the blood from her mouth as she felt lethargic.
“It appears I need to rest.” Soon enough, Lea felt tired and slowly closed her eyes, “Vast, Reis, Sero, Mia, I love you, my children… I’m going to sleep now…please, take care of Julius. Sir Messenger, can you please tell my son and my daughter I will always love them?”
Julius nodded his head. Lea closed her eyes and soon fell asleep; this slumber would last for two weeks. This was another side-effect of what the Elders did to her. Her frailty stemmed from her corroding mind and psyche. She would need two weeks of sleep for her to wake up again.
Julius tightly closed his eyes as he repeatedly played his Mother’s loving and caring words.
This was the only way he could hear his mother say she loved him.