10 | Welcome

CASSIUS' EYES FLUTTERED OPEN, and he gasped for air as he sat up, coughing violently. He was lying on the damp bed, surrounded by his parents. His clothes were drenched, and he shivered as the cold wind from the open window whipped against his skin.

  He tried to remember what had happened, but his mind was foggy, and the memories were just out of reach. The last thing he could recall was being in the library, reading books, when Aelius and Lucas showed up.

  But then, there was a sudden jolt, and the world turned into sheer darkness. He looked around, trying to get his bearings.

  His mother clutched his hand tightly and leaned in, tears streaming down her face. His father stood on the other side of the bed, his eyes fixed on his face with worry.

  Isabella let out a cry of joy and hugged him tightly. "Almighty, you're awake! You're awake!" she sobbed.

  Theodore also looked at him with a mix of relief and disbelief. "Lucas, how is he?" he asked softly.

  Cassius tried to understand what was happening. He tried to speak, but his physical body could not. It dawned on him that speaking to Aelius and Lucas then should not have been possible.

  Thus, he looked at Lucas.

  “He is fine. This won’t be happening in the future again, except if he chooses to cultivate and enter the second realm,” explained Lucas.

  While Theodore questioned Lucas and his mother examined his body, Cassius’ mind was adrift. Where was Aelius? What happened to the omnipresent wizard he was just speaking to?

  Where was the magical artifact?

  Finally, Lucas “advised” his parents to leave the room so he could inspect Cassius, having just broken through the first realm via instinctive cultivation.

  While his parents were adamant about staying, Lucas insisted, and they gave in. After he watched Lucas ensure they were both gone, the High Sorcerer addressed him.

  “You won’t be able to speak as you did with us when we entered your mind,” explained Lucas.

  He already realized that. After all, a one-year-old should not have developed enough to articulate words.

  Thus, it was only Lucas who talked.

  Lucas explained that as part of the AIS, he immediately contacted Aelius for help when he fell into a coma just after his first birthday. Aelius didn't mind helping since he emerged as a Sovereign-candidate.

  He remained in a coma for about a month, trapped in his own mind, until Aelius' main body finally reached Atharia and entered his mind. Due to the archon's busy schedule, he immediately left and did not inform his family of the AIC's involvement.

  When Lucas saw the confusion on his face, he said, “Yes. Not even Archons can stop time. That was all in your head – literally, not figuratively. It also eludes me how Archon Salacia can enter minds, but rest assured that he is the only wizard capable of doing so.”

  “It took him a while to find you inside your mind, surprised to find you within a library rather than the other eclipses of your memory,” said Lucas. After seeing no further reaction from him, Lucas turned around to leave. “You can ask more questions once you’re able to speak.”

  Which will probably take years, thought Cassius and visibly sighed. Lucas then halted on his steps, glancing toward Cassius from his peripherals.

  “In case you forgot,” he said with a pause. “Welcome to Alardice.”

⁂

A few days later, the family went out for a walk.

  The streets of Edares were teeming with people, horses and carriages jostling for space on the cobblestone roads. The air was thick with the sounds of clomping hooves, the clanging of street vendors' carts, and the chatter of the crowds.

  Theodore and Isabella walked side by side, taking in the sights and sounds of the city while Isabella held Cassius in her arms. They were dressed in their finest clothes, Isabella in a yellow silk dress and Theodore in a black waistcoat and trousers.

  Cassius understood that no common men knew who they were despite it having already been three months after they reached Alardice. He also remembered that after the first assassination of his life, the family set sail for the colony three months later.

  Then it also took them around three months to reach Alardice.

  "This is amazing," Isabella said with eyes shining with enthusiasm. "I've never seen anything like it."

  Theodore smiled down at her. "It's a whole new world, my love."

  They stopped to watch a street performer, a man juggling fire torches while balancing on a unicycle. The crowd cheered and clapped as the man performed his feats of acrobatics.

  "Shall we?" Theodore asked, offering Isabella his arm.

  She took his arm, and they continued their exploration of the city. They passed by street vendors selling everything from fresh produce to handmade trinkets, their calls blending with the sounds of the crowds.

  As they walked, they came across a bustling market filled with people bartering for goods. His parents browsed the stalls, admiring the colourful displays of fruits, vegetables, and other goods.

  Isabella spotted a beautiful shawl and pointed it out to Theodore. "Look, isn't it lovely?" she asked.

  Theodore bought the shawl for her, and he draped it over her shoulders, smiling with delight. They continued their stroll through the market, their senses filled with the sights, sounds, and smells of Edares.

  Meanwhile, Cassius also spotted a few people following them, they were guards in disguise. ‘So, they’re not fools,’ he thought.

  But as they walked through the busy streets, the crowds became thicker and more agitated. Suddenly, they heard shouting, and people started pushing and shoving, trying to escape something.

  The panicked crowd jostled Isabella, and they were separated from Theodore in the chaos. She stumbled and fell. In a bid to keep him safe, she hit her head on the road.

  Cassius looked at his mother in worry as she protected him in her embrace. He then spotted Theodore fighting his way through the crowd with his guards, trying to reach them.

  ‘What the hell is going on?’ thought Cassius, but he was helpless.

  Suddenly, Isabella yelped as she was snatched away by a burly man and thrown into a waiting carriage. The door slammed shut, and the carriage took off quickly.

⁂

It was too fast, but Theodore remained calm and closed his eyes to focus, calling forth the aether and directing it toward the carriage.

  He felt a pull, like a thread, connecting him to the carriage. He opened his eyes and saw a trail of shimmering light leading him through the busy streets. He followed it, dodging through the crowds and ducking down alleyways.

  His dozen guards kept up.

  The trail led them to an old, dilapidated building on the city's outskirts. It only took them roughly an hour. Throughout, Theodore remained calm as Isabella had not yet used the escape device. This means she believed it was still within their expectations and her life was in no danger.

  Theodore approached cautiously, his hand on his revolver and his other hand on the hilt of his blade. He could feel Isabella’s presence inside, and he pushed open the door.

  The room was dimly lit, and Theodore saw Isabella, bound and gagged, sitting in the corner while still keeping Cassius in her arms. She glared at the kidnappers while Cassius looked – bored?

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  He also saw the kidnappers, two dozen rough-looking men armed with revolvers and swords – some even had muskets.

  Theodore drew his sword and stepped into the room. "Let her go," he said, his voice echoing in the stillness of the building.

  The kidnappers laughed, and one of them stepped forward, brandishing his sword. "You're all no match for us," he sneered. Indeed, they were outnumbered.

  One of the guards lifted his hand, and a blast of aether shot forth, knocking the sword from the man's hand and sending him flying backwards. The other kidnappers engaged the guards, and Theodore used that moment of distraction to untie Isabella and whisk her out of the building and to safety.

  He avoided utilizing elemental spells, cautious of exposing his soul core and exposing it to potential enemy High Sorcerers or possibly even Grands. He could not let his guard down, as his friend Lucius did.

  Isabella hugged Cassius as they escaped. Theodore was also glad that his son made no sound.

  “Someone’s following us,” Isabella said, and they suddenly heard the sound of quick footsteps before them. They saw a trio of figures blocking their path, dressed in black cloaks and hoods.

  "Stop right there," one of the figures said in a cold voice. "You're not going anywhere."

  Theodore stepped forward, shielding his wife behind him. "Who are you?" he asked, his hand still on the hilt of his sword.

  "Welcome to Edares, Governor General," the man said with a toothy grin, followed by laughter from his two companions. They did not address Theodore’s question but responded with their own magic – basic aetheric spells.

  Theodore and Isabella heaved a sigh of relief before Theodore shielded himself and his wife in transparent spheres. They were average sorcerers, incapable of using elemental spells. Only High Sorcerers and above were able to utilize the elements.

  Still... second-realm sorcerers can overpower a High Sorcerer if they have the numbers. But he is a Grand. And Grands like him had more power behind their spells, not to mention how they were capable of swiftly weaving one spell and another due to their lower cooldown.

  Thus, the sorcerers faced off, each of them calling forth their magic as support while engaging him in both blades and bullets. The air crackled with energy as they fought. They battled back and forth, each trying to gain the upper hand.

  Just as it seemed like the battle might never end, Theodore focused his magic, and a bright azure light filled the empty street. When the light faded, the sorcerers were all gone. Theodore looked around to inspect further signs of ambush.

  The ground was hard-packed earth, dotted with weeds and bits of rubble. The surrounding area was cluttered with debris and junk, a stark contrast to the ordered and manicured streets of the city center. “Flash escape,” concluded Theodore.

  “No signs of ambushes,” he said and looked back to the building not far off, with its broken windows and sagging roof, as the setting sun cast an eerie glow over it. “It seems this is our welcome.”

  Then the guards from earlier left the building. None of them were harmed, thanks to second-realmers in their ranks. One of them approached him to give his report, noting they had not killed any of the kidnappers. They were to be detained.

  “We cannot remain here for long,” Isabella said with a shaky voice. Despite not being a sorcerer herself, she was still a combatant, capable of holding her own against individual sorcerers of the second realm. Theodore understood her worry was for their son.

  He checked on Cassius and noted his child stir in Isabella’s arms.

  She smiled down at Cassius as he traced the lines of her face with his finger – as if to reassure his mother. Theodore smiled at this before nodding to Isabella.

  “Let’s head back,” said Theodore, but still wary of those who hid and may be watching in the dark.

⁂

From the top of the dilapidated building, Royce stood with Virgil as they watched the Aramdales leave with their guards and their prisoners. Royce felt a mixture of interest and calculation.

  He had been watching the Aramdales since they entered Edares a few months back, and he knew who they were. Royce then looked at Virgil.

  “Did you notice?” said Virgil.

  “He did not use elemental spells, but very deliberately,” he said. “The new Governor General is a High Sorcerer.”

  Virgil threw back his head and burst into a loud, jeering laugh before shaking his head. “You stupid. No! He was pretending to be a High! He's hiding his strength. But those three sorcerers are smart, they noticed he was holding back. Professional assassins, I dare say.”

  Royce just responded with a shrug, "Right."

  “Haven’t you noticed how he simultaneously cast spells in a few breaths? That’s an indicator of a Grand. Even Grands would have a hard time pretending. Battle instincts are difficult to hide,” said Virgil before sitting down on the roof of the building.

  Royce raised an eyebrow suspiciously. “If that’s the case, why this tomfoolery? To confirm his identity? Aren’t they just going to announce his identity during the welcoming party?”

  Smiling to himself, Virgil did not answer. Instead, he posed another question Royce found to be seemingly in a quizzing manner. “Tell me what the commotion was about.”

  Quietly, did Royce think for a while, noticing Theodore and his family, as well as the guards, were already out of sight. “The armed robbery of the bank was to create a commotion and to distract the civil guards. The commotion itself was to separate Lord Aramdale from his wife, but that must mean they knew of the Governor General’s itinerary,” said Royce.

  “Good, good!” Virgil grinned and gave him a thumbs up. “Yes, there’s a spy within the Aramdale estate. Which means they haven’t yet been able to replace the previous staff and servants who served the Crestmores.”

  “But why?” Royce asked.

  “Stupid! You stupid!” Virgil said and softly bonked Royce's head.

  Royce clicked his tongue in annoyance and urged Virgil to say it.

  “Theodore Aramdale wants to find the spy!" said Virgil.

  “Right, so who's behind the kidnapping then?” asked Royce, glaring at Virgil, who responded with a shrug.

  Instead, Virgil said, “If you noticed, Theodore was never worried about his family getting harmed.” When Royce was about to speak, he was interrupted. “This is how high nobles act,” said Virgil.

  “If within their expectations, they would go as far as to use their own family as bait,” Virgil started. “Even his wife Isabella must be aware because all high nobles have an escape device that could whisk them away from harm. If they hadn’t expected such a welcome, she would have already used it in panic. Which means she wasn’t panicking enough.”

  Royce thought for a while before nodding his head in understanding. “Those two are cunning. That still doesn’t explain the necessity of going through all these troubles to welcome or test them and expose their spy.”

  “You think so? Stupid! They were trying to kidnap the child!” said Virgil. “This is why Isabella still looked worried. A mother’s expression reveals many things. You should pay more attention!”

  “Then doesn’t this make it a sloppy plan of kidnapping a child?” Royce asked. “They could have kidnapped a mere infant in the dead of night.”

  “It sounds sloppy because I told you! What’s stupid is to kidnap the baby at night. Would you really dare infiltrate their estate? After what happened to the Crestmores?” Virgil said. “Remember that the Aramdales, and even us, are still in the dark of what happened that night. Would you really leave your home unprotected?”

  “Whoever is behind this incident risked exposing their spy because–” said Virgil, but then he halted and snapped a finger. “Actually, tell me why. If you still have no idea why... I’d bonk your head!”

  Royce furrowed his brow in concentration and rubbed his chin, trying to piece together the jumbled thoughts running through his mind. Every time he thought he had an answer to the situation at hand, another thought would pop up and cast him down a different path.

  He let out a deep sigh and closed his eyes when suddenly, he snapped his eyes open. “To create an opening,” he said. “The fact that they need to go through all this trouble means there are no openings within the Governor General’s estate. This means they got impatient and needed to create one to target Theodore’s son. Who is the weakest link,” he explained.

  Royce added, "They are taking advantage of the fact that the Aramdales have not yet announced their arrival. They know that the Aramdales are trying to find their spy. After the welcoming party, and after Theodore exposes his identity as a Grand, it would also be an announcement to others that they have cleaned up their house.”

  Virgil clapped and laughed in glee. “Good! So, what does announcing their power and capability mean?”

  “It means announcing they have covered all their weaknesses, and only an overt assault could topple them. The Aramdales are avoiding a battle in the dark, forcing their enemies to take them head-on. Which would mean they are confident and are also forcing an all-out war.”

  “That’s what you mean by Theodore wanting to find the spy. He exposed himself and his itinerary, allowing the spy to deliver the information in advance, to let whoever they serve to prepare in advance,” Royce said and shuddered upon the realization, while Virgil grinned in anticipation.

  “So, why are they targeting the child?” asked Virgil.

  “To weaken Theodore’s position – but why?” questioned Royce.

  “Who knows? But it remains as simple as that. It can be as simple as a mere power struggle, but you can scratch that after the Crestmores' death. So, weakening Theodore's position can also be a preparation for a more sinister plan,” said Virgil. “The battle began as soon as the Emperor passed his decree. The Aramdales also fought their own battles in Atharia. Their arrival means they have won those battles, and the battlefield has shifted to Alardice.”

  “Do not forget that the Aramdales have Augustus and the Manawis on their side and that this kidnapping attempt is an act of desperation. Soon, the players will reveal themselves, and we will be forced to pick a side,” said Virgil as his laughter echoed throughout.

  Royce looked at Virgil before shaking his head. Virgil Hall is the only Grand Sorcerer in Alardice aside from the Archbishop, Lieutenant General Augustus, and the new Governor General.

  Virgil Hall, the president of the Hall East Buros Company, the largest joint-stock company in the Alardice galleon trade - a master opportunist. The company's biggest products? Weapons of war.