22 | Spy

This is the fourth night of the Battle of Edares. It has also been four days since the RMA's emergency meeting when they decided to join forces with Kalis. In two days... Lieutenant General Augustus should reach Edares with reinforcement from the City of Elmere. But Victoria's plan will already be long completed after tonight.

  Victoria stepped out of her carriage and finally reached central Edares, where many of the city's elite, including the nobility and gentry, live in peace and safety. Unlike the other parts of Edares upturned by the rebellion, the central city remained untouched.

  Thus, many of those who escaped the chaos were accommodated here.

  She gazed at an impressive mansion before her, basking in the moonlight. It was a stately structure, with tall columns and elegant arches, set amidst a lush garden with glowing flowers. She smiled at the sight, but no one knew she owned the estate – save for the leaders of Kalis.

  Victoria proceeded to the entrance, her heels clicking against polished floors of marble.

  Inside, the foyer was equally grand, with soaring ceilings, ornate mouldings, and a crystal chandelier that sparkled in the light. A butler appeared from around the corner and bowed respectfully.

  "Good afternoon, Madame Victoria. May I show you to the meeting room?"

  "Yes, please," Victoria replied, following the butler down a corridor lined with priceless paintings and antique furnishings.

  The butler halted before a door and gestured for her to go in. Stepping inside, she will always be impressed by the chamber's grandeur, with walls cloaked in rich, dark wood. Above, the ceiling boasted the masterful carving of the Order of Kalis' symbol.

  At the heart of the room, a sprawling table of imposing size commanded attention. The chairs that encircled it were no less impressive, each one cushioned with the finest velvet.

  As Victoria took her seat, she immediately focused her attention on the group of people who were already seated around the table. There was Sir Alzona, Sir Ishmael, Lady Miriam, and Dr. Elizabeth on one side of the table. However, Aaron was missing, busy taking charge of the forces of Kalis.

  On the other side, there were the supposed leaders of the Order of Kalis – her Order of Kalis. There was Eldon Plundell, the person he designated as the puppet leader of Kalis, but a capable leader in his own right. On both his sides sat four of his top lieutenants; the strategists Elise and Martin, as well as the second-realm sorcerers Eugene and Wyatt.

  But this was all just a show for Ishmael, Miriam, and Elizabeth.

  "Good afternoon, everyone," she said, projecting confidence as she looked at Eldon. "I'm glad we could all be here today to discuss the future of Alardice."

  Eldon curtly nodded. "Kalis is most pleased," he said before looking toward the leaders of the RMA. "I must apologize for using your name. But you must understand reformation is a failure, and we cannot let Sir Isaac's sacrifice go to waste."

  Sir Alzona shook his head and smiled. "As we've previously discussed in the RMA's previous meeting. This is the best course of action to take. You have the quantity, and we have the quality. Our union marks the free Alardice we have all been dreaming of."

  Victoria nodded. Indeed, one of the foremost reasons she aimed to combine her Order with the RMA is the intelligence network run by Miriam, the technology and spell tomes of Elizabeth, and Ishmael's mercenary group – the Circle of Idras.

  One of the reasons why the clergy and the peninsulars underestimated the RMA was their assumption that the movement had no military capability. But the Circle of Idras is the true military force of the RMA, composed of six High Sorcerers spread across the East Buros, each commanding a force of thirty elite second-realm sorcerers.

  Her nine Scions, even if they fight together, would be no match to the six 'Primes' of Idras.

  On the other hand, her Order of Kalis, even with its tens of thousands of revolutionaries, only has around 200 sorcerers in total, most of them still Novices. Compared to the quality of Idras' sorcerers – they're nothing. Thus, this union of forces between the two forces can fix her 'quality' problem.

  "Is this everyone, Madame Victoria?" asked Ishmael.

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  "Yes," Victoria happily smiled before she looked at Eldon, who had a furrowed eyebrow. She tilted her head in confusion before she looked at the strategists Elise and Martin, who narrowed their eyes at Ishmael.

  "Why did you address her, Sir Ishmael," asked Eldon.

  Victoria finally realized her mishap as she looked at Ishmael.

  But Ishmael didn't speak and instead flicked a finger.

  She looked at the door that suddenly opened, and a figure appeared – Lieutenant General Augustus Williams. But it didn't stop there. Augustus was followed by someone she knew, Lucas Morgan. Finally, behind Lucas was him – Governor General Theodore Aramdale.

  "What is going on?!" Victoria and Alzona said at the same time as they stood up in alarm. Then they noticed that Lady Miriam and Dr. Elizabeth remained very calm. Finally, it dawned on her Aaron's fate.

  "It's been a while, Victoria," said Theodore, looking at her with pity in his eyes. Yes... pity.

  But how? How the hell did this all happen?!

  "Ishmael! Miriam! Elizabeth! Explain yourselves!" demanded Victoria as she slammed the table.

  "Right... we must go back to the very beginning... prior to Isaac's execution," said Lucas with a level tone of voice. But she remembered those eyes... the eyes of a predator.

⁂

(Two weeks ago, one day after the Aramdale Welcoming Party and after Theodore's conversation with Isaac...)

Theodore told Lucas everything Isaac said. He told Lucas of a hidden power playing everybody like puppets on a string. He asked Lucas to keep an eye on Isaac because Theodore suspected that the RMA had a traitor or even more.

  "We've already captured a high-value spy within the colonial government... So, the hidden power should also likely have a spy within the peninsulars and the clergy, as well as the RMA," Theodore said.

  Lucas agreed, "It's a matter of finding them."

  Theodore added. "Yes. I need you to find the spy within the RMA. If we fail, I have a feeling Isaac will die."

⁂

(One day before Isaac's execution and the Battle of Edares...)

The Imperial Court ordered Isaac's death, and the spy escaped. Theodore suspected that those loyal to Isaac would attempt to free him.

  "I need you to get in contact with them," Theodore told Lucas.

  Lucas asked, "There's a possibility the traitors to the RMA will pretend to free Isaac. This is a risky move, Theodore."

  Theodore said, "Yes. A risk we must take. Even so, if there are traitors within the RMA, they should expect that freeing Isaac would end up in failure... due to the high amount of guards. So, I'll thin out the guards. Your job is to profile them and ensure their loyalty, whoever they may be. Then make contact."

⁂

(A few hours before Isaac's execution and the beginning of the Battle of Edares...)

Lucas visited Isaac and watched from the shadows as a small group of sorcerers infiltrated the dungeon. Lucas heard Ishmael and Isaac talk.

  Then Isaac refused to escape.

  After talking to Isaac, Lucas immediately went after Ishmael without delay.

  From a pool of shadows, he appeared before Ishmael and his cadre of sorcerers on a deserted street – there were around ten of them. "I'm here to talk," said Lucas. He needed to make sure Ishmael was no traitor. If he were, then he would kill him then and there.

  Ishmael narrowed his eyes at him before signalling his sorcerers to stand down.

  "Ishmael, yes? I'm a friend of Isaac," Lucas said, his voice calm but firm. "And we both know he's being framed."

  For several seconds, the two sides stood motionless, the silence only broken by the occasional scuffle or grunt from one of Ishmael's sorcerers. Finally, Ishmael stepped forward. "A High Sorcerer. An Umbra. So you're the presence I felt. You must be with the Governor General."

  "I am," said Lucas and introduced himself. "The Governor General suspects a spy within the RMA. But he also predicted those loyal to Isaac would try to free him. Furthermore, he knew Isaac wouldn't escape. I'm here, on his behalf, to form an alliance."

  He then showed the emblem he found to Ishmael, which the latter did not recognize.

  "You showed this to Isaac?" asked Ishmael, and Lucas nodded, explaining the emblem confirmed Isaac's suspicions – that a hidden power was at play. "I see. And where did you get this?"

  "Fort Edwards. We captured a spy there who recently escaped," said Lucas. "Theodore captured him. A High Aeromancer not included in the Alardice Book of Records. He went under the name Adrian Caraig, and we found out he infiltrated the colonial government 15 years ago as a cook. He served late-Governor General Lucius Crestmore for 14 years and also previously served then-Governor General Allan Taylor for a year."

  Lucas added, "But during his two weeks of imprisonment, we found out his true name – Aaron Tolosa. Ring a bell?" asked Lucas.