Holy Solar Day
“Gilbert, Emma; the tides have turned. The Mobius Organisation might be colluding with the Divineflame Empire. Be very careful!”
Unable to come up with anything even after a long time, Leylin specially informed Gilbert and Emma about the situation. He then returned immediately to the leader’s residence. His actions were not in the least bit unusual.
Yesterday, Scarlet Eye had returned to the mansion right after Leylin followed Bowens out, making Leylin secretly heave a sigh of relief.
If he had chosen to take action then, it was likely that even after he tackled Bowens, he would have bumped into Scarlet Eye who was rushing back. That would have spelt trouble.
Furthermore, he didn't want to make a move before understanding the situation.
“Officer Schiker! Where's Loke? Why haven't I seen him around recently?” Leylin questioned ‘curiously’. Upon the mention of this name, Schiker’s facial muscles twitched, and he was silent for a long while before he spoke. “He has been assigned to a top-secret mission, and will be away for some time!”
“I see!” Leylin seemed to have gained some understanding. He moved closer to Schiker and asked, “Instructor, about that night… what happened in the end?”
“What else? The leader emerged victorious of course! He struck two of the masters from the other party who were at the Star rank. He took one of them prisoner, and the foreign affairs department will negotiate with the Divineflame Empire!” A look of admiration flashed across Schiker’s eyes, but Leylin’s heart sank.
‘They paid such a high price, yet ended up with nothing. Those people from the Divineflame Empire definitely will not take things lying down. Furthermore, the trap they set previously that caused the loss of the combat abilities of the Morning Stars was not very wise. What is the truth behind all of this?’
Combining that line of thought with the intelligence given by Emma and Gilbert in the past two days, Leylin suddenly felt as though the future was shrouded in a dense fog.
‘I’m afraid I’ll have to modify my previous plan. This Holy Solar Day will not pass in peace. Divineflame Empire, Jupiter’s Thunder, and even the Ouroboros Clan will take action. When that time comes, this place will be plunged into chaos…
‘Well, at least there’s this to look forward to!’ Leylin saw that the progress bar on the A.I. Chip was quickly filling up, and couldn’t help but smile.
The tenth level of Fireplume was the gateway to the Star rank. Leylin’s energy had already been condensed to form a point mass, and if these two systems could be fused successfully the formidable power produced would definitely not just be additive. There would be a horrifying qualitative change in him, amplifying his powers to a great extent.
Additionally, Leylin had long since used up all the firasource stones he had earned from Collins, something that caused his soul force to improve by leaps and bounds. His strength after all this would surely give many enemies a surprise.
His eyes glowed crimson as the corners of his lips rose to form a wicked smile.
The bloodline of the apex predator, the Giant Kemoyin Serpent, was pressing him to slaughter! He wanted to destroy everything, to bring it all to flaming ruin!
The emotional instability that was common to bloodline Warlocks had begun to act up. After he advanced to the Morning Star realm, the Giant Kemoyin Serpent’s soul had fused with Leylin’s own, causing him to inherit these violent moods. These were no longer an external thing, but instead part of his own nature.
Once such an illness acted up, it would have a far-reaching effect on the Warlock’s personality.
Previously, Leylin had always made a conscious effort to restrain himself, preventing his feelings from eroding his character away. Now that war was upon them, he was facing unprecedented pressure, and some strange emotions managed to worm their way out…
No matter what others thought, time was still ticking by. Finally, the day of the Emberwings’ festival— the Holy Solar Day— had arrived.
During his recent trips, Leylin saw the streets and markets starting to bustle with activity. Many teenage Emberwings now went against the taboo, playing on the road. The atmosphere was filled with clamour.
The various district representatives from the Atlan Union and the other tourists who came on their own accord arrived at Tylasus City one by one. The place was packed to the brim, even overcrowded, resulting in multiple cases of breaches in public security. Even Leylin, a martial officer from the Military Office, had to step in at times, something more than evident of how thin the security had been stretched.
According to the information given by Gilbert and Emma in private, many of the elites from the Mobius organisation and Triserpent Sect had also snuck into Tylasus City. They were the ones who stirred up trouble here, making the place chaotic.
Additionally, the arch-enemy of the Atlan Union, the Divineflame Empire, had also sent a large team of ambassadors, causing more trouble.
“It just seems like things will get relatively more troublesome!” Leylin lamented. He donned the dashing uniform of a military official, and stood tall and straight. He and his colleagues lined along both sides, while Scarlet Eye stood in front of a huge fitting room mirror, adjusting the butterfly-shaped necktie on his collar.
“Your Highness! Your schedule for today is as follows: first up will be the parliament lecture, followed by welcoming the envoy from the Divineflame Empire. The banquet in the afternoon…” Standing next to Scarlet Eye were a few secretaries with pen and paper in hand, chattering away. There were also a few maids who were tidying up the creases on the coattails of his dinner suit.
Schiker, Bowens and the others were also dressed neatly and stood at the side. Outside the window, lots of fireworks and gun salutes could be seen. Colourful confetti filled the sky, and the place was filled with a festive atmosphere.
“Alright! I have my own plans for today’s matters!” Scarlet Eye furrowed his brows and waved his hand, sending away the secretaries who were still chattering endlessly.
“Schiker, you shall accompany me today.” These words seemed to move the leader’s son to tears.
Seeing his odd mix of being both moved and apprehensive, Leylin felt at a loss for words.
‘The private life of this state leader is quite confusing. His previous marriage did not produce a heir, and now that he only has Schiker, his illegitimate child, does he hope for him to inherit his political legacy and even become the next leader of the union?’
If the other officials knew that Leylin was silently cursing their almighty leader, they might have come together to tear him apart, and the outcome wouldn’t be pleasant.
“Let’s go!” After quite some time, Scarlet Eye finished his preparations and took the lead as he mounted a chariot that was drawn by numerous scarlet birds. Schiker followed closely behind.
Bowens walked behind everyone. He suddenly glanced at Leylin and commanded, “Ley, you come too!”
“But… The duty of a humble servant is to stay behind and guard the residence!” Leylin appeared to be hesitating, but he was secretly cursing in his heart.
His duty for today was to stand guard at the residence. This was perfectly normal as he lacked the proper qualifications, and thus could not show his face at the parliament. However, this was what he wanted. After all, the places that Scarlet Eye would go to today would not be tranquil, and there would not be any advantages from following him out. How would that be more enjoyable than being able to hide in the residence and unearth treasures the minute he discovered that something was off?
What did he stand to gain from going out with Scarlet Eye anyway? That one casual sentence from Bowens disrupted his plans for the day.
Leylin felt a little gloomy as he looked at Bowens. Maybe Bowens sensed that something was amiss, or maybe he just found Leylin an eyesore, but he had been causing a lot of trouble for Leylin on the sly.
“ .. Yes, Sir!” To the others, it seemed that Leylin only hesitated for a while before agreeing immediately in a loud voice, ecstasy spreading across his face. This made many of the officials who were staying behind envy him, yet they did not know that Leylin was secretly rolling his eyes.
Bowens was his superior after all, and Leylin could not do much even if he disagreed.
Leylin stood at the back of the fleet and reflected, ‘Might as well! When the moment comes, I’ll join Gilbert and Emma directly. Once something is amiss, we will immediately activate the coordinates and return. I don’t believe that Scarlet Eye will give chase and follow us back to the Magus World.’
Gilbert and Emma had first found their way into the ranks of feudal nobility through a small noble family by disguise and strength. They then wantonly betrayed the secrets of the Triserpent Sect against their interests, and attained the positions of Earl and Viscount, allowing them to attend today’s celebration.
If the three Giant Kemoyin Warlocks were together, even Scarlet Eye would find it hard to capture them successfully, so there was at least some form of assurance in terms of safety.
‘Bowens, however, has to be killed! He better not run into me today, or else…’ Leylin lowered his head slightly, hiding the brutal crimson radiance in his pupils.
Leylin kept Scarlet Eye company at the parliament while listening to an illogical and boring speech. Afterwards, he tagged along with the leader of the state and the other major ministers as they proceeded to the plaza where people pledged oaths and celebrated their victories. They were preparing to welcome the emissary from the Divineflame Empire.
Positioned behind Scarlet Eye were the delegates from several major districts, as well as a large number of high-ranking officials and influential ministers.
*Boom! Boom!*
it was as though there was an earthquake. Fire flashed in the distance, and Leylin noticed the arrival of copious amounts of fire elementals.
These fire elementals existed in various sizes, and some were not even humanoid. There were quite a number of beasts, bodies constituted of flames and lava, burning at temperatures that could scorch anything.
Although they moved as a delegation, they left two long burn tracks on the ground. The temperature of the entire plaza started to rise steadily.
It was fortunate that most of the Emberwings practised Fireplume. The high-ranking officials and nobility present in the plaza had all mastered at least three levels of the technique, and thus didn’t find it hard to bear.
Creatures that were able to survive in the Lava World had a powerful resistance towards high temperatures.
The officials who were specially put in charge of diplomacy appeared, and engaged in a series of complicated rites and etiquette, something so boring that Leylin yawned multiple times in succession.
Regardless of as a scientist in his previous life or a Magus now, he did not have an ounce of interest in such rituals.
In contrast, he was more willing to perform a few more experiments in his laboratory, or expound upon a few hypotheses, or even meditate!
This was a common understanding between an overwhelming majority of Magi in the Magus World.
In the Lava World, the circumstances were evidently different. As compared to Magi who were much like researchers, the Emberwings who studied Fireplume were more similar to knights. They had a great thirst for the secular benefits of various territories.
The Magi of the Magus World often withdrew to the second line of duty, and manipulated the countries from behind the scenes. Those who held authority in the Lava World, however, were different. They liked to handle things personally, and preferred to take control of the entire system in the foreground.