Chapter 1035 Forces In The Distance
...
A few moments ago, just as a thunderous cataclysmic force erupted from above the Night Lord's Crypt that signaled the start of the battle, four individuals had their gazes set in the direction.
Even from their position of nearly one hundred kilometers away, the four were still able to see the bright light that illuminated the skies above the Night Lord's Crypt.
"It would seem that the battle has commenced. If it's that light then... I see, so they decided to send the Crimson Dragon Slayer just as I was informed." The one who spoke was a man with short hair that was a mixture of gray and black with a pair of eyes that possessed no pupils.
This man's name was Aeacus Jestal—a member of the prestigious Jestal family of the Proximus kingdom who specialized in a rare classification of spatial magic.
Standing next to Aeacus was a beautiful young woman with a graceful appearance. Her slightly pointed ears that peeked from behind her long flowing hair gave away her relation to the trephasia race.
"Is it okay to remain this far away from the battle instead of moving to their aid?" The young woman's pleasant voice sounded.
If Izroth, Halls, and Guan Yu were there, they would have immediately recognized the young woman by her voice alone. This young woman was, of course, Luna.
After joining the War Brigade, Luna was instantly promoted to the rank of Lieutenant and granted her own Squadron to lead. However, this arrangement did not last for very long.
During her time at one of the war branch sectors, Aeacus happened to be paying a visit. When he witnessed her talents firsthand, he offered Luna a position as his Adjutant—a person who held no less authority than a Commander of the War Brigade.
Since Aeacus was deemed a special war power of the Proximus kingdom, he was not bound by the rules and regulations of the war branches. Of course, this also meant that he possessed worthy enough to be granted that privilege.
"I see your endless streams of worries have not changed, Adjutant Luna," Aeacus said with a smile without adverting his gaze from the illuminating light in the distance.
"It's simply that I have a difficult time understanding the process behind your thoughts, Sir Aeacus," Luna replied calmly.
Despite having been his Adjutant since practically the start of the war, Luna still could not comprehend Aeacus. There were moments when he seemed to be a genuine and kind person such as when he assigned her and two others to rescue some civilians that had been taken to be sacrificed in the Night Lord's Crypt. But, there were also times when Luna sensed a chilling coldness flowing beneath that constant smiling face of his.
Nevertheless, Aeacus appeared to be someone who did things at his own pace and in his own way.
"That's rather reassuring. After all, Adjutant, if even you who remain by my side on a daily basis are unable to comprehend my next move, then what hope do those looking from far possibly have? Does this answer suffice? Well, even if it doesn't, I'm afraid it will have to do for the time being." Aeacus stated with a friendly smile.
"That answer—it will suffice, for now," Luna said as she narrowed her gaze and glanced over at Aeacus; however, the look on his face was the same as always. She released a light sigh as she returned her gaze forward.
"As I expected, I still have no idea what he's planning. But if he is hiding his true actions so deeply in an attempt to subvert the watchful eyes of something or someone, then their reach must extend quite far. Nevertheless, whether his actions are truly for the sake of what's right or just a ploy to advance his own hidden agenda—I must see the answer with my own eyes and determine for myself." Luna thought to herself.
The next moment, a spatial rift opened up a few steps in front of Aeacus as he walked forward.
"Also, you underestimate the Crimson Dragon Slayer. That man, unless it's a Night Lord with their Spirix or the Night King themselves, there is no one else on that battlefield who's qualified enough to even dream of taking him down. With that said, we will be departing now, everyone. We must finish making the arrangements for the show that's about to start." Aeacus said as he casually walked into the spatial portal.
The two other individuals followed Aeacus into the spatial portal, leaving Luna standing alone as her gaze stayed locked onto the Night Lord's Crypt.
"He should also be participating in the battle at the Night Lord's Crypt right now," Luna said to herself as she closed her eyes and calmly strolled over to the spatial portal.
"I hope that you remain safe, Izroth." Luna thought to herself as she stepped through the spatial portal and it immediately closed behind her.
...
At the same time, somewhere else a good distance away from the Night Lord's Crypt, close to 3,000 troops that carried flags displaying the War Bridgade's insignia were moving at a fast pace.
Based on the current travel path of the troops, it was clear that they were headed toward the Night Lord's Crypt.
Located near the rear of War Brigade troops, there was one group that stood out—a War Brigade Division.
Compared to all the other War Brigade Divisions in this Legion that were led by residents of the world, this particular Division was headed by a player.
"Life sure is full of surprises. Who would have thought that we would end up crossing paths on our way to the same place?" Valentine said with a playful grin on his face with a gust of wind beneath his feet as he moved.
"Crossing paths? More like I picked up a stray dog who was set out into the rain. I still can't believe you went and got kicked out of your war branch. How did you even manage to accomplish that feat so fast?" Zi Yi sighed as she shook her head.
"I already explained that it wasn't my fault at all. I left my master's place too late and was automatically placed in the Resource Management Division. When I went to visit one of their headquarters to see about an assignment, I saw this interesting magic device that used a complex layering of concentrated mana and formations to automate material processing. I only looked at it for a bit before they kicked me out without reason." Valentine explained.
"You—is that really all you did?" Zi Yi questioned with a doubtful look in her eyes.
"Of course, it was entirely unjustified. How could they be so cruel as to keep such interesting magic to themselves?" Valentine said excitedly as drool began to run down the side of his mouth as he wiped it with the back of his hand.
"...Didn't you also try to dismantle the magic device on the spot to get a better look at how it functioned?" A distorted voice sounded from behind Valentine and Zi Yi.
This voice belonged to a young woman, Fan Guang.
Fan Guang was a former member and Grandmaster of the Siren organization who was given the codename Weaver due to her accomplishments.
Back when someone commissioned Siren to eliminate Valentine and a few others who were under Izroth's protection, Fan Guang was tasked with Valentine as her target.
Ultimately, she lost to Valentine and gave up on trying to claim the bounty. And, not long after that altercation, Fan Guang decided to follow Valentine's advice as she cut ties with the Siren organization.
Fan Guang was thrown off by Valentine's strange behavior. Even after she fought with him, he was more interested in her magic than getting revenge. But, more importantly, he did not treat her differently or attempt to avoid her as many did when they first saw her appearance. After all, even though the mask she wore covered a good portion of it, it could not hide all of the scars on her face.
After that experience which was a first for Fan Guang, she decided to follow Valentine and had been by his side ever since, which is how she knew the truth of what happened that day at the Resource Management Division headquarters.
"Ha... you, I knew it had to be something else. Fan Guang, you did the right thing. This guy losses all common sense when it comes to magic. If you let him get away with it once, he'll never learn his lesson." Zi Yi said as looked over at Valentine.
"Fan Guang, you're supposed to back me up in a situation like this," Valentine said with a helpless smile.
"Ah, I apologize. I am still growing accustomed to having these kinds of conversations with others..." Fan Guang said in a remorseful tone.
"No, well, I was only being humorous just now. There's no need to take it to heart." Valentine explained. He could not help but feel guilty after hearing Fan Guang's tone.
"I see, humorous... Ha..." Fan Guang let out a small laugh filled with pity as she believed that Valentine had attempted to make a joke that escaped her.
"Magic freak, what kind of things are you trying to teach Fan Guang?" Zi Yi scoffed as she glared at Valentine.
"Nothing~ Nothing~" Valentine innocently brushed it off with a light chuckle.
Zi Yi went on to reprimand Valentine a few more times before the topic of conversation shifted.
"The Night Lord's Crypt—isn't that where Halls and Guan Yu said their Legion was heading to a few days ago?" Valentine asked.
"Yes, but those two together... I just hope they haven't gone and gotten themselves into any trouble." Zi Yi sighed.
"You're asking for the impossible," Valentine commented with a faint laugh.