“The best plans always are.” Hadjar said in a low tone, and then turned to Enora. He wasn’t afraid that she could’ve overheard them or read their lips. They’d used a language that Einen had taught Hadjar. The elves surely didn’t know such an obscure dialect. “Correct me if I’m wrong, honorable head of the guard, but there’s no law that says House Marnil has the authority to stop free citizens of the Empire from going wherever they please.”
Enora grunted. They really had no legal right or real reason to detain the two. However, Dora, the eldest heiress, had given a clear and explicit order: Einen was not to leave the healer’s chambers until she returned. Enora had no idea what her sister needed the islander for, but her honor wouldn’t allow her to disobey or question the order. Enora served House Marnil and her family. She followed orders without questioning them. She would have time to do so after the task was completed.
“You can go, barbarian. The islander must stay. I’m not asking.”
“I’ll file a complaint with the Magistrate.”
“File as many as you like.” Enora grinned. “But you’ll have to go to the administrative district to do it. And that means you’ll have to leave this place.”
“Good.” Hadjar nodded. “Come, my friend. This wonderful girl is letting us go.”
“Not both of you.” Enora slammed her spear against the floor. The impact reverberated through the hall. Every Spirit Knight there unleashed their energy. Surprisingly, their combined power, the power of a hundred Spirit Knights, was still weaker than the elf King’s. “Only you may go. The islander stays.”
Hadjar narrowed his eyes. Perhaps if she’d asked them nicely, if she hadn’t brought in the armed guards, he would’ve agreed to sit for a while and wait for Hera or the King to come see them. Or maybe Dora? However, she was treating them like prisoners.
“I came here for my friend, elf,” Hadjar said firmly. “I’ll only leave with him.”
The cloak of black fog stirred around Hadjar. Einen’s skin was slowly being covered with iridescent energy scales. Even if the Emperor himself had appeared before them right then, they wouldn’t have cared.
The two weren’t the type that feared those who were stronger than them. All they knew was how to fight and that was exactly what they were going to do.
“Madmen,” Enora whispered with a hint of respect, then turned to the guards. “Don’t hurt the islander. The other one... You can harm him a little.”
“Yes, my Lady!” Dozens of gulps boomed in unison.
“Are you ready?” Einen whispered, gray shadow arms opening wide behind him.
Hadjar wasn’t very keen on once again visiting the shadow world that Einen used to move around, but they had no other choice.
“Ready for what?”
“I’ll explain along the way!”
Einen had almost dragged his friend into the gray world when the powerful pressure overcame them. Hadjar had already felt it, but that didn’t mean he was ready for another confrontation with it. Both of their Calls were blown away as easily as a cloud of steam. With great difficulty, they remained upright. The Spirit Knights didn’t seem to notice the pressure at all.
The King entered the hall.
“Your Majesty!” The guards fell to their knees, bowing to their leader.
“Father.” Enora gave him a curtsy.
Hera and Dora were walking behind the King, who was marching through the hall. Both of them looked worried.
“What’s going on here?” He asked.
“I stopped these two from escaping.”
“Escaping?” The elf’s eyebrows raised. “They aren’t our prisoners, daughter, but Dora’s guests. They’re free to leave whenever they please.”
Enora bowed to her father.
“As you say, father.” She turned to Hadjar and Einen and nodded. “My sincerest apologizes to both of you, disciples of ‘The Holy Sky’ School. I hope this will be enough to smooth out this little misunderstanding.”
She materialized a small bag from her ring. Throwing it at Einen’s feet, she turned to the guards.
“Leave, now!”
“Yes, my Lady!”
“Wait, daughter, don’t run off just yet.” The King said, grabbing Enora’s hand before she could leave. “The Emperor has summoned the Great War Council. You’re going to the Palace with me.”
“The Great War Council?” Enora asked in surprise. “Is he going to announce-”
“Only His Imperial Majesty knows what His Imperial Majesty is going to do,” the King said, nodding in the direction of the two humans. “We’re leaving in an hour. Please, be ready by then.”
“I will, father,” Enora answered, then left the hall along with the guards.
For a few seconds, the atmosphere was quite tense. Dora finally eased the tension.
“Please forgive my sister.” The elf girl smiled. “She cares about me and doesn’t trust humans.”
“That’s all right, senior disciple.” Einen bowed. “We understand everything and would ask you to forgive us as well. We’ve been through a lot and our minds are clouded. If we inconvenienced House Marnil in any way, we’re ready to compensate you however we can.”
Even Hadjar, who’d lived in an actual Palace for a long time, couldn’t speak as eloquently as Einen. What’s more, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d heard him talk so much.
“House Marnil holds no grudges,” the King said. “You may go. I’d like to give you a piece of advice, if you don’t mind hearing me out... In the near future, try not to leave the territory of ‘The Holy Sky’ School. Then again...”
He looked at Hadjar, then turned away.
“You won’t be able to. Dora, take your friends back to the School.”
“Of course, father.” Dora gave him a curtsy as well.
Hera listened in silence, figuring that she had done everything she could. Politics and Imperial intrigue were of no concern to her. However, the Great War Council was a little frightening. Perhaps her healing chambers wouldn’t be so empty and quiet in the near future...
As Hadjar passed the King, the elf leaned over and whispered:
“If you stumble, boy, if my daughter suffers because of you, by the gods, my ancestors, and the Great Forest, I’ll burn Lidus to the ground, sink all the Islands, and destroy every last one you.”
His sister’s face appeared in Hadjar’s mind. And then his mother’s and his father’s, both victims of Darnassian schemes. And although he understood where the King was coming from, Hadjar would not let the man threaten him or those he cared for so brazenly.
“The Empire already tried that,” he growled out and left.
Chapter 511
After the attack on the aristocracy, the city was buzzing with gossip and rumors. It was clear where things were going. People had emptied the shelves of all the stores, buying as much as they could carry on their backs or, in the case of the rich, in their spatial artifacts: food, potions, medicine, weapons, armor, valuable and rare resources, various ingredients... The army officers walked through the crowds of panicked people, trying to calm them down, but were unsuccessful.
Just as animals can feel a forest fire coming, the people felt the war coming. And although the war with Lascan had been going on for almost fifteen hundred years, it had been contained to the western borders of the Empire and had mostly consisted of small skirmishes. Now, after this heavy blow to the heart of the Empire, the people believed that the Emperor would launch a full-scale attack on their neighbor to the west.
Hadjar was very eager to learn how large countries like Lascan and Darnassus, inhabited by hundreds of thousands of Heaven Soldiers, Spirit Knights, Lords, and dozens of Nameless ones, waged their wars. There were also cultivators who preferred to hide from the world and live in seclusion, devoting themselves entirely to cultivation. Even Lidus had a few of those.
“When the war starts…”
“We must prepare for the war…”
“Son, you’d bett
er go east to avoid…”
“Honey, this isn’t the right time to marry a soldier...”
“Mom, stop crying, everything will be all right…”
Such conversations could be heard everywhere. Hadjar, Einen, and Dora were riding on a huge, furry creature. Its forty very odd legs moved rather briskly along the avenue crowded with other riders. Hadjar had never seen so many various mounts in one place, not even in the stalls used by almost all the disciples of ‘The Holy Sky’ School.
“Do you think they’ll really start a war?”
Dora didn’t sound scared. There was no doubt in her eyes, only a firm confidence in her abilities. Someone else might’ve been confused by her talking about the war so casually, implying she would be participating in it directly. She was sixteen years old after all, and she had lived her entire life in luxury. However, Hadjar and Einen were in the heart of cultivator country, in a city where mortals resided on the outskirts, and there were very few of them at that. Even the weakest practitioners here were still formidable warriors.
Einen turned to Hadjar. Of the three of them, he knew the most about war. However, they couldn’t tell Dora about that. She thought that the three of them were around the same age. It was already amazing enough that a sixteen-year-old Prince from an outlying Kingdom had reached Dahanatan after managing to cultivate up to the level ‘The Holy Sky’ School demanded of its would-be disciples. If she knew that Hadjar had also managed to become the Mad General, someone whom the country had first glorified, but had then declared a criminal, she would... Well, it wasn’t worth the risk.
“I don’t think so,” Hadjar said.
“What makes you say that?” Dora asked.
A row of soldiers walked past them, guarding several large carts. Loaded with various goods, they were probably on their way to the barracks. Hadjar wondered if the Darnassus Legions also used wagons, or if they had some spatial artifacts with incredibly large carrying capacities.
There were many civilian flying vessels hovering in the sky, as well as military ones, which were proudly displaying their polished cannons. Imperial wars seemed to be waged a lot more differently than regular ones.
“The assassins didn’t have the Lascanian insignia on them,” Hadjar answered.
“Indeed,” Einen said, remembering the battle.
The battle at the ‘Heaven’s Pond’ had only happened last night, but it felt like a millennia ago.
“I don’t think the Emperor cares about such things,” Dora said. “We’ve been at each other’s throats for too long. In addition, both sides have been preparing for this war for the past fifteen centuries.”
“If so, the assassins would’ve had the Lascanian insignia and their legions would’ve moved to our western borders.” This was a rather painful topic for Hadjar, whose Kingdom had fallen victim to the dispute between the two Empires. But he had to put that aside for now. “The Emperor will probably go on the offensive. We’ll continue this bloody dance forever if both sides refuse to attack.”
Dora paused, then turned to the dark-haired barbarian. Ever since they’d met, she had felt uneasy around him. She also knew that he had recently discussed something with her father and aunt, but both had refused to tell her what their conversation had been about. Dora knew that letting a human into their sanctuary was unheard of. Too many secrets surrounded Hadjar. Einen was a different matter. Only stupid girls liked mysteries, and Dora wasn’t one of them. She’d learned through painful experience that secrets and intrigue only meant danger.
“You know a lot about war,” she said thoughtfully.
“Like any Prince should,” Einen retorted. “Look, it’s the Dinos siblings.”
Two tigers approached their ‘fluffy public transport’. Tom rode the larger and more threatening one. He was wearing his armor, and holding his helmet under one arm. The scabbard of his Imperial sword rattled annoyingly against his steel greaves. Anise rode the second tiger, which was smaller than her brother’s. She was also wearing her armor.
“Good afternoon, eldest heiress of House Marnil,” Tom said in an official tone. “On behalf of the Predatory Blades clan, I offer you my sincerest apologies and assurance that, if not for the urgent need to take part in protecting my clan from an attack, I would’ve stayed and helped you in your own battle.”
If Hadjar were a little more naïve, he would’ve choked on such a blatant lie. However, to the high nobility of Dahanatan, this wasn’t even a lie, but a simple matter of protocol. By the High Heavens, Hadjar hated politics.
“Good afternoon, young heir of the Predatory Blades clan,” Dora said with a restrained nod. “On behalf of the Marnil clan, I accept your apology and hasten to assure you that neither I nor the Marnil clan hold any grudges against the Predatory Blades clan.”
“Thank you.” Tom Dinos bowed while still sitting on his huge tiger.
“Forgive me, my dear.” Anise whispered.
“You had no choice, my friend,” Dora said, smiling warmly.
Hadjar couldn’t help but wonder what had happened in the Predatory Blades clan...
“May we escort you to the School?” Anise asked. “These are dangerous times. Strength in numbers, as they say.”
“Certainly.”
Anise and Dora chattered merrily the rest of the way there. They didn’t look like cultivators who were going to war, more like a couple of normal young girls simply discussing various topics and giggling about them.
Hadjar looked up at the military frigate hovering in the sky. One hundred and twenty cannons mounted on either side. Seven masts. Five decks.
By the High Heavens, the Emperor’s response to last night’s attack would definitely lead to war. Maybe it would happen in a year, or even two, but it definitely would. For the first time in a long time, Hadjar was glad. He welcomed war. After all, it was only during a war that the weak had a chance to become stronger, and the strong could die ingloriously.
A smile brimming with anticipation appeared on the Mad General’s face.
Chapter 512
A considerable number of people had gathered at the entrance to the School. All of them, including the Dinos siblings and Dora, were staring at one person — a girl of about twenty. She was standing in the center of the elevator platform, calmly sipping a tart drink from a jug. Even from where he stood, Hadjar could smell the strong alcohol. He was certain that he would’ve fallen into a coma after just one sip. To the girl, however, the drink seemed about as strong as water.
“Shit! By the Great Turtle!”
Einen rarely swore, so his friend hurried to look where the islander was pointing — the badge on the girl’s chest. It was made of wood, meaning that the girl was a personal disciple of ‘The Holy Sky’ School.
“That’s Drunken Leaf, isn’t it?” Tom asked Anise, trying to keep his tone even. “The man who defeated our brother.”
“Our cousin.” For the first time, Hadjar heard something like a protest in Anise’s voice. “Yes, that’s him.”
A person sometimes said one thing, but their tone ‘said’ quite another. Anise seemed glad about the fact that this Drunken Leaf fellow had sent their brother to his forefathers. Damn it! What had happened to her family if she…?
“Wait, what?” Hadjar suddenly realized something. “He? Not she?”
Dora smiled and patted Hadjar’s shoulder.
“Many people fall for that ruse. Drunken Leaf is a pretty man who likes equally pretty ladies.”
Hadjar looked at the man. The first few rows of his admirers consisted entirely of sighing girls more than willing to put Dora’s words to the test.
“Personal disciples are returning to the School,” Tom suddenly said, a little thoughtfully. He seemed to have forgotten that there were two commoners he hated standing next to him. “It’s still too early for the tournament. A war is coming.”
“War and peace are shadows that life casts upon ordinary people,” Einen said philosophically.
Hadjar sometimes wond
ered how such deep thoughts could come from the mind of a rogue and adventurer from the Islands. Then again, he shouldn’t judge his friend by his clothes and birth, but by his deeds.
“Ordinary people?” Tom asked, once again assuming his familiar haughty and proud manner. “I only see two ordinary people among us. And they should be grateful that we’re tolerating their filthy existences.”
“Tom,” Dora said warningly.
“When viewed through the waters of the World River, we are all ordinary.” Einen shrugged. “And mortal.”
Hadjar slapped his forehead. He was getting tired of this. Einen had probably forgotten that Tom wasn’t a warrior who had fought hundreds of battles, but an aristocrat of sixteen springs. He had insane power and little experience. Einen surely hadn’t intended to offend the young man. He’d just talked the way he’d talk to anyone else who was his equal in experience and age. However, Tom didn’t understand that. He’d only heard the possible insult. To call a cultivator ‘mortal’ was to question their cultivation, their power and position, and even their life’s purpose. It would’ve been difficult to come up with a worse insult for a proud man such as Tom.
“I’m sick and tired of you!” Tom’s shout caught everyone’s attention for a moment, but then they turned back to Drunken Leaf. “I’ve tolerated your presence for too long, you bastards! It’s time to put you in your place. Groveling at my feet. I’ll start with you, islander. If you have any honor, you’ll fight me at dawn tomorrow.”
“Young heir of the Predatory Blades clan,” Dora leaned forward, “who do you think you are? You, a disciple of the inner circle, are challenging a junior disciple! You don’t have-”
Tom, already wound up, flushed and turned to Dora, seemingly ready to threaten her with his blade. Anise had the same look on her face.
But it didn’t happen. Einen stepped in front of the elf. He saluted and bowed to Tom.
“I’ll be honored to fight you, senior disciple. I hope you’ll point out my mistakes and that we’ll be able to exchange experiences.”
“You’ll exchange experiences with your forefathers.” Tom spat, which was very unbecoming of a noble. “Anise, let’s go.”
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