Chương 623: B9 - Chapter 1: The Empty Throne

A pleasant wind stirred from the east, bringing a hint of coolness to the summer heat. The hundreds of figures milling about, busy with their own chores, felt their steps grow a little lighter at the sensation. But they didn't dare slack, for there were endless things that needed doing. Behind the bustling crowd, a giant airship, unusual in shape and size, was docked. Its massive form had been propped up by hundreds of wooden beams to stabilize it.

This ship was the center of activity, with people transporting resources to and from the area, seemingly working in an endless stream. From a hill not too far away, a lone figure watched the entire process. His crimson hair gleamed in the bright sunlight, appearing like a fleck of blood in the serene mountain landscape. But despite appearances, he was anything but idle, mentally communicating with several people at once.

The first was Akasha, who kept him informed about the progress of the repairs and her projections.

"Rudimentary combat capabilities should be restored within a few days. But if Host is willing to stay longer, by the end of next week, the light-bending array should become functional again." Zeke thought about it for a moment before answering.

"Continue the repairs. I am not in a hurry to leave just yet."

"Understood." Zeke then turned his attention away from the Alexandria, focusing on the most crowded area nearby. It was their camp, jointly managed by himself, the Cayrnwick family, and Commander Skarn. Both parties, after narrowly surviving the great battle, hadn't been in a hurry to leave either. For one, there were many wounded among them, and only by staying close to Zeke could they also benefit from Raileh's healing Magic.

But more importantly, in this unclear situation, with the Legion's intentions and whereabouts still uncertain, they were reluctant to venture out blindly. It was much safer to stay united and, most importantly, close to Vulcanos. They had all seen what he could do. Even if the Legion were to return in force this very day, they would not be helpless.

This had led to the current situation, where their three companies had formed a temporary alliance, staying at the site of the previous battle, processing the spoils, and waiting for news from the outside world. Zeke kept in constant contact with the other two leaders, leaving their connection open so they wouldn't waste any time on coordination if an urgent situation arose. At this very moment, Karas Skarn had just called out to both of them.

"I have news from the capital," he announced.

"It might be best to discuss this in person." Captain Cayrnwick answered after a few moments.

"I have some things to share as well. When and where shall we meet?" They both remained silent, waiting for Zeke to make a decision. Despite both of them being Archmages and his seniors as mercenary leaders, they usually deferred to him in most matters. One reason for this was his meticulous handling of things, but the more important one was the strength of his force. With the appearance of Vulcanos, there was not a single mercenary company in the world that could rival him.

"Let's meet in my tent. I'll be there momentarily."

"That works."

"I'll be right over." After receiving an affirmative message from both of them, Zeke immediately locked on to his destination. Then, with a single step forward, he appeared inside the confines of his tent. It was one of the Legion's remaining command tents and had all the accommodations expected of such a place. Most notably, a large table with several comfortable seats that they had often used for such discussions. Zeke took his customary seat and waited in silence. Less than a minute later, Cayrnwick arrived.

He nodded at Zeke and then made for his seat as well. Commander Skarn entered shortly after. His sharp eyes flashed when he saw them both already there. He didn't even wait to sit down before relaying his news.

"One of my guys just returned from the capital. He's confirmed the situation with his own eyes." He paused, a slow smile spreading across his face.

"It's true. They've retaken the city. That girl Miriel has apparently already taken over the palace." Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

"What of the Legion?" Cayrnwick asked. Karas shook his head.

"Gone."

"Are you certain?"

"Certain? I suppose I am. At least, as certain as I could ever be with those bastards," Karas explained. Zeke picked up on something in his tone.

"Has something happened?" Karas smiled wryly.

"That fool Marek chased the Legion deep into their tunnel. Word is, he tried to take a few bites out of their rear." Cayrnwick snorted.

"Sounds just like him." Karas nodded.

"But they truly stepped in shit this time. The Legion collapsed the tunnel behind them. Only the rearmost of his men escaped the collapse. Marek's life or death is still uncertain." That made the three fall silent for a long moment.

"Damnit," Cayrnwick cursed, breaking the silence.

"Of all the ways to go, this has to be the most infuriating. After suffering for so long, he still couldn't rein in his greed in the end." Karas shrugged, having nothing more to add. It was Zeke who broke the silence this time. He had noticed something peculiar about the initial message Karas had relayed.

"You said Miriel has taken over the palace. What of the queen?" Karas pursed his lips.

"This part, even I could not confirm for certain, but there is a rumor going around." Cayrnwick leaned in.

"What rumor?" Karas' eyes darted between the two, his lips pursing slightly. The man certainly had a flair for the dramatic.

"They say… the queen has vanished."

"WHAT!?" Cayrnwick, who had been drawn in by his words, jerked back as if he had been burned.

"How could that be? There is no way those Legion bastards could have dealt with an Exarch if even Ezekiel's companion could wipe the floor with them." Sensing that his words had been somewhat rude, he turned to Zeke with an apologetic expression and added, "No offense intended." Zeke waved it off. Karas also nodded.

"I find it hard to believe as well." After a moment of silence, they both turned to face Zeke. Out of the three, he had yet to make his opinion known.

"It's not impossible for the Legion to have taken her." Karas' lips twitched, and Cayrnwick's eyes drew together in disbelief.

"Are you being serious?" the latter asked.

"No offense to your man, but do you really understand how powerful an Exarch is?" Zeke gave him a look.

"I've met at least half a dozen. What about you?" Cayrnwick's face changed as if he had been struck. However, Karas was happy to pick the conversation up where Cayrnwick had left off.

"Then you should also understand their might. How could you make such a bold claim?" Zeke closed his eyes for a moment, performing a silent calculation.

"I can think of… at least four ways to deal with an Exarch of her caliber. The Legion should have thought of even more than that." Both men looked at him as if he were a madman. Cayrnwick, despite the earlier blow to his pride, couldn't keep his mouth shut.

"Four ways to defeat an Exarch? Are you in your right mind?" Zeke shook his head.

"You're thinking about this the wrong way." The two men exchanged glances before Karas spoke.

"Then, please enlighten us." The words sounded mocking, but Zeke knew that was not the intent. Both commanders had seen his strategic abilities often enough to know that he had a talent in that field. Even so, they could hardly believe his claim. Zeke thought about it for a moment. He didn't mind revealing a little bit of his thinking to these two. In the end, the truth would be revealed one way or the other, and this might be a chance to build some goodwill in advance.

"You shouldn't think of her as a combatant," Zeke explained.

"That will only lead to a dead end." He nodded at Cayrnwick.

"As you said, if even Vulcanos could crush them in a head-on fight, then there is naturally no way the Queen couldn't do the same."

"Then how should we think of her?" Zeke's expression turned peculiar.

"A Queen." He wasn't done.

"A ruler." Another pause.

"A mother." The faces of both men changed, and the way they looked at Zeke shifted. Zeke, unfazed by their expressions, continued his explanation.

"A rogue Exarch is like a force of nature. They can neither be stopped nor bound. That is exactly why the King of the Dead is so feared. But what about the Queen of Rukia? Could she abandon her citizens? Her people? Her own children?"

"What you mean to say is…?" Karas started, his words cutting off as he realized it too. Zeke nodded.

"It's not an enviable position. With the Legion closing in from all sides, she was likely not even able to move from her palace. Going west would expose the east; going north would expose the south. On top of that, her Nature Affinity can't match the speed of even a lower-ranked Wind Mage. What could she even do if they kept their distance?" The men exchanged uncertain glances.

"But even if your words are true, wouldn't all of that scheming still only allow them to tie down her movements? She should still be at the palace." Zeke sighed deeply.

"Maybe. Maybe not. Who can say what methods the Legion has? Maybe they exhausted her. Maybe they relied on a secret technique. Maybe they forced her to surrender by taking her entire people hostage. Against someone with something to protect, victory does not always require defeating them physically." Both men fell silent as they listened. But Zeke didn't want to dwell on their reaction. These were just his idle thoughts. In the first place, the methods used by the Legion were of secondary importance.

The real crux of the matter was that the Queen was gone. Her absence left a vacuum that needed to be filled.

"Did Miriel ascend the throne?" he asked after a moment.

"I don't know."

"How about the rest of the nobility? Did they rally behind her or oppose her?" Zeke pressed.

"About that," Karas started, "it seems like the capital was completely deserted." Cayrnwick also chimed in at this moment.

"I've received word about that as well. Apparently, even the surrounding cities were left empty." Zeke's fingers slowly drummed on the table, deep in thought. The Queen was gone. The nobility was gone. Even ordinary people had been taken. This definitely had the Legion's fingerprints all over it, which meant it was unlikely they would find any of the missing people. With this level of damage, the country had been effectively hollowed out. At this point, it didn't even matter who ascended the throne.

Rukia, as it once existed, was no more. Likely, the current population wouldn't even be able to hold on to half the land. Perhaps only a quarter would be possible to retain. It all depended on what choices the new ruler would make. A strange light glinted in Zeke's eyes. Amid the tragedy, he could see something else. An opportunity.

"We should begin preparations," he said, instantly gathering the attention of the others.

"Preparations?" Karas questioned.

"For what?"

"To leave," Zeke explained.

"I expect that we will be summoned before long."