Chương 627: B9 - Chapter 5: Departure

Ten days passed in the blink of an eye. From dawn to dusk, workers crawled over the wounded hull of the Alexandria like ants over the carcass of some great beast. Everywhere, the sound of hammers, saws, and shouted orders filled the air. On the third day, Captain Cayrnwick gave the order for his people to depart. Before the column set out, he came to find Zeke. The man looked much the same as always, composed, sharp-eyed, and difficult to read. There were no grand proclamations, nor any oaths sworn.

Only a brief clasp of arms and a few quiet words between two men who had fought side by side and survived by the thinnest of margins.

"This favor has not been forgotten," Cayrnwick said. Zeke met his gaze and nodded.

"I know." After that, the Flesh Mages began their march toward the capital. Zeke understood their eagerness. They could not afford to remain away from the center of politics for long. Their talents were wasted in an empty camp and on a quiet road. Flesh Mages were born spies, able to mold their features, alter their build, and wear another person's face as easily as others might change clothes. Crowds were their hunting grounds. Wherever people gathered, information gathered with them.

And wherever information gathered, they would find a way to profit from it. The Unending Brigade was less hurried about their departure. Their camp came down at an almost leisurely pace, and the summoners themselves showed little concern over the delay. After all, with their summoned familiars, they could travel at a speed not much inferior to a state-of-the-art airship. But ultimately, with the Legion gone, there was no longer any urgent reason for them to remain either.

Skarn came to offer a few words of farewell. He looked up at the Alexandria's battered hull, then shook his head.

"Somehow, I am starting to think you could make even a corpse fly if given enough time." Zeke smiled faintly.

"Only if the corpse was expensive enough." Skarn snorted, then led his people away. After that, the camp felt strangely hollow. Only Zeke's own forces remained, along with the half-elves who had been recruited during the war. They were soldiers for now, but not truly his. Everyone knew it. They had joined him out of necessity during a time of crisis, and Zeke had promised to return them to their queen once the road was safe. Which it now was.

And as the days dragged on and the appointed time for the Merit ceremony drew closer, whispers began to spread. At first, they were little more than murmurs near the cookfires. Then they became muttered complaints in the supply lines and suspicious glances whenever he passed. Zeke said nothing. He already knew who was stoking the fire of dissent behind the scenes. Naturally, it was the Archmages he had brought from the Sanctuary.

During wartime, they had followed his orders meekly enough, glad for the chance to contribute without placing themselves in harm's way. But that had all changed now. With the queen granting them merits, their perspective had shifted once more. Old ambitions had slowly begun to stir again. Now, their greatest fear was that Zeke would refuse to keep his word to turn them over. That would not only put them in a difficult position but could also mean that all the merits they had been gifted might be declared forfeit.

For now, however, they didn't dare do more than stir the rumour mill from the shadows, and that was a level of protest Zeke could accept. Besides, their fears were completely unfounded. He had no intention of missing out on the merit ceremony. Finally, on the tenth day, the news he had been waiting for arrived.

"Host," Akasha said inside his mind.

"Preliminary repairs are complete. The Alexandria remains far from full combat readiness, but normal flight maneuvers are possible. The light-bending arrays have also been restored to partial function." Zeke closed his eyes for a moment. Beneath his feet, the fortress gave a faint tremor, not the groan of a dying beast, but the first slow breath of one waking from a long sleep. Then he smiled. Within the hour, the order passed through camp. Tents came down. Fires were smothered.

Supplies were loaded, tools packed, and the last repair crews recalled from the hull. By sunset, every soldier, worker, and half-elf had boarded the flying fortress. A low vibration spread through the Alexandria as its Enchantments stirred awake. Damaged plates shuddered. Runes flickered along scarred sections of the hull, some steady, others dim and uncertain. For a moment, the entire fortress seemed to strain against its own wounds.

Then, slowly, the wounded fortress rose into the sky and turned toward the capital. The inner regions of Rukia were far less spacious than the vast outer territories. So, despite Zeke's command not to push the ship to its limits, they reached the capital a full day before the ceremony was set to begin. The moment news spread that they had reached the city, Zeke was immediately swarmed with petitions for an audience.

Within the first hour alone, Akasha had counted dozens of formal requests, messages, and hastily written notes demanding his attention. Not only the ten Archmages, but also the two princes, Edras and Khaelryn, were apparently asking to see him. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. It wasn't hard to guess what they wanted. With the imminent danger passed and their escort to the capital complete, he had outlived his usefulness in their eyes.

And so, the moment he gave everyone permission to leave, a great exodus ensued. Naturally, many did not leave without showing gratitude. Most of the prisoners he had freed, as well as the resistance fighters they had picked up along the way, departed with tearful faces and promises to repay this debt in the future. One former prisoner bowed so deeply his forehead almost touched the floor. But ultimately, they still had to leave. Zeke didn't begrudge them their choice.

Most of these people had been separated from their families early on during the war and had no idea about the whereabouts of their kin. Many, Zeke guessed, would not be able to locate a single surviving member of their family, but the mere chance that it could be otherwise already meant they would not abandon hope. This was a motive Zeke both understood and deeply supported.

He not only sent these people on their way with his best wishes, but also paid each and every one of them a hefty commission for the time they had served him. Even tallied up, the total amount paid was no great fortune to him, but to these poor souls, who had lost everything to the ravages of war, those few coins might be the difference between a soft bed and the life of a vagrant. More than one of them shed tears when they received their coin, vowing all the more fiercely that they would repay this kindness.

That night, the Alexandria was far quieter than it had been in months. The common rooms, usually bustling with activity, were almost completely deserted now. The only people left behind were those who had nowhere else to go. Some had already confirmed with their own eyes that none of their family had survived. Others had never had any close family to begin with. The largest group that remained, however, was the countless war orphans.

Whether they still had family or not, it would have been far too dangerous to send them into the world as they were. And Rukia, in its current state, didn't have the resources to care for them. In a time when even adults were struggling to put a meal on the table, who would have the time to care for a stranger's child? And so, a bizarre situation arose where nine out of ten inhabitants of the Alexandria were between the ages of three and fourteen.

In any other situation, the remaining staff would likely have had a hard time caring for such an overwhelming number of children. However, the situation aboard the ship was nothing like that. One reason was the fact that Akasha was incredibly efficient when relaying orders. If not for her unfeeling nature, she would likely have made for a great educator. Even so, her presence ensured that every child knew perfectly well where they had to be at what time and what was expected of them.

The other, more important reason was that these children had all matured far beyond their years. War had that effect on people. The mischievous pranks or lawless behavior typical of children their age were almost completely absent. Maybe it was because they felt true gratitude, or maybe it was because they feared being cast out if they misbehaved. Whatever the case, instances where the children caused trouble were almost nonexistent. Most of the time, they didn't even need to be told twice before obeying.

Thanks to that, the order of the ship didn't collapse, despite the amount of manpower that had suddenly been lost. Zeke's gaze swept over the mess hall. The children were seated neatly on the long benches, enjoying their meals while talking quietly among themselves. Leo and David, who had taken on the main responsibility of caring for them, walked up and down the long tables to make sure they had everything they needed, as well as to ensure nobody misbehaved.

Otherwise, bullying could become a real problem when troubled children were left without oversight. But no such cases ever occurred. Their presence alone was enough of a deterrent, especially David's, who had once again adopted the personality of the stern butler. He had quickly become a symbol of authority and discipline in the children's hearts. Leo, on the other hand, was more like an older brother to them. Having grown up an orphan himself, he had quickly become a role model for these children.

His presence had a similar effect as David's, but instead of fear, they simply hoped they wouldn't disappoint him.

"What are you going to do about them?" A voice from the side interrupted his musings. At his table, where only a select few were allowed to sit, there weren't many who would speak so bluntly. But this person definitely had the right to do so. It was Rhea, the Titan. She had asked her question between the ferocious bites she was taking out of her steak, somehow managing not to slur her words despite the impossible task. Her husband sat next to her, eating his salad with the composure of a true gentleman.

However, when he heard his wife's question, his attention also shifted toward Zeke. The last person having dinner with them was Irisen. Out of the native Archmages, she and Cassius had been the only ones to remain with him. Zeke had not expected her to stay. Her connections to Rukia ran deeper than almost anyone else's. Not only was she nominally married to one of the two surviving princes, but she also had a close relationship with the reigning queen.

At Rhea's question, Irisen's gaze briefly moved toward the children as well. Zeke's gaze never strayed from them as he answered.

"What else can I do?" he asked, as if there really was no other choice.

"I'm going to find a place for them to settle. Fortunately, I have coin, space, and enough people who owe me favors." Rhea slowed her chewing for an instant, her brows rising. Zeke knew the reason for her strange reaction. Titans, just like the other members of the Ancient Races, had the ability to detect falsehoods. That was why she could instantly tell that he was not just spouting nonsense but actually planned to follow through on his words.

"You mean it?" she asked after swallowing another bite.

"You'll find a home for all of them?" He gave her a look.

"Didn't I just say so?" She gave him a thumbs-up, her mouth already too full to speak. It was Cassius who continued the conversation in his wife's stead.

"That is quite noble," he said, his eyes filling with warmth. Zeke had seen enough to know that Cassius's detachment was mostly an act. The man had crossed half the country for Rukia once already, and it had almost cost both him and Rhea their lives.

"If you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask for my help," he added. Zeke nodded gratefully. A favor from Cassius wasn't something he would turn down. Even without thinking too deeply, there were dozens of things he could use the man's help with. His ability to cultivate exotic plant life was a priceless treasure in the hands of any merchant.

"What do you plan to do after this is over?" he prompted. Rhea gave her husband a look, whereupon he sighed deeply.

"We are still undecided. A part of me wishes to assist the new queen in restoring order. Rukia will need every helping hand it can get, especially now." Rhea's fingers tightened briefly around her cup, but she said nothing.

"But…" Zeke prompted. Cassius gave him a helpless smile.

"The situation is… complicated."

"You're afraid they'll take advantage of you," Zeke finished for him.

"Again," he added. Cassius remained silent for a moment before nodding. During his time protecting the Sanctuary, he and his wife had been worked nearly to death by the council under Prince Edras and the ten Archmages. It had mainly been due to ignorance, and Zeke doubted such a situation would repeat itself under the new queen, but he could not blame them for distrusting any chain that looked too similar to the last one.

"If you are still undecided after the ceremony," he said, looking at both of them in turn, "come find me. I might have a way that will allow you to help Rukia while retaining your autonomy." Rhea agreed easily, after which Cassius also gave a light nod. It wouldn't cost them anything to hear him out, and if the deal he could offer was better than what the queen proposed, then they would definitely consider it. Zeke lifted the napkin from his lap and wiped the corners of his mouth.

Then, he gave each of the three a light nod before excusing himself.

"I recommend you all rest early tonight," he said.

"Tomorrow is going to be a long day, and it would not do to make a bad impression due to carelessness. Etiquette, after all, is the true foundation of a lord." The couple merely nodded at his words, but Irisen's brows furrowed. She seemed to hear something more in his seemingly casual words. Zeke only smiled at her as he left. He, too, would have to make his preparations for the coming day.