In the distant Ashen clan’s stronghold, a knock reverberated through a stark office.
"Enter," commanded a woman, her face devoid of the warmth she’d once shown beside her husband. A cloaked figure in black entered, delivering a letter with a respectful bow. She scanned it, her lips curling into a grin. ’So, he killed him.’
"This boy has just killed a family mber. What should be done?" she asked, her tone probing.
"He should stand before the law court," the figure replied stoically.
"But he doesn’t know our law?" she pressed, her eyes glinting.
"Anyone who attacks a mber in ignorance must be killed," the figure stated.
"Yet, this boy is also a family mber," she countered, relishing the exchange.
"A family mber ignorant of our rules should be taught and answer for his cris," the figure concluded.
"Taught, huh," she mused, nodding. "Yes, that’s what we’ll do."
The figure bowed and exited.
Monts later, another materialized in a distant chair, gazing out the window. "Provoking him further isn’t wise," he said, his voice soft.
"I don’t understand why you defend this boy, Alphen," the woman replied, her gaze sharpening.
"At least let him find them," Alphen urged gently.
"You were always soft on that girl, and now it’s passed on to her children. I don’t understand you," She said, her tone detached.
"They’re still ours, Isla," Alphen said, turning to et her eyes.
Her frown softened, then she sighed, "I know, alright." She raised her fingers, "Two years, he has two years."
Alphen smiled, looking out again. ’Kid, I’ve done my best. It’s up to you now.’
***
Baines woke up, and the first thing that struck him was a ravenous hunger clawing. Oddly enough, he found his pocket space more useful in this situation. He pulled out food from the space and began eating.
A month had passed since he’d slain the Ashen assassin, marking four months of his year at Soctis and one month of an unknown deadline set by the Ashen clan. As he was eating, he reflected.
’The person I just killed already told how Ashenfall can be used. I think I need to go there soon, but I need to finish forming so techniques, then form another core.’ The thought of forming a core made him tremble. That was the worst form of pain anyone should endure. Even after numbing the pain, he felt it for two weeks.
The main point was, he was on track with ti. ’I might even finish before the seventh month, but before that,’ His gaze fell to the teleportation book, the third treasure.
It was ti to use it.
Opening it, he found a blank page save for the word "Coordinates" at the top.
"Eye, what are Dawnless’s coordinates?"
[34.5678N, 90.123W]
Using mana, Baines inscribed the coordinates, and the book glowed, weaving a magic circle in the blank space. As one could guess, this treasure could teleport him anywhere he’d already been; all he needed were its coordinates. It was a ga-changer.
"Wick," he called. Wick appeared, copied the circle, and within minutes, a swirling portal opened to Dawnless.
Baines stepped through, dizziness fading as he erged in Dawnless’s heart. Onlookers flinched at the intruder until he shed his Kirk Barn disguise, and Wick behind.
"Leader," echoed through the mbers’ minds, so bowing, others rushing to the central building.
Minutes later, "Baines!" The voice echoed.
Ralph, fresh from closed-door training, soared out, his voice thick with emotion as he greeted his brother.
"Brother," Baines said, his eyes bright, ignoring the executives trailing them, and embraced him.
In his office, they spoke, catching up on four months apart.
Baines had suddenly gone back to the Darkan family impromptu, then straight to the empire. It had been four months since then. He ca for two reasons. The first was naturally to et his brother, and the second,
"The whereabouts of Father and Rokin?" Ralph repeated, pain flickering in his eyes, the separation was still like a raw wound on him.
"Yes," Baines pressed.
"Haa, unfortunately, I don’t know," Ralph admitted, then his gaze hardened. "But I’m certain, Rokin hasn’t left this continent."
Baines leaned in, listening intently.
"This continent is largely dominated by the Lunar Dominion, Solaris Empire, and Vodal Kingdom," Ralph explained. "Beyond them, there’s the Last Front, bordering the route to the Forest of Beasts, and the territorial waters leading to Vodal. Our Baek family was in the Free Principalities, close to this continent’s edge, near the Lunar Dominion."
’That’s true, we were located close to the lunar dominion, so if there is any suspect, it should be the lunar dominion.’
"But that’s the issue," Ralph continued. "The Lunar Dominion isn’t like the empire." A dominion, unlike an empire or kingdom, encompassed multiple realms, with its ruling family overseeing subordinate kingdoms and empires in its land. aning, it was too large.
"The kingdom at the Dominion’s edge, Heartfla Kingdom," Ralph said, eyes narrowing.
"What do you know about them?" Baines asked, signaling Wick to summon the executives. Now that the eting had taken a more business turn, it was ti for the executives to work once more.
The power they were now exuding was that of stable dragonic humans. There were no signs of them being dragons, except that their physical characteristics had beco larger. Then they were asked the sa question.
"The Heartflas?" the third executive muttered.
"It’s been a while," the second executive mused.
"You know them?" Ralph asked.
"Yes, I’ve visited a few tis," the second executive replied.
"What can you tell us?" Ralph pressed.
"They’re a strange lot. Their royal family has purple hair, one red eye, and one blue," he said, grimacing.
"What else?" The first executive asked.
"Their royal family alone numbers over ten thousand."
The group widened their eyes at this word. What was that ant to an?
"Yes, it must’ve increased now. Their royalty is so common, you might bump into one on the street. Like they want to flood the kingdom with their bloodline."
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