Hunter of the Evernight
Chapter 370: In the presence of a madman

Chapter 370: In the presence of a madman

There was a flash of black and white in the dark cavern illuminated by faint motes of golden light.

Unlike the glow of the Lightbringer, this light was much dimmer and was not for illumination of any sort.

Regardless, that was hardly relevant as Alex emerged from the flash, his steps measured as he approached the source of the light.

There, he came across a most intriguing sight.

It started as a crisscrossing of several golden threads with Ana at the center and before her, a loom created with the golden threads.

She looked quite sickly, which was a testament to the stress she’d undergone.

"Hey..." She greeted weakly noticing his presence.

Alex’s eyes fell upon the black and white circle on her forehead causing his expression to fall. "How much of it did you use?"

"Don’t worry. Not much, just enough to ensure everything went smoothly."

"You shouldn’t have."

Ana shook her head. "It was my mistake. I ended up causing Plan A to fail and..."

"That’s enough, Ana. You did well."

"..." Ana remained silent but a faint smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

"Alright, come on, it’s time to head back. Our work here is done."

"Mn." She nodded in response as the black and white circle faded with the golden threads dissipating at the same time.

Alex moved quick enough to catch her before she fell to the ground, her breathing noticeably weak.

Letting out a sigh, he stroked her hair and muttered softly. "Good job."

Then he snapped and in a flash of black and white, was gone from the cavern.

***

The next few days were met with much activity from the Supreme Order as they tried their best to break down Aragon’s defenses to get to the last target.

Unfortunately, their attempts only served to prove what both sides were starkly aware of.

They could not allow a full-blown conflict, especially now that the Eastern Highlands was starting to bear its fangs.

Allowing themselves to grow weak would only lead to unfortunate circumstances later and so, the Supreme Order had no choice but to relax their attacks for fear of getting more damage than they could handle.

With no other choice, the Mouthpiece or rather, Adelia had to seek out the aid of those she thought capable of ending the stalemate.

Currently seated in the Augustus manor, specifically, one of its gardens which faced the direction of the capital, she indulged herself with some tea and snacks, her gaze transfixed above as she waited for someone and soon, they arrived.

It appeared like a flying luminous object but on closer inspection, one would be quick to realize that it was a gryphon streaking through the sky, covered in white hot flames.

Soon, the Gryphon arrived in the garden and in a flash, transformed to reveal a man, one she was all too familiar with.

Though compared to the memory Alex had forced her to relive, he looked much older now, older than he was supposed to be.

"Brother."

"You called for me." The man remarked, ignoring her greeting like he didn’t hear it.

Suppressing the feelings she felt, Adelia replied. "The situation is getting worse. Aragon continues to remain stubborn and is unwilling to release the last dust person. I’ve already tried reaching out to the Great Families for help but they have their hands full with the Eastern Highlands. I need your help to convince the Emperor to act."

The man regarded Adelia for a moment, his expression filled with utter disdain.

"Ezra..."

"Ezra is dead!... I am Albert, the butler of his imperial majesty and it would do you well to refer to me as such."

Adelia stayed silent, her eyes flickering with emotion as she stared at the man who once protected her from the dangers of the world.

She’d always wondered why her father treated her mother like trash after he’d taken his place as the Emperor’s right-hand man.

Now she understood why.

In the presence of a madman, especially one as powerful as that great figure, it was difficult to remain sane.

So to protect their loved ones from the insanity, it was best to completely forget them.

It was pathetic and made Adelia question if it was all worth it.

But at the end of the day, she realized her thoughts were foolish.

The Empire and everything in it owed their all to the Emperor, regardless of who he was now.

In any case, it’s not like that was why she had called him.

So albeit pained, she pushed on. "As long as the Emperor is aware, a simple gaze can be enough to set the Beastmen straight. Please just let the Emperor know."

"The Supreme Order was created to serve the wishes of the Emperor, the wishes he saw fit not to handle himself. Now you tell me that you can’t handle those same wishes and plan to give them back to him?... I have known you to be weak but not an imbecile."

"..."

"If this is why you called me here, I will be taking my leave now. If you cannot handle the situation with Aragon, then might as well step down and find someone more competent to take your place."

With those words filled with unbridled disdain, he turned and transforming into a gryphon, departed the garden, trailing a fiery path back to the Capital, leaving Adelia silent and unsure of what to do.

Biting down on her lower lip, she clenched her fist and then with a wistful sigh, muttered. "What now?"

***

Three weeks went past in the blink of an eye or at least it felt that way for Alex.

He’d spent the better part of it in Victoria’s lab, studying the intricacies that persisted in the disease known simply as the Blight while all the while carrying out tests and the likes.

In all his years as a spy, nothing could have prepared him for the life of a scientist which is why after much struggle, he had no choice but to seek the help of Albus.

It was for the old man’s good anyway, might as well seek guidance from those already in the field.

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