Legacy of the Dark Sage

"We’ve detected a significant surge of magic within the Dragon plane, persisting for several hours," Midnight reported, her figure blending into the background behind Lucian.

"What caused it?" Lucian asked, his voice devoid of emotion.

The background shifted as Midnight shook her head in apology, "We could not decipher the plane’s barrier and failed to infiltrate it. We tried using our Divine Sense but noticed a detection array on the barrier and retreated at once. If not, the Dragon Emperor would have discovered us."

Lucian did not answer and only continued to look at the scene before him. There was actually nothing to see atop the high platform. But his gaze suggested he was looking at something only he could see.

Midnight tensed as the silence stretched between them. She initially did not want to report the activity in the Dragon Plane to The Emperor without gathering enough information. But after receiving a distress call from Raelia prior to the surge of magic in the Dragon Plane, followed by her disappearance, it was the only thing they knew that could divert The Emperor’s attention.

"Basically, you’re telling me that there is nothing to report. Is that right?"

"T-That’s... Since you wished for us to keep an eye on the Dragon Clan, we thought it was only right to let you know any activity they were up to."

"And what are they doing then?"

"W-We... are still looking into it."

"So then, there is nothing."

"...I—!"

Midnight gasped as a flash of light pierced her body. Given her innate magic nature, such a feat should not have been possible. But The Emperor easily did it, showcasing his Light magic’s penetrative capabilities.

"Gah!" Midnight spat out a mouthful of blood. However, rather than painting the background with red and gold, which was the common blood color of beings in the Higher Realm, her blood appeared similar to a black fog that splashed throughout the surroundings.

"I want a definitive report by the end of the day."

"Y-Yes, Your Majesty," Midnight replied without even trying to negotiate. Submitting a report by the end of the day was impossible, but she had to do it. The Emperor did not mention any punishment, but he did not have to. In fact, the way he demanded a report by the end of the day suggested that he would mete out appropriate punishment if she failed.

Midnight disappeared as soon as she accepted The Emperor’s orders.

Truth be told, the one the Emperor pierced with his magic was not Midnight’s real body. It was only her essence. This was because the nature of her magic allowed her to be anywhere within a certain range around places she ruled. Still, The Emperor managed to damage her real body, and if not for the distance that reduced the impact of his attack, she would have received a fatal injury.

Midnight’s real body was with Deus.

When The Emperor attacked, Dues’s expression darkened when he witnessed Midnight’s body convulsed and spat out a mouthful of blood.

"He is angry."

It was not a question but a statement.

Deus knew The Emperor long enough to know that Midnight’s report angered him.

The night shifted as Midnight wiped the blood from her lips.

"Yes," she replied, even if Deus was not really asking.

"I have a saint-tier potion here—."

"It is fine," Midnight refused the potion Deus offered at once. "If His Majesty discovered that you gave me a good potion to heal the injury he inflicted, you’ll also suffer."

"Your concern is a little concerning."

"Don’t be. I just don’t want to suffer even more. After all, I’ll be the one whom he will punish for accepting your help."

"..."

"In any case, this is nothing compared to what we’d go through if His Majesty learned about Raelia’s disappearance."

Dues frowned, recalling the distress call they received before Raelia’s signal disappeared.

"Is there really nothing left in the site where she sent that distress call?"

Midnight shook her head.

"The whole area was spotless, which is why it is suspicious. Raelia likely met someone..."

"The Void Master?"

The fact that nothing was left in the area where Raelia’s distress call came was very suspicious. Thus far, the only one they could think of capable of removing anything was the Void Master."

"The Void energy sample did not react."

"...How about Azazel’s?"

"You know him better than anyone. Do you think he’ll appear before Raelia?"

"He won’t, but Raelia could have found him, and they fought... hard."

"Are you really saying that? We’ll notice if the two of them fight. Besides, that friend of yours should not have the capability to overwhelm Raelia. He had been staying in the Lower Realm for thousands of years. Even if he regained some of his strength by returning here, that does not mean he can fight Raelia on even grounds."

Midnight paused as her eyes glinted. She remembered Raelia’s strength and found it impossible for anyone apart from Ames to overwhelm her.

To be honest, they initially suspected Ames of attacking Raelia. Since they could not prove the truth of the rumors and given the former’s temper, it would not be wrong to suspect her of attacking the latter to demand an explanation as to why her clan was accused of such dirty charges.

Deus’s eyes glinted as he also thought of Ames. However, they also could not consider her as a suspect because she was a walking calamity. If she and Raelia fought, there would have been traces of devastation all over the place— however, there was none.

"But finding what happened to Raelia is not our priority," Midnight continued after a short pause. "His Majesty wants us to investigate what the Dragon Clan is up to."

"I guessed that much..." Dues sighed. "How much time did His Majesty give us?"

"End of the day."

"..." Deus felt his head throb. Since they were outside the plane, it was hard to tell the time because they were surrounded by the darkness of the night. Nonetheless, he was aware that it was already early in the afternoon. Considering this, they only have less than half a day to find out what the Dragon Clan was up to.

"Contact her and see if we can find anything."

Midnight frowned, knowing full well whom Deus was referring to when he mentioned her.

"Will she even agree to disclose any information if she does have one? Besides, His Majesty would not be pleased if he discovered that we sought her out. He is fond of her, after all."

"We’ll just have to cover our tracks properly. In any case, His Majesty did not say anything about not seeking her out, right? In any case, we’ll not be the ones to approach her. Use someone else from one of our informants hiding among the neutral clans."

"Then I’ll see what I can do."

"I’m sorry, but I can’t help much. I can only provide you with manpower using my Automatons."

Midnight dismissed Deus’s apology and said, "You can’t move around the Higher Realm quickly. Thus, I won’t blame you for being useless at this moment."

"Careful with your phrasing. I won’t take offense. But if it’s others..."

"I phrased it as such because it is you," Midnight chuckled before her figure shifted and she left.

As soon as Midnight left, Deus’s eyes turned solemn. Before they received Raelia’s distress call, he raided an unconquered plane’s underground cave because his automatons had discovered a hidden base.

Unfortunately, he only discovered an abandoned rebel group’s hideout.

Deus was greatly disappointed, but finding the hideout made him realize that Raelia had been doing what the Emperor had told her to do without hesitation.

If Raelia found out what The Emperor did to her clan, Deus wondered how she would react.

Initially, they wanted to feel her out by sending her to search around the Dragon Plane. However, she sent out a distress call before they could do so.

Deus found the timing too convenient. It was as if someone or something had staged whatever happened to Raelia.

They were not the Fates. That much Deus was sure of because they favored The Emperor. And Raelia’s disappearance was not favorable for The Emperor.

’Should I go and investigate?’ Deus thought. Though he trusted Midnight to do a good job with her investigation, having another person check the scene would not harm them. They might even find or see something they could not from the initial investigation.

With that in mind, Deus made his way to the location where Raelia’s distress call was sent.

*

Unlike Deus, who was stressed, Raelia, the object of his investigation, was recuperating well in Ames’s mansion.

"I’ve noticed it since earlier, but Ames’s visitors are not dragons, are they?" Raelia asked Alta, who kept her company inside one of the rooms in Ames’s mansion that the Regis did not occupy.

Standing by the window and looking down at the patio, Alta nodded in response to Raelia’s question.

"Yes. If I’m not wrong, they are Lord Null’s people."