208 Chapter 208
Back in the Aethelian main settlement, a strange scene had arisen.
The proud and mighty Aethelian race were being moved in chains onto their own airships with their Queen whom they thought to be unmatched in the lead.
The capturing of individuals hadn't taken more than an hour, in that time Aron had gone to calm his will within Celes's palace under the guise of investigating it.
With everything ready he soon made his appearance out and looked completely healed, although his eyes still looked a little heavy.
"Is everything set?" He directly asked Anastasia who was coordinating everything along with Jin.
She looked at him different from how she did before, after witnessing his level of power she felt that her chances of escaping his hold over her was near impossible… still the thoughts remained although her caution increased vastly.
The same could be said for Jin, even he had shown shock towards Aron but had quickly recovered to his usual drunken self.
The conversation only covered the matters involving the Aethelian settlement and the prisoners captured which numbered the thousands.
Although they weren't being held in any particular order, Anastasia had taken the liberty of writing a list of everyone's tiers. For Aethelians, even their normal folk were atleast tier one rank D.
"Alright, tell everyone we should start off." Aron feigned not caring of the number or quality of the people so he quickly ended the conversation and turned to leave.
Until they arrived at their destination he didn't want to risk the method by which the device is powered being leaked.
One after another the others began boarding airships, totaling the tens.
The group didn't have enough to man all the airships so they left some in the hands of a captured Aethelian.
The airship Aron was manning was at the far rear, from here he could best monitor the situation of the other airships. With him was Mirai, he knew Sharla was skeptical about him so he separated the two.
After watching helplessly as their people were being captured, Mirai and Sharla were in complex moods and at a loss of what to do.
Thankfully only the King and a few scouts were killed but what about the rest? Would they be used as slaves? Tortured perhaps? She couldn't help but think of only bad outcomes considering the hate between the two races.
"What will happen to my people?" Eventually she gave herself enough courage to ask Aron this as the two stood in the airship's piloting room.
"Most likely death or servitude considering the current state of the world." He answered truthfully and didn't mince words bringing an ever deeper look of worry on Mirai's face.
"Is there nothing you can do to change their fates? Anything at all?" At this point she began growing desperate and her usual serene and calm nature began to break.
Aron turned in her direction and showed a small smile, if she could see this she would be sure to worry even more. "There is a way, but that will depend on you and your people… are you willing?" Aron said vaguely.
"I am." Without needing to consider it, Mirai immediately agreed to the conditions.
Nothing more was said and Aron turned to face forward again while taking out a messaging scroll, as far as anyone was concerned he didn't own one.
Thereafter he began writing something to an unknown party regarding his current plans.
…
Meanwhile the city of Galos and region as a whole was in a frenzy.
Ever since news of the events had been relayed along with the instructions passed supposedly by Lady Rose people began to move in massive numbers towards it.
The city do have the capacity to house just a little over a million people, but after estimating more would be coming a large number of quickly made shelters appeared outside the city.
This wasn't a matter of first come first serve, Galos city first prioritized the safety of it's students and staff so no one was allowed entry as of yet.
Once a good number of their people made it then and only then would they begin screening individuals to allow entry with focus on those with talent.
Thankfully the Galos region was extremely safe and so those who arrived could settle with a piece of mind knowing numerous powerful mages were nearby.
At this moment Lady Uva along with the other important members of the academy had convened in her office privately.
She wore a worrisome expression that didn't go unnoticed by her long time friend Lord Triess who asked. "Why did you suddenly call for a meeting? Did something happen?"
Yohan, Belle and a few top inquisitors and professors present looked in her direction with curiosity and anxiousness.
What would make the Arch-mage look so worried?
"A short while ago I received word of another party that will be coming to Galos to take refuge so I wanted to ask that we prepare room for them, unfortunately we may even need to use up some spots initially saved for our own students." She explained with a somewhat helpless sigh while shaking her head.
"What? Who?" Almost in unison everyone wondered what organization could require them to make such an exception when even aristocrats weren't given any favor in regards to this.
"The people of Aldra." She revealed in low tone and brought looks of surprise onto everyone.
Who were the Aldra? Basically a myth as no one had ever made contact with them or rather done so and declared it.
The only ones to come close were the military of Ettenheim who were pushed back with heavy casualties despite sending nearly their best.
As for what occurred, even they didn't reveal anything leaving others to speculate. Some say the continent was overrun with powerful mana beasts while others claimed the existence of an even more powerful race.
Lady Rose just now confirmed that the latter rumor was true.
"What are they like? Another race? Like us?" An eager professor quickly began to fire questions, this was basically a new discovery and he wanted to know more.
However Lord Triess didn't look at the situation as a scholar but as a member of rival power. "How was contact made with them? And how do you know their intentions aren't bad for us as a whole?" He asked in calm manner but inwardly he was furious that she kept such a big secret from him.
"I've been in contact with them even before I became a powerful mage. As for their intentions, if they ever held such then Ettenheim would have been powerless to stop them regardless." She revealed bringing more sour expressions to the faces of everyone.
Wasn't one threat bad enough?
"I'm sorry I cannot say more regarding this but I ask you trust me. And when they do arrive please do not address them as people of Aldra, they call themselves… Kolien"