Chapter 122: His message
"Who are those letters for?" Harry asked, noticing that Edward had written a series of different letters, all containing the same information.
"We have helpers this time. Or at least, people I have to inform in order to try to outsmart these guys," Edward replied, wrapping up the letters to give them to various magical birds.
"Really? Who are they?"
"Aurora is one of them. Arnold is another."
"Are there more?"
"Elder Owen is the last one."
Harry looked at him in shock. "That legendary man? You know him?"
Edward looked at him and nodded. "Of course. He was my teacher for a few years."
"Wow. Being Elder Owen’s student—the leader of the Province—must be impressive. And do you get along well?"
Although Harry was asking questions that had nothing to do with the mission, Edward felt it was a good idea to have him around simply because it helped him clear his head.
The two talked for a while, until it was time to send the letters.
"We’ll send these from different parts of the city, and then we’ll go investigate that place you mentioned." Edward handed him a letter and asked him to mail it from a certain part of the city, before he himself left the mansion to send the others.
--
Inside the Academy.
Owen was watching the setting sun with a frown from his office.
Despite being a carefree old man who takes little interest in things unrelated to traitors, this time he was very interested in the events concerning Ashford.
His sharp nose was picking up a scent.
When his coffee was finished, the door opened.
"I’m back, Master," said Gideon. Acting as a subordinate to Owen for the first time, he gave him a military salute.
Owen didn’t turn around. He looked at him through the reflection in the window and nodded slowly.
"Did you find out anything?" he asked.
"Master, the situation has become complicated because the academy is holding us back too much. We want to venture beyond the academy’s permitted grounds because we believe this goes beyond our region, but we can’t. Still, the Red Moon Cave seems to be behind it," Gideon replied with complete sincerity.
"The problem of the academy tying you down will still remain for a while. But don’t worry, I’ll sort it out before you graduate," Owen assured him. "Now, this Red Moon Cave..."
He smiled slightly. "I want to destroy it, and no matter who its leader is, I want his head here. You should be able to investigate further, right? I’ll give you full authority to operate in this region. And if anyone tries to stand in your way—even if it’s a duke—I’ll personally kick his ass and send him back to his territory. I’ll give you two months."
Gideon was taken aback. "Two months?" he asked, in shock.
"Can’t you do it?" Owen laughed. "I feel like that’s too long for you and your beloved group. How about we cut it down to one month?"
Gideon swallowed hard. "I like a month. I’ll make sure to..." Gideon suddenly frowned and looked up. His magic moved quickly, trying to intercept something that was coming.
"Don’t bother. It’s a small bird. Don’t stop it from delivering its message," Owen said without moving.
Gideon nodded and immediately withdrew his magic. "I’m sorry."
"Heh, you need to sharpen those senses more, but for now I’m satisfied. That ability of yours to strike with magic without showing it is what will make you great." Owen raised his hands and caught the little piece of paper the bird had dropped.
He immediately began reading it, and the more he read, the more he frowned.
Faced with the silence, Gideon approached. "Is it something serious?" he asked.
Owen read the contents over and over again before nodding.
"It’s not that it’s serious; it’s valuable information."
"Then why are you frowning, Master?"
"Because I don’t know who it’s from," Owen replied. "It mentions several clues linking Mervan to traitors—a way to keep the Castle of Justice quiet, since they’ve been causing trouble lately. I should thank him for that."
"I think you would have found it without much trouble," Gideon said.
"Heh, well, if someone’s saving me the trouble, I suppose I should be grateful." Owen moved on to the next topic. "Alric Dorne is in the hands of traitors, with information linking that Henry to him. Apparently there’s something going on over there. Don’t you want to go check it out?"
"In the Lower District? Yes, sir. What I came to report is that we found a possible Red Moon Cave cell there. We have inside information."
"Good, then this person is reliable." Owen smiled. "Go get ready. Your mission starts today, and come see me often."
"Yes, Master. I’ll be back soon." Gideon turned and left.
Once the door closed, Owen frowned. ’Could the Vire be traitors? This is something that goes beyond our territory,’ he thought.
He turned to sit down at his desk and poured himself some more coffee. ’But a traitor is a traitor... I’ll have to make my move too, won’t I? Since you want to take one of my men, dear Vire, I’ll have to come visit you soon. If the hands of the clock move in your favor, you could be the next king.’
"But if they don’t..." Owen laughed...
--
For most of the day, Aurora spent her time constantly worried and unable to rest. She couldn’t even study magic.
She simply waited for news. She received many messages from her family’s territory and from her own people, who served only her, on her father’s orders.
Everyone was worried and desperate.
In the late afternoon, when the messages had stopped coming and the stress was mounting, a message arrived.
It was from Edward.
His words brought her peace. Especially the last ones.
-...I’ll need your help, but I don’t want you to come here. Send your men.
She understood Edward’s entire plan immediately and knew that he was trying to help her family, just as he had said. She decided to calm down and take a deep breath so she could do what she had been told.
So she set out to do what she had been told.
--
Arnold sighed when he saw the message arrive.
"My friend, you’re playing with a fire that’s hard to put out. And you expect me to help you with something so simple? Sigh. Not even I would dare to fight them, but since you want that little bit of help, I’ll give it to you. We’ll see what you’re made of then."
--
That night, Edward dressed in dark clothes that covered him completely and went out into the city.
In the lower district, with the help of information provided by Harry and his men, he managed to venture into unknown and dangerous territory.
It was an ordinary house that looked as if it were falling apart. But it led to a basement with various entrances and exits.
Upon arriving, Edward had to take out a guard before he could look through the basement doors.
’It’s huge,’ Edward thought. ’And there are quite a few people.’
Looking more closely, he noticed that they were all wearing the same type of clothing: light gray with black and the symbol of the Red Moon Cave on their chests.
But the most astonishing thing was that there were beasts of the cursed lands walking among them. They were humans allied with beasts.
’It’s good to know they’re traitors. That way I’ll kill them without remorse,’ he thought, but suddenly he frowned.
He sensed chaos.
The basement was several meters underground, so it was hard to find them. Even so, a strange heat began to emanate from the other entrances—which were clearly not visible—and the sound of explosions engulfed them.
He suddenly saw a horde of those people and beasts running toward him... which left him in shock.
’Have I been discovered?’ he thought, and hid. But after a moment’s thought, he realized that couldn’t be it.
The look on the faces of those running toward him was one of fear. ’Are they fighting someone else? As far as I know, this basement has been operating for years. Are they being attacked today of all days?’
He must have had some really bad luck for someone else to be intervening at this very moment. But if they were attacking his enemy... they must be his unwanted allies.
Edward smiled and, without giving it much thought, decided to stick to his plan. He dropped several explosives on the ground at all the nearby entrances. At the same time, he also covered most of these explosives with dry straw.
It didn’t take him long to do it. Thanks to the chaos unfolding in other regions, no one interrupted him.
The moment he finished, he smiled and looked at the cave.
Just then, his eyes met those of a man who jumped onto one of the houses in the cave.
He was wearing the academy’s uniform, but it was styled differently. His clothes were black with white stripes, and he had several weapons in his pockets within easy reach. Still, what made him stand out wasn’t his attire or the fact that he belonged to the academy—it was the distinctive number emblazoned on his chest.
101.
’101st Regiment, the Mage Gideon!’ Edward recognized him instantly. His heart raced and his body trembled. At the same time, he saw ten others doing the same.