Chapter 1007 Bad News from the Southern Border
"Your Majesty, we have bad news from the southern border! The rebel forces that Prince Aldric defeated before have returned! The city of Kalbar has been completely destroyed!"
The report from the Minister of Information startled Seira, who was sitting on the throne.
"What did you say? Say that again."
The minister trembled with fear but forced himself to speak.
"Your Majesty, the rebel forces at the border have returned! This time, they completely destroyed the city of Kalbar!"
The throne room instantly fell silent.
All the ministers present turned pale upon hearing the news.
Seira's expression darkened as well.
"What exactly happened? Tell me. Quickly!" she ordered coldly.
"I-I don't know how this could have happened," the minister replied nervously. "B-But according to our spies on the ground, the rebel forces somehow managed to regroup. They launched a surprise attack, and Kalbar was destroyed in a single night. It seems they used some extremely powerful magic. The entire city was left in ruins."
Seira clenched both fists tightly. A moment later, she calmed herself and took a deep breath.
"I understand. Today's meeting is over. You may all leave."
None of the ministers dared to object. They bowed their heads toward her before turning and leaving the throne room.
Once everyone had left, Seira gathered her thoughts before calling out.
"Orion."
Whoosh!
Orion appeared beside her.
"What are your orders, Your Majesty?"
"Summon Jorgan. Tell him to come here immediately."
Orion didn't dare to object and vanished at once.
Fifteen minutes later, a tall man with a short beard entered the throne room.
He stopped two meters from the steps leading to the throne before kneeling respectfully.
"What are your orders, Your Majesty?"
Seira stared at him intently.
"Don't play dumb. Tell me—what's really happening in the southern region? How could the strongest fortress on the border fall so easily?"
Her voice was cold and menacing.
Jorgan took a slow breath before standing up and meeting her gaze.
"I'm sorry, Your Majesty. This matter is complicated, and I'm not sure where to begin."
Seira rested the side of her face against her right palm.
"There's no need to be so stiff. Just tell me everything in chronological order."
Jorgan nodded before recounting all the information he had gathered from the Phantom Chain.
Only after he finished did Seira fully understand what had happened.
"Corvin, who had initially retreated, suddenly returned with a larger force? And Aldric has been missing since last night?"
"That's right, Your Majesty. That's the report I received from the Phantom Chain this morning. I'm sorry I didn't report it sooner."
Jorgan lowered his head.
Seira shook her head.
"It's not your fault. What matters now is why Aldric disappeared. And who destroyed the city of Kalbar overnight?"
Suddenly, Seira remembered Orion was still standing beside her.
"Orion, do you have that kind of power?"
Orion nodded.
"I can do it, but my destructive power isn't that strong. My magic is more focused on close-range combat. Draco and Phoenix, however, can do it. Their destructive magic is truly terrifying."
"I see. Then I understand," Seira muttered coldly. "A Celestial Mage has been pulling the strings from behind the scenes and helping those rebels."
If the Holy Empire of Valtanir was the culprit, everything suddenly made sense.
"Is there absolutely no trace of Aldric? I mean, where was he last seen?"
Jorgan shook his head.
"None, Your Majesty. After he returned to Baron Rowan's mansion, he simply vanished. Unfortunately, after Kalbar was destroyed, everyone there perished, along with any evidence that might have been left behind. Finding clues in a situation like this is extremely difficult."
After destroying Kalbar, the rebel forces continued advancing toward the other cities.
It was only a matter of time before they launched an even more devastating assault deeper into the southern region.
"Keep searching for Aldric. Queen Vanessa will definitely come to see me. If I haven't done anything by then, she'll pressure me, and that'll be a huge hassle," Seira said, massaging the bridge of her nose.
Aldric's disappearance was a disaster. He was the first prince, the queen's biological son, and one of the candidates for the throne.
The public would surely question the imperial court if they simply allowed him to disappear without a trace.
"I understand. I'll take care of it."
Jorgan placed his right hand over his heart and bowed his head.
After receiving permission to leave, the throne room fell silent once more.
"Orion, summon the Constellation Mages who are on standby. I need their help. Contact Duke Malvain as well. I need to meet with him. After all, this mess happened because of his overconfidence. He was the one who allowed Aldric to lead the forces and hold back the rebels at the border."
"I will," Orion replied respectfully.
"And one more thing," Seira added. "I'm planning to send one of the candidates for the throne to lead the war. Who do you think would make the most sense?"
Behind every disaster was an opportunity. The same was true of the current situation.
Stepping forward and becoming the leader of the forces sent to crush the rebels was a rare opportunity.
Aldric had taken that opportunity, but he had failed.
Orion looked into her pink eyes and smiled.
"Do I even need to say anything, Your Majesty? Don't you already have a candidate in mind?"
Seira chuckled softly.
"You really are smart. Well, I won't keep it a secret any longer. Send a letter to Elina and ask her to come to the palace. I want to discuss this matter with her."
It wasn't favoritism, but among the current candidates, Elina was the most suitable. Adalen was unreliable, and Seira had no idea where that damn kid was.
Cedric was barred from entering the capital, and Seira herself was in conflict with his uncle, former Prime Minister Roswell.
That left Elina as the only candidate who could take this opportunity.
Orion didn't say a word. It wasn't his place to interfere in Seira's decisions as the ruler.
Without another word, he stood up and disappeared from view.
…
"My child! My child!"
Vanessa screamed hysterically, sobbing uncontrollably.
"Your Majesty, please don't cry! I'm sure His Highness Aldric is still alive!"
A maid tried to calm her down, but it was no use.
Vanessa continued to cry loudly, her distressed voice echoing through the room.
The other maids also tried to comfort her, but none of them could calm her down.
"Let her cry. You may all return to your duties."
A firm voice suddenly came from behind them.
When the maids saw who had arrived, they were startled and quickly bowed their heads.
"Good afternoon, my lord."
Jason merely nodded without saying a word.
After the maids left, Jason walked over to Vanessa and spoke calmly.
"Don't cry, Vanessa. Aldric surely isn't dead."