257. Unpredictable Timeline
“Everything is happening too fast...”
Eugene stared into the swirling depths of his wine glass tapping in lightly, the crimson liquid reflecting the flicker of the hearth. His voice was barely a whisper, heavy with the weight of a future that no longer aligned with his memories.
Sitting across from him, Seraphina offered a gentle, reassuring smile as she adjusted the hem of her azure uniform. “You cannot blame yourself, Eugene. You have changed so many variables in this life; it is no wonder the future has become unpredictable.”
Eugene took a slow sip, the rich vintage doing little to settle the knot of anxiety in his chest. He looked up at her, his heart easing slightly at the sight of her calm composure. “You are right,” he admitted, placing the glass down with a soft clink against the wooden table. But as his gaze drifted back to the scattered reports on the desk, his expression darkened once more. “But at the rate events are accelerating, I fear the Witch might appear far sooner than I anticipated. Perhaps… any day now.”
Seraphina tilted her head, a furrow appearing between her brows. “But didn’t you say the Cult of Absolution is still searching for her? In your memories, they only found her after the Conley Empire used their influence in Bolita to annex Otto City.”
She paused, her eyes widening as the realization struck her.
“But in this life… Her Highness Ravenna has already annexed Otto,” Seraphina murmured, piecing the logic together. “The balance of power has shifted prematurely.”
“Exactly,” Eugene said grimly. “With Otto under the protection of the Kim Dukedom, the tension between Otto and Bolita has escalated from a slow diplomatic stranglehold to the brink of immediate war. The Cult will not wait for the dust to settle. They will act faster to secure their leader.”
He ran a hand through his hair, overwhelmed by the cascade of disasters outlined in the intelligence reports. Prince Landon’s rebellion was gaining traction in full force; the Conley Empire was probing the southern borders; Prince Nolan was dead. The stability of the Ancorna Empire was fracturing, and amidst the chaos, the Cult would undoubtedly trample over the ruins to revive the Absolute Being.
“It feels as though we are standing on the edge of a precipice,” Eugene confessed, his voice hollow.
“Enough with the doom and gloom!” Seraphina declared, standing up abruptly. She reached across the table, grabbing his hands and pulling him to his feet. “If the inevitable is coming, then we will face it. We need to speak to the Solious Pope and begin preparations immediately.”
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She stepped closer, closing the distance between them until he could feel the warmth radiating from her. Her eyes, bright and mischievous, locked onto his.
“But before we save the world,” she purred, her voice dropping to a flirty whisper, “why don’t we fix your mood first~?”
She pressed a soft kiss to his lips, her hands guiding him gently but firmly toward the bed. For the first time that evening, the weight of the future faded from Eugene’s mind.
The Gilded Loom, Otto City, Free Cities, Southern Islands, Eastern Continent
The air in the private office was thick with the scent of stale coffee and ink. Kenric Jade sat slumped in his high-backed chair, his eyes scanning the endless stack of logistics reports illuminated by the glow of a magic lantern. Dark circles hung heavy under his eyes, a testament to the sleepless nights spent ensuring the annexation of Otto City’s coastlines ran without a single hitch.
The door creaked open, and Vice Captain John of Kim stepped in, his swift armor clinking softly.
“We’ve finalized the patrol schedules,” Vice Captain John reported, his tone brisk and professional. “We will be leaving three steam-ships here to maintain a defensive perimeter against Bolita. The rest of the fleet will set sail for Kim Dukedom within the hour.”
Kenric leaned back, rubbing his tired face. A faint, satisfied smile tugged at his lips. “I heard the returning ships are at full capacity,” he said. “Packed with those intending to immigrate to Kim Dukedom.”
Vice Captain John nodded, a rare look of relief crossing his face. “They are. We’re taking thousands. Given the sheer volume of applicants, we’ll have to make several round trips to transport them all. But with this influx, the manpower shortage that has been plaguing the factories and functions in Kim City will finally be resolved.”
“Her Highness will be pleased,” Kenric murmured. He reached into his desk drawer and pulled out a sealed envelope, sliding it across the polished wood. “Alright. Thanks for informing me. Give this letter to Her Highness for me. It contains the updated intel on the local guilds.”
“Understood,” John said, taking the letter and tucking it securely into his attire. “I’ll ensure it reaches her hands directly. Alright then, I’ll be—”
Suddenly, the door burst open with a violent bang.
One of Kenric’s men stumbling and tumbling rushed in, breathless and frantic, his chest heaving as he scrambled to find his words. He shouted in his native tongue of the Hilde language, his voice cracking with urgency.
"Mr. Jade! Mr. Jade! Lord Dain jaada maaku dorikindi!"
The exhaustion vanished from Kenric’s body in a split second. He shot up from his chair, his chair scraping loudly against the floorboards as his hands slammed onto the desk.
“What?” Kenric demanded, his voice trembling with a dangerous intensity. Then in Hilde he repeated “What did you say?”
Vice Captain John looked between them, confused by the foreign tongue but alarmed by the sheer ferocity in Kenric’s eyes. “What is it? What did he say?”
Kenric didn’t look at John. His gaze was fixed on the man, his heart pounding against his ribs like a war drum. The name echoed in his ears, a ghost he had been chasing for years.
“They…” Kenric whispered, his voice choking with raw emotion. “They found Lord Dain. The man to whom my sister was sold!”