CHAPTER 122: ATTACK ON FREEHOLD (1)

Inside Sage Maximus’ estate, Zephyr was in his room, going over knowledge about registers and various forms of memory with Aegis when he suddenly perked up, picking up the sound of footsteps incoming.

"Komi?" He stood up immediately, rushing to the door. Unlike her usual silent steps, what Zephyr was hearing was unsteady and hurried.

He opened the door and saw her dragging herself against the wall towards his room with grit.

"Komi?!" He rushed towards her immediately.

"We’re in danger," she let herself slump into Zephyr immediately he reached her. "We’re in grave danger Zephyr," she repeated with a heavy pant.

"What’s happening?" Zephyr held her up straining his senses to the max, fully at alert. From her voice, he could tell that whatever was happening was extremely serious. Her voice was extremely shaky and croaky, while her clothes were also very damp like she had gone through a long battle within the short time since he’d last seen her.

Zephyr readied a spell immediately, and various fire spells began to float around him just waiting to be compressed at a moment’s notice. He didn’t know what was going on, but it was better to have his spells ready.

"There’s no one here now." Komi noticed his alertness and explained to him. "My father has been captured."

"What...?"

"There have been double agents living among us for years, slowly building up power and trust," she shook her head. "I don’t know how or when they first arrived.... But they did. And now those of them in powerful positions have decided to finally act... they attacked so swiftly—"

Zephyr’s breath quickened. Freehold had been infiltrated?! This was all happening way too fast... And just when he had gained some stability again too.

"Father was right... If not for father—" Komi muttered rapidly. "You. The Pathfinder. You’re their main target Zephyr," she grabbed his arm tightly. "We cannot let them get you. This space will hold up against most attacks, but not for long. We need to figure something out. Let’s go to the laboratory!" she made to move but staggered, nearly falling to the ground.

Zephyr lifted her in a fireman’s carry immediately, "Direct me!" he yelled, rushing down the hallways as Komi weakly called out the directions.

"What now?!" Zephyr urged her as he slammed open the doors to the sage’s laboratory. If the situation had been different, he might’ve taken in the surroundings better and appreciated the vast calculations and test-spell models that covered the walls, but at the moment, he couldn’t be bothered with any of that.

Komi pulled away from Zephyr and held on to a table, leaning against it as she pushed herself towards a specific shelf.

"Father had been working on space magic extensively for the last few years," she sorted through the stacks of parchments on the shelf, "he asked me to come here if things ever go haywire," she pulled out a specific stack of papers and spread them out on a table.

Zephyr was by her side, looking at the parchments as she spread them out. "Calculations...? What are they for?" he looked puzzled as to how this was going to help them at all.

"Yes. Calculations to separate this pocket space from Freehold totally."

Zephyr looked up immediately. "Separate this space...?" Wasn’t this the same thing the Grand Commander back at the military camp had done during their escape? "How are we going to traverse the void..." he asked solemnly, "or ever find our way back...?"

Komi stopped and looked at him in slight surprise before a realization dawned on her, "That’s how you got here..."

"I’m not going to be a part of this if we’re going to be heading blindly into the void," Zephyr shook his head. "You have no idea how terrifying it is. I’d rather take my chances here instead."

"We’re not going to be heading in blindly." Komi reassured, "...at least I don’t think so?"

Zephyr stared at her pointedly, "So you’re not sure about this."

"I don’t kn— Father had successfully created the spell models needed for this years ago. In fact they are embedded throughout the entirety of the spatial lining of this pocket space," she explained, "but the calculations required to remain hidden in the void while being close enough to our world was what had been eluding him for years."

Host. These are calculations for spatial jumps. Aegis, who was busy deciphering the images of the calculations on the parchments while Zephyr was discussing with Komi, said.

Zephyr paused abruptly. ’Aegis, can you complete it?!’ he sent a thought eagerly.

Already done, host.

Zephyr’s breath hitched. ’D—Done?!’ he asked in disbelief.

They are calculations for minor spatial jumps, host. Still within the planetary neighborhood too...

Maximus seemed to have been going about it in the wrong way. I do not know for sure how the mages here cast space magic like teleportation, but I must say, if this barbaric brute forced method is how they go about it, then you are in for a treat in the future, host. Aegis replied with a tinge of superiority.

’Huh?’

You will understand when we reach that point. For now, what you should know is that it can be done... as long as there is a powerful and stable power source.

"This is wrong." Zephyr interrupted Komi, who was still trying to explain the probability of their survival.

"What?" Komi asked in confusion.

He pointed at the calculations, "The spatial calculations, they’re wrong... Well, not wrong per sé... With these calculations, our stay in a space disconnected from Freehold and even the planet as a whole can still be ensured," Zephyr started to mouth off the explanation Aegis was feeding him directly, "But we would never be able to move from that location again. If we ever do, our close proximity to the planet would trigger a spatial disturbance that will be immediately detected by everyone looking for us. " Zephyr shook his head.

"I think this is what stumped your father for years... How to make spatial movements of this scale without triggering a disturbance. And I understand why he could never have succeeded. It boils down to the way you all cast spatial magic fundamentally," he finished and turned to Komi, who stared at him with wide eyes and a slack jaw like he’d grow two heads.

"...and how do you know all this?"

Zephyr shrugged. "I know a lot of things. Don’t concern yourself with that... Rather, I just want to know... If I correct the calculations, can you effect the change in the spell model?" he stared at her intently.

She stared back at him with a thousand questions at the tip of her tongue to ask, but she held back. The situation was dire, and anything that might help them even in the slightest was most welcome.

She knew Zephyr very likely knew what he was talking about, since he had hit the crux of all she was trying to drive at with her explanation right on the head.

Yes. Her father had been facing the exact problem Zephyr had pointed out.

To prevent them from drifting off into the void, they still had to anchor their pocket space to the main world. This was a fact that not only Maximus knew, but also any sufficiently capable person. Anyone looking for them would start out by combing through the surrounding space of their planet.