CHAPTER 141: REQUEST FROM THE CAPITAL

Vitori really didn’t want to attend any guest today, given his daughter was returning today. Yes, she didn’t send him a letter regarding her return, but he knew.

However, an unexpected request arrived from the Capital, none other than from the Captain of the Royal Order.

The Royal Order is a battalion that works under a single man who has recruited and trained every single soldier under the banner.

The Royal Order directly reports to the Emperor himself because they are usually assigned duties concerning national security or matters that cannot come out in the light.

A well-trained unit which comprises just thirty members—but those thirty are enough to take down a whole army if the order comes from their Commander.

And the Commander in question, Astaroth Dawntress, was currently sitting before the Tower Master.

"I don’t understand... why would the Council suddenly raise a red flag when my men didn’t sense any change in the frequency of Death Sink?" Vitori asked as he heard the reason behind this sudden meeting.

Apparently, the Great Hall had given information to the Capital that very soon several hundreds of Sinks might appear.

And that sounded ridiculous, since nothing had changed. The number of corrupted humans was below average compared to the last five years. So what suddenly brought this disastrous discovery?

"We aren’t sure, Chief Warden, but from what I have heard—again, nothing concrete—something happened during the little contest the Great Hall organised recently." The Knight Commander, a man with a clean-shaven head and a small moustache, sat there with his thick brows furrowed.

He was wearing silver armour, but the equipment couldn’t hide his broad build and thick arms.

Kaizek, who was standing a little far away, could tell that this man was probably the strongest knight in the Capital just by how much aether he was radiating.

Being hypersensitive to aether, he could tell.

"It’s quite concerning," Vitori muttered under his breath as he leaned back in his seat.

The Great Hall was the regulatory department of law and justice. Those people were the pillars of humanity, and they were not limited to only this continent. Every continent had their Great Hall.

So, for them to make such a statement, they surely must have a good reason behind it.

"What do you think, Kaizek?" Vitori suddenly turned towards the blindfolded man standing on the side.

The younger one nodded. "I have heard the Archon has recently visited the Great Hall... so there might be some weight to this news."

Vitori’s brows elevated. "Victor himself appeared? Now that’s a sign of disaster."

Commander Astaroth nodded. "That’s why the Capital wants the Tower’s help, Sir Vitori."

The silver head narrowed his eyes and said, "As I have told the central ministry in the past too, I don’t train soldiers here. The East Wind is a home to inventors and those who seek knowledge over power. What possibly can we do for you?"

The bald man paused for a beat before he finally revealed, "The central ministry wants the East Wind to cast a barrier around the palace, Sir Vitori."

Vitori, for a moment, couldn’t believe what he had just been asked.

But seeing the expression on the other side, he knew he didn’t hear a joke.

However, he didn’t reject him right away. Rather, he asked, "Have you confirmed how long this elevated rate of Sink appearance would last?"

Astaroth shook his head. "We haven’t been able to ascertain how long it will last."

Vitori hummed before he presented another query, "What about the scale of the monsters?"

"They would probably be high-ranking, Sir."

Vitori nodded. "So, the central ministry wants me to send my elite barrier specialists to stay in the Capital, continuously protect the palace for an uncertain period of time, so that they could protect the ministers and the Emperor? Am I getting it right, Astaroth?"

The Commander exhaled a sigh. "I know how it sounds, but you must understand that until a body has its mind, the body will somehow recover."

Vitori chuckled. "Don’t give me that logic, Commander. We both know Empires rise and fall, it’s nothing new. And if I really have to push my people to erect a barrier, why would I not choose the Tower rather than the palace?"

Astaroth’s expression hardened as he said, "Sir Vitori, we are well aware that the Towers are an independent body which exists for the sole purpose of public welfare and development, but if the Empire falls, who do you think would be the next place those Devils would target?"

Vitori’s eyes turned cold. "Was that supposed to rattle me?"

The Commander heaved a sigh. "No, Sir. I am just stating that this is a critical situation where we must stay united and face this danger as a single unit rather than caring about only oneself."

Vitori frowned but didn’t say anything right away.

Just then, the doors of the main hall parted and four figures appeared from the other side.

Vitori’s expression eased seeing the familiar girl stepping inside.

The Knight Commander frowned at the disturbance, but when he saw the Master advancing towards a girl who had similar silver hair as the man and hugged her, he realized why this was allowed.

William glanced at the man dressed in the silver armour and he recognized him instantly.

He had seen him a few times at noble gatherings or during the awarding ceremony held in the Capital two years ago.

"Ah, my brave girl. What a pleasant surprise," Vitori said as he parted from his daughter and cupped her cheek.

Emma smiled faintly. "Really? You didn’t know that I was coming?"

Vitori laughed it off before he heard the Knight Commander saying, "I will leave now, Sir Vitori. Please consider what I said." He gave a brief nod before making his way towards the entrance.

His gaze briefly landed on William, and his eyes turned sharp.

William exhaled a sigh... well, he hadn’t forgotten what happened when they met.

Natalie was also present during the ceremony, and being forced by the curse, he misbehaved with her. Surely, that had earned him the animosity of her father—that is, the Knight Commander.

As he turned his eyes to the front, he saw both Emma and Vitori looking at him. The latter had his eyes scrunched as he studied William.

The blond one exhaled a sigh as he finally took a step forward and introduced himself. "Hello, sir. My name is William Delimore."

Vitori stared at the hand extended towards him, but he didn’t shake it and told the younger one, "Come with me."

Without another word, he turned and started walking.

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A/N: Thanks for reading.