Magic is Programming-Chapter 57B2 : Reinforcements
King Elston Kalor flew straight up, ignoring the remaining rebels, to draw level with Nyralis. He narrowed his eyes and glared at the supreme enchanter, head of the Enchanters Guild. The man's soul, far from the weakness it had held in past meetings, was strong and sturdy. He personally matched the resilient solidity of the air-thickening dungeon effect and the soul-cutting swords, greater than ordinary orichalcum rank but less than true royalty. He also wore several enchanted items of similar power.
Elston nodded at his new opponent. "I take it you are responsible for the inexplicably-potent artifacts these fools wielded against me."
He immediately acknowledged the message, and the number of responding locations ticked up to 1. He turned and ran inward toward the wellspring's central area and the rapidly growing dungeon-mansion/castle there. Major Ordens came into sight, running from the opposite side of the wellspring, as he approached the building's door. He called out to her, "Major, fall in!"
"Yes, sir!"
She took up position just behind and left of him as he knocked on the door, hard. "I need to speak with Lord Carlos at once!"
The door opened after only a few seconds, revealing both Carlos and Amber looking at him curiously.
Lorvan skipped any pleasantries, confident that the two specific nobles in front of him wouldn't care. "I need you to teleport us to the center of the Kalor Barrens. Princess Lornera has called for emergency aid from all available forces." He frowned and hesitated. "I also request that the two of you come to fight as well."
Carlos blinked at him a few times, and Amber's face paled. "Why?"
"No other locations have acknowledged the call. I can think of only one explanation for why, and it means no other aid will be coming."
Carlos nodded slowly. "Right, the receiving equipment everywhere else is being blocked by the sabotage. But why ask us to fight? How would we be of meaningful help in a fight that the Crown can't handle alone?"
Lorvan wasted no time in bluntly stating his answer. "I know that your soul plan is of royal grade. Your disguise is good, but the amount of aether you absorbed and how slowly your Level increased gave it away several weeks ago. Even a maximum orichalcum-rank ordinary soul plan would have advanced through the Levels considerably faster than you did, and would have taken less aether to do so. Only a full royal-rank soul plan would require the immense quantities that the two of you have absorbed."
"I… see." Carlos blinked again and stared silently.
Amber pushed Carlos to the side to make room for herself at the door. "If you knew that long ago, why didn't you say anything before?"
Lorvan looked at her sternly. "I don't see how that is relevant to this emergency. Regardless, you seem loyal to the Crown, and greater power in service to the Crown benefits the Crown. Now, will you help?"
Amber exchanged a look with Carlos, then cocked her head. "We could teleport you to Kalor Palace first, so you can rouse the garrison there?"
Lorvan shook his head. "I lack the authority to command the palace garrison, convincing them of the truth would take time we can't spare, and a pair of royals above the garrison's Level could be more helpful than the entire garrison. And again, this is an emergency. I request all haste to respond."
Carlos nodded grimly. "You said the center of the Kalor Barrens? I'll need that in a form I can input to a spell."
