Rising god-Chapter 140: Imperial Escort

The second vessel mirrored the first, thirty meters, compact, with a waiting room for soldiers and a command room dominated by a central chair and Eye’s orb, now pulsing violet and silver.

Baines entrusted the second to the three executives; he was beginning to have a slightly positive idea of them. It was a rare shift in his guarded heart.

Afterwards, he issued orders to restructure Dawnless, both its hierarchy and infrastructure. He didn’t want to hear anything like ’disparity’ or close to that.

"Create a large section for the production vessels. Expand the territory if needed. Build quarters for Wick and my divisions. They stay." His gaze shifted to the dragons. "Vitka is the fifth executive, effective now."

"Who’s the fourth?" Ralph asked, grinning.

Baines ignored him and continued,

"Soon, the internet will be released, and with the Orion Assembly, we’ll spread it beyond this continent." Roughly but surely, the locations of his family were getting clearer; what this internet would do was a contingency plan. In case, along the way, something leading to another happened, he wanted to be aware as soon as possible. That was the whole purpose of the Internet.

"How do we handle Marroon, he’s been crowned the underground king after chasing Roderick Darkan away and gathering all the underground members," the Third Executive asked.

"Let them have their fun," Baines said. "For now."

A gulp echoed in the silence, the weight of his words chilling the room. Ralph hesitated. "What about the Mistars?" He’d been meaning to ask.

Baines shook his head. "They have to be under chains."

Ralph’s expression was bitter. As he got to know Mirta more, something was budding. Baines could also see it, but he wouldn’t let anything go to shit because of one slip up.

They moved behind the main building, where Baines offloaded the things he brought from the ruins, and after further instructions, he left the hierarchy restructuring to the executives.

The building restructure began immediately as a section near the main hall was declared off-limits, designated for the internet’s main hub.

Mages and alchemists set to work, their tools sparking with violet runes, while Baines joined Ralph.

For four days, they spoke, ate, slept, drank, but didn’t laugh. There was joy in their company, but it wasn’t full. In those days, Baines didn’t do any work and just relaxed, maybe except for his regular cultivation of his will to cut and decay.

On the fifth day, he was atop the volcano, the air thick with sulfur and the ground boiling with the lava’s intensity. Baines was meditating when the world shifted to pitch black. Instantly, he knew who it was.

"They sent someone after me," he said, sensing the presence. He was talking about the ashen family member he killed.

"It was just a test," the old man replied, his voice weary, emerging from the void.

"I hate tests."

"So you killed him."

"I wanted to flay him, but he died too fast."

The old man sighed. He didn’t know what to say. Was he meant to be proud or something?

Baines continued, "I thought you gave me your word."

"Haa, it’s complex," he said. "I’m presently not in the clan."

Baines glanced up. "How long?"

"Twenty years." That was how long he had been out of the clan.

"Wait, so the preparation you were making was for when you returned?" Baines finally pieced it.

"Exactly."

Baines nodded in understanding. ’So, this old man was probably not even aware of what happened to his family because he wasn’t in the clan, but he still took the blame because it was his responsibility.’

"Who?" He was asking who led the clan in his stead.

"Your grandmother," the old man said, smiling faintly. "However, don’t take her lightly. She’s ready to cut down anyone, even family."

"But I have no plans to meet her."

"Well," The old man sighed, "She will summon you for killing a clansman and your mother’s crimes."

Actually, a part of him was expecting an outburst, but Baines took it in well.

"But I bought you time."

"How long?"

"Two years."

"How much has passed?"

"Nine months."

Baines gave a defiant gaze. How was he being told of a time limit of two years, nine months later?

The old man was shameless enough not to even act apologetic.

"Anyways, you won’t see me for a while,"

Baines nodded.

"You won’t ask why?" The old man asked.

"Would you tell me?"

"You’re too weak to know." The old man sneered. Honestly, he couldn’t believe Baines hadn’t reached grandmaster.

"Right, just to rub it in my face."

"Haa..." The old man chuckled. "Later," the darkness fading.

That same night, Baines bid Ralph farewell and returned to his room in the Moon Tower and took off his clone.

The night passed, and the morning came with a new experience for Baines. He had already spent his year limit in the academy, learned how to use magic, and also achieved all his goals and more. Dressed in formal academic robes, he carried his luggage to the ground floor.

"Oh, you...why are you here now?" The front administrator was even more aggressive today. Maybe it was due to the current relations between Solaris and Lunar, or she naturally despised Baines; it was unknown.

"I’m leaving."

"Thank heavens! I don’t know how they let untalented people walk this earth," she spat, quickly stamping his papers for him to leave.

Baines took them without any thought of the insult and strolled down to the Sun Tower, crossing into the Solaris territory.

Before he reached the exit of the sun tower, a large number of students were gathered. An imperial escort had arrived earlier today, and when asked the reason for their visit, they announced,

-The tenure of the student name Jin has ended. He is to report to the red sun effectively.

Those words threw everyone who heard them off course. Wasn’t he declared dead? And wasn’t that like already about eight months ago, so what was this all about?

Naturally, the students gathered here to see just who would come out. All those reports about him being dead were they a lie? And where exactly had he been in the academy all this time?

That was until an average-looking student strolled out from the crowd.

"Who is that?"

"He looks average."

"But look, the signature scarf around his neck."

"Yeah, that, but I heard he was quite handsome."

"Shit, that guy never reached the fourth floor in the sun tower, is that Jin?"

Mark and the surviving guards bowed lightly, recognizing their master. The golden knights said nothing, escorting Baines into a rune-etched carriage. For them, as long as the servant recognized their master, it was all fine.

Mark reported everything that had happened, courtesy of the Orion Assembly: "The Orion assembly has been diligently performing their duty. They have finished the first step they were assigned, but since the second step is a continuous process, they are continuously creating the relay constructs. It just remains to dispatch them. They also covered the cost."

"What do they want?" He knew they had been performing well from what Eye reported, and they were also intelligent enough to know it was something big; obviously, they wouldn’t want to help without wanting anything in return. That was why he asked that.

"Thirty percent."

"Alright. What else?"

Mark thought about it for a moment before just speaking, "The Solaris haven’t been doing well lately."

"How?"

"Our relationship with the vodal has gotten sour, but they are still cautious of the disappearance of the wind god, so they won’t attack. But the storms have already begun their skirmishes; it seems they’ve all entered Solaris. Then there’s the deal with Lunar. Recently, with the terrorist attack on the Flameheart kingdom unable to be explained, the Lunars are getting wary of us. The Darkan are now in shambles, and the imperial family doesn’t know what to do as there are threats all over, and finally, the outliers, even with an imperial’s presence, not much has been accomplished."

As Baines listened, he realized something. One way or the other, he was connected to all the problems that were happening.

Because of him, the wind god disappeared and brought in the storms. Because of him, there had been an attack on Flameheart Kingdom. Maybe the Darkan wasn’t his fault; however, he was the one who regained their heritage. And as for the outliers? They were running for the ruins of Ashenfall.

"That is not all. In a public gathering where the Emperor came out to assure the citizens, he collapsed." Mark spoke with severity about the situation.

’Seems like the empire would soon be engulfed in flames of war, even the sun god can’t stop it.’ Baines concluded, eyeing the Sun Palace, its golden spires radiating divine power.

It stood still, in all its glory and radiating divine power, shining over all citizens as if assuring them. However, to Baines, he could see it as it was.

But the important question was? Would he help them?

R𝑒ad latest chapt𝒆rs at freew𝒆(b)novel.c(o)m Only