The Star Of Annihilation

The Star of Annihilation

Chapter 18 – Awakenings (6)

Written by : eleven

* * *

trot- trot- trot-
The sound of horse feet hitting the dirt could be heard as the several carriages were pulled towards the village where Roy, Nate and the others were located.

Inside of the carriages, were the different Imperial Princes and their personal envoys.

Tubel, The Grand Wizard, decided to go ahead and warp closer towards the village ahead of time and was watching them from a distance as he observed the boy known as Roy.

He was a little upset that Lucius was constantly trying to teach the boy swordsmanship considering how talented the boy was with magic.

Regardless, Tubel stayed silent as he watched the carriages approach the outskirts of the village.

‘Let’s hope that these younger ones don’t ruin the prestige of the Imperial Family name….’

Tubel was especially worried about the youngest, Michael, who was often caught playing around with prostitutes in bed and had a rather conniving nature. He acted publicly foolish at times, but secretly had a very cunning nature; much like his second brother, Howard.

Howard was someone that Tubel thought would be a good candidate for the throne out of the three, as he was cunning, had great decision-making and charisma. The only problem was that Tubel found Howard a bit unnerving at times.

“What have we here?”

Michael scoffed as he stepped out of the carriage with a voice filled with scorn and contempt.

Nobody other than the envoys were near the carriages as the party was inside the house eating.

“I’m not sure your highness, I think it must be a commoner village.”

“Hilarious that my father would make me come all the way out here to meet some so-called prodigies don’t you think?”

“Shut it Michael, show your people some respect.”

“Pft- Who are you to talk to me like you’re superior to me? Last time I checked, we were both Imperial Princes, Desmond.”

Tsk-
Desmond clicked his tongue at his brother’s profuse choice of words. There was no point in trying to sound out an argument with Michael when he acted like this.

Instead, Desmond stepped out of the carriage as Dante, the Spearmaster and Raymond, the 6-star Archmage, who was also part of his envoy, followed behind him.

Taking off his cape and looking around at the lush greenery that surrounded the area, Desmond made a slight smile.

Feeling the presence of the Swordmaster Lucius, Desmond made his way towards a small cottage in the back of the village where laughter and and several voices could be heard from coming inside.

Desmond didn’t feel like intruding, but he had a subtle way of letting Lucius know they were there as he slightly roused his ki inside his core.

Desmond was a first-rate swordsman who was reaching the level of a sword expert. His level of working with ki, was something that was rather proficient.

Ta-tik!

And his efforts were not in vain.

“Hello, I extend my greetings to the First Prince, your royal highness.”

The door opened and Lucius walked out, following by kneeling down on one knee in respect.

“At ease Lucius.”

Desmond smiled and brushed off the greeting nonchalantly. Seeing the ever-relaxed Desmond, Lucius briefly smiled.

“….”

Behind Lucius was a multitude of different people looking at the envoy with wary or curious eyes.

Ferneth, who was disguised still and suppressing his dead mana from leaking out, looked at the group warily as he stood in front of Elizabeth.

“You must be Roy and Nate. And… you must be their mother?”

“A-ah! Yes- I mean no, your highness. I am the mother of one of them… haha”

Roy’s mother, Mathilde stuttured in embarrassment as she had never expected to converse with an Imperial Prince. She had grown up in this rural village named Kerto, all her life. Looking at her and the two boys at her side, Desmond smiled faintly, giving off an amicable impression.

However, the responses were not what he expected.

“….”

“….”

Both the boys looked at him briefly with uninterested eyes. Roy then moved his gaze towards the men behind Desmond. Nate also followed Roy’s gaze and subconsciously felt that Roy was suppressing his emotions again. There was no proof to it, as Roy’s facial expression remained stoic, but Nate just….felt it.

Michael, who was giving Mathilde a scornful look of contempt, as well as Howard, were subject to Roy’s aggravation.

“Hahah…. Well I’m sorry about this your highness. They’re still young and have never been introduced to nobility. I’m sure you can understand.”

Lucius spoke awkwardly as he scratched his head in embarrassment.

“Ah! It’s fine. I’m very pleased to meet you, Miss, as well as your son and his friend.”

Desmond bowed slightly and Mathilde turned red from embarrassment at his actions.

Were Imperial Princes, not just nobility, but royalty, supposed to act this leisurely? It was throwing off Mathilde quite a bit.

“Thank you very much, please come inside. I can’t leave guests outside. I apologize in advance for our shabby home as it must not be what you are used to.”

Mathilde regained her composure and invited the guests inside the small house.

Following her inside, Desmond and his two guardians, walked inside while Michael and Howard went back to the carriage to get their things ready.

Their plan was to simply rest here for the next few days and get to know the kids and the Arch-Lich; wherever he may be, and convince them to join their factions.

Thinking so, Howard asked the Archmage that was part of his envoy if he had noticed where the Arch-Lich was.

“Darius, any news on the Arch-Lich?”

“No sir… I’m fairly confident in my ability to sense mana, but I haven’t felt any dead mana since coming here. Well there is a bit coming from the small girl whom I’m guessing is the disciple of the Lich.”

“Hm…”

Howard rubbed his chin in contemplation has he continued.

“Observe her for now and see if you can approach her any time soon. We need to get as many forces to our side as possible before we leave.”

Whilst the envoys were moving, Dante took interest in the boy Nate, who was grabbing his spear to go spar with Roy.

“Ah, my name is Dante. It’s nice to meet you both.”

Nate and Roy, who were getting their things together to let Lucius talk with the Imperial Prince and his mother, stared at Dante with blank expressions.

Dante chuckled nervously as he saw the pair of blank stares looking at him with uninterested looks.

As much as he thought about letting these two boys be; what their expressions seemed to tell him, he had a duty right now to try and gather more talents for Desmond, the First Prince.

That, and the fact that one of these boys seemed to be interested in spearmanship.

“Hahaha… well, I didn’t mean to intrude, but I couldn’t help but notice that spear you are holding. Do you plan on becoming a spearman in the future?”

“…. I don’t know.”

Nate replied honestly after a brief moment of silence. He hadn’t really thought much about a future yet. He didn’t even know what was beyond the scope of the village until Roy had come into his life.

Whatever Roy did, Nate wanted to do it too.

“Aha, I see. Are you two going to go train together?”

“Yes.”

It was Roy who answered this time in a curt tone.

He didn’t want these Empire bastards to keep screwing with his people like this. He already felt on edge due to Howard Ismenian, the former emperor in his previous life, present in his very own village!

On the other hand, Roy was still hesitant to act this way. There was one reason for it as well : He didn’t know when the dragon he knew of would attack the village.

It was bound to be sometime this month, but Roy didn’t know if there would ever be another time where this much firepower would gather in one place.

If anything it was like a godsend, but it had many problems attached with it.

“May I come along and train with you? I love spearmanship and it would help me get an excuse to ease my mind ahah.”

Dante spoke with a slight chuckle, trying to get the kids to ease up a little bit.

Roy and Nate looked at each other for a brief moment.

Roy then turned back and shrugged his shoulders.

“We don’t care.”

“….Okay haha.”

Dante couldn’t stop nervously laughing as he didn’t know why these boys had such sharp and unapproachable auras around them.

These types of individuals were the hardest to be around, but Dante bore with it.

The two boys left the house, Dante in tow while the rest carried on with their business inside and outside the house.

* * *

On the Eastern Continent….


The land around them was charred black. Mountain peaks were flattened and crushed, erupting with molten lava in the cracks of the Earth.

The once prosperous and largest continent of the five continents on the Earth, the Eastern Continent, was now a desolate and uninhabitable land.

The Eastern Continent had been warned ahead of time of the impending danger that was coming to their lands thanks to their ties with the Southern Continent, but had ignored it, thinking it was something preposterous.

Dragons? What a joke.

Yet, that ignorance cost them dearly.

Rrrrr-
The ground trembled as suddenly the black ground started to move oddly.

Large wings and a giant body, spanning the size of an entire city, started to rise up as ash fell from the top of its body.

Whoosh~

Suddenly the large creature seemingly disappeared into thin air.

In its place was a large crater and…. A shockingly beautiful man.

The man looked up at the sky with his two yellow eyes that resembled a reptile’s. He had striking features.

A sharp jawline, high-pointed nose, thin cheekbones, and pearl-white skin that was in contrast to the long black hair that fell to his waist freely.

<Lord.>

The man opened his mouth and spoke to the sky.

As he said the words, the man bowed his head nervously and fell to one knee.

The sky then cracked apart like glass. It was a phenomenon that had no explanation possible.

Through the cracked sky, a black space opened up and was visible. Through the black space, another man stepped out of it slowly mid-air.

The man looked around disinterestedly and then stared down at the kneeling figure of the dragon that had just polymorphed.

<It seems you have finished well here.>
<Thank you M’Lord.>

The kneeling and black-haired man replied, his head still bowed, not daring to look up at his Lord.

<Hmph. I have another task ready for you since we are almost done with this world.>
<Anything you ask of me M’Lord; I shall complete it with utmost care.>

<Good Argenta. I need you to go somewhere for me.>
<Of course M’Lord>

Argenta, the kneeling man, lifted his head up and spoke to his Lord with respect and reverence in his eyes.

<The North. It is the last land we need to conquer, though it will be as difficult, if not more than our conquest of the central continent. I need you to scout the areas there and bring with you the others.>
<Your wish is my command.>

<Then go.>

Argenta bowed once more.

Argenta.

It was a name Roy knew too well.

The Dragon that was responsible for the death of his mother in the past.

Argenta waved his hand in the air and the space created a slipstream current. Argenta bowed once more to the man with long, red hair and golden eyes before entering the stream of space and disappearing.

Argenta was off to the Northern Continent.

The land of many races and strong individuals.

But it was also the land with the most division.

Argenta did not possibly expect to run into any problems as he smiled cruelly before he left.

It was only meager humans anyway.

Chapter 18 – Fin