Chapter 409: Predictable
(A few hours later, The Juxta Military Base, Planet Juxta)
Seated cross-legged atop the nozzle of a colossal planetary air cannon, Charles puffed quietly on his cigarette, his gaze locked on the rainbow shimmer of the planetary mana barrier high above, as wave after wave of righteous faction ships exploded upon contact with the barrier, turning to ash before their shadows could even touch Juxta’s surface.
The war had long since lost its novelty.
Each day was the same as the last, with a few thousand enemy ships hurling themselves at the barrier in predictable formations, hoping to probe for weaknesses that didn’t exist, while the handful that managed to survive the barrier’s burn were instantly shredded by the thousands of air cannons spread across Juxta’s ground defence, their bolts firing in perfect synchronization with cold, unfeeling efficiency.
Charles didn’t even blink at the destruction of a ship anymore.
He just watched, one hand resting on his knee while the other brought the cigarette to his lips, as the smoke curled around his face and rose into the sky, vanishing into the endless clouds above.
"Commander Charles! Commander!"
The voice cracked through the air like an annoying gust of wind, as Charles tilted his head slightly, eyeing the approaching soldier before narrowing his gaze toward the man’s shoulder straps and lazily noting the rank.
"Yes, Lieutenant? What urgent news do you bring that couldn’t wait until the next smoke break?" Charles asked, his tone void of urgency, as the younger officer landed beside him, clearly flustered and sweating under the collar of his uniform.
"The First Elder and the Twelfth Elder!" the lieutenant blurted, pointing westward in a frantic motion. "They’ve arrived in person, sir. They’re beyond the demilitarized line and are requesting your presence at once. They say it’s urgent."
Charles blinked once, then smirked as he flicked the remains of his cigarette off the side of the cannon, watching the burning stub fall until it broke after hitting the ground.
"So.... You’re telling me that the war has been raging for almost a month now, and not a single one of those bastards had the time to come down and cheer up the morale of the Cult soldiers," he said to himself, rising slowly as he stretched his back and rolled his shoulders, the joints cracking slightly with audible satisfaction.
"But the moment I touch their precious prince, two of them suddenly find the time of day to get him back in person?"
His smirk widened.
"How predictable."
And with that, Charles leapt off the cannon’s edge, his body gliding through the air like a calm eagle who was in no rush to reach its destination, for he already knew that his guests would wait.
—--------
(A few minutes later, Demilitarized Zone, The Elders POV)
Beyond the defensive lines, past the energy barriers and the patrolling airships, stood two figures clad in ceremonial face masks, their formal robes contrasting sharply with the military uniforms of those around them, as they stuck out like a sore thumb.
The First Elder stood with hands folded neatly behind his back, his sharp gaze locked on the sky, while the Twelfth Elder stood beside him, lips tight under his mask, as the two spoke in hushed tones that barely carried past their shoulders.
"I still can’t believe it," the Twelfth muttered, his voice laced with disbelief. "I was convinced it had to be a righteous faction spy who did it."
"As was I," the First Elder replied, his tone grim. "But the witness reports don’t lie. Charles did it, there’s multiple eye witnesses that say they saw him flying through the sky of Vorthas, with an unconscious boy on his shoulder"
"And the internal footage?"
The First Elder nodded slowly. "Pulled directly from the house’s porch camera. He entered without authorization... knocked Leo out... and walked out casually.
With nobody having any clue as to why?"
There was a long pause, as the two elders processed the reality that the man responsible for kidnapping Leo wasn’t a foreign agent, or some traitorous insider, but rather the Vice Sect Leader himself.
"What business does he even have with Leo? The two have surely not met before today..." the Twelfth asked in confusion, as the First Elder’s brow furrowed.
"That’s what we must find out today..." He replied, as Charles, as if summoned by those very words, descended from above, landing lightly on the marble platform with the grace of someone who had no reason to fear those who stood before him.
"Lord First. Lord Twelfth," Charles greeted with a warm smile that held no real warmth, his voice calm and pleasant as if this were a routine exchange between trusted colleagues.
The two elders bowed slightly out of formality, replying in unison.
"Monarch Charles."
Their tone was measured, their eyes guarded, their posture perfect, but even the neutral observer would’ve seen the distaste lingering behind their polite facade.
Charles, of course, noticed it instantly.
And he enjoyed every second of it.
He had long known that the entire Elder’s Council despised him to their core.
He once had the opportunity to join their ranks, but instead of choosing a life of politics, he dedicated himself fully to the military, rising through blood and fire until he became a Monarch and the Vice Cult Leader, eventually outranking them— a fact that continued to irritate many of the Elders to this day.
"What brings you here to planet Juxta? Are you here to review what contributions you can make to our front line defences?
If so, I will be more than pleased to give you a tour of the facilities and explain exactly what it is that we lack in the current war effort..." Charles said sarcastically, as although he knew the exact reason behind their unannounced visit, he still tried to remind them about their duty to supply the front lines on a regular basis.
"We are unfortunately not here for a tour today, Monarch, however, we will surely contribute in whichever way we can towards the border security cause.
The security of Juxta is our collective responsibility, and we will gladly contribute however we can..." The First Elder tactfully replied, as Charles nodded in approval.
If nothing else, the First Elder surely knew which battles to pick and which ones to bow out of, and he had made a very sensible decision to bow out of this one, as Charles gestured for them to take a walk with him.
"So... what brings you here if not the tour? Are you perhaps interested in holding a morale boosting speech of the troops? I can arrange for that as well," Charles said, as it was the Twelfth Elder that stepped in now, doing his best to put up a fake smile as he said.
"Let’s surely do that sometime in the next week, but we are actually here today regarding a separate matter.
You see, there are multiple eye witnesses that say you have taken a boy from Vorthas by the name of Leo Skyshard.
And umm, he’s a Dragon Candidate that the Elders Council is currently closely grooming.
If you can shed some light behind your reason to take the boy, and be gracious enough to hand him back over, we will be back on our way..." The Twelfth Elder said, as Charles chuckled, slow and sharp, as if he had been waiting for that exact question all along.