Age of Heroes (Age of Heroes Chronicles)

Chapter 196: Conjecture

ARIAL VERMONT

1015 WHITEMONTH AFTER FALL

There are not many present in the Council today. The usual chatter and scream of disapproving can't be heard today.

Usually Massey and Oliver would have their famous debate, in this room, both of them after all are stubborn in their ways but both unexpectedly respect each other.

They just don't admit it to each other.

Since Arial always drink wine with both of these influential figures in his castle, he knows that both of them have profound respect for each other.

Massey is busy doing a secret mission in Vern contacting the rebel in the Empire and providing them with military training, Oliver is in Vern petitioning the Grand Papnoticon, Silas in a secret mission for the sake of dispelling the misunderstanding between them and the demon race.

Oliver before going to Vern is in contact with a few of influential figure of the Blood Brotherhood and has set their meeting with me in a couple of days, on 1 Seedmonth 1016, the first day of the year.

Arial also give a job to Liao Bao as a sign of gratitude and give him the job of a diplomat sending him to Zettel to improve relation and for him to gain experience.

A few days from now he will return back and at that time Arial will have him accompanied the Blood Brotherhood representative as the Supervisor to the North.

Thinking about it, Arial do not have to join directly to destroy Vern.

He can just elevate one of the factions vying for power there by creating a discord among them.

Arial may be angry at the Emperor but it is no reason to blindly charging in and destroys himself.

After he calm himself that day, he I found other ways to solve the problem. He can use the conflict in the Empire to his advantage.

It is not exaggerating when he said he have many things to handle.

Silas on the other hand, has a very terrible responsibility on his shoulder, to persuade and convince the Demon King of their story.

And from the letters Arial received from him at least the Demon King is receptive to the idea and has agreed to cooperate with him.

This alleviates many of his worries. But Silas has mentioned to Arial of a secret alliance in the court of the Demon King, one that is bent on creating conflict between humans and demons.

This is humanity true enemies.

And this alliance must be destroyed for humanity to have peace. As long there is no confirmation of their destruction Arial couldn't lax his guard.

But at least with the Demon King he could be at ease that he would not try a large scale attack any time soon. Not now, when he knows what is at stake.

If he really marches to the Human Continent, the Emperor of Vern, might think his involvement in the kidnapping of the Princess will be uncovered.

And as stupid will do stupid moves, the Emperor might kill the Princess and hide her bodies.

Arial hope the Princess is still alive.

If she is dead, then maybe war with the demon race is inevitable. But at least this time, he could see hope.

Hope that humanity will go out of the other side, unscathed.

Hope that his armies are enough. And that hope lets him keep fighting. It keeps him to walk and stepped onto the path he has dedicated himself since he has been given this second chance.

The path of humanity survival and peace.

Silas also acts as his eyes and ear. And from his reports he has written the number of the enemy's troops.

One hundred thousand soldiers comprising of Orcs, Fairies, Elves, and about twenty Giants and variety of other races only heard in Old Stories during the time of Levitia.

Thank the Light that the Wall is high enough that even a giant will not be able to cross it.

This mission if successful can even stop the Invasion entirely and the Great War may not happen.

Now that Arial know what really happen and how it diverged from the timeline, he is calmer and he have his own theory on the event that is happening now and the event that happen before.

In the original timeline it happens two years from now, the bride of the Dark Lord is pregnant, and then killed.

Now Arial might make some conjecture why she was killed before. Now that he has known some part of the story.

Probably she was killed because she rejects the advances of the Emperor. However, this time it is different. two years earlier

And the supposed tragedy is that she is killed turns to she is kidnapped. There is a difference of behaviour here.

Why? There are many variables but the most important Arial believe is because the time of her encounter with the Emperor plays a big part in changing her supposed fates.

She is not pregnant, due to she is not yet marry the Demon King, so they never consummated their wedding, so no baby, and she is very young at this moment which Arial think contribute to kidnaping instead of killing her for rejecting the Emperor advances.

The Emperor also might not yet truly become that degenerate. He is a degenerate only slightly better than two years later

The Emperor must have thought that with enough time he can make the Princess his, and believes that if he shows her his love she would accept him.

And Arial also believe that this alliance not only involves the demon side but also the human side. There is someone in the Imperial Palace that urged this conflict.

In the original timeline this person might have urged the King to kill the Princess and in this timeline maybe he urged the King to kidnap the Princess.

If this is true then that means in Arial original timeline, the destruction of humans in the Human continent also comes from a selfish person for whatever motive, doomed the Human continent to years of persecution and slaughters.

And from the report he received from Silas it seems King Azrael is receptive to the idea of joining hands with him to eliminate the opposition he has on his court, and he have a kingly demeanour and a wise head.

He is calm and listens to reason. He seems sensible and calm, betraying the image Arial have of him on his mind as a bloodthirsty King.

Maybe in the original timeline his wrath is because he lost his child and his wife at the same time.

Even he could go crazy if such thing happens to him. Who wouldn't? For now, he will take the risk.

There is no progress without some risk. With this he could focus on the problem brewing on the continent and solve the instability in Vangua.

Not to mention this problem of poison. Every day he felt the pain strikes him more and more, destabilising to his daily work.

Headaches and heart pains strikes him daily.

The poison is getting stronger and it takes him more time to replenish his energy. That is why he summoned them again. Arial must settle everything before going to meet him.

Tonight they will explain the preparation on going to Vangua.

After a long and gruelling intense discussion, Arial have decided to bring five thousand strong soldiers with him to Vangua with Kyle and West both leading two thousand troops while he himself will lead a thousand troops.

Arial is bringing the army as a precaution if somehow Harald decided to ambush the King and him. It is a necessary precaution.

After all, his father did such thing and Arial did behead Harald father. It is not a ridiculous assumption to believe that Harald may imitate his old man or maybe he wanted to avenge his old man

His side have also have informed Edward in the mansion that he is invited back to Vangua.

Edward expressed his joy by holding a banquet at the mansion tomorrow and asking him to attend tomorrow.

The pressure that they put on the Orleans is working.

Edward will return back to Vangua as a King. Then Arial also started a new construction project, Acro Grand Library.

After Argan Dam that helps the people in the backwater region now Arial decided to build a Grand Library here at Acro.

Near the dam is Arial fountain which is supplied by Argan. Arial believed it is an essential aspect in building a civilization, aqueducts and sewers.

After all aqueducts and sewers flush the filth of the city.

Clean water is brought to the city through the Argan Aqueducts and the most famous of them is Acro aqueducts, clean water that flow through the city and it sewers.

It is such display of essential structure carrying so much water compared to the Triangle Tomb of Radiant Rulers of Seren.

It also shows Arrandy confidence in its own power.

Such highly visible and easily disrupted water supplies were only possible when no enemies closely threatened Arrandy.

With the other region belonging to King Adrian and the South secured, Arrandy is a state, a law unto itself.

The Argan Aqueducts, the second Aqueducts after Acro are built to supply the growing population.

The water around that region had previously been supplied by Argan River or the nearby springs near the region.

Fed by a spring around the Fountain of Stillver, the aqueducts ran underground for ten miles; water is only carried above ground on arcades for about one hundred yards inside the city of Rockstill.

For the most part, the aqueducts were stone limed channels carrying water underground or just above it.

There is also the construction programme. Of course, construction of new building is every day, giving the Guild a lot of work and profit but also revenue from the immigrant.

If they have money, they can spend it and the economy will be healthy

Arial also sent emissaries to Adrian informing that if anything goes wrong with the matter of King Edward, Aetherland will not be involved with the political fallout.

Adrian will surely agree.

His grip on the throne is not yet stable with the nobles trying to pressure him.

But Silas is gone now, the slick tongued politician that the King love and adore so much, so right now it is up to Adrian to prove he is a real King.

That he need not hide behind dragon scale or wait for the snake to strangle his enemies.

He needs to own up to his responsibilities.

Few days from now, after the preparation is all completed, Arial will depart to Vangua and hopefully his other plan will not be found out. With that Arial ended the meeting.

******************************************************************************

This is part one of the mass release. Hope you like