Legacy of the Betelgeuse

[Trevor, where are you? We need you over here. We are currently at the Eynhildr Kingdom with all the players. Everyone is waiting for you right now.]

Ivonna is messaging me and it seems that everyone is planning on doing something in the Alliance Kingdoms.

[I'm coming, give me a few minutes.]

I look at Krestan who's currently observing Azrael. I tilt my head.

"Can you open a portal to the Eynhildr Kingdom? I need to go over there right now."

Krestan nods.

"Are you going to join those people to prevent what is about to come into our world?"

I furrow my forehead.

"Wait, you knew about this?"

Krestan looks at the space while pointing at the stars and nods.

"Of course, and I'm not the only one who can read the constellation in this world. I have predicted that this phenomenon will come around at this time. Although I predicted it wrong, I thought that it will come around a bit later."

This is interesting. I never knew that NPC can predict the invasion. I never heard any NPC talked about the invasion even back then. If NPC can predict the invasion, then it will be easier for us to prepare for it when the time comes. I wonder who else can predict the invasion.

"You can tell by reading the stars?"

Krestan nods.

"Yes. Reading the stars is like reading an interesting book that you can never get bored by it. There are so many pieces of information that we can get from reading the stars."

Krestan then looks at me.

"Let us talk about it for another time, I thought you were in a hurry? I will open the portal to the Eynhildr Kingdom now."

Krestan opens a portal in front of me. I look at him and nod.

"I'll talk to you later."

Krestan nods and then I enter the portal.

I immediately go to the center of the kingdom where everyone is, and there are thousands of players are standing in front of me talking with each other with their worried expressions. I walk past them and of course, they're giving me a path to walk when they see me.

Ivonna and the others are at waiting for me under the massive statue of the founder of the Eynhildr Kingdom. Chelsea is not with them since she's from the Aarus Empire and she's currently with all the players from the Aarus Empire's faction doing the same thing.

Michael sees me and then waves at me. I approach them and stand in front of them.

"Sorry, it took so long to get in here. I was doing something important and I almost forgot about the meeting."

Francesca is humming while squinting her eyes and staring at me with suspicion.

"Are you up for something again, Trev?"

I just smile and look at her.

Ivonna stands up and gives me a piece of paper. I look at it and read it while Ivonna is giving a speech to all the players. It's the things that we will do to prepare for the invasion. From making the Eynhildr Kingdom as our main basecamp and all the Kings and Queens of the Alliance Kingdoms are giving her permission on accessing all the places in the Alliance Kingdoms that might help us prevent the invasion. The Kings and Queens are also fortifying their own kingdoms thanks to Ivonna who managed to convince them about the invasion, and not just that, all the knights and forces from all the kingdoms are going to help the players in the invasion. The last thing that is written on the paper is that we are going to protect and escort the royal families when they're requesting it.

There's one very important royal family that I need to protect, but they're not on the list here. Well, they're used to be a royal family, but they're the NPCs for the hidden quest and I need them for Jariel's quest on annihilating the subjects and for them to be a royal family again that will lead the Alliance Kingdoms back to its glory.

Now that I think about it, there are so many NPCs that I need them to stay alive after the invasion because of the important quests they have for the players. I need to remember every single one of them and make it into a list so I can save them all, but I can't do it on my own, and I don't think Ivonna and the others have the time to save them since they will be busy on protecting the royal families. There are a group of people that can help me with that, and I just need to persuade them from doing so.

I look at Ivonna giving a speech to all the players showing her concerned expression toward the players. All of them are listening to her as if she's really the leader of the faction. I can't tell how heavy the responsibility that she's bearing right now, but looking at her right now, she does know how to take care of the players from the faction.

Ivonna takes a deep breath and exhales deeply.

"With that being said. I want you all to work together and if there's anything that you want to discuss with me or these players behind me, don't be afraid to show your expressions. I'm standing here not because I want to, but it's because I was chosen to bear the responsibility for all the players in the faction, and I will do my best to not disappoint you all. So please, if you have any opinion for us that might help us prevent the invasion, don't be afraid to say it. Thank you for your time, and let us prepare for the invasion."

All the players are cheering in agreement and then they all are leaving the area and start preparing the things that Ivonna has requested them to. Ivonna exhales deeply while rubbing her forehead and walking towards us then sits next to Francesca. Francesca is giving her thumbs up and then rubbing her back gently to comfort her.

I walk toward Ivonna and I need to talk to her about the important NPCs that I need to save during the invasion. Ivonna looks up and looks at me.

"Yes? What's wrong, Trev?"

I look at her seriously.

"During the invasion, I don't think I can escort the royal family."

Everyone is surprised and confused at the same time. Ivonna is furrowing her forehead.

"Why? You don't want to?"

I shake my head.

"No, that's not what I mean. There's something else that is not less important than escorting and protecting the royal families during the invasion."

Alessandro walks into the conversation and looks at me.

"What are you saying? Do you know that they're our priority? What else is more important than the royal families? You can't just say you can't do it. We are lacking players all around the place, and you just easily said that you can't?"

Sigryd looks at me and humming in agreement.

"Alessandro is right. We don't have that many players over here. Losing one of the players really can affect the others."

Ivonna then looks at both of them.

"Let's hear his reasoning first."

Ivonna then looks at me.

"Can you tell us why?"

I really want to tell them that I need to save more than hundreds of NPCs that will play an important role in the future, but if I tell them that, it's like spoiling the fun and I don't want that to happen. Especially if they know about it, they will immediately go to those NPCs and take advantage of it. I want them to discover those NPCs on their own.

I sigh.

"Do you remember the day I was looking for the Saintess? Remember that you said to me that I did things for my own benefit?"

Ivonna is squinting her eyes and grimacing a bit.

"Yes, I do."

I nod.

"Do you remember the promise I made with him?"

Ivonna is looking away and trying to remember what I said back then. Ivonna suddenly humming with understanding.

"Oh, I remember..."

I smile.

"So you should know that what I'm planning to do is not less important than protecting the royal families."

Ivonna nods with understanding.

"I understand. You do what you need to do, but if you have the time after you're done with that, please help us protect the royal families."

I nod.

"You don't need to tell me that because I will even if you didn't ask me to."

Ivonna smiles and nods. Alessandro and Sigryd are confused.

"What do you mean, Miss Ivonna? Are you really going to let him do what he wants?"

Ivonna sighs and nods.

"I think you both are forgetting about something. Trevor is not part of the Alliance Kingdoms' faction, he's factionless and even if we asked him to help us, I don't think he has the obligation to do it. Even if it sounds like he's being selfish, but it is what it is. You also hear him said that something else is also important, and if that's what he wants to do, then we can't prohibit him from doing so."

Alessandro clicks his tongue and Sigryd sighs while nodding. Michael, Hans, and Leonardo look at them and walk toward them. Michael puts his hands on their shoulders.

"It's fine my dude! We can handle this. He will be back to help us, so don't worry too much!"

Hans and Leonardo are nodding in agreement.

The three of them are comforting those two while Francesa and Emma are looking at me with a smile on their faces.

I look at the space and sigh.

"Well then, I guess I have to prepare for that now. I will be back soon."

They all nod with understanding.

I go back to Fjel town and enter the pub. As soon as I see there are no players inside the pub, I go to the hatch and go to the basement. Jariel is sitting on his desk while smoking his cigar.

"What do you need, kid?"

I lean on the wooden pillar and look at him.

"I need all your men and you as well to help me."

Jariel raises his eyebrow and smirks.

[2 days, 18 hours, 8 minutes until the invasion begins.]