"None, I did not get closer to that area for it was literally a death ground, but there was a path that went around the swamps, avoiding its deadly poison. I don't know much about the road, because I never followed it," added Baladona.
"Shallow land and a poison swamp, right off the start it's going to be difficult," remarked Riven, taking note for herself.
"Whether it's difficult or not, we must pursue a path ahead, from the shallow land to the unknown road ahead than, avoiding the poison swamps. If we are lucky enough, we will meet a better end of that unknown road; if not, we will simply turn back with a sample of those poisons from the swamps, which will help us prepare better for the next time," reassured Vealis, who was more cautious of the journey than anyone else.
"One thing to notice is that we must have plenty of food supply. In the past, I had to hunt in the sky in the shape of an eagle, and it was not easy. If not for the sudden change in weather and the hidden prey being forced to move from their safe location, I would have died of starvation there," said Baldona in a warning tone.
"I was already considering that option," said Vaelis. "We can all bring at least a few pounds on our backs. Unfortunately, for reasons of efficiency and speed, we cannot bring any other supplies. Otherwise, I would have liked to get a carriage for the ride." While speaking, he looked at Baldoan as if seeking her opinion, but all she did was shake her head.
"Well, that is all for the first business. The second business is the purpose of this journey, and as you all know, it was to seek new land, find new resource points, and gain knowledge. There must be more to it, but we all value a little privacy, and it is not polite to pry into the affairs of other races, I believe." At his words, both races at the table nodded their heads.
"There is no third business for now. If there is an emergency, that will become the third business. As for any serious injury or life-threatening situation, Albion will offer any and all help to heal if possible. If not, and there is a loss of life, we will bury you in a clean place that is respected by others. I believe everyone now understands." Vaelis looked around at the others to see if anyone had any questions.
"We should hurry, the air is becoming thinner," said Kaito at that moment, and it was the truth. They all spoke less to conserve what little air they had.
"Last, does our newcomer have any confusion?" asked Vaelis, turning to little Thelric out of kindness. But poor Thelric had already passed out on his throne.
"Oh my, when did he pass out?" Baldoan grabbed him by his coat, lifted him up, and shook him. "He needs air in a hurry! Are we over?"
"I suppose," said Vaelis, and he went on his own way, grabbing the sword from the table and pulling it out. The others did the same, lifting their items from the table and vanishing the fire around them. Baladona rushed out with Thelric in her hands, through the door and the corridor, to the fresh air outside.
"Is he really the one we need as our last?" asked Riven, gazing at the giant door blasted open by Baladona.
"If she takes care of him like that, I don't see any problems," said Vaelis, stepping away from his throne.
"Then, gentlemen, today we will rest and prepare for the journey ahead and meet at the foot of the Great Feathers God Forest," he said, and the others agreed as they stepped away from their thrones.
The pillars reopened like doors for them, and one by one, they went inside. The pillars led them to the closest place to each one's whereabouts.
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Among them, the pillar Sir Vaelis took ended up at the bottom of the White Castle, where he got off and was surrounded by a group of hooded figures. Some Among them were old men who needed the help of others in the group to walk ahead.
"How did it go?" asked one hooded man from the group. He was old, but not enough for his face to become wavy and wrinkled. Only his hair had turned a bit white.
"Excellent, better than expected," said Vaelis, walking past them. "Oh," the hooded ones were delighted and moved along with him.
"Although I sent her the invitation and wrote it like begging, I never thought Baldoan would actually show up," Vaelis continued as they moved out of the room and stepped into a circular staircase leading them to a high place above in the White Castle.
"Did the Plumaris agree?" asked one of the robed figures, hiding behind the others that followed Vaelis. "They did, for they also have their own purpose for this journey. I don't know what it is, but that doesn't matter as long as we manage to achieve what we want. By the way, be careful with that word. Don't call them Plumaris anymore. If they hear you, it won't end well. That word is like sprinkling salt on a slug for them."
"Understood, Your Highness," came the voice of the hidden one behind others. Then they went up and up while talking about what had happened in the round table until they came to the end of their staircase, to a stone door. When they got closer, it opened without a push and revealed a large hall. In the middle of it was a stage the size of a human, and indeed there was a human above it, seemingly asleep. Surrounding him were women in their younger years, all attending to and cleaning him.
If anyone from Albion saw the figure lying on the stage, they would immediately recognize him and bow before him, for he was none other than the highly respected and praised King Arthur himself in the flesh.
He was wearing nothing but a long veil through his body, but his figure was like a picture painted by a great artist, his muscles refined to the pinnacle—not like someone such as Solren, whose appearance looked barbaric and rough. Instead, Arthur was a gentleman with the top-notch quality of a man.
"Leave," said Vealis as he arrived, and all the women stood and left in a hurry while bowing to Vealis and those who stood beside him.
After they left, the door closed, and Vealis walked to his father.
"You've been in slumber for thirteen years, Father, as a result of that one mistake to pursue the greatest dream of us humans," he said, standing a few steps away from the stage.
"Don't worry, Father. As your son, I will pursue that dream and achieve what you couldn't—the power of the supernatural.
It's your biggest regret that no matter what we did, even after the research of Sir Garrick and his partner, we were only able to achieve slightly superior strength compared to an ordinary human. But the hope is still not lost, Father. I will obtain the power of our dreams by the any means. And afterward, I will be able to rescue you from this eternal damned state."echoed his voice through the a hall as Vealis bowed his head to his unmoving father, and so did the other robed figures. After a moment of silence, one of them spoke.
"Prince, there's always the other available option," said him.
"I'm aware," Vealis said. "By combining our science and feather kins supernatural knowledge, maybe there is a very likely solution for this. But doing so would expose our greatest miracle to them. Science is the miracle of ours; only with its help did we manage to overcome that great beginning war. Although we didn't manage to achieve the destructive power of it because of the lack of something called gunpowder, it's still what kept us alive and safe. If I obey my selfish desire to heal my father and expose those secrets, the history of humans would curse me from their graves."
"It was a long time ago. Maybe right now, they have also started to figure things out," said another among the hooded group. They were like another aspect of the mind of the king and provided many possible ways of thinking to Vealis.
"Not quite, not yet. Thanks to the trick at the round table, they still call the inability to breathe just the loss of air, not the substance called oxygen," Vealis added in a confident manner.
"Bless our ancestors for inventing that trick," the hooded group said in unison.
"By the way, there's a seventh figure, brought by Beladona. His origin was unknown to us and needs to be found as quickly as possible. Since he came with Beladona, I was about to let him be, but possessing one of the thirteen legendary artifacts forgotten in the beginning war is something we need to consider. And I would also like to know how Beladona came to possess it. To think someone like her would touch an item like that—she's indeed different from others," Vealis said with a commanding tone. The hooded figures all bowed in unison to him, then each one stepped out to carry out his order in a hurry.
