Elizabeth looked out the carriage windows as the envoy marched on the road. As they gradually went east towards Nightwin, the desolate lands gradually transformed into a lush and healthy grassy plain. With the coming of autumn, countless flowers and plants were proudly displaying their vibrant colors, painting a rainbow across the world. Farmers were harvesting crops or tending to animals, as children waved to the passing caravan. Elizabeth felt bittersweet.
In an hour's time, her surroundings changed once more. The road had widened, and many carriages or trade caravans joined them. According to Christina, Nightwin was an important trade gateway between the southern provinces and the rest of the Alzar Kingdom. Furthermore, it served as an important base of operations for the military in the south. Although its population had not reached the level of a provincial capital, the city was half a million strong. Compared to the sparse Fortress Fallinard, or even the town of New Havens, it was leagues apart.
There were no tall looming stone walls that guarded the trade city. Instead, the city limits happily flourished with a large market. As the carriage drew forward, Elizabeth could see countless market stalls, advertising all sorts of bizarre and strange items. There were hundreds, if not thousands, of people circulating the vast bazaar. Of course, there was also its own fair share of refugees, but they were in the vast minority, hidden away from public eye. With armies constantly passing through Nightwin, soldiers were common here as well. Elizabeth saw, that despite the ongoing war, life still progressed here.
She felt uncomfortable in the sea of people. The noise, the faces, and the movements were all overbearing. She even felt a bit nauseous. This prompted Christina to ask, "Are you okay, Elizabeth?"
"There's a lot of people here…"
"Oh," Christina came to realize. "You're not used to seeing such a crowd, are you? Close the curtains and try to rest then. We'll be arriving at the military headquarters soon." She could not tell Elizabeth that the capital city, Algard, had a population that easily dwarfed Nightwin by several times…
Eventually, they entered the city and then the military district. Since the Quinvoren Army had a constant presence in Nightwin, a big section of the city's core area was dedicated to housing them. Passing through a security checkpoint, the population density on the streets instantly plummeted to exclusively military personnel. Now, when Elizabeth glanced out the windows, she spotted that there were two types of uniforms on the soldiers. One was the Alzar Kingdom's, but the other was foreign to her. Are they from the Zino Kingdom? She wondered. She remembered that Christina said that there were Arcanists from the Zino Kingdom in the military. Arcanists were people who could use Arcania or magic.
Sure enough, when they drove past the training grounds, she saw it. Alongside soldiers honing their weapon skills or physique, soldiers were conjuring magical circles out of thin air and blasting training dummies with their spells. It was like a scene straight out of her story books she read as a child. Fireballs formed and blasted dummies into ashes. Spikes of earth pierced targets like paper. Blades formed of wind cut metal effortlessly. The world really did have magic! She thought as she watched with captivated eyes. Creating phenomenon out of thin air and changing the world with a single thought! With magic, the impossible becomes the possible!
But she frowned when she noticed her vision fogging up. She instantly experienced a sensation like a cold chill, but she was clearly warm. It was like a faint pressure. An invisible and intangible force was messing with her. A sense of nostalgia built up. Where had she felt like this before? She racked her brain and remembered! This was the same sensation she felt from the elder during New Haven's celebration. Back then, she was so preoccupied with everything that she had not spared a thought to it. Now that she considered it, was it related to Arcania? Was the elder an Arcanist? If so, then why am I the only one who notices this?
The military headquarters was one of the largest buildings in Nightwin, an iconic symbol of stability and might. Elizabeth and Christina were patiently sitting on a bench outside of the war room. Despite Christina's relatively high standing in the military hierarchy, she was forced to wait outside for the generals' conference to conclude. That was to be expected though. Christina may have been Lady Commander, but here where Legion Generals and Army Generals were the standard, she had no sway. This was clear from the bodyguards watching over the war room.
For example, Christina had a Great Knight of the Realm as her bodyguard. He was the one Great Knight assigned to Fortress Fallinard. However, the guards here were at the minimum Grand Knights of the Realm. One had to know that the division between a Great Knight and a Grand Knight was tremendous. While being a Great Knight required a certain level of contribution and combat standards, there was no limit on the number of Great Knights in the Alzar Kingdom. On the other hand, only three hundred Grand Knights existed at a time, with the top hundred being selected for the Royal Guard. Surprisingly though, there was not a great deal of competition for these limited slots as the skill requirements were titanic. Even now, Elizabeth sensed a tremendous pressure radiating from the knights. It was different from what she felt earlier. This was an innate fear that people had towards the strong!
Time moved slowly as the pair waited. After what seemed like an eternity, the doors opened, and people walked out. Elizabeth and Christina were allowed in. Inside, it was a beautifully decorated room with a big table covering the center. Surrounding it were dozens of chairs and covering it were dozens of reports. A vast map of the continent, Melgar, was hung on one side of the room where various arrows and markers were placed, depicting military movement. The room had three people inside with a man sitting at the head of the table. He was a big man, very big, and his muscles tore at his uniform, tightening it. His entire body personified strength. Although his hair showed signs of neglect and he had an eyepatch, his presence easily dominated the room. He was simply overflowing with charisma and energy. It was clear that this man was none other than General Gordon Mill!
"General!" Christina saluted. "I am Lady Commander of Fortress Fallinard, Commander Christina Kalmar. I trust that you received my letter?"
"Oh, Commander Christina. Yes, I read your letter," Gordon replied, casually picking up one of the many scattered scrolls. "What was your request again?"
"I requested that soldiers be sent as a forward vanguard to secure New Havens."
"Right… You mentioned a flying island?" Gordon asked with raised eyebrows. "Is this a code I'm not familiar with?" Encryption practises were commonplace in the military where spies thrived.
Christina smiled awkwardly. "It is not a code. It is the truth."
The general frowned. "If this is some sort of practical joke of yours, Commander Christina, then I am not amused. My time is limited. If that is all, then you may leave."
"Please wait!" Elizabeth shouted. This time, General Gordon's expression turned dark. Speaking out of turn, especially with superior officers, was never good. Not to mention, this was with an Army General like him! The changes to his face frightened Elizabeth stiff, but she managed to stutter out her words. After all, her family depended on her! "I am from New Havens and I can vouch that it does exist. Please, I beg of you to help me!"
Seeing this, Gordon gazed at Christina. "Who is this?"
"Elizabeth Silvera. She is someone from New Havens, as she said. I swear on my honor as Lady Commander and Grand Lady that New Havens is real."
Gordon fondled his beard and pondered. The vow of someone with such a strong background like Christina could not be ignored. He drummed his fingers on the desk as minutes passed in the deathly silent room. Both Elizabeth and Christina were tense, as if they could snap with the slightest motion.
"Let's take your word and assume that this flying island exists. Where is it?"
The two heaved a sigh of relief. Christina quickly replied, "It should be directly above the Elwin Path in the Windigo Ridge. Somewhere around here…" She pointed to somewhere on the map.
"If the Xingyuu Empire has control of New Havens, this would be a big problem," the general instantly deduced. "Solid base of operations, difficult to detect, enormous visibility and aerial deployment range. What a headache. When was it captured and how many soldiers are there?"
"Less than a week ago. As for their current numbers, I am afraid we don't know. At the time of its capture, we estimated at least several hundred."
"We need information. While I will not permit a vanguard invasion force, I can permit a small reconnaissance force. Since I am going to Algard soon, I can report directly to the War Council and the Master of Strategy. They can decide what to do next." This was also his way of compromising while confirming his doubts. The idea of a flying island was simply absurd! "I will lend you two of the Ten Dawns, three Grand Knights, and fifteen Great Knights. With the Ten Dawns supporting you, you should be able to make a round-trip within a day."
"Can I go along as well?" Elizabeth asked. "I know New Havens better than anyone."
"Very well," Gordon nodded in approval.