Illion shook his head. "No, we haven't. Judging by my estimates, the capital should have received the news by now. They should be responding now."
"Is that so?" Sir Winstin's gaze was enigmatic.
"That said, Prince Dannark has already responded. The army I was in command over near the Yunyun Stronghold will be arriving within a few weeks."
Prince Dannark was the Second-In-Command of the Quinvoren Army and the star child of Queen Bethnal. Was it not for his dislike of becoming monarch, he would have easily gained the crown! That alone spoke volumes of his tremendous capabilities. Naturally, he had the authority to mobilize the army however he pleased, with or without the Royal Assembly's permission. Now that Lord Korogin died, he essentially became the new Master of Strategy. The prince had responded swiftly and sent orders across the kingdom, reorganizing or shifting armies around to stabilize the realm. This prevented any opportunistic rebel factions from acting out! Even General Illion had to bow out compared to His Highness.
"His Highness has great insight," the knight praised. "It would take too long for the capital to react. We're not sure how the Xingyuu Empire will react after a day, much less a week. The sooner we return to the Alzar Kingdom, the better."
General Illion nodded. "You are most correct. From what we've learned, the Imperial Princesses do not have much sway in the Imperial Council and instead gained their ire. Three of the Four Great Nobility Families are allied together. The Li Family are also reacting now. If we stay any longer, we risk getting killed in the crossfire."
The situation is truly chaotic. Who would have thought this would all originate from Her Highness? Sir Winstin thought. He was not complaining but making a simple observation. Whatever the case may be, he would always protect the Royal Family. That was his duty!
General Gordon came in at this time. His massive frame dwarfed everyone in the tent and even made Sir Winstin seem small. He practically blocked the entrance of the tent by himself. He could give Cardinal Loujin a run for his money size-wise. Unfortunately, his arm was wrapped up and there were various bandages across his chest. It was a sad sight overall. However, considering he was one of the few that survived the empire's slaughter, he had lady luck smiling on him. His face had a trace of seriousness attached to it.
"How are the Ten Dawns?" General Illion asked.
Gordon frowned. "Not good. Nassandra is still unconscious and Tengon… has suffered severe physical and mental trauma. I fear that he might not be fighting anytime soon."
That casted a heavier mood on the atmosphere. The Ten Dawns were a critical power of their military strength. Supposing that the Xingyuu Empire turned on them, then Torrential Blizzard could be used as a deterrent and a trump card. That alone made them worth keeping healthy, second to Elizabeth herself. But the reality… was crueler than they wanted.
General Gordon turned to Elizabeth and asked, "How about Her Highness? Do we know the source of Her Highness's Arcania? If we knew that…" His words made the three thoughtful.
To be honest, that day left a very deep impression on them. The rapid reversal of circumstances, the threat of death and annihilation, as well as the immense pressure caused by Elizabeth's power… Knocking people out by her mere presence, the tower of rainbow-colored light, and the total erasure of anything in sight… Everyone had felt that stifling pressure weigh down on their beings, as if they were prostrating themselves to a deity! It was hard to find anything else in their lives that might trump that. It felt like straight out of a story.
According to Arcanists, that resembled something that only originated from the Ten Dawns. The Ten Dawns! Who were they? They were the ten strongest Arcanists in the world after the Conquestian. To reach a level of power that rivaled that, would that not be shocking? Yet, the Arcanists dared not imagine that Elizabeth surpassed the Conquestian, the publicly acknowledged strongest Arcanist. His foundation was deeper than the Ten Dawns. Furthermore, he was old, older than Queen Bethnal. That was no surprise, considering he was once served as Queen Bethnal's Protector! Indeed, before Sir Winstin grew to his prime, the Conquestian held his position! His tale was practically legendary.
With age came wisdom. That saying was no joke. All the Ten Dawns were young by comparison. They had yet to reach the limits of their potential. However, the Conquestian was still pushing the boundaries of Arcania, reaching to a realm unknown to anyone else. Many believed that he grasped Medium Condensed Drop and that he was assailing for High Condensed Drop! If that happened, he could potentially cast large-scale destruction spells by himself. He could be a walking strategic weapon! His presence alone acted as a deterrent. Why else did the Xingyuu Empire wait until his absence for the Invasion of Aereon? A good reason was him!
Hence, the Arcanists instinctively refused that Elizabeth surpassed the Conquestian. To them, he was a pillar of strength and pride, the strongest Arcanist! He stood above the powerful Ten Dawns! He was the symbol of the Zino Kingdom! If they allowed a random girl to overthrow their entire worldly view, then their mentality would be questioned. It was an instinct to seek the comfort of familiarity and fear the unfathomable! Even when faced with overwhelming evidence of her supremacy, they stood strong to their beliefs. They believed that the Conquestian was stronger!
Freon was the only one that thought differently. It was not like he lacked faith in the Conquestian. In fact, the man was the one who rescued Freon and Nassandra from death! He fed them, sheltered them, and offered money and education without question. Freon was not heartless. He wanted to pay gratitude with gratitude. However, he was also not someone who blindly and rigidly stood to his beliefs. His sister, Nassandra, was a prime example. Like a baby bird soaring through the sky, she was a blazing star, ascending the ladders of Arcania. She tore away his misconceptions of appearance. Even the smallest worm might be the strongest dragon! Elizabeth was the same. He believed she might have… reached the level beyond Condensed Drop! Of course, he had no way of sharing his thoughts. Alongside Elizabeth, he, Shirley, and Benedict were still unconscious.