The Royal Harbour, Corasen. This was the busiest harbour in the Alzar Kingdom, acting as the core of the kingdom's entire maritime network. Thousands of ships navigated these coastal waters a day, which made gaining access to the limited harbor difficult. To manage this mess, the harbor management required a pre-approved permit for docking. Gaining it was easier said than done. It required days, if not weeks, of bureaucratic nonsense as well as money. Unless you were an official resident of the capital cities, or had a high status, it was impossible to dock here. Poorer businesses or individuals would have to change course to another, less busy, harbor in the King's Bay. Despite all that, the Royal Harbour was being occupied solely by a single group. With an azure-golden dragon as their emblem, it was the Zino Kingdom's fleet!
An elderly man stepped off the gangplank, his posture was upright and his eyes were sharp like a wolf. His white hair was combed back and his body, while old, did not surrender to the testament of time. While he could not compare to the Conquestian, who trained his muscles every day to stay in top physical condition, this man did not seem as frail as he should for his age. People would guess he was two or three decades younger than he actually was. His strong disposition prevented anyone from looking down on him. He held his head high as expected of the First Sage, the leader of the Three Sages, Pannark Winhelm! Wearing elaborate clothes befitting his high status, he was followed by two others. They were Ten Dawn Iris Cisvernia and Ten Dawn Krogan Jermon!
Gracing their arrival was a gentle-faced woman with youthful innocence. She wore an exquisite dress that accentuated her unparalleled beauty, but simple enough that it did not hinder her movements. Perfectly balancing both worlds was a body that aged well. This woman should be middle-aged, but her face and body were too damaging. They did not lose their potency through the years at all! Like a finely aged wine, countless men would do everything in their power to taste it. Except, no one could dream of approaching her so easily because she was Princess Millisandren Etuvel Reindel! Unexpectedly, this princess was here to welcome the First Sage.
"Welcome to the capital city of the Alzar Kingdom, Sage Pannark," she greeted. Her tone was not servile nor arrogant in the slightest. It held the perfect level of respect as it should, in considering both her position and his. It showed the astonishing level of diplomatic skill the woman possessed, despite her unassuming appearance.
"Thank you for meeting me here, Princess Millisandren," the man returned. His gaze glanced around him cursorily as he said, "Could you inform me about what happened here?"
The reason he arrived earlier was due to the massive fireball he saw from Algard. Remember, he was a province away at the time! Just that single explosion could be seen from provinces away, highlighting how unimaginably powerful it was. Their fleet was rocked by the resulting crashing waves. It was something beyond the realm of mortals! Thinking the worst, he ordered their fleet to accelerate. Now, looking around, he could see the pandemonium. Buildings were leveled and fires were spreading. The military was mobilized, and soldiers were rushing about everywhere. The sky was filled with glider squadrons, rapidly sending help where needed. Although the true worst-case scenario was avoided, this was not much better. The damage to the city and the loss of life would be a terrifying number!
The princess gave an awkward smile. "We have shown you an unsightly display. Please, let's talk while we head towards the castle."
Inside the carriage, she began a full narration of the events. Following that explosion, Queen Bethnal immediately ordered the military to assess the damage and help the survivors. The damage was too vicious, having annihilated the Lannisail estate to nothing, and demolished many nearby estates. A massive crater was all that remained! Many were buried under rubble and died tragically. Thankfully, the core of the Grand Nobility Household was safe because of the royal summons. This allowed the kingdom to preserve most of their strength, though their hearts would still bleed. Sir Winstin and the other Royal Guards were also rescued, though rescued was too strong a word. Their conditions were perilous and dark. No one knew if they would pull through.
The royal physicians were so busy tending to people that people died regardless of being 'rescued'. Ruthlessly, it came down to a matter of status and importance. Important people got treatment first while lesser people had to wait. Unfortunately, waiting usually meant death and being tended did not mean surviving. That was how grave the situation was! And this situation was not limited to Castle Reinhard either. It was the same across Algard and Corasen… It was easy to see the huge scale of destruction as they passed through the city. It was really a nightmare with no end in sight.
"Do you know what caused this?" the First Sage asked.
His meaning was obvious. If this could occur once, could it not occur again? The next time around, the damage might not be so limited. If Corasen was engulfed directly, millions would die! Although it was the most logical conclusion that the Lannisail Household would be the culprit, it was also the most illogical. Who would seriously think that? An explosion strong enough to rock the capital city, could it be created by humans? That was unthinkable! Even Sage Pannark, with his knowledge of Instinct Realm and Blue Depth Core, could not accept it. The Sword King almost perished against a fraction of its power, showing the massive difference in ability! Therefore, it was likely poor coincidence that it happened now, and it was important to understand the root cause.
"We're investigating that as we speak," Princess Millisandren agreed. The dangers of this unknown threat were too great. "We're hoping that the Zino Kingdom is willing to cooperate with us."
"That goes without saying," the man replied.
The mood was heavy and neither had much to say but Sage Pannark understood. Normally, a high-ranking official, such as from the Royal Assembly, would meet with them. Meeting royalty required preparation and scheduling month in advance. After all, they were the rulers of the Alzar Kingdom! They had many matters to deal with. Princess Millisandren as well, she was the Provincial Occurion of the Premora Province! In other words, she was administrating the largest province in the Alzar Kingdom, which included Corasen! Her duties could not be light. Especially now, with the pandemonium wrought by the explosion, she should be unbelievably busy. Yet, she still made time to meet with the First Sage. It was obvious that something must have happened!
Realizing this, the man smiled. "Princess Millisandren, the Zino Kingdom is sure to assist the Alzar Kingdom in whatever difficulties it may encounter. Please, speak your mind. You must have a reason for meeting with me today."
The woman smiled wryly, having her intentions exposed. "As you say, the kingdom is facing an unprecedented crisis, one that endangers the foundations of this very land. We are hoping that you can help resolve it. It has to do with… the heir apparent, Princess Elizabeth."