Kyrian spent a few hours in the library before heading to the dining hall where he saw the mother and daughter waiting for him.
He walked towards the dining table and sat across from the Zemofs.
"Kyrian, you work too hard. Some things take time for you to see results. Rushing doesn't always lead to the best results. Trust me on this." Aloisia said in a serene manner.
Ace felt the need to contribute to the conversation and replied, "Mommy's right, Kyrian! Last time, I ran so fast that I tripped my toes and hit my face on the ground. From that point on, I don't rush anymore!"
"Thank you, you two. I just want to know more about this world, and I feel lost without having the necessary knowledge to get stronger. I need a direction."
"I'm sure Horace has plans for you in that regard. For now, let's focus on the food and enjoy this meal."
The three of them spent the night talking about their past and the state of Ziront. Aloisia told him about the wondrous locations where people usually visit. She said that there was a beautiful place called Saint's Peak where climbing was much easier because the gravity of the mountain was almost nonexistent for some reason. The peak is surrounded by a sea of clouds that rejuvenates almost all stress and fatigue. Right now, Saint's Peak is closed to the public, but as the rulers of this state, they have unlimited access to the place.
Kyrian enjoyed the peaceful and cheerful meal he had with Aloisia and Ace as he seldom experienced the abundance of food that they provided along with the comfort of having a dining table.
After dinner, he went straight to his room to check if the Qilin's scale would give him information about himself. He willed the natural mana in the surroundings to be absorbed by him and manipulate it towards the scale. To no avail, the scale was nonresponsive.
Kyrian called it a day and waited for his master to return to begin his quest for knowledge and power.
----
In the great Hall of Paragons, the twelve members of the council, some who came personally, while some sent their projections or puppets, along with the vice president listened attentively to the words of President Aurelius.
"I have gathered the strongest and most influential people here in the great halls of heroes to announce that once again, the gates of hell have broken loose."
Gasps of surprise and despair spread across the chamber, while a few impatient senators wanted to ask the president directly about the current situation. Some already knew of the news and stayed silent to wait for the president to continue.
The president slowly closed his eyes and paused. In effect, the whole council went quiet, a testament to the authority and influence that the president exudes.
"I have received a report that a void portal appeared in Southern Thiodan near the borders of Ziront. Sentinel Shenghua, a legendary Qilin, stopped the abyssal herald of death from manifesting in the material plane. During the time of its manifestation, it had brought thousands of deaths among the beasts. The estimated time of its appearance was five seconds, and yet, it had killed thousands."
This time, even the calmest of the attendees were shaken to the core. It is imperative to know that the beasts guarding the borders of Thiodan weren't weak. Shenghua was a peak rank 6, almost at the cusp of rank 7. And yet, she couldn't prevent devastation and destruction. Along with her, there should also be other beasts close to her strength, but the inevitable still occurred.
Aurelius Aurum's voice slowly rose to its peak as he addressed his compatriots, "Fellow comrades! If we do not proactively seek the abyssals and fail to seal the gates of hell, a second cataclysmic event may happen yet again. Five thousand years ago, due to our differences and refusal to work together, more than half of the Elden Houses lost their leaders, five Senators lost their lives, and the late President was crippled alongside his aide. Our disharmony and divisiveness will be the death of us!"
The charismatic voice of the president moved to a crescendo, "This time, the abyssals will not anticipate our united front. This time, humanity shall emerge victorious!"
There was no applause, no standing ovation, nor voices of acknowledgment among the crowd. These battle-hardened and seasoned politicians have no need for fanfare. They knew what must be done.
Vice President Barion went to the platform and replaced the president as he would now be speaking of the various programs that would be put in place to counteract the resurgence of the abyssals.
The gray and almost soulless eyes of the vice president sent shudders across the room. If the president was the radiant sun that inspires the people, then the vice president was the necessary evil that embodies punitive justice. A palpable pressure and indifference emitted from his visage as stood behind the podium.
"Esteemed Elden Houses, honorable Senators, His Excellency, I am here to address the current situation and give the general strategy of the Republic. First and foremost, we need to unite against this common enemy of the world." Barion's stern announcement echoed across the chamber.
He continued, "The abyssals absorb mana from the material world and leave destruction that no magic can restore. It leaves voids of space where mana doesn't flow and is unable to restore naturally. Only time and the replenishment of the World's Essence can restore this balance as this would affect almost everyone, as most ruling creatures of this world need mana. Without it, we lose most of our powers."
"That is why I suggest uniting with other powers of this world to face this threat. I know that some of you might think that doing this is shameful for us, but I'm positive that the beasts will send their emissary shortly to discuss a treaty. We can't count on the demons as they do not thrive in absorbing ambient mana, but the dwarves, beast race, fairies, and other creatures will listen to us."
A woman spoke impatiently, interrupting the vice president, "The approximate time of a full-blown invasion is around one hundred years until the gates of hell fully open. The closer we get to the one-hundred-year deadline, the more abyssals will emerge from the gates. What happened to the guardian?"
The woman who spoke appeared no older than twenty, her youthful visage betraying nothing of the near millennium she had witnessed. Raven black hair cascaded down her back in silken waves, as dark and mysterious as the night skies her eyes mirrored. Those eyes, endless pools of deep obsidian, seemed to hold the weight of countless secrets and the knowledge of ages long past.
"Thank you for your input, Senator Minerva. I was about to tackle that topic as soon as the alliance between races was established. As for the gates of hell breaking loose, it has something to do with Yves Aquinas.
4 years ago, he went missing and left a clone in the gates. The clone was so strong that we didn't doubt that it was a clone until it suddenly lost its power a few months ago. This resulted in the gates being unguarded and its seals deteriorating to an unimaginable degree.
Divination magic and Scrying magic failed to locate the [Guardian of Hell], but that Exalted Asura shouldn't have died. For now, we are looking for an alternative to seal the gates, but without his strength, it is hard to find someone that can replicate his feats."