Legacy of the Dark Sage

Geir gathered all the executives and rising talents of the five Blade Houses inside the grandeur of the Blade Dancer Clan's main mansion's audience chamber.

At the far end of the chamber, facing the north, a lone golden high chair was atop a tall platform. Lucian was sitting in that chair, and Geir stood by his right. Below the platform, just before the several steps, stood the five house leaders. Like Geir, their expressions were devoid of emotion as they stared down at the executives below.

Lucian's eyes were closed as he leaned on the high chair. He appeared majestic, with a faint golden light exuding from him. However, no one could express their awe because they sensed that underneath the majestic aura, a malevolent pressure was threatening to erupt, a reminder of his unrivaled power.

Alta stood with the rest of the rising talents of the Sound House at the far back, where all the other talents from the other Blade Houses were lined up.

Most of the rising talents exuded a calm and confident aura while they looked up front. While others who might have heard the reason for the congregation wore solemn expressions. The only one with a seemingly out-of-place expression was Alta, who did not even bother to conceal her disdain and wore a cold expression.

"Your Majesty, all attendees are present," Geir informed Lucian in a voice loud enough for the latter to hear.

Lucian slowly opened his eyes and looked at the congregation before him. For a few agonizing moments, he simply wandered his eyes and observed everyone below. The room was filled with anticipation, each member waiting for his next words. Once he stopped, his brows furrowed slightly as he said, "There are fewer members than the last time.

I thought I said I want every rising talent and executive to come."

His voice was not loud. However, everyone present in the chamber heard him loud and clear.

Cold sweat trickled down the side of Geir's face nervously as he leaned closer to Lucian once more and explained, "W-We lost quite a few members from the recent tragedy at the Tower of the Ancients."

The shock of the recent events was still palpable in the air, weighing heavily on everyone present.

Lucian's frown deepened, "I could understand the decrease in number among the rising talents, but even among the executives?"

"T-That's..." Geir stammered.

"What?"

"I-I... S-Some of them are still recuperating from a recent excursion in the clan participated that the Solis Clan elders organized."

Lucian's eyes turned cold, a contrast to the warmth coming from the faint golden light he emitted.

"An excursion organized by my elders?"

Lucian's words were not a question. He obviously knew what excursion Geir meant and being reminded of it annoyed the hell out of him.

The joint attack of the Solis Clan and others against the Dragon Clan.

It was true that he ordered the Solis Clan elders to keep the Dragon Clan in check. However, he did not expect the elders to involve the other clans in that attack. If not for that, he could have covered the incident as a small misunderstanding between two clans under the same faction. However, because other clans loyal to the Solis Clan were involved, it became a huge mess.

It even gave those annoying, sneaky, no-faction clans to take advantage of it and spread rumors about the growing discord between him and the Dragon Emperor.

The atmosphere inside the audience chamber became tense upon seeing the Emperor's mood turn foul. They braced themselves for his anger, but after a whole minute, he remained silent.

They did not know whether they should be glad at The Emperor's lack of reaction because, often, when he kept his anger in check, his eruption would become fiercer.

"... I see. You may proceed."

After a few minutes of tense silence, Lucian instructed Geir to start the meeting.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Geir faced the congregation and addressed them at once, "Some of you may have already heard of the reason you are being called here today. I will now give a detailed explanation so that all of us here are on the same page once we move..."

After that, Geir explained The Emperor's desire to wake Shiloh and Uilleam. He also told them what they had done thus far and how all attempts had failed. After that, he listed what they had yet to try and assigned each house executive, along with their rising talents, what to do.

Alta listened to Geir's explanation with a blank expression. It was unknown whether she was listening or simply did not care about what was being said.

Behind her, a man with short blonde hair and green eyes, wearing a similar uniform, albeit for male members, leaned closer and whispered, "I heard The Emperor wanted to take Shiloh's soul thread."

The man wore an indifferent expression, but when he spoke, it was full of sneer.

"To think that he was given an important task in the last hunt, yet he did not only fail but also ended up becoming crippled."

Alta's eyes, which used to be blank, flickered at the man's words.

"In the end, you are the only competent one. I don't understand why the House Leader has such high hopes in him."

Alta did not respond. However, she clenched her fists to the point that her palms almost bled.

"Well... it doesn't matter. Once we find a way to wake him, the House Leader will have no choice but to stop giving him preferential treatment—."

"Salim, stop talking and pay attention upfront."

Another Sound House member spoke from behind Salim, the man who spoke some undesirable words toward Shiloh.

Salim snorted, but he straightened his back and did stop talking.

Alta ignored the two behind her. However, she took note of them in her mind.

If Salim knew that The Emperor had taken her soul thread, his ill-fitting words would have been directed at her rather than her brother. That would have been better because she could easily ignore them. But it seemed that Tehila had yet to expose what happened to her.

Not only her but also the other house leaders. Because if they had already exposed it to their respective house members, Salim would not have acted as if he did not know.

Alta did not know whether to be grateful to Tehila and the rest of the house leaders for not exposing her now crippled state. Regardless, since this was the case, she would take advantage of their ignorance and keep them in check after the meeting.

Her future as a mage might have been destroyed now, but she was still a High Sovereign. Since Salim had yet to reach her level, she could still obliterate him.

While Alta was having such thoughts, her Divine Senses picked up something, and her pupils contracted. It took all her willpower to stop herself from showing any reaction. If not, all the executives, the house leaders, the clan head, and especially The Emperor would have definitely noticed something.

'How... Why... How come Shiloh's aura suddenly....?'

Lucian, who had been quietly listening with his eyes closed as Geir continued to distribute tasks among the house executives, suddenly opened his eyes.

He raised his eyes and seemed to glare at a spot on the audience chamber ceiling.

"Next, Philo, I want your group to focus on finding a Water mage. I'm sure there are mages with Water affinity among our visitors—."

Geir noticed a change in The Emperor's mood and stopped midway through what he was saying. He looked at him in concern and asked, "Your Majesty?"

Instead of answering, Lucian's expression distorted. Soon after, a huge grin broke on his seemingly bored expression, and his eyes flashed zealously.

"Ah... To think that I'd get to find you so soon."

"Your Majesty—."

BOOM!

"!"

"!!"

"Your Majesty!"

Everyone inside the audience chamber shouted in surprise when The Emperor's body exploded with a blinding light and disappeared.

Obviously, the explosion was not caused by a sudden attack. Instead, it was The Emperor using his own movement skills to leave the audience chamber and go to who knew where.

Before Geir or the other house leaders could move to find the Emperor, the latter's voice resounded in their heads.

[Dispatch the Blade Dancer Mages and follow my lead.]

Everyone inside the audience chamber except Alta knelt on one knee and responded, "We heard thy command and will abide."

Magic arrays appeared one after another and enveloped the bodies of all Blade Dancers inside. Once the magic energies from the magic arrays completed their circulation, all of them disappeared.

All of them summoned a spell, unique only to the Blade Dancer and Solis Clan, called Light Walk. Using that spell allowed anyone who possessed the original Solis bloodline— even if a little— to traverse through a light flow that someone created. In this case, it was Lucian who created it, and everyone knew how to follow after hearing his command.