Chapter 288: Ashen Heights.
-A few minutes before arriving at Ashen Heights-
Kael returned to Lavinia after paying the remaining money to the leader of the shipmen.
“Five more minutes.”
He started the conversation.
Lavinia nodded, staring at the rocky shore that they were about to arrive on. Yes, this place was her choice, but now that she was here, she was nervous.
After all, everything she knew about this place was from reports the Drakthar had received, she didn’t know how much of it was true.
“Everything will be fine, don’t worry.”
Kael, who sensed her worries, spoke in a calm, confident tone. Again, Lavinia nodded at his words, but her eyes didn’t move away from the Ashen Heights.
Kael had already gotten used to it, so he wasn’t surprised. He decided to talk about what’s important instead,
“Keep in mind that you are the only person who knows about Imperia’s existence. For others, my Four Bonds are Igni, Cirri, Vita, and Nyrri, okay? Imperia’s my trump card.”
At those words, Lavinia finally reacted.
She turned towards Kael with a frown on her face and,
“You are a Fourth Circle Mage.”
“That is correct.”
Kael nodded.
“How come you have Five Bonds?”
“Took you long enough to notice it.”
He laughed.
“You created a Dragon from a stone, I didn’t have the leeway to think about something else.”
Lavinia defended herself.
“Fair enough.”
Kael laughed at those words and nodded,
“As for why I have Five Bonds, there is a long story behind it. For now, you only need to know that Imperia is our secret, okay?”
Lavinia nodded at those words with a solemn look on her face.
As the conversation ended, the ship finally arrived at the Ashen Heights. Kael unloaded all the boxes to the shore and then sent the ship away.
Once he was done, his eyes finally fell on the place he would hopefully be staying in for a while,
The Ashen Heights.
The terrain ahead was unforgiving—a wall of rough stone ridges and jagged cliffs stretched as far as the eye could see. The mountains weren’t tall enough to scrape the skies, but they were steep and scarred, shaped by centuries of rockslides and harsh gales.
There was little greenery. Dry moss clung to the sides of crumbling ledges, and short, twisted pine trees grew at odd angles from cracks in the stone. Dust and gravel kicked up with every step, and patches of brittle grass crackled underfoot.
In the higher elevations, Kael could spot traces of snow clinging to the shadows of narrow crevices—a sign of colder days ahead—but for now, only the cold wind was their enemy.
“Well, this is it I guess.”
Kael muttered as he turned to Lavinia. Both of them were wearing the oversized cloaks they had been wearing all this time, hiding their appearance.
“The land the world forgot.”
Lavinia commented, staring at the place ahead.
“It seems to be a cruel place.”
Kael pointed out.
“It’s still standing.”
Lavinia replied.
“That’s something.”
“Indeed.”
Kael nodded.
Then, he glanced at a few boulders and a light smile appeared on his face,
“And to think we are already being welcomed.”
Lavinia didn’t say anything; she just waited for Kael to make a move. Kael simply nudged the Fox in his arms and Vita shrugged,
“They won’t see anything. The Ants can move.”
Completely trusting his daughter, Kael then glanced at his youngest daughter,
“Ria.”
He called.
Imperia nodded and turned towards the boxes.
“Scatter.”
The order was given.
The Ants moved.
This was an entirely new region, so they needed to be careful, but the Ants were well-trained. It wouldn’t even take them days before they spread all over the place, making it so nothing in Ashen Heights escapes Kael’s eyes.
“Are they going to be fine?”
Kael questioned as he saw the Ants moving.
“Hmm?”
Imperia tilted her head in confusion.
“They are not used to the cold, are they? The temperature will only fall from here on out, and in winters, this entire region will be covered with snow. Will the Ants be alright?”
Kael asked in worry. He had brought the Ants here with him, so he felt responsible. Imperia, however, just smiled lightly. She liked how her father cared about her children.
“Worry not, Father.
As long as I am here, they will be just fine.”
“What does that mean?”
Kael frowned.
“I am the Mother of All Ants, Father. My very presence strengthens my children. The stronger I become, the more my presence affects my children. My current influence is strong enough for them to adapt to the changes around them and get used to cold.
If anything, they might evolve as the temperature falls. These hardships are good for them.”
“Your influence is… that strong?”
Kael blinked in surprise and Imperia smiled confidently.
“As I said, leave everything to me.”
“…alright.”
Kael smiled back. He loved how reliable this adorable little thing was.
While all this happened, a man who was hiding behind the boulders was unable to contain his curiosity and revealed himself.
Kael and Lavinia glanced at him.
He was tall, broad-shouldered, and wore patched leathers and a thick fur-lined cloak that billowed slightly in the wind. His face was weathered, his beard streaked with gray, and a heavy iron-tipped spear rested against his shoulder.
“You’re not from here,”
He said with guarded curiosity. His gaze drifted to the crates, then to their faces.
Yes, he could see the crates; he just couldn’t see the Ants coming out of them, so to him, it looked like crates full of goods, especially considering how carefully these two were unloading them from the ship.
“I didn’t know the merchants from the Centre had gotten so bold. To think you would come here to trade. Do you not know what this place is?”
The man questioned.
“We are not here to trade.”
Lavinia answered, her voice instantly attracting the man’s attention.
“Not here to trade? Those boxes behind you say otherwise.”
“We only brought them to fool the shipmen. The boxes are empty.”
“Huh…?”
The man frowned.
“If you aren’t here to stay, then why are you here?”
He questioned.
“Shelter.”
Lavinia answered directly.
“You came here for shelter? Here?”
The man’s frown deepened. Soon, however, his frown turned into a wide grin and,
“You have no clue where you are, do you?”
“We do.”
Lavinia nodded.
“Trust me, if you did, you wouldn’t have come here for shelter.”
“I disagree. I think my knowledge is what makes this place so attractive for me. After all, who else could guarantee my safety better than the Twilight Sovereigns?”
The man’s reaction to those words was stronger than expected. He instantly narrowed his eyes and—
“We do not use that name anymore.”
He spoke in a careful tone.
“Really, that is a shame. I liked it because it sounded quite overbearing.”
Lavinia sighed. The man studied her for a few seconds,
“What do you want, girl?”
He questioned with a solemn look on his face.
“As I said, we came here for shelter.”
“…you came here knowing who we are?”
“I came here because I know who you are.”
“…”
The man turned silent.
He did not know what was happening.
Whether this woman was a naïve fool or a spy, there were too many questions in his head. But in the end, he just shook his head and decided to throw his problem on someone else,
“Come with me, I will take you to the Elder Hall.”
Yes, he will throw this problem at the Elders.