Two weeks had passed since Asher returned from Tiberias, and since then Aquilia had been tasked with building the one teleportation channel in Nineveh and another in Ashkelon.
Asher had ordered Ashkelon’s general to release 1000 Ashkelon Guards and 300 Bladebreaker cavaliers. While he would release 500 Silver Wolf Infantrymen, 500 Desolate Slayers, and 200 Stormbringer cavaliers to conquer both baronies.
The commanders were Alec, Lambert, Eritrea, and Sirius!
Asher sat on his king-sized bed, staring at the mural like he always did. He noticed that his sacred hall had some similarities to the one in the mural, but the giant beast was still much bigger than Sirius.
However, knowing that Sirius’s evolution had changed from the original path after the consumption of a dragon species, Asher had no idea what to expect from Sirius’s next evolution.
“Hmm, Ancestor Zenas looks so young here. He should be over sixty since he was somehow able to be a rank higher than his beast.”
Asher knit his brows.
He knew the higher one grew in rank, the stronger your internal system. This allowed them to live long, but there wasn’t anything like being able to look thirty years younger when a man was in his mid- or late sixties.
‘Does human lifespan increase at the imperial rank?’
That rank was far out of his reach, and all of his commanders would not be able to touch it because of the limitations of their talents, but they might be powerful enough to match them with the improvement of the system and their treasured meals.
Knock! Knock!
“Your Lordship. It is I, Kelvin.”
“Come in.”
Asher turned his head toward the door.
Kelvin walked in. “Your commanders request your presence before they leave for battle.”
“I see.”
The troops gathered together last night, were numbered, and the logistic department along with them.
“Let’s go.”
As they walked through the hallway, Kelvin cleared his throat.
“Aquilia is done with both teleportation channels and is at her chamber awaiting your order of release.”
Asher cocked a brow.
“Has her father paid the ransom?”
Kelvin blinked.
“Pardon, My Lord?”
“Her father still needs to pay the ransom, and remember to inform him that his daughter is now a gold-ranked mage, so he shall pay 100,000 gold coins. Is it not fair?”
Kelvin could not speak.
“You think I’m biased. Look at it this way: I took his daughter and made her a gold-ranked mage. Now she will be sought after by nobles of all ranks, including Marquises, so do you think I should be repaid with just 10,000 gold coins?”
Kelvin’s eyes twinkled.
“Ah.” He parted his lips and adjusted his spectacles. “I’ll see to it that Lord Rutherford Tyre gets the information.”
Asher patted Kelvin’s shoulder with a smile, and when they reached a staircase, he turned toward the right.
“Where are you going, Your Lordship?”
“To see my captive. Tell the commanders that I’ll be there shortly.”
Kelvin chuckled as he watched Asher walk away with his hands in his pockets.
‘He’s growing fast.’
……..
Creak!
The sound of the door being opened made Aquilia turn toward it. Her right eye was covered by some strands of her silver hair.
She looked at the young lord clad in a brown jacket over his white tunic, and her eyes narrowed.
“I’ve built your teleportation channels.”
“I heard.”
Asher stood by the door, staring right into her eyes with an indifferent expression. For the past two weeks, after seeing the great dominions belonging to Asher, her heart shook, and she grew to actually fear him.
Asher was ten times more powerful than she, her father, or any other lord, including Count William imagined him to be.
He was cunning.
Smart enough to hide his true power and allowed them to be fascinated about his death at the hands of the winter beasts when he had stepped into the desolatelands and built a great city housing tens of thousands!
Her father barely had over 40,000 citizens, and he was crowned the strongest baron in the northern part of the wastelands.
The southern part was ruled by the count’s direct vassals, people who paid taxes and had sworn allegiance to him.
Tyre, Scarlet, and Flamehearts were free lords; they earned their domains, and due to where their lands were located, no one was willing to fight over them.
“How is your control?”
She looked at him and then muttered a few unknown words. Several masses of water the size of a large pearl appeared around her.
“I feel like even amongst gold-ranked mages I should be a force to be reckoned with.” After saying this, Aquilia’s eyes widened. Realizing she was talking feely with the man she loathed, she knit her eyebrows.
When Asher began walking toward her, Aquila, shifting backwards, watched him vigilantly.
But he just walked past her and swung the curtain open, allowing the sunlight to flood into the room.
“It’s a big city out there.”
Asher spoke.
Aquilia looked. Since her bed was close to the large window, she could see the bustling city.
The white structures were absolutely beautiful, and the symmetrical design of the streets had an appalling formation that she could see.
She saw the same thing from the top of the lord’s manor in Ashkelon.
“I want a mage, and although we had a bad start, I won’t judge you by it if you swear your allegiance to me.”
Aquilia frowned.
A few moments later, Asher got tired of waiting and walked toward the door.
“There will be no home to return to in two months’ time.”
It dawned on her!
“Promise not to kill my father, and I will swear allegiance to you.”
Asher could tell she was panicking.
At that moment, he decided to check her panel to know the stakes.
[Aquila Tyre
Age: 25
Rank: Gold
Talent: Water Manipulation (A)
Loyalty: 45
Job: None]
Seeing her loyalty, Asher was caught off guard. It seemed like bringing her to his domain worked after all!
…….
Boom!
The sacred hall doors were pushed open, and Asher walked in with a fast pace.
“We greet His Lordship!”
Alec, Lambert, and Eritrea kneeled. Lambert and Eritrea looked excited to meet their lord again, but all of a sudden, a silver-haired woman was pushed into the hall by a BloodBlade.
Alex standing by the side of the throne took a step. He understood from Aquiia’s expression that Asher had made her his subordinate.
“Is she a mage?” Lambert said in a tone so low that only him, Eritrea, and Alec could hear.
