Chapter 76

76 Resolved.

Fragrantia sighed and gently pulled out the chain from around Valerian’s neck. She pointed at the pendant in her palm and asked, “Does this look familiar to you?”

Azula tried to recall and said, “I have seen this before but I cannot remember where.”

The Empress then took out the chain around her neck and the pendant appeared in front of Azula. The former said, “They are not coincidently the same, because these were carved by your grandfather personally.”

Azula was shocked, and asked, “How is this possible?”

The two ladies, one young, one old, began to talk about their past. Mostly it included the time Fragrantia spent with her sister, Flos. They did not realize that Valerian had woken up and he was listening to the bitter sweet tales of his mother with a faint smile on his face.

Suddenly, Fragrantia noticed his reaction from the corner of her eyes and stopped. Azula had basically accepted that Valerian was her cousin, but the abrupt stop of the empress confused her. Fragrantia asked, “Val, do you want to hear more?”

Valerian was caught, the boy tried to play dead but the empress did not let him get away with it and she tickled him. For the first few minutes, Valerian endured, but after a few moments, he broke out in a laughter.

This was probably the first time he has laughed in the past five years, but his laughter was so pleasing to the ears. Fragrantia teased him for a bit and said, “I will tell you more on the way back. Also, you did a good job last night.”

Valerian nodded, and recalling something, he asked, ‘Where is the person captured by Ensis?’

.....

Fragrantia shrugged her shoulders, and Valerian jumped down the bed and rushed outside. The person captured last was an important piece to turn the tables. Azula knew that it was something important, and after the mother and daughter exchanged a glance, they both followed behind the boy quickly.

Outside the tent, the sky had started to lighten up. Valerian asked the warriors around for the whereabouts of the prisoners. After the prowess displayed last night they had all became very respectful to this child. One of the warriors pointed the way and Valerian left after thanking him.

Fragrantia and Azula were not far behind him. Soon they found a group of people kneeling on the ground and they were all battered and bruised. Valerian smiled and walking closer to the warrior in-charge, he asked, ‘Who was the leader among these people?’

The warrior was surprised and then said, “Sir, we have no idea which one of them is the leader, they wear the same clothes, and they do not talk.”

Valerian nodded and asked, ‘Which one of them held the antidote?’

The warrior thought about it and replied, “Sir, they were not holding the antidote, it was placed in a box on top of the table. That was where the captain discovered it.”

The child thought about it and he was confused. He gazed at the guards and then at the captives. It was not difficult for him to determine who was the leader, however, the leader seemed to have taken some precautions. Thinking about it, Valerian said, ‘Can you knock them all unconscious?’

The warriors were surprised, but then they nodded and using the shaft of their spears, the captives were knocked out. Valerian did this because if the enemy was to stay awake, it will find a way to make trouble. They did try to raise a riot. But the warriors quenched it.

Valerian looked at the fainted people and began to check their mouths and after an hour, he found a person, who did not have any poison tablets inside his mouth. Then he looked at a warrior standing next to him and beckoned him close. The warrior crouched down and respectfully learned what Valerian had discovered.

Others could not tell what was going on, and they became curious. Azula asked, “Valerian, what are you doing?”

Valerian stood up and shook his head saying, ‘Secret.’

His lips had a faint smile. He was happy to learn about her mother in the childhood, so he would not mind, his cousin to ask him questions. Soon three warriors came back with a big tub of water.

The guards picked up the person Valerian has identified and then gently placed him inside the tub. Valerian came closer to the tub using a sponge he wiped the face of the person. Slowly, the people realized that the face, of the person was changing with every scrub.

After ten minutes, the face had changed completely, and the Warriors were all shocked. The person in front of them was none other than the son of the Prime Minister. His face was not something anyone among them could forget. This was treason, and this action was all punishable by death.

Valerian got back and said, to the Empress, ‘Gift for you.’

Then he went on to stand behind her. Fragrantia had a faint smile on her face. To think that Amour sent her son, Draco Alm, to deal with her. Amour had definitely underestimated her.

Fragrantia said, “Have these people moved to the palace, and Azula, you have to take special care of the son of the prime minister.”

Her tone was brimming with a chill. Azula nodded and said, “Yes, Mother.”

Afterward, Valerian helped Consano to heal the injured and when they were done, the convoy moved ahead. The foot soldiers had been working for whole night and the passage between the mountains was now cleared. The convoy moved forward at a greater speed.

Ensis had assigned her deputy to bring up the prisoners slowly. While Azula and Consano were looking at Draco Alm. The boy was tied to a rope, which was tied around the claws of the bird beast.

Valerian was sitting inside the carriage with the Empress, who told her about the many things that her mother did when she was a child. She said, “After you leave for the academy, you must not do anything reckless. If you suffer, endure. You will have your chance.”

Valerian looked at her and nodded. He did not intend to step out of the battle mage tower at all. Fragrantia said, “The empire is surrounded by three neighbors, none of which are allies. If you wish to break away from the borders of this empire. You will have to win over those three empires as well.”

This surprised the boy, he asked, ‘Why do I have to win them over?’

Fragrantia replied, “I wanted to wait after for a little longer but since are already strong enough, I will tell you. The four continents are sealed.”

Valerian was confused, he did not understand what Fragrantia meant. The empress continued, “Ten years ago, something in the world changed. What it was and how it happened, we have no idea. Some elder Mages deduced it to be a magic spell cast by the dragons. What we know is that the origin lies in the easter continent.

This spell, prevents the people from crossing the oceans, whether it is by air, or by water, you cannot cross. However, when I met your mother, she told me a way to break this spell.”

Valerian became alert, he asked, ‘What is it?’

“Flos only said, the day someone wins the western continent, they will be able to reach a place where the key to this lock is hidden.”, said Fragrantia.

Valerian leaned back in his seat and gazed at the void. While he was thinking, something clicked to him. The boy took out the letter from his pocket and began to read it again. This letter mentioned a condition. That was to never unveil his identity to anyone, until the day, he can stand against a whole nation.

Now comes this word, that when someone wins the continent can they get out of here. Things were really not as simple as they seemed to be. Valerian was ten at this moment, and to face a country, who knows how long it will take him. He was lost in thoughts.

Fragrantia asked, “Can I read this letter?”

Valerian nodded and carefully handed the paper to her. Fragrantia yelped and asked, “Did she ask you to find Saintess Misericordia?”

The child asked, ‘Do you know her? Can you take me to see her?’

Fragrantia cast a gaze at him and sighed, she said, “The Saintess lives in the southern continent. She is the head of the Temple of mercy. Val, this... I don’t know what to say about this.”

Valerian sighed, he was disappointed that even though he got the news of the person in question, there was no way to see her now. Suddenly he asked, “How do you know that she is from the southern continent?”

Fragrantia shrugged her shoulders and said, “The cardinals of mercy, lives in the southern continent. That is how I know this. She sanctified twenty years ago. We all know this.”

Valerian nodded and after some thought he said, ‘Let us move ahead one step at a time. I will not give up, and even if I have to face the whole world, I will do it.’