Meanwhile, back at the academy, the information Theron relayed to his friend yielded an immediate and shocking result. The researcher, spurred by Draven's hint about the attackers' lack of fear, discovered a perfect and terrifying detail in his analysis.
The minds of the black-cloaked people were behaving abnormally. It was as if their bodies were mere puppets, moving according to the will of someone else.
This discovery sent a sensation throughout the entire academy. The news spread like wildfire, and within the hour, a wave of the academy's top instructors and researchers descended upon the infirmary, all clamoring to study the dead bodies of the two attackers, desperate to understand the nature of this unseen enemy.
In the grand hall of Valerius Castle, Archduke Cassian sat upon his throne, sifting through a stack of reports. Ever since he had received the emblem from Silas, he had been somewhat relieved that his youngest child was safe. But the reports he was reading now made his expression darken.
He spoke with the weight of absolute authority. "So, they attacked the beast territory as well? Have you made any important discoveries?"
Standing in the shadows before him, clad in dark, phantom-like garb, was the captain of the Phantom Guard, one of the Archduchy's elite special forces.
"Master," the captain answered, his voice low. "We have discovered that all of these attackers can use the dark element. And they do not fear death at all..."
Cassian smirked, a cold glint in his eye. "So my guess was correct?"
The Phantom captain nodded once.
The Archduke issued his order, his voice like steel. "Assemble the Phantom Guards. It is time to reveal one of our trump cards. Kill every last one of those dark-clothed invaders in my territory."
The Phantom bowed and turned to leave, but Cassian called him back. "And what about Silas? Have you received any news about him?"
The captain seemed to become more interested in this topic. "The young master has made many friends at the academy, and..."
Cassian's eyes narrowed. "And what?"
The captain hesitated. "The Count has actually grown close to one of the instructors. I... I think..."
Cassian finished the sentence for him, his voice sharp as a blade. "You think the Count is in love with that man."
Cassian straightened in his seat, his knuckles going white as he gripped the armrests. A loud crack echoed through the great hall as the stone beneath his fingers fractured.
"What is this instructor's realm? What kind of person is he?" the Archduke demanded.
"His name is Draven," the captain replied. "A level 49 Knight in the Argent Spire. An excellent genius."
Cassian nodded slowly, his eyes burning red with a possessive anger. It wasn't the man's gender that bothered him; he had doted on his younger son his entire life, and the thought of someone taking him away was infuriating.
The captain continued, "Our shadow team has also discovered that the Count has not revealed anything about his background."
Cassian let out a sigh of relief. At least the idiot hadn't fallen for his son because of his title. The affection, at least, seemed to be genuine.
"Do not say a word of this to the Archduchess," Cassian commanded. "Or she will start preparing for a wedding before we've even met the boy. I want to test him first."
The guard nodded once and then melted back into the shadows, disappearing without a trace.
The next course of action was swift and decisive. In just a single day, the entire Valerius Archduchy was set into motion, and the whole Imperium felt the tremor.
From the shadows of forests, the peaks of mountains, and the heart of cities, dark-cloaked knights emerged in unison thousands of Phantom Guards, warriors of the high realm, moving with terrifying precision. They were so well-trained and coordinated that they swept through the entire Valerius Archduchy in a matter of days.
In just one week, the Archduchy was cleansed. Not a single one of the dark-clothed invaders remained.
The whole Imperium was shaken to its core. Seeing Valerius act, the other two ancient Archduke families moved in turn. They, too, mobilized one of their own secret trump cards, and within the same week, their territories were also purged of the pests that had dared to attack their people.
The Royal family, watching from their palace, grew anxious. They had never dared to interfere with the affairs of the three ancient families, but the power revealed in the last two weeks the mere tip of the iceberg filled them with a cold fear. Did these families truly not care about the authority of the Royal family at all?
Although the Royal family still had their own trump cards, but they knew they could not compare to the heritage of these three. The Archduke families were even more ancient than the Royal line itself... and while most of the Imperium's strengths were already known, the Archdukes still had many secrets left unexposed.
Outside the city walls of the Valerius Archduchy, countless corpses were hung for all to see a gruesome message to the world that anyone who dared to invade their territory would fall and be left for the birds.
The other two Archduchies followed Valerius's example. The Sylveria Archduchy, Silas's mother's family, even issued a public declaration: if the demons were behind this, they would not hesitate to march into demon territory themselves and wage war.
***
Meanwhile, in a dark castle somewhere deep within the Imperium, a meeting was being held.
A large, round table was surrounded by thirteen seats, each occupied by a figure whose face was shrouded in shadow, even from one another.
One of them spoke, his voice echoing in the chamber. "So, you are saying that you all failed?"
Three of the thirteen figures tensed, their postures grim.
One of the three slammed his fist on the table. "Damn it! That bastard Cassian Valerius revealed his trump card at this moment!"
The second one spoke, his voice trembling with fear. "The Master... the Master will be displeased."
The third nodded and sighed heavily. "Yes, but what could we do? Those three families... they are not simple at all."
At that, one of the other ten figures spoke up, his tone cold. "Exactly. That is why we should have been more cautious. You three ignored the Master's warning not to provoke them."
The first man gritted his teeth. He was the one responsible for the operation in Valerius. "How were we supposed to know that damned Cassian had such a terrifying army hidden in his own territory?"
The other two shuddered in agreement. "Yes, and not just him... but the other two Archduke families as well..."
Another one of the shadowed figures spoke up, his voice tight. "Did you hear what the Sylveria Archduchy announced?"
They all knew it too well. If the Sylverians were serious, then they were doomed.
One of the oldest among them finally spoke, his voice raspy with age and authority. "Lay low for a few days. If Sylveria truly interferes at this moment, we will not be able to achieve our goal at all."
Another ancient voice agreed. "Yes. Lay low. Sylveria has the strongest mages in the Imperium. If they enter the battlefield themselves, we will face severe consequences."
The others around the table nodded in somber agreement.
Then, one of the three who had failed cleared his throat. "Then... we can focus our attack on the Luminus Imperium instead, right?"
The others nodded in unison. The figure responsible for the operations in the Imperium spoke up, a new light in his eyes. "I am already attacking the Imperium right now. If the four of us join forces, perhaps we can achieve our task soon."
The other three nodded, and with that, the conversation was sealed. They would all focus on their own assignments and, for the time being, leave the three Archduchies alone.
In the academy, Silas received a visit from one of the Phantom Guards who had come to check on him. He got no news of his brother, Aleric, but he did get the report he was waiting for . The black-cloaked people had been completely eliminated from the territories of the three Archduchies, and in the process, all three families had revealed one of their many trump cards.
Silas nodded in understanding and, after returning to his dorm, walked out onto the balcony. He scanned the sky, looking for his pet bird, and let out a low whistle. A moment later, the red bird appeared, circling above him before landing on the railing.
He went back inside his room, quickly wrote something on a piece of paper, and then returned to the balcony to tie the letter to the bird's leg. With another whistle, the bird took flight, soaring back toward the horizon.
Today was the day he would leave the academy with Draven to raid dungeons again.
Just then, he heard a knock at his door.
He already knew who it was. Grabbing his equipment, Silas left his room with Draven, and the two of them headed out of the academy together.
While Silas and Draven fought monsters in the Frostfang Dungeon, the capital was under attack.
After failing against the three Archduchies, the black-cloaked invaders turned on the Luminus Royal family. They attacked the outer provinces in waves. The royal soldiers were strong, but the enemy felt no fear or pain. For every invader killed, more took his place, and their dark magic ate through armor and flesh.
The Emperor had no choice. For the first time in a hundred years, he called out the Red Cloaks ,his personal guard. They were chosen as children, trained in secret, and never seen in public. Their crimson armor glowed with protective magic, and they moved as one. When they joined the fight, the battle shifted. Their holy light burned the dark magic, and they cut down the invaders with skill.
The fight was brutal. The Red Cloaks fought enemy leaders of the high realm, and their clash shook the sky. Buildings fell. The ground turned red and black with blood.
But even the Red Cloaks could not win. The enemy was too many and did not stop coming. After three days, both sides were tired and badly hurt. The invaders retreated, and the wounded Red Cloaks returned to the palace.
It was not a win. It was a draw.