Leaving Lilly's tent after talking with her about the curse Dax clenched his shaking hand. Just like Solaris Lilly was also clueless about the strange ominus curse inflicted on him, and what's worse is that it only seemed to increase in magnitude of effect.

(So I have 2… No, 1 year until even basic movement becomes impossible on my own huh? The window for fast fixes has well and truly closed, time to think about a long short.)

Walking into the tropic night Dax found a place to sit down and meditate until dawn broke.

"Umm are you Dax?"

At early dawn he was however disturbed by a merkin child that nervously called for his attention.

"That would be my name yeah."

Taking a second to make his eye adjust to the morning rays Dax looked up to the child as he still maintained his seating.

"Even if my sister or mother don't think it's a good idea I want to personally thank you, your subordinates saved my life."

As the child started to bow down in grat.i.tude Dax reached out a hand to stop him, before rising to his feet.

"You're Abel right?"

"I am."

Having his a.s.sumption proved correct Dax took a moment to a.s.sess the merkin youth before speaking again.

"Abel you belong to a family of leaders, if both your mother and older sister meets an unfortunate end you'll have to lead this community, which is why I'm telling you this. As a leader there are rules you have to follow, ranking quite high on that list of rules is to never act inferior to other powers. Thanking me is fine, in fact I really appreciate it, but being the person you are you must never bow your head to another power, do you understand?"

"... I do, thank you for teaching me this."

Taking a few seconds to properly think about what Dax tried teaching him, Abel expressed his grat.i.tude while wearing a resolute expression, that still somehow managed to look extremely adorable to Dax.

"That's good~"

Not able to resist the temptation Dax placed his hand on the youth's blue curly hair and ruffled it like a grandfather would do to his grandchild before crouching down this Abel's eye level.

"Then let me tell this as a parting present for you. This place is under my protection now, any hostile outsiders will never come within visual range of this place ever again so take your time and grow up into a proper leader. Then if anything about what I just said don't suit you, or you need my help come find me."

Leaving without waiting for Abel's response Dax and his comrades left the tropic atoll behind with using the G05E that could easily carry all the essential AEHWP's and Zephyr with them back to Dax's central operations base in the capital city of Kingsted.

---

A man hurriedly walked through endless halls inside the imperial palace carrying important information to his superior, as for why he didn't outright run through the halls was due to the guards standing at every corner. The figures completely unclosed in solid armor didn't emit any traces of mana like a living being would, and likewise they were completely and utterly ruthless acting out their duties. While still fearful of the guards the man reached his destination, wiped the sweat of his bow then knocked on one of the countless metal reinforced wooden doors and waited for a response.

"Enter."

Having received permission the man entered what revealed itself to be a densely packed study, filled with rolls of parchments and thick leather bound books stacked neatly on heavily reinforced book shelves. In the middle of the large room stood a solid round table flanked by countless elaborate chairs.

"What is it?"

Hearing someone address him the man rushed to kneel down and planted his sight firmly on the carpet below as he stopped rudely inspecting the room and quickly gathered his thoughts to make a report.

"Your excellency I expected to find the minister here as I have a report for him, please excuse my rudeness."

Swallowing hard the man only now realized where he had recognized that voice from and quivered as he awaited his punishment for entering that room like he did.

"It is fine, I forgive you. Now you can report whatever you needed to report to me instead of the minister, it seems important."

"But your excellency I wouldn't d"

"Hurry up and report, your current att.i.tude displeases me greatly."

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"Yes your highness! I sincerely apologize for displeasing you, I will accept any punishment."

Becoming ever more part of the carpet as he bowed down ever deeper the man quickly relayed his report, then silently awaited his punishment for acting out of therm.

"Thank you for bringing this to my attention, I wish to talk with the mage himself."

"Understood, I'll bring him to you immediately! Please excuse me!"

Leaving with those words the man hurriedly escaped the situation as if running away.

"... That was an entertaining fellow..."

After the messenger left 'his excellency let out a short chuckle before gathering his thoughts and calling out to a seemingly empty part of the room.

"Shadow."

"Yes sire?"

"Ghatter the minister's here immediately."

"At your will."

Looking at the formless presence disappear once more the supreme emperor of the east rubbed his stiff shoulders as he spoke out words of self ridicule in the empty room.

"This'll be a long night too, when are you going to allow yourself to get a nights sleep?"

After only 5 minutes of waiting all central figures of power gathered in the emperor's study, they were the people the oversaw the numerous kingdoms beneath the empire together with the emperor, and what Dax would consider as 'extremely high value targets'. After some minor affairs and smalltalk were taken care of the first messenger returned guiding an elderly, gray bearded mage wearing a white hood and seemed weakened somehow as he supported most of his body weight with his elaborately decorated staff.

"I have come before his excellency to bring my account of what happened."

Kneeling down respectfully the mage laid down his staff next to him and removed his hood to reveal a large burnmark that covered a large portion of his upper face as he started giving his report.

"Our efforts to recover the sphere have failed, all forces occupying the atoll where wiped out a few days ago, and just a few hours ago I spotted what I a.s.sumed to be the visitors leader arrive at the atoll, then this happened to me as the surveillance spell I had my student place was destroyed."

"... Dear minister of magic."

Looking at the mages condition for a few seconds the emperor asked for one of his ministers a.s.sessment.

"It is as you believe. The power is clearly that of a archangel."

"So the visitor got even more allies."

"Indeed."

This was a troublesome development. When the initial skyfall struck the world of swords and magic there was great confusion, but multiple powers quickly realized that the strange artifacts that fell from s.p.a.ce were powerful weapons of war that could be exploited once they were understood. This caused a great uproar and the balance of power around the world s.h.i.+fted almost overnight, civil wars erupted and rebellions rose all over the Empire. Still in the aftermath of all that another troublesome development took place, the minister of spycraft personally delivered a report of the creature now referred to as 'the visitor'. It was revealed as an ancient and powerful being that displayed immense strength and excellent political manipulation, suppressing an uprising in the north, leading a successful incursion into elven territories and taking control of the central kingdom to the vest by bending the local angel sanctuary to its will and installing a new puppet hair to the throne. Acting like all those achievements were not enough the visitor was now starting to look towards the Empire, all while gathering more strength.

"Leave us."

""""Yes, your excellency.""""

Coming to a conclusion the emperor dismissed the numerous aids and subordinates in the room, leaving only himself and the ministers.

"Shadow."

"Yes sire?"

"Seal this room."

"At your will."

Then some kind of barrier was erected around the councilroom as it was completely blocked off from outside observation, that acted as a que for the ministers to express their opinions.

"We need to deal with it before it becomes an issue."

"That we all agree with, miss minister of magic. Do you have any suggestions?"

Reading the room the emperor found all to be in agreement with the archangel sitting with them, then addressed the entire room in search of any useful suggestions.

"Deploy the shadows, not to outright kill it, but to observe. There must be some reason it suddenly doesn't want to be seen by us, that could prove to be a weakness we could use."

"That could lead to a war with the sanctuaries, even if we win that war such a conflict could cripple us economically for the next 50 years. But I agree that we don't have enough information."

"Then we need to observe through indirect channels.. How about hiring more mercenaries?"

"Like that fiasko in Roachdale?"

"Good point, we can't afford to endure any direct losses… Then how about-"

As the night grew darker eventually a momentary solution was found, and the eastern empire finally awoke from its slumber and once more stepped into the world stage.