Chapter 326: One More Advantage

A Lord from Divine Province soon came forward to support Western Beacon’s accusation.

He claimed to know exactly how the attack had been carried out. Whether someone had bought him or he had been a spy all along was unclear. His story was detailed enough to include a name for the shell: Divine One.

Several Black Banner survivors changed their accounts as well.

[We made a mistake. The Phase fluctuations came from a Mirage Ship, not a Meridian.]

[Everyone knows Divine Province has the only Legendary Mirage in the newcomer sector. Even our own nation doesn’t have one.]

No one explained what had persuaded them to change their stories.

To anyone watching, Western Beacon’s purpose was plain. It was determined to put the blame on Divine Province, whatever evidence it had to invent.

The statements did little to quiet the anger. Among ordinary Black Banner Lords, calls spread for the whole nation to fight to the death and take Western Beacon down with it.

——

Several days later, a messenger brought the news to Windward Isle.

Cassian was discussing tactics with Darian, Elara, and Nessa when it arrived. For once, nobody had wandered away from the subject.

Then Nessa read the report.

"They really hit the Black Banner with a Peace Strike!"

She laughed in delight.

"Two dogs tearing each other apart."

Cassian’s smile stiffened. He gave her a distinctly unfriendly look.

She did have a gift for choosing her words.

The other three were too absorbed in the news to notice.

"If I had a Peacebringer," Darian declared, "I’d send them a shell every day."

Elara was smiling too, but she shook her head.

"Getting one close enough to a capital isn’t so easy. This time, most of Blackmere’s strongest troops were stuck here. They didn’t have many powerful flyers left to intercept it."

Nessa suddenly gave a startled cry.

Cassian turned toward her.

"What is it now?"

She pressed a hand to her side, shifting uneasily.

"It itches. Under the skin."

"Want me to rub it?" Darian offered, already grinning.

Her glare stopped him where he stood.

Before she could answer, life force surged through her. A brief glow swept across her skin, and she went still, listening to the change within her body.

"Something’s awakened."

Darian’s grin faded into surprise.

"Another breakthrough? You’ll leave every Fenwick on the Homeworld behind at this rate."

Nessa looked up, excitement replacing her discomfort.

"Even our relatives in the older Realms would be pleased with an awakening like this!"

Elara raised a small fist in encouragement.

"Keep going, Nessa. One day you might outdo even that Nine-Tailed Fox in the Second Realm."

Cassian studied her with interest.

Two months earlier, the dozen or so members of his closest circle had reached at least A-grade Aptitude. He had supplied the Life Essence from his Fountain’s accumulated output, and those who needed it had drunk it.

An awakening like this was rarer than simply reaching A-grade. He had not expected Nessa to take another step so soon.

"What can you do?" he asked.

"I think... I’m faster. Phantom Step!"

Her figure vanished from in front of them.

An afterimage lingered where she had stood. Nessa herself was already several hundred meters away.

The three watching her drew sharp breaths.

How long she could sustain it was another question. That burst of speed, however, was a match for a Tempest Wyvern’s.

She flashed back to them, beaming.

Elara’s smile was warm and unrestrained.

"Darian has his bloodline. Now you’ve grown stronger again. With the Valcrests and our other Warbound Lords, Divine Province won’t have to fear the next task or ranking that makes Lords fight for themselves."

Cassian nodded.

That was why he had put so much Life Essence into his friends once he had enough to spare. Keeping them alive mattered. So did making them strong enough to seize opportunities that an army could not take for them.

They talked a little longer before he returned to the campaign.

"Western Beacon has mobilized Sunhaven’s fleets and armies. Other Provinces are sending powerful reinforcements too."

He looked toward the coast.

"We control the sea battles, but the Ghost fleet and the Hurricanes together number only a little over two hundred ships. We can’t cover every stretch of water."

The others became serious.

"More of their armies began landing today. At this rate, we’ll have to leave in a little over a month. Stay longer, and we risk being surrounded."

They agreed. There was no reason to let a profitable expedition become a battle they could no longer leave.

Western Beacon still held the Firstborn Gate and the hundred kilometers around it. Beyond that perimeter, Divine Province’s strength had secured the richest hunting maps for the thirteen Crown Provinces.

Another month or so could be enough to put the other twelve in the top hundred.

Each had paid tens of billions of Aether for Dragon’s Blessing. Cassian had used those funds to grant their armies the coin blessing and keep it renewed. Their hunting had improved accordingly.

Darian asked the question the others had been too polite to voice.

"How many First-Age Coins has Divine Province gathered?"

Cassian considered it, then held up three fingers.

"Three million?"

He shook his head.

"Thirty million."

Darian, Elara, and Nessa all stared at him.

——

More Western Beacon armies landed. The mood on Windward Isle grew steadily tenser.

Lords from the other nations kept their heads down. Their Provinces had originally sent only around ten thousand Lords apiece. Two months of fighting among themselves had cost them dearly. Now they were caught between two forces far stronger than their own.

Cassian left them alone. He kept the thirteen Crown Provinces focused on gathering coins.

As the days passed, he continued paying to maintain the blessings. He also bought and consumed fresh pairs of Legendary sealing scrolls before the old seals could lapse. Each pair renewed the same fifteen-day lock on space and communication.

The hunting continued for more than another month.

After a brief, fierce clash with a probing enemy force, Cassian surveyed the field.

"It’s time."

He raised his fist.

"Origin Divine Fist."

A golden fist several kilometers across shot into the sky. It climbed ten thousand meters before its light finally dispersed.

"The signal!"

"Hidden Dragon, gather your troops!"

"Northwest! Everyone, keep up!"

Across the hunting grounds, Lords recalled their scattered forces and headed toward Cassian’s position.

The armies of all thirteen Provinces began withdrawing. Aurelia and the Dawnwing corps stayed behind, maintaining the pressure around Western Beacon’s army while the rest pulled away.

Only a day later, when the Dawnwings also disappeared, did the Lords at the Firstborn Gate begin to realize what had happened.

"The Crown forces are leaving!"

The Communication Seal was still active. They could not contact their forces outside the perimeter to find out where Cassian was going. None dared lead a pursuit into that uncertainty.

"Let them leave," Gavin said, relief showing through his anger. "We have more important things to do than create another problem for ourselves."

He turned toward the hunting grounds.

"Coins. That’s what matters. Divine Province had rich maps, but it had so few people. Even ten million coins would be a miracle for them."

His confidence returned as he spoke.

"We still have almost a month. First place will be ours."

Piers exchanged looks with the other Lords. They, too, seemed relieved to see the end of the confrontation.

They knew Cassian possessed an Artifact that could improve drops. They had badly underestimated how much it could do.

——

The withdrawing forces sailed beyond the sealed waters before using the registered Carrier links. Cassian paid for his party’s passage home.

Light flashed across the transport array in his Domain.

He stepped out with Celia, Liora, Rhea, and the others. Sylvara was already waiting.

"Lord! Everyone! You’re finally back."

Her years as Pandora’s Queen had made her well suited to managing the Domain during an absence. She had overseen its affairs while Veyra remained within the Covenant’s boundary.

"You’ve worked hard too, Sylvara," Cassian said.

Her answering smile was bright. After months with so many of her companions away, she was plainly glad to have them home.

"I’m happy to serve you, Lord."

The Sunhaven expedition had been a success.

Divine Province now held more than forty million First-Age Coins. By Cassian’s estimate, that should be enough to take first place in the Contest of the First Age.

If the ranking had allowed coins to be traded between Provinces, he would have gladly helped the other twelve with some of the surplus. That would have to remain a thought.

His one disappointment was the Black Banner.

Its Lords had spent a month cursing Western Beacon and vowing to fight to the death. Nothing had followed the threats. Now even the uproar was beginning to fade.

Everyone who had watched them was left with much the same opinion of their courage.

Cassian had been away for months. There was plenty to catch up on at home.

He had just opened the Lord’s Hall panel when a familiar notification sounded.

At once, he opened the Homeworld Channel.

[In one month, Phase Three of the Contest of Champions—Race Ascendancy...]