Chapter 890: Nine Commanders

"Is this truly him?" asked a masked man on the ground. None answered until the woman on the floor rose to her feet.    

"Arthur has changed, but so did all of you," she was the sole exception because she wore neither a cloak nor a mask. Instead, she wore nothing but gauntlets and prison clothes. "What is your goal now, Sier?"    

"Our real names should remain hidden," said one of the masked men. "Is this how you treat us after we saved you, Bear?"    

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"Arthur was the one to save me," said Ivy with a frown before she stared at the man looking down on Helios. "Is this what you desire, Sier? This gap will only grow larger between us."    

"That is not Arthur Silvera," said Sier as he pointed at the golden figure below them. "He has been overtaken by someone else. He does not carry his memories or desire to be a part of Mistletoe."    

"I"m not sure I carry that desire anymore, too," said Ivy while staring at the ground. Sier turned to her at last, his mask staring straight at her. It gave her an eerie feeling. "Tell me, Si. What do you desire now? Is it not the throne?"    

"I desire…" muttered Sier before stopping. He shook his head a few times before turning around and walking away. "Bring her, newbie."    

"As you command," said one of the cloaks before walking toward Ivy. The rest turned around and walked away before Zas created a portal for them. Then, one by one, they entered the portal and left Ilios.    

"There is only one newbie, and it"s not you," said Ivy with a frown before preparing herself for a fight. However, the masked man didn"t fight but revealed his face instead. Ivy was confused because she didn"t know him.    

"My name is Oriole," said the man with a smile. "I used to be a friend of Arthur Silvera and like to believe that I still am if he considers me such."    

"His friend?" asked Ivy with a frown. "Is this some sort of trick?"    

"There are no tricks here. If Sier hears me say or think this, then he will kill me on the spot. However, I found a way to avoid that. I promise that I am an ally of Arthur Silvera."    

"Your lies are unconvincing, Oriole," said Ivy as she readied herself for a fight. "If you are Arthur"s friend, why are you aiding Sier?"    

"I… realized something a while back. Arthur is one person, and his enemies are many. If he doesn"t have someone helping him from the shadows, he will be surrounded or even lose those he cares about."    

"…is that why you joined the seer?"    

"Sier cannot kill me because that would kill Reece. He has already lost two of his followers, with you included. Mistletoe cannot afford to lose any more members, or its plans will fail."    

"You said he lost two, so who is the other one?"    

"Li left Mistletoe to join Arthur. It has changed Sier quite a bit, and he seems to seek more powers than before. This is…"    

"Changing him," Ivy completed the sentence before letting her guard down. "You seem to be telling the truth, but that"s not a reason to trust you. I would rather join Arthur now."    

"I would rather that, too," said Oriole with a weak smile. "If things can be so simple, then it would have been easy. However, Mistletoe is the best place to know about the other vessels. Arthur is not a seer."    

"…I am not a follower of his; I just hate the current Mistletoe. It has turned into a band of terrorists rather than thieves."    

"Alright, Ivy," Oriole nodded before putting on his mask. "You can choose where to go, but let me ask you this: what do you desire?"    

"I…" Ivy found herself unable to answer his question. "I don"t know," she admitted, feeling pathetic. Everyone wanted something, and everyone worked for it. However, she was satisfied with being a part of Mistletoe. It was her only family. "I want time to go back."    

"That is my goal, too," said Oriole as he offered his hand. "I want Arthur to end up with more friends than enemies. Reece is the same. I will ensure Mistletoe does not end up on the wrong side of the upcoming war.    

***        

Oriole was right about the fact that a war was coming. After the battle of Helios ended, the news could not be contained. The truth and its variations spread worldwide as a million citizens made it their story to relay what happened.    

However, one thing was sure. The Iliosian Empire has fallen under the hands of Arthur Silvera. This news spread like wildfire among the world, especially the nations. They grew alarmed, and those who sent troops to support Ilios learned of their failure.    

In a few days, the power structure in the world changed. Most nations prepared their armies for a large-scale war, possibly involving the world. Furthermore, t.i.tan Guilds and their members were the same as they eyed the dungeons in Ilios.    

A weakened nation was prey to be devoured by the rest. Every resource, dungeon, mine, or ruin in Ilios became the target of the hungry guilds and rulers. However, before a war could break out, the nine commanders of Ilios gathered.    

Excluding Helios, Ilios had nine cities, each ruled by one commander. Rather than seeing their nation torn apart by the war, these nine wise leaders chose to band together and head toward the capital with their armies.    

Their intentions were unknown to the world. However, seeing nine Astra-rankers band together in one group deterred the rest of the crowd from interfering for the time being. A civil war might break out was their desired outcome.    

After a mere few days after its tragedy, Helios was surrounded by armies again. Nine Astra-rankers stood atop its walls as the current rulers of Helios came to meet them.    

"…what is this?" asked one of the commanders, an old man with a pointy beard. His shifty little eyes darted from one person to the other as he scoffed at the current leaders. "Two women and an old man?"    

"This old man is Zonas Mantra," said Zonas with his hands resting on his sword, his back as straight as an arrow. "I am the previous Knights Commander of Helios, as all of you know. I have trained half of you."    

"You are still an old man, old man," said the commander as he combed his beard. "We are here to restore peace to Ilios, and that cannot be achieved under the rule of usurpers."    

"Usurpers?" interjected Rain, who had changed her clothing into formal attire. "We are the heroes of Helios, who stopped the mad emperors from killing his city. This is not usurping, but saving."    

"And who are you?"    

"I am the previous advisor of Osian the Invincible," said Rain with a smile. "I can beat any of you with ease."    

"And are you the one who defeated him? I heard not of your contributions during the fight except charming a few knights," said another female commander, a tall woman in heavy armor.    

"I did not need to fight because I knew someone else was going to defeat him," said Rain with a grin. Then, she turned around and stared at the giant sphere of metal and wood that had now crowned the Light Palace. Right above it hovered the ma.s.sive Runic Dome covered with threatening arrays. "He is still here, too."    

At the mention of that man, all commanders had a change of expression. Most were apprehensive except a short old woman who gave a wide smile.    

"And what are his intentions?" asked Old Babo, the only one smiling. "Is he here to enforce his will, protect Helios, or start another world?"    

"To be honest? He is just sleeping," said Rain with a smile. "I doubt he wants another war or another fight, but I doubt even more that he would lose any battles coming his way. Arthur Silvera is no longer a man any or all of you can defeat."    

"Threats will not win you wars, advisor," said the sneaky commander as he squinted his eyes at the Runic Dome. "Arthur Silvera is an outsider, regardless of his intentions or accomplishments. We will not allow him to invade Helios."    

"For the people here, you are the invaders, dear guests," said the last woman, whose beauty made the other commanders silent so far. "Before you attempt to dismiss me, I am the current ruler of Ilios, and you may call me Saint Ai."    

"…what?"    

"What nonsense is this?"    

"Has Arthur Silvera placed a proxy of his?"    

The commanders were outraged, and it was not an easy feat to stand against nine Astra-rankers. However, Saint Ai stood with confidence. Zonas Mantra tapped the ground with his sword, making the commanders alert.    

"Arthur Silvera had not interfered with this decision," said Zonas Mantra with a cold expression. "She has been chosen by… the people."