Hunter of the Evernight
Chapter 248: First order of business

Chapter 248: First order of business

The great obsidian hall was covered in silence for a moment as those covered with veils found themselves entranced by the feeling that came with their new designations.

The words sounded strange and even the title, Constellations, was a word completely foreign to them.

The closest word in their dialect that could come close was one that meant ’body of light.’, This brought their mind to the Lightbringer or rather, the Nighteye, aptly named so by ancient scholars.

Regardless, none tried to argue the title and instead, accepted it as only natural.

Seeing as they had accepted the titles, Alex nodded with satisfaction before going ahead to snap his fingers.

The next moment, the black lake at the center of the hall rippled before white lights broke out from its depth, merging to form a 3D projection of Ra’as.

Naturally, the projection was lacking, with barely a quarter of the continent depicted but it would have to suffice for the time being.

"Now to the order of business. A few of you already know why I formed this team but I will reiterate for those newly joining us. My goal is to gather the Branches of the Absolute and bring a stop to the cycle."

"The cycle?" Douglas spoke up for the first time.

Alex nodded. "Indeed. Eventide is stuck in a cycle of creation and destruction. If nothing is done, this cycle will end with all things being destroyed. The Branches are the only way to survive."

"This..." Douglas was left speechless by the revelation, same with the others, save for say, Ana and Victoria.

Of course, Alex didn’t believe in the cycle but had to use it as a cover-up until he was sure that they would be open to hearing the truth.

Letting out a deep sigh, he continued. "So far, I have already gotten one; the Mantle of Darkness but according to what is known, there are a few others still out there and even more that may be hidden."

Then he glanced at Ana, who sat upright and in a rather domineering manner, began.

"According to studies, there are 6 Branches discovered so far. Some scholars loyal to the Church have postulated that there might be more Branches hidden around the world because 6 isn’t a holy number and is instead regarded as incomplete. At the very least, there should be 7 or perhaps, 12."

Douglas could barely follow what was happening as he found himself introduced to several strange terms in a span of a few minutes.

Just what kind of organization had he joined?

Ignoring the questioning look thrown his way, Alex addressed the group. "Instead of grasping at straws, we would have to focus on the ones that are already known. As we are in Ra’as, we will start from here before going anywhere else."

Then he shifted his attention to Ana. "Based on what I read from the records on the Branches, Ashtyx was last seen in Ra’as, correct?"

"That’s correct," Ana replied with a nod, rather excited to share her knowledge with the group. "It was discovered in the depths of the Northern Kingdom of Thebes and because of it, the Kingdom experienced massive growth, growing to become a powerhouse."

"The Kingdom of Thebes?" Alex furrowed his brows as he tried to recollect where he heard the term before.

It didn’t take long before he remembered it was something mentioned by Arthur but with the realization came a sense of unease.

"Isn’t it the Kingdom of Thebes that its inhabitants suddenly disappeared with no explanation for why that happened?"

Ana nodded. "Yes. Very few know what happened that day but..."

"But?"

"On the night that the citizens of Thebes disappeared, I sensed incredible ripples in the flow of aether. At that time, I didn’t know if it was connected but after experiencing the Mantle of Darkness, though compared to that night, the Mantle is lacking greatly, I have reason to believe that..."

"... Ashtyx might be what caused the disappearance." Alex breathed out as he felt a headache coming on.

Ana nodded. "I believe so."

"Hah, this is troublesome," Alex muttered. "Is it by any chance still in the Kingdom of Thebes?"

Just then, Victoria spoke up, beating Ana to it. "From what I’ve learned, the Kingdom of Thebes, or at least what’s left of it is now under the jurisdiction of Aragon. If anything about the whereabouts of Ashtyx is to be known, that would be the best place to start."

"Aragon?" Alex raised a brow.

This time, Douglas spoke up. "It’s the land of the BeastMen and I’m sorry to say but it won’t be that easy to accomplish."

"Explain," Alex interjected, sitting up in his chair as attention fell on Douglas.

Taking a deep breath, Douglas began. "The BeastMen don’t take light to anyone intruding on their territory. As far as I know, the Kingdom of Thebes is the only place to see BeastMen as the leaders of Aragon use it as an intermediary between their market and the Empire."

"You seem to know so much about these things." Alex couldn’t help but comment.

Douglas pursed his lips, seemingly hesitant to say something before finally letting out a sigh. "It’s not like I studied or anything. I planned on heading to Aragon at some point."

"Why?"

"Arthur," Douglas remarked. "He is the one that told me everything. He wished that... I’d help him do something over there. It was the agreement we made when you... no, when Alex had first started working for him."

Alex remained silent for a moment, perhaps giving Douglas a chance to recover from his temporary reverie before he inquired.

"So what else do you know about Aragon and the current state of the Kingdom of Thebes?"

"Not much. Arthur asked that I return only when I’m ready to undertake the task."

"I see. In that case, it’s clear what we must do." Alex intoned loudly, drawing everyone’s attention.

Putting up his fingers, he continued. "Find Arthur and get as much information as we can on Aragon. Secondly, as a fledgling organization, we need a source of income and so, we must consider avenues to get it. Lastly, I believe I don’t have to say anything on personal growth, right?"