Saved By The Mad Duke
Chapter 220: Lunar Eclipse Ritual

Chapter 220: Lunar Eclipse Ritual

Once King Yuraon had properly thanked Yanad for helping Princess Melania reach the North, Aideen asked Safie to assist the young man in cleaning himself up. Then, she left the room with the others to allow him some rest alongside his beloved.

Aideen, Ahspid, and Yanad moved to the duke’s study, where more urgent matters still had to be discussed.

"Magic combined with alchemy..." Ahspid crossed his arms over his chest once he heard Yanad’s explanation, his silver eyes fixed absently on the opposite wall. "Any specifics, Your Highness?" He looked back at Yanad, who was shifting awkwardly on the opposite couch.

"Unfortunately, all I have managed to gather are bits and pieces. However, there was one peculiar term that was repeated several times in the encrypted letters Valon exchanged with Anathaen’s mages: Lunar Eclipse Ritual."

"Lunar Eclipse Ritual?" The mage widened his eyes, he was clearly shocked by the mention of this term. "Are you absolutely sure about that?"

Yanad took a few moments to carefully consider his findings, then confirmed again with an affirmative nod. Aideen turned to the mage and asked, "Why? What does it mean?"

"The Lunar Eclipse Ritual is a powerful combination spell that grants its target incredible strength, both physical and magical. The way it works is that a powerful alchemist creates his own ’copy’ of the Philosopher’s Stone by sacrificing many lives and... bodies with different life forces over the years."

Aideen narrowed her eyes in disgust.

’So this is what his experiments were all about... All the dead animals, all the poor children he used, their flesh, too... What a notorious monster!’ she thought, her revulsion evident on her face.

Noticing the princess’s distressed expression, Ahspid sighed and continued, "That artificial stone serves as a vessel, designed to absorb magic powers from twelve different powerful mages, creating a completely new set of skills and abilities. The vessel then rests under the moonlight, waiting for the moment of the eclipse to finally unleash it all."

Aideen’s heart sank further as she understood the full horror of the ritual. "So, all those sacrifices were just to create this vessel?"

"Yes," Ahspid confirmed, his voice heavy with regret. "And during the eclipse, the accumulated power will be released, transforming the chosen target into an entity of unimaginable power. It’s a dark and twisted practice, one that disregards the value of life for the sake of ultimate strength."

"This sounds way too dangerous..." Aideen noted, and the mage agreed with a nod. "The forces it can unleash are indescribable. If the target of this ritual is King Euris himself, he will turn into an almost unstoppable beast. I’m afraid no human will be powerful enough to defeat him. Hell! I have never heard of anyone resorting to the ritual before... I have no idea if anything at all can stop this."

The study turned completely silent; even the act of breathing seemed to sound like the waves of a storm.

The situation had taken an unexpected and absolutely dangerous turn. If even a mage as powerful as Ahspid was genuinely afraid of what was about to come, it was a clear sign that this war would not end in anyone’s favor.

Aideen took a deep breath and clenched her fists. The decision was painfully obvious, and she had to be assertive. Rising from her seat, she offered the men a confident look and finally declared, "I will go to the capital myself. Having me there will still be better than having no magical support at all."

Both Ahspid and Yuraon jumped to their feet simultaneously, their exclamations thundering through the room in unison: "Absolutely not!"

Aideen stretched her lips into a bitter smile, prepared for such a strong reaction. "We have no other choice. Someone has to be there to try and stop the king. If what you say is true, then imagine the number of lives this ritual will take! This will no longer be a normal war; it will be a ruthless slaughter!"

"Yes, you’re right, but it’s still way too dangerous for you to go there and fight such a frightening opponent!" The Crown Prince took a step forward, frustration evident in his eyes. Aideen was grateful for his concern, but her decisiveness remained intact. "There is no other way, Yanad. Besides, I’m not such a weakling anymore. I have both the powers of a mage and dragon coursing through me, and a real snow dragon to support me if needed."

The Crown Prince bit his tongue. Though he sincerely cared for Aideen’s well-being, he had no right to question her true powers.

Ahspid shook his head and finally caved in, "I hate to do this, but this time, I have to accept Lady Valentine’s decision. Although she is still new to this and doesn’t know how to properly control her abilities, I believe she can defeat the king. Nobody really knows what it’s like to be a dragon. I guess... Our Lady will give us a chance to find out."

Aideen’s tense face finally relaxed, and she offered Ahspid a warm smile, silently thanking him for placing his trust in her. The mage added, "Take the young king as your guardian. In such a dire situation, I think it is best for him to reunite with his people and lead them to their own victory."

The princess fixed her eyes somewhere beyond the study’s window for a moment, then shook her head and retorted, "No... I think it’s better for him to stay here. He has just reunited with Princess Melania, and I’d hate to separate them again. Besides, although it looks like we were able to get rid of the immediate danger, the North might still not be entirely safe. Therefore, I would feel a lot better knowing that someone as skillful and strong as King Yuraon is protecting the people in this castle."

"I will go with you then," Yanad chimed in unexpectedly. "I may not be as strong, but I am still a good swordsman. I could not get here faster because of Melania, but since we both have our horses with us, I will bring you to the capital in no time. This is the least I can do for now."

Lady Valentine nodded. "It is decided then. His Highness and I will get ready and leave as soon as possible."