—

Cedric wore a confused expression as he stared at the transport ships unloading people on the camp. He counted at least dozens just today, and suddenly, the camp felt more populated than before.

He’s not complaining. He just finds it weird. Especially since, from what he saw, the new arrivals don’t seem to be too stoked to be here. Which is fair; that’s what the majority feels when coming here, but this batch of people looked ‘extra’ unwilling. He’d even say that they’re most likely punished to be here.

“The matters of the Void are no longer a secret to the general populace of the alliance.”

Cedric heard a familiar voice behind him. He turned around and saw a tall and lean figure wearing a void suit speaking to him. Judging from the aura he’s exuding, he’s a cosmic-level expert and one that Cedric had a few interactions with before. More importantly, this one is a chancellor.

“Greetings, Sir.” Cedric didn’t dare to be negligent. Even though he only had a few interactions with this person, his status commands respect that must be given, especially in a place like this.

“At ease, Child.” The Mystic Fae Chancellor spoke. Cedric could also hear the small grin on his face. If only he could see what’s behind that mask so that he could confirm why he felt so familiar with him.

To his surprise, though, his wishes were granted. The visor of the Mystic Fae Chancellor’s void suit opened up, revealing a gorgeous and noble appearance it’s been hiding all along.

The long platinum blonde hair cascaded behind the chancellor. His piercing verdant eyes bore down on Cedric, exuding fondness and kindness. His face was as sharp and chiseled as his physique, yet it contained grace and nobility, a trait that the majority of Mystic Fae males exude naturally, even more so by their Chancellor.

Yet more importantly, now that Cedric has seen his face, he finally understands why his voice and presence vaguely feel so familiar to him.

“Tower Master!” Cedric exclaimed in surprise.

That’s right. As it turns out, Silas—the Tower of Prodigies’ Tower Master—turns out to be Mystic Fae Chancellor all along. This is where Cedric’s familiarity comes from.

“It is indeed I.” Silas gently smiled at him, patting Cedric’s shoulders; he asked, “How have you been lately, Child? My apologies for going radio silent with you after sending you to the training camp. I have been occupied with my recent promotion.”

Cedric could hardly blame him for that. Truth to be told, he never thought much about it.

Sure, Silas and Hunyo—the Divine Celestial—were the two people who encouraged him to join the Security Department. Yes, they heavily endorsed the Border Patrol Guardians because they too know that the camp was lacking people, and it’s what ultimately pushed Cedric to come here. Yet in reality, Cedric has never been close to either of them. Yes, he was one of the graduates of the Tower of Prodigies, but that’s hardly personal.

Silas just implied that after Cedric signed the contract, he had a promotion. Whether that’s for inheriting the Mystic Fae Chancellor’s mantle or something else entirely, it’s understandable why he couldn’t keep contact with Cedric. Besides, they’re not close to begin with.

“I’m doing really well here, sir…despite the generally awful state of the camp at most times,” Cedric jested. “Is Sir Hunyo the Divine Celestial Chancellor too?”

“That guy? Hah!” Silas snorted, which is very off-brand for his image. “He’d rather die than inherit this much of a responsibility. If this was an ideal world, he’d rather sleep all day long and not bother with any form of responsibility at all. The fact that he reached the Cosmic level despite his laziness is already a miracle on its own.”

Cedric smiled wryly at that. This further proves that he’s not really close with this too because he couldn’t have guessed that Hunyo was that lazy. Well, that’s also considering that Silas wasn’t just trash-talking him behind his back.

“Forget about that guy; he’s not worth your time.” Silas huffed, then his attention returned to the incoming wave of people. His expression turned a little strange.

It’s a mixture of helplessness and firmness. It’s as if he doesn’t like what he’s seeing at all, but he also knows that it has to be done, so he can only steel his resolve.

“While we’re busy protecting the realm from the Void Prince’s invasion, some smartass thought that it’s the perfect moment to do a livestream on the Virtual Universe.” Silas’ voice got an edge as he spoke of the details.

“His fellow soldiers were doing their best to survive and protect the realm while he decided to focus on highlighting our struggle to prevent our enemies from breaching our area of responsibility.”

“The livestream was named ‘The Truth about the Borders,’. and it was pushed to the very top of the streaming list, having over billions of people watching in real time.”

“The disastrous invasion was streamed from start to finish. And while we were cleaning up and listing the casualties, the people of the alliance started riots, accusing us of lies and deceit. Well, not the Border Patrol Guardians, per se, but the entirety of the alliance’s Security Department.”

“The ones that suffered the most were the Societal Officers. Especially after it was revealed that those who graduated from the Security Department can either choose the Societal Office or the Border Patrol Guardians. The difference between the two positions was revealed, and the public was outraged because while we’re out here throwing our lives to protect the realm, the Societal Officers were back there, relaxing and playing around in worlds leisurely.”

Silas sighed in exhaustion before continuing…

“What made it worse is that it has been revealed that it was the Societal Office that decided to hide the matters of the void from the public. While I’m sure that the initial reason behind that decision was pure and just, the public outrage turned it into a bad thing, saying that the Societal Office was corrupted because they’re manipulating public opinion to save themselves and for other selfish reasons.” Find more to read at My Virtual Library Empire

“The Societal Office crumbled under the pressure of the masses; as a result, they were forcibly conscripted here, along with some of the ‘volunteers,’ if you may.” Silas rolled his eyes. “That’s why we’re receiving an influx to our population.”

Cedric stared at the new arrivals and sighed as well, saying, “This would be a headache for the Disciplinary Office.”

“Oh, for sure it is.”

It’s obvious that at least 90% of these people didn’t want to be here at all. They were pressured, ‘punished,’ to come here. And that unwillingness is something that has to be beaten out of them completely because the guardians won’t tolerate insubordination. And if it turns out that this camp can’t break that unruliness out of them, then it will be the cause of their deaths. The guardians don’t show mercy to their enemies, after all, even to their own.

“Don’t concern yourself too much about this.” Silas shook his head. “This isn’t where your responsibilities lie.”

“The runic formations you create sure are an eye-opener.” Silas’ eyes visibly brightened as he talked about it. “I knew you had a talent in runes, but I never thought you could take it this far. The rules contained in them are something that I’ve never seen personally before, and it’s endlessly fascinating.”

“Thank you, sir. That’s a lot coming from you.”

Runes, inscriptions, arrays, formations…these are the domain of the Wise Dragons and the Mystic Faes. Dragons due to their wisdom, faes because of their magic.

Silas basically admitted that even he, the current Mystic Fae Chancellor, had never seen, and most likely doesn’t fully understand, Cedric’s runic formation. Which would make sense since Chancellor Igor was the only remaining lifeform that witnessed the Ancients and their powers, and Cedric was the only person in this era that has stepped into the path of the Ancients so far.

“Actually, this leads me to the reason why I sought you out,” Silas revealed.

And even though he had yet to say it, Cedric could almost predict what he was going to say next.

“Child, this guardian needs your wisdom now more than ever. I’m aware that this path you’re on is unique to yourself, but you’ve already proven yourself skilled enough to bridge the gap despite the obvious differences.”

“You know that the Void Prince will be back,” Silas said solemnly. “And next time, he won’t go easy on us. We managed to hold on because of you previously, but next time, who knows what will happen?”

“That’s why we turn to you for help. You have a way. I know that you’re doing your best to improve it, but you don’t have to do it alone. We want to help you and ourselves too. Let us be part of this, yeah?”

“Don’t worry, we aren’t taking anything from you. We just want to learn from you. Furthermore, you will be compensated handsomely while increasing our chances of survival.”

“Do give it some thought, okay? But don’t take too long either. Heaven knows we’re on a time limit here.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep