Chapter 94: Chapter 94: Caelus

A man in his early forties, sharp-eyed, dressed in refined but practical robes. There was a quiet authority around him, the kind that didn’t need to be forced.

He smiled the moment he saw them.

“Well now,” he said, his voice smooth. “What an unexpected visit.”

He stood up slowly.

“It’s my pleasure to receive the famous Wrecking Eagles.”

He stepped forward slightly, hands behind his back.

“Rhett. Kellan.”

His gaze lingered on them, thoughtful.

“I am Caelus Vire, head of the Zephyr Clan.”

Kellan gave a small nod. “Nice to meet you.”

Caelus chuckled lightly. “Likewise.”

His eyes sharpened just a little.

“But you two wouldn’t come here without a reason.”

He tilted his head slightly.

“So tell me…”

His tone shifted, still polite, but now carrying weight.

“What brings you to my door?”

—-

By the time Rhett finished, the room had gone completely still.

No interruptions. No questions in between.

Caelus Vire stood with one hand resting lightly against the arm of his seat, his expression thoughtful, eyes fixed on Rhett the entire time. Kellan stayed quiet off to the side, arms crossed, letting Rhett handle it.

A long silence followed.

“…Hmm.”

Caelus finally spoke, his voice low.

“I didn’t know something like that had happened in Stoneford Town.”

He straightened slightly, pacing a slow step forward.

“We used to trade with Stoneford, you know. It wasn’t a major hub, but it was steady. Reliable.”

He paused, glancing to the side as if recalling something.

“It only stopped a while back. A group of bandits started targeting the merchants heading there. Too frequent. Too costly.”

Kellan nodded faintly. “We heard something like that on the road.”

Caelus hummed, then looked back at them.

“Still… a complete massacre.” He exhaled slowly. “That alone is concerning.”

He walked down from the raised platform, closing the distance between them.

“Don’t worry,” he continued. “I’ll send people to investigate immediately.”

Rhett gave a small nod. “That’s all we’re asking.”

Caelus stopped a few steps in front of him, his gaze sharpening just a little.

“If what you said is true…” he said, his tone growing more serious, “then Virel City could very well be in danger.”

The weight of that statement lingered in the air.

Kellan shifted slightly but didn’t speak.

Caelus folded his hands behind his back, his expression turning more contemplative.

“But,” he added after a brief pause, “I’ll be honest.”

His eyes flickered between Rhett and Kellan.

“This part about skeletons… and the dead rising…”

He gave a faint, almost amused smile, though it didn’t fully reach his eyes.

“…Those are things you hear in stories. Tales meant to scare children into behaving.”

Kellan let out a quiet breath through his nose. “Yeah. That’s what I thought too.”

Caelus tilted his head slightly.

“I’m not dismissing you,” he said calmly. “You’re not the type to come here with baseless claims.”

His gaze hardened just a fraction.

“But extraordinary claims require… confirmation.”

Rhett met his eyes without backing down.

“That’s why we came here instead of spreading rumors,” he said.

Caelus held his gaze for a moment longer, then gave a small nod.

“…Fair enough.”

He turned slightly, already thinking ahead.

“I’ll dispatch a squad within the hour,” he said. “Scouts first. Then a proper force if needed.”

He glanced back at them.

“In the meantime, I suggest you stay in the city.”

Kellan raised a brow. “You think it’s that serious?”

Caelus didn’t hesitate.

“If there’s even a chance that something unknown is moving this close to my territory,” he said evenly, “then yes.”

A brief silence followed.

Then Caelus allowed a faint smile to return.

“Still,” he added lightly, “let’s hope it’s nothing more than bandits and a frightened girl’s imagination.”

Rhett didn’t respond to that.

But something in his eyes said he didn’t believe that at all.

—-

A few days passed.

The air around Aiden’s town had changed.

What used to feel like a hidden settlement now carried the quiet weight of something growing, something taking shape. The stone walls stood firm, taller and thicker than before. The two watchtowers loomed over the area, silent and unmoving, but never truly inactive.

Aiden stood near the edge of the wall, looking out over the land beyond.

His town had expanded. Not by much, but enough to notice. More structures. More undead moving with purpose. Everything felt… tighter. More controlled.

“…It’s coming together,” he murmured.

Behind him, a quiet presence approached.

“My lord.”

Aiden didn’t turn. “What is it, Graveknit?”

Graveknit stopped a few steps behind him, his voice calm and steady as always.

“Carrion has returned.”

That got Aiden’s attention.

“…And?”

Graveknit continued, “He found another group of humans. They were observing the town from a distance.”

Aiden’s gaze shifted slightly, his eyes narrowing as he looked out toward the horizon.

“Another group…” he repeated.

So it wasn’t just a one-time thing.

“Did he find out where they came from?” Aiden asked.

“Yes,” Graveknit replied without hesitation. “They came from a city called Virel.”

Aiden finally turned.

“Virel…” he muttered.

The name meant something now.

A city, not a small town, not wandering survivors.

A real force.

“…So a city already knows about us,” he said.

There was no panic in his voice. No urgency.

Just quiet acknowledgment.

Graveknit remained still. “It would seem so, my lord.”

Aiden looked back out at the land beyond the walls, his expression calm.

For a moment, he said nothing.

Then—

“…That’s fine.”

Graveknit’s hollow gaze flickered faintly, waiting.

Aiden rested a hand lightly against the cold stone wall.

“They were bound to find out eventually,” he continued. “We’re not exactly hiding anymore.”

Below, undead moved in steady patterns, reinforcing structures, patrolling, maintaining order.

A functioning settlement.

A visible one.

Aiden’s eyes drifted toward one of the watchtowers.

“…If they come,” he said quietly, “then they come.”

Graveknit spoke again. “Shall we prepare for a possible attack, my lord?”

Aiden gave a faint smirk.

“Prepare?” he echoed.

He looked back at his town.

At the walls. The towers. The growing numbers under his command.

“…We already are.”

A slow silence followed.

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