Chapter 225: Aestrea Against The World (II)

“Aahhh~ finally some peace,” James stretched with a loud groan, flopping back onto the soft grass, arms spread wide like he owned the whole damn world.

Derek leaned against the tree trunk nearby, arms crossed, a lazy grin on his lips.

“Yeah, don’t jinx it, idiot. You say that and next thing you know, a slime invasion starts out of nowhere.”

“Hah! If that happens, I’m throwing you at it first!” James grinned, then turned his head toward the silver-haired boy sitting a few feet away.

“Aestreaaa~ come on, you never lie down with us. What, too cool for grass now?”

“No. I just don’t want ants crawling up my back.” Aestrea gave a half-smile, his crimson eyes looking lazily toward James.

James blinked.

“…Okay fair.”

Derek chuckled lowly, pulling a small canteen from his pouch and tossing it over. “Here, drink. You’ve been zoning out too much these days. Something on your mind?”

Aestrea caught the canteen with one hand, unscrewed the cap, and took a sip before replying:

“Just… thinking.”

James lifted his head.

“Uh oh. That tone means trouble. You plotting world domination again?”

“Naaah.”

James narrowed his eyes.

“Wait. Wait, was that a yes disguised as a no?!”

“Don’t provoke him, James. You’ll end up as the world’s first comedic sacrifice.” Derek sighed, rubbing his forehead.

James clicked his tongue, grinning.

“At least I’d die looking fabulous.”

Aestrea shook his head with a faint smile, tossing the canteen back. He then looked up at the branches above them, letting the moment settle into silence for a while.

The wind blew gently.

Birds chirped lazily in the distance.

For a moment, it really did feel like peace.

“…Do you ever think,” Aestrea began, his voice getting quieter now, “we’ll get days like this after all of those wars end?”

James was the first to speak. “You mean, when you become God-King and build a mansion the size of a continent?”

Aestrea let out a soft chuckle.

Derek gave a small nod, leaning his head back. “If anyone could force peace into existence… it’s probably you. But yeah, I do.”

Aestrea looked at them both, the wind brushing through his silver hair.

“Then I’ll make sure to protect that future.”

James blinked at his unseemingly serious words.

“Whoa, that was way too serious. Quick! Somebody say something stupid.”

“…Your face,” Derek offered.

James gasped, then tackled him without warning.

“TRAITOR!!”

“AGH! GET OFF ME!” Derek grunted, trying to push James off as the younger twin clung to his back like a wild monkey.

“I’m not even fighting you!” Derek growled.

“That’s what a guilty traitor would say!” James shouted dramatically, wrapping his arms tighter.

“You insulted my gorgeous face!”

“You insulted yourself just by opening your mouth,” Derek muttered.

Aestrea sat back down, watching the two with quiet amusement.

And then, James suddenly stopped wrestling and flopped on the grass again, panting.

“Phew… anyway,” he said, still catching his breath, “you guys hear about the rumor from the southern scouts?”

Aestrea’s eyes narrowed faintly, and even Derek paused, brushing grass off his shoulder.

“…What rumor?”

James rolled onto his stomach, his expression more serious now.

“The frontiers near the Elven Kingdom. Word is, they’re starting to move. And not in a good way.”

Aestrea sat up straight, his casual aura flickering just slightly.

“…You mean the Elves are attacking?”

James nodded at his words.

“That’s what they’re saying. Not just small patrols either. Full-on skirmishes. One of the outer villages already fell with no survivors.”

The mood dropped instantly.

The sunlight felt colder.

Derek clicked his tongue, his eyes darkening.

“Damn it… I knew things were too quiet. The Empire barely recovered from the last war. If the Elves really started something…”

“They’ll push hard,” Aestrea muttered under his breath.

His eyes weren’t looking at the grass anymore.

They were locked on the distance… south.

“Silverleaf…” he said.

Derek glanced at him, muttering absently.

“That’s our academy…”

Aestrea nodded once, slowly. His expression was unreadable, but his hands had clenched into fists.

James sat up now too.

“Do you think they’ll hit there next?”

“…It’s not a matter of if,” Aestrea murmured.

“The moment they gain momentum, they’ll sweep straight through the border towns. Silverleaf’s got a strategic location near the valley pass. If I were commanding an Elven war party…” he trailed off.

“You’d take it,” Derek finished grimly.

Silence fell again.

Only the rustle of trees and the distant caw of a bird echoed across the garden.

James glanced between the two of them, then forced a grin.

“Well… we’ve got Aestrea, right? The guy who made the Demon King bow down his head and makes Empresses blush with just one look?”

Aestrea didn’t smile at all. Instead, he rose to his feet, brushing off his pants again.

“We leave tomorrow morning.”

“Huh?”

Derek stood up too.

“Wait, we’re REALLY going back to Silverleaf?”

“Not just going.” Aestrea’s eyes glowed faintly, his aura flickering to life behind him like faint violet threads in the wind.

“I’m going to stop whatever force is stupid enough to threaten what’s mine.”

James whistled lowly.

“There it is. There’s the scary version of you. I was starting to miss him.”

“Took him long enough to come out,” Derek smirked.

“…Let’s prepare,” Aestrea said, already walking ahead, the wind swirling around him.

The twins quickly followed him.

“Ugghhhh….”

James let out a long, exaggerated groan as they left the garden path and headed toward the palace’s teleportation tower.

“Aahh~ I was finally getting used to all the good food in the capital,” he muttered, dragging his feet dramatically.

“And now we’re leaving again? Back to the wilds? I just started flirting with that bakery girl two blocks down…”

Derek walked beside him with a small sigh, arms behind his head.

“Yeah, same. I actually liked the warm beds for once. No demon beasts, no exploding dungeons, no getting set on fire in training… just peace… complete peace…”

“You make it sound like I’m dragging you into a death march,” Aestrea muttered as he led the way, his steps silent but steady.

“Well, you kinda are,” James pointed out.

“But like… in a sexy way.”

“What.” Derek gave him thelook.

Aestrea just exhaled and gave a faint shake of his head. “You two… don’t worry. The Empress gave me a private teleportation device.”

“Huh?” both twins blinked.

Aestrea flicked a small silver disc from his sleeve. It shimmered faintly with magic runes along its edge.

“We can come back to the capital anytime. Instantly.”

James stopped walking, his eyes widened instantly. “You’re telling me… I get to go to war and still sleep in my fluffy bed every night?”

“Alright. Now that’s luxury warfare.” Derek’s grin widened.

Aestrea gave them both a side glance.

“…Don’t treat it like a vacation.”

James threw his arm over Derek’s shoulder.

“He says that every time.”

“And we still end up winning every time.” Derek shrugged.

Their laughter echoed softly as the three of them continued down the path, the silver teleportation disc pulsing gently in Aestrea’s hand.

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Meanwhile, somewhere far to the east…

Inside a private chamber adorned with green banners and engraved wood carvings, a small glowing stone hovered over a pedestal.

Eira stood in front of it, arms crossed, golden eyes narrowed with frustration.

“Father, mother… Please listen to me.”

A warm but stern voice echoed through the communication stone. “You’re asking us to call off an entire frontier operation, Eira. Do you understand what you’re saying?”

“I do,” she said firmly.

“But it’s a bad idea. Silverleaf isn’t just an easy target anymore.”

The moment she said those words, the voices from the other side paused slightly. And after a few seconds, Eira’s mother finally spoke.

“You mean because of him?”

“…Yes.” Eira looked to the side for a moment, a strange expression crossing her face.

“Aestrea Moon is not someone you want to make an enemy of. He enslaved Lilith, the Demon General of Lust, alone. He destroyed the Demon General of Gluttony, cut down a Demon Gate, and he’s the actual reason the Emperor is dead.”

A heavy silence came from the other side of the stone.

Then her father’s voice returned, calm but heavier.

“The Emperor was the one who tried to corrupt the Royal Princess. He wanted to turn her into a Dark Elf… do you understand, Eira? That crime alone was enough to break the fragile peace. He wanted to ruin her bloodline.”

“I know,” she said, her voice softer now.

“But that Emperor is dead. Aestrea killed him. The people following him are gone. Isabella’s taken the throne. It’s not really the same Empire anymore.”

“And yet,” her mother’s voice joined now, gentler but filled with worry, “the war drums are already sounding. The clans are ready to attack.”

Eira sighed and stepped closer to the stone.

“Then convince them to wait. Just a few days. I’ll personally make sure Silverleaf stays neutral. There’s no need for more bloodshed.”

“…You care for this boy?”

Eira flinched.

“…He’s a good person, and like I’ve mentioned before, if it weren’t for him, I would be dead,” she said quietly.

“And he’ll destroy any army that marches on his friends.”

Another long pause, but just a few seconds later, her father’s voice returned.

“…Very well.”

Eira’s shoulders loosened slightly.

“We’ll speak to the Elven Emperor and try to delay the strike. But if things spiral…”

“They won’t,” she said quickly.

“I’ll talk with Aestrea… and he’ll probably help me as long as I give him something good in return…”

The stone dimmed as the connection ended.

Eira stood there in silence, staring at her reflection in the polished surface.

“…Idiot,” she muttered under her breath, turning away and grabbing her cloak.

“Why do you make it so hard to ignore you, Aestrea…”

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