Arcane Era-Chapter 69: Emerging Crisis

"So... what did you think of your new team members?"

Shen Ak’ashi sat comfortably on his chair, a broad smile on his face as he faced Kamara. Fae had seen everyone off, leaving just him and the dark-haired woman who still maintained her broad, cheery smile.

"It was nice seeing Liyah again after quite some time." Kamara replied, her voice much louder than Shen’s as her pitch-black irises glistened. "As for the others, I don’t have much of an impression yet, I’m sure we’ll find ways to work out."

"Great!" Shen nodded.

His smile gradually vanished, with his expression turning grave.

"At the moment, Sarvos still isn’t aware that it was the Ak’ashi Guild that destroyed their fortress, causing a surge in the rebellion they’re experiencing. In a way, the problems they’re facing are partly due to our actions. Of course, throughout your dealings with them, you must keep any involvement we had in their misfortune a secret."

"Of course."

"I’m certain they have suspicions, which could be one of the reasons we have been hired to take care of this mess, but without proof, they can’t take any action." Shen proceeded, his serious expression only deepening. "Your team’s core task remains the same: help the Sarvos Royal Family in whatever way you can to quell the Civil War and bring peace and stability back to their land."

He only paused because he noticed a shift in Kamara’s expression.

"Something on your mind?" freeωebnovēl.c૦m

"Yes. With all due respect, I can handle this mission on my own. Having greenhorn Cadets with me could slow down the completion of the assignment, and could perhaps negatively affect my other task." Kamara answered with a sigh, her smile quickly dulling.

"I don’t doubt it. You’re a Captain, after all." He chuckled. "As for the kids being burdens, you’re partly right. They’re very inexperienced and naive, and it’s definitely a possibility that they’ll slow you down in many ways..."

"So why—?"

"You were on assignment during the Mercenary Crew invasion, but I’m sure you’ve already been briefed on it. The kids I put under your care contributed a great deal in the Guild’s recovery attempt, and the prowess they displayed during that period makes me want to explore even more of their potential. Placing them in any run-of-the-mill team would defeat that purpose, wouldn’t it?"

"Yeah... I suppose." Kamara sighed in agreement.

"Which is why I’m placing them in your care. Who else but the Lady of the Well would be suitable to lead them and reveal their hidden potential?"

"Please don’t call me that." Kamara snapped firmly, almost disrespectfully. Her dark irises no longer glistened, but instead gloomily swirled ominously—like an endless abyss that threatened to swallow any form of light.

"Sorry about that." Shen quickly apologized, raising both hands in surrender. "But I believe you get my point."

"I do." She sighed.

"You know the details of the mission already. However you choose to proceed with the assignment is up to you. The Sarvos Royal Family should also offer more insights as to the specific nature of their problems and what precisely they would like us to do for them, but even then, I’ll leave it up to your discretion to decide the method of execution."

Kamara nodded, her expression completely cold at this point. "I understand your intentions. Completing the task is important, but I also need to prioritize the development of my team members."

"Exactly! You get it!"

"That sounds really difficult." She narrowed her eyes, her face appearing deflated. "But I’ll do what I can."

"That’s what I wanted to hear." It was Shen’s turn to be loud and cheerful. "This team of yours is the first of its kind, considering how much special treatment I’m giving it. I plan to experiment on it with assignments that I consider interesting... so think of this as a test run."

"May I ask one final question?"

"Sure."

"Why me? I’m certain there are other Captains who would do a fine job and are better suited for handling the baggage of team members. I’ve been going solo for seven years now, so logically speaking—"

"It’s precisely because of that I chose you, Kamara." Shen retorted, a warm smile on his face as his golden eyes met her dark ones.

"You’ve been alone for far too long. Perhaps, in some weird way, this new team you’re a part of will be able to bring about some interesting developments for you as well."

"I highly doubt that."

"Well, we’ll see." His chuckle was followed by a gentle shrug. "I believe there are no more questions that need to be answered."

"None, sir."

"Then, you are dismissed."

Kamara bowed her head and proceeded to the exit, leaving Shen alone in the room. He said nothing for a moment, staring deeply into space as a mix of expressions appeared on his perfectly handsome face.

From excitement, to mild dread, to curiosity, and then... greed.

"It’s about time."

The moment he said this, Shen vanished from his position and appeared in a separate hall—this one much larger than his office. There was a table set at the center of the luxurious room, with chairs already occupied by members of the Zenith.

They were speaking among themselves, but the moment he made his appearance, everyone fell silent and stood to greet him.

He quickly took his position in the seat of honor, looking at them with a cheerful expression.

"What are you guys talking about?" He asked, watching as they all sat after him.

"Drake here was talking about how Theo used Arcane Abilities without any Instruments, and how its a sign he has the blood of the Divine Ones flowing in his veins, or maybe he could actually be the second coming of a Divine O—"

"Careful." Shen chuckled casually. "Don’t let those zealots of the Ancient Divine Temple hear those blasphemous words you just uttered."

Throughout the entire Ak’ashi Guild, only three people besides Shen had witnessed Theo’s abilities firsthand. The rest were already dead.

’It seems everyone else kept it under tight wraps, except Drake.’ Shen glanced at the old man, who quickly looked away, having a guilty expression on his face. Drake had always had a problem holding in information—sensitive or not—which was why Shen wasn’t too surprised that the rest of the Zenith members got to know about Theo’s power.

Drake nervously bowed his head and apologized loudly, much to everyone’s surprise. "Sorry for spilling about everything. I understand why you would want to keep what happened under wraps. I just thought, since we all had the same rank, then..."

"It’s fine. I didn’t particularly tell any of you to keep it a secret, anyway." Shen responded with a casual shrug. "Besides, the whole world will eventually come to know of his power, so it’s not exactly some secret we can—or should—hide."

"What do you mean by that?" Fae asked, her tone clearly concerned as she eyed Shen suspiciously.

"You’ll see..."

Fae clicked her tongue as she heard this, and several other members of the Zenith also groaned in displeasure. Shen was fond of doing this sometimes, keeping his audience in suspense due to him knowing something everyone else didn’t, and no one liked it a single bit.

Still, they couldn’t quite complain about it.

"To answer your question, though... no. He isn’t a Divine One or anything of the sort." Shen proceeded, quickly changing the topic. "Whether or not he has the blood of the Divine Ones running through him isn’t something I can speak on, since we wouldn’t even know what that would look like."

"But how is he able to use Arcane Abilities without Instruments?"

"Because he is an Arcane Vessel... a very special one." Shen smiled, his eyes glowing with hidden knowledge.

Their brilliance caused everyone to fall silent.

"Most Arcane Vessels are unable to achieve it, due to their Ne’sh quality and quantity being very low, but Theo is very different. His Ne’sh output is immense, which allows him to refill Ne’sh faster and better without a threat to his life, yes, but also comes with other perks."

The key factor here was Ne’sh itself.

What exactly was it?