Machina Arcanis: Two Worlds Collided-Chapter 264. Welcome to Valsorda

264. Welcome to Valsorda

The town centre was the most bustling part of all. Small open markets lined the square, and traders fluttered about their day, haggling for the best deals. Yet, with only a few dozen people present, it could hardly be defined as crowded.

The smell of lush, moist flowers filled their lungs with pleasantry.

A Wildren turned the wheel beneath a massive grey stone tower topped with a crow-stepped gable. Upon closer look, it was where the locals drew their fresh water, which streamed from the mountain into the underground reservoir.

It was such a tranquil life, one where worries seemed not to exist.

It’s a normal occurrence here, Zetius noticed.

The goat Wildren were affable folks, greeting them with welcoming smiles as Zetius shuffled his feet through the soft patches of grass. Giggling and chatter echoed throughout the square.

"Where’s the Magistrate’s office?" Cubie wondered, poking her cheek.

"I think it’s that odd-looking building there," Zetius pointed with a hesitant smile.

It was the only building that stood out from the rest of the wooden structures — an old stone church with a square bell tower attached to the side. The stucco walls and brown stone tiles invoked a pastoral feel.

A middle-aged male figure emerged from the sturdy wooden door.

"Salve!" he called out with an energetic wave.

Coiled horns poked out from each side of his skull, and a long goatee spoke volumes of his Wildren heritage. A gentle, warm smile touched his face. He wore a light brown tunic made of thick wool, secured at the mid-section with a leather belt. A dark cowl was layered over it, covering his head and shoulders.

"Good evening, sir." Cubie returned a bright smile, drifting closer.

"Evening, sir. We’re here for Magistrate Marty," Zetius greeted firmly, his voice husky with confidence.

"That must be me," Marty chuckled politely. "Our rural town isn’t favoured by visitors often. Hope you don’t mind the curious eyes from our young ones."

He glanced over at the townspeople, especially the ladies, who could barely contain their excitement and intrigue.

"It’s okay. I’m Zetius, and this is Cubie," he introduced them courtly.

"Yes, I’ve heard of those names. Of course, of course," he mumbled, scratching his beard before leaning in close. "What kind of survey is it? Geological, flora, or fauna research? You look like an academic bunch."

"Oh..." Zetius exchanged a baffled look with Cubie.

It seemed the details were lost in transmission, or perhaps the higher governance didn't think it was worth causing panic in the town. Maybe not yet, anyway.

"Something like that, Magistrate," Zetius replied, and the Magistrate nodded. "There’ll also be another party from Solis Aeternum..." He trailed off.

"Ah, yes, yes! Only a small vessel is allowed in this area," Marty explained, his voice soft. "Figured your party would love to travel by aerial, but I thought you were all arcanists, weren't you?"

He was certain the blue glowing girl was nothing short of magical.

"We are," Zetius admitted.

"Well, there’s the next town fifty kilometres out, and a portal anchor." He raised both hands in the air. "That’s where arcanists used to travel here from time to time... That’s almost a year ago since they last visited us."

"I see... I surmise why that happened. The world hasn’t been peaceful like this place, arcanists have been piling up with defences and so on," Zetius disclosed with an empathetic smile.

"I know, we are the fortunate ones." The goat Wildren wobbled his head. "I could only pray to Gaia for the less fortunate. We don’t have that kind of wealth that Dunkelheit is obsessed about. In turn, this town is a haven, protected by the Fortress of Acropolis."

"Yes, those gigantic walls, we saw them!" Cubie chirped, showing a full-toothed smile.

"It’s our pride and protection, anyway." He stepped forward, and Zetius subconsciously stepped out of the way. "There’s an inn there, the large wood building, see?" He pointed.

"Ah, I see." Zetius followed his gaze, next to the open market. It was an inn with a small hanging sign depicting a knife and fork.

"They should have already prepared some beds for you and your friends." He clasped his hands behind his back, poised.

"Thank you, Magistrate." Zetius bowed in appreciation. "Would you mind if we took a quick survey right away?"

"By all means." The kind Wildren waved him off. "If you need anything, just let me know. I’ll be inside the office." He spun around, heading inside the access door.

"Thanks!" Cubie dipped into a playful curtsy.

With all permits secured, Zetius and Cubie hurried to complete their first task.

Hours later.

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It took until the third survey for Zetius to realise the futility of it. It was never going to be that simple.

While the finder-keeper protocol could scan with high precision — thermal signatures, vibration detectors, ultrasonic measurement, and radiation detectors — it couldn’t detect pure arcane energy. To no surprise, it wouldn’t pick up D'Arcane.

"Zetius..." Cubie buzzed, using the system voice.

Zetius couldn’t pry his eyes from the snow interspersed with rocks passing through the screen. His face was sour from the fruitless task, and a low groan escaped his throat.

"Zetius..." Cubie buzzed again, louder. "We are not going to find anything using these sensors."

"I know," he gritted his teeth. "Damn it! Ignius!"

He cursed as the Armatus Celer flew from one mountain peak to the next, just ten metres above the surface. The sophisticated searching protocol still couldn’t find anything of significance.

"We checked the coordinates and even spread the wide radius search to one hundred kilometres," Cubie made her point, marking the map.

"Even with the low altitude survey, we couldn’t pick up anything, except some antelope on that low hill to the south," Cubie concluded bluntly.

"What if... um..." Zetius massaged the bridge of his nose; even he was running out of ideas.

"We should go back," Cubie suggested. "The sun is about to set soon."

She pointed out the window. Pinging the HUD screen, the sky had turned a darker shade of orange.

Zetius drew a long breath, his hands rubbing his face and brushing his fringe backward. He was desperate.

"We should. Let’s get to Valsorda."

"Definitely. The Solis Aeternum party is already here," she noted.

"Great... And I have to come back empty-handed," he groaned, but complied.

It was already dark when Armatus Celer initiated the landing protocol next to another QuiHST cruiser. The sleek, dark aircraft was, without a doubt, another prototype of ORT.

"Let’s go," he said to Cubie, dropping to the grassy ground and angling toward the craft.

There was an open hatch at the lateral side of the craft where white light and chittering bled out. Zetius found himself smiling. Meeting his friends via arc comm was one thing, but meeting them physically was a much more pleasing feeling.

Aurelia was the first to emerge, followed closely by another elven figure, Lunarius Willhelm Mae Arden.

"Mama!" Cubie greeted Aurelia excitedly, flying toward her.

"Cubie!" Aurelia chirped back with delight as the two fell into a battle of embraces.

Willhelm zeroed in on Zetius with his arm extended. Zetius clasped his forearm firmly, a sign of respect amongst Warmongering mages.

"It’s been a while, Zetius," Willhelm said, wearing his charming smile.

"Indeed, Lunarius," Zetius replied. "How’s your flight?"

"Sublime, if I say so myself." He flicked his head to the side, letting Aurelia join them.

"Hey..." Aurelia laced her hands in front of her, looking more timid than Zetius remembered.

She had gained a few centimetres since they last met, looking more feminine and refined. She was becoming more of a princess and less of a Warmongering mage.

She looks gorgeous, Zetius mused.

She stopped a step away from him. Her daisy perfume radiated from her skin, but standing before his towering frame, she had to strain her neck, tilting her head far back just to meet his gaze.

Zetius noticed her glossy pink lips, which matched her bright personality quite well.

"You look nice, Aurelia."

It was genuine praise that had her tucking the edge of her hem.

"Um! How’s everything? Cubie said you are no longer restricted from travelling," Aurelia said. Her big red irises lingered on him; the gleam in her eyes was one of affection.

"Rules mean nothing when there’s no enforcer," Zetius jested.

He reached out to gently pat her head, feeling the red, silky strands of her hair. "You’ve grown a lot!"

She flinched slightly, and heat rose over her face. Although she made no action to protest.

How old is she? She was born in 2522 CE, so 17 years old? Zetius found himself studying her youthful, adorable visage. Funny how Jack had thought of her as average when they first met. He was literally a different man then.

"We are distinguished young ladies!" Cubie interjected, standing a little taller than Aurelia.

"Of course! We’re ladies of Solis Aeternum, the most gracious of all seven continents." Aurelia let out a soft chuckle, interlacing her arm with Cubie’s. They both resembled sisters, despite Cubie insisting otherwise.

"Ahaha," Zetius laughed. If only that had been true last year. It stirred nostalgic memories, so far away with so many things crammed in between.

"What? I’m not a mutinous child anymore," she said, snapping her head to the side, feigning offence.

"I didn't mean it like that," Zetius defended lightheartedly.

While Zetius continued to engage in casual conversation with Willhelm and Aurelia, two figures emerged from the pilot section of the craft.

"Just so you know," Astrid walked out with her hands interlaced behind her head, stretching, “I don’t need a co-pilot."

Matching her long strides, Friederich rolled his eyes. "I highly disagreed. I took that flight course because of you."

"Why me?" Astrid raised her brows, keeping the smug expression. She seemed more amazed than puzzled.

Friederich adjusted his sleeves. "You must have forgotten that you rammed the craft into an enemy battlecruiser. I won’t let that happen again."

"Stop whining, it’s a good tactic!" Astrid said between chuckles in her throat. They were a few steps from the group now. "Zetius, Cubie!" Her attention no longer stayed with him.

"It was not..." The elven guardian’s words were lost under the others' delighted conversation. He could only sigh.

Once the company agreed to use the town’s inn for a quick sitrep from Zetius, they started marching on the grassy ground. While the group took a few turns along the alley between buildings, Friederich, who lingered at the back, tapped Zetius’s shoulder. Small talk littered the background.

A solemn look on his friend’s face was a cue that he wanted a more private discussion. Zetius slowed his pace, letting the others enter the town square. Dim lamps illuminated the street in an amber glow, the colour mimicking a bonfire. This place remained frozen in time, preserving the medieval air.

"Zetius, are you sure about this?" Friederich wore a hesitant look, flicking his gaze at Aurelia, who was chirping with Cubie and another goat Wildren gal.

"About letting Aurelia come here?" Zetius crossed his arms, rubbing his chin. Friederich nodded.

"I know you’re concerned about her safety, but I really require her for something... crucial," Zetius said, his voice unwavering, solid as stone. He grabbed Friederich’s shoulder and held his gaze. "Do you trust me?" 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

"I do," Friederich replied instantly. One look was all Friederich needed. Zetius was still the same honourable man.

They clasped forearms, holding one another firm. Certitude for them was a two-way street.

"Whatever you try to do, that doesn’t change my duties. I’ll keep her safe." The elven mage affirmed.

"Thanks," Zetius smiled, appreciative.

"Stop loitering around! Come on!" Cubie called out, waving her hands high while making her body glow bright like a human lamp.

"C'mon, we got work to do." Zetius brushed Friederich’s shoulder, ushering him to catch up with the others.