The Guardian

Chapter 218: What Are We Going to Do?

Aurora sighed conspicuously as she sat on the couch in the apartment’s bedroom she was renting.

“Don’t stress, daughter. I’ve met Victor, at least we’ve met many times. He can be a manipulator, liar, and someone too cunning, but he cares about his real friends,” her father said over the phone.

The tone was quiet and calm, as if he was describing someone random.

“Should that reassure me?” Aurora asked, not knowing what to say.

Her father was a serious man, and this comment didn’t seem in jest, which made her feel as if it was the true way he saw Emperor Victor.

“Maybe, I’m not very good at this,” replied her father with a half-joking tone, and hearing Aurora let out a small laugh, he commented. “But in the end, it doesn’t matter. Ask Alice to check your elixir, she used to chase your mother when she went to her alchemy lab. So she’ll know a thing or two. If you’re still hesitant, then ask your master.”

Pausing for a moment, then he continued.

“As for the favor... It’s a free favor. Use it and if he comes to demand something from you, refuse it and then call me. We’ll settle it like true fighters,” announced her father with a raised tone, letting the excitement for a future battle that might not happen show.

Aurora could feel that excitement so clearly of a fighter animated by a battle.

He didn’t care that the other party was an SSS rank; he was just giving a sincere comment to try to get her to relax.

She was silent for a moment and then muttered. “You never said he’s your friend.”

Her father seemed to know him well, and even though he said that Emperor Victor cared about his true friends, he never said he was his friend.

“...” Silence stretched from the other side and then a small voice rang out in question. “What do I do?”

“She has no intentions of looking for him... And now she’s stuck with her job, overburdening her too much will be problematic.”

That voice sounded in a low tone as if on the other side someone else listening to the conversation, however, her father didn’t cover the microphone so she wouldn’t hear them, so Aurora could identify her mother.

“Did you hear, daughter? Your mother has vouched for me,” her father said with an amused laugh and, as if sensing her emotions, he pointed out. “I will not indirectly push you as your mother to seek... If you wish to know, then you must be prepared to judge, decide and understand if you wish, all while listening.”

It was a solemn and clear tone.

“Now I think you are adult enough and have your own senses of values not to be swayed. There are too many truths that we know that you don’t. Some I can tell you directly, others you need to find out on your own or wait to be told and even ask them directly,” her father said earnestly enough for her to sit up straight and as if sensing her emotions, he added. “But in the end, it’s up to you to decide if you want to find out.”

Aurora was silent.

“Think about it. Your mother says she loves you both very much. I do too. Even though we’re retired, if you need help, just give us a call. While I understand you are capable enough and don’t wish to bother us, we are family and for you, we will be anywhere. Remember to take care of your sister as well,” announced her father in a warm voice.

And before she knew it, she had said her goodbyes and was lying quietly on the couch.

She knew her parents knew many things and when she learned about the other children and their families, she realized the reality.

For as long as she could remember she had a ‘system’ and there was someone in her head, it wasn’t a ‘voice’ but they were texts and in a sense similar.

No other child had that... It was the same with her master and that space.

Not to mention the capabilities of her ‘system’ that were not defined and to top it off, her parents took it as something ‘nice’, knowing about her ‘system’, her ‘masters’, but never being concerned... As if they knew more than she did.

Her life was not created based on a lie, but it did arise with missing parts that perhaps due to her age she could not know.

Before she could say that, she was very attentive to be a ‘heroine’ to find out, then to ‘take revenge’ and finally to ‘rise’ from that abyss... She could say that she was always busy.

And now it was the same thing, she was too busy with abyssal portals and worried about goblins to stir the hornet’s nest that was her personal life.

It was why even sending a message to Kairos was impossible in the face of her constant work and problems.

“I prefer the status quo.” She murmured in a clear tone.

It was a statement to herself and to her system.

A statement that only sought to keep what she had, trying not to dig too deep.

Because no matter how much she denied it, she knew that after discovering only one truth, all the pieces had to be found... Or they would fall by themselves.

Taking a deep breath, she was silent for a long time until she managed to cheer herself up.

Right now, she had other concerns more important than her personal life that had to take priority.

Leaving her room, she walked into the living room.

“How did it go?” Alice asked curiously.

“More questions than answers,” Aurora replied, and giving a half-smile, she commented. “But I could get the point across. Let’s not worry about Emperor Victor’s favor. If the time comes, and we must use it, then it will be used. For the meantime, let’s enjoy the free stuff.”

“Free always tastes better,” Alice stated, nodding earnestly, and Aurora couldn’t help but smile.

Sitting next to Alice watching the television, she noticed that the debate about the abyssal portal was still raging.

Slowly, more information was being revealed, trying to get humanity to take it in slowly, so that way panic could be avoided.

Of course, the more information was revealed, the more public opinion changed and the more divided everything became.

“We must exterminate them all. We must prevent these creatures from escaping and sweeping the world.”

Many players encouraged those words, and even some important figures gave those comments.

“We must find a way to prevent extermination. This is not Terra nova, this is Earth. I hope there will be peace.”

Such was the argument of those who opposed extermination.

People who were in the middle and doubted everything were also to be found, they were the individuals who answered ‘I don’t know’, but on a general level, the opinion was divided in two.

“Neither will be impossible,” interjected Liam, coming out of his room, and with an exhausted expression, he warned. “Boss, you need to see Urfin’s report...”

He shared the report, which was not only encrypted, but had quite a bit of security.

It was the report on the peace by Duke Kristoph... The meeting they had with the goblins.

The idea was that they would surrender, and he was promising them that they would survive, the preparations for them to settle somewhere in this world could be created.

There were too many lands that were unsettled by humans or were lost to the force of nature or monsters.

Duke Kristoph was the intermediary, but the Church of Time and Space, the Church of Knowledge, supported that idea.

As for the other countries, although the high command knew more or less about that plan, they did not give their opinion not wanting to intercede too much.

But that was a tacit and silent support for peace.

Unfortunately, it failed.

Hatred, fear, or desperation... Regardless of the reason, the peace failed.

Maybe it wasn’t a peace as it should have been by putting both sides on equal terms, but this alone showed how far away ‘peace’ was.

One where the humans felt in control of the situation.

Also, SSS-Ranks appeared that would serve to demonstrate the strength of humanity and let the other side know the difficulty of trying to conquer this world or do anything crazy, but even then they did not change.

“In the end, we’re not on the same line of communication,” Aurora muttered as she read the report.

They were on different lines of communication and that was revealed, with humanity showing its superiority in peace and the other side fearing the worst to happen.

It was understandable... No one would trust strangers unless they had total security to ensure their personal well-being.

“Now all that remains is to wait... Urfin has asked us to go help by trying to find more of those machines or hunting demons. He has given us full permission to move with Duke Kristoph’s support,” Aurora summarized, and looking at her companions, she asked. “What do you think?”

“Peace didn’t work. Now there’s only one side left,” Alice replied and with a simple tone, she commented. “The Church of Order is not so... Pleasant, let’s say. At least the Executors of the Order aren’t. Their alignment has been seen against demons. It may be seen again now.”

The demons were left alone, but that was against many opponents and one of them was part of the Church of Order... At least that part that thought the demons should be eradicated.

It was normal that with these ‘monsters’ the same thing was seen... In the northern section, under the orders of the Executors of Order, it has been seen that they were focused on an extermination exploration.

Unlike their part, who were just securing their position.

“I also believe they will prevent them from spreading to the world,” Aurora murmured earnestly.

She remembered that little creature with her mother that she saw coming out of the portal and her expression slowly trembled, even though she was trying to hide her emotions.

She knew these people were serious about extermination, and she had read about how kingdoms and empires moved in Terra nova to keep the ‘plague’ from spreading.

Basically killing everyone they could find.

“Well, I guess it’s too late for that now,” Liam interjected, and when they both looked at him, he explained. “The investigators have taken ‘specimen’ away to analyze. While on our side, it only gives dead ‘specimen’. It is very certain that others already have the genetic material. With today’s technology, I don’t doubt it can be cloned... No, you don’t need to use technology, even using magic. Maybe they can do some weird stuff.”

There was a silence, and Alice nodded in agreement.

“Necromancy can revive them as undead. Healing magic can regenerate tissue as long as it hasn’t been dead long and if we extend, then someone with enough resources can try to ‘revive’ that creature. If we are stricter in research, the study can not only be physical but at the ‘soul’ level. Do they have the same soul as a human?” Alice added with seriousness and slight curiosity at her last question.

Magic and technology were wonderful and limitless.

For Archmages on Terra nova, things like ‘reviving’ were possible, let alone studying the ‘soul’ at deep levels.

While Earthlings wondered if intangible things like the ‘soul’ existed, they were already studying it deeply.

While there were strict rules to the study of the ‘soul’ as such, there was no doubt that all kinds of experiments, both legal and illegal, were being conducted.

It was normal.

Ghosts, spirits, undead, banshees, and all sorts of other ‘spiritual’ existences that turned out to be implausible existed.

Aurora was ignorant... To put it more rudely, she was ignorant in matters of magic, its limits and scope were vast.

She knew one thing or another, but she was carried away by the idea that mages were those who fought using powerful spells.

Forgetting that the real archmages were those individuals who spent their days inside their laboratories performing all kinds of experiments and research.

For that reason, mercenaries were trying to get in to capture goblins... Simply, because there were researchers of the magical type or the scientific type who wished to conduct their research.

“And even there is no need to do something like ‘revive’ or make it undead... Romania used to be corrupt and their guilds still are. They’ve probably sold several of those creatures fully alive in secret.” Liam said seriously and with a mocking tone, he commented. “Or else, why was Constance City split into three?”

“...”

Aurora didn’t know how to answer.

She would like to say that she was naïve and thought that all humans would move to the same side now that she was facing this calamity, but she simply couldn’t.

She knew... She knew there was that possibility Liam was talking about and what’s more, her mind was telling her not to even treat it as a possibility, but as a fact.

That’s why the higher-ups like Duke Kristoph and Cardinal Auguste would sideline Romania many times, just like this time when it came to peace.

For that reason, Urfin sent her, giving her full permission to move and act as she believed with the support of the Empire and Greece, trying to lessen those problems.

She had not seen it, but that did not mean it was not happening... She just ignored it.

Aurora was a captain under Urfin, who was under Duke Kristoph, who was allied with Greece and took orders from royalty.

Her position was low... No, not that low, as she received information that surely someone in her position who had to follow orders didn’t receive, but that didn’t mean she had freedom.

All she could do was watch everything without moving, being powerless despite her own beliefs.

Unlike Zerzura, here she was only an observer with a small part to play.

Her personal strength was nothing in the face of the great pace of things.

Taking a deep breath, she let out a long sigh.

“What are we going to do? If I’m honest... I’d rather go back to Zerzura. The mafia from America arrived in the West African Republic and even though they are wounded and weak, they might make a place for themselves in those lands. That means things could get stirred up enough for us to have to intervene,” Liam said in a serious tone and, giving a half-smile, he added. “But you pay me, boss. So I’ll work anywhere.”

It was too late to say that she was the one paying him and that was why he was a ‘worker’, but it was clear he was just showing that was what he thought.

If they continued down this path, then things would change and it could be for the worse.

Nothing was in her control, worse, her opinion didn’t matter.

No matter how good a friend she was to Cithrel or how loyal Duke Kristoph was to following orders, in this place was Cardinal Auguste and on the other side the Romanian authorities.

She could no longer use Cithrel’s influence, for in a moment, the friendship would cross the boundaries.

Nor was she strong enough to cross all boundaries and try to make everything go the way she liked, using force.

In this world, there were rules, and many of the world’s states had the coercive force to enforce them.

And worse, she had responsibilities that limited her to act.

“You know, if you want to do something, you can always count on us. You don’t need to rationalize your emotions to then move. You always moved before you thought,” Alice said with a slightly teasing smile.

Yes, that was the kind of person Aurora was.

She would see something and immediately move, following her own desires and feelings... In the future, could she change her mind? Could she regret it? Could she be sorry?

Yes.

In the future, her opinion could change, she could regret or repent, but above all, she would assume the consequences of her actions.

Perhaps it was because of that instinctive way of moving so fast that she liked to do everything alone and did not want to ask for help... She did not want to force others to follow her steps and tried to cooperate with those like her.

“Regardless, the decision I will follow, boss,” Liam commented with the seriousness of a professional soldier going to his death and, with a teasing smile, he muttered. “Sure, if you increase my pay, I’ll take more questionable jobs, too.”

Aurora let out a laugh at her partner.

They had similar values, that was why, even though it had been a while, he had stayed with them, doing all kinds of missions in Africa.

Even now, he supported them when necessary.

Letting out a long sigh at her decision, she let out a smile.

“Well, first we need to get moving to do the mission. As for the rest... We need to get ready,” Aurora said earnestly.

It was hard to tell if her decision was the right one, but at least she would prepare so the worst wouldn’t happen.