The next day in the capital of Ovoris. Castrovella.
A solemn meeting was held at King Damsel's command. All the nobles were lined up in the great hall, awaiting the king's arrival and his decision on the heir to the throne.
"Count Ezzigrux, did you get into contact with your son?" Count Guillermo Galvaria whispered to Yuviriz Ezzigrux. "I've been trying to contact my son since morning, but he isn't responding. Did Olderic contact you?"
"I'm facing the same situation," Yuviriz replied, his voice low. "Neither my son nor my knights are responding to my calls. I'm feeling something is fishy, but I can't figure out what's going on."
"And Count Pampille isn't here today either," Count Felipe Novarion added. "I tried to contact him but couldn't get in touch."
"We'll talk about it later," Yuviriz said, a warning in his voice. "First, we need to wait for the king's decision, then we'll proceed."
"But I can't see the First Prince's supporters here," Felipe pointed out. "Count Kaizen Rubifiera, Count Escalora, and Count Halcarisia aren't here, and Count Daniel Gelly isn't here today either."
"Those morons aren't the only ones missing," Yuviriz muttered. "Marquis Decuiline isn't here either. The First Prince's supporters are absent, and the Marquis is missing. This can't be a coincidence. What are you up to, First Prince?"
The great hall gates opened, and King Damsel entered, with Second Prince Andrie walking beside him. Unlike his father, Andrie had his mother's sky-blue eyes and hair. Everyone bowed as Damsel ascended the throne.
The king greeted them and scanned the hall, his eyes immediately falling on the empty seats. He noticed that five counts and Marquis Decuiline were missing.
"Yesterday, it was Count Pampille who was missing," Damsel said, his voice filled with fury. "But now five more counts and Marquis Decuiline are also absent. What is going on here? Does my royal summons not bear any weight?"
The hall fell silent, filled with the fear of the king. Yuviriz stepped forward. "I ask for forgiveness, our King, but we couldn't make contact with Count Pampille, and I don't know where the other counts and the Marquis are."
"It's the first time that even Marquis Decuiline has ignored a royal summons," Damsel said. "He knows I'll be announcing the heir today."
Marquis Sactivus Monteluz stepped forward.
"Your Majesty, I know Decuiline for years. He wouldn't ignore a royal summons without a reason. I suggest you postpone the announcement until all the nobles arrive, as this is a very big moment for the kingdom."
"It's their fault for not being here," Yuviriz retorted. "Why should the king postpone the announcement? My king, we all know you're very busy with kingdom matters, so please make the announcement as planned. They'll know about it eventually."
"Count Yuviriz, are you saying we should leave our fellow nobles out of this big event?" Sactivus asked.
"Absolutely not, Marquis. How could I?" Yuviriz replied. "I'm just saying that the king is very busy and that we can't delay this any longer."
Yuviriz stepped back, and Andrie smiled at his cunningness. "Wow, Count Yuviriz, you even shut the mouth of a Marquis. Aren't you afraid you'll make him your enemy?" Andrie whispered.
"Oh, please, Prince, I just stated the facts," Yuviriz replied, beaming. "It's only natural for the king to do things as scheduled. And the fact that the First Prince and all his supporters aren't here is a big chance for us."
"Well, I'm not very pleased with this," Andrie said. "Bastein isn't the type of person who wouldn't come to such a big event. Send someone to find out where he and his supporters are. I feel something is wrong."
"Okay, Prince," Yuviriz said.
"But prince where were you last day, we tried to find you but couldn't make a contact." Yuviriz asked.
"Ahh, don't ask me. I was sleeping in room all day long and just woke up in the morning today." Andrie explained.
"You must be tiered with all those work." Yuviriz said.
"Don't know, I'm just not feeling well." Andrie said .
And forcused on the king's side.
"It's unfortunate that half of the counts and the First Prince aren't here," Damsel said, his gaze hard. "But as I announced, the name of my heir will be named today."
Then, a commotion came from outside. Everyone looked at the gates.
"What's going on out there?" Damsel shouted. "What is that commotion?"
The hall gates opened, and First Prince Bastein, Marquis Decuiline, and the other counts entered. Tied down with ropes behind them were Olderic, Claude, and Marcel.
Yuviriz, Guillermo, and Felipe's eyes widened. They ran to their sons.
"Olderic, what happened? Who did this to you?" Yuviriz asked, grabbing his son.
"Claude, my son! Who beat you up? Tell me!" Guillermo shouted.
"Marcel, my boy! Who did such a terrible thing to you? Who cut off your arms?" Felipe sobbed.
Bastein and the others bowed to Damsel. "Bastein, what is the meaning of this? Explain yourself!" Damsel said.
"I ask for your forgiveness, my King, for this commotion. But I have a report to give you today," Bastein said. "My King, as you already know, a situation has developed in both Empires regarding human trafficking and slavery. I am unfortunate to announce that some nobles from our kingdom were also involved in those crimes."
The hall was filled with shocked whispers. Andrie and his supporters grew pale.
"What do you mean, Bastein? Explain!" Damsel demanded.
"My King, my brother Andrie and his supporters were all involved in human trafficking and illegal slave trading with the Spero and Flosia merchant groups in both the Atheliya and Cronos Empires," Bastein announced.
The nobles gasped.
"What are you saying, First Prince?! You are accusing us of treason and illegal human trafficking!" Yuviriz said.
"I'm not accusing; I'm merely stating the facts. My King, Marquis Decuiline and I arrested the sons of these three counts last night at the border of Teridil City. They were transporting humans to Count Pampille. All of those people were rescued and are being treated by healers in the city. I have their testimony and these as proof of their treason." Bastein showed them the ledgers.
Yuviriz and the other counts were terrified. Their secret ledgers had been exposed. "Last day, I got the ledgers of Count Pampille's illegal dealings from an unknown source," Bastein continued. "I raided his territory last night with Marquis Decuiline. When I reached his house, he was already dead, but I found these three at the city borders, leading a caravan of slaves. We confronted them and tied them up. After that, Marquis Decuiline, Count Gelly, and other counts helped me raid the other counts' houses, where we found more ledgers and saved hundreds of people, including dwarves, barbarians, and elves from their estates."
The counts were utterly terrified, their black deeds exposed to everyone. Bastein handed the ledgers to the king. Damsel read them, his fists clenching as a crimson aura radiated from his body.
"You bastards! How dare you do something so shameful to your own people!" Damsel roared. "Andrie, what is the meaning of this?"
Everyone fell to their knees. Andrie, though shocked, quickly gathered his wits. "Father, I swear on my royal honor that I did not know my supporters were involved in those dealings. I swear I have no connection to them! They all did this without telling me!"
"Second Prince, what are you saying?!" Yuviriz screamed, his betrayal cutting deep. "You were the one who told us to make deals with them, saying you would take care of it! You were the one who made the plan to use bandits and mercenaries as transporters! My King, the Second Prince was the one who made all those deals with the Spero and Flosia merchant groups!"
"You shut up, you liar!" Andrie shouted. "Father, do those ledgers have my name on them? I swear I am as clean as water!"
"That's because you always stayed behind and collected the money!" Guillermo interjected. "You never got involved personally!"
"Shut up, you liar! Father, they are framing me!" Andrie insisted.
Bastein stepped forward. "No, Father. Andrie is the leader of all these black deeds. Here are letters of his conversations with the counts. You can check them."
He handed the letters to Damsel. As the king read them, his rage exploded.
The letters contained Andrie's seal: "I have received the money from the merchants. Send them all the slaves. Tell the mercenaries to not leave a single one behind. And next time, tell them not to touch a single woman. After reading this letter, burn it."
"Andrie, what more do you have to say? Your shameful act has brought the name of Ovoris to the ground," Damsel said, his voice cold with disappointment.
"Father, please spare me! I'm sorry, I was wrong! Please, Father!" Andrie begged for mercy.
"Guards, arrest them and take them to the prison!" Damsel commanded.
The guards rushed in and took Andrie and his supporters away.
King Damsel then launched a full purge against the nobles who were involved in buying the slaves. For the next seven days, all the Royal Knights and authorities were busy raiding noble houses and capturing the bandits and mercenaries.
Bastein led the brigade of Royal Knights, and Marquis Decuiline and other Grandmasters also led brigades, capturing hundreds of nobles and saving thousands of people.
Aeon, too, raided every brothel and pleasure house that Daroli had listed. He visited each one and slaughtered everyone who got in his way. Within seven days, he saved around 150 elves, sending them all back to the forest.
Back in Castrovella: The Aftermath of a Purge
It was December 30, 1624. Aeon had returned to Castrovella after successfully rescuing and returning all the elves who had been sold to brothels. Now, the only remaining task was to retrieve the elves Bastien and Decuiline had saved from the nobles' houses. These elves and other non-humans were being housed in the capital. With the bizarre weather finally calming down, King Damsel was starting to send everyone home. The dwarves were sent back to their mountain strongholds, and the barbarians returned to their forests.
The entire week had been a maelstrom of chaos. More than a hundred nobles had been captured, and hundreds of people involved in the slavery ring had been killed. The Royal Court had handed down a death sentence to the Second Prince and all his accomplices, and the executions were carried out in the city center. All were beheaded, a public and definitive end to their reign of terror. King Damsel, in a powerful declaration, had made it clear: no one, whether noble or commoner, or even his family member would be spared for such unforgivable crimes. Those who had bought slaves were sentenced to a lifetime of hard labor in the mines, their assets, lands, wealth and titles confiscated.
The sheer scale of the operation had left everyone reeling. A small spark in the Atheliya Empire, ignited by the capture of Kefelin Spero, had become a wildfire, spreading to the Cronos Empire and culminating in the Ovoris Kingdom. It was no coincidence that all three major merchant groups had been exposed simultaneously.
A rumor, whispered in hushed tones, spoke of a mysterious figure in a black coat and mask. He was the one who had gathered all the evidence and handed it over to Crown Prince Ash of Atheliya Empire, Anna Elibat of Cronos Empire, and Bastein of the Ovoris kingdom. No one knew his name, only that wherever he went, he left a trail of butchered criminals. The freed victims testified that the man was a dark, terrifying presence who killed without hesitation and discrimination wheather man and women, he didn't spare anyone, he was beast who was ready to kill his prey. For them, however, he was a hero, a savior who had appeared when all hope was lost.
Now, that same man stood on the balcony of the Royal Palace, looking out at the city of Castrovella.
"It's beautiful, right?" Bastein said, stepping out to join him
.
"Yeah," Aeon replied, his voice a quiet murmur.
"All the elves you sent have been returned to their forest. Now, only a few kids remain. Are you going to take them back yourself?" Bastein asked.
"Yeah, I'll take them with me," Aeon confirmed.
"Geez, I still can't believe you made a super-deluxe teleportation gate in the center of the palace," Bastein said, shaking his head in amazement. "How can you be so extraordinary? You sent back 200 elves in just an hour. Who are you, man?"
"It's not good for you to know about me," Aeon said. "Just remember me as someone who passed through your life."
"Oh, come on! You're saying it like we'll never meet again," Bastein protested.
"It might be true. This could be our last meeting," Aeon said, his tone flat.
"Seriously, how can you say that so coldly? You could at least pretend that we'd meet again."
"I don't like to give false hope. And we aren't friends or partners, so it doesn't matter."
"Well, you're right," Bastein conceded, his expression softening. "We're neither friends nor partners. We're complete strangers. But because of you, I was able to save my people and all those who were wronged. I was able to fulfill my responsibility as the prince of this kingdom. I could save humans and punish those who were behind all of this. So please, take my thanks. Thank you, mister, for everything." Bastein bowed his head.
Aeon looked at Bastein, a thought forming in his mind. Ash and Bastein's personalities are so alike. Both want to save their nations and protect their people. Status means nothing to them; they see their subjects as equals, not commoners or nobles, just human beings.
Aeon smiled. "It doesn't fit for the future monarch to bow his head to a commoner like me."
"I'm not the king yet, and even if I were, I would have bowed to you. You are the savior of our nation and all those people. Because of you, they could smile and celebrate the new year with their families. Thank you, mister."
"Aeon. My name is Aeon, so don't call me mister," Aeon said, revealing his name for the first time in the Ovoris Kingdom.
"Ah, thank you, Aeon, for helping us," Bastein said, a wide smile on his face.
"Oh, well you were the one who drugged Andrie, right." Bastein asked.
"Yeah, for executing the plan he was needed to be asleep." Aeon said
"I knew it only you could do something like that." Bastein laughed.
Aeon smiled back. "Now, take me to the others. It's time for me to leave."
Bastein led Aeon to the palace garden, where five elf children were playing with the maids. King Damsel was there as well, a quiet, happy smile on his face as he played with the children, a stark contrast to his usual tough exterior.
When they saw Aeon and Bastein, Aeon stepped forward and bowed respectfully to the king.
"I greet the king." Aeon said politely.
"I also greet you, young man," Damsel replied.
"Thank you for taking care of the children for me, King." He said.
"I should be the one thanking you," Damsel said, his tone sincere. "Because of you, we were able to capture the bastards who betrayed their own kind. I talked with the Crown Prince of the Atheliya Empire and the master of the Green Mage Tower from the Cronos Empire. They both told me how you helped them capture the culprits behind this big incident. We all owe you, young man."
"I just did what I should do as a human. There is no need to thank me." Aeon smiled softly
"You barely look like an adult from your voice, but you talk like a grown man. You are an interesting kid," Damsel said, a hint of awe in his voice. "I won't ask you to show me your face. If you're hiding your identity, it's for a reason. So I'll tell you only one thing: in the future, if you ever need any help, just come to me. My kingdom's gates are always open for you, young man."
"My name is Aeon, so don't call me young man," Aeon said, a faint smile on his face.
"Hahaha, okay, Aeon. I hope we meet again," Damsel laughed.
"I also hope the same," Aeon replied.
Then, he stood among the children. The kids waved their hands, saying their final goodbyes, and with a flash, Aeon vanished into the shadows with them.
After that Aeon and children appeared at rooftop of rundown building. Aeon placed those children at the centre of the circle and stood between them.
Then he activated the teleportation array and the bright violet light emerged from it and the children and Aeon teleported to the elf forest and the array disappeared in the thin air.
After a flash of light, Aeon and the children opened their eyes. They stood before the gates of the Elf Forest, where two vigilant elf warriors appeared seemingly out of nowhere.
"Don't worry, kids," Aeon said, his voice calm. "They're here to protect the array."
"Oh, it's you, human," one of the elf warriors said. "We were waiting for you. Are they the last ones?"
"Yes, these children are the last," Aeon replied.
"This boy and girl... they're Uncle Vendor's grandchildren," an elf woman warrior noted, stepping closer to the children.
"You're right," the male warrior said, his eyes widening. "Both of them went missing six months ago. Thank you, human. You have helped us so much, we don't know how to repay you. Because of you, my sister can also come back."
"I just did what I should," Aeon said, his voice soft. "Please, open the gates."
The elf warrior opened the gates of the forest, and Aeon and the children entered together.
Inside, the forest was warm and peaceful, a stark contrast to the frozen world outside. The children were overjoyed to be home, running and shouting with tears of happiness in their eyes. Aeon followed them quietly, watching from a distance as they entered the village.
All the people in the village came running, their faces filled with tears as they embraced their children, their long-lost relatives, and their friends.