18 Peace Treaty II

"Ah, that reminds me!" Nohrell suddenly exclaimed, tapping her cheek in mock thoughtfulness. "The tale of Vinveil… what was it again?" She paused theatrically, her eyes gleaming with feigned innocence.

"Oh, that's right! All of Vinveil's citizens were turned into lifeless fiends by one of your Zodiac Arcmages, were they not? History does have a habit of repeating itself, especially the part where your people are wiped from existence." Her voice sharpened, dripping with venom.

"Because you failed to act. Because you are an incompetent ruler."

Aurora fell silent, her expression momentarily wavering. So much had spiralled out of control; the wounds of the past were still fresh and bleeding.

Nohrell leaned back, her hand curling into a fist before striking her palm as if a sudden thought had occurred.

"Serene Blair Veyne, the Magus Primarch and necromancer of Vinveil!" she declared, her grin widening as she mockingly applauded herself. "And let's not forget the newest addition to the caravan of reapers. Ignius Lux Draconus, bearer of the light of punishment, the murderer of Germund… the moon breaker."

"The heralds of Apocalypse," Nohrell mocked, her voice melodic.

The room fell into an uneasy hush, the tension crackling like an unseen storm. The Solis Aeternum representatives exchanged nervous glances, unsure how to diffuse the atmosphere.

Even Aurelia sat frozen, her usual cheer silenced by the gravity of the confrontation unfolding before her.

Like a relentless waterfall crashing against an unyielding stone, Aurora exhaled deeply, the endless arguments weighing on her.

Despite her past title as the ruler of seven continents, her authority was not absolute. The elite mages, titled Celestius, were granted a degree of autonomy. At times, their actions sparked controversy, misunderstood by those who failed to grasp the context behind them.

The seemingly irrational deeds of Serene and Ignius were glaring examples, presenting both a burden and a challenge for her to resolve.

For the most part, her people had thrived under her reign, living free of famine, disease, and insecurity, until the invasion of Germund shattered that fragile peace and tipped her world into turmoil.

"The strongest arcanist in history? Don't make me laugh," Nohrell sneered, her voice dripping with open disdain.

Aurora's shoulders sagged ever so slightly, her composure fraying.

In the realm of arcane arts, she was unrivalled, her supremacy heralded by many. Yet, in the labyrinthine world of politics, her brilliance dimmed, the complexities often eluding her grasp.

Nohrell purred with satisfaction at the sight of Aurora's struggle, clearly relishing her rival's discomfort.

Eventually, Aurora lifted her gaze, her sharp eyes locking onto Nohrell's.

"I am not here to debate politics, Fox," she stated bluntly, her voice cool and detached as she attempted to disengage from the tiresome discussion and the endless barbs Nohrell so enjoyed.

Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

"Um… Can we please get to the peace treaty, Astral Empress Nohrell?" Ryusei implored politely, his voice breaking the tension in the room.

"Oopsie! Thank you for the reminder, Ryusei. My apologies, I do tend to lose myself in a battle of words," the fox empress replied with a slight nod.

"Half of my iron fleet remains intact, and Germund's arcanite factories have been halted." She glanced at her nails, admiring their polished beauty.

"Now Osten has one fewer troublemaker among the Celestius to worry about. Can we not call it a win-win?" she added with a smug smile.

"Germund is not yours to take, nor are any of my domains. You will withdraw your fleet and leave Germund by dawn!" Aurora declared, her voice resonating with unwavering authority while she maintained a stiff poise.

"Too late for that…" Nohrell began, but before she could finish her sentence, everything seemed to slow, each passing fraction of a second sliced into a million frames.

Abruptly, Aurora lunged forward, a dark, double-edged blade materialising in her hands.

The ornate design of the legendary griffin, Ventiff, was etched along the entire metre-long blade.

At the hilt, its arcanite gemstone glistened beautifully under the sun's rays.

Her Ventiff cloak billowed violently from her sudden acceleration, cutting through the air resistance.

Friederich, ever vigilant, reacted instantly.

As Aurora's blade tore through the space with physics-defying speed, the guardian conjured a glowing white sword and hurled it to intercept the strike.

The two weapons clashed mid-air.

The overwhelming disparity in arcane power was evident.

Friederich's sword disintegrated almost instantly.

Aurora's gaze slowly shifted to him before returning to Nohrell.

His blue eyes widened in shock, his voice unable to escape his throat in time.

"No!" The thought flashed through his mind as he scrambled to conjure another sword.

A grotesque gurgling sound replaced Nohrell's words as crimson flooded her throat. Her wide eyes lowered to the flaming black sword embedded deep in her sternum, blood gushing forth and staining her pristine white dress.

Desperate, Nohrell tried to speak, but only wet, choking noises escaped her lips as her body trembled violently in agony.

"I have lived more than five times your years, child," Aurora said coldly, her voice a blade sharper than the one in her hand.

Her gaze was frigid and disdainful, her fair skin spattered with Nohrell's blood. With a deliberate twist of her sword, she sealed the fox empress's fate.

Nohrell's eyes rolled back as the life drained from her.

In the darkness, a glowing essence emerged: a silver orb containing a fox tail. The orb flickered, cracked, and then shattered into nothingness.

"I have seen countless arrogant fools like you," Aurora continued, her tone impassive and detached. "None have lasted the ages. Let Germund and your death serve as a lesson for those who dare to follow in your footsteps."

With that, she withdrew her blade.

The purple flames engulfing the weapon burned away the blood before it dissolved into thin air. This was conspicuous evidence that the dark sword was crafted from nothing but Aurora's pure arcane power.

Nohrell's head slumped onto the table with a loud thud, her silver hair fanning out in a pool of crimson like the wings of a deathly butterfly.

Aurora shifted her gaze towards the Solis Aeternum representatives, her sharp eyes lingering on Friederich, almost as if she were impressed.

Not only had he managed to keep up with her speed, but he had also reacted accordingly. Such a feat far exceeded the expectations for his current rank of Stellius, which was denoted by the silver ring on his index finger.

Eventually, her gaze circled back, and she came to a halt.

"There. Peace," she remarked coldly.

The room remained steeped in silence, its occupants still reeling from the abrupt turn of events.

None dared to utter a word or even lift a finger as they were consumed by a primal fear.

Without another word, Aurora stepped out of the room, leaving blood and death in her wake.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.