03 Vasbrusk

Vasbrusk was a vassal port city of Solfosta, surrounded by tall wooden palisades and with a population of about 20,000. Although considered small, the city was prosperous thanks to its direct access to the central sea routes, which guaranteed easy exportation of products. In addition, fishing and agricultural activities also contributed to the town's prosperity.

Argus and Asterios arrived in town at 8 a.m, at this time the farmers and fishermen had already started working. Merchants were passing on the wide streets leading to the north gate with their goods in carts pulled by donkeys and horses. The fields were flourishing in life as the farmers and draft bulls worked tirelessly to harvest the wheat grains.

After passing through the walls, they proceeded discreetly until they reached the castle in the center of the city. When the guards responsible for the defense of the fortress realized Argus' presence, a troop of more than 20 soldiers rushed to the main gate, quickly opened it, and stood guard. Each of them was equipped with silver armor bearing the Darkmoon family crest: a black shield with a purple crescent moon in the center, emblazoned across their chests.

In unison, they shouted, "We salute Viscount Argus Darkmoon, lord and protector of Vasbrusk, and his only heir, young master Asterios Darkmoon!" Their voices resounded through the center of the city, drawing the attention of all the commoners who crowded around the Castle, whispering about their lord's return while trying to catch a faint glimpse of his figure.

One of the soldiers stepped forward and exclaimed with vigor and loyalty, "Sir Marcus, Captain of the Insbrusk noble defense unit, reporting to my lord! The troop is on guard and ready to serve you."

Argus nodded slightly as he climbed off his horse beside Asterios. Although he disliked all this pomp and formality, he recognized its value in demonstrating his power and maintaining the loyalty of his people.

Standing at attention, Argus replied to the troop, "The Darkmoon family is eternally grateful for your loyalty. You are dismissed." After a brief pause, he continued, looking directly at the knight who came forward, "Sir Marcus, stay awhile, we have some things to discuss."

"As you wish, my Lord!" replied Marcus, as the rest of the troop slowly dispersed and took up their original positions in guarding and defending the fortress. Before speaking to Marcus, Argus turned to his son, who was watching the soldiers in silence, and spoke softly, "Son, go to the refectory and eat something. Get some rest and get comfortable while I sort some things out. Soon we will meet your new teacher together."

"Hmm," Asterios agreed with a nasal sound and quickly left toward the main building of the castle.

Argus sighed as he watched his son leave. After a few seconds, Argus asked Marcus, addressing him again, "Has Kayle returned from the mission I assigned him?"

"No my lord, we have received no news from Kayle since him departure a week ago" Marcus replied, before asking "Has something occurred?"

"Yes," Argus replied after thinking for a moment. "We were attacked by an Aether beast."

Marcus, with a shocked expression, said, "Pardon my stubbornness, my lord, but there are no beasts of Aether so far from the desolate plains."

Argus answered firmly, "We were attacked by an Aether beast. I killed it with my own hands, so I know what I was up against. The corpse should be about 60 kilometers to the north. Send someone to retrieve it. As for Kayle, keep a guard at the city gates and arrest him as soon as he arrives. I will deal with him when I have time. You are dismissed."

Hearing his master, Marcus exclaimed strongly, "As you wish, my lord." A few seconds after leaving the fortress to carry out the orders given to him, he was stopped by Argus distant voice, "Oh, and ask Chancellor Caesar to meet me in my office. I have an important matter to discuss with him." With a short pause in his steps, Marcus nodded and continued to walk away from the fortress.

After watching the man's figure disappear among the streets of Vasbrusk, Argus finally headed for the main building of the fortress.

The fortress was small, with 4-meter walls surrounding an area of about 10,000 square meters. A garrison of 50 men defended the fortress, with 20 defending the front wall and its only access gate, while the other 30 defended the other 3 sides of the wall.

The interior area consisted of a large and well-kept garden, with white stone paths surrounded by flowers, and four fountains positioned in each corner of the fortress. Benches in the shade of fruit trees scattered around the garden provided a pleasant place to rest and enjoy the dull, balmy northern summer weather.

In the center of the garden was a four-story castle of over 1000 square meters, painted entirely white. It had lavish architecture, with spiral towers and arched windows. Its onion-shaped roofs and towers interspersed with stone walls gave it the air of a fortress.

Walking slowly along the main road leading up to the castle, Argus enjoyed the beautiful garden scenery.

The gardener stood up and greeted him respectfully, but not with all the pomp and formality of the soldiers responsible for guarding the main hall. Argus responded politely with a nod of his head.

As he entered the luxurious main hall, he was again greeted by the many officials who worked there. The first two floors of the castle served primarily as the administrative center for the city, where the offices responsible for ensuring that his lord's orders and laws were carried out were located.

The last two floors were a restricted area for the Darkmoon family and their guests, including bedrooms, bathrooms, dining hall, training area, and the patriarch's office.

Argus then climbed a spiral staircase leading to the 4th floor and walked slowly through the corridors until he reached his office.

The room was simple but elegant, with tasteful decorations that, while not reflecting the luxury of the rest of the castle, still added charm to the atmosphere. A rectangular table with a black and red leather chair stood in the corner opposite the door, while spacious sofas adorned both sides of the room. A low table was located in the center. On the walls were portraits of a black-haired man on the left and a beautiful golden-haired woman on the right - respectively, the patriarch and the founding matriarch of the family. Behind the black leather chair, a large window offered a direct view of the docks and the sea.

Sitting down in his chair, Argus arranged some messy papers on his desk before leaning back against the backrest. It had been a long night, and he was exhausted. Taking one last look at the portraits of his ancestors, he sighed, fighting sleep before he began to review some documents. His work was interrupted minutes later by a loud knock on the door. Correcting his relaxed posture, he exclaimed, "Come in!"

The door opened, revealing an elderly man in a white robe, who entered the room without saying a word before closing the door behind him, turning towards Argus and finally speaking, "I am here, my lord. How may I serve you?" His voice was hoarse and aged, but still carried a certain vigor.

It was Caesar who entered the room. Although he held the title of chancellor, his duties went far beyond diplomacy, and he was also responsible for the administration of the city whenever Argus was absent. Strictly speaking in terms of power, he was the most proficient Aether warrior in the entire city and was respected by all, including Argus.

"Sit down first, then we can talk," Argus said, rising from his chair and pointing to one of the couches. He then sat down on the couch opposite the one he had offered to Caesar, watching coldly as the elderly man sat down.

Argus went straight to the point in his speech, with his deep, cold voice: "I have found the second Cohort of the 26th legion."

These short words were enough to make Caesar choke on his own saliva. "My lord, this is incredible! Where were they? We need to send someone to warn the 26th legion in Solfosta immediately!"

However, Caesar's animation was cut short by Argus' cold words, "They've all been dead, for at least four days." Argus paused briefly, his voice carrying indescribable feelings of anger and frustration, "Over 600 legionnaires, reduced to nothing but sun-dried corpses."

A deafening silence filled the room. The old man, with trembling hands, reached for a pot of tea on the table and slowly poured some of the drink into a cup. After swallowing the hot tea as if it were nothing, he sighed deeply.

The 26th legion had been responsible for the protection of the entire county of Solfosta for over 100 years. Many of its soldiers were young men from Vasbrusk who joined the legions in search of fame and power. The second Cohort, specifically, was composed mostly of Vasbrusk inhabitants. The news of the second Cohort being exterminated meant not only that 600 legionnaires had died, but also that 300 young Vasbrusk inhabitants, their brothers, sons, and fathers, had fallen.

"Do you believe it was the northern tribes?" the old man asked, his voice no longer having vitality, carried by deep melancholy.

"There is only that possibility. The legions' vigilance on the borders with these damned barbarians has dropped a lot in the last few years. They may have taken advantage of that to ambush them," Argus replied. Unlike the old man's melancholy, his voice was cold and angry.

He then went on to say, "it wasn't just vigilance, they also were negligent. The Cohorts are an integral part of the legions and should not separate for individual patrols. The laziness and neglect of the legions are so great that even in this, they have failed. The strength of a legion is primarily in its unity. Separating a Cohort from his legion is the same as destroying the entire structure and strength that holds our military system cohesive."

Caesar didn't respond right away, instead he poured himself another cup of tea and drank it. This time, his hands weren't shaking and he seemed to have more control of his emotions when he finally opened his mouth, "Would you like me to send someone to retrieve the corpses, my lord?"

"That won't be necessary," Argus replied, before pulling a letter from his pocket and placing it on the table. He continued, "Have someone deliver this letter to Legate Victus of the 26th Legion. We had collected some equipment from Asterios, but some things occurred and we were unable to bring the equipment we collected."

His last sentence caught the attention of the old man, who then exclaimed, "I have learned about these 'things'." He paused briefly before following with his speech, his firm voice moving away from the subservient tone he had assumed at the beginning of the conversation, "You used your Aether."

Even after a few seconds, Argus still hadn't responded, prompting Caesar to continue, "My lord, we have many men who could check that location for you. I really believe your decisions are, to say the least, impulsive and childish, especially when you take your son along with you."

Argus then closed his eyes for a few seconds, as if thinking of an answer, before opening them again and asking, "Caesar, what do you think about Asterios?"

"Asterios is a talented young man and will surely be an heir capable of bringing glory to your family, my lord," replied Caesar without hesitation.

"Talent alone is worthless if it doesn't have time to blossom," Argus exclaimed, his voice carrying melancholy and regret. "I'm dying, you know that very well, and you know it's not long before yours death comes too," he said, the last sentence causing Caesar to raise an eyebrow and cast a strange look in Argus's direction.

Smiling at the old man's reaction, Argus continued, "I know you've been gathering Aether resources, you plan to attempt a suicidal advance to grandmaster class, don't you?"

Getting no response from the old man, Argus continued, "Soon, we will no longer be here to protect Asterios, and he needs to be ready for our departure."

Pausing briefly to pour himself some tea as well, he continued, "He needs to know destruction, he needs to get used to the horror of a battlefield and become familiar with death. This is the only way for him to become a great leader and realize the ambitions I have always dreamed of achieving, making our family once again a name to be feared throughout the continent."

Caesar still didn't answer, seeming lost in his own thoughts. He just remained silent as he listened to what Argus had to say: "I know I may sound like a terrible father doing something like this, my decisions are not moral or ethical, but he's going to need to learn about this. He's going to need to have death as his most intimate partner, sooner or later. And I'm the only person I trust to teach him about it."

"There will come a day when we will no longer be here to protect Asterios. He will be alone in the world. I need to make sure he has the strength and the mentality to move on," Argus finished in a heavy voice.

"I understand, my lord... But if you'll excuse me, I need a moment to think," Caesar replied before standing up and walking slowly out of the room. Argus did not stop him, closing his eyes in an attempt to get some rest.