NOVPUBChapter 524: Strategic Silence ( 524 )
Inside the quiet command chamber beneath Armand Estate, Garius sat behind a curved desk of polished stone.
The walls shimmered faintly with embedded mana circuits, pulsing with soft blue light.
Alf stood at attention nearby, arms behind his back, always steady.
Garius didn’t look up from the scroll he was reading.
“Alf.”
“Yes, my lord?”
Garius set the scroll down gently.
“Status on the highest mana relay tower?”
Alf raised one brow.
“The recent project, my lord?”
“Yes.”
Garius finally looked up, eyes sharp.
“The one for signal extension. To enhance our mana talkie range across the border.”
Alf nodded.
“In progress, my lord. The overseer reported this morning — the final components are being aligned as we speak.”
Garius leaned back slightly, steepling his fingers.
“How long until it’s operational?”
Alf didn’t hesitate.
“Soon. Possibly within the day.”
Garius gave a small hum.
“Good.”
He glanced toward the side of the desk—where a leather-bound notebook sat open.
Its handwriting was quick, detailed, and slightly chaotic.
“I have a hunch,” Garius muttered.
Alf raised an eyebrow.
Garius smirked faintly. “Some brat is probably trying to send a message.”
Alf chuckled softly under his breath.
“That would be like him.”
Garius tapped the notebook lightly.
“According to this… he had an idea for something he called a ‘small satellite.'”
Alf tilted his head.
“Sate…lite?”
Garius nodded once.
“A strange name. There’s no explanation written here—just diagrams.”
He turned the page—revealing a rough sketch of a metallic sphere with fins, surrounded by mana rings.
“No data. No calculations. Not even a blueprint. Just a scribble with the words: ‘Should work if launched high enough.'”
Alf leaned slightly forward to study it.
“Well… it looks like a bomb with wings.”
Garius grinned faintly.
“Everything Javier makes looks like a bomb.”
They both chuckled.
Then Garius’s expression shifted again, serious and thoughtful.
“Still. If his signal transmitters are flying now, and the tower finishes today…”
He trailed off.
Alf nodded, finishing the thought for him.
“Then we’ll hear from him.”
A long silence followed.
Then Garius said quietly—
“Let’s make sure we’re listening.”
“Now then…” Garius leaned back in his chair.
“Alf. Status report on Liana and Gloria’s training.”
Alf didn’t need to check anything.
“Erinette reported they’ve reached and passed Level 82, my lord.” 𝓃𝓸𝓋𝓅𝓾𝒷.𝒸ℴ𝓂
Garius nodded with faint approval.
“And the other two?”
“Mimi, the Beastkin Princess, and Delya, the Demon King’s little sister—” Alf’s voice remained steady, “—have both reached and passed Level 55.”
“Hmph,” Garius murmured.
He stroked his chin thoughtfully.
“They’re pushing themselves hard. Trying to catch up to Liana and Gloria, even though that level gap is still far.”
“Yes, my lord. It seems they’re motivated to compete.”
Garius’s lips curved into a half-smile.
“Well… I ask because I’ve been receiving letters.”
He glanced toward a tray on his desk—sealed scrolls bearing royal crests.
“One from my friend, King Lioness of the Beastkin Kingdom. Another from my friend, King Veldrac of the Demon Kingdom.”
Alf raised a brow.
“Ah… asking about their progress?”
Garius nodded slowly.
“And then there’s Mylezra.”
Alf’s expression turned faintly amused.
“She’s asking about her… niece?”
Garius leaned slightly forward, resting his elbow on the desk.
“Of course she is.”
He didn’t smile.
He simply looked across the room, toward the tall window overlooking the estate gardens.
Then his right eye began to glow softly—
a golden glimmer pulsing behind his iris.
Alf smirked.
“The Eye of Truth, yes?”
Garius nodded.
“I’ve known Liana and Gloria’s true nature from the day they stepped into this house.”
He closed his eye again, returning to calm.
“But I’ve also respected their silence. Until they’re ready to speak… we act as though we don’t know.”
Alf bowed slightly.
“Understood, my lord.”
There was a short pause.
Then Alf continued.
“On another note—our region remains stable.
Trade with the Beastkin, Demon, and Elven Kingdoms continues as usual.”
Garius gestured idly with one hand.
“And the precaution I ordered for dealing with the Human Kingdoms?”
Alf nodded firmly.
“Functioning perfectly. The external trade outposts you had built outside our southern border—where humans can buy and retrieve goods without stepping foot into our land—were a wise move, my lord.”
“Good,” Garius said quietly.
He glanced at one of the maps stretched across the far wall—an intricate display of borders, towns, and controlled zones.
His gaze lingered near the dwarven border.
The map stretched across the table showed faint lines—ridges, towns, and trade paths long severed.
Garius tapped a small marker on the southern edge.
“…I think it’s time I send a letter to King Lioness.”
Alf’s posture straightened slightly.
“My lord?”
Garius’s tone remained calm.
“I’m certain that brat has already conquered this small town near the Beastkin border.”
He pointed with two fingers toward the corner of the dwarven map.
“No strategic value. No fortress walls. Probably just a mining village.”
Alf nodded without expression.
“Yes, my lord.”
“He likely planted the blackened Armand banner there,” Garius continued.
“Gold emblem. His custom version.”
He paused.
“But I doubt he stationed any puppet knights.”
Alf’s voice remained steady. “You believe he moved on immediately?”
“I do,” Garius said. “He wouldn’t waste resources there. But…”
His finger slid slightly across the map.
“This second town is different. Bigger. More structure. If he found survivors—ten or more—he would have claimed it as his first base.”
Alf quietly analyzed the same position.
“The timing aligns.”
Garius leaned back slightly.
“He would’ve healed them. Fed them. Enforced control. Probably even assigned a local chief.”
“And deployed puppet knights for outer perimeter defense.”
“Exactly.”
Alf bowed his head slightly.
“But as long as Armand remains under the Human Kingdom… we cannot legally deploy troops across the border.”
“Not without sparking political backlash,” Garius agreed. “Even if we send only a handful of soldiers, it will be noticed.”
“As we are still officially under the Human Kingdom, we cannot send soldiers to assist him. Not without risking diplomatic exposure.”
“Correct, my lord,” Alf said calmly. “Any military movement would be viewed as rebellion.”
Garius’s gaze stayed on the far horizon.
“Which leaves us only one option.”
He turned back.
“King Lioness.”
( End Of Chapter )
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