NOVPUBChapter 526: The Armand Signal ( 526 )
Meanwhile, in a certain Halfling-occupied town within the Dwarven Kingdom…
Inside the dimly lit command room.
Pins, markers, and rough sketches of dwarven terrain were scattered across the table.
The Halfling general, a sharp-eyed veteran with braided gray hair and a ceremonial blade at his hip, leaned forward with a frown.
“…It looks like the Human Kingdom has conquered more territory than we expected.”
One of his aides stood nearby, nodding slowly.
“But since we don’t have any open dispute with them, we’re not allowed to interfere.”
“Exactly.”
The general tapped the edge of the map.
“King Edmund hasn’t taken any of our zones. So for now… we stay still.”
“Yes, General.”
The room was silent for a moment.
Then—
The door creaked open, and a younger officer stepped in.
“General.”
“Yes?”
“We still haven’t received any report from the squad stationed at the small town near the Beastkin border… or from the unit at Gilikan town.”
The general raised an eyebrow.
“Both?”
The officer nodded.
“They’re overdue.”
The general scratched his chin.
“Hmm… maybe they’re just late. Weather’s been rough. Could be some delay.”
He stood straight and looked toward the map again.
“But just in case… send a few scouts to each location. Quiet ones. I want eyes, not a clash.”
“Yes, General. Understood.”
The officer bowed and left immediately.
The general folded his arms, eyes narrowing.
“…Still, two towns going quiet at the same time?”
He clicked his tongue.
“Unusual.”
But for now, he said nothing more.
The drone soared across the sky—fast, silent, cutting through clouds like an arrow of silver light.
Within minutes, it passed over the old border road, crossed the dwarven hills, and slipped through the Beastkin Kingdom’s outer airspace.
No one stopped it.
No soldier detected it.
Its enchantments made it nearly invisible to unaided eyes, and its flight path had already been locked in from the moment it left Gilikan.
It flew straight—toward one specific location.
Beastkin Kingdom — Capital City.
Royal Palace Courtyard.
The drone dropped in altitude, wings flickering with soft pulses of mana as it slowed its descent.
And then it hovered.
Below it, nestled between the twin towers of the royal palace, was a marble courtyard ringed with blue banners and sacred carvings.
In the center of that courtyard.
A single rune circle glowed faintly.
An anchor.
Marked with enchanted ink and sealed by an unfamiliar hand.
It was the exact spot where Javier De Armand had once stood, defending the palace from the spread of dark miasma.
He’d placed a signal beacon there that day—
small, unobtrusive, hidden within the marble.
Because he knew.
He knew that without satellites, this world had no precise coordinates.
No guiding sky.
No stable tracking system.
So he had made his own.
A simple device.
Just to mark one place.
This place.
The drone’s internal guidance system detected the beacon and corrected its final descent.
It lowered smoothly into the center of the courtyard, slowing until it touched the stone with a soft metallic click.
It pulsed once.
Waiting.
Inside, two scrolls rested.
One a formal declaration.
The other… an explanation.
The drone touched down in the center of the marble courtyard.
A second of silence passed.
Three clear tones echoed across the courtyard, loud enough to draw attention.
Then the device went quiet.
The drone folded its wings and locked itself into standby mode, its metallic body glowing faintly with a defensive enchantment.
Etched clearly into its casing.
Original Armand Family Emblem.
A nearby Beastkin guard, one of the elite palace sentries, turned his head sharply at the sound.
He spotted the drone immediately.
“What is that?”
Another guard rushed to his side.
“It just landed in the center courtyard.”
The first guard narrowed his eyes, hand drifting toward his spear.
“That emblem… Armand.”
His voice tensed.
“Call the captain.”
“Right away!”
The second guard sprinted toward the inner hall.
A moment later, a signal horn echoed once across the courtyard.
More guards emerged from the shaded entrances. 𝒏𝒐𝒗𝒑𝒖𝒃.𝙘𝒐𝒎
They formed a loose perimeter around the still-silent drone, weapons at the ready—but no one touched it.
Because everyone recognized the crest.
And no one in the palace had forgotten who once stood there, on that exact spot, during the miasma crisis.
The captain of the Beastkin Elite Royal Warriors arrived quickly, his heavy boots echoing across the courtyard with commanding authority.
He was a tall, broad-shouldered figure, wearing the finest armor of the royal guard—blue and gold, shining with regal honor. His eyes, sharp and discerning, immediately locked onto the unknown device that had landed in the middle of the courtyard.
His breath caught for just a moment as he saw the Armand Emblem gleaming against the stone.
Armand.
He didn’t need to think long.
The Armand Region was known for having technologies and artifacts unlike anything in the kingdoms of the East. For a device to carry their seal… it could only mean one thing: important.
He stepped forward, signaling his guards to move aside.
“Move over.”
The other guards, standing at attention, parted quickly, saluting the captain before stepping aside.
The captain knelt next to the drone, eyes narrowing as he observed the strange object.
With a soft click, the drone opened—revealing two scrolls inside, one sealed with official wax and the other marked with strange runes.
The captain hesitated. His instincts told him to be cautious. He didn’t dare open it, not without guidance.
Instead, he quickly grabbed both scrolls.
His face remained serious, but his mind raced.
The seal, the emblem, the strange technology—this was no ordinary message.
He stood, signaling his guards to clear a path.
“Get out of my way.”
His voice was sharp, his tone final.
The other guards saluted, stepping back quickly as the captain marched swiftly toward the royal castle, his eyes locked ahead.
The captain reached the palace steps in no time, his heavy armor barely making a sound as he moved with practiced ease.
The advisor would need to be informed.
The king would need to be alerted.
( End Of Chapter )
Have some idea about my story? Comment it and let me know.
