Wizard Of Cosmos

310 - We WiLL Live On

A week later, Old Shadow left Light Shone with a heart pulled in two. As he departed, the news everyone had waited for finally broke. The armies of the Brodice Kingdom attacked Alexandria, and the long-anticipated war began earlier than predicted.

Across Earth and Yuriel, people waited for the Crystal Pulse to respond. They took a stance no one expected. Jason Hope was usually the aggressor—his responses were swift and violent. This time, the Crystal Pulse summoned their warriors back to Light Shone. The groups sent to clear bandits and gather isolated villages moved fast, passing through Forest Edge within a few days and returning to Light Shone.

Rumours spread. Some said Jason feared a direct clash. Others believed he was regrouping for a strike after organising. The war, after all, was between Alexandria and the Brodice Kingdoms, and Light Shone was a small, independent village that belonged to neither side. Yet the Brodice Kingdom’s real goal was clear: to conquer Light Shone to reach the Dark Forest.

…

A week after the war officially began, a visitor came to see Boris at Forest Edge.

"Old Xanders!" Boris was surprised by the old man’s sudden visit.

Technically, Xanders was still the village leader of Light Shone, but everyone knew he was no longer the true power behind it. Still, Boris knew this Grandmaster-level assassin was not someone to underestimate.

"Boris!" Xanders sat on a stool with ease. "Hope you don't mind me entering your room like this. I don't like these alien humans, you know."

"I guess..." Boris almost rolled his eyes. 'And you are working for Jason Hope,' he grumbled in his heart.

Light Shone was full of alien humans—it was the base of the Crystal Pulse. There was no way Old Xanders wasn’t used to them. Boris knew this was just an excuse to meet him in secret.

"Well... I have a message for you." Xanders got to the point, trying to keep his dignity intact.

"From Jason?" Boris felt a tightness in his chest.

Over a year ago, Jason Hope came to Yuriel, and Boris found the young man interesting. Later, that young man borrowed his horse to bring the cursed child, Hanna, to Light Shone. Slowly, Jason built his own force, becoming someone even kings feared. Today, a retired Grandmaster assassin was here as Jason's messenger. That alone spoke volumes about the power the young alien wielded on Yuriel.

"Yes. He wants you to move the farmers in front of the city gate to new farmlands in Light Shone." Xanders shrugged.

"What? Move? Why? And this town has a mayor?" A terrible feeling rose in Boris’s heart.

He knew about the war, and his people—the people of Alexandria—were terrified. But the clash was still at the border, and the Brodice Kingdom’s army hadn’t advanced much since the beginning. Besides, it was just the armies skirmishing; the wizards had yet to set foot on the battlefield. Right now, it was only a minor engagement between the two nations.

As for Forest Edge, it was Alexandria’s last town before Light Shone and the Dark Forest.

"You... Do you want to use Forest Edge as a line of defence? But why? I mean... The war is..." Boris’s words died as his heart froze.

"You are going to lose, young man. The Brodice Kingdom has... already won." Xanders didn’t bother to hide the truth.

He knew Alexandria’s information channels were nowhere near as accurate as theirs. The Brodice Kingdom had not yet deployed its hidden weapon.

"Lose? We are not going to lose. This is an oversight from the Brodice Kingdom. They should have waited—now we can’t say which side has the advantage... They can’t simply win unless..." Boris’s voice grew small as he looked into Xander's calm eyes. "Unless they have a Master Wizard." Boris’s final words made him tremble.

"But... But that should be impossible... Did they.... Did they hire a Master Wizard?" Boris stuttered.

"Not from what I know." Xanders’s reply eased him—though only for a moment.

But the Brodice Kingdom had already begun the war, knowing they had a wizard with the potential to become a Master Wizard. Xanders guessed someone had helped them from the shadows, letting that wizard advance earlier than expected. He couldn’t care less about a sudden breakthrough; after seeing Jason Hope’s rise and living beside a monster like Amelia, he felt numb to surprises. 'Nothing can surprise me anymore.'

"No! I have to inform His Majesty the King." Boris stood up in an instant.

"Is that going to make any difference, young man? Can you defend against a Master Wizard?" Xanders' face didn’t change, but his words froze Boris in place.

"But... You have to help us. You can do something. Jason can do something." Unease clawed at Boris’s chest. If anyone could help, it was the Crystal Pulse.

"We already negotiated with your king. The eldest Prince and his family, including some Nobles, will move to Light Shone by next week." Xanders gave a careless answer. "I suggest you move your family as well, kid."

"What? They can't abandon Alexandria. How can they do that? And who is helping the Brodice Kingdom? Isn't that just terrible?" Boris sank back onto his seat, lifeless.

"You know why everyone wants to help the Brodice Kingdom, kid. Well... I can't blame them. I might have done the same if I were in their shoes as well..." Xanders whispered the last part to himself.

Light Shone held the most aliens. The aliens were immortal, and they had gathered around Jason Hope, forming a formidable force. They also had two wizards and many Grandmasters. And they had Amelia.

In the last few weeks, the world had seen how organized their military was. It proved they had armour and weapon-forging capabilities on par with the top kingdoms of Yuriel. And that was only what the world could see. The real power hidden behind Light Shone was far from simple.

'If they knew what we truly have, I am afraid even the Grand Wizards might challenge us.' Xanders thought.

"Sigh. Just help us move the farmers so we can use the Forest Edge wall in defence. Your family can seek refuge in Light Shone." Xanders pressed on.

"But... What can you do against a Master Wizard?" Boris didn't look as mature as he usually did.

"That is up to Jason, young man. He will deal with it." Xanders rose from the stool and crossed to the window in silent strides.

"How long?" Boris whispered.

"Maybe a couple of weeks at best. I am not sure." Xanders replied without turning back.

"Aren't you afraid, old Xanders?" Boris raised his head. "Don't you care about your people? The aliens will not die. They will simply disappear and come back, but what about us? What about your people?" He stared intently at Xanders's back.

"We will live on, Boris." With that, Xanders vanished from Boris's room, and silence returned.