True to his word, Armand provided Thirteen's group with a detailed map of the surrounding area. In fact, he went above and beyond, adding all the maps he could find that covered the entire continent.

His actions perfectly demonstrated just how much he wanted to form a good connection with Erasmus, whom he believed had a very high rank within the Artemian Society.

Erasmus wasn't stingy with his praise and told Armand that if only all of his subordinates were like him, he would not have trouble sleeping at night.

Overjoyed with such praise, Armand patted his chest and promised to fulfill any wish that Erasmus wanted, as long as it was within his capabilities.

When the Mayor finally left, Erasmus sighed as he looked at Thirteen, who was busy memorizing the map on the table.

"I really wish I had a subordinate like Armand," Erasmus said with a smile. "He is one of those people who will kiss your boots and is actually very competent in what they do."

"Indeed," Thirteen replied, while still looking at the map. "I'll gladly have someone like him. Tiona, can you copy this map for me?"

Tiona nodded and transformed into her human form.

The young lady then placed her hand over the map before creating a perfect replica of it.

"Use your clone to send that map to Queen Ceres," Thirteen ordered. "Since our communicators don't work here, leave your clone as a relay. I will communicate with her through it."

Tiona nodded in understanding and summoned a small black snake by her side.

The snake swallowed the map before crawling out of the window, then burrowed itself into the ground.

It then headed straight to where the Majin Queen and the rest of the Jinns were.

The map was important, as it would allow them to hide effectively in areas far from Artemian civilization.

With that immediate concern dealt with, Thirteen finally sighed in relief. Finally, one of their problems had been solved.

'Now, I just need Erasmus to reach the capital city and meet with Queen Miriamele,' Thirteen thought. 'After that, we can collaborate and come up with a feasible invasion plan.'

The real threat was the three Celestials who served the Artemian Empire.

If they could kill one of them, the two-versus-three scenario would become two-versus-two, which was more beneficial for their invasion.

Of course, Thirteen still had to find a way to deal with the five High Archons and twenty regular Archons—a force capable of decimating their army. After all, Cranky and Queen Miriamele would face off against the Artemian Celestials and couldn't afford to babysit them while doing so.

"Zion, you don't have to carry all this burden on your own, you know?" Erasmus lightly patted the teenage boy's shoulder as if understanding what he was thinking. "We will find a way together. You are not alone in this war."

"I know, Cassiel," Thirteen replied. "I'm just built differently. I can't stop myself from formulating strategies and simulations."

(A/N: Cassiel is Erasmus' real name before he became an Undead.)

Perfectly understanding his old friend, the one who had stood by him through thick and thin in a past life, Erasmus smiled faintly.

"Knowing that you're here assures me of our future victory," Erasmus stated. "Isn't that right, Azrael?"

Cranky nodded. "Yes. As long as Zion is here, things will work out, one way or the other."

"Wow, thanks for the added pressure, guys." Thirteen shook his head helplessly. "Both of you are a big help."

Erasmus chuckled, while Cranky smirked. Both of them had absolute trust in the teenage boy, so no matter what he decided to do, they would be there to support him all the way.

A few hours later…

Armand made sure that the plaza was well-decorated by evening, and the people were more than happy about this change of pace.

A festive atmosphere spread in the town, and everyone took this opportunity to have some fun.

Thirteen, Erasmus, Cranky, and Armand sat facing the performers, dining on local delicacies.

The teenage boy had a stiff smile on his face as two pretty young ladies served him with food and drinks.

Erasmus wanted to tease Thirteen a bit, so he asked Armand to set this up, which the mayor did without fail.

Actually, the two ladies serving the teenage boy were his nieces.

He wanted them to form a connection with the servant named Zion, so if they succeeded, their futures would be secured.

Erasmus chatted and laughed happily with Armand, praising the entertainment he had prepared for them.

Cranky ate quietly, thinking this scene would have been better if Shasha were there with him.

The townsfolk also gave their special guests curious glances, as it was very rare for them to receive guests of high standing.

After what seemed like an eternity, Thirteen had finally freed himself from the two pretty ladies, who even volunteered to become his bed warmers for the night.

Thirteen politely rejected their offers and bid them goodnight, making sure to lock his door to prevent them from climbing on his bed while he slept.

Still, since this was the mayor's residence, it would be far too easy for him to provide his nieces with the keys to Thirteen's room, so the teenage boy asked Tiona to turn into her human form and stay with him for the night.

It had been a while since it was only the two of them, so Tiona held him tenderly until he fell asleep.

While he was sleeping, Queen Ceres and the Jinns had chosen an ideal location based on the map that Thirteen had given them.

Their scouts had encountered other Artemian settlements and used the map to confirm their location.

Copies were made and given to the other leaders of the Jinns, ensuring that no one would make the mistake of venturing into the places where the Artemians lived.

"We are permitted to kill any and all witnesses," Queen Ceres stated. "Spread the word, and make sure that our people are behaving properly."

"Yes, My Lady," Misha bowed and went to look for King Valtheron and the others to relay Thirteen's order.

Thirteen had also summoned some of the Artemians from the Domain of the Apocalypse and left them in Queen Ceres' care, so they would learn more about their society.

The Azothralls that he had enslaved were all busy digging underground tunnels and cities that would later serve as the temporary headquarters of the Jinn Army.

Although it would take some time, they all agreed that it was better to travel deep underground and make their way towards the capital city.

However, there were some Jinns who felt indignant about being forced to become Zion Leventis' "cannon fodder."

Some even thought of making contact with the High-Ranking Artemians to thwart his plans. In the end, they kept these ideas silent. Any action they took would still lead to their deaths at the hands of the Artemians.

With no other alternative, the Blackfang Dominion finally accepted that the only way of survival was to cooperate with Zion and see this mission through.

They just hoped that when this invasion was over, the teenage boy would be true to his word and give them the rewards that they rightfully deserved.

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