Two weeks had passed since Thirteen and the rest arrived in Artem.

During that time, Armand accompanied them as they inspected the surrounding villages, towns, and cities.

They weren't doing random inspections, but steadily making their way toward one of the cities where they could rent an Airship that would travel to the City of Velgrande, where the Royal Palace was located.

But just like Armand had stated, the journey to the capital would take them half a month, with only Erasmus going there by himself.

Thirteen had to stay behind, as the Chandrean royal blood in his veins had the prospect of drawing unwanted attention.

When he was still Zia, the Artemian Ministers had detected her royal bloodline, which prompted them to kidnap her.

The chances of that event reoccurring were slim, but he'd rather not risk it.

Also, he needed to be there to guide the Jinn Army as they slowly moved underground.

For now, they were not allowed to attack any Artemian settlements until Erasmus had successfully infiltrated the Royal Palace and talked to Queen Miriamele.

The Jinns weren't happy about it, but being unhappy was still better than dying, so they put up with it.

"Are they really not coming with us?" Armand asked Erasmus.

"No," Erasmus answered. "They still have very important work to do in this region before they can return to Velgrande."

Erasmus then patted Thirteen's shoulder and bid him goodbye.

"The next time we meet, I wish that you would bring me good news," Erasmus said softly.

"Yes, My Lord," Thirteen replied respectfully. "I will do my best to meet your expectations."

The King of Artem smiled faintly as he and Armand climbed the wooden staircase that would allow them to board the Airship that would take them to the capital city of Velgrande.

Erasmus had taken a liking to the bootlicker but dependable Mayor, so he planned to truly make Armand his subordinate by hook or by crook.

After bidding him goodbye, Thirteen and Cranky left the city to reunite with the Jinn Army, which was steadily worming its way toward a mountain range that would serve as their main headquarters.

This mountain range was called the Arcanis Mountain Range, spanning at least six thousand miles, making it the perfect place to hide their army.

"Rhovan, you will assist me in creating a Teleport Formation that will allow us to travel back and forth from the Arcanis Mountain Range," Thirteen ordered.

"I plan to create several teleport formations that will allow us to send our armies to various locations without the need to march them on land."

"Understood." Rhovan reluctantly nodded in agreement.

Thirteen was very smart, so he used ancient runic knowledge to buy Rhovan's loyalty.

As he made the formations, he made sure to teach Rhovan many things, enlightening the Wolfkin Shaman, as well as his subordinates, in the arts of Rune Magic.

The Artemian Researchers were given their own laboratories, allowing them to continue to develop Project Exodia [EX].

They were the more powerful version of Azothralls and would later serve as their secondary fighting force in the war.

Their opinions irrelevant, the researchers were also asked to develop Artemian weapons.

The Mountain Range was filled with rare metals, which the Jinns discovered as they expanded their underground cities.

Thirteen, Rhovan, and his subordinates also surveyed the land and created a weaker version of the Great Killing Array in many parts of the Arcanis Mountain Range.

They were turning the entire mountain range into a fortress, capable of enduring the full-powered assault of a Celestial.

Finally, after three weeks, Erasmus arrived at the capital city of Velgrande.

His arrival was met with great surprise, his ministers finding his return far too sooner than scheduled.

Erasmus immediately called for a court session, gathering all the high-ranking officials of the kingdom.

He then explained the tragic story of their great army being defeated by the Wanderers and Jinns in Pangea, which shocked everyone in the throne room.

"Y-Your Majesty, do you mean to say that none of our officers have survived?" a Minister inquired.

"Some of them were captured by the enemy," Erasmus replied. "We have greatly underestimated the might of the Wanderers. I thought the moment I crossed over to their world, I would be able to dominate them without fail.

"As you may already know, I only brought the army present at the capital at that time, including that of my Royal Guard. Everyone fought bravely, but in the face of a Celestial, we weren't able to overcome the difference in ranks."

Murmurs started to spread inside the throneroom at the mention of a Celestial.

After gathering information from the Wanderers they had captured in Solterra, they concluded that there were no Celestials in Pangea.

Because of this, they assumed that the moment their compatriots opened a gate that would allow direct access to their world, they would be able to conquer Pangea without fail.

This plan was meticulously done, using Solterra as a springboard for their invasion.

Once they were in Pangea, they would open a gate to Artem and have their King cross over.

The plan was perfect.

Unfortunately, Laplace Demon and The One intervened, allowing the forces of the Valbarra Archipelago to serve as reinforcements.

This ultimately led to a showdown between King Astrion and Cranky, with the Honey Badger gaining victory due to the sacrifices of many.

After relaying his story and the tragic result of their invasion, the ministers felt conflicted as they gazed upon their King.

Erasmus could feel their resentment and disappointment, but he only laughed at them in his heart.

"I will need to rest for a few weeks to regain my strength," Erasmus declared. "Until then, I will task all of you to ensure that word of our failure doesn't become public. Anyone who breaks this decree will be executed without fail. Do I make myself clear?"

""Yes, Your Majesty.""

"Good." Erasmus nodded. "This session is adjourned. All of you may leave."

When the last minister had left the throneroom, he also took his leave.

The first place he visited was none other than the Inner Palace, where the Queen of Artem, Princess Miriamele, had already heard of his news and was waiting for his arrival.

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