Wizard starting from shoeing donkeys Chapter 1505 - 518: The Romeo of Yesteryear

The container held the initial insignia Lord Rein had earned at the Mingster Swordsmen Division—a Bronze Emblem. Olena had coordinated its rapid transport from Mingster to ensure it arrived without delay.

While the Rein Mansion housed numerous personal belongings, Olena had refrained from informing Rein’s kin to avoid causing unnecessary alarm before the facts were established. Consequently, this specific item was sourced directly from the Mingster Swordsmen Division instead.

Grand Astromancer Dalain accepted the small wooden chest. Upon retrieving the Bronze Emblem, he paused momentarily, clearly surprised. A simple swordsman’s rank seemed completely disconnected from Rein’s current prestige; nevertheless, he remained silent and commenced the casting process immediately.

A few minutes passed...

"Lord Rein survives, though his starlight is quite faint. This is likely the result of critical wounds sustained in battle," Dalain announced, his expression softening with relief as the spell concluded.

Given the reports, he naturally assumed Rein’s condition was due to physical trauma rather than any other interference.

"The mystery remains: why did Crown Reginald report that Lord Rein’s location could not be pinpointed?" General Augustus questioned, his brow furrowed in confusion.

"Even if Lord Rein utilized witch artifacts or concealment witch arrays, it defies logic. The Federation has conducted a total sweep, essentially inspecting every grain of sand on Reef Island."

"Well..." Dalain found himself unable to provide Augustus with a definitive explanation.

In truth, there was a detail he had kept to himself: during his great astrology ritual, he discovered that tracking Rein was unnervingly difficult—surpassing even the recent search for Prince Menia.

This suggested that, in some capacity, Rein’s power might exceed that of Prince Menia. But how could that be?

Prince Menia was a seasoned Dragon Knight of the Empire, possessed royal blood, and held the strength of a late-stage Dawn Wizard...

Dalain struggled to reconcile these facts in his mind.

Crucially, the power of a divination’s subject directly influences the accuracy of the result.

Every form of divination, from great astrology to crystal ball or aquatic plant methods, is severely hindered if the target's strength surpasses that of the practitioner.

Because of this, the level of detail Dalain could extract was limited to what he had already shared.

At that moment, Elder Ivan of the Elder Council spoke up after a brief period of reflection:

"According to Reginald’s account, they reached the island almost simultaneously with the Sea God Sect following the blast. However, there was no sign of the Nether Sea Goddess’s avatars, Menia, or Rein."

"Is it possible the avatars of the Nether Sea Goddess overcame them both and took them captive, retreating to their temple beneath the waves?"

Elder Ivan’s theory brought a heavy silence to the hall as everyone present began to weigh the possibility.

It made sense!

Such a scenario could not be dismissed!

After all, had they remained on the island, no amount of obscuring witch arrays would have hidden them from such an exhaustive search.

"Crown Dalain, are you able to confirm Lord Rein’s general vicinity at this time?" Marshal Alfred asked after a long pause.

"Indeed, he appears to still be within the vicinity of those Federal waters," Dalain confirmed with a nod.

"Then I concur with Elder Ivan. It is highly probable that the Nether Sea Goddess’s avatar incapacitated Prince Menia and Rein, dragging them back to the Undersea Temple," Marshal Alfred stated with gravity.

The room murmured in collective realization as the pieces of the puzzle seemed to fit together.

"Yes, that would explain the irregularities observed during the great astrology," Grand Astromancer Dalain added, nodding in agreement.

With the three most influential figures in the room in accord, the rest of the gathering followed suit, despite any lingering uncertainties some might have felt.

Regardless, it was positive news!

It proved Rein was alive, and as for Prince Menia, he was apparently not... entirely gone!

...

Despite the insights provided by the Star Mage’s Platform, the Empire’s leadership faced significant hurdles.

While the general region was known, the Sea God Sect’s base was submerged. Unlike land-based operations, the ocean is a labyrinthine environment, making any search operation a monumental task.

Furthermore, discovering the Nether Sea Goddess’s temple would inevitably trigger a violent confrontation. Without a sufficient concentration of elite forces, the mission would be a suicide run.

However, since the Ferdinand Forest incident, cultist activity had spiked across the Empire. Most Imperial Guardians were tied down defending their respective provinces, leaving only the Imperial City of Tamriel with a reserve of protectors.

Following the recent battle within the capital, maintaining that many Imperial Guardians on-site was deemed vital.

"In that case, the Elder Council shall provide the necessary personnel," Elder Ivan declared, looking around the room as he made his decision.

....

The conclusions of the high-level summit rapidly filtered through the Empire’s upper echelons.

Many high-ranking nobles had initially greeted the reports with doubt, noting that Reginald’s initial dispatches were filled with uncertainty. However, the situation had shifted.

The facts had now been verified by none other than Crown Dalain, the Empire’s preeminent Grand Astromancer!