Foreboding Storm - Chapter 120

Aarya Quime gathered the magical stones she received for the month and arranged them on the sandy ground. The damp cave was dark and dripped with unknown fluids, but Aarya Quime was not bothered by it.

She had a more important matter than a dripping cave to worry about.

After the magical stones were arranged, she weaved a complicated spell that raised dark smoke and a pungent scent in the cave. Faint hisses of pain and moans of pleasure sounded out, seemingly eerie and ghostly in the damp, dark cave.

Aarya Quime’s expression did not display the slightest flicker of change as she kept weaving her spell until her face turned pale and her eyes became bloodshot. After what felt like an eternity, she flung her hand on the magical stones and slumped powerlessly to the ground.

“Huff, huff…this had better work!” Breathing roughly, she struggled back to her feet as she glued her eyes to the glowing stones and impatiently waited. A long while later, a blue flare appeared from the stones and exploded in the air.

Aarya Quime’s eyes flashed with excitement and she quickly chanted a few more spells. The blue flare stabilized and formed a smokescreen. The smokescreen was covered in a grey fog that warped and swirled for a few moments before clearing.

In its absence, a figure in white robes and a butterfly mask appeared.

“Aarya Quime, why is it you again?” The figure asked in annoyance.

“I paid your Hunters Guild a huge sum of money to get a task done. So of course I will check back in to see whether the task I commissioned for is completed or not. So, is the task I commissioned complete?” She coldly asked.

The figure in the smokescreen paused for a moment, before replying nonchalantly.

“The task isn’t completed yet, but my subordinates have already located the girl. With their full force, if they fail to get rid of her, then I will present their heads to you as an apology.”

“I don’t want their heads or your apology. I want my task completed by hook or crook! I already paid your price, so you must complete my task. One way or another, I want her gone before her return.” She hissed with a vicious gleam.

“Don’t worry. I was only saying I will present their heads as an apology to show my sincerity. Your task will be complete without fail. Now, if you will excuse me, I have something to take care of.” With a flash, the figure disappeared and the smokescreen darkened.

Aarya Quime stood in a daze, her violet eyes flickering with a multitude of emotions as if she were taking a tough decision. After a long while, she released a defeated sigh and looked up with a resolute expression.

“The Hunters Guild is well known for their successful completion of commissions. However, I cannot rely on one source to fulfill my dream. Even if it means I will have to share, I will make sure to block every possibility of her returning.”

Waving her hand, Aarya Quime chanted another round of complicated spells, her voice turning hoarse and her face paling even further as she placed her entire concentration on pronouncing the garbled words right.

A moment later, she flung her hands at the smokescreen causing its grey surface to swirl again. The screen shook violently, seemingly on the verge of shattering, as, with great difficulty, its surface cleared again.

This time, the face of the figure on its screen was unmasked, making it easy to identify her.

“Cousin Quime, is something the matter?” The figure asked spiritlessly.

From her voice, it could be inferred that she was asking the question just for the sake of politeness. There was no real concern in her depressed tone.

“Sister Ling, I am fine. But what is the matter with you? Why do you sound so down?” Aarya Quime asked gently, a concerned expression on her face.

On the inside, however, she was gloating at seeing her most prized and favored cousin looking close to a walking corpse.

‘Hmph! For her to look this bad, I am sure the matter isn’t a simple academy examination pressure.’ She merrily thought.

“It’s nothing. I am just feeling down because of a recent mission result. Cousin, if there is something that you need, please say it directly. I don’t have much time to spare.” The figure impatiently urged, seemingly not keen on talking about her health.

“Okay, I will get to the point. Sister Ling, I recently heard that there is a new admit in her Mistland Academy that goes by Brother Lail. I heard he said his wife’s name was Princess Qamari, is this true?” Aarya Quime’s gaze was fixed firmly on the figure’s expression, so the instant the other’s eyes flickered and her lips trembled, she had her answer.

‘So, she knows him. Good. Now this will make things much easier.’

A cunning smirk appeared on her lips for a split second before her face regained its original serenity.

The figure in the smokescreen stilled for a second before her sharp gaze fell on the Aarya Quime. Expressionlessly, she questioned the latter in a cold voice.

“You are asking this not for fun, I am sure. So tell me, little cousin. Why do you ask and what is your intention. And don’t even try the innocent and curious act on me. You know that I know you better than that.”

“Heh…truly cousin, you know me well. You are correct to assume that I have a reason for asking this. I do. And luckily for you, I have a tempting proposal to offer. One that will make all your dreams come true. Don’t say anything and hear me out to the end. I promise you that you will not regret it. So, do you want to hear it?” She smiled brightly.

“You mentioned Brother Lail and his wife. You also said that the offer will make all my dreams come true. After saying so much, you still ask me if I want to hear it? Aarya Quime, are you messing around with me, your own cousin Murong Ling?” The figure looked upset as she asked aggrievedly.

This figure was Murong Ling of the Mistland Academy, and from the look of things, cousin of Aarya Quime.

“No, sister Ling. I didn’t mean to mess with you. I was just trying to have fun with you. Now, here is my proposal…” With her sleeve covering her mouth in an innocent manner, Aarya Quime voiced her proposal.

*

On the same day, back in the Amayan Empire, a few suspicious figures garbed in civilian clothes appeared in the First Inner city. These figures had entry tokens for only the Outer City, the Teal City. But due to unorthodox methods, they were able to fool the guards at each city gate into perceiving their teal token as aqua and gained direct entry into the heart of the Imperial Capital, the Aqua City.

At this moment, these figures were seated at a window table inside a turquoise tea shop in the First Inner city. They conversed in hushed whispers as they vigilantly scanned their surroundings, their furtive eyes seemingly seeking out something or someone.

“It seems like she won’t come. Forget it. Report your findings one at a time.” A deep voice commanded.

“I found out that the Crown Prince and his Princess Consort signed an agreement on the night before their wedding. As for the contents of the agreement, only the envoys and high-ranking ambassadors that were present that night are privy to it.” One of the figures, a rough middle-aged said.

“The Crown Prince hasn’t really interacted much with his Princess Consort. The only real private meeting they had as a couple was on the day of their wedding when they entered the Imperial Main Hall together. That was the only time where they could have exchanged a few private words.” Another across from the middle-aged man added.

Right at this time, the authoritative voice that commanded earlier resounded from the center of the table again and attracted the whole group’s attention.

“Forget about all that. Is the intel that the Crown Prince hasn’t seen her face confirmed?”

“Yes, boss. That intel is confirmed. We found a servant from the Militia Mansion that accompanied the Great General on the night of the farce. From his words, the Amayan Ministers didn’t want to accept the Princess Consort because of her face veil. However, when they attempted to pressure her into removing it, she responded in a very fierce manner. After that incident, no one dared to bring the topic up again.” The middle-aged man replied confidently.

He had spent a large sum of money and a few hidden connections to get this information on his hands. If it wasn’t for the lucrative benefits he would receive at the end of the task, he wouldn’t have coughed out even a single aquine stone.

“Very good! I will report your efforts and contribution to the employer. Now, for the matter of related individuals. Is there anyone in the Amayan Empire that has seen her appearance?”

“No, there isn’t anyone that has seen her appearance. However, there is the Princess Consort of Prince Noore who is a cousin of the Crown Prince’s Consort.”

“That is to be expected. Alright, we are done here. Let’s go!”

“Yes!”

With that, the group of suspicious men paid their bill and left the tea shop.

What they were unaware of was that right behind their table, sat a noblewoman in casual clothes. This woman had a good-looking appearance and gave off an unconcealable aristocratic aura, unintentionally attracting the gazes of the male customers.

As she expressionlessly sat by the window, her eyes occasionally flickered with sadness and despair, making the males’ hearts ache for her. However, no one dared to approach her for fear of offending her.

The woman sighed sorrowfully and sat down her teacup. When she was just about to stand and leave, a familiar title drifted into her ears.

‘Crown Prince Lail? Why are they mentioning the Crown Prince?’ She wondered with a frown

Over the past six months, great changes occurred in the Amayan Empire. As Prince Noore’s influence increased, the Great Crown Prince that was once known as the Sovereign of Death, disappeared from all topics of conversation.

The citizens of the empire that were once fervent admirers of Crown Prince Lail moved on from him to Prince Noore, the present unspoken heir to the Amayan throne. As such, there were very few citizens that took the forgotten Crown Prince’s name.

So when the woman heard that unspoken name from the stranger men’s mouth, she sat back down with gleaming eyes and eavesdropped on their conversation. The more she heard, the faster her heart raced.

By the time the men left, she was trembling in excitement and trepidation.

‘The Crown Prince is alive! He is still alive!’

The fact that the man of her heart was alive filled the woman with so much excitement that she threw the rest of the men’s words out of her mind. She hurriedly settled her bill and rushed out of the shop.

After spending six months in anticipation, anxiety, and hopeless despair, she finally saw a glimmer of hope, a glimmer of his return. Since the Crown Prince was still alive, sooner or later, he would return to the Amayan Empire!

“But who were those men and how do they know about the Crown Prince?” She quietly whispered as she followed the flow of the bustling crowd towards the aristocratic district.

As for the one the men seemed to discuss with hidden intentions, his Crown Princess Consort, it wouldn’t be enough if she drank her blood and gnawed on her bones, so why would she care about what they did to her?

In her opinion, that backwater country Princess was the one responsible for all her misery in the past six months. The fact that she wasn’t seeking to settle accounts with her was already her being merciful. As for anything else that happened to her in the future, she could only blame her fate.

In good spirits and jovial mood, the woman from the tea shop entered the Great General of the Amayan Empire’s Mansion, the Militia Mansion without any obstruction.