Immortal Kingdoms

"Have you been followed by anyone?"

A muffled voice suppressed by thick layers of cloth, almost drowned by the disembodied cries of insects and the rustling of trees on this fine evening.

Other than the light of some particularly luminous plants and roaming fireflies, only the light shed on the Forest of Eternal Spring from the three brilliant moons of Arcadia could guide people through the night.

Hence, it is as difficult to follow someone as it is to notice being followed.

The muffled went silent and waited for a response.

A moment later, the two men in the dark of the night had seemingly finished inspecting their tracks. Then, the one in the front spoke a sentence of reassurance while also muttering a low, multi-syllable password to confirm his identity.

"Alright, you two can come in and make it quick."

The man behind the slab of thick logs nodded in the affirmative before walking inside. He didn't notice that the man behind him made some stealthy hand gestures, pausing for but a second, then followed inside the secret passage.

…

"If it isn't Lexus from House Erudite, to what do we owe the pleasure? Haha! Come, have some drinks!"

When the two black-robed men finally made it past the checkpoints, they removed their low hoodies smoothly.

Lexus swept his eyes over the crowd of familiar and unfamiliar faces, smiling calmly as he approached them, "Why wouldn't I come here? Our Goddess showed us her power by repelling those pests that wished to invade us, almost replaying the War of Dominion countless years ago, a war that made even our forefathers quake in terror!"

"My House Erudite decided to ride this wave of reverence and worship the people embraced and flood this momentum into the Forbidden Domain, we will enlighten that forsaken land with the grace of Goddess Arcadia, establishing the Arcadian Church in the most auspicious of lands! It is about time a fourth power arises and anchors the Forbidden Domain!"

The man behind Lexus slowly removed his low hoodie, revealing a particularly handsome face donned with blonde short hair, baby blue eyes, and a faint smile.

Lucas never expected that he would one day muddle his way into a den of wolves just like this one when he was first dispatched by Leonardo, let alone a den with Lexus as the alpha of the pack.

Honestly, his mission was to intercept the flow of information to the Elven Domain and report back to Leonardo, he never expected that Lexus himself would descend on the Elven Domain to secretly meet with the representatives of various powers that entered the Elven Domain under the guise of business.

He knew that Pandora who sneaked in by following him is currently observing, identifying, and memorizing the contents of this meeting to rush back and report as soon as possible, while he would improvise and divert from his original mission and keep a close eye on these developments.

"Oh! Who might that friend be?"

Someone seemed to finally notice Lucas who was standing behind Lexus silently, but the thing was, he didn't give the vibes of an attendant or a servant.

Lexus smiled faintly, "Ah! I almost forgot to introduce you people…" Lexus' voice dropped to an all-time low, "Have you guys heard of Ghost Face?"

Gasp!

"Is he that Sir Ghost Face?!"

The people immediately overreacted, their thoughts going to the extremes.

"No," Lexus chuckled faintly, "This man's name is Lucas, someone from the Intelligence Network Department of my House Erudite, but he is also someone Ghost Face mentioned by name as a middle-man."

The heat in everyone's chest calmed down ever-so-slightly, thinking 'Ah, as expected.'

No one knows where Ghost Face comes from or goes to, that illusive existence that could arguably dig up any secret information is too frightening.

"Wait!" Someone seemed to realize something.

Pandora who was lurking in the shadows, raised an eyebrow when she saw this man.

Mason from Valdmor? Even this man got involved?

Her thoughts whirled, but she ultimately decided she might as well leave the thinking to Leonardo.

Mason pointed out, "What if he were to leak this information back to Ghost Face? Wouldn't you have shot us in the foot then?!"

Everyone finally realized the implications, their expressions turning ugly.

However, Lexus merely smiled faintly as he said, "You worry too much, Lucas' soul is bound by an oath to not divulge anything relating to this meeting. The moment he did, his soul would collapse from the backlash."

"However, what we need to worry about is how to wash away that blasphemous person's claims to our future Holy Land, using any means necessary." Everyone present could instantly think of the 'blasphemous person' in question.

Mason creased his brows, "That would be difficult, his assets equate to 1% of the overall territory, and that is derived from the overall original shares of House Sylvia. Perhaps… Are you planning to open hostility with House Sylvia over this matter?"

Mason was someone from the three ruling powers, House Exodia, hence he didn't want to dip his hands into something that could complicate the relationship between the three ruling powers more than it already is complicated.

"Young friend Mason worries too much," an amiable old man in the corner of the room spoke with a light-hearted laugh, "This isn't a competition of martial power but rather a competition of business interests. In these battles, especially when it comes to major profits and losses, the way to compete is especially broadcasted in an above-board manner; direct, aggressive, and open hostility."

"However, this is the type of gentle hostility, a war that doesn't spill blood shouldn't be fought covertly but openly, why else would it be called business?"

"Don't lump in us businessmen with the hungry and vicious politicians, royal court officials, and renowned generals who dabble in the arts of war."

Although the old man spoke in a soft, heartfelt tone of voice, his smile concealed an assortment of hidden blades that would cut into someone's soul, twisting their logic, and thereafter smoothly display a persuasive charm that couldn't be neglected.

This old man almost fooled even Lucas and Pandora who weren't intent on listening, let alone a non-cultivator like Mason.

Lucas felt weird and out of place on Mason's behalf, what would a non-cultivator be doing all the way here amid an array of saints?

Mason seriously nodded, "Senior's words are right, I was merely overthinking things too much."

Just as everyone in the room was growing even more amicable to one another, their smiling expressions like the spring after the rain, light in the dark, and lotus flowers on a clear spring, a plot with the intention to sweep through Arcadia like a storm silently brewed.

In this inconspicuous corner of the dark Forest of Eternal Spring, the course of history began to subtly shift in a direction as thrilling as it was unpredictable.

But of course, around these hours of the night, Leonardo was still occupied with that sensual marathon that was on the cusp of reaching its conclusion at the first ray of golden light that cascaded through the hazy morning mist.

On this clear morning in the Forest of Eternal Spring, Pandora and Lucas separated from one another, the latter's blazing ambitions and determination swirling within his baby blue eyes, overwhelmed by no other than the sparkle of undying loyalty to the first man who ever acknowledged his existence.

Although Pandora was in stealth from start to end, Lucas had this ambiguous intuition that she was standing silently by his side, watching the sunrise together with him, and only a moment earlier had she truly left.

Only then did this young man turn his back and fade into the dense forest of massive trees that seemingly upheld the sky itself.

'I won't disappoint you, boss!'

Lucas silently made his convictions in his heart.

…

Grace Imperial Palace, Throne Room.

Leonardo had just lifted his head from the communication bracelet on his wrist, brows creased in thoughts.

Below his throne was one person, Wendy.

Dressed in a long white skirt embroidered in multicolored rimmings, a tight golden sash slithered around her thin waist, and an elegant shortsword hung by its side.

By now, almost the entirety of her wild and barbaric primitive temperament was refined due to the influence of the co-soul, but the reverence in her eyes as she looked up at Leonardo was ever-present.

Her co-soul has 'told' her some things that couldn't be spoken aloud for a fear of inducing heavy karma. However, she was already his student, and some things could be shared.

"I planned on making a personal visit to the Elven Domain and take you with me, but a message from Pandora brought to my attention that although I've dealt with the chaos across the river, I am yet to clean up the mess on my doorsteps." Leonardo silently muttered to himself before raising his head, his eyes that were on the cusp of turning bloody crimson receding back to an abyss of darkness.

"So be it then, Richard's head won't be running anywhere. At the very least, if we switch the playing grounds to Valdmor, they wouldn't be able to bring back any armies," Leonardo's index tapped lightly on the armrest of his throne, a playful smile on his face.

"Furthermore, it just happens that Arcadia is no longer suppressing my powers. How ironic, how pitiful, how laughable…. Arcadia's savior and Arcadia's most devout of worshippers can't even share the same sky…"

With a flat chuckle, Leonardo rose from his throne and passed down words for Juvia to find him in the Imperial Study once she finally woke up.