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

The container held the very first token Lord Rein had earned at the Mingster Swordsmen Division—a Bronze Emblem. Olena had coordinated its rapid delivery from Mingster to ensure its arrival.

While the Rein Mansion housed numerous personal effects, Olena refrained from alerting Rein’s relatives to avoid causing premature panic before the truth was established. Consequently, she kept the family in the dark and sourced the item directly from the Mingster Swordsmen Division instead.

Grand Astromancer Dalain accepted the wooden container, though he appeared briefly surprised upon retrieving the Bronze Emblem. To him, a lowly swordsman’s badge seemed completely inconsistent with Rein’s current prestige; nevertheless, he remained silent and commenced his spellcasting immediately.

A few minutes passed...

"Lord Rein survives, though his starlight appears quite faint. This is likely the result of critical injuries sustained in battle," Dalain announced, his expression softening slightly as the ritual concluded.

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

"The mystery remains: why did Crown Reginald claim that Lord Rein could not be located?" General Augustus questioned, his brow furrowed in thought.

"Even if Lord Rein utilized witch artifacts to bypass detection arrays, it defies logic. The Federation has conducted an exhaustive sweep, practically accounting for every single ant on Reef Island."

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

In truth, there was a detail he had kept to himself: during his great astrology performance, he discovered that tracking Rein was unexpectedly difficult—even more challenging than his recent search for Prince Menia.

From a certain perspective, this implied that Rein’s power might exceed that of Prince Menia, but how could that be possible?

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

Dalain struggled to reconcile these facts in his mind.

Ultimately, the power level of the target directly influences the accuracy of any divination.

Every prophetic art, whether it be great astrology, crystal ball reading, or aquatic plant divination, suffers significant interference if the target’s Cultivation or strength surpasses that of the practitioner.

Because of this, the level of detail Dalain could provide 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, they found no trace of the Nether Sea Goddess’s avatars, Menia, or Rein."

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

The hall fell into a heavy silence following Elder Ivan’s suggestion 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 witch array could have hidden them from such a meticulous search for so long.

After a moment of deliberation, Marshal Alfred inquired, "Crown Dalain, are you able to pinpoint Lord Rein’s general coordinates now?"

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

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

The others considered this for a moment, their faces gradually showing signs of understanding.

"Indeed, that would explain the irregularities I 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 assembly followed suit, even if some still harbored lingering uncertainties.

At the very least, it was positive news!

It proved Rein was still breathing, and as for Prince Menia, he also seemed to be... not entirely gone!

...

Despite the insights provided by the Star Mage’s Platform, the Empire’s leadership faced a difficult path forward.

Identifying the general region was one thing, but the Sea God Sect’s base was submerged. Unlike a land-based search, the treacherous and complex marine environment made finding the exact location an immense challenge.

Furthermore, even if the Temple of the Nether Sea Goddess were discovered, a violent confrontation would be inevitable. Without a sufficient number of elite combatants, such a mission would likely turn into a suicide run.

However, since the Ferdinand Forest incident, cultist activity had spiked throughout the Empire. Nearly every Imperial Guardian was tied down defending a specific province or territory, leaving only the Imperial City of Tamriel with a reserve of guardians.

And following the recent battle at the Imperial City, maintaining that defensive force was non-negotiable.

"In that case, the Elder Council shall provide the necessary personnel," Elder Ivan decided, scanning the room.

....

The conclusions of the high-level council quickly filtered down through the Empire’s aristocratic circles.

Many high-ranking nobles had initially viewed the reports with skepticism, noting that Reginald’s initial findings were based on 'suspicions' and 'possibilities.' However, the situation had shifted.

The facts had now been verified by Crown Dalain himself, the Empire’s most prestigious Grand Astromancer!