Chapter 112: SS39 – Amin – Inquisition, Commence!

Arriving in the familiar cellar, Amin let out a sigh. For the first time he didn’t fall over on arrival, which he certainly considered an overdue improvement. Although the elves said it was nothing to be embarrassed about, it wasn’t like he couldn’t stop himself from feeling that way when everyone else managed to stay upright. 

And for once, someone other than him was the one to fall over. 

“Dammit!” Alfor grunted as he pushed himself up from the floor. 

“Welcome to Teyrin.” Vandelor said with a wry smile. “Don’t mind it. It takes a while to-”

“Don’t wanna hear it, elf.” Alfor muttered moodily.

The stairs to the ground floor creaked as a familiar face came down with a grin. “Hey guys! Welcome! Stay downstairs for a while, will you? And be quiet until I get back!”

Amin raised an eyebrow as Yannie disappeared back upstairs. What’s that all about?

Vandelor seemingly read his thoughts, as he shook his head with a smile. “They’ve had some complaints about the noise from the neighbours. Someone will likely come complaining again.”

Ah. The teleportation is quite loud.

Yannie’s and Cara’s house had essentially become a secret waypoint for the Amaran Guard. Since they weren’t aware how people would react if a large number of combatants suddenly showed up, even if they came to help with the demons, they thought it best to keep it a secret.

Ever since Campbell reported that demons had shown up outside the barrier, Vandelor, together with another elven archmage, had started transporting volunteers to help with the sudden threat. Thus far they had mostly been elves, who after arrival would be sent to one of the other safe houses or hide within the priesthood until they had greater numbers. The first elves of the Amaran Guard to arrive had been sent east to meet up with the groups of refugees that were being led by druids and priests to Levan. 

The druids had a somewhat quick way to send messages, as some could convince animals to help them. By sending birds to other druids with the message that they should evacuate and head for Levan, it only took a few days from when they had received the news to when the villages were being evacuated. 

However, Amara had discovered that some of the refugees were being followed by demons along the way, which led to the decision to send the Amaran Guard to meet and escort them. Although, the number of groups headed to Levan was small, since most were headed towards the closest walled city for safety.

Unfortunately, both archmages were limited to bringing volunteers over once or twice a day because of the large mana cost required for teleportation, and each time they could at most bring a handful of people. 

But that meant that during the month that had passed since the disappearances were reported, the two archmages had, between themselves, brought nearly two hundred combatants to Teyrin in secret. Because of the bottleneck that the cross-world teleportation was, it meant that the strongest were brought first - resulting in that the three quarters of those brought were all level one hundred or higher, with nobody but Amin below level fifty.

The dwarves had expressed great enthusiasm over the prospect of helping out as well. Alfor had experience as a captain, and would be acting as a bridge between Amin and the rest of the dwarves that had been brought to Teyrin. Nobody was yet sure what the command structure would look like, as the elves and dwarves knew little about each other’s capabilities and tactics, which resulted in that for the time being, they would be acting as independent groups during battle. But a commander had yet to be appointed.

[Bang! Bang! Bang!]

Amin glanced at the edge where the cellar’s wall met the roof - right below the door upstairs that led to the outside. The group in the cellar stood silently as they listened to the footsteps - likely Yannie’s - that were heard as she went to answer the door.

“Oh, hello there-” (Yannie)

“What’s with all that noise?! Haven’t we told you to keep it down?!” An old man’s angered voice replied.

“Of course, we’ll try!” Yannie replied brightly.

“Try? That’s not good enough! Whatever you’re doing, it stops now!” (?)

Both voices went silent, and Amin just barely made out the familiar voice that seemed to have entered the conversation - with a threatening tone.

“Yannie. Did I hear right? He’s telling us to end our honeymoon early?” (Cara)

“H-honeymoon? Hold on, weren’t you two married years ago?!” (?)

“If we’re in the phase, it’s a honeymoon.” (Cara)

“Well…you don’t need to be so…ahem, loud.” (?)

“So you’re telling us to end our honeymoon.” (Cara)

“N-no, I’m not saying- wait! Wait!! HELP!!” (?)

“Cara, calm down! Cara!” Yannie exclaimed as they heard rushing footsteps as someone left the house, followed by the old man’s panicked screaming that was gradually fading with the distance. “CARA! Come back!” 

Amin and the others in the cellar looked at each other. 

“Females.” Alfor let out a long sigh. 

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Amin shook his head with a wry smile. “Those two are a bit…”

“A bit what?” Yannie asked as she came back down the stairs. 

Amin smiled stiffly and quickly changed his mind about what he was going to say when he saw her dangerous smile. “Lively.”

“Hmm.” Yannie's eyes narrowed as she stared at him, before letting out a sigh and nodding towards the floor above. “You can come up now.”

As they all went for the stairs, Alfor nudged Amin’s side as he whispered. “Good save.”

[This one confirms.] (Zenon)

 

_______________

“Amin, how…how’s Amara been lately?” Campbell asked worriedly as they sat in Andrew’s office. “I imagine that the appearance of demons and…the fact that our people are responsible can’t have been easy for her.”

Amin frowned as he thought about how to put it. Amara had been furious when she learned that someone on Teyrin had summoned the demons, and said that while she knew that people could be stupid, stupidity to such and extent was beyond what should be possible. And everyone else agreed on that. 

However, Amin, Campbell and Andrew had all held doubts about whether or not it was the people that were responsible. At first they explored the possibility that perhaps those performing the summoning had been afflicted with mental manipulation magic by demons. Though, little was known about it and nobody knew if it could be used to the extent that was considered mind control.

But Amara had quickly shot down that option by saying that the demons weren’t allowed to reach out to the people in her domain; her people had to be the ones reaching out. 

And during the month that had passed, Amin had noticed that Amara’s anger had gradually been replaced with a faint hopelessness. 

“Amara…I think a part of her has given up on Teyrin. After all, we’ve caused nothing but trouble for her.” Amin let out a sigh. “And since she’s been keeping an eye on demons I can imagine she’s seen a few things that would be demoralizing.”

Campbell nodded dejectedly. “I feared as much. Amara has a great responsibility on her shoulders, and the people of Teyrin - especially its rulers - have only made it more difficult for her.”

“But what can we do about it?” Andrew muttered from behind his desk with crossed arms.

“It’s obvious, isn’t it?” Campbell smiled wryly as he looked at him. “We need to clear out the demons and make the rulers welcome Amara’s leadership.”

Amin raised an eyebrow. “And how were you planning to do that?”

“We’ve already gathered the best and brightest of the Amaran Guard here. Even though their numbers are few, they should already be considered a force to be reckoned with, no?” Campbell cocked his head with a smile.

Amin let out a chuckle. “Are you intending to convince the rulers one by one or something?”

Campbell’s eyes widened in surprise before he shook his head with a grin. “Heavens, no! But as tragic as this situation with the appearance of demons is, it’s an opportunity for us. To convince the greatest power on the political stage to come to our side.”

Amin raised an eyebrow. “The quee-...you mean the empress?”

Campbell nodded with a smile. “If anything, no matter how…unfaithful she is towards Amara, she despises demons even more. That she decided to march her army across the continent as soon as she heard the news is proof enough where her priorities lie.”

Amin nodded in agreement. On his way to the mansion he had seen several soldiers with a familiar red tabard. Empress Celene had left a division of her soldiers in Levan to help the city to prepare for the arrival of reinforcements - and what they suspected, to keep an eye on the church.

“All we need to do is make an effort in clearing out the demons that she never forgets, and she will be more willing to listen to Amara. We’re not gathering combatants merely as a precaution, are we?” (Campbell)

“Are you sure?” Amin looked at him skeptically. “Considering what she’s done so far, I doubt the empress will take kindly to us showing our teeth.”

Campbell smiled and put his hand inside his robe. A letter soon emerged, that the pope held out towards Amin. “A certain scarred man delivered this, insisting I deliver it to you when the empire’s army marched past Levan. He knew you were on Whildernae as well.”

Amin raised an eyebrow as he received the letter. Seeing that it was unopened, he snorted. “And how do you know she’s written to tell us she welcomes our help?”

“That she’s written you a letter is what matters.” Campbell pointed out. “It means she’s reaching out. It’s a start.”
Amin glanced at him skeptically before opening the letter.