Chapter 684 — What Is Happening Now
Blade of Dawn · Page 4 of 4
To this day, every piece of intelligence arriving from Ansul carried with it something that left Rowan Augustus deeply uneasy: that nation had not suffered wounds severe enough during the earlier civil war and the Crystal Cluster War. On the contrary, the power rising in the Southern Region had far exceeded Typhon's estimates. That power had seized control of the situation before the disaster on the Holy Spirit Plain could spread, preserving Ansul's vitality.
Perhaps that was precisely why Gao Yang Cecil dared to restructure the nation after a war... but it was also possible this was mere bluster...
Rowan Augustus leaned back in his broad seat, rapidly assembling in his mind all the reports that had come in over the recent period, but all at once he frowned slightly and turned his gaze toward the window not far away.
Two identical nightingales were perched outside the window, tapping their beaks again and again against the crystal glass of the pane.
Noticing Rowan's gaze, the two nightingales raised their heads and quietly met the eyes of the ruler of Typhon.
After a long while, Rowan finally showed a smile utterly devoid of warmth and said casually, "For people who have been utterly crushed, you certainly possess remarkable courage."
"Accidents are inevitable in experiments." One of the nightingales spread its wings slightly, and its clear voice pierced through the window into the study.
"Failures are inevitable in projects." The other nightingale spoke as well.
"Your notions of accident and failure are certainly novel," Rowan said coldly, "but I regret to say I have no further interest in your peculiar ideas."
With that he raised his hand, preparing to summon the royal mages to seize tonight's uninvited guests, but before he could, the two nightingales spoke in unison: "Then might you be interested in hearing a historical tale about the Gondor Empire?"
Rowan frowned, and with a casual wave of his hand the window opened wide enough to admit a gap.
The two nightingales flew into the room one after the other, and as their wings quivered, a pale green radiance blazed out of empty air and coalesced into the figures of the twin elves.
Rowan Augustus regarded the two identically featured elves with cold indifference: "What is it you wish to say?"
"Have you ever heard of the Defiance Plan?"