Aurora POV:
A few days have gone by since my talk with Diablo, and my father started cultivating. I miss him dearly even though it has only been a few days, It feels longer. I thought he would have come see me today, because I felt what everyone else did, which was his breakthrough, but he hasn't appeared yet and it has already been a while.
I was currently walking through the gardens of the palace, they are quite interesting, seeing as the palace itself is built on the side of a massive, majestic mountain, you would think there wouldn't be anywhere to put them.
However, when the palace was built, it seems as though they designated a large part of the palace to make it into an indoor garden. With a massive glass dome roof, and the walls surrounding it essentially made of magic infused glass. The amount of glass used is astonishing.
As I was walking around, and occasionally looking out the large glass walls, at the sight of the city below, Alphonso was also with me. He seems to always follow me, and will do for the foreseeable future.
I kind of feel bad, like I am wasting his time, even though I know this is his job. I then voice this concern "Alphonso, do you enjoy following me? I feel bad, as if I am wasting your time, and you could be using this time to better improve yourself or serving the city."
Once I mentioned this, he stopped abruptly behind me, before saying straightforwardly "Your Highness, of course I do! And why would you be wasting my time? I am doing one of the most productive things a mage of this household could do, and that is protecting its heir."
He paused to gather his thoughts.
"It is also one of the most envious positions. I bet the guys back at the base are kicking themselves." He smiled at the end, after saying that last bit, then went on "Also, I am getting a lot of time in the high grade cultivation chamber, for doing this duty. Which is a luxury for someone like me, I also believe if I continue my nightly cultivation sessions, I will be able to break through to Emperor Mage soon enough. So don't overthink these things, Your Highness."
I simply nodded and kept walking, I knew I was just fixating on things that were probably irrelevant, but I just felt a bit out of sorts, with father not being around.
Alphonso as if coming to this deduction himself said "Your Highness, if I may, are you missing your father? You have seemed more on edge the last couple of days."
I paused my steps again and said "Yes, I would be lying if I said no, he has become my new anchor in this world."
Suddenly, before we could continue, a human woman who just looked like a normal, average, servant, rushed forward. Before she could get within range, Alphonso shouted:
"Halt! What do you think you are doing approaching Her Highness in such a manner!?"
The woman simply shook her head and flashed a badge, it had the emblem of the Lightborn House, plated in gold.
I didn't know the context of it but it seems Alphonso did, because his attitude did a full circle "Forgive me, Deputy Head of the Shadows" then bowed formally to the average looking woman.
I thought shadows? What is that?
Before I could ask the question out loud, the woman knelt before me and said "Your Highness, I am Alexia, I can't explain much right now, but the city is under assault by unidentified assailants."
She seemed to pick her words carefully before continuing to answer me "It seems planned, as there were some sleeper cells that tried to disrupt the defences and open the main gates, to allow entry into the city. Do not fret though, the Shadows Counter Intelligence Operatives (SCIO) within the city soon caught wind of their activities and have neutralised them."
She paused to catch a breath "However, we are currently stretched thin holding them off outside of the main city gates, waiting for the battalion to mobilise. Some small villages surrounding the city have been destroyed in an attempt to get us to make a move."
"Where is dad right now?" Suddenly, I felt a deep worry and anxiousness as my hands started to shake.
Alexia looked at me sympathetically and said "His Excellency... I am not too sure, Your Highness, I felt the amazing feat of him reaching Grand Mage earlier, just like every soul within our city state, but I haven't heard anything about his whereabouts or Diablos."
She then said, "Come quick, we need to get to you to the palace safe room." I nodded shakily and then Alphonso bent down and picked me up "I apologise, Your Highness, but we need to move quickly" I nodded again with understating as we rushed off, with many guards following us.
...........
Military Quadrant - Moments ago:
An Emperor Mage in charge of the Lightborn House battalion, a typical dwarf, with a medium braided greying beard, lengthy, grey hair, tied back into a ponytail, bulging muscles that stretched his officers uniform to the brink, along with a simple hand wand at his side, as his mage weapon of choice - that helps him channel his mana.
He was currently standing in front of a battalion of elite mages.
Only the best of the best can be a mage within the household of the Lightborn's, the minimum requirement being that you must be a Lord Mage, however, the tests after that to be able to be accepted, are so stringent that only a handful a year make it.
It is designed that way to 'weed out the weak' Kyros was once famously quoted saying.
Each company within the battalion, the specific number being five with one company consisting of one hundred elite, trained mage warriors - all under the command of an Emperor Mage each, while the team leaders are all King Mages, similar to Alphonso in that regard.
The dwarf, seemingly the commander of this battalion, shouted over the blaring sound coming from the emergency alarm, powered by magic crystals, like most magi-tech:
"FUCK ME, IT SEEMS AFTER SO MANY YEARS OF SITTING ON OUR ARSES, WE HAVE SOMEONE UGLY ENOUGH, AND DUMB ENOUGH, TO ATTACK LUMINOSITY WHILE WE ARE STILL KICKING!"
The hundreds of mages within the battalion all shouted at once at this "AWOO" then slammed their boots on the ground.
If one were to look closely at the battalion mages of the Lightborn House, they could see they all use special equipment, rarely used by noble families and even the imperial family uses it sparingly, for only their most elite mages, but the thing with the Lightborn mages, they are all elites and the equipment in question is magi-tech mage armour.
It consists of knee pads, boots, gloves, chest plate, and helmet that surrounds their whole face while half of the front is a visor, this gives the mages an advantage, either in mana consumption efficiency, the speed of using spells, or general protection from enemy magic and spells.
Its is a glossy black, with golden edges, including golden stripes that go down the top to the bottom of the helmet - with a golden sun emblazoned on the front and back of the chest plate.
This magi-tech armour, is a relatively new addition to the forces of Luminosity, Kyros wanted to increase the strength of his troops even further a few years back, considering the lack of numbers.
Therefore, he expanded the city to fit an industrial sector in the south, that researches and manufactures not just this armour, but many magi-tech devices, machinery and mage weapons. They even sell limited items to the academy and others.
The dwarf then shouted again "WHO ARE WE?"
The elite mage battalion shouted back, collectively:
"WE ARE THE LIGHTBRINGERS"
The dwarf then bellowed:
"WELL GOOD, I AM GLAD YOU KNOW WHO YOU FUCKING ARE, WHAT ABOUT THE ENEMY? WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ONCE YOU ARE THROWN OUTSIDE THE SAFETY OF THE WALLS?"
The battalion simply shouted "KILL"
The dwarf then exclaimed one last time:
"GOOD, NOW GO BRING GLORY TO LUMINOSITY, TO HIS EXCELLENCY, THE NEWLY ASCENDED GRAND MAGE!"
The mages shouted in unison once again:
"YES, COMMANDER BALIN!"