Date- 6 April 2321
Time- 12:35
Location- Southern Region, Blossom District, Sky Blossom City, Dungeon Highway, Barren Lands
As my thoughts burdened me heavily, I aimlessly rode my hoverbike on the desolate highway, until a mysterious figure unexpectedly soared in front of me. Fortunately, the Nanomorpher possessed sentience and promptly engaged the emergency brakes, bringing the hoverbike to an abrupt stop just an inch away from the figure, prompting me to yell, “What the fuck, Ann?”
Ann’s voice came through flatly, as she cautioned me, “Please mind your language, Wyatt.” And inquisitively continued, “Also, I wonder why you bother riding this thing when you’re more than capable of flying with greater speed and endurance?”
“Simply because I enjoy it,” I retorted with a firmness in my voice.
“Your questionable scheme of snatching key components from the dungeon relocation apparatus and pinning the blame on Luna has gotten Anna into trouble. Our grand-aunt has put her under house arrest for the foreseeable future. And now I am serving as the interim southern emperor,” Ann calmly delivered the news.
Concerned for my life I immediately asked Ann, “Hold on a moment, where is Anna at this very moment?”
Ann responded with a frown, “What’s so difficult to comprehend about her being under house arrest for an indefinite period?” With Anna out of the picture, she had hoped to grow closer to the boy, but his concern toward Anna soured her mood.
My concern mounting, I pressed Ann further, “I understand that, I am asking you whether Anna is still in Sky Blossom City or has she been taken back to the royal palace?” I knew that of all the people in the southern region, Anna was the only one I trusted to go to any lengths to ensure my safety.
“Anna was transferred to the palace this morning under the watchful eye of our grand-aunt,” Ann replied, her voice tinged with regret. “She wanted to see you one final time before her departure, but it was impossible to reach you since you were inside the dungeon seal,” she explained.
“Well, she can always reach me on my grimoire,” I proposed. With Anna gone, I felt less safe staying in Sky Blossom City. If not for the combination of Myriad Devil Body and Calamity Daughter Gems making me partially immortal I would be worrying for my life right now.
“Unfortunately, Anna is currently under house arrest, so she won’t be able to use her grimoire to contact yours until the prohibition on her is lifted,” Ann replied with a hint of remorse because Anna had shouldered the entire blame for stealing the key components of the dungeon relocation apparatus when their grand-aunt had questioned them. Otherwise, Ann would have also faced house arrest just like Anna. Ann was showcasing classic symptoms of survivor’s guilt.
“I don’t see what the big deal is,” I said not understanding why Anna’s grand-aunt had to be such a stickler.
“Wyatt, our grand-aunt is someone willing to sacrifice anything to protect the honor of the royal family. And seeing the future heir of the royal family blatantly disregard its honor by participating in theft and deception, she was not one to tolerate such actions,” Ann explained describing their grand-aunt as a person who valued the honor of the royal family above everything else.
“What about the key component of the dungeon relocation apparatus? Don’t tell me you guys returned them to Morningstar University,” I asked anxiously. If they had made such a foolish move, it could jeopardize my goal of summoning a dungeon similar to the Silver Beach Gate Dungeon in this world.
“Don’t worry, Anna has enlisted our mother’s subordinates to transport the stolen key components of the dungeon relocation apparatus to a secure location. Even if Grand-aunt wanted to, she would not be able to return them to Morningstar University,” Ann reassured me, sensing my unease.
Ann’s words immediately put me at ease, knowing that the key components of the dungeon relocation apparatus were still in the possession of the Southern Royal family.
Anna’s mother did not seem to be bound by traditional family values. Thus, she prioritized the prosperity of the royal family over their honor, unlike her grand-aunt. That was precisely the kind of person I could get along with. Don’t get me wrong I valued family honor but not at the cost of the family. Without the family, its honor will vanish in pages of history.
“Excellent. So how long do you think it will take for you to manufacture the remaining components and assemble the dungeon relocation apparatus?” I inquired urgently. I needed to summon a dungeon akin to the Silver Beach Gate Dungeon in this world before the central government and its allied forces took drastic measures to reclaim the original dungeon from the freedom fighters.
Delaying any further would lead to severe public backlash against the Southern Royal family. The central government and its allies would accuse them of deliberately withholding information which would open another can of worms that I would rather not get into.
“I’m not entirely sure, Wyatt. Even though common ingredients were used in the creation of the remaining components, they were still intricate and required a lot of attention to detail. Manufacturing those parts will undoubtedly take time, and I cannot give you a precise timeline,” Ann replied, shaking her head to convey her helplessness concerning the matter.
pαndα`noνɐ1~сoМ
“Amazing, where did you obtain all of this data? Having this information will undoubtedly hasten the process,” Ann exclaimed, she wasn’t just saying this to appease the boy but genuinely impressed. She knew that the apparatus user manual and the maintenance brochure would be invaluable in comprehending the usage of the parts and understanding the design of the various components.
