Turret Base, Present Time
Brody wanted to get inside the Turret Base to claim his reward -- the fallen aquamarines of Tigreal, Khaleed and Esmeralda. However, the Turret Manager, in addition to boosting the turret's powerful defense, had ordered the release of the Turret Super Minions.
"These minions are serious. It seems we can't get in," Khufra said.
"Let them. The mission's accomplished anyway. No need to risk our lives."
"Okay. Fine with me."
Considering Khufra's low healthpoints, Brody has no other choice but to withdraw. He is a marksman of principle. He cannot sacrifice his life risking the unknown. He may have the skill and the high damage, but he does not have the health points to tank the turret's output, now heavily fortified by its Super Minions. They both left the scene.
~***~
Turret Base, An Hour Earlier
"This is Steven, the Turret Manager. May I seek audience with the lovely Esmeralda?" the announcement echoed in the base.
Esmeralda obliged. She went upstairs and headed to the Turret Manager's quarters.
"May I know why you called me?"
"I have something to give you, Esmeralda. But before that, there is something I need to confirm."
"What is it, Steven?"
"Are the rumors true that my Master finished them off?"
"Who? What rumors?"
"Vale. My Master Vale. Look, I'm a wind minion. I am under his commands before. I have wings."
"Oh!" Esmeralda was astonished. It was her first time seeing a minion with wings. "Well... Aside from almost killing us, yes. Your Master did a terrible but perfect job."
"So the rumors are true!" Steven's loud laughter resounded in the quarter.
"But how?"
"How? What do you mean?"
"How did you end up here, Steven? If you're a wind minion, you should have worked in the Wind Valleys, not in the Barren Lands."
"When Helcurt attacked the Wind Palace, all wind minions suddenly dispersed and left the place."
"That's odd. You're supposed to fight until the end."
"Yes, it's odd. But we got no choice. It was Master Vale's order. He said we should immediately leave the place if Helcurt attack us. To find shelter for Turret Bases around. I remember him saying, 'I need you alive, not dead.'"
"I have never heard of such strategy before. But from the looks of it, it was effective. So how did you become the Turret Manager?"
"I rose from the ranks, Esmeralda. Thanks to Master Vale's teachings."
"That being said, I'm eager to know him more," Esmeralda giggled.
"Alright. Enough with the pep talk. I need you to come with me."
Steven opened a secured section of his quarter. Imprinted above the door are the words "Vault Room." Esmeralda followed suit.
The Vault Room, far from the metallic, concrete and modern facilities of the Turret Base, was made with the ambiance of maroon bricks lit by shy, cylindrical, lampshades attached on its walls, giving a gold and brown color to its entirety. All valuable items and files are kept inside, including some item fragments, the turret's blueprint, its architectural and mechanical design, and even its manual.
Steven reached for something inside and eventually found a box. He opened it and gave Esmeralda an item.
"I am pleased to offer you this Immortality, Esmeralda. As the Turret Manager, it is my duty to give you optimum protection while inside the base. However, as much as I want to secure all of your lives, I only have one of this."
"But, I cannot barter any of my gear items for this. I have survived for a long time carrying them with me."
"Worry not. This is just temporary. I know your inventory slots are full. After your stay, you may get your original item back. This is a legacy and a tradition, Esmeralda, passed down from managers to managers. Consider it part of the package of your stay here."
"Then so be it, Steven."
~***~
Turret Base, Present Time
The Turret Manager hurriedly went down and checked on the fallen aquamarines. All turret minions were also there.
"Thank you, Steven."
A voice can be heard. Esmeralda resurrected. With her revival, the scar on her face made by Selena's attack was gone. Slowly, she took the fallen aquamarines of her long-time companions, Tigreal and Khaleed.
With teary eyes, Esmeralda knelt down and cried, "Poor souls. At least they died believing I died with them in the end." Holding two brilliant aquamarines with her, Esmeralda then made a vow to herself: "Destiny is an old friend of mine. And I shall not die without avenging your deaths!"
~***~
The Dragon's Altar
Harith woke up naked. Nana was sound asleep beside him. Wanting to know what has happened to Vale, he reached for his inventory. He looked for an item to cast his Key Insight into that would lead him to Vale.
Interestingly, his eye caught the attention of one particular item: Valir's earring.
I see. I wasn't able to return this to Vale, he thought.
Curious, he casted his Key Insight on it. Flashes of events now appeared in his eyes. They were memories of the living Valir. However, one setting caught his mind's special attention. It was on the day prior to Valir's death.
The Day Prior to Valir's Death
"I object!" Valir exclaimed in front of the council.
"May the Council know the reason for your objection?" the Chairman asked.
"Helcurt is the Emperor, the top official of the government. The second pillar provides that we must not interfere with politics."
"Let me clarify to you and in front of the Council that Helcurt here is not acting in his capacity as a King, but as a private client. He is acting in his individual capacity. As such, politics can never be involved here. There is no meddling with the affairs of the government," the Chairman rebutted him.
"But this is just absurd! Kadita is close to me. She means a lot to me! I cannot allow that to happen!" Valir made a strong point.
"But that's what we do, Valir. That's why we exist," the Chairman of the Lux Septum reminded him.
"I agree with Valir. We can capture Esmeralda and Ling, but we cannot as regards Kadita," Yu Zhong, the sixth member of the council, aired his side. "The reason is too obvious, my friends. How can one target his own lover in the name of duty?"
"He can abstain in the mission. That's in the by-laws," the second member said, impatient to go on with the mission.
"Seeing this mission as a form of entertainment is dangerous, my co-members. Let us not forget that our primordial duty is to control balance and order. Only by collecting the scattered aquamarines around can we achieve this. But that does not mean jeopardizing the welfare of our own member," the fourth member argued, referring to the second member's eagerness to carry on with the mission. He knew the latter only wanted to fight Ling or Esmeralda.
"And what do the by-laws say about excluding our loved ones as targets?" the fifth member said. She is dedicated to follow the rules, above all else. She believes the council is not governed by its own members, but by rules that give life to it.
"Nothing," the third member answered.
"Then fuck those by-laws!" Valir shouted in front of them.
"That's why we are bound not to engage in relationships with someone else. Any relationship," the Chairman emphasized. "It's one of the unspoken rules."
"Then let's vote. Let's vote whether to accept Helcurt's offer or not. That's what's in the by-laws," the fifth member urged.
"Alright." The Chairman handed over them two chips. They come in two colors: black and white. If they vote for a "Yes," they must drop a white chip inside the Septum Box. If "No," a black one.
Lux Septum exists since time unknown. For this reason, others call it the Ancient Council. Undeniably, it is the oldest squad in the Land. It accepts any mission in exchange for a price: aquamarines. The value depends on the difficulty of the mission. They work for anything, except for one thing: to kill. That's in the by-laws, Rule Number 1. They can capture. They can punish. But during missions, they cannot kill one with their own hands.
Squad formation is common in the Land of Dawn. This is one of the ways in order to survive. In a place where the powerful dominates the weak, one must join force with another to preserve his aquamarine and secure the most valuable thing - "life." But Lux Septum is different. Its primary purpose is not survival, but maintaining the balance and order in the Land of Dawn. To achieve this, the Council fully adheres to the "three golden pillars" handed down to them by the founding members:
First Pillar, scattered aquamarines around must be collected. To date, there are less than three hundred aquamarines in the Land, each stone representing the might of a fallen hero. If these aquamarines fall in the hands of the wicked, tyranny and abuse of power would result. This is the core reason why its members accept missions and services in exchange for these aquamarines.
Second Pillar, the Septum must not interfere with politics. They should not meddle with the affairs and ways of the government. The founding members refer to this as the doctrine of neutrality. This pillar was inculcated in the organization after it successfully deposed Roger from the throne.
Third Pillar, to follow the written by-laws, above all else. The rules are the lifeblood of the organization, ever since the council was created. Without the by-laws which settle internal conflicts, the organization will not survive for centuries.
Lux Septum is a squad composed of seven strong and intelligent heroes: a Chairman and six members. Each slot is reserved for a certain role:
One for the Tank.
One for the Support.
One for the Marksman.
One for the Mage.
One for the Assassin.
One for the Magical Fighter.
And one for the Physical Fighter.
Once in the Council, there's no turning back. If a member dies, he must be replaced by another. However, all six remaining members must unanimously agree who the newest member would be. For this reason, recruiting the next member is usually crucial, a difficult and long process. Moreover, if the Chairman dies, the Second Member automatically fills the vacant position.
Generally, no one in the Land of Dawn knows who the seven members are. As a rule, one must not purposely and intently disclose in public that he is a member thereof, else, the penalty is death. It's Rule Number 2 in the by-laws, commonly known as the "confidentiality rule."
However, there are those members who work pretty obvious. One of them is Yu Zhong, the sixth member. He did not inform the public nor purposely disclose that he is a member of the organization, thus, he did not violate any of the rules. But because of his popularity and the client's high demand, many know him as a member of the council. By far, only the Class-S tier knows the existence of the organization.
Lux Septum missions are classified in two: "en banc" missions and "special division" missions.
An "en banc" mission means that the Council is called upon as a whole by a client. That's where it derive its saying "The Septum works as one, acts as one."
On the other hand, a "special division" mission means any of its members were called upon by a client to carry out a particular mission. It could be a mission requiring even a single member only.
Nevertheless, all missions are carefully weighed in by the Council, to determine whether it violates their established rules and are in accordance with the three golden pillars. Hence, if a mission, especially those requiring the collaborate efforts of all its members, is ambiguous as to its terms, the Council must resolve it by Chip Voting. Again, it is in the rules or the so-called by-laws that the founding members created.
Helcurt contracted the Lux Septum to capture Esmeralda, Ling and Kadita alive in exchange for ten aquamarines. Obviously, this is an "en banc" mission. Confronted in a situation whether to accept the contract or not, the Council moved to resolve it by voting. The Chairman now collected the chips dropped by each member.
The result shows three black chips, saying "No" to the mission. The negative votes belong to Valir, Yu Zhong and the fourth member. However, the Chairman, the second, the third, and the fifth members voted "Yes" to the mission. Outnumbered, Valir had no other choice but concede.
"We will carry out the 'en banc' mission the day after tomorrow. In accordance with the by-laws, Valir, the seventh member, wishes to abstain. The 74th Session is adjourned."
All Class-S members of the Septum left the session, except for Valir, still sitting in the room, and the Chairman.
"Under the by-laws, if and should the member is killed, the other members must retaliate, correct?"
"Yes, that's the last rule in the by-laws," the Chairman answered him.
"And the second golden pillar says 'we must not meddle with the government,' correct?"
"Yes."
"And the third pillar says 'follow the written by-laws above all else,' correct?"
"What are you thinking, Valir?" the Chairman doesn't like the tone of the conversation.
"I'm thinking of the unthinkable."
"Are you not afraid of dying?" the Chairman warned him.
"I'm not afraid of dying, Mr. Chairman. I'm afraid of dying without doing anything," Valir smiled at him. His flames circled his wrists. It burned his eyes with desires.
The next day, Valir went to the Celestial Palace. Casting his Ultimate, combined with his Burst Fireball and Searing Torrents, he foolishly set the Palace on fire.
"Come out! Helcurt! Face me!" Valir provoked the Dark Emperor.
"Long time no see, Son of Flames!" Helcurt greeted him.
"Mark this day, Helcurt. Today begins your death."
"Is that so, Valir? I'm afraid I'll be the last thing you'll ever see."
[Author's Notes: Thank you for understanding regarding the delay of this update. That was a hell of exams haha. By the way, congratulations to @7thStar for winning last chapter's flfc! :) ]