Chapter 170: Week Off
Chapter 170: Week Off
Chapter 170: Week Off
Ed and Hayato spent quite a bit of time trying to recreate the map they got from Blood sect. Ed's Calligraphy skill came in handy in order to decipher the scratched out words on it. Thankfully, they managed to perfectly replicate the map on the first day. They got some help from other people who were good at drawing in Avalon. This way, they managed to keep creating maps that would help them in their war against Blood sect.
"Take these to Kaeborg, Avalez, and Titan kingdoms. These should be taken to..." Arthur invested time in the distribution of the maps. He delegated some sect members and Elders to make sure the letters are delivered to the kingdoms without fail. The operation started after three days of creating the maps. Dozens of people left Avalon to fulfill their duty. Hayato had told them to leave some maps to him, as he was returning to Ryuu kingdom, and some of the kingdoms were on his way. Ellie decided to stay with Emilia but also helped to deliver some of these maps.
Delivering these was very risky, as some infiltrators of Blood sect could find out about the maps. This would end up destroying the advantage they managed to gain over them. But, Ed had this covered. First, he requested that the messengers would require an audience with the king privately. This couldn't be done usually, but Ed insisted. Unless the respective kings agree, the messengers are to return immediately. If the king does agree, the messengers will have to stall him for as long as possible.
There existed two reasons for stalling the king. The first one allowed the messengers to draw a simple conclusion about the king's stance towards Avalon. i.e if he is an enemy or an ally. The second reason was, which is the main reason, is to allow Ed to teleport towards the messengers. He requested the help of Raikou, Merry, and Sieg. Raikou attached himself to the shadows of all messengers. This way he could track each one of them by appearing under his shadow. In the case of Ed not being available, Merry would go with Raikou by shadow to the messengers' side.
Merry managed to learn a new ability, which is Invisibility. Thanks to her Light magic, she could stop the light from reflecting on her body. This way, she would not be perceived by the naked eye. Her In and Zetsu allowed her to hide her presence as well. Her Invisibility was Ed's idea. He was curious at first if it was possible, and was afraid that she would appear as a black figure once her skill is activated. But he was relieved to see that she disappeared from sight instead.
Once teleported, Merry would inform the messenger to ask a series of question. The answers provided would help her determine the position of the king, as she could read minds.
In the event where Ed and Merry are both unavailable, Sieg would receive the locations of the kings waiting for the answer. He would then deliver them when either of them returns. Sieg proved to be the best for this role. His intelligence, and understanding of his companions' abilities couldn't be bested. Ed's Map allowed him to quickly determine ally from foe so he returned rather quickly.
There were two situations in case they found an enemy. First, they would spin a tale of their sudden visit, such as the request of alliance or help in procuring food. Avalon, of course, didn't need any of them, as they were simply excuses. The first case would happen in Merry's presence. In the second case, Ed would be present in an invisible state by using Zero Sign. Once he finds out that the king in front of him is an enemy, he would create a dimension surrounding all three of the present people. In the dimension, he would determine if the king is a fake placed by Blood sect, or he is being manipulated.
If the king is a fake, then Ed would slay him, granted he is not stronger than Ed. Which was very unlikely, as most of these kingdoms were small ones. Blood sect would not invest heavily in weak kingdoms. If the king is being manipulated by illusion or some other technique, Ed would put him under an even stronger influence using Genjutsu. His Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan meant that his Genjutsu was almost unparalleled. Once he is successful in freeing the king, he would explain the situation and return to Avalon. Ed resorted to using his dimension ability, as it helped with both time and silence. It was a gamble since he is showing one of his abilities, but it was a needed sacrifice.
When Ed finishes up with a king, he would teleport back to Avalon, leaving the rest of the things to be explained by the messengers. This went on for almost two weeks. Messengers who had to travel the farthest were the reason why it took so long. But, it was a necessary thing to do so they had no choice.
By the end of the second week, it was finally Hayato's turn. Ed was available so he teleported to him, as he had given everyone a sigil. Hayato's sigil was a metal one, meant to last for a long time. Ed planned to visit his Ryuu kingdom once everything settles down in their continent.
"Edward! Come out!" Once he teleported he noticed that the room had some two people in it, other than Hayato. Of course, he wasn't mad as one of them was his acquaintance.
"Leon!" Ed undid Zero Sign and went in to meet his friend. Hayato had reached Avalez kingdom in two weeks since he was traveling by horse. He did this in order to save up on his strength in case he ends up meeting an enemy.
"I knew you didn't die!" Leon surprised Ed by a bear hug, which caused Ed to return it. It was a strong man hug filled with brotherhood! Leon didn't change much over the past two years. He only got a goatee and his muscles bulked up even more.
"Hahaha, thanks for believing in me." Both of them started speaking for a while. Ed asked him about the situation of Liza and Charlie, who were Leon's teammates in the academy. Ed was relieved to know that both of them were doing okay along with their kingdoms. He didn't get to meet them, as both of them were probably handled by Merry.
"Ehm, nice to meet you, Edward, my name is Alaric Avalez." An elderly voice sounded inside the room. Ed turned back to look at the source only to realize he had ignored the king all this time.
"Forgive me, nice to meet you, sir," Ed responded politely. He wasn't used to speaking with other kings, as the only exceptions were his father and Scale kingdom's king.
All four people got to talk about their future plans against Blood sect. Ed did a last favor by telling them of the enemies that infiltrated their ranks. He got the king to summon everyone while he hid using Zero Sign. In the end, he knocked down all everyone who was summoned and told the king who the enemies are.
"You should stay so I can treat you to some dishes!" Leon wanted to fulfill the promise between them way back in the academy. But, Ed had other plans to do so he had to decline.