The Eclipsed Order

Chapter 227: Chapter 227: The World Has Noticed

Several days had passed since the enormous floating highland appeared beyond the distant mountains.

Yet the people of the kingdom had received no proper explanation for the phenomenon.

Reports continued arriving from different territories, each describing the same impossible sight: an enormous stretch of land suspended high above the mountains, with several smaller territories surrounding a vast central region and a magnificent structure standing at its heart.

Naturally, something of that scale could not remain unnoticed.

And now, within the royal palace, the matter had become important enough to warrant an emergency meeting.

A large number of officials had gathered inside the royal council chamber, including members of the royal family, senior ministers, military commanders, and several of the kingdom’s most experienced individuals.

Frederick D’Averon was among them.

As the lord whose territory lay relatively close to the distant mountains, he had been summoned to provide whatever information his people had gathered.

At the center of the chamber, a large magical projection displayed the floating highland.

Even through the imperfect image produced by the long-distance observation magic, its enormous scale was unmistakable.

The chamber remained quiet for several moments.

One of the senior ministers finally broke the silence.

"We have received confirmation from three separate observation teams, Your Majesty. The phenomenon is genuine, and the territory has remained suspended in the same location since its appearance."

A military commander leaned forward slightly.

"Have we determined how it was created?"

"No, General. Our initial investigation could not establish the method involved."

Another official spoke from the opposite side of the table.

"Then perhaps we should begin with the more important question. Who possesses the ability to create something like this?"

Several people exchanged uneasy glances.

The royal court had already considered ancient magic, forgotten artifacts, abnormal mana phenomena, and even the possibility of a newly discovered dungeon.

None of those explanations had survived closer examination.

Frederick finally spoke.

"From what my people have observed, the formation of the floating territory coincided with a powerful tremor that reached my territory. The shaking lasted for a short period and stopped completely once the land had finished rising."

The king looked toward him.

"How close is your territory to the location?"

"Close enough that the phenomenon was clearly visible from several elevated positions within D’Averon territory, Your Majesty, although the actual floating highland remains several mountain ranges away."

Frederick paused before continuing.

"We have already sent scouts toward the surrounding routes, but I ordered them not to approach the territory itself. We do not know what defenses may have been established there, and I considered an unauthorized approach unnecessarily dangerous."

The military commander nodded in approval.

"That was the correct decision. Sending soldiers toward an unknown magical territory without understanding its defenses would accomplish little beyond provoking whoever controls it."

A court mage adjusted his glasses as he studied the projection.

"The scale of the magic involved remains my greatest concern. Lifting an ordinary structure would already require an extraordinary amount of power, but this is not a structure. It is an entire section of mountainous terrain."

He pointed toward the image.

"The formation has also maintained the territory’s structural integrity after separating it from the ground. That means whoever created it did not simply use a temporary levitation spell. They established a permanent magical system capable of supporting an enormous mass."

Another mage immediately added his opinion.

"And the mana signature surrounding the territory is equally unusual. Our observers detected multiple forms of magical energy rather than a single elemental attribute."

The minister looked toward him.

"Could that indicate several mages working together?"

"It is possible, but I would not make that assumption. The energy appears to be interconnected throughout the entire territory, which suggests a single large-scale system rather than several independent spells."

The Crown Prince, who had been quietly observing the projection, finally spoke.

"Then we are dealing with someone who possesses not only overwhelming power, but also an organization capable of constructing and maintaining a magical system on this scale."

The room became noticeably quieter.

The king looked toward Frederick.

"Lord D’Averon, did your people discover anything else?"

Frederick nodded.

"There is one detail that may be relevant."

He looked toward the projection.

"From the reports I received, the floating territory contains several enormous banners. The distance makes the writing difficult to read, but the symbol displayed on them is unmistakable."

The court mage enlarged the magical projection.

The image became clearer.

At the center of the floating territory, a massive banner could be seen hanging from one of the elevated structures.

The design was simple but unmistakable.

A dark eclipse.

The same symbol appeared on several other banners throughout the floating territory.

One of the officials immediately frowned.

"That symbol..."

Another official looked toward him.

"You recognize it?"

"Yes."

He turned toward the king.

"It is the same emblem associated with the Eclipsed Order."

The chamber immediately became more tense.

The name had already circulated throughout the kingdom in recent months.

The Eclipsed Order.

A mysterious organization whose members had appeared during several incidents without revealing their identities, whose actions had repeatedly involved overwhelming combat abilities, and whose actual headquarters and leadership remained unknown.

The minister looked back toward the floating territory.

"So the rumors were true."

The Crown Prince’s expression became serious.

"You believe that floating territory belongs to the Eclipsed Order?"

"I believe the evidence strongly suggests it, Your Highness."

Another official leaned forward.

"The emblem is not merely similar. It is identical to the markings we have documented from the Order’s members."

The military commander folded his arms.

"Then we need to reconsider the situation entirely."

The king looked toward him.

"Explain."

"Until now, the Eclipsed Order has operated through small appearances. Their members intervene in conflicts, eliminate threats, and disappear before anyone can determine where they came from. We could regard them as an unknown organization with limited influence."

He gestured toward the magical projection.

"We can no longer make that assumption."

The general’s expression hardened.

"An organization capable of creating a floating territory of this magnitude possesses resources far beyond what we previously estimated. Whatever their actual numbers may be, their headquarters alone demonstrates a level of power that cannot be ignored."

One of the ministers shook his head.

"I would be careful with that conclusion. The existence of a powerful headquarters does not automatically mean the organization is hostile."

"Nor does it mean they are friendly," another official replied.

The exchange caused several members of the royal court to begin speaking at once.

"We should establish diplomatic contact."

"We should investigate them first."

"We cannot simply send diplomats toward an unknown organization."

"If they intended to attack the kingdom, would they have built their territory so openly?"

"Perhaps they want us to see it."

The king raised one hand.

The room gradually fell silent.

"We will not reach a conclusion based on speculation."

His gaze moved across the council.

"The Eclipsed Order has not declared itself an enemy of this kingdom, and there is no reason to provoke them without cause. At the same time, we cannot ignore the appearance of an enormous fortified territory within our realm."

He turned toward Frederick.

"Lord D’Averon, have any members of the Order made contact with your territory since the floating highland appeared?"

Frederick shook his head.

"No, Your Majesty. We have received no official communication from them."

"And your family?"

"Nothing."

The king nodded slowly.

"Then we remain without direct information."

A member of the Heroes Party, who had been listening from the side of the chamber, finally stepped forward.

"If I may speak, Your Majesty."

The king looked toward the party.

"You may."

The hero glanced at the projection.

"I agree that the Eclipsed Order should not be treated as an enemy without evidence, but I also believe we should investigate the territory ourselves. Whatever is there may have enormous significance for the kingdom."

Another member of the Heroes Party nodded.

"We should also consider the possibility that the floating territory contains something unrelated to the Order. The emblem is strong evidence, but it is still evidence based on what we can see from a distance."

The party’s mage added, "I would also like to examine the magical formations from a safe distance. If the territory is being sustained by a large-scale magical core, understanding its structure could teach us something extremely valuable."

The healer of the party looked toward the others.

"And if the people living there are members of the Eclipsed Order, perhaps direct contact would be better than sending an armed force."

The military commander immediately responded.

"I agree that we should avoid provoking them, but an investigation team should not consist entirely of scholars and diplomats. If the territory is as dangerous as it appears, they will need people capable of protecting the group."

The Crown Prince nodded.

"Then send a proper expedition rather than another small scouting party."

One of the ministers looked surprised.

"Your Highness, how large do you propose the expedition should be?"

"Large enough to protect itself, gather meaningful information, and respond to unforeseen circumstances, but not so large that it appears to be a military invasion."

The king considered the proposal before looking toward the Heroes Party.

"And you?"

The hero answered without hesitation.

"We will go."

Several officials turned toward the party.

The hero continued.

"We were already involved in the previous investigation, and our experience dealing with powerful magical phenomena makes us suitable for this mission. If the Eclipsed Order is truly responsible for the floating territory, we may also be able to establish communication without immediately creating hostility."

The party’s swordsman nodded.

"We should also bring specialists capable of examining magical formations, healers, scouts, and enough combat personnel to protect them."

The mage added, "I recommend bringing several high-ranking mages as well. We cannot determine the stability of the territory from here, and the magical environment may be considerably more complicated once we enter its range."

The military commander looked toward Frederick.

"Lord D’Averon, your territory is closest to the phenomenon. Can your forces provide support?"

Frederick answered calmly.

"Yes. I can provide soldiers to secure the routes leading toward the mountains and establish a temporary base for the expedition. However, I recommend that we avoid deploying a large military force directly toward the floating territory unless there is a clear threat."

The general nodded.

"That is reasonable."

Frederick looked toward the projection once more.

"If the Eclipsed Order truly controls that territory, marching a large army toward their headquarters could easily be interpreted as an act of aggression."

The king gave a slight nod.

"Then it is settled."

His voice carried across the entire chamber.

"We will send a large investigation team composed of experienced mages, scouts, scholars, healers, and capable combatants. The Heroes Party will accompany the expedition, and House D’Averon will provide logistical support and secure the surrounding routes."

The minister immediately began making notes.

"How are we to proceed if the Eclipsed Order refuses contact?"

The king answered without hesitation.

"You will not provoke them."

He looked toward the military officials.

"The expedition’s primary purpose is investigation. They are not to enter the territory by force, interfere with its structures, or engage its inhabitants unless they are attacked."

The Crown Prince added,

"And make certain everyone understands that the Eclipsed Order’s emblem is to be treated as an identification mark, not a military target."

The general bowed.

"Understood."

The king then looked toward Frederick.

"Lord D’Averon, remain available throughout the investigation. Your knowledge of the surrounding territory will be essential."

Frederick bowed respectfully.

"Of course, Your Majesty. House D’Averon will cooperate fully."

The meeting gradually began to break apart as officials started discussing the preparations, the personnel required, and the safest route toward the mountains.

Yet even as the royal court began organizing the expedition, one fact remained at the center of everyone’s thoughts.

The Eclipsed Order had finally established a headquarters large enough for the entire world to see.

For months, they had remained hidden in the shadows.

Now, an entire city floated above the mountains beneath their symbol.

And the kingdom had decided to take its first serious step toward discovering what lay within.

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