With Demigod Eliza’s overwhelming presence, the question-and-answer session went smoothly. Ark City’s Warmaster, as well as Degurechaff — Aziz had finally remembered who that familiar looking person was — handled every question skilfully. Things like the number of demons that could fight, the weapons and tactics employed…the two men answered every question, promising more detail in the documents that they would send out after the new Ark City was rebuilt.

Not everyone’s questions were answered, however. Any questions that asked about Ark City’s current status were left annoyingly vague, without any details whatsoever. From this, Aziz could guess that the leaders of Ark City weren’t going to commit themselves to any course of action until they managed to pick themselves up…and if he could reach that conclusion, everyone else in the hall naturally would too.

After handling a few more questions that asked about the Wildlands in general, the Warmaster cleared his throat. “Ladies and gentlemen, this Q&A is over. Tactical and strategic details about the demons will be sent to Interregnum, within a week.”

“One more question, please,” said a voice. “This is one I believe everyone wants to ask.”

The two men on stage exchanged a glance, before turning to look at the Demigod standing a step behind them. She made a non-committal shrug, as if to say ‘Go ahead’, and the Warmaster nodded. “Last question, then. Please, go ahead.”

“The name at the very top of the memorial…is it really that of Constellation Gemini, one of the heroes chosen by the Human God?”

“Yes. Is there an issue?” The Warmaster’s face darkened, and Aziz suddenly felt an ill omen. “He is one of Ark City’s saviours, and the Five Lands’ by extension. None of us will tolerate any insult to his memory.”

“It’s not that,” said the speaker, who had stood up. It was an old man wearing a red set of long robes. Pushing his spectacles up, he said, “A few years ago, the Conference of the Four was convened by the Mortal Light Dynasty. One of the key reasons that had prompted such a summons was…”

“Due to the Constellation Heroes?” Degurechaff asked.

“Precisely that, yes.” The red-robed man tugged at his robes slightly. “It’s going to be impossible to explain the reason behind our question within a sentence or two, but I am fairly certain that most of us are here because we saw Gemini’s name at the very top of the memorial Ark City erected. For now, we would like a concrete answer to this question: is the Gemini Ark City is honouring the very Gemini summoned and blessed by the Human God?”

“Yes,” Warmaster Chamberlain replied.

A storm of whispers engulfed the hall, and Aziz couldn’t blame them. He himself hadn’t forgotten the memories that the Phantom Blade had shown them nearly three years ago, when the Demon Sovereign crushed all in his way without any mercy.

And yet, according to the memoirs released by the Mortal Light Dynasty, the first Constellation to be killed was that very Gemini. The Phantom Blade somehow crossed the Great Divide, killed Gemini, and then began her hunt for the rest in the Five Lands. It was almost improbable that she would not make sure that her target was definitely killed.

How did Gemini survive? For a moment, Aziz found it hard to breath. If Demon Sovereign Asteria really came into being, the Five Lands would probably not stand a chance.

“T-thank you for your confirmation.” The red-robed man, like the others in the hall, began to leave with the same shaken expression on his face. Within minutes, most of the audience had filed out in a sombre silence, leaving only a few people behind.

“Minister Eventide’s here too?” Aziz whispered.

“Didn’t see him earlier,” Marie replied, “but then again, there was too many people.”

“We should go over to say hi, then,” Aziz said. “C’mon, let’s go.”

Marie nodded. Grabbing Rene by the hand — the two had somehow clicked with each other some time ago while he wasn’t paying attention — the three of them linked up with the Republic’s War Minister, who was pleasantly surprised to see them. Two aides were standing a step behind Eventide, their hands full with various files and papers.

“Chief of Air, I didn’t think you’d be here. Familiar Spirit Rene, good afternoon to you. Colonel Aziz, I see you’ve been dragged along, as usual.” The War Minister grinned. “I saw the First Aerial Division onsite, so I didn’t really think its commanders would go for the briefing instead.”

His gaze shifted to the Display that Marie was holding in her left hand, and his eyes turned round. “Oh. Oh. Oh. I see why you’re here now.”

The marshal let out a faint smile. “You didn’t come for that?”

“No. I came here to learn about those primal demons,” he replied. “Pauline’s going to be here to talk about the future of Ark City and the Republic…oh, speak of the demon.”

A woman swept into the hall, authority and confidence emanating off her. Dressed in a simple set of blue robes, she nodded at the small group, before turning her glance over to the two men and the Demigod on stage.

“So, that’s Ark City’s strongest…” Minister of State Pauline glanced at the three, and then let out a small hiss. “There’s a huge difference between Familiar Spirit Rene and that Demigod onstage.”

Rene nodded, a rueful expression on her face. “It is somewhat hard to believe that a mortal could climb that high in the hierarchy of life, let alone two.”

Aziz knew who the second such mortal she mentioned was — that person was Queen Hyperion, ruler of the Western Holdings. But intelligence on the Demigods of the Five Lands were sketchy to begin with. No one had anything on the secretive Demigod protecting the East, for instance. Nor did anyone else know if Pinnacle Kolya was a Demigod.

As for the Southern Assembly…well, no one had spotted a Demigod there for a damn long time too.

For now, the Republic was hoping that the Demigods of the Five Lands would come crawling out of the woodwork once the war began. There were definitely a few reclusive ones who had seen past the glamours of mundane life, and therefore chose to live a life in the wild.

“Shall we?” Pauline gestured.

“No time like the present.” Eventide glanced at the stage. “Let’s go.”

And so began the first meeting between Ark City and its successor state.