Magi: Hiraeth

20: The Flame Emperor

This chapter is dedicated to AlexaFireFlame! Thank you so much for showing support to Magi: Hiraeth~! Please continue to do so in the future~♡

Also, this is like the start of the second-half of the book. What do you think of the cover? Like the one before better or this one?

The Flame Emperor

"Yukiko." Aoren called for his sister who was currently walking down the quiet palace hall of Kina to her room. "I need to talk to you about something."

Yukiko looked at him and noticed that familiar look of jealousy and worry. She can't help but let out a small laughter at his current expression making the tense air surrounding Aoren vanished.

"Don't laugh, imouto. This is a serious question that I need to ask."

"Sure, aniki." She agreed as Aoren leads her to her room. Upon arrival, Aoren went to her dresser and pulled out a red scroll. The scroll that contains the letter of Yukiko's summon by Ren Kouen himself.

"Can you tell me about this?" He eyed her as he helds the scroll in his hand.

"That's.." she looked at the letter and sighed.

"I guess there's no use hiding it." She sat on her bed and motioned him to give the letter to her. She opened it and read it again.

"Remember when we went to Kou with the Yambala tribe? I became Princess Hakuei's and Prince Hakuryuu's acquaintance, aren't I? Apparently, Prince Kouen heard of me and was granted an audience. He knows about me being a dungeon conquerer and the master of three djiins at that time."

"That magi Judal, he was still a young'un and was eyeing me saying that why is such a fellow like me have a large capacity of magoi. Similar to that king vessel he knows. It piqued Kouen's interest in me more and began questioning me about stuff. He also learned that I can talk to the djiins without materializing them.

He is a man that is interested in something and someone different so I spent a lot of time with him, sparring. I guess he considered me as a friend, which is rather surprising given the fact that he is a prideful and somewhat cold prince!

He would send me letters ocassionally to ask about my life and to summon me back to the palace after knowing we left the tribe." She explained to Aoren who was staring at her, as if not believing the words she was saying.

"He's the friend that keeps on sending me letters that I have to hide in Sindria because the two countries are very hostile to each other." Yukiko added as she closes the letter.

"..and since I am no longer bounded by Sindria, I'll go to Kou. Right after we win the war and take down Parthevia in Xue for good." She said in a serious tone. All the strings that they need to pull are all connected to their fingers now. They'll go to the Alps of Xue to meet up with the others.

"Why are you going to Kou?"

"To see Kouen."

"But why?"

"Because I miss him?" She replied with a smile but when he saw that jealous expression on Aoren's face..

"Kidding! I'm just kidding! I was thinking that, what if we join the Kou Empire?" Yukiko told him which made Aoren immediately stood up.

"I refuse. You know the way of the Kou Empire." Aoren rejected as he crosses his arms.

"I thought so. I just want to make Xue a part of the Kou Empire in name but we still get to self rule. Our country is half barren and I'm sure that no other people or kingdom has interest in it. Also, our country is surrounded by dangerous waters. That's why we're isolated in the first place." She explained.