Machina Arcanis: Two Worlds Collided-Chapter 79. Aurelia Wants to Save The World

Ahem!

A sudden noise came from behind, and Jack spun reflexively.

"Ah? Princess and Guardian," He said, lowering his gaze to the redhead. Friederich stood behind her, a head taller. The boy was slightly taller than Jack, he gauged.

"Since we're heading back to the estate, mind if we tag along?" Aurelia asked flatly.

"Of course, I'm happy to oblige," Jack replied, motioning for them to board his two puny bots. Aurelia and Friederich stepped into one while Jack took the other, both controlled by him.

The two P.N.I. bots drifted across the shimmering water, reflecting the golden sunlight. The mesmerising surface was almost enchanting. A few ships sailed slowly across the waves.

Jack's eyes lingered on the purple hues of the sky, allowing the peaceful moment to wash over him.

"It has been a frantic episode... If only power-hungry tyrants could stop and enjoy this view, we'd have peace. But nothing is ever that simple..." His mind wandered.

"Wow! The view is spectacular!" Aurelia's voice crackled through the comms, her image appearing on Jack's screen.

Her big, round eyes were starting to grow on him in a way he couldn't quite explain. She was the most unremarkable princess he had ever met, yet there was something in those fierce red eyes of hers.

Jack didn't think she was speaking to him, so he didn't respond, letting their murmurs fade into the background of his mind.

He smoothly guided the craft to land in a clearing near the Hoffmann estate. From here, he could see the towering statue of the river god Achelous and his raging bull, elegantly displayed over the white cliffs, seamlessly integrated into the urban landscape. The arcanically crafted monument, sculpted from beautiful marble, was a breathtaking sight.

Jack felt a deep sense of gratitude towards the kind people he had met along his journey. So much had happened.

If not for them, he wouldn't be standing here today.

His fingers instinctively grazed the locket resting against his chest — the sole fragment of his past. Inside, a digital-ink photo of his son lingered in the void of his amnesia.

With a quiet plea, he whispered,

"Though your memory fades from this world, may your soul find safe passage to the underworld."

As they strode down the stone-paved street, flanked by white railings, their footsteps echoed against the polished surface.

"Woooooooo! I never thought such a beautiful town existed! We need to travel more, right, Fried?" Aurelia exclaimed, her curious eyes sweeping across the surroundings. Then, with excitement, she darted forward, eagerly taking in the town from all angles.

Her endless 'ohh's and 'ahh's drifted with the wind.

To Jack, it was as if this were her first-ever trip, considering how overly enthusiastic she appeared.

"We need to go home, Aurelia," Friederich said, his tone deadpan.

"Ugh!" She stuck her tongue out in mock discontent. "We need to end this war!" She declared, her confidence unwavering.

Jack nearly scoffed at her baseless logic.

"How could a brat like her know anything about war? Now she's just being an arrogant child." The thought irritated him more than he expected.

Without thinking, he turned to face them abruptly.

"Princess, you keep preaching those words, but you never have anything concrete. If you do, pray tell! This isn't some game where you can speak lightly!" He snapped, his voice louder than intended as he gestured sharply with his palm.

Aurelia yelped, her hands clasping her chest.

Friederich, ever the protector, stepped between them, his piercing blue eyes glaring at Jack with clear displeasure.

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Uncle," He rebutted coldly.

Jack caught the fear flickering in Aurelia's red eyes. He realised, too late, that he had overstepped.

"...I'm sorry," He muttered, stepping back and shaking his head. "I'm just stressed out by this foolish war..."

Aurelia took a deep breath, composing herself — only to suddenly lunge forward.

Before Jack could react, she grabbed his collar and yanked him down to her eye level.

"Do not underestimate me! Don't you remember? I have limitless—"

"Aurelia, stop!" Friederich's sharp voice cut through the moment.

But it was too late. She had already let it slip. He exhaled, rubbing his temples in frustration.

Jack stumbled back, his eyes widening at the shocking revelation.

"...What?" A single word escaped his lips as his mind scrambled to process what she had just said. "Remember? Limitless what?"

Nothing about it made sense to him.

Then it clicked, "Mana... you have limitless mana," He muttered softly.

Aurelia straightened, her expression turning eerily calm as she continued. "We had a discussion with Triss. We're going to Porand to meet her master, the Celestial Mage of Virgo. From there, we'll strike a deal that even the Celestius Mages can't refuse."

She leaned in slightly, her breath warm against his face.

"And with that... this foolish war will end for good."

Jack's mind raced toward the only possible conclusion.

"You're offering yourself... so the Osten Empire can win the war," He mumbled, the weight of her words settling in.

In layman's terms, it was equivalent to supplying the empire with an unlimited arsenal.

Jack finally understood the burden she had been carrying.

A small girl shouldering the responsibility of an entire world.

He had never been so wrong about someone before.

"W~Would you let go of my shirt, please?" He stammered, his breath rattling.

She yelped and released him immediately as awareness snapped back to her.

"Sorry..." Aurelia muttered, twirling a strand of her hair sheepishly. After a moment, she added, "There's no other way..." Her voice trailing off.

Friederich stepped forward, standing beside her, his gaze filled with determination.

"Still, we never assumed it would be an easy feat. We have mana, but not the destructive spells to tip the scale. That's why we need to gather the Zodiac Mages and unite them under a single warband," He explained, his tone steady.

Then, he shifted his stern gaze to Aurelia.

"Since she slipped up... I believe you have the nobility to keep this to yourself. Not even your sweetheart, the Olympian Mage," He added coldly.

Jack found himself nodding vigorously to the elven mage, despite Friederich being much younger. The boy carried himself with natural professionalism, as though trained in courtly etiquette from a young age.

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Letting the cold, moist breeze brush against his skin, Jack sighed.

"I don't know anything about Celestius Mages. Hell, half my memory is missing and foggy. But... good luck with that," He said, stepping toward the stone path leading to the Hoffmann estate.

Aurelia exchanged a knowing glance with Friederich before calling out, "Wait..." Her expression softened.

Jack halted, glancing over his shoulder. "Hmm?"

"Can we ask for your help? Initially, we planned for David to escort us using the spacecraft... but that proved too risky," She admitted, her thoughts lingering on Triss's tragic vision. A mere passenger craft was no match against a Bronze Knight.

Jack pondered briefly, his eyes growing distant.

"We can't just head to Porand with Dunkelheit pressing on the border, and I only have two functional Armatus suits and two P.N.I. bots. The other three are still in production. We'd need Hoffmann House's support as well," He rationalised.

But Aurelia shook her head.

"We can't ask Hoffmann's Stellius Mages to abandon their posts. Not now, when they also have to defend Eastern Dam," she argued.

"I agree with Aurelia," Friederich added, crossing his arms. "The Hoffmann Mages stay. Triss and her crew stay as well. Many of the injured still need their Iasis. The people of Eastern Dam are just as important. We can't leave Hasenwald and Eastern Dam unguarded — not after we just won the battle."

Jack exhaled sharply.

"Then what options do we have? Either we wait for more Armatus units to finish production, or Rhok and I escort you with five, maybe six. If we get lucky on our next scavenging run," He suggested.

Something clicked in his mind, and his expression lit up. He lifted a finger in excitement.

"What about Arc Comm? Lupus used hers to contact Triss through some kind of arcanist network. Couldn't we round up nearby Stellius or even Lunarius mages to help? Surely, they wouldn't refuse something this important."

Jack's words hung in the air.

Aurelia and Friederich exchanged an awkward glance, their lips curling into subtle frowns — a mix of sadness, uncertainty, and quiet disappointment.

Aurelia wrapped her arms around her thin frame, closing her eyes as she sheepishly muttered, "You tell him, Fried..."

Friederich obeyed, glancing around to ensure no one was listening.

The sun had set, leaving only the last embers of twilight glowing in the darkening purple sky. The white stone path was empty. There were no townspeople in sight.

He took a deep breath.

"We're operating... umm... without Solis Aeternum's endorsement. Or Ryusei-sama's, for that matter," He muttered with a pang of shame, trying to phrase it in a way that didn't make them sound like a pair of runaway children.

But no amount of sugar-coating could change the reality of it.

Jack's eyes widened, and his lips parted in realisation.

"Holy Gaia... now it all makes sense. That's why it's just you two kids here, instead of some adults," He blurted, exasperated.

Aurelia clicked her tongue in irritation but chose not to argue. Instead, she exhaled sharply, forcing herself to stay composed.

"Sooooo... now you understand why we can't use Arc Comm," She said, offering a guilty grin. "If my father finds out, he'll send someone to drag us back to Solis Aeternum."

Jack slumped, the weight of the predicament pressing down on him.

Bad had turned to worse.

What had already been a difficult task was now a full-blown crisis — escorting two royal runaways across borders to ignite the war that would end all wars.

Ironic. Maddening.

He let out a sharp breath and motioned for them to follow.

"Let's get back, Princess. Guardian." His tone left no room for argument. "I'll help you ~ but Lupus is in on this. Maybe Frain too."

Aurelia opened her mouth to argue—

"Ah—"

—but stopped herself. That was the least she could compromise.

There was no room for discussion anymore. Not after Jack had uncovered the truth.

---

Final note:

Ladies, Gents!

It's been an awesome ride at WN! But as the exposure and reader counts dwindled to near zero, I've decided to make it worth it with my time and continue the upcoming Chapters on RoyalRoad instead!

Currently, I'm on Rising Stars - Main on Royalroad, and at Chapter 80. Please join me there if you like this story.

This is not a goodbye!

~ I appreciated your love and support ~