The second female lead Dual Cultivates

"How are the people? How many died? How many were injured? Where is the report?" The whole place was up in a roar about the recent disaster that has struck Garna. It had been too unnatural to be anything but magically created.

However, try as they might, they were not very successful in being able to track down the source of the quaking. It almost felt like someone was sabotaging their attempts at tracking the source from the inside. But they had not been able to find any proof just yet which meant that they had been unable to track the source as well.

"Princess Neah, another batch of survivors have been found but we have no more space in our camp. What should we do now?" Another soldier came in with the report and Neah was not even sure why they all sought her out for this.

While the princess was the highest authority in the country, she was far from a reliable source when it came to space management. Furthermore, she did not have time on her hand to take up every problem and design a solution for it. She had appointed leaders for the same task but the papers still somehow ended up with her.

"What about west camp? Who is in charge of it? There should be space there" there had been the last time Neah had checked but it had been hours since then. It was entirely possible that she might have missed a space or two in the entry while reading it.

"Wow, this place looks like a mess. Want me to help?" Neah groaned at the man, no, a teen who entered the room with a cheerful voice. Out of everyone that could have arrived here, it had to be Alester of all people.

It did not help that Neah was not able to read him, no matter how hard she tried. The teen was a mystery to her and even to the other court officials. Moreover, he claimed to be a noble and even had the right certifications but no one could dig anything on him.

"Either help with the restoration effort or go away. We don't want a liability here" Neah's words came out sharp but they seemed to be having no effect on the person in front of her.

Instead of looking remorseful or even somber, the grin on the teen's face grew. His smug face had a smile that said 'I know something you don't' and it was the most infuriating thing in the world. Every time Neha saw that smile, it made her want to punch the teen.

But of course, she could not do that, or she would risk her secrets being exposed. The power required to leave an impact was jotted normal after all and Neha's reputation painted her as a normal human everyone could sympathize with.

"Hey, I just want to help you out. I even got you some news about what is happening. Get the old man and meet me in the meeting room" Alester jumped down from the upper balcony he had been standing in and nearly gave a nearby maid a mini-heart attack.

The voice Alester had used had been low enough to only be heard by her. Magic had been laced in his words which meant that this conversation was not for anyone else's ears but her and Ashura's.

Neah's eyes narrowed at the choice of words Alester had used. As far as she knew, Alester avoided Ashura whenever he could. For him to call for Ashura meant that things were changing significantly and in the direction they did not want them to.

"I'll be retiring early today. Forward all the documents to their assigned section and warn them that there will be an inspection today" Neah ordered before she left. She did not wait around for the others to gather their wits and question her back.

Neah was not known to retire early so this must have shocked them enough to make her retreat possible. However, she did not retire to her chambers but went to the old council room instead.

If there was one place Ashura would be, it would be there. Neah was not sure of the reason but the old man really liked that relic of a place. Any free time he had, he spent it there with his old books. Even Neah was not allowed to touch them or peek into them.

"What is it, child? Another magical attack?" Ashura asked. He looked quite calm even after the attack and it did not surprise Neah in the slightest. Sometimes, it looked like there was nothing that could shake the man and make him break character.

There had been only one moment Neah had seen the elder man shaken and it had been when their master had chosen her instead of her brother. And it had only been a brief pause at that.

"Alester called for a meeting with you and me specifically. I don't know what he wants" Neah's voice almost had a hint of complaint in it. She was too dignified to openly complain but little things like this were permitted.

These habits generally slipped out from her height facade in front of her close ones. The only one who had seen more than Ashura had been Maria. But that had been an entirely different case. Maria was not really family for her and would be in the same sense as her parents or Ashura.

"So that brat is back. Let him in" not even a pause was awarded to her words but Neah had not expected him to stop his reading anyway. She was too used to seeing him like this to even be surprised at his behavior.

And neither was Alester when he finally entered the room. He took one look at the elderly sitting in front of him before throwing himself in the chair opposite him. Neah was the only one left standing in the room with an awkward air.

"Did you know that Trishula was alive? He was spotted leaving the cursed forest near Grand canyon" Neah felt shock course through her at those words. But she was not the only one who had been taken aback by those words.

Ashura had stopped reading his book for the first time ever and his blank eyes stared right into Alester's own. Neah felt like a conversation was going on in front of her that she was not a part of.

"Is that so? I guess we better keep an eye on Karin then. The reappearance of Trishula is no small matter. And these quakes, are they related to him as well?" The elder asked and the smile on Alester's face took a sinister turn.

"Oh no. That was the Albest diplomat. The fools tried to stir our node" and the headache just intensified for Neah.

What a disaster this meeting was turning out to be. And it had only been a few seconds since it started as well.