CHAPTER 856: DEPARTING

After saying goodbye to his parents, Aldrian brought Baek Jimin, Xin Haotian, and Angelica with him as he teleported them to the area near the troops of his empire. They were gathered near the central region of the Eternal Sanctuary Forest, where a large interstellar vessel awaited them not far away.

This was the interstellar vessel that he had bought from Emperor Rozwald. The emperor had gladly sold it to him since Aldrian offered a price higher than it was supposed to be. Aldrian did not care, as he possessed immense wealth at this point and believed there would be much more to come.

When Aldrian appeared near his empire’s troops, he saw many of his acquaintances. The kings and leaders of several families had also decided to accompany him on this expedition.

The troops were still in the middle of embarking onto the vessel. The total number of soldiers the Aster Empire brought reached six hundred thousand, with an average cultivation at the Duke stage.

At the current level of the Aster Empire, these troops were exceptionally strong and among the finest they had ever assembled.

With an average cultivation at the Duke stage, it showed that the average strength of the continent had been growing over the past months.

Aldrian also approached the vessel, intending to enter it. Once the kings and many troops saw him, they immediately parted to make way.

"To the brightest star and eternal light, we greet Your Majesty, the Great Emperor!" they shout in unison.

"At ease. I hope all of you take care of each other. I may not be responsible for the troops of other powers, but all of you are my people. I am responsible for your souls, and I hope that no one is missing when we finish in the Fallen Star Cluster," Aldrian said.

"Follow the orders of your superiors, follow the designated plan, and you will be safe until you return home. Is that clear?!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" the troops answered.

Aldrian nodded and looked at his future father-in-law nearby, who had also joined this war.

"Let’s go, father-in-law," he said before stepping forward. King Ladwin, who liked being called father-in-law by Aldrian, felt as if he were walking on clouds, but he knew this was the time to be serious. He looked at the troops.

"Move out!"

After more than fifteen minutes, they had finally finished embarking onto the interstellar vessel. Slowly, the giant vessel floated higher and higher. Aldrian was in the control room, where he could see the outside scenery through the screen.

The operators of the vessel were provided by Emperor Rozwald, so Aldrian did not have to recruit them himself. He would receive the vessel fully prepared, with its operators. Emperor Rozwald had personally guaranteed their trustworthiness, and Aldrian had already verified them himself.

"Raising to the upper atmosphere," said one of the operators as the vessel continued ascending.

The other vessels in the surrounding continents, seeing Aldrian’s vessel begin to ascend, started to follow. They floated higher and higher as many people watching cheered at their departure. The scene was truly spectacular.

Aldrian could see his vessel approaching outer space on the screen when he suddenly received a voice transmission from Sylphia.

"Good luck, dear. Be careful."

Aldrian smiled at her words. "Wait for me. I’m sorry you have to stay behind. Is everything alright? Is Sylvia causing you trouble?"

"Not really. The only thing that overwhelmed me was when she wanted to see you. She kept asking about you, eager to meet you again. Even when she saw you just now, she was so ecstatic and happy that she couldn’t stay still in my lap," Sylphia replied.

She looked down at Sylvia in her embrace, who seemed sad as the screen disappeared. The spirit child hugged her silently, as if seeking comfort.

However, suddenly her eyes widened as a voice transmission entered her mind.

"Sylvia." The moment she heard Aldrian’s voice, her face lit up with joy. Her body moved happily once again, which Sylphia found amusing. She knew that Aldrian was communicating with her.

"Majesty... Majesty," the spirit child said aloud, using her lips. Aldrian could still hear her as he focused his domain sense on her location.

"Sylvia, I will come to pick you up after I’ve finished my business. So be a good girl until I return. Don’t cause trouble for Sylphia, alright?"

Sylvia blinked a few times, then answered loudly, still not knowing how to use voice transmission.

"Yes."

"Good girl. I will give you a gift after I come back." Sylvia’s expression brightened with excitement.

"Yay!" she exclaimed, hugging Sylphia even tighter, her hyperactive movements showing just how happy she was. Sylphia could only smile at her before returning her attention to Aldrian.

"I will wait for you," she said.

"I will come back." After that, only silence remained, making her sigh as she hugged Sylvia tighter. She sought comfort from the spirit child and silently prayed that nothing would go wrong with Aldrian’s objective to reclaim the Fallen Star Cluster.

At this moment, Aldrian’s vessel had already reached the upper atmosphere, with hundreds of interstellar ships following behind.

"Connect communications with all the vessels," Aldrian ordered one of the operators. All the vessels participating in the war were already linked, allowing them to communicate using the built-in devices.

"All connected, Your Majesty," the operator said. Aldrian nodded before speaking.

"To all the leaders, after we arrive at the Fallen Star Cluster, the moment we exit the wormhole, all of you may spread out according to the plan. You don’t need to wait for my orders to do so."

"Yes, Your Majesty," came the resounding reply from many voices.

"I know this may be overly optimistic, but I hope that all of you and your troops can return home without casualties. Even if there are casualties, I hope they will be minimal. The duty of higher-level cultivators will be heavier, as you must also protect those weaker than you."

"Do not neglect the weaker, as they are an important part of the troops. They are your comrades, no matter where they come from. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

"Alright, good luck, ladies and gentlemen. Out." After that, the communication cut off. Aldrian returned his focus to the screen showing outer space, where countless stars were clearly visible.

After a few minutes, one of the operators reported:

"Preparing to use warp and enter the wormhole. Starting the countdown: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1... jump!"

Aldrian felt the effect of the warp as his body was pressed for a split second before the sensation disappeared. This was the first time he had experienced the warp capability of the interstellar vessel directly. In fact, it was the first time for everyone from the Aster Empire.

On the screen showing the outside, nothing was visible except the blurry scenery caused by the extreme speed and the wormhole.

"There is no problem; all devices are functioning properly," one of the operators reported. Aldrian nodded and stood up from his seat.

"Good work, gentlemen. Keep it up."

"Yes, Your Majesty!" the operators replied as Aldrian walked out of the control room. He headed toward his private cabin on one side of the vessel. Along the way, he passed several troops who immediately greeted him. They were exploring the vessel, as this was their first time aboard.

After a few minutes of walking, he finally arrived at his private cabin. Upon entering, he saw Baek Jimin gazing out at the scenery. The cabin had several windows, allowing the passengers to clearly see the outside.

She instantly turned her head and smiled at him before giving a sign for him to sit beside her. Aldrian obeyed and settled beside her on the long, comfortable sofa. He immediately put his arm around her waist and hugged her, inhaling her fragrance through her long white hair.

"Good work, Your Majesty," she said in a joking tone.

"Hmm," he replied, continuing to brush his nose against her head.

"How long do you think this war will last?" she asked.

Aldrian stopped brushing his nose. "Well, that depends on what those devils have in store for us. If nothing changes and everything goes according to Xarz’s information, then I guess we could reclaim the entire cluster in under six months."

"If you count the difference in time, it will be almost eight months in the Ancient Blue Gate World. But that’s still an estimate, we could end this war more quickly, or it might even take longer," he added.

The important thing about this war is the information. He already got Xarz information regarding the fallen star cluster and their plan were according to it so if there is nothing change then there will be no problem in their attacks.

Baek Jimin nodded. She just have to trust Aldrian.

While Aldrian enjoying his time with Baek Jimin, in other vessel, Randolf was with his father, patrirach Elliot inside of the private cabin. Randolf stand not far from his father, while his father seat enjoying his tea.

After sipping his tea, patriarch Elliot look at Randolf with smile.

"Have a seat, son."