Page 2160 -- CCIV.

The butler who had showed everyone into the building earlier appeared. This time, he had very little of his prior composure, eyes wide with urgency. "Lord, I--!"

The man stopped moving entirely at the sight of so many suits of armor standing there--one being Hector with iron orbiting around him. For a moment, the man stood so still that Hector thought Hanton might have frozen him, too.

Hanton, however, did not seem fazed by the new arrival. 'I do not wish to be disturbed, Jessup. Can this wait?'

Jessup twitched back to attention, then cleared his throat and steadied himself. "I do not think so, Lord." He didn't seem particularly surprised that his master was a giant bird who could speak directly into his mind. "It is the news, sir. There has been... an unthinkable development abroad. I am honestly at a bit of a loss how to explain..."

'If it is so important, then speak, man. Quickly now.'

"Five different wars have just broken out within the last hour, Lord."

Hector wasn't sure what he'd just heard.

And neither was Hanton, apparently. 'What did you say?'

"Five nations," said Jessup, walking over to the corner of the room where a large television was sitting. "Without warning, they each began invading one of their neighbors."

What the hell?

Jessup wasn't done, though, even as he was presumably searching for the remote control. "They are calling it a coordinated assault, Lord. They are calling it the outbreak of a second Continental War."


Chapter Two Hundred Fourteen: 'The encroaching Storm...'
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Even as he was staring at the screen and listening to the report, Hector could hardly believe his eyes or his ears.

Could this really be happening? Maybe the reports were exaggerated. Maybe everyone was just freaking out. Overstating things.

A second Continental War? Now, of all times? Why? How?

Everyone knew about the Continental War. Or, the first one, at least. How strange it was, to think that they might have to start making that distinction now. It wouldn't just be the Continental War, anymore. It would be the First Continental War.

Insanity.