Silent and with his hands clasped in front of his chest, Cale glided through the sky, his soft collar fluttering in the wind. Over the elegant suit he had also worn in Oriann, Cale wore a new, long, dark coat today, which protected him excellently from the biting cold of the north. Even his carefully combed-back hair could barely withstand the wind - the gusts were already undoing all his efforts.

  His gaze shifted from the twin mountains to Damian, who was standing right next to him. He held his hands in front of his mouth and seemed to be warming them, which made Cale realize that the Eldest was probably cold.

  "Are you cold?"

  "A little, yes."

  "I can use my Igrikum to block the wind if you want."

  "If I were you, I would avoid using magic altogether. If someone catches you doing it, it could be problematic."

  "You're probably right", Cale replied quietly, but he held out his hand to Damian, who looked at him with some confusion. "Then let's do it the old-fashioned way."

  "What old-fashioned way?", he asked in surprise, taking his hand before feeling the warmth in his hands. "How do you do that?"

  "I use mana to harness the heat of fire magic without generating fire. I learned that from Aletta Merensen, the future daughter of Chief Merensen."

  "I see, that's why healers seem to be immune to the cold."

  "That's their secret, yes", Cale replied amusedly. "Incidentally, Grischa embraces the exact opposite of this logic, even though he really does have cold resistance."

  "You truly never stop learning", replied the Eldest. "Grischa had only mentioned that he can create ice, but he has great difficulty using his Igrikum properly."

  "It takes time. He's only been an Apostle for five years. I don't even want to confess how many years I spent getting to know my Igrikum and using it the way I do now. There were times when I really hated magic."

  "You hated magic?"

  "Yes. When the third wave killed or drove away the last humans, magicians were quite unpopular, you know. Many people blamed Altona for this war, and that led to magicians being despised. When I was killed in my second life by the people I actually trusted, I was afraid to show my abilities for quite a while."

  "That sounds terrible. Magic is such an enrichment to everyone's life!"

  "I agree with you now."

  As they headed for Frignez, Cale spent his time teaching the Eldest this type of magic. He was not particularly surprised that the Eldest was quickly able to show his first successes.

  Seeing how pleased the Eldest was, Cale thought back on the events of the past few days. He had been on patrol almost every night with the group of his supervisor Mamoru and had participated in the sword masters' training early in the morning. The more he met with Duke Loys of Freigoud and Julius Venlan, the more open they became towards him. And it was precisely this growing familiarity that had finally given Cale the courage to casually inquire about the recent events in Bellator.

  Apparently, the royal house had received a lead regarding the arsonists, which could be traced back to newcomers to the city. They had also made progress in relation to the child abduction, as they had spoken to many people from all over the country. It turned out that similar problems had been occurring for some time in Mornet, Eglohigen, Nihmskell, and Wittgen. All of these towns were located in the north of the continent, which led to the suspicion that the source of the issue was somewhere in this area. According to Julius Venlan, soldiers in the region had been instructed to report even the slightest suspicion to the relevant ministers and send weekly reports to the capital. Dozens of dukes criticized this as excessive, but they had no other choice.

  

  In the distance, Cale sensed the first sources of mana, even though he couldn't really see anything thanks to the snow. It was strange to know that it was currently so warm in Bellator that people no longer ventured out into the blazing sun at midday. Altona would surely be hit by this heatwave soon, but so far they had been spared. When Cale left Sylve early in the morning on his day off, it was already warm enough to go for a swim.

  "How long has it been since your last visit to Norgram?", Cale finally spoke up when he spotted the first Frignezer.

  It was still early morning, and the healers had no idea how long Cale and the Eldest had been traveling. If anyone knew that Cale had traveled from Bellator, they would probably declare him completely insane. But thanks to Fengari, the journey to the mage capital took barely thirty minutes, even if he lost feeling in his limbs afterward. Fengari had used her ability to take him to Exarion and then she returned to Bellator alone. Since she would be home without him for the next few days, Cale had warned her not to show herself to anyone alone. In his mind, he could already hear Mamoru or Jarle scolding him for his recklessness - something he wanted to avoid at all costs.

  "Half a century. The last time I was there was before the new generation of chiefs was appointed."

  "So you knew the ancestors of the current chiefs?"

  "Knowing is probably the wrong word here. We were more like casual acquaintances. Altona didn't have the same status back then as it does today."

  "Fascinating."

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  "You find that fascinating?"

  "Yes, I would be interested to know what the world was like in your time."

  "You don't want to know, believe me. It was chaos."

  "I never doubted that", Cale replied amusedly, and a few moments later he discovered a familiar source of mana. He immediately looked down and saw chief Ninett Merensen looking up at the sky, probably announcing the presence of these magicians to some men. "Do you see Ninett?"

  "I see him, yes."

  "Are we too early?"

  "A little, yes. We may have to wait for the other chiefs to arrive", explained the Eldest, nodding to him to indicate that he would now take the lead.

  Cale abruptly reduced his mana output and let Damian's magic carry him as they slowly descended toward the ground. Curious eyes peered out from the domes of the city as they watched disapprovingly as strangers entered their homeland. The first soldiers approached them, but Chief Merensen immediately called his people back. Apparently, he had not announced the meeting to his people, or at least only to those who were affected.

  The Eldest elegantly dropped them to the ground, where they sank knee-deep into snow, which surprised them both. It must have snowed heavily in the last few days for such a fine layer to still cover the ground. Cale brushed the white flakes from his coat as he followed the Eldest, who was making his way through the snow. Curious eyes followed their movements, but Cale and Damian ignored them and headed straight for Ninett, who was himself dressed in thick fur.

  "If I am not mistaken, you must be Chief Merensen", the Eldest began politely before coming to a stop and clasping his hands behind his back.

  "That is correct. I am Ninett Merensen, second chief of Frignez."

  "I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Chief. My name is Raphael Maron, and I am the Eldest of the Magistrat. My companion is Zod Adenia, a swordmaster and valued advisor to the Magistrat", the Eldest announced calmly.

  "The pleasure is all mine. Please, follow me. It is freezing out here", Ninett began politely, gesturing with his hand for the guests to follow him.

  Without a word, the two men stood up and followed Ninett to a large dome with an open door. The soldiers at the edge saluted as the leader approached them, but Cale noticed how a few young men curiously turned their gaze toward the Eldest and Cale. The tall man let them go first, so Damian entered the warm house first, followed by Cale. They walked quietly across the metal path and down the stairs, while behind them the flap closed and Ninett Merensen made his presence known with his footsteps.

  At the bottom, the Eldest stopped at the edge and Cale stood right next to him, so that for a brief moment their eyes met.

  <"Eldest">, Cale said.

  <"What is it?">

  <"It is rude in Frignez not to show your hands. People are expected to hide nothing in their hands, which is why they are held out in front.">

  <"Really?">, replied the Eldest, surprised, and at the same moment threw his hands forward as Ninett arrived from one side and his wife from the other. The young, blonde-haired woman glanced hesitantly at her husband before smiling at the guests. <"Who is this woman?">

  <"Delenna Merensen.">

  <"His wife? She looks so young.">

  <"She is. If I'm not mistaken, she should be 27 now.">

  <"Such a tender age.">

  <"Quite so>", replied Cale, unable to suppress a grin at the comment. Chief Merensen stepped beside him as his wife spoke up.

  "Please, follow me."

  With a nod, Damian and Cale followed the young lady, while Ninett walked behind them. Together, the small group walked through the narrow alleys of the city, while the people around them remained silent. It was as if everyone present was afraid of saying the wrong thing, which is why even the children were silent and stared at the head of the family and their guests.

  <"Is there a reason Ninett is walking behind us?">

  <"So we don't get lost. The city is a real maze and you can easily get lost if you're not careful.">

  <"You really know your way around Frignez.">

  <"Of course, I've spent most of my life here.">

  <"Right... I remember">, replied the Eldest in a calm voice, without turning away. All three men followed the comparatively small woman along the path until they arrived at an area where the number of soldiers increased significantly. <"Can you let me know if I do something wrong?">

  <"I can warn you right away. Generally speaking, even as a high-ranking guest, you don't do anything unless the host explicitly allows it. So don't take off your coat until Ninett or his wife tell you to, and don't sit down until they allow you to. I'll put my weapon on the table because it's frowned upon to wear it at your waist during a peaceful conversation. Oh, and accept the tea they offer you. It's really delicious.">

  The Eldest cleared his throat amusedly, and although he tried not to let it show, Cale could clearly see his grin.

  As expected, Delenna Merensen led them to a private area of the city that Cale knew personally, because this was where Merensen's official residence was located. She opened a door to a large room and let Damian and Cale enter first before entering herself. Cale nodded to indicate that they should stand at the edge of the room, while Ninett turned to one of the soldiers and whispered something to him. As the names of the other leaders were mentioned, Cale guessed that he simply wanted to inform his colleagues that the guests from Altona had arrived.

  "You are welcome to give me your coats", Delenna Merensen said, holding out her hands.

  <"Thank you very much, Chief Guardian Merensen.">

  "My sincere thanks, Chief Guardian Merensen", the Eldest repeated what Cale had dictated to him and began to unbutton his coat. The woman's eyes looked surprised for a moment, but she said nothing and silently took the coats, hanging them on the wall behind her. Ninett now also entered the room and closed the door, before he also took off his fur coat and handed it to the lady.

  <"Chief Guardian? Is that her title?", the Eldest inquired, and was about to sit down again until when he noticed Cale and remained standing upright next to him.

  <"Yes. The official title given here in Frignez to the spouse of the chiefs.">

  <"That's the first I've heard of that.">

  <"Really?">, Cale replied in surprise. <"I grew up with that title, and I'm pretty sure it's...">

  "Please, take a seat", Chief Merensen said politely, unaware that he had just unintentionally interrupted a conversation.

  With a friendly thank you, the Eldest sat down on the couch, while Cale untied his weapon and carefully placed it on the table in front of him. However, when he used his zero magic to conjure Karekama and placed it down as well, the Eldest gave him a surprised look.

  <"Trust me">, Cale replied in his mind and took a seat next to the Eldest. <"It's better if they know from the start.">

  Chief Merensen showed no reaction to Karekama, but his wife Delenna did. Standing at the edge, busy heating water, she noticed Karekama and glanced at Ninett in surprise. Not a single word was spoken, but their glances seemed to suffice as communication.

  "You arrived a little earlier than we expected", said Chief Ninett Merensen. "Chief Heriog and Chief Clensen will join us shortly."

  "Please forgive us for causing you inconvenience", said the Eldest, as Ninett took a seat opposite him.

  "Not at all, make yourself at home, Eldest. You too, Sword Master Adenia."

  "You are too kind, Chief", replied Cale with a nostalgic smile.

  Cale felt a slight pang of guilt for putting Ninett in this awkward position. He had promised to keep the truth about the holy mana to himself, but he couldn't afford to let Frignez stay out of the whole affair. That was why Cale had shown from the beginning that he had no secrets from them and intended to have an open conversation. Presenting Karekama was a subtle hint that the Magistrat trusted the leader enough to show such a weapon unprotected.