<"Chief Heriog and Chief Clensen are approaching our location.">

  <"It was a good idea to bring you along. It eases my fear of doing something wrong, especially since Aaron isn't here.">

  <"Has Aaron been here before?">

  <"With me, yes.">

  <"I see. When they enter, stand up and wait to bow until they have introduced themselves.">

  <"All right">, replied the Eldest, taking a sip of the tea Lady Merensen had prepared. Apparently, Chief Merensen also noticed that people were approaching him, which is why he was already standing up. The Eldest and Cale looked at him silently before a short knock could be heard at the door.

  "Come in", the chief said calmly as Cale stood up and the Eldest followed his movement a moment later.

  Two broad-shouldered men in thick clothing opened the door and entered before greeting Ninett. However, when Chief Heriog's gaze fell on Karekama, he stood still for a moment in shock and stared at the dark weapon before his gaze wandered over the Eldest to Cale.

  "Forgive our tardiness. My name is Flynn Clensen, 3rd Chief of Frignez. The nice gentleman next to me is Jarseo Heriog, 1st Chief of Frignez", the blond-haired man introduced himself and discreetly nudged him in the side with his elbow, which did not escape Cale's notice.

  "Pleased to meet you", Chief Heriog quickly interjected.

  "It is my pleasure to make your acquaintance as well. I am the Eldest of the Magistra, Raphael Maron is my name. As announced, I am accompanied by Zod Adenia, sword master and advisor to the Magistrat."

  "May the holy mana be with you", Cale greeted the chiefs as well and bowed, which the Eldest did in return. The two men also removed their clothes before Lady Merensen left the room and sent away the soldiers who were standing outside. Ninett had probably asked her to do so to ensure that no one could overhear them if they became too loud.

  "Take a seat, I have tea ready for you."

  "Thank you, Ninett", said the third leader, taking a seat next to his colleague before removing his weapons.

  Leaning against the table and on either side of it were now a number of different weapons. Cale's swords of Kama, Chief Heriog's sword, Chief Merens' double-sided battleaxe, and Chief Clensen's massive hammer, with its head pointing downwards, were leaning against the table. It was a strange sight, as small cups decorated with flowers could be seen between all the weapons.

  <"It would be best if we were direct and honest from the start. So, except for time travel, we can say everything we know.">

  <"Even the dragons?">

  <"You are welcome to mention the dragons in my context so that the Magistrat doesn't get into trouble. The same goes for the holy mana.">

  <"Won't that be problematic for you?">

  <"They will handle the information with care, I know that.">

  <"Well, if you say so. So you want to disclose the Thromods, the attack on Groka, our findings about their mana cycles and cooperation with the dragons, as well as our relationship with Sylve?">

  <"Yes.">

  <"By my beard, I don't like that.">

  <"The chiefs currently know more than anyone else in the world. They can handle secrets, otherwise it wouldn't be that way.">

  <"Trust me unconditionally... I know, I know">, the Eldest quoted Cale's words from the vision, which made Cale smile discreetly. He had crossed his legs and held his hands in front of his chest, which reminded Cale of Aaron's posture.

  "It is my pleasure to welcome you to Frignez. I think it is in our best interest to put formalities aside and speak openly with each other", the third chief announced in a calm voice.

  "Very gladly", replied the Eldest, casting a final, searching glance at Cale, who now gave his obvious approval. "I am indebted to you for taking the trouble to give me your attention. Especially considering that I have never explained exactly what this is about. If you don't mind, I would like to start with the reason for our visit.

  "With pleasure, Eldest."

  "I am sure you have heard about the attack by the creatures in Sylve", the Eldest began calmly, before the leaders nodded in unison. "King Leonhardt had asked the Magistrat for help at the time to obtain information about the creatures and the reason for the attack. The primary focus was to find out whether the two mages were members of the Magistrat."

  "Were they?", Ninett Merensen asked more precisely.

  "Yes and no", replied the Eldest, glancing briefly at Cale. "To be perfectly honest, it was Sir Adenia and myself who prevented this attack. However, we did not inform King Leonhardt of this fact."

  "Really?", Jarsep Heriog asked. "Why not?"

  "Because the attack was initiated by people without mana", the Eldest explained, and the three leaders' expressions darkened in an instant. "Sir Adenia and I know that mana cycles were destroyed by holy mana. The attack on Groka, the village in the province of Caplens near the mountains, was initiated by those very people. They call themselves Thormods."

  The chiefs did not affirm this statement, but they did not deny it either, so the Eldest continued.

  "We also know the background of the ability and that, apart from the two of us, only seven people are currently aware of the origin and existence of the Thormods, and we also know that the Book of Truth is in your possession", explained the Eldest without receiving any visual feedback from the leaders. "That is precisely why we have not yet informed King Leonhardt about it, but have come to you first. However, our appearance in Groka... is also not so easy to explain."

  As expected, the leaders did not utter a word, although Cale was the only one who had anticipated such a reaction. The Eldest, on the other hand, waited a moment for a response before turning nervously to Cale.

  "We were not in Groka by chance", Cale said. "If I am correctly informed, you know significantly more about the Igrikum than most High-Magicians, but do you also know that the Eldest receives visions from the future?"

  Chief Heriog, Miguel Heriog's father, was the first to react. He looked at the Eldest in surprise before casting a searching glance at his colleagues and speaking up.

  "So the Magistrat knew about the attack?"

  "Only I knew about it", replied the Eldest. "The vision was not particularly clear. I was only told the location, but not the reason. When I arrived there, I did not expect the village to be attacked by creatures."

  "But you informed Sir Adenia about it."

  "No", the Eldest denied the statement. "Sir Adenia and I happened to meet there again by chance."

  "Then how is it that you were also there, Sir Adenia?", the third leader, Flynn Clensen, interjected.

  "Because the Thormod who accompanied the attack carried dragon mana within him", Cale skillfully evaded the question, not wanting to mention time travel.

  The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  "Dragon mana?", Chief Clensen interjected in surprise.

  "To be more specific, this Thormod, whose name was Nodiavi, carried the mana of a dragon that I know personally. I was the one who brought this situation to the attention of the Eldests, and I was also able to find out how this mana had come into the leader's possession. My investigation ultimately led me to her hideout in the creature plains called Phaseen", Cale continued with his explanation, causing Chief Clensen to visibly tense up. "I killed both the Thormod from Sylve and the Thormod who stole the dragon mana."

  "We haven't mentioned any of this to the kingdom. Neither the Thormods nor the dragons", the Eldest interjected. "I am currently trying to improve security measures in Altona while keeping an eye on what is happening in the plains . Zod, on the other hand, is staying in Sylve and trying to achieve the same thing from there."

  A long silence enveloped the room. You could see that the chiefs were surprised, but equally unsettled. They probably hadn't expected the guests to know so many details and had agreed beforehand not to make any statements about it. But now they couldn't back down without arousing suspicion that they were trying to cover something up.

  <"They're not saying anything.">

  <"Are you always this impatient?">

  <"Yes">, confessed the Eldest, who outwardly appeared to be the epitome of calm. Cale sighed and reached under his uniform as he cast his zero magic and produced a small book. He held it up in the air, opened it, and placed it on the table in front of the leaders before explaining himself.

  "These are records I personally made about the Thormods. They include the report we gave to Sylve, as well as a few dozen drawings of my observations in the plains. I didn't include the topic of the Wrath of the Gods ability, since you should theoretically know more about it than I do."

  "Apparently not in practice, though", Chief Clensen replied with an annoyed undertone, as if condemning Cale for knowing so much.

  "Forgive me if this sounds strange to you, but you Frignezers are not the only ones who know about the gift", Cale explained, gesturing with one hand while Chief Clensen watched him with a grim expression. "And I'm not talking about the dragons I'm currently in contact with. Although I have received some other useful information from them."

  After a few moments, however, his attention turned to the other men, who themselves no longer knew what to say. For this reason, at least as far as Cale could tell, Chief Clensen took charge of the conversation.

  "You seem very certain about this information, which makes me wonder where you got it all. Unless it's from the... dragons."

  "We are old", Cale said dryly, causing the Eldest to turn abruptly toward him and grab his arm.

  Damian didn't even need to formulate his statement, because Cale knew that he was afraid of what Cale was about to say. With a gentle smile on his face, he placed a hand on his and simply nodded, causing the Eldest to reluctantly lean back.

  "If I am correctly informed, then you know about the origin of the High-Magicians, but not what exactly this means. What I am about to tell you is probably just as important to us as the security of the information about the holy mana is to you."

  Irritated, Chief Heriog glanced at Chief Merensen, who did not move, however, and simply stared at Cale. Just as he was about to explain himself, the Eldest interrupted him.

  "We have a higher life expectancy, even higher than that of primitive humans themselves", he began, drawing everyone's attention. "I myself will turn 267 this year, which is why I hold the title of Eldest. Besides me, Aaron Thopas, Rangar Castero, Sefra Risztus, and Odin Ander are also older than all of you combined, and as for Zod Adenia... .."

  "... I am even older than any of the High-Magicians. I am also an Apostle, but I am a little different from them", Cale replied, pointing his hand at Karekama, hoping that this would be reason enough. "Besides the Eldest and the dragons, you are now the only ones who know about me."

  "We Apostles no longer age once we have passed the third stage. From what I have learned so far, we can reach an age of 500 years, but I obviously have no basis for comparison in this regard", the Eldest added, looking at Cale, who nodded gratefully.

  "What...?", Chief Clensen stammered. He stared at Cale and Damian in disbelief before leaning back and letting the statement sink in.

  "May I ask how old you are exactly, Sir Adenia?", the second chief asked, causing Cale to smile and lean forward slightly.

  "I will soon be 305 years old, Chief."

  "That's... insane."

  "Well, I hope that answers your question as to why we know all this", Cale replied with a shrug and changed the subject. "The reason we are disclosing this information to you is simple: we cannot stem the threat posed by the Thormods on our own."

  "Threat?", the chiefs repeated in unison.

  "This has a lot to do with our observations, but also with the vision I received when I became an Apostle", the Eldest said again. "We assume that in about 17 years, a war with the Thormods will take its course, and the current events in Groka were... harbingers. As you know, my Igrikum allows me to gain insights into the future. Therefore, I know that creatures will overrun Altona, Sylve, and Frignez."

  "So you're saying that the Thormods will attack us?", Chief Clensen interjected, openly admitting for the first time that she was aware of the Thormods' existence. Meanwhile, Chief Heriog had taken Cale's notes to heart, while Chief Merensen couldn't decide whether to look at his colleagues or his guests.

  "Yes", Damian and Cale agreed in unison, causing Chief Clensen to hold his hand to his forehead and sigh.

  "By the Holy Mana...", he muttered absently. "To be honest, I'm a little overwhelmed by what they've told us. I'm probably not in a position to comment on this, but what exactly do you want from us?"

  "Cooperation", the Eldest announced, causing all the chiefs to look up at him. "I want Sylve, Altona, and Frignez to start working together. I think you are all aware of the danger posed by the Thormods, even without our involvement. What I intend is for us to share our knowledge with each other."

  "More specifically, we want to prepare people for an impending war, and one of the relevant points here is the healing abilities that have so far been reserved for Frignez. What we can offer in return is information about all creatures, current and future crystals of the Magistrat, extensive trade, and the opportunity to join our training system and that of the kingdom", Cale announced in clear terms, knowing full well that food supplies in the north had always been a major problem.

  With trade and the Magistrat's crystals, Frignez could massively improve its standard of living, and one glance at the chiefs was enough to see that they were well aware of this.

  "An interesting offer,I have to admit", Chief Heriog announced , closing Cale's little book and placing it back on the table. He leaned back with his arms crossed, leaving Chief Merensen as the only one still sitting upright and showing at least some respect. "But also a rather far-fetched statement, no offense."

  "Not at all", Cale interjected, gesturing with his hand for Damian to let him speak. "I can understand that you don't believe the visions without proof."

  "Can you prove any of what you've said?"

  "No everything, I'm afraid. What I can offer you, however, are the details of the attack itself, which will take place in the coming years."

  For a brief moment, the First Chief did not respond, but finally he raised his arm, signaling Cale to continue.

  "Well, let's start with what will happen in Altona. A large mass of creatures, controlled by chairman Hosik, will set out from the plains at dusk for Exarion. Since we currently have few precautions in place in Altona and the residents clearly have no experience fighting the creatures, they will invade the city almost unhindered. The few mages who are actually capable of defending themselves will do their best to defend the city, which the Thormods have identified as the primary threat in Altona. Even if the Magistrat knows that an attack is imminent, they cannot prevent it. The High-Magicians will split up and try to help where possible, but this is where the first major problem arises: internal communication."

  Cale paused for a moment, but when there was no response, he simply continued speaking.

  "Currently, the 1st Seat of the Magistrat is working on developing a communication crystal to counter this problem. But let's assume that such an attack would take place tomorrow. Chaos would ensue, with thousands of people trying to flee while a small number tried to fight. The High-Magicians will decide to abandon the city to protect its inhabitants and divide them into two groups, one fleeing to the south and one going to the north. They will probably fight for days, if not weeks, but the lack of supplies, infrastructure, organization, and communication would ultimately be their downfall, no matter how powerful the mages really are. It can be assumed that tens of thousands will lose their lives in the first few weeks, including the High-Magicians themselves, who have made it their mission to protect the people of Altona. The people will fall back on what they have: a safe region that can offer them refuge."

  Chief Merensen flinched nervously.

  "By the beginning of the fourth week after the attack, Frignez will be overwhelmed by so many refugees that it will completely exceed its current capacity. At the same time, however, they cannot turn away people seeking help who will arrive here covered in blood and desperate. Frignez will therefore do the only sensible thing and take people in, expand their city, and try to create some structure in the chaos, which they will succeed in doing. What will follow is that Altona will be declared a restricted zone and they will lose all contact with the outside world. Frignez will prepare for battle, that much is certain. The refugees will certainly prove helpful in the preparations, but that does not mean that a small land of healers can survive an attack that even a land full of magicians cannot stop. Assuming that the Thormods and the creatures also need to recover from the attack and reformat themselves, then Sylve and Frignez can expect to have two, maybe three years before they suffer the same fate as Altona."

  When Cale finished his statement, he had to take a deep breath, because he had spoken so precisely and directly that many memories and emotions had become entangled in it. He addressed some things so brutally that he thought at that very moment that he should have chosen his words differently. But the fact that he had witnessed more than once how one country after another had failed made him speak like a raging river.

  And this raging river had silenced all the leaders.