The white marble floor of Caelora Palace, so polished that it reflected the image of Elara's silver-black robes, felt cold beneath her feet, as though the palace itself was trying to freeze whatever courage remained in her heart.
Beside her, Sylveras walked with deliberate steps.
There was no sword at his waist, yet a faint aura of mana could be seen trembling around his fingertips.
His sharp Elven eyes constantly scanned every corner of the hall, every shadow behind the massive pillars, with a vigilance beyond that of any human soldier.
Ahead of them, the back of Grandmaster Vaelion Elaris appeared steady and unshakable.
The old man had agreed to escort Elara to an audience with King Alexander after she expressed her desire to formally discuss the status of her village, Solara.
"Remember, Elara," Vaelion said in a low voice that echoed through the high corridor decorated with paintings of heroes from ages past. "As the newly appointed Fourteenth Sage, your voice now carries the weight of thousands of citizens. But a King sees the world from the peak of a mountain, while a Sage sees it from the depth of the roots. Sometimes, what we see is not always the same."
The doors to the King's private audience chamber opened.
There sat King Alexander upon a simple sandalwood chair that nevertheless radiated extraordinary authority.
Beside him, a large window overlooked the city of Caelora, pulsing with life beneath the midday sun.
"Ah, our new Sage," King Alexander said in a deep yet clear voice. He set aside the scroll he had been reading. "And the young fighter from the western region, Sylveras. The Grandmaster tells me there is something troubling your mind, Elara."
Elara bowed respectfully, but her eyes remained fixed on the King.
"Your Majesty, I have come to ask about my village, Solara. Why was it removed from the kingdom's official maps? And why do the reports only describe it as a natural disaster?"
King Alexander sighed and rose from his seat, walking toward the window.
"The decision to remove Solara from the map was an administrative decision made for the sake of public stability, Elara. The village was a valuable agricultural supplier, and we deeply mourn its loss. However, leaving a location on the map when the place itself has already become ash would only create confusion among merchants and unnecessary speculation among the people. And based on all available evidence, it was indeed a natural disaster."
"But it wasn't just a natural disaster, Your Majesty! It was—"
Elara's sentence stopped midway.
At that exact moment, Gorion entered the chamber, his Sage robes fluttering behind him.
His face looked tense.
"Forgive my interruption, Your Majesty," Gorion said, cutting into the conversation. "The VON operatives are ready. The teleportation gate to Kozto has already been calibrated. Elara, we need to move immediately."
Vaelion gave a small nod.
"The King is right, Elara. Your duty has only just begun. We can discuss the matter of the map later."
Elara felt her voice catch in her throat.
"I need ten minutes," she said coldly. "I need to speak privately with Sage Gorion."
On a secluded palace balcony, Elara turned to face Gorion, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Why, Gorion? Why didn't you tell me the truth? You knew there were demons in Solara! You knew the villagers were murdered—my entire family was killed by demons! Why didn't you report it?!"
"Silence, Elara!"
The shout came so suddenly that she froze.
Gorion stepped forward, his face rigid and colder than she had ever seen.
It was the first time he had ever shouted at her.
"What do you think would happen if I reported that a young girl survived a demonic kidnapping attempt—the very reason the demons attacked the village? The Council would never leave you alone. You would have been isolated, and the Council would have taken away your freedom!"
Elara stepped back in shock.
"So you lied to me? You told me to become a Sage so I could have a voice, and now you're the one silencing me?"
"I did it so you could stay alive and free with Syl! He's also carrying dangerous power sealed inside his body!" Gorion shouted again. "Truth without power is a death sentence. I concealed the traces of the demons so you could live a normal life with Sylveras. Go to Mavet Valley now. The portal has been ready for some time. You're a Sage now, so act professionally!"
Sylveras stepped forward, placing himself between them.
"You've shouted at her enough. You're not protecting her—you're protecting your own lies."
He took Elara's limp hand.
"Come on, Elara. Don't waste your tears on a stranger."
Before heading to the teleportation gate, Elara paused for a moment.
She took out her transmission crystal and sent a short but firm message to Rossie at their division headquarters.
"Rossie, I have to leave for an unexpected mission to Mavet Valley. While I'm gone, all supervision of the office and division is under your responsibility. Keep our division stable. I trust you."
Rossie replied within seconds with complete obedience, giving Elara a small sense of comfort amidst the emotional storm.
They then made their way toward the teleportation hall.
A gigantic magic circle was already glowing with bright blue light.
With a single step, space and time bent around them, and in an instant they found themselves standing on the balcony of Kozto City's teleportation tower, a busy transit city.
There, a masked male VON operative was already waiting alongside a female agent wearing a black mask whose posture was exceptionally straight.
"Sage Elara, welcome to Kozto," the male VON operative said professionally. "This is my partner from VON who will also assist in this shadow investigation mission."
Elara wiped her still-reddened eyes and looked toward the masked agent.
There was something very familiar about her.
"Mirell?" Elara murmured softly. "You... you're a member of VON now?"
The agent stood perfectly straight, her sharp eyes fixed on Elara without emotion.
"I am an operative assigned to ensure this mission proceeds according to shadow protocol. I do not know the name you just mentioned."
Elara smiled faintly.
"Sorry. I was crying earlier, so maybe my vision is blurred... but your voice, your movements... you must be Mirell, right? One of the examination participants?"
The woman remained completely still.
"Perhaps you met someone else who resembles me."
Sylveras narrowed his eyes as he observed her posture.
"If I remember correctly, Mirell was about this height. And the way she shifts her weight while standing guard... it's identical."
The male VON agent quickly intervened.
"Identity within VON is absolutely confidential, even among mission partners. Let us focus on our primary objective. From Kozto, we will continue on foot toward the border of Mavet Valley so that our presence will not be detected by the residual demonic energy there."
Elara took a deep breath, forcing herself to act professionally as a Sage.
"Very well. Let's get this done."
They began descending the tower stairs toward the gates of Kozto, which stood wide open to the south—
toward the dark expanse of Mavet Valley, where traces of demonic activity awaited them.