"What's this all about?"
Ludian grabbed a cookie from the plate in front of Tiel and stuffed it into his mouth as he asked. Although Ludian had grown up receiving a noble education from the great Asterian family, thanks to the Asterians' emphasis on freedom and childlike spirit, he often acted no different from common folk.
Of course, Ferdie always disapproved whenever Ludian did such things, but Ludian, now in his mid-twenties, didn't care.
Forgetting that Tiel had grown up, Ludian casually picked up another cookie and handed it to her. Despite already holding a cookie, Tiel accepted the one Ludian offered.
"We've located a place that we suspect to be Jae's headquarters," Ferdie announced as he spread out a piece of parchment on the table.
Everyone's eyes widened in surprise.
They had found Jae's headquarters?
Hadn't Karsus and Alpheus been searching everywhere without success for the past ten years?
Olivia slammed her fan down on the table and turned to Ferdie, "Are you serious? How did you find it? Have you told uncle?"
"Of course, I've informed grandfather as well. The place I found is a mansion in the snowy mountains within Nestian territory," Ferdie replied, pointing to a circled area on the parchment. Everyone looked where Ferdie pointed as if on cue.
Entry to Nestian territory without permission was strictly forbidden.
But the location Ferdie pointed to was within a snowy mountain in Nestian lands. The same question popped into everyone's minds.
'How did Ferdie investigate this?'
There was no way Chender Nestian would have allowed Ferdie Asterian into Nestian without remembering. Unless Chender had suddenly become foolish, which he certainly was not!
Reading the question in everyone's eyes, Ferdie tilted his head slightly and blinked, "I didn't use anything strange, I sent in a salamander."
"A salamander? Into the snowy mountains?"
"Nestian's ice can't beat my fire."
"That's not the point! How can you thoroughly search all of Nestian with just one small salamander?"
Ferdie nodded.
His ability had diverged from other Asterians as he grew up.
While Karsus, Alpheus, and Ludian used their abilities by igniting flames, Ferdie preferred a more efficient use of his powers.
For example, he would condense as much ability as possible into a small flame and then release it.
Naturally, the salamander created by Ferdie contained a stronger flame than others could muster.
His salamander burned longer, hotter, and could explore far from its master's hand, making it ideal for scouting.
However, sending a small salamander into Nestian territory, which was an icy fortress, was something unthinkable for most beastkin. Yet, Ferdie had managed it.
"When did you start scouting Nestian?"
"Since Nestian cut off relations."
"That's been like ten years!"
"It took a long time, but it's done, isn't it?" Ferdie said nonchalantly.
Everyone else stared at him with their mouths agape.
Ferdie spoke of it as if it were no big deal, but it was! Ferdie Asterian had spent an immense amount of energy and ten years searching Nestian to locate what they suspected to be 'Jae's' headquarters.
"Did you do this alone? Did grandfather and father know?"
"No, they were involved too. It would have been too much for me alone."
"How could you not tell us? If it was about searching every corner of Nestian, my sylph would have done better than your salamander!"
Olivia slammed her hand on the table, causing the cookie basket to shake. Ferdie narrowed his eyes, "Why should I tell you? Are you an Asterian? You're an outsider in this matter. What if Nestian had caught you?"
"Isn't the risk of being caught the same for Asterians?"
"We're the involved party. I have a reason to be involved, but you don't. Do you think I didn't ask for your help because I don't know your sylph is faster?" Olivia backed down at Ferdie's response.
"Anyway, that's not what's important right now. We've found the suspected headquarters, but we can't approach it with the salamander."
Ferdie had tried many times to send the salamander into that 'mansion,' but it always lost its way near the building.
Karsus recalled to Ferdie when they had captured Ossian at a mansion shrouded in an unknown mist.
"It seemed like a special ability, or perhaps a curse, was in place. Entering there, you would inevitably lose your way and fail to find an exit. Your salamander's flame must have been extinguished."
Ferdie asked, "Then how did father manage to enter and capture Ossian?"
Karsus replied, "Tiel helped by giving a bead filled with ability that absorbed the mist. It seems similar to that mist. And it looks like we'll need Tiel's ability again this time… It's better to talk to her and ask for her help."
Remembering his conversation with Karsus, Ferdie turned to Tiel.
"When we captured Ossian, you gave father a bead filled with your ability. Could you do the same for me?"
Tiel nodded eagerly in response.
"Of course! I can give it to you, but it will take some time."
Tiel's ability had indeed grown stronger since she was seven.
However, lately, she had been having difficulty using her powers. It wasn't just a lack of ability.
It was something more fundamental… the balance between day and night was breaking, and her ability was weakening as the days grew shorter.
Moreover, encapsulating her ability in a bead was a significant drain on her energy and power; even if she had retained her strong abilities, it wouldn't have been possible to do quickly.
In fact, she wasn't sure she could infuse the bead with as much power as Ferdie wanted.
The bead she had given to Karsus was crafted from the cleanest and strongest power she had.
Thus, repelling darkness or similar abilities was nothing for that bead.
But what if it didn't work this time?
What if, after all her efforts to mold the bead with her ability, it failed to absorb the darkness and shattered into pieces?
Tiel felt a sense of foreboding clouding her mind like dark storm clouds.
She shook her head lightly, as if to scatter the clouds of anxiety.
'No, don't think like that.'
You can do it! If Tiel couldn't, then no one could. She was, after all, the beastkin who knew this better than anyone else in Crassion.
Ferdie smiled understandingly, sensing Tiel's burden.
"It's okay if it takes time, there's no rush. Take it slow, Tiel. When you're ready, we'll prepare to leave."
"Did you just say 'we'?"
Ludian quizzically asked.
Ferdie, who had been sitting with his legs crossed and hands lightly resting on his knees, turned to his twin brother and nodded slightly.
"Yes, 'we.' You and I will go to Nestian ourselves."
At Ferdie's declaration, everyone's eyes widened in astonishment.
While everyone else was shocked, only Ferdie sipped his tea with a calm and composed expression.