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Bosk Duchy, Strafburg.

Cassius gently pushed open the hidden door in the wall, stepping into the hall.

The attendees of the Arcane Hermitage meeting had not all arrived yet, but the room was already abuzz with discussion. Most faces were shadowed with dread—fear of the uncertain future.

The members of the Anzeta chapter were primarily northern nobles accustomed to lives of opulence. Yet now, the shadow of the Red Dragon loomed over the entire Northern Lands, leaving the duchies teetering on the brink. They feared the flames of war reaching their own homes, stripping them of their noble status.

Seeing Cassius’s arrival, a tall noblewoman was the first to greet him.

"Good day, Mr. Ember."

"Good day, Lady Tulip. You remain as beautiful and captivating as ever."

Cassius responded politely.

Not only she but several others approached him for conversation, some even attempting flattery.

During the previous Arcane Hermitage, Cassius’s generosity had caught the attention of many. Speculation about his identity had run rampant, with the most accepted theory being that "Ember" was the illegitimate son of a southern Fadlan Empire noble seeking to expand his family’s influence in Anzeta.

Yet, beneath her elegant exterior, the noblewoman’s eyes betrayed a hint of worry.

Cassius feigned ignorance and asked, "Lady Tulip, is something troubling you?"

Lady Tulip sighed and replied, "It’s not just me. Everyone here laments the fall of the Lackman Duchy."

"That vile dragon is too terrifying, too brutal. It’s said he trampled upon the sacred traditions of the Northern Lands and cruelly killed many nobles of high lineage. They say the council square was stained red with blood that day."

"Indeed, it’s truly horrifying."

Cassius nodded slightly, following her lead in the conversation.

Another member chimed in, "The dragon’s brutal rule will surely be overthrown. The righteous will rise up."

"He dared to place the noble Northern nobles on equal footing with the common rabble, with those gray-skinned beasts. It’s preposterous!"

"This is a complete disruption of the Northern order!"

"Yes, that dragon will face retribution!"

"The Tellich family has already hired adventurers to slay that dragon!"

"If war comes, the Duchy of Fano will fight to the death! We will never let our land fall to monsters!"

Cassius listened to these impassioned remarks, mentally noting their words, as well as the families and nations of those who spoke.

"All this uproar over a few dozen heads. Northern nobles sure know how to overreact."

"No matter, we’ll take it one step at a time."

"They’ll adapt eventually."

Cassius made up his mind.

None of these nobles suspected that their casual threats would bring their families to ruin in the not-so-distant future.

Amid the crowd's attention, Olivia "Silver Star" entered the hall once more.

"Good day, Miss Starlight."

Cassius took the initiative to greet her.

She did not reply aloud, but her voice came through a message spell, clear and melodious.

"I asked my grandfather, and he said gold dragons dislike Anzeta due to its sparse magical resources. Other than an adult female gold dragon, there’s only a young male gold dragon residing here temporarily. If I’m not mistaken, your name is Angel, son of Castro the Ancient Gold Dragon, correct?"

Olivia raised an eyebrow at him, her expression filled with a knowing and triumphant air, as if she had uncovered a great secret.

Cassius was momentarily stunned before letting out a helpless chuckle.

He hadn’t expected this self-satisfied silver dragon to fabricate and complete his cover story for him, saving him the trouble of crafting a fake identity.

Neither affirming nor denying her claim, he responded through the same spell.

"Miss Starlight, prying into a member’s identity is against the rules of the Arcane Hermitage. As the head of the Anzeta chapter, are you setting a precedent for breaking the rules?"

"You started it."

"I didn’t actively search; I merely overheard rumors. There’s a fundamental difference."

"Hmph, pretentious gold dragon."

The grand, opulent hall remained unchanged, with its massive round table at the center.

The members of the Arcane Hermitage took their seats one by one.

"Now that everyone has arrived..."

Olivia prepared to proceed with the usual meeting agenda, but someone interrupted her, speaking out first.

Her brows furrowed slightly, but she politely nodded, signaling for the person to continue.

"Pardon my rudeness, Miss Starlight."

"I mean no disrespect in disrupting the proceedings, but I believe there’s a more pressing matter that demands our attention. It aligns with Master Trafarallon's principle: 'Unite against evil when necessary.'"

The speaker was none other than "Grey Hawk" Shroud.

His face was etched with lines of exhaustion and worry, appearing twenty years older than before. His grave demeanor seemed shrouded in gloom, and his voice carried deep sorrow.

"Given the circumstances, I will no longer conceal my identity."

"I was once a court mage of the Lackman Duchy, a noble of high northern lineage. But now, I am nothing more than a wandering exile."

Upon hearing his words, the attendees, regardless of their true feelings, feigned sympathy and regret.

Shroud’s voice grew hoarse as he continued.

"I witnessed that Red Dragon destroy our coalition, raze our cities, and I was powerless to stop him."

"Now, that Red Dragon has obliterated the nation I once served, cruelly oppressing my people and mercilessly slaughtering the duchy’s nobles."

The attendees listened in somber silence, some even shedding tears over his plight.

Olivia frowned slightly at his words.

She softly interjected, "But according to my investigation, Duke Brad was indeed a vampire, and the Ember Kingdom hasn’t committed mass atrocities against the people. Your claims seem a bit—"

Before she could finish, Shroud interrupted her with a vehement outburst.

"Miss Starlight, you are too kind and naive! By the gods, we’re talking about a Red Dragon—an embodiment of evil and cruelty! How can you foolishly believe the lies of a Red Dragon?"

"A vampire? Utter slander! The true parasite sucking the lifeblood of the Northern Lands is that dragon!"

"And who knows what disasters this dragon will unleash in the future? Today, he slaughters nobles. Tomorrow, he’ll devour entire cities, even the entire human population of the Northern Lands!"

"I—"

Olivia tried to rebut, explaining her information came from spell-based imagery rather than Ember Kingdom propaganda.

But Shroud ignored her protests, continuing his impassioned speech without pause, leaving no room for counterargument.

Shroud reached the climax of his speech, standing as he cast a sorrowful gaze upon the room.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the Lackman Duchy, with its 400-year history, has already fallen. Next, it will be the Duchy of Nort. And after that?"

"If we do not resist now, the next to be slaughtered by the dragon may be you!"

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