Lexi P.O.V

I was getting bored in the command tent. The skirmish was finally over but we would most likely still be stuck here for another few days, in which time all the nobles from both sides of the conflict will try to approach us wearing fake smiles and with empty platitudes. It wasn’t the first time I had to deal with this and it won’t be the last, I was just glad Annabeth was with me.

The discussions were winding down, with the end officially announced today as well as the release of the conscripts we were just about done. Of course everyone knew that the release of the conscripts was just for show, who in their right mind would be trying to make the journey back to the city by themselves.

Then we felt the mana. Whoever was casting spells was not doing it at the firing range, not only that, besides it being close it was a single empowered shot, these were frowned upon in skirmishes like these.

The bodyguards took no chances and locked down the area around us nobles, not even the commanders could do anything to go investigate. As I felt the spell launch I also felt a different mana join the frey. Ulike the first this mana was not being controlled or used in any way, it was just pumped out and then disappeared. It shouldn’t be working like that.

Then the fire spell hit the second person, I guess it hit the origin point of the second mana. What happened next was unexpected, the fire mana had also started to disappear. It was like there was something just feasting on the mana while producing no tangible effect.

Everything was over in a few seconds. It ended as quickly as it started with the first person not channeling anymore mana after having launched the spell. It took Anna only a few seconds to dismiss the concerts of the bodyguards and lead the way in taking a look outside. I was right at her side, interested in what that weird phenomenon was.

Standing at the entrance of the command tent we could clearly get a picture of what happened. I could see Tom, the liaison for one of the commanders still dusting himself off, a robed man wearing the colors of the other side being restrained by a few others.

More interesting to me however was Tom’s brother, he stood both taller and a little wider than his older brother but what drew my attention was the soot covered shield on his back. More importantly, for a shield that just tanked a fire spell it didn’t have any serious damage or any mana residue left on it.

The other point of interest was a guard who was approaching slowly from around the corner. He wore a sigil marking him as part of a noble family but considering we hadn’t had a dedicated introduction he could only be the son of a knight. His face was a mixture of rage and annoyance, at least until he noticed me looking in his direction when all semblance of emotion disappeared.

“Sir, we have apprehended the perpetrator. He claims to be an infiltration mage who didn’t know the war had ended and was trying to take out the messenger he thought was bringing a report to the commande tent.” One of the three soldiers tieing up the caster saluted and reported.

This also didn’t add up to me, how did you have time to get all that out of him already. I wasn’t the only one who thought this was suspect judging by the scowl on Anna’s face, she had experienced quite a few plots targeting her so despite not picking up on the other noble she could tell the situation was a set-up.

“Tom, are you alright?” commander Grievous asked his man after a few moments taking in the scene and the report.

“Huh?” Tom looked back at us confused. I found this odd as he could usually keep focused on the battlefield. “Oh yes sir, I am fine.”

After throwing up a quick salute he turned back around. I followed his gaze to see that his brother was already at the exit of the camp and seemed to keep on going.

“You wouldn’t mind telling us what happened here then?” Asked our bodyguard.

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“Uh,” he started looking around at a loss. “I am actually not all that sure what happened.”

He was clearly still trying to process not only what happened but also what his own brother must have whispered to him and see how both things fit together.

“He was the target, give him a minute and let's take this inside.” Anna cut in.

Once inside it didn’t take more than twenty seconds for Tom to calm himself and relay that he was attacked and saved by his own brother.

“Who do you think it was that targeted you?” the future baron of his territory asked him.

“I’d rather not say, sir.”

“What?! Who do you -” The future baron was about to start but was cut off by Tom’s commander.

“Why not?” though the tone was calm his eyes conveyed the same anger as the previous outburst.

“Unsupported accusations against nobles by commoners can be charged as crimes, regardless of their truthfulness.” his voice was cold and he practically spat out the last line.

That answer was not something I was expecting. It was also a problem I had never had to deal with before. If I thought someone was out to get me I could at least investigate it. He had no choice but to get concrete proof before even making the allegation, though it was one I already believed.

“It was a good plan. Not much you can do in retaliation for this.” Anna said with her usual lack of sympathy. “At least you got away unschathed.”

Seeing my chance now that all the questions about safety were over I asked. “How did your brother protect you?”

“I don’t know,” he answered.

“That’s a partial lie.” one of the other bodyguards quickly piped in.

“You dare lie?” the future baron started up again.

“I’m not lying, I really don’t know how exactly he did it.” he doubled down.

“That’s the truth.” the same guard confirmed.

“You know he used magic, you just don’t know the specifics.” Grievous finally chimed in with a statement more than a question.

“Yes sir.”

“You expect us to believe that? You know nothing of the magic your own brother wields.”

“I haven’t seen my brother in almost five years. He was ten at the time and even then I didn’t spend a month with him. I knew he had access to his mana and little else.” He retorted. “The next time I saw him I told him he was conscripted.”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“Quite a bit actually. You see my brother is very secretive about who knows of his abilities with mana, even a little paranoid. Considering the stories that made it to our village I don’t really blame him though.” he ranted. “So when I heard he was conscripted I knew he would also be joining me in this little war. At that point I did everything I could to learn as little as possible of his abilities, after all I can’t lie to my superiors but I can’t talk about something I don’t know.”

I found myself mirroring his little smirk. It was a good plan, and a way around regulations.

“Commander Grievous, what did you know about his brother before today?” the noble asked.

“His name is Ajax, he is fifteen, was conscripted as he was about to register for the Adventurer’s Guild has access to mana but would rather keep that a secret and is level twenty-four.”

I found myself nodding along with what I heard, sure he was a bit on the young side but that wasn’t all that big of a deal, that is until he said his level. Anna and I both looked at each other in surprise. We were both seventeen and though she had a season on me we were rather close in level. Right now I was a hundred off level twenty three and she had just hit it earlier in the week.

“Do you know where your brother is headed?” the greed could be heard in the viscounts voice.

“You are all to leave the boy alone to join the Adventurer’s Guild” Anna protected him, in all likelihood as a show of respect to his dedication and results more than out of moral responsibility. “You should still answer the question.”

“I don’t know for sure but I can make a pretty good guess.” Tom's smile was filled with gratitude for Anna. “He left with me a report and asked that I should give it to you later today commander.

“On his solo hunts during his free days he claims to have found another natural resource in the area. A mana infused pond that starts a stream and ends with a little spring.”

“ And he waited until now to mention it, this will cause another war exactly like the one we just had, maybe even bigger depending on the concentration.” the commander was outraged.

“I didn’t know about it until today sir or I would have told you.” his serious demeanor changed as a smirk split his face. I knew that smirk, it showed that the situation was much better than we thought it was all because we were missing a piece of the puzzle. “You see sir, he also left me with this recording crystal. It is dated back as far as two months and shows soldiers from the other side guarding the spring.”

The future baron’s expression changed from annoyance to elation and the commander started laughing.

“Well now.” the commander said after a few seconds, coughing slightly. “He was just a conscript so we can’t be all that upset about him making a few mistakes like not notifying us properly.”

“You're right commander, especially considering his age.” The noble nodded knowing this one kid probably just gained him a fortune.

Everything else after that continued in the same boring way it had started out this morning, though a lot of the leadership was in a much better mood. I made a small note to remind myself of the interesting boy’s name ‘Ajax’ . I would leave a standing order at the capital gates to inform me if someone around his age and of the same name ever entered legally.