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“Why are we meeting here again? Didn’t we just have a meeting yesterday?” Leon looks around the room of 7 people sitting and stops at a small speaking tube connected to a wall next to Osmond.

“The dead bomber. What else?” Tonia state the obvious and flips the report with her antenna.

“Bomber killed himself save us the trouble; case close. What else to talk about.” Leon pushes the paper forward with his paw. After dealing with all documents from Numenus he doesn’t want to read any more report if possible.

“We still need to find out if he was working for someone and where does he get MAM material from.” Hellen turns to look at Roy and Rio.

“Why are you looking at us”

“Only human and bird have a tool and skill to create MAM part.”

“And only Amiel has the ability to make a core” Rio state fact without temper. He knows most of the material to make a bomb can be found anywhere on the continent, there is no point playing blame game. But he already read the report. He knows every MAM created would have marking from company whom made it as authentication of their brand. The MAM that was recovered none of the part have any marking which means they were made to be untraceable from the beginning. Unless others nation manages to secretly research and create MAM without material needed from at least two other nations, it either from New Terra or Avion.

“What does our spy say?” asked Headmaster Osmond.

“No movement from any faction or group that we know of.” said Rio.

“From the autopsy, his body suffer from severe malnutrition with a trace of sand in feather, we come to a conclusion that bomber came from city of the dammed,” said Fay.

“That forsaken place in desert up north? They have no reason to attack us.” Roy is disturbed with this news “Someone must have hired him to place a bomb. The real culprit could have been any races.”

“Can’t we just make them disappear like last time?” said Leon.

“Can’t kill them if you don’t know who they are. Last time we were lucky those pyromaniacs were a fanatic Amalthor don’t want anything to do with and they were happy to pretend nothing happen in one of their temple.”

“If it was one of their big temples they might not sit quietly though” Fay added.

“Can we please not talk about taken people out like ordering a food.” said Rio.

“As if everyone here didn't participate in some form of genocide before.” Tonia glances at Roy. She still remembers that faithful day when the fire bomb rain down upon her battalion.

Rio raises his wing to show his innocent.

“You literally redesign a crossbow that allow bird used to shoot down thousands of wolves to this day.” said Leon.

“I work on that with Shelly so I can only claim half credit. Also, scientist like us shouldn’t...”

“Fine half genocide, now put that wing down.” Leon knows he can’t win an argument with Rio.

Osmond bring out a message he received to stop everyone from going off topic “Either way an ambassador from New Terra and Corvidia is coming in a few weeks.”

“They already know? Tsk. Eye and ear everywhere” Leon feel annoy that he might have been watched not only from his old country but from all nation.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

“Officially they are here for other reason but we know the truth.”

“So, are we giving them fact or blame city of the dammed?” asked Roy.

“Having an enemy you know is properly better than letting all nation feel like they’re in the dark and start blame whoever they hate but if possible I would like to know the real culprit so everyone please go over the report and try to find the source of these bomb via any connection you have. We need to end this as soon as possible before more people question what is happening.”

“I didn’t ever start checking student’s homework yet.” Leon feels like crying. He rather fights an entire army than deal with more paper work. A sentiment which a few teachers here share.

Fay gives him an encouraging smile.

“Anyone have anything more to discuss?”

“Does chief spot anything?” With Hellen word everyone turns to the small speaking tube on the table.

An ethereal voice utters a simple “no.”

Osmond then turn the speaking tube off after no one else have any more question.

“That conclude our meeting.”

Everyone quickly gets up and leaves the room. Osmond who was left alone look up past the ceiling where his friend is and slowly take a step up stair with concern in his heart.

The path was long and he isn’t young as he used to be but he took the time walk up here anyway. When he finally arrives, he exclaims “God I’m bone tired” and stretch his skinny leg.

In the old day this bad joke would get some reaction from him but it’s getting harder and harder to talk with his old friend.

Seeing a figure in cloak sit still Osmond walk past a dusty room of small table and bookshelf to a chair where chief sit overlooks the whole city. If someone were to came in here and see this room right now one might think that a man who live here never get up from his chair at all.

“How are you feeling.”

“Nothing. As usual.”

Osmond walks closer to a window and looks at the view of the shining city below and a vast dark land under a star. “So peaceful.”

“Yet many chaos lurks.” Chief then click open other speaking tube “Robbery at Berry Way section 6” and close it.

Osmond follows his friend's word but sees nothing. He walks back and dusts a bookshelves and table in the room. At one point he stops to stare at a secret safe in one of the walls behind bookshelf.

In his head he can almost hear a voice telling him to open it but he ignores this thought since there are more important thing to discuss.

“The ambassadors, what are we going to tell them.”

“That some deviant from city of the dammed is responsible.”

“A lie.” Osmond want to laugh “To think we teach children the important of honestly here.”

“Good thing you are not responsible for that subject then.”

Osmond smiles “Is that your humor still intact I hear.”

“We have a bigger problem than my humor fading. I can’t see a bomber when they moving around at all except that last bomb where I see the that bird die”

“Well, there are many way to evade your...”

“Only those who known of my existent know that they need to evade me.”

Osmond face turn grim. He already suspects this but to hear his friend confirm it is like seeing nightmare made real.

“One of the six nations is doing this. And it came from the top too.”

“Thousands of solider from all races were present that day some might leak it... Erasing history is not so easy, we might not be dealing with the head of state.”

“Perhaps”

When chief turn silence Osmond feel the need to warn his friend “Please don’t do anything without consult with me first, remember you took care of city security leave the rest of politic and student to me.”

“You have gone soft” even now chief didn’t turn to look at Osmond his eyes fixed on the city below, searching, “We must consolidate power as much as possible so no nation or group would dare to break this peace. Take out any pieces that threaten us and that include the student.”

“We are not harming any student of our, studying nor graduate.”

“Why even have a list of dangerous personality whom we know will never unite in peace if we’re not using it. They were living under our eyes for years; we know they won’t change.”

“Princess Alana would never approve of this. You know it.”

“Alana never manages to stop me before.”

“Stop” Osmond turns back so he doesn’t have to look at his friend “It’s been a stressful month. We’re both tired let’s just go back to our duty.”

Osmond then leaves his friend alone once more. The white tower stand overlooks the whole city. Keeping this era of peace. Keeping an old secret.

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