The < Dragons > organization had been in an ominous position. From every angle, they could feel a sword on their neck. And everyone believed they would lower their head. However, that was never a consideration.

But the more details they talked about, the gloomier their expression became.

"It's pretty bad..." Matt whispered.

In the middle of the silence, Ginn and Doug looked toward Louis. The boy then started speaking about the strategic job he did with Doug.

"Three choices..." Louis said, speaking louder.

"Master Ginn assigned me to oversee the whole issue with Sir Doug.

We concluded that we need to be less passive.

There are three choices we need to make. One, how to disconnect from New Horizons; Two, how to deal with the relationship with Volcano; And three, how hard we fight back the pressure right now.

Our passivity is due to inertia. We built the faction on a passive and decentralized foundation. The top commanders were far apart, and we also hid our power. Every choice made in the past had its benefits, but now such decisions have become our main hindrance.

Our suggestion is to focus on ceasing the dilution of our main power. But "the how" must be iterated with each department if this direction is approved.

For today, we need to decide how to proceed with the independence of our faction."

Noticing that the teenager stopped talking, Ginn added, "It has never been a question of IF. All our actions aligned with going autonomous eventually. We planned to do it later, but since lying low now brings more trouble than benefits, it's time to move forward."

"But does this mean that we must abandon our current endeavors?" Mirana asked.

Doug responded, "Yes. Since to be independent, we must move somewhere else. Since we must avoid a direct conflict, the best way is to get farther away from their clutches. They can't send us trouble if we aren't in their area."

"Volcano can," Deniz commented.

Matt's fists hit the table. "They take for granted that they'll absorb us. What a bunch of dumb people."

"Say whatever, but would they take a bunch of kids seriously? These pests will keep following us. How to avoid that is the main problem!" Max said.

"We beat the damned dumb brothers!" Matt yelled.

Deniz looked towards his excited friends and shook his head, sighing.

"The optimal answer is to show our force. However, not indiscriminately, or they'll only fight back harder. If we can catch the culprits, we can do whatever we want, making them into examples."

Deniz then looked toward Anne. He understood if the investigation achieved no success, it would be hard to retaliate against someone important.

"I can't guarantee it. We need enough proof to show justified hostility towards the culprit. Throwing speculation around will serve us no good." Anne replied, commenting about their difficulties in investigating the matter.

After showing some hesitation, Louis finally talked about his last idea.

"I thought of something else today. How about choosing to defend Dyn Mayer at all costs? Ah, wait, it should be Leo Moon now. We brought him here. So if we can make him one of us, we could draw a clear line between us."

"That's a clear idea. Even if we can't take the last step of hunting the culprit, we can force at least some Elders from Volcano back. And clearly show our disagreement with New Horizons' main faction." Yukk added.

Shaking his head, Yuri disagreed, "I don't think he'll join us. At best, we can achieve a partnering relationship. The good thing is that it wouldn't be surprising to others if we give him a position of honor due to what he did."

"He didn't seem interested when I asked either," Ginn added.

With an uncertain expression, Anne asked, "Hey, Yuri, do you think it's worth partnering with him? We aren't talking about a one-time business here. It's just that we know nothing about him. And we already saw more than one of the unnatural attractions some have to whatever he is. What guarantees that this wouldn't keep happening?"

Yuri responded with conviction, "It's worth it. Where else would we find someone like him? And unchained! Even if the relationship doesn't succeed, we must at least try. And we know enough about him to know such a bet is worth it.

First, we know he can survive extreme freezing without external help. Second, he can treat people with a one-of-a-kind poison. Third, he's a man of multiple faces with uncanny shape-shifting abilities. And last but not least, Ginn is connected to him in some weird way, and I bet he wouldn't have followed us if that wasn't the case.

A connection with him may bring us trouble. But it can also bring us benefits if our relationship gets to the point of allowing so."

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

"Is he worth that much trouble?" Matt asked, still not convinced.

To that, Ginn said, "He's worth more. He lived long enough to be an ocean of experience. How long would it take to hone someone to his level of mastery in arrays only? One or two hundred years of focused resources? Even Dinna would take only a bit less than one hundred. And she's very talented in the field. However, even when one of us succeeds, we need to understand the difference between the experience gained by someone inside a well-closed environment and someone that learned in the wild. There are things one can only learn after a long time and some luck. We shouldn't worry about his worth. But more if we'll be getting anything back since he may not play with us much, even if we show interest."

"Can't we make a contract?" Mirana asked.

Ginn shook his head, "I wouldn't expect him to sign it. But even if he did, we don't have the time, as we don't know how long he'll be in seclusion, and we need to decide how to deal with the hostility soon."

"He can be a good fallback. If we can't find the culprit, we can use protecting the hidden master as the first example of our independent action. If we find the culprit, we fight against them, and the issue with Leo Moon becomes secondary." Deniz commented.

Yukk then asked while looking around, "Is anyone against fighting an Elder from Volcano?"

Ginn looked around and seemed intent on making this clear. "Everyone needs to agree with it since it's a dangerous endeavor. We'll be putting our lives on the line. Independence will come, but so will more troubles."

"So we fight for ourselves, and the old man may be an excuse?" Matt asked.

"He's part of the problem," Yuri replied.

"Since everyone agrees with more drastic actions, we'll follow Doug and Louis's plans. We'll be waiting for the last lead. And if it succeeds, then we have our target. Even if it fails, we can ask Volcano to recall the Elders involved in the hostility. And we deal with New Horizons with a harsher attitude.

We must work on all our options in the next few days, still lying low. But once our last three friends arrive, we make the final decision.

Whatever happens, we'll become independent. We'll be working a lot in the next few months, from liquifying most of our assets around the continent to choosing our new central hub and moving over. Unfortunately, such a situation has happened much sooner than we wanted, but we can't avoid it. This moment is the crucial construction of the foundation of our faction, < Dragons >."

---

Two weeks later, in the same room, a video call was happening between Ginn Aravyz and Volcano Sect Master.

"So, you called me, not to inform of my daughter's progress, but to request some Elder recall?" said a middle-aged man projected on a marble wall.

"Really... An Elder recall?"

"Yes, as the reports informed, they crossed our line. They shouldn't treat our guests as something they can hunt."

The Sect Master stayed silent for a moment.

"Alright, I'll recall the ones causing trouble. However, if, from now on, something happens, my sister will directly bring Eloise over. Since her condition is much better, Joyce's presence should deal with most problems."

'Sure enough, the other Elders are here only to provide Aunt with time.' "I accept the conditions."

"Are you sure about your choices?"

"Yes."

"Then, I await your achievements."

The call ended. Thus, the projection disappeared.

"We finally took the first step. Was there any problem?" Ginn sighed.

"We found no issues with the connection," Dinna answered.

"It's still better to not underestimate them. Next, I'll talk with Joyce, so come and open the room." Ginn said.

Freed from her task, Dinna opened the door. Immediately, Ginn left the room with his sword at his waist.

---

In another room, Joyce was having breakfast.

Eventually, after taking one sip of her tea, she stated: "Come in." Her voice was clear and loud.

Soon, Ginn entered the room, taking his sword and putting it aside. Afterward, he walked toward the elder and greeted: "Good morning, Aunty!"

"Ah, come and join me. Let's eat something while we talk. So, have you decided?" She asked, her mood much brighter due to Eloise's treatment progress.

Ginn joined her on the table and responded: "I decided to stand up against them."

"How about the last news?"

"We got it. I also talked with my father-in-law not long ago. They'll recall some Elders."

"Are you feeling this daring?"

"Too many people underestimate us. We need to hold our ground."

"Be young, but don't jump in the fire blindly. So, what can I help with?"

"If no one leaves, and we have too much on our hands, I would like to ask for help sharing the weight. However, that will probably not happen, so I hope you stay at Eloise's side. Since if a fight breaks out, the house may shake slightly."

"I see you're very confident. What about the master in seclusion?"

"We'll protect him at any cost. For this reason, we broke most connections with New Horizons due to disagreements."

Joyce nodded.

"How confident are you against them?" She asked.

"Outside? Not so much. But if they chose to fight here, I see very few outcomes where we lose. Although, the fight might cost us much."

"I'll leave you to act out your plan. But if I see it going too wrongly, I'll intervene. For instance, the worst thing would be for the little girl to wake up a widow."

"I appreciate the vote of confidence. And I'll work not to disappoint you." Ginn bowed.

"Alright, you go. Go, go, boy. I see you don't want to eat anyway. After this entire thing ends, we talk. By then, I hope you can stop with your little secrets."

"Thank you!" Ginn bowed again and then took his leave.

Alone in the room, Joyce thought: 'Not bad for a little kid, just lacking a bit of objectivity. Yet, your actions may clear the air in our sect. Ha, I wonder if my brother is underestimating you. The time you finally rob Volcano's successor will be an enjoyable sight. Indeed, I look forward to seeing their reactions.'

Her smile disappeared while her mind continued: 'But I hope you play with caution. Ambition is a dangerous endeavor. In truth, I wonder, how far will the children go?'

She slowly had her breakfast before leaving to visit her niece.

---

Inside Clearsky Auction House, Ginn met with their young master, Devo Clearsky.

"Mr. Aravyz, your proposal is tempting, but will our involvement only amount to so much?" Devo asked.

"Yes, everything else is under control. I only hope that Clearsky can activate the last layer."

"Such a waste. It's incomplete, so It'll probably break."

"Probably, yes." Ginn agreed.

"Since you don't mind the loss in investment, why should I? Alright. I look forward to the many years of cooperation to come."

After the agreement, they signed a mutual contract.

In the end, a handshake closed their meeting, and Ginn left satisfied.

Later, while looking at the contract, Devo analyzed the situation.

'I don't know what my father sees in you. But I hope his bet on you was not off the mark. Because if he didn't have such a good attitude toward you, I wouldn't have accepted such a weird agreement. It sounds too good to be true.'

"Oh well, we only need to wait and see. The wait will not be long anyway."