Heidrick regarded Gareth carefully, studying his body language and the way his words flowed.

Alexander, aware of this scrutiny, pressed forward, carefully leaving out any detail that might reveal his true identity.

“He keeps on looking at me to find a difference in my behavior...”

Alexander thought as he kept on speaking and giving more details and telling more about what happened, hiding the important facts as much as he could.

"After what felt like hours of battle, I managed to overpower their leader—one of the remaining Distantias commanders," Alexander lied smoothly.

"It was sheer luck, but once he fell, the spell collapsed. I woke up in their headquarters, wounded, but alive."

Heidrick’s gaze remained fixed on him,

"A sacrificial spell, you say," he murmured,

“An old and dangerous kind of magic. If what you say is true, then they planned for this long before you arrived."

Alexander nodded solemnly.

"It seems so. Their desperation was greater than I realized."

For a long moment, Heidrick said nothing, his piercing gaze locked on Alexander’s face.

Not much after.

Heidrick drew in a slow breath.

"You’ve been through a great deal, Gareth. Losing your men, being subjected to such magic—it’s a testament to your strength that you’ve returned at all."

Alexander bowed his head slightly,

"I only did what was necessary, my lord."

"You did more than that."

Heidrick said,

“But even you have limits, Gareth. I don’t want your exhaustion to cloud your judgment moving forward. Rest. That’s an order."

Alexander nodded.

Heidrick was no fool, and Alexander knew that any slip, any inconsistency, could unravel everything.

He rose from his seat, bowing slightly.

"Thank you, my lord. I’ll take my leave."

As he turned to exit, Heidrick’s voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Gareth."

Alexander froze but composed himself quickly, turning back with a neutral expression.

"Yes, my lord?"

Heidrick’s gaze bore into him, unreadable and intense.

"If there’s anything else—anything at all—I expect you to tell me. Immediately."

Alexander nodded again, masking his unease with practiced ease.

"Of course, my lord."

Once Alexander had left the room, Heidrick remained where he was, his expression contemplative.

He trusted Gareth—or rather, he had trusted him.

But something about the man’s demeanor today felt... off.

Heidrick couldn’t put his finger on it.

Moving to his desk, he picked up a small crystal orb, its surface swirling with faint light.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Heidrick whispered a command, and the orb pulsed gently in response.

He had learned long ago to trust his instincts, and right now, they told him to keep a closer eye on Gareth.

After about two to three hours later, Heidrick got up from his seat and shook his head.

“Yeah, something does not fit the story; Gareth told me...”

“He is hiding something; that I am sure of.”

Something about the account didn’t sit right.

The Distantias were a faction prone to chaos, not precision. They lacked the expertise and discipline to execute a high-level spell capable of creating a realm, let alone transporting a seasoned level-three mage like Gareth into it.

The resources, knowledge, and skill required were simply beyond them.

After five minutes, he called for Redel.

Ten minutes later, Redel arrived.

The door opened, and Redel stepped in, his expression calm.

Heidrick gestured for him to sit, and Redel complied, folding his arms across his chest as he regarded Heidrick with curiosity.

"You called for me, my lord?" Redel asked.

Heidrick nodded, pacing slowly behind his desk.

"I spoke with Gareth earlier about the Distantias ambush. He gave me his account of what happened—how they set a trap, used a sacrificial spell to transport him and his men to another realm, and attacked them there."

Redel’s brow furrowed slightly.

"A sacrificial spell of that complexity from the Distantias? Unlikely."

"Precisely,That’s what’s bothering me. The Distantias have always been a nuisance, but they’ve never shown the capability to perform magic of this caliber. Their leader, Alexander, was cunning but not a mage of high standing. The rest of them are fragmented at best."

Redel leaned forward slightly,

"A spell like the one Gareth described—transportation, creation of a realm, and the suppression of a level-three mage—requires not only immense magical power but also precise knowledge of magical theory. Such a spell would need a mage of at least level four, maybe higher, or a ritual backed by a significant force."

Heidrick stopped pacing and looked directly at Redel.

"That’s my point. The Distantias don’t have the resources or expertise for something like this. Even if they did, why didn’t they finish the job? A force capable of casting such a spell should have had no trouble killing Gareth outright."

Redel nodded slowly.

"It’s suspicious, to say the least. If they truly had that level of power, letting Gareth escape makes no sense. Unless..."

"Unless what?" Heidrick prompted, narrowing his eyes.

"Unless the spell wasn’t entirely their doing,"

Redel said.

"It’s possible they were a front. Another faction, or perhaps an individual with far greater power, might have used the Distantias as a cover to carry out their plans."

Heidrick considered this,

“If that’s the case, then we’re dealing with someone—or something—that’s deliberately staying in the shadows. They used the Distantias as pawns to mask their involvement. But why?"

Redel shrugged slightly. "It could be a test. Whoever orchestrated this might be probing Blue Hope, seeing how we react to threats. Or they could be trying to sow chaos within our ranks, weakening us before a larger strike. At the same time, if they can control or do something to our insides, they will have a great deal of advantage compared to other big forces in the ship."

Heidrick frowned.

"Gareth claimed to have overpowered the leader of the Distantias and collapsed the spell. But if this was a test, then letting him escape—alive, no less—might have been part of the plan.”

Redel leaned back in his chair, crossing one leg over the other.

"Do you trust Gareth’s account, my lord?"

----------------------------------------

Heidrick was silent for a moment.

"I want to, but something feels... off. He’s not the same. His words, his demeanor—it’s as if he’s carrying the weight of something he’s not telling me. And then there’s the matter of how he survived when no one else did."

Redel’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"A level-three mage like Gareth is formidable, but even he would struggle against a force capable of orchestrating this spell. The fact that he walked away while his men didn’t suggests there’s more to this than he’s letting on."

Heidrick nodded slowly.

"That’s my fear. If Gareth is hiding something, it could compromise the entire ship."

----------------------------------------

Redel sat forward,

"If you have doubts, my lord, we need to act cautiously. Monitor him closely. If there’s even a hint of deceit, we must be ready to contain the situation immediately."

"I’ve already put measures in place."

Heidrick said, his voice firm.

"I’ve activated subtle surveillance spells around him. If he makes a move that betrays his loyalty, I’ll know."

Redel nodded approvingly.

"Good. In the meantime, I’ll investigate the Distantias further. If there’s another force involved, we need to identify them before they strike again."

Heidrick exhaled, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly.

"Do it. And keep this quiet. The last thing we need is for word to spread and panic to take hold."

"Understood, my lord," Redel said, rising from his seat.

He paused at the door, turning back to Heidrick.

"We’ll get to the bottom of this. One way or another."

Heidrick nodded.

“We have to. For the sake of Blue Hope,”

With that, Redel left the room, leaving Heidrick alone with his thoughts once more.