"What? The entire village was wiped out by a dragon named Steel?" Bishop Ken was so shocked that he jumped out of his tall bishop's chair.
Barok confidently replied, "Yes, Bishop Ken, I was there at the scene."
"How did you manage to escape alive?" Ken's expression was hard to read. "Did you not warn the village chief to take precautions?"
Barok said, "I was resting in my room at the time. All I knew was that they had discovered a treasure and were using the village's carts to transport it back. But I didn’t know the treasure belonged to Steel. As you know, dragons often cast tracking magic on their treasure. I believe the dragon followed the tracking spell back to its hoard."
He paused and added, "Not only was Steel the dragon there, I also saw someone I've only read about in books—Master Rang."
"That lord?!?" Ken asked, even more shocked. "What was he doing there? How did he arrive?"
"Master Rang arrived on the back of Steel. He descended right in front of me while riding the dragon," Barok replied respectfully.
"Have you told anyone else this information?" the bishop asked, now calmer.
"Not yet," Barok hesitated, seemingly worried. "I don’t know what orders the king will give once he learns of this. Although it was wrong for the villagers and the village chief of Ash to steal the dragon’s treasure, they didn’t deserve to be wiped out."
"No." The bishop raised his hand to interrupt, "The king will not blame the dragon for this. There has long been a pact between dragons and humans—one that respects each other’s laws and rules. But dragons are a powerful race, and this time, the villagers of Ash were at fault. They deserved to be punished. It’s just…"
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"Just what?" Barok asked, curious.
"Nothing." The bishop seemed to remember something but didn’t continue the topic. Instead, he shifted to discussing other matters, though he appeared lost in thought.
Following the bishop's request, Barok spoke of other events he had witnessed on the road, most of which were mundane and uneventful. The destruction of Ash Village by the dragon was the most significant and shocking event.
After speaking with the bishop, Barok was sent to the church's office to prepare for his afternoon recitation. The bishop also instructed the staff to help him organize the information he had gathered recently. Typically, a tragedy like the destruction of Ash Village would be covered up with a different explanation, but Bishop Ken wanted Barok to turn it into a ballad, suggesting that the news might be widely spread across the kingdom.
What Barok hadn’t noticed during his conversation with the bishop was that there was a letter lying on the desk, sent that very morning from Ash Village, bearing the village’s seal. After Barok left the room, Ken picked up the letter and carefully examined it once more…
The Mage’s Guild is likely the most powerful official guild in the kingdom of Inpal. All mages must register with the guild. Given the immense power of mages, if used for ill, they could become the kingdom’s greatest nightmare. Thus, from the beginning of his reign, Hunt VI, the sixth monarch, prioritized the guild’s formation and granted it vast authority. In turn, registered guild members enjoy numerous privileges, benefits, and a much higher status than ordinary citizens.
The current president of the Mage’s Guild, Angla, has been traveling to other continents for many years. After supporting Hunt XIV in ascending to the throne, Angla distanced himself from worldly affairs, stating that he was in pursuit of the highest form of magic. In his absence, the guild’s affairs were left to the vice presidents and dozens of elder mages.
Angla is one of the few who knows and believes that the most powerful sorcerer in existence, Rang, is still alive. According to the kingdom's 2,000-year history, many believe Rang has long since died, as his legend dates back to the reign of the first king.
For most, Rang exists only in books; no one has seen him or heard news of him in recent memory. Within the Mage’s Guild, there are even rumors that President Angla travels the world in search of Rang, though no one knows why.
The high-level offices of the Mage’s Guild are located in the inner city of the capital, Baka, right next to King Hunt XIV's palace. The guild itself sits in the middle city, where most mid- to high-ranking mages reside. The busiest part of the guild is the Intelligence Department, overseen by the elder mage Omono.
Currently, Omono was sitting in his top-floor office in the Intelligence Department, calmly reading a newspaper and sipping on red magic tea, a beverage that both energizes and replenishes magical energy. Suddenly…
"Knock, knock, knock," came a rapid knocking on the door.
Omono’s hand trembled slightly. He looked sternly at the door and said, "Come in." His voice was quiet but carried a commanding force. The person on the other side immediately heard it and entered.
The newcomer was Yoo, a mage bearing the copper emblem of a senior mage. He anxiously said, "Respected Elder Omono, I have urgent intelligence to report."
(To be continued)