Mage Guild Meeting Room

Lily was conducting a meeting. The two urgent "red" alerts were actually not that complicated. One confirmed the existence of the legendary sorcerer Lord Rang, previously thought to be mere rumor. This time, someone had actually seen him, and he was with a dragon. The second alert was that two dragons had flown to Ash Town, followed by an equally urgent report of a volcanic eruption. Although it was unclear whether the dragons' arrival caused the eruption, there was likely a connection.

The volcanic eruption wouldn’t have a significant impact on Ash Town, but the underground mining operations were less certain. After all, the "energy" fueling the eruption came from the "Fire Mana Stones" in the underground veins.

What was giving Lily a headache, however, was the barrage of news. During the meeting, the intelligence department delivered another confidential report. She was contemplating whether to disclose it during the meeting. The report detailed that a mysterious mage (at least Elder-level) had kidnapped Barok Hunt, a member of the royal family, and the head of the intelligence department, Elder Omono, admitted he was no match for this mage.

It's important to note that Omono's combat abilities ranked among the top in the guild. While there were five vice presidents and three heads of magic schools with greater magical power than him, his combat experience was unmatched. The fact that he admitted inferiority to the mysterious mage posed a serious issue.

After much consideration, Lily decided to reveal the information about the "mysterious mage" at this meeting. She knocked on the table, signaling the lively discussion to quiet down.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I have two new pieces of information to share. First, Elder Omono encountered a mysterious mage in Kenny Town. This mage seems to wield at least five magical elements because he used a spell related to ‘time.’ The mysterious mage may either be an unregistered mage in the guild or a registered mage whose power has dramatically increased, though the latter is unlikely. At this point, we cannot determine whether this mage is friend or foe. The second piece of information is that Ash Town’s volcano has erupted. We’re unsure if it was caused by the two dragons' arrival, but it has definitely erupted. I have already arranged for the evacuation of the town’s residents, and only Mayor Zoe and Bishop Manpha, along with other mages, remain.”

Lily delivered the information calmly and quickly.

The room fell silent as everyone processed the updates and considered potential strategies.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

Lily scanned the faces around the long table. Even the captain and vice-captain of the elite mage corps, which had been deployed only three times since the guild’s founding, were present. She then said, "My suggestion is that the elite mage corps send at least three mages to Ash Town to investigate the situation with the dragons and the volcanic eruption. Meanwhile, the head of the combat department, Sake, should lead a team to Kenny Village to meet Elder Omono and investigate the mysterious mage..."

Before she could finish, an urgent knock on the door interrupted her.

Lily, annoyed but aware that this signaled an even more critical matter, gestured for the servant to open the door. A member of the intelligence department entered and said, "Madam Lily, there’s an emergency. Guildmaster Angla has made contact and requests to speak with you immediately." In his hand, he held Angla’s personal communication orb.

Lily’s eyes brightened. The last word from Angla had been six months ago. She nodded, signaling the orb be brought to the table, then channeled her magic to activate it.

“Honorable Guildmaster Angla, this is Lily.”

“Ahaha!” Angla’s voice sounded excited. “Lily! It’s been so long since I’ve heard your voice, still as charming and lovely as ever.”

“...” Lily, familiar with the guildmaster’s playful demeanor, quickly responded, “We are in an emergency meeting, and two new pieces of intelligence have just come in.”

“You mean the volcano and the mysterious mage, right? My colleagues in the intelligence department have already briefed me on those.”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“So, what’s your plan?”

“We were discussing it. I intend to send elite mages to Ash Town and have Combat Head Sake lead a team to Kenny Village.”

“That’s a solid plan. I support your decision. What does everyone else think?” The guildmaster raised his voice at the end.

“Agreed.”

“I support it.”

“No objections.”

The other mages quickly expressed their approval. Sake even stood up, saying, "I am honored to be assigned this task. I will begin preparations immediately."

The communication orb flared once more, and the guildmaster’s tone became more serious: “I have a suggestion. I’ll be heading to Kenny Village myself and should arrive within two days. Sake, if you arrive first, please wait for me after conducting your investigation.”

“Yes,” Sake agreed without hesitation.

Lily hadn’t expected any objections, but she added, “Guildmaster, wouldn’t it be better to return to the guild first to discuss this further?”

“No need. I’m heading straight there from the Share region.”

At the mention of this name, everyone drew a sharp breath. The Share region was the most mysterious place on the entire Oran continent. It now made sense why Angla had been out of contact for the past six months.

“Understood,” Lily replied first. “Sake, please be thoroughly prepared. Elder Omono has emphasized that he wasn’t a match for the mysterious mage. I believe this mage may be a formidable opponent for the entire guild. If there’s room for negotiation, it’s best to avoid conflict.”

Sake responded, “Understood, Madam Vice President. I will be well-prepared.”

“Then go,” Lily said in a commanding tone. “With that settled, the meeting is adjourned. Keep me informed of any developments.”

With that, the attendees rose, expressed their respect to Lily with a bow, and left the room.

Edge of the Share Region

After the communication orb disconnected, Guildmaster Angla was filled with excitement. He had long believed in all the lore surrounding the “most powerful sorcerer, Rang,” despite most of the stories being hearsay. He probably knew more about Rang than anyone else on the continent and admired him greatly. His excitement was understandable, though he was unaware that Rang and Steel had already arrived in Ash Town and were investigating the volcanic eruption...

(To be continued)