Val's eyes narrowed, locking her piercing and calculating gaze on Taizhen. Unblinking steel, jade eyes inspecting the old man's every move.

Taizhen's eyes followed Syn intently, like a hawk tracking its prey, relaxing only once the girls left. With his attention returning to the room, his eyes darted from Thassos to her, and a knowing smile formed on his face.

"Well, well, now I understand why the South was suffering so few losses. I heard they had a strong sailor that led the defense and organized teams, but I had no idea this Thassos sailor I heard of was the great Azarak Nolrun! Both of you have been cleaning up the coast, right?" he said, a note of revelation tinging his voice as he spoke.

Val shook her head. "I definitely have not."

Taizhen raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised. "No?"

Val tilted her head, "Maybe I helped once or twice, but I'm just a retired herbalist here. Thassos is the one that has been keeping the coast clear of beasts."

"Hmm... It's possible that Garoth was more dominant than we thought," Taizhen mused. "Western and Eastern coastal villages have suffered terribly these last years. If, as the girl said, the beast is gone, you should all prepare for a flood of beasts arriving at your coast. I could contact the Ceris House, asking for support."

"We've had enough doomsayers to last us a lifetime. We'll add you to the list." Minda said, dismissing his warning.

A vein in Taizhen's forehead suddenly bulged, starkly contrasting with his pale skin. Yet, his voice remained remarkably calm, his words calculated and measured. "Just... consider my words."

"The ruling houses only show up when they're interested," Minda replied. "We have no need for them."

Taizhen's body tensed. "I'm just saying that you'll have trouble managing the number of beasts arriving at your coast."

Val stared at him, unimpressed. "Sure." Her eyes still tracking his every move.

"Ok, you won't have trouble," Taizhen corrected himself, "but the villagers will."

"We'll handle it," Minda replied sharply.

"You'd do well not to ignore me," Taizhen said somberly. "The last thing you'd want is being overrun by them!"

Minda snorted, but Zosimos interjected before she could speak. "Grandmaster Taizhen, we have tried in the past," he quickly said before briefly pausing, "But the outcome has always been... unrushed and indecisive—"

"Useless, it has been useless." Minda interrupted, looking at Taizhen dismissively. "Only messengers arrived acknowledging our request. You can keep your advice, old man. We'll solve things our way."

"The situation will be different this time." Taizhen retorted, his hands clenching white. "Things might look bad here, but they're even worse out there."

"Surely things are not so bad," Val said skeptically.

"Why else would I have left my research behind to help recruit for the academies? We've lost almost a tenth of the island's army in the last decade!" Taizhen argued, his fists trembling. "If the situation continues, we'll have to retreat, or they'll soon overrun us!"

Val continued to gaze at him, unconvinced. Her gut told her he was hiding something.

"What's the use of announcing a great discovery if no one is alive to celebrate it?" Taizhen circled the improvised bed, approaching Val, and looked directly into her eyes. "You have no idea how dire the situation really is. More and more beasts have been breaching the barrier in recent years," he said, lifting his gaze as his eyes scanned the room, searching for everyone. "We need every hand we can get. I may not have come for you, but now that I'm here, I need to ask for your help."

"I won't take part, old man," Val answered instantly, disregarding his argument with her hand. "As I said, I'm retired, and my only responsibility is with my family and friends. It's true, we won't receive much help, but we're doing fine without the ruling houses' support anyway. So thanks, but no."

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

"You simply don't know what is coming! Lives are at stake!" he said, gesturing towards Val and Minda. "In this region, you're losing what, a couple of dozen seafarers every year? That's nothing compared to other cities!" he said, pressing the subject.

Minda's face went red immediately. Her freckles standing out against her flushed skin, and her fists clenching at her sides. "That's nothing!? Y—"

"IT IS NOTHING!" Taizhen exclaimed, his voice rising. "We're losing hundreds every month!" His voice contorted in pain. "West of here, the situation is much worse! The city of Dioros has been completely wiped out!" He declared, wincing the moment the words left his mouth and furrowing his face in regret.

Minda's eyes darted toward Zosimos. Silence descending on the group.

"D-Dioros?" Zosimos said, stepping forward, "W-what are you talking about, old friend? N-no, that c-can't be. I would've h-heard about it..."

Val stood up. Her eyes widened in disbelief. "That's impossible; when did this happen?"

As Minda hurried to Zosimos' side, Taizhen dropped onto a chair; his gaze lost on the floor. "A few weeks ago."

Val furrowed her brow. "Weeks? This is the first we've heard of it. How did news of this massacre not reach us bef—?"

"Y-you m-must be mistaken, s-surely it can't have b-been Dioros. I-it is protected by the f-full m-might of the M-Merifin House," Zosimos stammered in shock.

"Not anymore," Taizhen replied gravely. " Skolheg gained control of it a few months ago. Lord Lyrin helped them secure the post. The city was left undefended for three days." The mask covering Taizhen's face dissolved, angst all over it, "Miscommunications during the transition, they declared," he said, spitting the words.

"G-gods," Zosimos mumbled, his arms falling to his sides.

"A day is all it took for the beasts to wipe out all our people," finished Taizhen, defeated.

"Who's covering this up? Is it my f— Aurelius' doing??" Val asked.

"Obviously," Taizhen confirmed. "We all suspect it was planned, but there's no proof. With almost everyone gone, Skolheg will rebuild, bringing his own people."

"D-did anyone..." asked Zosimos, his voice but a whisper.

"I've only heard back from one of my friends," Taizhen said in distress, his voice trembling with anger.

Zosimos turned away, somber, and dashed out, exiting through the door. Minda followed behind.

Val gritted her teeth. "How are the other houses reacting?"

"They're not," Taizhen replied, "The ones that may know are too busy. It's not just the West that is in chaos."

Val remained silent for a minute, pondering Taizhen's revelations, "What are you proposing?" she finally asked.

"We need y—"

"That's not an option," Val said firmly. "Suggest an alternative."

Taizhen remained pensive for a few seconds, "You could stay here and keep this area under control. I'm sure Az—I mean, Thassos will need your help in the coming months. Send me both the girl and the boy; they'll be safer in the Academy, far from the coastline. I'll personally give the boy a card. He can earn his way up, just like your son did."

Val's mask of indifference melted for a second, revealing traces of deep sorrow. As Taizhen blinked, surprised, the sorrow vanished. By the time his eyes reopened, Val's familiar veil of impassivity was restored, her thoughts hidden once again.

"You're not taking Nyk; he's not ready."

"What about the girl?" Taizhen asked, his eyes looking intently at Val.

"The girl almost lost her father; she's not going anywhere." She responded, her voice like steel.

"I desperately need the girl, Valerie. She could be the key." Taizhen implored, desperation evident in his voice.

Val's eyes widened. The Research

"T-to our survival." He added quickly.

Val narrowed her eyes, pondering.

A minute passed, and Taizhen calmly looked around the room, waiting for her decision while casually tapping his finger against the chair repeatedly.

"I'll let you speak with her," Val finally declared. "But if she doesn't want to go, she stays. You won't force her away from her father into an academy just because you claim she has a Green card."

"Alright," Taizhen conceded, "Let me speak with the girl; I'll convince her that her help is needed."

"And you'll need Thassos' consent," Val added.

Taizhen raised an eyebrow. "When will he wake up?"

"In a month," Val replied.

Thassos coughed behind them, shifting in his bed, and Taizhen couldn't help but smile.

"Val, I'm not blind," Taizhen stated, pointing at a tiny flask on the table on his left. The small bottle sparkled under the lamp, its silky golden contents reflecting the light. "He'll be up in what, two days?" he said, his voice lax.

Gritting her teeth, Val corrected, "Two weeks."

"I can't stay here that long." Taizhen swallowed nervously, "I'll speak with her before leaving, and she can tell her father if he wakes up. Regardless, I'll send someone with a note for Thassos as soon as possible."

"That sounds fair" Val nodded in agreement.

"I'll arrive at the Academy in a week and send someone with instructions to pick her up in two once I convince the rest of the board of her relevancy," he suggested.

"Fine," Val Conceded. "I won't get in your way if you can convince her, but I'll speak with her before you do," she declared, "Deal?"

A smile tentatively formed on Taizhen's lips. "Deal."

"Before we proceed," Val commanded, her gaze piercing Taizhen's, "Tell me, What other secrets has my father been keeping hidden?"