Night had already fallen, and in the meeting room of the mansion, the seven heroes of Taratios gathered along with their respective commanders, both local and visiting.

  The room was lit by tall candelabras that cast long shadows across the polished stone walls. The atmosphere was solemn; the air itself felt heavier than usual.

  Garbard began the meeting from the head of the table, placing both hands on the dark wood. Soon, they started discussing the recent events and the actions that had already been carried out.

  “Well,” Rowan began in a firm voice, “I will start this meeting by reporting everything that has happened in the city of Taratios.

  As our suspicions indicated… there were many clandestine operations trying to take advantage of this unstable period to carry out criminal acts and acts of betrayal.”

  Rowan pressed his hands harder against the table.

  “According to the results delivered by Lucían, several noble families who were removed from their positions hid fortunes before the end of the civil war, the one that ended with their bloodlines destroyed.

  Some of them began offering those fortunes to new noble families… and to others who had declared themselves neutral at the time, with the goal of attempting another coup.”

  Rowan lifted his gaze toward Garbard.

  “As Lord Garbard predicted, we were able to detect these maneuvers in time.

  And thanks to the swift actions of the soldiers under Eldric’s command, we managed to stop most of them before they could act.”

  “It was also wise to bring the queen and the princess to Cautares,” Liora added calmly. “After all…”

  “Several assassination plans were found targeting both the queen and the princess,” Eldric interrupted in a grave tone.

  “Especially… against her.”

  The atmosphere grew more tense. Some expressions hardened.

  “We found clear evidence that some of Isadora’s cousins in Filiagoria were planning to eliminate my wife so they could present themselves as candidates for the title of queen,” Rowan continued with calculated coldness.

  “They certainly have an advantage,” Garbard reflected. “In Cautares, no female heir eligible for the title of queen has been born in recent years.”

  “That can be fixed,” Ken said with a mocking smile.

  “We just put a wig on Laret and we have a new candidate. Ahahaha.”

  Three fists slammed almost at the same time against Ken’s head.

  “BE QUIET!” Redda, Enta, and Holley shouted in unison.

  “Ouch!” Ken complained, holding his head with both hands as three large bumps began forming.

  After the joke faded, the meeting resumed with greater seriousness.

  “We took a little longer than expected,” Rowan continued, “but my wife and my daughter can now return to Taratios.

  And all of you… may resume your usual duties.”

  “Oh, no…” Caria complained, crossing her arms. “I don’t want to work…”

  “Well, too bad,” Freya replied mercilessly, “because there’s a lot to do.”

  “Good,” Galen intervened, adjusting some documents. “Now that we have addressed Taratios’s internal conflict, it’s my turn to present my report.”

  Galen took out several documents and carefully placed them on the table before speaking again.

  “My last trip to the Great Cathedral of the Empire brought some developments…

  Not good ones… but at least they allowed us to better understand what is happening.”

  Galen took a deep breath.

  “I was unable to meet His Holiness, the Sacred Archon Lorsei.

  However, the recent events made it clear that something new is being planned.”

  “Is this related to what Lucían found in the Indomitable Forest?” Laret asked, narrowing his eyes.

  “Yes,” Galen nodded.

  “Very recently, a new member appeared among the Sacramental Bishops.

  Her name is Sabali.”

  The silence grew heavy.

  “Wait, wait!” Freya exclaimed.

  “Are you telling me that out of nowhere, a woman from who knows where became a Sacramental Bishop?”

  “Yes,” Galen confirmed.

  “When I met with the other archbishops, they were also quite confused by that decision.”

  Galen frowned.

  “But according to what Cesttaro told me… this girl gained the favor of the High Archon Iruel.”

  Thorian clenched his fists tightly.

  “Are you sure you can trust Cesttaro’s words?” he asked in a harsh voice.

  “I know you don’t get along with your brother,” Galen replied, “but he had no reason to give me false information.

  That was the only thing he told me… the rest I found out on my own.”

  Freya fixed her gaze on Galen, intense, almost uncomfortable.

  “I may rarely see your face,” she said slowly, “but I can see your eyes perfectly…

  And I know something happened.

  And I know you’re leaving something out.”

  Galen swallowed.

  “And I will know very well if you are not telling the whole truth, Galen.”

  Galen looked at her with obvious nervousness. He knew better than anyone how well Freya understood him.

  “Ah…” he muttered, uncomfortable. “I don’t want to go too deep into certain parts…

  Because if I say them, you, specifically, are going to get angry.”

  Everyone looked puzzled at that answer.

  “With that sentence, you just said everything,” Caria commented mischievously.

  The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  “Did something interesting happen… something that could make you jealous, Freya?”

  Freya’s eyes seemed to ignite.

  “Galen,” she said in a dangerous tone. “Do not omit anything.

  Because it could go worse for you.”

  “Ah, don’t be like that!” Galen protested. “You’re all wicked old demons!”

  Three more knocks landed at the same time, leaving Galen completely battered, now with three bumps in total.

  “And why did you hit him too, Liora?” Lucían asked curiously.

  “I felt like it,” she replied without guilt.

  “That idiot Galen owed me for the last jokes he played on me.”

  “My Lady Liora…” Enta intervened carefully. “You’re not thinking about the jokes during the Great War, are you?”

  “I can be quite resentful,” she replied calmly.

  A resigned and sore Galen lifted his head again.

  “Fine…” he said with a sigh.

  “As soon as we met with the imperial archbishops,” Galen continued, rubbing one of his bumps, “this new woman, Sabali, intercepted me.

  She tried to force conversations, unnecessary flattery… I realized immediately that she wanted to get information and manipulate me.

  So I told her I had to take a dump… and I left.”

  Everyone remained silent for a second. The scene was easy to imagine, and although the method was effective, it made several of them uncomfortable.

  “So that woman is trying to gain powerful allies…” Freya murmured with a dangerous smile.

  “Now I really want to meet her.”

  Liora glanced at her, analyzing her expression.

  “With that look on your face, the only thing I see is that at any ceremony in the Holy Empire, you will turn a diplomatic meeting into a war just to go hit that woman.”

  “I suppose it wasn’t only about a new manipulative member,” Garbard intervened, bringing the tone back to strategic analysis.

  “Now comes the detail about the recent events, right?”

  “Exactly,” Galen nodded.

  “This woman, Sabali… has something very special.

  She possesses life magic.”

  The revelation fell like a blunt strike on the table. Some leaned forward instinctively.

  “That’s extremely rare…” Laret said.

  “For a human to possess life magic…”

  “She could have elven ancestry,” Galen replied. “I don’t know.

  But one thing is clear: she impressed the High Archon because of her research.”

  “Research related to the Indomitable Forest?” Garbard asked, narrowing his eyes.

  “Yes,” Galen confirmed.

  “She experimented with her life magic and discovered a magical branch capable of helping control basic natural entities…

  Creatures without complex minds.”

  Freya clenched her teeth.

  “What a coincidence…” she said with visible tension.

  “Just like many of the monstrously strong creatures in the Indomitable Forest.”

  Everyone frowned at the same time, slowly understanding the implications.

  “Then…” Rowan said in a grave voice, “we have our internal conflicts relatively under control.

  But the Holy Empire might be planning extremely high-risk projects…”

  Rowan looked across the table, stopping at each of those present.

  “Projects where the first ones harmed would be the lords of Cautares.”

  The silence became heavy, almost oppressive.

  “Good,” Rowan continued. “The plan will remain as it is, for the good of Taratios and its people.

  When we leave here, everyone will return to their normal duties…

  but with an additional detail that we will have to report.”

  Rowan turned his head toward Freya.

  “Freya, this matter of a human using life magic…

  how could it affect us?”

  Freya exhaled slowly, thoughtful.

  “Uff… I definitely hadn’t considered this,” she admitted.

  “But if that woman is experimenting with her power and also trying to control forest beasts, she will also want to experiment with users of her same nature.”

  Freya clenched her fists.

  “Damn it…

  After I leave Cautares, I request, my king, permission to travel to the Elven Kingdom.

  They must know about this first.”

  She lifted her gaze, serious, without a trace of humor.

  “It wouldn’t surprise me if she tried to kidnap elves with life magic to test something.”

  “Granted,” Rowan replied without hesitation.

  And so, the most important points were settled and planned, one after another, while the strategic tension settled in the room.

  Rowan, still asking to speak, added:

  “In addition to this… if you have time, I would like to talk about the latest events that happened in this mansion during the last year.”

  Laret and Caria looked at him with narrowed eyes.

  “What happened in my house?” Laret asked, suspicious.

  “Nothing happens in our house,” Caria added firmly.

  “We are all happy.”

  “Oh, don’t give me that…” Rowan replied with a half smile.

  “How is it possible that a three-year-old child opened a company?

  The real estate and health project he plans to carry out is revolutionary.”

  “Hey!” Caria replied immediately. “My child doesn’t only do real estate and health things!”

  All the women present began touching their hair almost by reflex, as if remembering something they all had in common.

  Laret sighed.

  “I feel like Kael already has the power to manipulate all of you with products like the ones from this afternoon…

  Who knows what else he might be able to do.”

  “My child wouldn’t do anything wrong!” Caria protested with conviction.

  “But the last report I received,” Rowan continued, “indicates that Kael is reincarnated.”

  “Indeed,” Freya confirmed calmly.

  “From what we have managed to discover, he has faint memories of his past life.

  He is not from this world, but from another, with many similarities to ours.”

  Freya placed both hands on the table.

  “Basic things he did daily in his old world, he remembers clearly: soap, pipes, hygiene…

  because they were part of his everyday life.

  But his life as such… his family, his age, who he really was… he does not remember that.”

  Garbard nodded slowly.

  “Without a doubt, the knowledge he has managed to recover could be of great help for the technological and mental development of our world…”

  Freya stood up and looked at Laret and Caria with complete seriousness.

  “I want to use the knowledge Kael gave me to present it before the Council of Mages and Alchemists.”

  Everyone was impressed by the request.

  “What he taught you?” Caria asked, surprised.

  “Yes,” Freya replied.

  “I will present him as a wise mage alchemist who lives secluded in a cabin in Cautares, and who taught me all his studies and experiments.”

  Freya lifted her chin with determination.

  “That way, we will show these advances to the world…

  and we will be able to keep improving without exposing him.”

  “Won’t that sound suspicious?” Laret asked thoughtfully.

  “Why don’t you just say that you researched everything yourself?” Caria added.

  “Taking credit for someone else’s knowledge is the lowest thing one can do,” Freya replied coldly.

  “Kael achieved those advances even at the cost of his own suffering.

  I could never take that credit from him.”

  The parents lowered their gaze, understanding for the first time the true weight their son had carried in silence.

  “Well,” Rowan continued, returning to the topic in a calm voice, “when Kael’s business begins to operate here, depending on the results…

  if they are positive, I would love for his influence to expand to the city of Taratios as well.”

  “When Kael turns four,” Garbard added, “we will travel to the different towns of the domain to evaluate his performance.”

  Caria felt a knot in her throat. Her eyes began to water, and making a small pout, she spoke with barely contained emotion:

  “And can’t you just say he didn’t pass the bet… so he stays at home?

  I don’t want him to be away for almost a year…”

  “Oh, Caria, don’t be so dramatic,” Freya replied directly.

  “He already knows how to defend himself much better than any soldier.”

  “It’s easy for you to say,” Caria replied, crossing her arms, “because you will be with Lysandra…”

  “That’s not true,” Freya replied firmly.

  “After presenting this research… I will go to the Elven Kingdom.”

  “Ahhh?” Galen intervened exaggeratedly.

  “So you feel nothing because you are a bad mother… ruthless, torturer, exploiter, evil!”

  Freya, who was still standing, slowly turned her head toward Galen.

  Her gaze was murderous.

  The silence became uncomfortable.

  “Well,” she said with terrifying calm, “if you excuse me… I haven’t seen my husband for more than a year.

  And we need to talk in private.”

  Freya approached Galen, grabbed his clothes effortlessly, and began dragging him toward the exit as if he weighed nothing.

  “Hey, wait!” Galen protested, uselessly trying to grab the edge of the table.

  “It’s still too early! Why don’t we keep talking, sweetheart?

  My head hurts!”

  But it was already too late.

  Galen was practically abducted into the darkness of the mansion’s corridors, his voice fading into the distance, growing weaker and weaker.

  “Poor Galen…” Ken commented, unable to contain his laughter. “Ahahahahaha.”

  With a mix of pity, resignation, and exhaustion accumulated over the last months, everyone decided to end the meeting. The chairs moved softly over the stone floor as each one left the room in silence, lost in their own thoughts.

  The night fell heavily over the mansion…

  and with it, the certainty that the conflicts approaching would be far more dangerous than the ones already faced.

  The flames of the candelabras flickered with an invisible current, as if fate itself were beginning to move its pieces.

  And the board… had finally begun to move.