the one who remembers

"Zod has... what?", Loys repeated in surprise, looking up from his desk at his colleague.

Julius Venlan stood behind his desk with his arms behind his back, looking frightened, and handed him the Magistrat's summary of the attack on Groka. He hadn't gotten around to reading the letter yet because Julius had something to confess to him.

"He is the owner of Karekama, one of the three legendary swords."

"And you're sure about that?", Loys of Freigoud countered suspiciously and leaned back.

For several weeks now, the newest swordmaster had been a hot topic among the high-ranking soldiers who had the opportunity to watch him fight. Even Loys had to admit that the young father was a true natural when it came to tactics, reflexes, and control. Similar to the other swordmasters, he often dueled with Zod, but so far had not been able to win a single fight decisively. Even with all his experience, his clear physical superiority, and his targeted use of mana, Loys had never been able to win a fight, even though the blond-haired man never took victory from him.

But what Loys now heard from Julius left him speechless. Not once would he have expected Zod Adenia to have another trick up his sleeve. After all, he had always felt that their duels tended to get so out of hand that they could no longer be called duels.

"Yes, I am. I already asked him about it and saw the sword. You could feel the mana as soon as he stopped carrying it hidden on him."

"What do you mean by carrying it hidden on him? And when did you talk to him?"

"We met by chance two days ago when I had just returned from Yumerdua. Unfortunately, I don't know exactly how Sir Adenia hides it, but he truly made it appear out of nowhere. If I had to guess, I'd say it's a Karekama ability."

"The black thunder. Unnoticed until it's right in front of you", Loys repeated thoughtfully and began to laugh a few moments later. He suddenly remembered his conversations with the blond-haired swordmaster, but now they had a completely different meaning for him. "I see, that's why he said that back then."

"What did he say, if I may ask?"

"That he is not the lightning, but the thunder. It must have been a reference to Zurakekama."

"It sounds like it. Do you think Sir Adenia knows the swordmaster of Zurakekama?"

"Possibly. Perhaps there is something like a confidentiality clause among the owners of the three swords."

"He told me that he hadn't mentioned Karekama for his daughter's sake."

"Understandable", Loys confirmed Julius Venlan's statement, even though he would have come to the same conclusion himself. When it came to Gloria and Benjamin, he would probably have been similarly cautious. But then why did the Magistrat know? "Did he mention to them what his relationship to the Magistrat is?"

At that moment, there was a knock at the door and a soldier announced that a messenger was with him, bearing a message from the Eldest. Surprised, the two men exchanged glances before Loys invited the messenger in and asked Julius to answer his question.

"He didn't say it out loud, but they seem to be quite close. Sir Adenia had called High-Magician Thophas an idiot because he had mentioned his name in the documents."

"I can understand that. If he wanted to keep a low profile, that was quite a stab in the back."

"I would assume that Zod Adenia at least has the Magistrat's trust", Julius added before the door finally opened.

A muscular soldier entered, followed by a tall, elegantly dressed man with well-groomed black hair and downcast eyes. He carried nothing else with him when he took a letter from under his coat. It was the coat that made Loys jump up immediately.

"Forgive me for asking, but you are not the usual ambassador who comes to us from Altona", Julius Venlan said skeptically as Loys fell into a state of shock.

"That is correct. Due to the urgency of the matter, I am the one bringing you this message from the Eldest", the dark-haired man began politely, without rising.

"Forgive my lack of respect", Loys finally spoke up, causing Julius to give him a surprised look. "I wasn't expecting a visit from a High-Magician. My name is Duke Loys of Freigoud, and my colleague here is Julius Venlan. We are both in the direct service of Her Majesty Queen Leonhardt of Sylve."

"The pleasure is mine", replied the High-Magician politely, straightening up. His gaze remained dry and serious, which immediately made Loys wonder if he could hear the conversation. "My name is Aaron Thopas, third seat of the Magistrat of Altona."

Surprised, Julius took a step back. He had talked to Zod about Karekama just two days ago. What were the chances that the High-Magician would now appear here in Bellator without warning? The probability was close to zero!

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

"Take a seat. Can I offer you something to drink?", Loys asked.

"Thank you for the offer, but that won't be necessary. I don't plan on staying here long. My task is simply to deliver this request from the Eldest to you."

"In person?", Loys replied in surprise and took the letter from the High-Magician.

It was also the first time Loys had met High-Magician Thopas in person. Usually, it was High-Magician Odin Ander who contacted them, or the Eldest himself. Aaron Thopas was probably one of the High-Magicians he had never seen before, even though he was a member of the council.

"It was important to us... to me... that no further mistakes be made."

"Mistakes?", Loys and Julius repeated simultaneously.

"It's about Zod Adenia", the High-Magician finally admitted, pausing briefly and looking at the two men with a menacing gaze. "It was not our intention to directly name him in the report about Groka. We have heard that this has put him in an awkward position."

As he said this, he stretched out his hand and pointed to the envelope in Loys' hands. After a moment's hesitation, Loys opened it and pulled out two folded sheets of paper, written in neat handwriting and signed by the Eldest with his seal.

"We were just talking about Sir Adenia", Julius Venlan broke the silence as Loys glanced over the writing.

"Really?", Aaron replied, so that neither of the swordmasters could be sure whether the High-Magician had heard them.

"He has been training with us swordmasters for some time, so we both know him personally", Loys interjected casually. "We were talking about Karekama."

"I can understand that it must be problematic for you that an unknown swordmaster is in possession of Karekama and - on top of that - has recently started working in Bellator."

"Absolutely. Such information should have been communicated to us earlier, but by Zod Adenia himself", Loys replied without looking up. "It would probably be best if we spoke to him alone."

"Understandable", the High-Magician confirmed, lowering his gaze.

After a few moments, Loys had finished reading the message and passed it on to Julius before turning to his guest.

"High-Magician Thopas, please forgive me. This information is still relatively new to me. I cannot make any promises, but I will discuss this with our Majesty. I am confident we will reach an agreement."

"Thank you very much for your efforts", Aaron replied politely.

"Not at all", Loys replied, relieved that the High-Magician did not want to discuss the matter further. "Will you be staying in Bellator? Can we offer you accommodation?"

"I will search for Sir Adenia and then return to Altona."

"You will find Sir Adenia at the training grounds east of the palace", Loys explained immediately. He had been keeping an eye on the blond-haired swordmaster for a while, which is why he knew his daily routine. "I can show you the way."

"I'll find my way, but thank you for the offer and your hospitality."

"You're welcome", Loys replied politely and took his leave of the High-Magician.

He accompanied the High-Magician to the door and then had the palace soldiers escort him out of the building. Afterward, however, he remained standing at the open door for some time, somewhat overwhelmed by the situation so early in the morning. All events seemed to revolve around Zod Adenia at the moment, making it difficult to ignore the man and his daughter. The fact that he was now also the owner of Karekama was just the culmination of events that affected him.

"The Magistrat is quick", Julius Venlan said, interrupting Loys' thoughts and prompting him to lock the door again.

"What do you mean?"

"I spoke to Sir Adenia about it just two days ago. He must have discussed it with the High-Magicians that same evening or the next morning, otherwise it would have been a little too fast, don't you think? Normally, it takes a good two weeks to get from Bellator to Exarion."

"Except for the mages, who can cover the distance in a few days. From what I've heard from High-Magician Ander, he can also travel between the cities in 3 to 4 hours", Loys explained, having only heard this information once in passing from High-Magician Ander.

"That fast?"

"It makes you really jealous, doesn't it? Being able to move that fast must be a dream come true."

"I forgot that mages can fly like birds", Sir Venlan replied casually, folding the documents after reading them as well. "But how did the news get to Altona so quickly? As far as I know, we don't have any High-Magicians here."

"That's a question only Sir Adenia or High-Magician Thopas can answer."

"Have you had much contact with the Magistrat so far?", Julius asked cautiously, handing the documents back to Loys, who neatly placed them back in the envelope.

"Rarely. Only when it came to foreign policy issues such as the border or trade, otherwise it's pretty quiet on their part. I only got to meet the new High-Magicians once, a few years ago, at an anniversary celebration in Exarion."

"Probably not High-Magician Thopas, from the sound of it."

"I saw him for the first time today. It must have been quite important to him that he appeared here in person. Otherwise, he prefers to refrain from conversations. Although I have been told by the Chiefs that he is generally a very neutral and taciturn man."

"I had the same impression", replied Julius Venlan, adjusting his coat. "I must be on my way to see the princes. If there is any news, please let me know."

"Of course, see you later", replied Loys, but before he remembered that Julius had something to confess to him, Julius took his leave with a brief bow.

Loys remained silently in the empty room, grabbed his chair, and sat down. He stared at the documents in his hands for a moment before turning the chair slightly and looking out the window.

For the past few days, he had been preoccupied with little else but the children who were constantly disappearing. He had spoken to people from all over the country and it appeared that small children had been disappearing in Mornet for a good six years. The fact that Bellator was now also affected was something that had only become known at the end of last year. Therefore, he was paying even more attention to the safety of the princes and his own son, because they had no idea how or where the children were disappearing to.

The morning duel was therefore always a time when he could clear his head, and since he was able to duel with someone as strong as Zod, he inevitably had to concentrate on the fight, so that he could at least temporarily forget about his work. Now, learning that the blond-haired father had not even used his full strength made him feel a little sad, even though he could understand him well. He had gotten involved with Zod Adenia far too quickly, mainly because he was a very open and honest man.

At least, he seemed like one.