Chapter 1613: Another Place

When Erend returned to the real world after speaking with Veyrun, he found Adrius, Lysander, and Sylmira still gathered in the same place, discussing. Their expressions showed deep concentration and their conversation grew increasingly intense.

Adrius occasionally referred to the notes on his hands, Sylmira pointed out details, Lysander listened before offering his own interpretations. They didn’t seem to have reached a conclusion yet.

Erend approached them without interrupting immediately, taking a moment to observe their discussion before finally speaking. "I think it would be better if we continued this somewhere else. We might be able to think more clearly if we move away from this place."

The oppressive Magic permeating the land made it difficult to feel comfortable, the unnatural atmosphere weighed on his mind. Discussing something that required careful thought in this environment didn’t seem wise.

Adrius glanced at him before looking toward the surrounding buildings. He seemed to consider the suggestion for a moment, then nodded. "That might be a good idea."

"I agree," Sylmira said.

"Do you have somewhere in mind?" Lysander asked.

"Your master’s chamber should be okay," Erend replied, turning toward Adrius. "You can continue there and compare everything you’ve found without having to worry about this place."

Adrius nodded and began forming a portal. The three Archmages prepared to step through, but Erend remained where he stood, drawing their attention.

"There’s something I need to take care of first," he explained. "I have to return to my world and report what happened here."

Adrius understood immediately and gave him a brief nod.

Erend acknowledged their words before creating his own portal.

One by one, the three Archmages passed through the opening Adrius had created and the portal closed behind them.

Erend then stepped into his own portal and returned to his world.

From the tallest building in the city, where the council’s headquarters stood above the surrounding structures, Erebus watched the place where the four had vanished.

His expression was solemn, his eyes lingered on the empty space. He had observed their movements from above. He couldn’t tell if their decision to leave meant they had discovered something useful or simply reached the limits of what they could accomplish for the day. Either way, he found it difficult to feel optimistic.

Perhaps they will discover something useful, he thought. But if they fail as well, he couldn’t waste any more time.

—

Erend emerged from his portal and returned to the military base on his world. The familiar surroundings offered a welcome contrast to the oppressive atmosphere of that city.

He had information to report, and the sooner the others understood the situation, the sooner they could consider what it might mean for their own plans.

After arranging a meeting, Erend gathered Adrien, Billy, and several other members of the group in a briefing room.

They had already known that he was investigating the situation in another world, but they did not yet receive the details.

When Erend entered, the people waiting around the table turned toward him, and their expressions became serious.

Erend took a seat and began explaining what had happened in that city.

He described the cursed district, the inhabitants who suffered from severe mutations, the unnatural energy that had spread throughout the area.

He also explained that the local council had spent decades trying to dispel the curse without success, leaving the people of the district trapped in their terrible condition. That was why Erebus had come to their world to look for another place for their people to live.

He kept his report focused on the most important details.

As Erend spoke, Adrien leaned forward with his hands clasped on the table, listening closely.

Billy remained quiet beside him, while the others exchanged occasional glances as the details became increasingly disturbing.

The fact that the curse had resisted decades of effort was troubling.

"So this isn’t just a case of corrupted Magic spreading through a city," Adrien said once Erend had finished describing the situation. "Hmm... I suppose if it were that simple, the people there should have found some way to contain it after all these years."

"That’s what makes it strange," Erend replied. "The energy doesn’t behave the way we’d expect. The Archmages found signs that suggest the curse affects the entire environment."

Billy frowned as he considered the information and said. "The council there has been dealing with this for decades without figuring out the cause? What exactly have they been doing all this time?"

"Trying different methods to dispel it, from what I understand," Erend answered. "But none of them worked. The people in charge are desperate, and I don’t think they have much faith that we’ll find anything different."

"Can’t really blame them for that," Adrien said after a moment. "If I spent decades watching people suffer while every attempt to save them failed, I’d probably have trouble trusting someone who arrived claiming they could help."

"Erebus certainly doesn’t make it easy," Erend replied, recalling the man’s cold attitude. "He’s impatient and clearly doesn’t trust outsiders. But I can understand why he’s become that way. He’s been living with this problem for a long time, and he doesn’t have many options left."

The room fell quiet for a moment as everyone considered the situation.

"Then bringing in the Archmages was the right decision," Adrien said at last.

Erend nodded. "That’s what I’m hoping for. They’ve only completed their preliminary investigation, so they haven’t reached any conclusions yet. They’re going to continue their work in Adrius’s chamber, where they can compare their findings properly."

Billy leaned back in his chair, his expression still thoughtful. "Let’s hope they find something. Whatever is happening over there, it sounds like those people have been waiting for an answer for far too long. And hopefully it won’t come to the invasion."

"Yeah..." Erend replied with a sigh, his voice growing more solemn. "The longer this continues, the more people will suffer."

Adrien gave him a firm nod, accepting that there was little they could do until the investigation produced more information.

The meeting continued for a while longer as they discussed the implications of Erend’s report and considered whether the situation might develop into a larger threat.

For now, however, they agreed that the best course of action was to let the Archmages continue their investigation and wait for Erend to bring back more concrete findings.

—