Even after contemplating for a while, I could not give a decent answer to Nashira’s question.

“Sorry, I don’t know what to say. All of my time and attention is focused on fighting some rotten nobles, so I haven’t really thought about what comes after. I suppose it depends on how this civil war will end and whether or not I live to see it.”

Nashira nods and says “Indeed, a daunting task lies ahead and there is no time for distractions. I will help you see it to the end.”

“Does that mean you still don’t mind being involved in this war? To be honest, I think you should reconsider. A bloodbath is guaranteed to happen at some point; probably several. Is that something you want to see?”

“I am… grateful for your concern.” There was hesitation in her response. “Nonetheless, I believe we should continue traveling together. We will both benefit from working together. There is a certain person I must find and traveling around the world will guide me toward that goal.”

Wait, I think she casually said something important just now.

“You’re looking for someone? May I know who?”

“That I do not know.” she responds without any follow-up. Anyone would be confused by this response.

“You are looking for someone who you don’t know?”

“It is a difficult thing to explain because there are some things I cannot say. I am looking for the one who can fulfill the Final Will of the Luvitar.”

“Luvitar? I don’t know the name. Could you explain?”

She pauses for a moment before answering. “Yes, however the information must be translated and subjectively interpreted to some extent. Please note that discrepancies may arise between my words and the information I am trying to convey.” I nod. Nashira closes her eyes and begins to speak in a steady, yet somber, tone. “In simple terms, the Luvitar are a race of sentient beings which perished long ago, before the dominion of humans began. They were similar in many ways but had significant physical and mental differences. I believe that humans call them demons.”

By “dominion of humans” she must be talking about the current era where humans effectively control the world. To happen before this era, it must be 1000 years and more in the past… No wonder I never heard of them. Records from that far back are scarce. There are some old stories about demons which held unimaginable power. Maybe that’s what Nashira is talking about.

“The Luvitar built a prosperous civilization which eclipsed all others at the time. Records indicate that they are the first to discover the power of magic and invent what is currently known as chaos magic. They also created the first magic catalysts. The crystalline pillars you witnessed in the chasm near my home were originally magic catalysts made by them. Now, they are mere ruins, a reminder that the Luvitar once existed.” Although calm, her voice is unmistakably sad as if she is recounting the death of a friend.

“How is this related to the person you are searching for?” I inquire.

Without opening her eyes, Nashira continues to speak. “The greatest strength of the Luvitar was their prescience, the ability to ‘see the future’. They were able to predict the demise of their civilization, but were unable to avoid it. For this reason, they decided to leave behind a message of sorts.”

She stretches out her left hand with the palm open upwards as if she is holding something. As I’m wondering what this is supposed to mean, a strange symbol appears on her palm. It is made up of black dots interconnected by lines which gradually appear and shine with magical energy. Nashira’s mana quickly accumulates in that spot as if a spell is being cast. The symbol begins to move around her palm like a living drawing. It slowly twists and turns in a complex pattern, converging into a smaller area. Seeing this reminds me of the mechanism in an intricate lock. It’s like all the different pieces are sliding into place to open something. The phenomenon stops and the light disappears, leaving behind a small black cube that materialized out of empty space. Its surface is covered with straight, greenish lines and interconnected dots similar to the ones that appeared on Nashira’s palm. The unusual object has its own distinct aura which I remember feeling somewhere before.

She finally opens her eyes. “This is the legacy of the Luvitar, their Final Will. It contains a message sealed by a mechanism which can only be opened by the one whom is meant to receive it. The Will responds when brought into contact with mana. By bringing it near a person’s aura, I can tell if that person is the recipient.”

“I remember you wandering around the camps a few times… Were you testing people with this object?”

“Yes, but the Final Will did not react according to expectations, so I will keep searching.”

“Does this have something to do with your magic research? What is your relationship to this dead civilization you mentioned?”

“The Luvitar have all perished and the delivery of the Final Will was left to me. More than that, I cannot say.”

It seems like she knows but doesn’t want to say. This isn’t the first time this happened and I won’t press the issue further. A mage is entitled to his or her secrets. Setting aside whether or not I believe this story, there is something I should clarify first. The timing is a bit strange.

“Why are you telling me this now?”

“I do not believe it is coincidence that you arrived on my doorstep under the Olympus Mountains. You are the only one who discovered that facility since it was first constructed 347 years ago. At first I hoped you are the person I am looking for. When tested, the Final Will did not respond to your presence, so I must keep searching. Even so, I believe there is a reason for our meeting.”

Ah, I see what she’s implying here.

“You believe I will lead you to the destination?” I ask. Nashira nods bashfully. “Well, that could happen. Do you have some idea what the recipient looks like? Man or woman?”

“Unfortunately, I do not know what the Luvitar saw and the information I have is not so specific. The recipient is almost certainly human, but I cannot say if he is male or female or what his appearance is. I use the pronoun ‘he’ out of convenience but it could be a woman or a young child. The recipient’s birthplace is close to mount Olympus.”

“How close?”

“No more than a few hundred kilometers away.”

“That’s pretty vague… Do you have a time frame? What if he isn’t born yet or has already died?”

Nashira frowns slightly at my remark. “That which is fated cannot be easily changed. The Law of temporal inertia states that even a seemingly random event like an encounter between two people is inexorable. I apologize that I cannot go into more detail. This is a subject that was well understood only by the Luvitar due to their prescient ability. With that said, I ask that you do not carelessly divulge any of this information. I do not possess a prescient ability. If fate changes in unfavorable ways, it is possible that I will never encounter the recipient of the Final Will and this will render my efforts meaningless. That is the reason why I was given little information to act on. It is to avoid inadvertently changing future events. If one’s goal is to preserve a certain fate, having too much information becomes a detriment.”

It made sense for a while, but now she’s lost me. It’s the middle of the night and we’re short on time so I’ll leave it at that. If we keep going much longer, someone might notice that Nashira is missing from the campsite. That would cast more suspicion upon us.

Setting aside the time alteration stuff, it sounds like her mission boils down to wandering from place to place until she trips over the person she’s looking for. It’s a pretty weak plan considering that it was made by a group of beings that could see the future, whatever that means. Had it come from someone other than Nashira, I would not have believed any part of this story. I should at least reward her honesty by taking it seriously.

“Do you mind if I take a look at the Final Will?” I ask while pointing to the cube in her hand. She nods affirmatively and hands it to me.

I light up the mana crystal in my other hand for better vision. The first thing I notice is that the cube is impossibly smooth. The rock-solid surface feels like a liquid to the touch. Despite that, it doesn’t reflect any of the light coming from the mana crystal. Looking closely at it, the cube is tiny. It’s only a few centimeters across. The inside is opaque and the material composition is unidentifiable. It doesn’t seem to be a metal, a crystal or any mineral that I know of. In short, I have no idea what this object is or how it was made. My curiosity is piqued.

“You mentioned there’s a message of some kind in here?”

“Yes. It contains a message from the Luvitar to the one who can open it.”

I examine every side and corner. There is no sign of any opening. The symbols covering its surface emit mana in the way a magical glyph would. It’s probably some kind of spell but I can’t guess any more than that without conducting some tests. At least it doesn’t seem dangerous.

“Hmmm… I understand most of what you explained so far, but I’m not sure how to react. Is there something you want?”

“I only wish to follow wherever your journey may lead. I will not demand more than that” she says with complete openness.

That’s it? As usual, Nashira is too humble for her own good. It’s endearing in a way, but it does bother me a bit when she acts like she’s indebted to me.

“There’s no need to even ask. I don’t know what you think of me, Nashira, but I consider you a dear friend whom I owe a great deal. It would be my pleasure to assist the legendary Chaos Mage in any and all things.” I affirm my thoughts while returning the black cube to her. She receives it with a bashful smile.

<><><><><><><><><><>

Nashira returned to the campsite shortly thereafter, leaving me alone with the unconscious Count.

Nothing to do now but wait.

I sit down on the grass and meditate without any disturbance. A few hours later, I get up and return to base as the sun peeks over the horizon. Olsen is awake now and can walk normally. It seems like my approach worked since he makes no attempt to fight or escape even though I haven’t restrained him. Of course, this doesn’t mean I will let down my guard. Even if I persuaded him to cooperate, there’s no telling how long it will last.

We return through the abandoned villages outside of town, taking a different route than before. Our destination is Zamora’s camps, but we first make a detour and arrive at a grassy clearing where someone I know is awaiting my arrival.

“Captain, I’ve brought an unexpected guest. Might I introduce you to Count Olsen Faustina, lord of Tyrin?” A few wrinkles appear on Asher’s bothered face.

“You never seem to run out of surprises, pleasant and otherwise. Wasn’t your plan a little bit different?”

“It was, but things went more smoothly than anticipated. When the opportunity presented itself, I took the Count along with me.”

“How did you both get out of the castle?”

“I simply used the right tool for the job.”

I deliver a concise report of the night’s events including the confrontation with Commander Vitus Severa. He raised an eyebrow when I mentioned teleportation but my explanation was enough to satisfy him. He is well-informed on matters concerning Amisos, probably more than me. It’s publicly known that Amisos Magic Academy teaches, or at least used to teach teleportation magic. Therefore it’s not strange that one of their students would be able to use it. I leave out certain details such as the personal talk between me and Count Olsen, which he was warned in advance to keep silent about. Asher listens to my report all the way through without interrupting.

“I see. This is why the famous commander came to us earlier…” he adds at the end.

“You mean Vitus Severa?”

“Yes, he arrived just before dawn with only a small group of loyal soldiers. He is speaking to our own commanders right now.”

<><><><><><><><><><>

It turns out that Vitus showed up peacefully as requested and engaged in dialogue with Zamora’s officers. It was a bit early but no problems arose. Using the Treaty of Talab to appeal to his honor was the right move.

According to Asher, he could not take part in the talks due to Bloodmoon’s nature as a secretive, special military unit that the kingdom won’t openly discuss. The task was left to the army commanders who will relay the information to Asher at the first opportunity. It is a convoluted system. Bloodmoon has an essential role among Zamora’s forces but they must act behind the scenes. Its activities are known only to a few people among the 1500 we travelled with. Its leader has direct ties to King Hamal, meaning he has a lot of authority. However, this authority is not officially recognized by the military’s chain of command. He has authority but at the same time he doesn’t. It’s a weird self-contradiction that came about as a result of Bloodmoon’s secrecy and Zamora’s politics.

Count Olsen is an important aspect of the ongoing dialogue, so we return immediately to the camps.

“Captain, just so you know I actually hate politics so I’m hoping you won’t order me to attend.”

Asher chuckles at my remark. “Weren’t you the one who made this outcome possible?”

“I simply acted in the best interest of Zamora and its allies. A battle against Tyrin is unnecessary and irrational.”

“We also share that opinion. Don’t worry, your efforts won’t be in vain. You should go and rest now. You’ve earned it.” The captain turns to Olsen and says “Lord Faustina, please come with me. Your presence is required.”

And so we part ways. The two head toward a large tent in the middle of the camps while I return to my spot to get some shuteye. It was a long and exhausting night.

-----------------------------------

Later that day, Vitus Severa along with Count Olsen Faustina and several of King Hamal’s representatives exited the large tent after an extensive debate. The negotiations achieved the result that Rigel and Asher had hoped. Both parties agreed to a peaceful resolution using the Treaty of Talab as the basis. The most important terms of the agreement are:

1) Both parties must cease hostilities

2) Any prisoners of war on either side will be released as soon as possible, including Olsen Faustina

3) Tyrin will grant access to the town and re-establish trade and communication with the South

4) Zamora will not harm or steal from the town and its surroundings

5) Final details of this agreement will be negotiated with King Hamal directly

The outcome is slightly unfavorable for Tyrin. There are several reasons for this.

First, the countship of Tyrin is, objectively speaking, in a dangerous position. With a civil war raging in the kingdom and uncertain allegiances being formed between lords, making an enemy out of Zamora only worsens the danger. Tyrin on its own could defeat the small army outside their walls, but this victory would come with serious losses of life and resources on both sides.

Second, this victory would be short-lived. King Hamal is approaching with the main army from the south-eastern end of the Olympus Mountain Range. Numbering ten to twelve thousand soldiers and equipped with siege weapons, they are in a different league than the small force currently outside the walls. Both Count Olsen and the veteran commander, Vitus Severa, know that Tyrin has no chance if they are attacked.

I already knew this, yet I hoped that the other clans would come to fight once they heard about the invasion… My daughter also…

Olsen’s wishful thinking combined with the fear of what may happen to his family and missing daughter led him to turn against Zamora. Tyrin’s location is a significant detour from the path toward Delos, so it’s not impossible that Hamal would ignore it and go straight toward the capital. If not for last night’s events, Olsen would’ve continued to hold on to this hope. Vitus Severa and the other officials are quite loyal to him and would follow the order even if it wasn’t ideal.

The final reason for the peaceful resolution is, of course, Rigel’s actions. They left a powerful impact on the Count and his vassal. After his defenses proved useless, Olsen became painfully aware of how much he overestimated his own position. More doubts surfaced after seeing Rigel’s true identity, which showed that Olsen was more ignorant of Delos’ situation than he thought. With all of these facts gathered before them, Tyrin’s leadership had little choice left but to accept the terms. Future historians will note that this is the best result Tyrin could obtain at this time.

Before returning to town, Commander Vitus Severa left a final remark for Zamora’s officers. “This may sound inappropriate after what happened, but I want to thank the man who infiltrated Tyrin castle last night for sparing the lives of my men. If you happen to know who he was, please pass along the message. May the fortunes of war be with you all!”