"An Apostle?" repeated Cale in wonder. "Are you speaking about the Three Gods Faith?"

The Eldest slowly opened his eyes again, but continued to hold Cale's warm hand as he spoke on.

"Correct. In the Three Gods Faith, they speak of the world being created by the three powerful gods, Parelthon, Parousia and Mellontikos. They are the ones who keep the world in balance. The Apostles are their children, who have received a part of the mana of the gods to be able to help in the protection of the world. Apostles who prove themselves worthy receive the ability of immortality. Should your current body decay, you will be reborn in a new body."

Nodding in agreement, Cale said. This much he already knew. That was why caution had been exercised toward Philippa, for she had also been a member of that faith community in the past. She would immediately draw a connection to the old stories, but how she would handle the information, Cale did not know. In fact, he had considered telling his friends about the time loop quite a few lifetimes ago. But he couldn't risk the four of them becoming suspicious of him.

"The faith has a true core. The Apostles exist, even if they are not immortal. They are the magicians who have passed through the 3rd stage. Contrary to what is told, mages must be chosen by the gods themselves and sacrifice their humanity for this gift."

"So we're really not human?"

"No. We High-Magicians are all beings who carry the gift of the gods within us. Once we give up our humanity, we become a demi-god."

The statement turned Cale's stomach. It was quite vain to claim to be a demi-god. But what exactly did that mean to them? It was said that 3rd stage mages would absorb nature into themselves. Does that mean that the nature in this statement refers to the gods? Considering the circumstances, this could well be true; the gods were the beginning and the end of the world.

"Do you remember what I told you regarding my inspiration during the 3rd trial? Leuen, I am already 289 years old. When I became an Apostle over 200 years ago, I was 63 years old."

Dumbfounded, Cale looked at the man.

"You are 289 years old?", he repeated after a moment's pause. The Eldest had already known what was going to happen to Altona and the world for over two centuries?

A brief nod of agreement was given to him. The grip on Cale's hand loosened and the Eldest took a step back. He seemed to enjoy the cold air for a moment before looking down at Cale.

"It took more than 10 years before I met another Apostle, Aaron Thopas. Together with him, I founded the Magistrat at that time."

Cale's amazement increased many times over from one moment to the next. He knew that Aaron and the Eldest had known each other for quite a while... but almost two centuries? And Aaron was something like the founder of the Magistrat? Didn't that necessarily mean that Aaron was also extremely old and if that was true, why was he only the 3rd seat? Why had Grischa been given the 1st seat?

"What about... about the other High-Magicians? Are they also as old as you?"

The Eldest shook his head.

"Sefra Risztus, Rangar Castero and Odin Ander are the only ones close to our age. The three of them would also have to be over 150 years old. Only the four of us know the story behind our longevity. The other 8, including you, have only joined in the last few decades. I didn't know what triggered there to suddenly be so many of us, but given what's about to happen, I guess the gods are really trying not to let the world end."

Inevitably, Cale's gaze landed on Grischa. Aaron and he might look the same age, but the 3rd seat was probably 200 years older than his friend. The fact that their looks didn't change anymore had to be really true.

"How did Grischa make it to your council and get the 1st seat? And why weren't we told that a long life awaited us?"

Cale watched as the Eldest took a seat back in the chair, leaned back and closed his eyes. You could tell the man was exhausted.

"Each of us had an inspiration, including Risztus. She had told us then that she only approached us because she was looking for Vonstetten... who was not alive at all at that time. According to her, Grischa Vonstetten will lead the Magistrat after my demise, so I gave him the position as the 1st seat of the Magistrat", the Eldest calmly explained. At the statement, Cale inevitably winced. Sefra had such an insight? What about the others? Had they all seen in some way what the world would face in the coming years? And the Eldest had accepted that the gods had found a successor for him? Without any back talk? "We deliberately didn't tell you anything. You are all quite young, we thought that in time you would figure it out on your own and ask us. After a certain point, you would have wondered why you didn't age anymore."

The Eldest opened his eyes, looked at the ceiling for a moment and then looked at Cale.

"When I think about it like this.... I now understand why you are still aging. I've always wondered why you didn't seem to be affected by that rule and thought that you were using your shape-shifting to present yourself as an adult. There was even a time when I thought you had been a 10-year-old child for dozens of years until I found out about your origins", the Eldest murmured thoughtfully, staring downright at Cale. "You received your Igrikum at 25, didn't you? Have you never grown older?"

"Yes, I have. In my fourth life, I was killed at 98. In the other times, I also grew comparatively old."

"You never wondered about your looks?"

Cale fell silent at the statement. He hadn't.

"No, not until now. I always thought it was a result of my death at 25, not that I was an Apostle", he finally explained. For a moment, the Eldest laughed in amusement before closing his eyes again. Cale slumped backward on his bed, letting the cold wind slide across his face as well.

"How abstruse. Why didn't you seek us out sooner?"

"How? You all died after the 2nd wave, except for Grischa and Sefra. I knew of their survival, but after a certain point they were more legends than personalities that you get to see often. I never paid attention to the fact that they might have actually been alive."

"Were they... killed by this Kormandent?"

"I don't know, quite possibly. I was only in Exarion once during the second wave and didn't really pay attention to who killed them. But now, I wouldn't rule it out", Cale explained, thinking back to his second life when he watched his friends meet an early death because of his mistake. In the lives to come, therefore, he had been apathetic about them leaving Exarion early, ignoring the consequences for the residents of Altona. "If the stories are true, what exactly am I?"

"An Apostle worthy in the eyes of the gods", the Eldest gave to voice, almost asking.

"However, I have always woken up in my own body, and not in the present either, but in the past."

"You don't have to take the belief literally. Over the centuries, the statement could have been distorted", the man explained. Fixated, Cale stared at the ceiling as he let the statement sink in.

As if the Eldest could read Cale's mind, he spoke up again.

"What happened in your first life that you received the favor of the gods?"

"I don't know. I was a normal human before I came to Exarion as an Anuxer with my group. While I knew I had potential to be a mage as well, I never really learned magic until I was in Frignez. Altona was overrun and completely destroyed in my first life during the second wave of attacks", Cale recounted, straightening up in the same breath. "Sefra had taught me some magic back then, she had also fled to Frignez after the collapse. Three years later, the third wave of attacks reached us. With some luck, my group and I escaped it and we landed on the Holy Isle of Velence. We challenged the Dragon Queen, who killed us all. That's where I had my 3rd trial and insight back then, before I was sent back in time."

You could hear the Eldest wanting to say something back, but thinking for a moment before speaking up.

"You knew all these years what was going to happen?"

"Yes. That's also why I prepared the Exarion for an attack", Cale explained, gesturing with his finger to the stack of books to his right. "The Chronicles of Creature Lore were written by me, Eldest."

"Is that so?"

"I was the one who suggested to Yusuf to teach his students about it", Cale continued, without elaborating on the astonished statement. "Improved quality of life in the city and the protective bunkers under it were also my idea. I even initiated the cooperation of Sylve and Altona. I bought an island in Sylve a few weeks ago. In the past, Grischa had used it to build the new Magistrat there. My original plan was for Grischa to begin developing the flight crystal over the next few months. At that time, he developed the crystal after traveling on foot became impossible. In the future I experienced, ships took over the sky. I wanted to use this technology to keep trade alive between Altona and Sylve."

"Flying ships?", the Eldest interjected, but Cale didn't get around to explaining more to him. The two High-Magicians noticed two figures approaching the apartment. Nora must have found Yusuf and should show up at their place any moment. Therefore, Cale stood up, closed the window behind him and strode past the Eldest, who was putting on his jacket.

Wordlessly, he followed Cale down the stairs as he undid his hair. Cale stopped in the reception room and opened the door with his mana. Surprised, Yusuf and Nora appeared behind it, but their gazes did not fall on Cale, but rather on the Eldest standing directly behind him.

"Am I in trouble?", Yusuf nervously interjected.

"Have you done something I should know about?", Cale threw in challengingly, causing Yusuf's gaze to shift to Cale. He didn't answer, which gave Cale pause. "Do I want to know?"

"You better not."

"Yusuf..."

"I swear it was inevitable. My students made me do it."

"Children force a grown man...", Cale raised and was about to scold Yusuf when he noticed Nora's gaze in the corner of his eye and he abruptly fell silent. "Forget it. Just don't put anyone's life in danger. Did you tell him why he's here, Nora?"

"No", the woman replied as Cale stepped aside and let his two, new guests enter.

"It's not because of my students?"

"If it was because of your students, I wouldn't be here, Sefra would", Cale threw back. "And for now, you have to promise me that what you're about to learn will be kept secret. Not like when you immediately pulled in your tail at Grischa's questioning. No. This is a state matter and you must promise me not to tell anyone about it. Do you understand me, Yusuf?"

"Understood", the blind mage replied nervously.