“That shouldn’t be possible,” Alex said with full disbelief. “To have all three energies coexisting in your body is something I’ve never even heard about. It’s either you’re a mage and a spirit contractor or an aura user and a spirit contractor. Never all three.”

  “Well, I’m living proof of it, right? I mean, how else would I be able to use all three?” Tucker asked.

  “I’ve never even seen you use magic.” Alex countered.

  “Ah, that’s because I can only store mana and direct the flow of it. I can’t use any meaningful spells until I form my second circle,” Tucker commented with a grin. “But if it counts, I can use one spell.”

  “Really, like what?” Alex asked.

  “Oh, you know, a basic spell with a single ring that can transfer mana.”

  “Is the single ring a repetition ring or an enhancer?”

  Tucker grabbed the collar of his white robe and shook it a few times, before mumbling, “It’s… ahem… a timer.”

  Alex blankly looked at Tucker, who held both of his thumbs up before deeply exhaling. “You’ve got to be fucking with me. That’s awful.”

  “Oh come on, it’s not that bad.” Tucker held out his hand and revealed the ring surrounding the magic circle that slowly ticked away. “If I’m the first individual you know that can use all three, surely that just shows how unique I am, right?”

  “I mean…” The veteran made a strained expression as he sucked the air through his teeth. Clenching his jaw at the rookie’s words with a bit of awkwardness. “Yeah… let’s go with that.”

  “It’s true! I actually have a lot of unique traits besides this.”

  “For some reason, I find that hard to believe.” Alex sighed. "So how does this work then? Technically speaking, you would have to be blessed by the world to have a large mana pool."

  "Well, from what my instructor said, I had the potential to form a mana circle even when I created my aura star."

  "I see... then, you could have been a magic swordsman, but how did you form a contract with your spirit if that's the case? They typically don't establish a contract with someone if they are a magic swordsman because spirits drain either aura or mana to replenish their essence if they aren't in the spirit realm."

  "Honestly, your guess is as good as mine. I have no clue." Tucker shrugged his shoulders and forced a weak smile. "All I know is ever since I formed a contract with Gale, I couldn't form a new aura star or create another mana circle."

  "Makes sense; after all, the conversion of essence from aura and mana takes a toll on one's body, so it could provide some hindrance." Alex nodded with a subtle interest. "How do you feel? Is there any strain on your body?"

  "Nope, none whatsoever."

  "Have you gone through a pain tolerance test? Should we try one now?"

  "No, no, I'm good. I honestly don't feel any strain, and if you're wondering, that's why I got into the Order without meeting the requirements."

  "I see... and I'm guessing you're supposed to report on it after each mission for any potential changes."

  "Exactly, but so far, I haven't written anything crazy. Well, except this time, I'll probably add that I can create a thread of essence with Gale now."

  "Right... but that's typically normal for mid-tier spirits. Only low-tier spirits can't create threads," Alex pointed out.

  "Yes, which is why I'm constantly wondering why..." Tucker's words trailed off as he stared at Sally.

  Alex, noticing the gaze, chuckled. "You should know me by now, Tucker. I'm not one to abandon those who trust me." He motioned for them to move on from the current conversation. “We’ll need to bring Owl back to the organization to report on what he remembers.”

  “Ah…” Tucker bitterly remembered the canister that was destroyed. He played the scenario in his head multiple times. Maybe, just maybe, if he had acted sooner. He could have recovered the pages as well. “Sorry, I should have tried to get the pages as well.”

  “Don’t worry about it.” Alex glanced over at Tucker and waved his hand to the side. “There’s no point in dwelling on something that’s already happened. Besides, you made the right call following your heart. You would have probably regretted the situation even more if Owl was the one to die there.”

  “Probably. Could it be that I’m getting soft?”

  Alex’s eyes remained steady, devoid of any flicker of emotion. “You were always soft.”

  “True.” Tucker nodded. “It’s one of my many strengths.”

  The old man tilted his head to the side, with eyes filled with doubt. His deadpan expression hardened, and even though he didn’t say anything. It was clear from his body language that he completely disagreed.

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  “Come on, don’t make that face.”

  “Ah, my bad, I was just surprised how… simple-minded you are.”

  Tucker’s eyes narrowed. “Were you about to call me stupid?”

  “I would never,” Alex protested while laying back down on his bed with his eyes closed. “Also, try to keep it down; you’ll wake up, Owl.”

  “Oh, don’t bother with that. I’m already awake.” Blaire sighed and rolled over on his side to face them. “Your rookie dragged my bed, and I could feel the metal frame scrap against the stone tiles. It’s not a very pleasant feeling.” He glanced at Tucker, who clearly noticed the displeasure in his voice before dropping his shoulders and scratching his head. “I should be mad… but I’m not one to take things for granted, so thanks.”

  “Don’t sweat it,” Tucker brushed the matter aside with a grin. “These days, I’m usually saving everyone I encounter.”

  “Saving everyone you encounter?” Blaire stared at Alex and watched as he reluctantly nodded his head. “Wow… you’ve really gotten old Salamander.”

  “This bastard…” Alex frowned at Blaire and Tucker, feeling his blood rise. “Did you forget who trained you?”

  “That’s not saying much, considering how you trained practically everyone in the order,” Blaire replied.

  Tucker’s eyes widened once he heard this. He turned towards Alex with a flabbergast expression. “How old are you?”

  “That’s your question? Ah fuck it, I don’t even care anymore.” Alex covered his eyes with his hand. “I’m turning eighty-one this year.”

  “Damn.” The one word that escaped Tucker’s mouth nearly caused Blaire to snicker. While Alex felt his eye twitch in response.

  “The fuck does that mean?” Alex asked.

  “Well… you’re just a lot older than I thought.”

  “I’ll have you know, I'm a young eighty-one, you brat.”

  As Tucker grinned while leaning slightly to the side to dodge the incoming pillow. His hand moved beneath his chin. “Though, I’m surprised. I noticed everyone treats you differently, even though you’re a lower rank than them.”

  Alex rolled his eyes before leaning back against the headboard. “Sometimes it’s not about saluting the rank kid, but the person behind it.”

  Tucker’s face twisted briefly before focusing on the old man. “What does that mean?”

  “Let’s hope you don’t find out,” Blaire commented. He rose from his bed and groaned in pain while holding his wound. “Shit…” His wounds ached in agony as he fell back down. “No high-tier healing potion?”

  “Nope, the dwarves couldn’t afford to give us any.” Tucker pointed at his legs, which were heavily wrapped with bandages and straightened with a splint. “But, if they did, you’ll have to wait in line.”

  “Then… how are Mark and May?” Blaire asked.

  The other two watchmen remained silent, glancing at one another before breaking the silence. Tucker’s lips parted. “We don’t know what happened with them. When we got ambushed on the platform, May was unable to fight, so I told Mark to take her and what was left of the canister to run.”

  “What was left of the canister?” Blaire’s hands were tightly clenched by his sides. “What happened?”

  “It got half destroyed when you were ambushed. There was nothing we could have done about it,” Alex replied.

  Blaire clenched his fists. “All that work… lost in a single night.”

  “I’m sure it’s not all lost. You probably sent some information back to the Order every so often, right?” Tucker stared at Blaire, who revealed a bitter expression.

  “I did, but it just so happens the last month had crucial information that could have changed the war,” Blaire said.

  Alex crossed one leg over another. “What information was inside the canister?”

  “A list of houses and their representatives that were against the war.” Blaire sat facing the two. “It turns out the house of nobles within the Empire isn’t united in this endeavor, so with the information in the canister, there was a chance to break their unity.”

  Alex scoffed. “Then in that case, the canister isn’t as important as we thought.”

  The words that came out of Alex’s mouth caused Blaire to frown. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “It means that even if we had the canister, nothing would change,” Alex replied, shaking his head. “In the Avalon Empire, the Emperor’s word is absolute. Even if a handful of lesser nobles plot against the royal family, it wouldn’t matter with the current dukes.”

  “But it’s still a chance to turn the tide of war. We could sway them to our side,” Tucker said.

  “War between nations isn’t only about numbers. It’s about their capabilities. That’s why whenever a strong foe steps onto the battlefield. Everyone is told to run.” Alex shook his head. “Unless it’s one of the dukes, there’s not a chance in hell the war will be stopped.”

  Blaire grinned once he heard this and stared at Alex, whose expression hardened. “There is one duke that is against the war. He’s someone you’re quite familiar with.”

  Alex raised a brow. “One that I know?”

  “Yes, it’s the former Duke of Riverdale. The leading figure during the five-year war,” Blaire replied.

  “Wait, but shouldn’t that Duke be over a hundred years old?” Tucker asked.

  “Age differs depending on their mana and aura,” Alex answered. “It’s hard to guess how long someone is going to live when they pass a certain threshold. But that’s beside the point; why would the man who won against four nations be against the war?”

  “I didn’t manage to figure out the reason, but what I do know is that his family and his followers aren’t taking an active role in the war,” Blaire replied.

  “Then this means if we could arrange a meeting with him, we could possibly sway them against the Empire,” Tucker said.

  “I wouldn’t be so keen on that. His family has served the Imperial family since its founding,” Alex said.

  “If that’s the case, then why aren’t they taking part in the war?” Tucker turned to Blaire and watched as he shrugged his shoulders.

  “I had a list of meeting locations and dates all perfectly organized in the canister. The information isn’t completely trustworthy, but it was a good enough starting point with enough manpower. Though that’s all gone to shit now.” Blaire dropped his hand and sighed. “I’ll have to meet with the Administrators and discuss the next steps.”

  “Would it have made that much of a difference if we had all the contents of the canister?” Tucker asked.

  “It could have,” Blaire replied with a distant look in his eyes. “There’s no guarantee that those families are truly planning a rebellion and we would only know once we meet them.”

  “It would practically be a death sentence if those families were still loyal to the Empire,” Alex said.

  “Correct, but it’s a sacrifice that’s worth making.“ Blaire reached under the bed and retrieved his belongings. His eyes fell onto his owl-shaped medallion. “The lives of a few to save thousands if executed correctly. Just the way it’s always been for us watchmen.”

  The words that came out of Blaire’s mouth struck Tucker into silence. Like a heavy punch to the gut that took the air out of his lungs. Deep down, he knew Blaire was right, but to hear him say it with such stark coldness was appalling. It was something Tucker thought about many times, yet actually hearing someone say it was an entirely different sensation.

  “Then… how many of us do you think will live to the end?” Tucker quietly asked.

  Both of them held their words at Tucker’s question, and the deafening silence was enough of an answer.

  It was pretty good, but alas, this had absorbed my time from writing, so now my backlog has disappeared...

  I'm now back to 0 as I have fallen into word debt... I may have to lock in and enter the word mine once more.