Acelin’s words were followed by a prolonged silence among the members of the Eternal Village. Even the youngest present understood the gravity of the revelation, their gazes alternating between the enemy and Jonn.

  William finally arrived alongside the group, having caught the tail end of Acelin’s speech. He began piecing the information together with what he already knew. ’The Destroyer? Was he from the Eternal Village?’ The mage from Eldoria looked at Jonn with new eyes, feeling a strange unease in his chest as his heart seemed to beat a little differently.

  While the Destroyer was considered a war criminal by several nations, he had been a celebrated hero in Eldoria, recognized by the king himself and revered by the region’s noble houses. Some claimed he had even wielded more political influence than the king, supported by fanatical followers who spanned various families and associations spread throughout the state.

  Though decades had passed since the Destroyer retired from the Royal Army and vanished from Eldoria, his reputation endured. Even weeks ago, as William and his group departed from the capital, there were still monuments, plaques, and lingering signs around the city that honored War General Irondoom’s legacy.

  William was not among Hewet Irondoom’s worshippers, but he deeply respected the combat history of the kingdom’s legendary general. After all, a Sage was a mage of the highest order, even by the standards of pre-war Valorian, when the continent’s magical prowess was at its zenith. To be ignorant of someone so important—someone whose actions had shaped recent history not only in Eldoria but across Valorian—would be nothing short of absurd.

  Yet, as William looked at Jonn with a myriad of questions swirling in his mind—questions he would have loved to ask—he said nothing. He remained silent, giving the village leader space to determine the direction things would take from here.

  Petyr eyed Jonn, mildly surprised. While he hadn’t known the full extent of Hewet’s past, he had always suspected the old Village Elder had once been a powerful mage.

  Petyr had followed Hewet for many years, during which he saw things he couldn’t explain, heard bits of knowledge that no ordinary person could have, and even felt strange power during fleeting moments. Still, hearing that Hewet had been part of a national army, fought in a catastrophic war, and caused such large-scale destruction was an entirely new layer to the old man’s story.

  Acelin’s words might have been lies, but something deep within Petyr’s memory told him there was truth in what the merchant had said. The fragments of oddities he had seen over the years aligned too closely with the tale.

  Jonn was far more taken aback. He had seen signs that his grandfather carried a great deal of burden, but he hadn’t expected Hewet to have been this strong, nor to have had such a profound connection to the Barren Hills of Deepshadow.

  That sounds true, Jonn thought silently, his eyes drifting to the ground. The flickering light from his men’s torches cast fragmented shadows all around him, but his mind was far from the present. Grandpa always seemed weighed down by regrets… He admitted he had made many mistakes, and he chose the Barren Hills of Deepshadow as his ‘prison.’

  The memories came rushing back to him, piece by piece. He was one of the mages who helped destroy the thriving and vibrant continent that once existed before the wars…

  Closing his eyes and tilting his face upward, Jonn took a deep breath, the sheer weight of the moment pressing harder on his shoulders. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, the image of the Celestial Magnifying Glass burst vividly into his mind, its radiant shine pulling his thoughts in an entirely different direction.

  The Celestial Magnifying Glass was with him, and he understood its extraordinary value... It can be used to save the continent.

  “I see,” Jonn murmured softly, parting his lips as a spark of clarity lit up his mind. At that moment, he better understood his grandfather’s intentions—or at least part of them.

  Jonn pieced together a fragment of Hewet’s story: at some point, his grandfather must have come into possession of the Celestial Magnifying Glass. He must have unraveled both the purpose of the artifact and the catastrophic fate destined for their world. Jonn couldn’t claim to grasp Hewet’s full intent, his desires, or the efforts he made while the artifact was in his hands, but one thing became clear: at some point, the old man had pinned his hopes squarely on him.

  Lifting his gaze to the stars, now visible again in the night sky after the dust and smoke had settled, Jonn felt the memory of Hewet settle in his mind. The elder had raised him, cared for him like a son, and, for better or worse, shaped the man he had become.

  I’m certain you had your reasons, Grandpa. I won’t judge you based on Acelin’s words. I’ll carry on with my mission and do my best to repair some of the damage caused by your actions.

  Despite all the revelations swirling around him, Jonn realized that nothing had fundamentally changed. He still respected Hewet and still held true to the principles and strength the elder had instilled in him. Hewet remained, at his core, a part of who Jonn was—a father figure whose legacy was now intertwined with his own.

  Redirecting his attention to the present, Jonn refocused on the problem at hand and noticed the unsettling silence that clung to the surroundings. His eyes swept over the area before he gave a sharp glance to the side and issued an order.

  “Clear the area and follow the village’s codes,” he commanded firmly. “We’ll return to the village and move forward with our other priorities as soon as possible.”

  Half the group began moving, with some tending to superficial wounds, others taking account of the situation, and a few collecting resources scattered around.

  Petyr and William remained by Jonn’s side, close to the merchant Acelin, while the men from the village worked on gathering the survivors from the enemy camp.

  “This is bad, Jonn,” Petyr said in a low voice, turning his back to Acelin. He spoke quietly to the white-haired boy and the mage standing beside him. “This Uranius will not let this slide easily. If everything the merchant said about the old man is true,” he glanced over his shoulder briefly, “then we’re in serious trouble. Even mages stronger than Mystics might come after us!”

  “That’s a certainty,” William interjected, his expression as dark as the sky above. “If your grandfather truly was General Irondoom, forces from all over the continent will descend upon the village. In Eldoria, it’s said that the General reached level 12 before he vanished… Can you even imagine the wealth in just one of his spatial rings?”

  Jonn met William’s sharp, probing gaze and saw the unspoken question simmering in the man’s dark eyes. Without waiting for further pressure, he answered calmly, “My grandfather left me nothing. What he left was a basic spatial ring. That’s it. If I had anything valuable, I wouldn’t have been pestering you and Hank so much these past few weeks.”

  William’s eyes narrowed, his expression tightening into a grimace. Thinking back, he couldn’t deny that Jonn had been unusually inquisitive. He’d asked countless questions—questions that, to William, seemed far too fundamental for someone born into a mage’s family. On top of that, Jonn’s habits and combat techniques had clearly improved over the weeks after speaking with him and Hank. The boy’s eagerness to learn had been genuine, and his ignorance about some basic magical principles seemed almost… naive.

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  Jonn pressed on, “Until tonight, I didn’t even believe my grandfather was a low-level mage, let alone someone as powerful as Acelin’s stories claimed. So, no—I don’t have any kind of inheritance from him.”

  “That…” William hesitated, uncertainty flickering across his face. “I’m not sure if that’s good or bad. Why wouldn’t he leave anything to his own grandson? Was it to protect you? Or did he want you to carve out an alternative path for yourself?” He paused, his words growing heavier. “Either way, leaving you empty-handed might be worse than leaving you something. Enemies will come after you, regardless. If you had something—anything—to give up, it could buy you time or even save you. But if you have nothing, they’ll assume you’re hiding it, and they won’t stop.”

  William’s tone shifted throughout his words, starting with contemplative curiosity before descending into uncertainty and pessimism.

  Jonn sighed deeply before revealing, “Grandpa wasn’t my biological relative. He adopted me and raised me in the village as his grandson, but we have no blood connection. Maybe he thought I wouldn’t have any issues because of his past?” He turned his gaze to Petyr, looking for confirmation.

  “I don’t know,” Petyr replied thoughtfully. “It’s possible…”

  “I see…” William muttered, one of his suspicions now confirmed. The revelation shed some light on Jonn’s distinctive gray hair, which he had found unusual considering Hewet’s black hair. “Still, it’s unlikely that he’d be so naive. The General wasn’t known for being a simple man back in his time with the Royal Army.”

  “Do you know the story of old Hewet?” Petyr asked, his curiosity piqued. His eyes opened wider as he leaned slightly toward William.

  Hewet’s past had always been a source of mystery for Petyr, and he had rarely come across people who seemed to know about the old man.

  “Yes, a little,” William admitted, nodding faintly. “I’m from Eldoria, after all. They say General Irondoom spent decades of his life in my hometown, so there are plenty of stories about him. Many are exaggerations, rumors built over time… but most have a foundation of truth.”

  The mage shifted his expression, drawing himself up as he prepared to reveal more. But then his tone hardened slightly, returning to the pressing matter at hand. “But that’s not the most important thing right now. We need to consider the possibility that the General left behind a hidden inheritance. If he did, others will inevitably come hunting for it—and for us. We have to find it first and use it to our advantage before it becomes our undoing.”

  As William’s words sank in, Jonn remained quiet, his thoughts swirling. Then a familiar sound reverberated in his mind.

  Jonn’s eyes flickered with recognition as the system suddenly sprang to life, presenting him with a new quest!

  Already aware that new quests meant ways to not only strengthen himself but also steer his village away from destruction, Jonn found the new task to be the only silver lining in an otherwise grim evening. Yet, it wasn’t enough to erase the worried expression from his face.

  He said seriously, “Let’s do what William suggests. If we’re going to be attacked because of my grandfather’s belongings, we’d better have them in our possession. We won’t accept situations like today’s for free!”

  Petyr nodded in agreement, turning his eyes to Acelin and contemplating the enemy’s next moves. He asked the merchant, “Now that your group has fallen, what will Uranius do? Is there any chance he’ll spread the truth about old man Hewet and the Eternal Village?”

  Acelin looked at Petyr with difficulty, his face a mix of fatigue and fear. He was worried these people might not keep their promises, but he was also aware of his precarious position. He had fallen into the hands of his enemies and couldn’t change his situation quickly. Uranius was determined to get Hewet’s inheritance, which meant Acelin would soon be in the crossfire between the village and Uranius.

  Acelin’s political instincts made him realize his sensitive position, aligning him, at least temporarily, with these people. “He’s unlikely to reveal what he knows to others. He wants Hewet’s legacy for himself and won’t share it with anyone he doesn’t control. But that doesn’t mean the Eternal Village is safe. Uranius will attack your community until he gets what he wants.”

  “Even if we have nothing?” Jonn asked.

  Acelin shook his head grimly. “Jonn, you’d better have something. Otherwise, he won’t stop until he has the entire Eternal Village dead and torn apart.”

  The men nearby shuddered at the merchant’s words, an ominous chill settling over the group. The weight of the situation pressed on them, and the feeling of being cursed by something dark grew stronger with every passing moment.

  “You must have something!” Acelin repeated, his voice trembling but firm. “If you do, they’ll stop and leave as soon as they get what they’re looking for. This might be your only chance to avoid destruction!”

  Jonn stayed quiet, his sharp gaze fixed on the merchant, displeased with everything he was hearing. After learning what his enemies wanted—and how far they would go to get it—he realized the strategy he had been using against the Dayflare Family wouldn’t work with Uranius.

  The Dayflare Family’s goals were tied to long-term plans. They wanted to settle in the Barren Hills of Deepshadow and capitalize on the region’s resources over time. That type of goal didn’t align with the rapid, destructive force that Uranius preferred. Uranius wanted something specific, something he could seize, and then leave without delay. A deal, even a fabricated one, wouldn’t satisfy someone like him!

  This is getting more complicated… Jonn thought, his mind churning as he ran through his limited options. It looks like the only thing I can do now is buy time and use the horde in Lost Treasures. Beyond that, I’ll just have to prepare for the next wave of battles.

  He frowned, gripping the hilt of his weapon tightly, before asking his last question for Acelin. “Who else, besides you, might know about my grandfather’s past and his connection to the Eternal Village?”

  Acelin’s face twisted in uncertainty, his gaze shifting as if scanning his own fragmented memories. “I don’t know,” he admitted with a sigh. “How many merchants did he do business with during his time here? How many times did he interact with outsiders over the years? The answer lies in those questions, Jonn. Anyone he dealt with might know the truth.”

  William looked at Jonn, stepping slightly closer. His tone was grave as he said, “As far as I know, General Irondoom officially retired from service and then vanished. There was no news, no rumors about his whereabouts. The only thing anyone knew was this—he didn’t want to be found.” He paused, his expression shifting as realization dawned. “Damn… he’s dead?! Most of Eldoria and the continent have no idea! They assume he’s still alive!”

  Petyr and Jonn exchanged glances, their thoughts briefly aligned. They both realized that this ignorance might be their biggest advantage.

  Petyr broke the silence, saying, “The elder didn’t interact with many outsiders while I was traveling alongside him. Aside from Acelin, there were about three groups I could remember. But as William said, those people probably didn’t know much about the truth.”

  “Then let’s make sure it stays that way,” Jonn said firmly, his tone carrying the weight of leadership. “Everyone who heard today’s conversation is to keep what they know to themselves. No one is to speak of it again—not even to our own villagers!”

  Jonn’s words carried through the small crowd, and those nearby responded almost in unison, murmuring their agreement.

  Jonn looked around at his worn-out companions, taking a deep breath before concluding, “We’ll keep this between us and the Council. From here on out, not a word to anyone outside this group.” He rested a hand on the weapon at his side, signaling the end of the discussion. “Now… it's time to head back to the village. I still need to deal with things at the western border later!”