At the meeting of the Village Council, none of the participants in the recent battle against Acelin’s group revealed any information regarding Elder Hewet. Per Jonn’s instructions, everyone remained silent, refraining from divulging the sensitive truth—information that could drastically impact the lives of the villagers.

  If everyone knew the truth about Hewet’s identity, Jonn was sure that his group would flee in fear of future attacks. Terror would spread throughout the village and any hope they might have had would die before they even fought.

  Some villagers who knew the truth believed their companions deserved to know and make their own choices. Yet even these individuals questioned whether revealing it was worth the chaos, especially for a threat that might not severely impact them.

  Hewet’s background was formidable and could pose a danger to everyone. However, as far as they knew, ‘only’ Uranius was aware of the truth. Moreover, this wasn’t the era of Hewet’s time, when Sages roamed the continent and fought over their disagreements. Sages of his caliber must have been nearly extinct by now, suggesting less severe consequences for the village.

  While the threat remained significant, even the most concerned among these men believed the village had options. Given these circumstances, they deemed it worthwhile to keep the truth confined to the warriors.

  After the Council meeting concluded, Jonn, Petyr, Eliot, Elia, William, and Hank gathered outside the walled area, near Jonn’s former residence, now serving as the cultivation sanctuary for the village’s mages.

  From this vantage point overlooking the animal enclosures, they watched the sun slowly descend toward the horizon, its light fading from the clear sky into gradual darkness. The animals had settled into their pens, returning to their routine behavior rather than maintaining combat readiness. Some even gazed their way, hoping to catch Jonn’s attention.

  But Jonn barely registered his fellow beasts, his mind too preoccupied to focus on the physical world before him.

  “So the former village leader was General Irondoom…” Hank murmured after learning the truth from the group. Besides Elia, he was the only one who hadn’t known this before their private afternoon gathering.

  Like William, Hank knew fragments of Hewet’s history, and Jonn had naturally authorized the group to share the complete truth with him.

  Elia wasn’t particularly shocked to learn the truth about the old Elder. After everything she’d experienced with Jonn, she’d grown accustomed to seeing the world in a different light.

  Regarding Hewet’s probable role in creating the Barren Hills of Deepshadow as they existed today, neither she, Eliot, nor Petyr held the old Elder responsible. Perhaps his power had been overwhelming. Perhaps he had indeed brought chaos and horror to the region’s battlefields. But no war is fought by one person alone. Guilty or not, he hadn’t been the only one, and none of the locals wished to burden their former Elder with all the region’s misfortunes.

  Yet, like Jonn and the others, Elia was concerned about this inheritance that Acelin and Uranius believed Hewet had left behind. Given the old Elder’s immense power, many would likely pursue such a legacy, bringing trouble to the village’s doorstep.

  “What’s our next move, Jonn?” Elia asked, initiating this crucial discussion.

  “We need to locate my grandfather’s inheritance,” he replied, looking at his companions and allies. “Acelin is right. It’s better to have it in our possession when more trouble comes to seeking it. If it exists, we can use it. Otherwise, we’ll be fighting to protect something we don’t even have.”

  “That’s a serious problem…” Petyr sighed before stepping forward with a solution. “But the old Elder must have expected something like this. He probably left something behind, though perhaps not obviously placed, to avoid exposing us to unnecessary danger.

  Elia looked at Petyr and nodded in agreement. Though she hadn’t shared his extensive experience with Hewet, she had learned much from the old Elder. “That must be it. Perhaps he imagined that we could get out of trouble. The old Elder had his own protective methods. Many things he kept hidden from the village.

  “Perhaps he concealed his inheritance, so we’d only find it when truly necessary. He might have wanted us to discover his legacy only when circumstances forced us to investigate his past, when trouble was already at our doorstep.”

  “Maybe…” Jonn didn’t dispute his companions’ reasoning, though he wasn’t convinced there was anything beyond the Celestial Magnifying Glass. Nevertheless, he refused to remain idle. “We’ll search while we set up traps around the region. The Barren Hills of Deepshadow bears many scars from past wars, particularly hidden caves scattered throughout the area. I know of six such locations myself, but there could be more. My grandfather might have left something in one of them.”

  Eliot questioned, “Can we manage both the search and the trap-setting simultaneously?”

  William glanced at the young archer beside him and concurred. “The village is already short-handed, which makes speeding this up challenging. And we’re dealing with vast territory.”

  “It’s our only option for now,” Hank observed, maintaining optimism despite the circumstances. “We’ll divide the task among ourselves. General Irondoom likely left something we can find if we search thoroughly enough.”

  The villagers regarded Hank and William, agreeing with their assessment while harboring their own plans and reservations about the pair. Still, none of them created obstacles to impede the two men’s efforts.

  Even young Eliot suspected that claiming Hewet’s inheritance wouldn’t be straightforward. Simply discovering a potential location wouldn’t guarantee access to whatever the old Elder had left behind.

  Jonn proposed, “Let’s divide the area surrounding the village among ourselves to investigate during our free time.” He looked at everyone, including Petyr in this mission, despite the man’s inability to handle the region’s toxic mana. “We need to locate hidden places, likely containing underground caves, where toxic mana concentrates heavily.”

  Turning to the guard leader, Jonn added, “Petyr, you can use the village animals as your escorts. They can venture into areas you can’t enter.”

  The red-haired man readily agreed.

  The others agreed too, dividing the territory around the village into six zones for exploration by themselves and the other villagers.

  Jonn mentioned he would also deploy the village’s wolves and dogs to search for traces—these creatures being the most adept at tracking.

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  “Meanwhile, we’ll continue with our existing preparations. Acelin’s group left behind some new {Spells} books, Aether Tears, meat, and coins that can help speed up our development. With luck, some of the village beasts will reach level 3, and I’ll advance to level 4 before these troublesome threats arrive.”

  William and Hank watched Jonn intently, knowing he stood on the brink of becoming a Mystic. Despite their doubts about Jonn’s sincerity regarding the alliance with their family, neither could deny the urgent need for Mystics to combat the Arcanis beasts.

  Petyr departed promptly after Jonn’s speech, promising to begin his search the following morning. His village duties still required attention today.

  Eliot and Elia followed suit—she heading to begin her discussions with Acelin, while he left to rest, planning to start his search for the old Elder’s inheritance tomorrow.

  Left alone with Hank after William’s departure, Jonn heard the old mage release a long sigh before speaking.

  “Who would have thought we’d encounter the great General Irondoom’s community? The world truly is small, Jonn.”

  Jonn had intended to leave for meditation, but paused to hear Hank’s words. “Were you also familiar with the rumors about my grandfather, Hank?”

  “I knew rather more than rumors. I once saw General Irondoom in the capital.” Hank smiled at Jonn, genuine pride showing as he recalled meeting that Sage. “It was before he became the Destroyer known in the last war. Even then, he commanded an impressive presence, radiating an aura of invincibility.”

  Jonn listened silently, never having witnessed this aura in his grandfather. To him, Hewet had simply been a kind elder who had raised him to manhood, supported the village, and departed after a long life.

  Hank gazed at the horizon as night rapidly claimed the sky. He continued, speaking to Jonn while averting his gaze, “Your grandfather was a legendary warrior, among the mightiest to walk through Valorian, one of the last Sages. Many will desire what he left behind, so we must proceed with caution, Jonn.

  “But with careful planning and some fortune, you could turn this to your advantage. General Irondoom wasn’t merely famous. He commanded a legion of followers and devotees who would attempt the impossible in his name. You could resolve many of your challenges if you locate some of that community in Eldoria!”

  Jonn acknowledged this truth. However, he understood that admiration and resentment often coexisted. He had no desire to risk encountering a disillusioned or unreliable Hewet loyalist, as Hank suggested.

  “Perhaps someday…” Jonn lifted his eyes to the stars, wondering if his grandfather was watching them from the Immortal Realm. “We’ll discuss this later. You and William have much to tell me about my grandfather. Unfortunately, I can’t spare the time now to hear all your stories.”

  “Take your time. We’ll be here whenever you wish to talk,” Hank replied reassuringly.

  Now aware of Hewet’s connection to this community, he viewed it through a different lens that transcended their mere alliance.

  Jonn bid him farewell, promising to continue their conversation another time. For now, they both needed to attend to their village duties, already exhausted from the previous night’s travel and today’s events.

  Three days after spotting enemies north and west of the Eternal Village, Jonn finally achieved a breakthrough in his quests!

  Following weeks without any encouraging signs or confirmation he was on the right path, he reached a new milestone in both the [Magic World] and the [Hewet Irondoom] quests. This progress earned him 45 attribute points, which he allocated to his [Intelligence], bringing him closer to level 4.

  While patrolling the village perimeter, searching for traces of Hewet’s legacy, Jonn examined his status.

  My physical attributes are stopping evolving again… I’ve completely adapted to this armor and these weapons.

  He examined the armor set and spear he carried for today’s patrol. Then, looking ahead as he continued his rounds, he spotted one of the village teams nearby, constructing one of the many beast traps his community was establishing throughout the region.

  After taking a deep breath and sipping from his water supply, he resumed his work, knowing that beyond his current tasks, all he could do was wait.

  The situation had moved beyond his control. Everything now hinged on the Triceratops horde, the arrival speed of the Dayflare Family forces, and the actions of both Uranius and the Tyrannosaurus Rexes.

  To keep anxiety at bay, he followed his fellow villagers’ example, channeling all his focus into the tasks he could accomplish now.

  I hope to discover something before the next enemy appears!