Abelus nodded.

"Then, this is all I know," he said slowly. "But it should be enough."

Harpas nodded back. Abelus took a deep breath and started the story from the beginning once more.

"Rylan Flameheart started doing drugs at the age of thirteen and became a hopeless addict by the time he was fourteen years old. From there, because of his addiction, he ruined every relationship he had, including the ones with his family, for the sake of getting more of a drug called Dust," Abelus said.

Vallius slowly nodded. He knew of the substance. Cheap and highly effective, it was a popular drug among the smaller kingdoms, and quite insidious. He'd heard of more than one story about how Dust had ruined entire cities, turning them into lawless dens of criminality. Above all, it was a highly addictive drug, to the point he couldn't believe that a boy who'd been doing it from such a young age had managed to escape at all. He glanced at Harpas. The man was now frowning deeply.

Is he also aware of this?

His heart skipped a beat, but Abelus continued to speak, dragging him out of his thoughts.

"Rylan's younger brother, Aelfric, was the only one who stayed by his side. Rylan pulled him into the mire of addiction, likely to use as leverage. Their father, Gerard, showed great powerlessness in helping them get out of this environment. However," Abelus stopped for a second with a furrowed brow, a look of confusion on his face. "According to my investigations, things changed some time after Rylan's eighteenth birthday. He stopped buying Dust from his dealer, Evenon, and eventually even went against him."

"And this Evenon was the Fourth Circle Mage you mentioned?" Harpas asked.

Abelus nodded.

"Rylan was only at the First Circle when they fought, since he'd spent half a decade without caring about seeking power at all. According to witnesses, Rylan used nothing but his sword and First Circle spells."

"Wait," Armenia interrupted, her face a mask of disbelief. "Are you serious? I know you wouldn't exaggerate, but… what do you mean he used his sword? His body had more than likely been ruined by the years of addiction, and you didn't mention him studying swordsmanship at any point. He suddenly became good at it? Good enough to kill a Fourth Circle Mage?"

Abelus nodded at her. She blinked, her expression filled with confusion before glancing at Harpas. The room was completely silent.

"Do you know how this could have happened, High Commander?" Abelus asked, looking at Harpas with confusion. "No matter how much I think about it, I don't see how something like this would have been possible. Rylan had never fought, trained, or done anything that would have allowed him to gain an edge over a Fourth Circle Mage. No matter how weak Evenon was for someone on the Fourth Circle, this…"

The silence was only marred by the sound of Harpas drumming his fingers against the wooden table. The entire table vibrated, following his movements.

"Geniuses don't follow common sense," Harpas finally said after almost ten seconds. "We don't know why, but he decided to take matters into his own hands. It worked. Continue your story."

Abelus slowly nodded, still looking a bit confused, and continued to speak. After Evenon, he talked about how Rylan had taken part in the Royal Magic Academy's entrance exams and dominated the tournament. After that, he spoke of Rylan's achievements within the Academy with great detail. Vallius kept his gaze fixed on him.

I guess that source of his really wants us to do something about Rylan.

Once he was finished, Abelus took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry," he said. "But I don't know much about the Dungeon he faced and what happened. I went to great lengths to find out more, but all I learned was that the Dungeon was at the level of the Fifth Circle and that it was called Basilisk Wilds. As for what happened inside, it's likely that only Rylan and his father know about it. According to my source, though, the Dungeon sealed the exit once any challengers entered it, only allowing them to leave once the Boss was killed. All of it happened shortly after the tournament ended."

Vallius gulped. It was obvious that one of Abelus' sources was a professor who had been there, but that didn't matter.

A Basilisk? Back when he was only at the Second Circle?

None of it made any sense at all. By all accounts, Rylan shouldn't have been able to achieve everything he had. It was close to impossible, yet it had happened all the same. He looked at the faces of each commander. They were all severe. Naturally, people like them understood that the information wasn't false; Abelus had certainly verified every bit of information his source had told him with several other sources. What they were being told was the story closest to the truth.

As such, Vallius could understand one thing. Rylan Flameheart was no genius.

He's a monster.

A monster comparable to the great young figures in the Empire, even if only in talent. One who had been born in a small kingdom and who could end up opposing the Empire. Vallius sighed.

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It's a pity for a flame like this to be snuffed out so soon.

He looked at Harpas, whose expression had returned to a more neutral one.

"High Commander," Virgo suddenly said, breaking the heavy silence. "I believe we need to bring him to our side. I don't want such a talent to die meaninglessly."

Vallius held himself back from smiling at his commander. As expected, they were of the same mind.

"Nonsense," Messenio immediately replied. "We need to kill him, and quickly. Didn't you hear? He's already an enemy. He doesn't want to leave Ceotha."

Armenia furrowed her brow but didn't say anything. Harpas turned to look at Virgo.

"A talent, you say?" Harpas asked with a penetrating gaze. Virgo blinked. "It seems you still don't understand the magnitude of what you've been told. None of you do."

He looked around, scanning all of those seated by the table and the City Commanders behind them.

"Without a teacher, without resources, stuck in a small kingdom whose strongest figure is only at the Sixth Circle, and in less than two years, Rylan Flameheart went from a First Circle drug addict to a swordsman and Third Circle Mage. One capable of defeating a Basilisk with only a single Fifth Circle Mage as support. This is without mentioning what happened with Evenon," he continued.

Nobody replied. For a few long seconds, the room went back to being silent. Harpas took a deep breath and leaned back in his chair.

"The purpose of this discussion has now changed. First, I want each and every one of you to investigate everything there is to know about Rylan Flameheart. From his birth until his current self, I want everything mapped out in great detail."

All commanders nodded with grave expressions, as did Vallius.

Makes sense.

He understood the value of such information. The more they understood about Rylan, the better, even if only to try and replicate what he'd achieved. If there was some kind of secret, it was only natural for the Empire to want to find out.

"And then," Harpas continued as he stopped drumming on the table. "We will discuss how to kill Rylan Flameheart. A genius of this caliber cannot be allowed to go against the Empire."

Vallius frowned barely a heartbeat later, as did Virgo. Messenio nodded, as did a few of the other Commanders and their City Commanders.

"High Commander, I'm sorry for asking," Virgo suddenly said, making everyone look at him. His voice was perfectly contained, since someone in his position needed to know how to control their emotions, but it was firm. "I don't see why we would need to kill him."

Harpas shook his head and then stared at Virgo.

"Tell me, Virgo," he replied. "What would happen if we did manage to convince him to head over to this side? Would you be able to affirm that his loyalty would be unwavering? Once he saw his home kingdom be conquered, his people subjugated, including his family, his kingdom's internal affairs changed to hold up another banner… can you assure me that he would remain loyal?"

Virgo clenched his jaw. Vallius glanced at him.

Of course, you already knew that.

There was no way that someone like Virgo hadn't considered all of that already. Rylan was simply too valuable. For Virgo, who enjoyed nurturing talents and seeing them grow, it would almost be torture to be part of the discussion about how to kill Rylan. Vallius threw a bittersweet smile at his commander and friend.

"I understand your feelings," Harpas continued. "Rylan Flameheart is incredible. A boy who, given enough time, might be able to surpass everyone in this room. But that's exactly why he must be dealt with."

Vallius widened his eyes as gasps of surprise echoed throughout the room. He almost couldn't believe what he was hearing. Harpas had admitted that Rylan would surpass him. Harpas, an Archmage who was deep in the Seventh Circle.

Virgo sighed and lowered his head. Vallius could see that he had clenched his fists under the table. In solidarity, he placed his hand on his commander's shoulder. Virgo looked at him over his shoulder and smiled helplessly. Meanwhile, Harpas nodded at them and turned to face the others again, gesturing at them to speak.

"I think we should go for the family," Messenio said in a heartbeat. "If they're in danger, he'll be thrown off-balance and become an easier target. Do we know where he is right now? Or where his family is?"

Abelus shook his head.

"While we don't know for certain, it's more than likely that Rylan's family will be inside Damian Gassiec's Mage Tower. As for Rylan, nobody knows where he is. I'll look into it."

Harpas nodded slowly.

"A small squad, then," he said, making everyone look back at him. "One capable of infiltrating Damian's Mage Tower and learn about where Rylan is from the people within. Tell me about Rylan's family members. Are they a threat?"

Abelus nodded, took a deep breath, and started to speak. He started with Gerard Flameheart, then with Elizabeth Astassier. Once he was done, he moved on to their children – Rylan's siblings.

By the time he finished, Harpas was drumming his fingers on the table once more.

"While the Astassier house is influential among some small kingdoms, they aren't much. None of the other family members are noteworthy. As such, there is no need to kill them. We'll only use them to extract information about Rylan's whereabouts or set up a trap that draws him out of hiding."

All commanders nodded, including Virgo. Vallius relaxed a bit.

At least he isn't a bloodthirsty killer.

Harpas was many things, but he didn't kill innocents or people who weren't a threat to the Empire. It was his bottom line. Right now, Vallius was all the more thankful for it.

"I think it would be better to draw him to Damian's Mage Tower," Armenia said. Everyone looked at her. "It's better than going around chasing him all over. We need a team capable of overwhelming all of the Tower's defenses, even if they walk in through the front door."

Harpas nodded.

"There is no need to do it publicly," he replied. "As I said, an infiltration team will suffice. Three Sixth Circle Mages and several Fifth Circle Mages. Let us now discuss the specifics."

Vallius' heart skipped a beat. Two Sixth Circle Mages would have been enough, given that Damian Gassiec was only at the Sixth Circle himself, but Harpas was willing to send three? Once again, it reinforced how much he wanted to deal with Rylan as soon as possible.

The discussion went on as the sun slowly sank beneath the horizon. Once it was over and everyone had been given their orders, they all moved to leave the room. Naturally, Vallius and Virgo were among them. Vallius looked over his shoulder back at the inside of the room, where only Harpas remained. The man was looking through the window with a grave expression, as if thinking about a great problem.

Vallius didn't know if Rylan Flameheart warranted such a reaction, but it was only natural for the High Commander to have greater vision. He furrowed his brow as the thought that such a talented young man would die in vain struck him. After a second, he shook his head. Either way, it wasn't his business. He only needed to keep marching on.

As soon as the investigation ended, the imperial team would go to Ceotha and set up the trap. It was now only a matter of time.

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