Chapter 208

“She’s been keeping a low profile,” Viola continued. “So low that even I haven’t felt her presence since three days ago.”

Ludger frowned. “You mean she’s

that

close to them.”

“Probably,” Viola said. “She knows how to vanish when she wants to. But the fact that she hasn’t sent a word yet bothers me.”

Arslan gave a slow nod. “If she’s staying quiet, it’s either because she’s waiting for something.”

The table went quiet again. The soft crackle of the lantern flame filled the silence.

Viola’s gaze lingered on the open map of the coastline, her finger tracing the dotted line where the bridge extended into the sea. “I can’t shake the feeling,” she murmured, “that what we’re seeing on the surface—the construction, the attacks, even Ironhand’s containment talk—it’s only part of it. The way everyone’s moving… it’s too careful.”

“Like they’re covering for something,” Arlsan said.

“Exactly.”

Gaius exhaled slowly through his nose, his humor fading into a harder look. “Then we’ll need Luna to confirm it before we make a move. I’ve dealt with men like Rathen before, I heard the rumors. He’s too calm for someone with a storm under his feet.”

Ludger glanced at Viola. “You trust her to stay out of sight?”

Viola nodded once. “She’s survived worse.”

“Still,” Gaius said, eyes narrowing, “have her double-check the supply routes near the southern docks when she reports in.”

“I already told her that,” Viola replied quietly. “But the fact she hasn’t come back yet makes me think she hasn’t found something worth yet.”

No one spoke for a moment. The air in the room had shifted—what had started as strategy now felt like tension winding tighter, threads connecting too many quiet mysteries.

Ludger finally broke the silence, his tone calm but sharp. “If Luna’s watching the snake, then we’d better be ready to hit it the moment it moves.”

Viola nodded slowly, her gaze distant. “She’ll send word when she can.”

And though she said it with confidence, everyone in the room could hear the edge beneath her voice—the same unease that had started creeping into all of them.

Because if Luna was right, and the quiet in the Hakuen coast was only a mask, then something far larger was already moving beneath it.

The morning came bright and cold, the air sharp with salt and the sound of waves breaking against the pilings below. The Lionsguard had already formed up by the time the sun cleared the dunes.

Elaine stood by the doorway of the stone house, the twins bundled in her arms. Harold, Selene, Aleia, and Cor stood nearby, fully armed and watchful—Elaine’s handpicked guard detail. They are more of Arslan’s friends than actually guards.

“You’re sure about leaving them here?” Viola asked quietly as she tightened her gauntlet straps.

Elaine gave a small, confident smile. “If anything happens, you’ll know. The mountain will probably shake with my scream.”

Ludger smirked faintly at that. “Then I’ll take that as reassurance.”

He looked down at Elle and Arash one last time before turning away. The twins were staring at him again—those green eyes following his every move.

“Stay safe,” Elaine said simply.

“You too,” Ludger replied. Then he turned to the group. “Let’s move.”

The trip back to the bridge took less than fifteen minutes. The road was already busy with workers and carts, Ironhand banners snapping in the wind.

It didn’t take long for people to notice the new arrivals—especially the one walking at the center.

Gaius Stonefist.

Whispers spread through the outpost like wildfire. Even the hammering on the scaffolds slowed as laborers leaned over the railings to stare. The old mage ignored the attention completely, walking with the calm weight of someone used to being seen. His rough robes did nothing to hide the aura of presence around him—the kind of power that made even experienced mages step aside.

When they reached the main platform, Rathen was already waiting.

The Ironhand guildmaster stood near the edge of the bridge, arms folded, the sea wind whipping at his cloak. When he saw Gaius, his expression flickered—just for a heartbeat—before settling into polite composure.

“Well,” he said, stepping forward, “I wasn’t expecting

you

.”

Gaius smiled faintly. “Most people aren’t.”

“Your reputation precedes you,” Rathen said. “Stonefist of Meira— the man who sealed an entire rift with his bare hands.”

“Flattery’s cheap, Guildmaster,” Gaius said dryly. “Let’s skip to the part where you tell us why you are here.”

Rathen’s smile didn’t waver. “Of course.”

He looked past Gaius to Viola and Ludger, nodding respectfully. “Guild master Arslam, Lady Torvares. Vice Guildmaster. I appreciate that you both came personally. Your presence—and your actions—show that the Torvares family and the Lionsguard can be trusted to act with reason.”

“Reason?” Viola echoed, her tone cautious.

Rathen inclined his head. “Yes. Which is why I’d like to speak with all of you in my office. There are matters that concern both our guilds—and the Hakuen family as well.”

Arslan frowned slightly. “Hakuen? Lucius?”

Rathen nodded calmly. “Exactly. He’s on his way now. It would be better to hear the next part from him directly.”

The statement hung in the air, heavy and deliberate.

Viola’s eyes narrowed. “And what

exactly

are we supposed to be hearing?”

Rathen’s expression didn’t change. “That,” he said evenly, “is for Lord Hakuen to explain. I’d rather not speak out of turn.”

Ludger didn’t like it. The way Rathen’s tone stayed perfectly level, the way his gaze slid just past them to the workers nearby—it all felt

staged.

But Viola gave a small nod. “Lead the way, then.”

Rathen gestured toward the bridge’s administrative wing—an angular structure of reinforced wood and stone overlooking the sea.

As they followed, the murmur of the workers returned to the background, though every eye stayed fixed on them.

Ludger kept his hand near his belt, watching the way the Ironhand guards subtly repositioned themselves around the platform. The air felt charged—like the calm before something that hadn’t decided whether it was going to be political or violent.

Beside him, Gaius walked with quiet amusement, eyes scanning the surroundings. “You feel that?” he murmured.

“The mana,” Ludger said. “Yeah.”

Gaius smiled faintly. “Good. Then at least we’re not walking into this blind.”

They crossed the final span toward Rathen’s office, where the guildmaster waited by the door—expression calm, posture impeccable, as if nothing could possibly be wrong.

And whatever was waiting for them in that room wasn’t going to be good news.

Two hours passed.

The sea outside kept its steady rhythm, waves crashing against the half-finished supports below, the noise filling the silence in Rathen’s office. The Lionsguard waited with the patience of people who had already guessed something was off.

Gaius had taken to tracing one of the wall runes with the edge of his boot. Arslan stood by the window, arms crossed, gaze locked on the scaffolding below. Viola sat straight-backed, tapping her fingers once every few seconds against the table. Ludger leaned on the wall, silent, but watching the door.

When the knock finally came, everyone looked up.

The door opened, and Lucius Hakuen stepped inside.

He looked almost the same as before—immaculately dressed, calm, polite—but there was a faint sheen of sweat on his brow, and his cloak was still dusty from travel.

Ludger noted it instantly. The ride from the Hakuen manor to the bridge took three hours by carriage. Yet Lucius was here in two.

Either he’d pushed his horses too hard—or he’d already been on the road the moment he heard Gaius’s name.

The noble smiled easily, as though he hadn’t just sprinted across half the coast. “Good morning, everyone.”

“Morning,” Gaius said flatly, not returning the smile.

Lucius closed the door behind him and crossed to the long table where the others sat. “Apologies for keeping you waiting. I would’ve arrived sooner, but… priorities shifted.” His eyes flicked briefly toward Gaius before moving on.

He sat down gracefully, removed his gloves, and exhaled through his nose. “Before we begin—one moment, if you please.”

He raised his right hand, tracing a series of short, practiced gestures in the air. A faint shimmer pulsed outward from his palm—rings of translucent light that rippled once across the room before vanishing.

Ludger felt the mana settle like heavy mist on his skin.

A sound ward. A pretty strong one.

“Sorry about that,” Lucius said, lowering his hand. “But the contents of this conversation need to remain… hidden.”

“Hidden from who?” Viola asked, tone sharp.

Lucius’s smile didn’t waver. “From everyone who shouldn’t hear it.”

Arslan’s brow furrowed. “You’re saying even your own men can’t be trusted to know?”

“Not all of them,” Lucius said simply. “And as of this morning, I’m not certain which ones I still

can

trust.”

Rathen remained quiet, his expression unreadable as he leaned back in his chair.

Ludger shifted his weight slightly, crossing his arms. “Convenient time to say that.”

Lucius met his gaze. “Perhaps. But I think you’ll agree the situation has changed now that Master Stonefist has arrived.”

Gaius arched a brow. “Changed how?”

Lucius took a slow breath, leaning forward slightly, voice lowering. “Because the moment your name reached the bridge, half of Ironhand’s support staff started scrambling to send messages—messages that bypassed my channels. I had to intercept two myself.”

That earned him everyone’s attention.

Even Viola straightened. “Messages to who?”

Lucius’s eyes flicked toward Rathen. “That’s the question I intend to answer—with your help.”

Rathen’s expression didn’t move an inch. “Careful, Lord Hakuen. You’re implying your own allies are compromised.”

Lucius smiled politely. “I’m not implying it, Guildmaster. I’m confirming it.”

The air thickened with silence, the muffling ward distorting even the sound of their breathing.

Ludger exchanged a glance with Viola—her eyes sharp, focused, already calculating.

Gaius broke the quiet first, his tone dry but edged with warning. “If this room’s sealed, then say what you came to say. Because the longer we sit here, the more I start to wonder if we’re the ones being kept in.”

Lucius inclined his head slightly. “Fair enough.”

He leaned forward, fingers interlacing atop the table. “Then allow me to explain what this bridge is

really

for.”

Lucius rested his hands flat on the table.“When we first began construction,” he said slowly, “we thought the sahuagin attacks were simply territorial aggression. Isolated incidents, a reaction to the noise and the mana being released into the sea. But then… their numbers kept growing.”

He leaned back slightly, his voice calm but heavy with weight. “The sahuagins weren’t supposed to be here at all. They aren’t native to this coast—or to

any

recorded coastal region of the Empire.”

Arslan frowned. “So what are they, then?”

“Not natural,” Lucius replied. “They didn’t crawl out of some underwater labyrinth like the usual monsters. We checked every known place that they could have come from. No labyrinth beneath the coast, no mana distortion strong enough to explain them.”

Gaius’s eyes narrowed. “Then where are they coming from?”

Lucius exhaled slowly, then unfolded a small map from his coat. The parchment showed the southern seas—clusters of islands, jagged coastlines, and one larger archipelago circled in faint red ink.

“South of the Empire,” he continued, “past the trade routes, there’s a chain of islands barely charted. A few months ago, an exploratory fleet reached them. They found something buried deep inside the largest island—a structure built like a labyrinth, but not like the ones we know.”

He tapped the map. “Inside that place, they found constructs. Creatures built from coral, metal, and stone—similar to golems, but far more refined. They move with precision. They

adapt.

And every single one of them runs on a mana core.”

That earned a long, heavy silence.

Even Gaius’s casual posture stiffened a little.

“So,” Viola said quietly, “this bridge… it isn’t just trade infrastructure.”

Lucius shook his head. “No. It’s a logistical artery. We need a faster route to the archipelago. A way to move troops and resources without relying on ships alone. The Ironhand Syndicate was contracted to accelerate construction once the labyrinth’s existence was confirmed.”

Arslan’s jaw tightened. “And you didn’t tell anyone outside your circle.”

“Because we couldn’t,” Lucius said. “The Empire wants it contained. Quietly. They’re afraid of panic—or worse, competition.”

Ludger, who’d been silent until now, finally spoke. “You said those golems use mana cores to move.”

Lucius nodded slowly.

“And the sahuagins—their bodies have the same cores.”

Lucius met his gaze. “Exactly the same. Same structure, same resonance. Whatever is powering the constructs in that labyrinth… someone is taking those same cores and using them to twist sea life into mockeries of soldiers.”

The air went still.

“Artificial monsters,” Viola murmured.

“Controlled ones,” Lucius corrected. “The patterns are too coordinated to be random. Someone is

directing

them. Using the sea as a weapon against the Empire’s southern flank.”

Gaius’s expression turned grim. “So this bridge isn’t about trade or expansion. It’s about defense.”

Lucius’s eyes darkened. “Containment first. Retaliation later.”

Ludger crossed his arms. “You’re saying someone’s farming mana cores from that labyrinth to turn ordinary fish into weapons?”

Lucius gave a small, tired nod. “That’s the working theory. And if we’re right… the enemy isn’t just hiding underwater. They’re

testing

us.”

Rathen finally broke his silence, his voice quiet but edged. “Which means every day this bridge remains incomplete, they grow bolder.”

“Exactly,” Lucius said. “And now that guild master Gaius Stonefist is here, we can start stabilizing the structure and strengthen our defenses before they grow too much.”

Viola leaned back in her chair, her eyes hard. “So we build the bridge faster, move closer to a labyrinth that’s making weapons out of the sea, and hope the same power doesn’t crawl up the coast.”

Lucius didn’t argue. “That’s why we need the Lionsguard. You are few, but strong. And unlike most of the Empire, I trust you to do what needs to be done without drowning in bureaucracy.”

Ludger’s gaze stayed fixed on him. “You trust us—or you need someone else to take the blame if it goes wrong?”

Lucius’s faint smile didn’t reach his eyes. “Why can’t it be both?”

No one laughed.

The ward around them hummed softly, the sound faintly dissonant now, like mana reacting to too many conflicting truths.

Finally, Gaius spoke, his voice low. “If what you’re saying is true, then we’re already too late. Someone’s weaponizing the sea, and this coast is just their testing ground.”

Lucius nodded once. “Then let’s make sure the tests stop here.”

Ludger’s jaw tightened, eyes flicking to Viola. “Guess we just volunteered for a war underwater.”

Viola’s expression was calm, but her voice was sharp. “Then we’d better find out who’s holding the leash first.”

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