"I- I know that, n head, but these mages are the future pirs of their ns. Losing them here would makerge disturbances inside their ns, creating some trouble to us," Forij stuttered before he found the right logic to speak out from.


    He was used to doing this all the time, using twisted logic for his benefit, justifying his cause. He usually seeded in using the n''s interests to his benefit, making even his enemies unable to talk back or refuse his suggestions.


    However, this time he was doomed to fail, as he was speaking to the n head, someone who had already experienced a lot in this life. Obrim looked at him with his one eye, a cold look that caused the atmosphere of this area to drastically change, while he asked in a very calm, very domineering tone:


    "Are you saying that mere weak ves can cause troubles to us?"


    Forij''s body suddenly trembled, unconsciously, when he heard the cold and threatening words of his n head. Obrim might be old, might give others the feeling of being merciful and careless to many things, but he knew, very well knew, how tyrant and merciless this n head was!


    He swallowed his cold frozen saliva, as he tried to think of a way out of this crisis. His son had begged him to act, do anything to save these bunch of mages, or else their faction would lose the support of their ns, the same ns that helped them do their dirty work in the shadows, and had great impact on their current ce in the n.


    "May I have a suggestion?" Suddenly Edmory, the grand elder, spoke, attracting everyone''s gazes, and Forij''s extreme enmity and hatred, "if little Forij wants to save those weaklings so bad, then I think a proper price should be paid in return," he said, while giving his old best friend a meaningful nce, a nce that Obrim knew what was behind it.


    And so, Obrim nodded, silently agreeing on Edmory''s suggestion to keep on. "I think the appropriate price should be that the previous n assessment of the future sprouts to be eliminated, and a new one should be done all over again after one year from now," Edmory added, with a very calm, extremely mocking smile over his face.


    "How dare you?!!" Forij bellowed out, instantly, in a reflex, without even thinking about his next words except when he said them. his face suddenly swollen up in rage, a rage he had to control right now or else the loss might be much more severe.


    "That''s not appropriate, if you allowed me to express my opinion," Ces suddenly spoke up, joining the fun as well.


    "Oh, our esteemed guests always have a voice to express indeed," Obrim''s eyes shone as he turned to smile back to Ces standing on his side. Her intervention here might be a small action from her, but to him it meant she was starting to take role in the n.


    For her, she never cared about ns or guilds, as she always lived her entire life solo, with nopanion whatsoever. She just got irritated by this greedy little insect in front of her eyes, as he wanted to stop the damage without paying the appropriate price for it.


    "I believe my new disciple should get something back out of this deal, isn''t this fair?" she said, with a calm tone and cold face, ncing over Forij who suddenly realized he had just thrown himself into a pack of wolves.


    "H-He will get a sword and a pocket world as a reward," he tried to act humble, sote unfortunately, as Ces had already set up her mind, as she replied:


    "These are his own, he gained them rightfully so far. If so, then let thispetition continue, and we all shall watch him kill all of your beloved mages, until hees out from the stage and ims his rightful reward."


    Her words were met by the nodding and approving of Obrim and Edmory, making Furij realize he had to bleed more so he could save the future of his son. "Sure, he is a real hero, a sprout mage that should be supported. I think this enrichment pill is going to be a good encouragement for him," he said, while taking out a small box made of a shiny crystal like ore, with a small ovoid green pill resting inside it.


    This was a good thing indeed, but in the eyes of Ces and Edmory, that wasn''t even close to be noted. Ces was an outsider, so she didn''t know what that snake had in his possession, so she just side nced over Edmory, who nodded in understanding, as he said to Forij:


    "I think I heard that you had a fortuitous encounter a couple of months ago, and managed to gain ess to the Tailonmeng secret realm. I even heard rumors about you gaining the supreme treasure of the throne room of the long lost tailonment n, having the legendary tailonmeng cauldron, isn''t that correct?"


    The words of Edmory were like very painful poisonous darts in the ears of Forij, but he had controlled himself better this time, hiding his intense rage and very explosive reaction. "Sure, great elder is correct indeed."


    He didn''t add a single more word, while Edmory and Cesile just nced coldly and seriously to him, without opening their mouths. It was obvious what they were demanding, and he was trying to make his mind just ept the logic in losing all this, in exchange for saving his own son''s future.


    "So, the price will be the return of the status of each sprout to what it was before thest conve, and give Rayan''s friend the tailonment cauldron?" Obrim asked, finally breaking this awkward silence.


    The way he made his deration added more fuel to the fire of anger already ignited inside Forij''s soul. However, unwillingly, he nodded, feeling already their des'' coldness being inserted into his heart, making him bleed and causing him pain.


    "Great, Edmory, you go and stop the fighting now, and I will announce this agreement to the n afterwards," Obrim said, feeling some refreshing after this sharp, unexpected, turn of events that all yed into the benefit of his n.


    "Sure, I will go now," Edmory said, but Cesile suddenly asked, "may Ie with you?"


    Edmory didn''t dare to reply, as he nced over his friend, who nodded in a face that showed nothing, hiding his inner excitement from everyone. "Our esteemed guests are always weed to partake in any activity inside our n. Edmory, take our esteemeddy to the stage, and make Rayan calm down his friend before he kills everyone inside."


    Obrim wasn''t really caring about any of those weaklings inside the stage, he just sent Edmory a message, and Edmory got it right away.. "This way, mydy," Edmory said, in utmost respect, while Cesile just marveled how meticulous Obrim was for his n.