The next morning, with only four days remaining before launching a full-scale assault on the Paralar Empire, within the imperial palace of the Arus Empire...
The imperial palace of Arus stood in stark contrast to that of the Paralar Empire. While the latter was constructed with gleaming white marble, the former was built from deep red bricks, nestled within the snowy peaks of the mountains. Against the backdrop of the white-capped summits, the Arus palace stood out conspicuously, its bold architecture impossible to ignore.
Inside one of the palace's chambers, Merlyn slowly sat up from his bed. His abdomen was still bandaged, the result of a wound sustained during his earlier confrontation with Will. Fortunately, General Lei had intervened in time, blocking the fatal strike from Will, allowing Merlyn to survive and return. He stood, leaning against the wall for support, and made his way to the only chair in the room. After flipping through an open book on the table, he studied several lines intently, then placed his hands gently on his injured abdomen, beginning to heal himself with magic. Although Merlyn was a powerful mage, his prowess was primarily in destructive magic, and healing was an area in which he was woefully inexperienced. He had to rely on the book to guide his attempts to heal the wound.
After several minutes of spellwork, Merlyn's injury seemed to improve significantly, and his complexion, which had been deathly pale, regained a touch of color. Slowly, he rose, donned his purple robe, and picked up a long staff resting against the table. He turned and walked toward the door.
...
Above the palace of Arus, inside its grand hall, the interior was markedly different from that of the Paralar Empire. While the latter's palace gleamed brightly, thanks to its white marble and numerous candles, the Arus palace was dimly lit, with the only illumination coming from two massive fireplaces on either side of the hall.
Several figures stood in the palace, all dressed in robes similar to Merlyn's, suggesting they were not citizens of Arus, but mages from the United Nations.
"Is everyone here?" called out a tall mage with golden hair, his voice stern and commanding.
"Merlyn still hasn't arrived, Captain," replied one of the mages loudly.
"It seems his injuries were more severe than we thought," another mage sneered, his words followed by a low chuckle from the surrounding mages.
"What's so funny?" Merlyn's voice rang out from the doorway, his tone grave and forceful.
The laughter immediately ceased, and the mages fell silent. Merlyn, leaning on his staff, hobbled slowly to the center of the group.
"Merlyn, you've missed several meetings now," the captain asked, his face serious.
"I know," Merlyn replied dismissively.
"The famous United Nations star, Merlyn, suddenly using a staff like the rest of us? I thought you deemed such things beneath you?" A mage from the crowd sneered.
"Believe me, even without this staff, I could turn you to ash in an instant," Merlyn retorted, releasing the staff from his grasp, his eyes burning with menace. The mage immediately fell silent, his gaze darting elsewhere to avoid meeting Merlyn's fierce eyes. The surrounding mages also looked away, unwilling to confront the wrath in Merlyn's glare.
"Enough, let's begin the meeting," the captain declared loudly. Merlyn, his anger now somewhat quelled, extended his hand toward the staff lying on the floor, and with a flick, it shot back into his grasp as if it were alive.
...
Meanwhile, in the slums of Arus, Will and his companions sat in a tavern on the ground floor of a modest inn, discussing their next course of action in finding an ally.
"General Lei, with only four days left, we can't afford to waste any more time here. We need to act," Will said anxiously, speaking in a low voice.
"Relax, Will. We are in the process of finding our own allies," General Lei replied before taking a long swig from his beer.
"What allies can we possibly find here?" Will glanced at the relaxed General Lei in confusion.
"The people here come and go. We are bound to encounter someone useful," General Lei said confidently.
Just as he finished speaking, a short man entered the tavern. His movements were furtive, glancing around suspiciously as he walked.
General Lei, ever vigilant, immediately noticed him. He discreetly placed a small pouch of coins on the table.
"General Lei, what are you doing?" Liza asked, puzzled by his actions.
"Watch, little one," General Lei responded with a sly grin.
The man, having spotted the pouch, approached their table with casual ease. In the blink of an eye, he deftly snatched it and sped away without a sound.
"General..." Liza began to speak, ready to alert him, but General Lei immediately made a "shush" gesture, silencing her. The thief, having successfully taken the pouch, hurried out of the tavern, unaware that he was being closely watched.
"Let's go, we'll follow him. Oh, Will, pay for the drinks, my pouch was taken," General Lei said, standing up and signaling Liza to follow him.
"What's going on?" Still bewildered, Will pulled out a silver coin and placed it on the table before quickly following after General Lei.
...
The trio of General Lei, Liza, and Will trailed the thief for quite some time, winding through the maze-like streets of the slums. "He must have noticed us by now," Will thought, repeating the thought in his mind. Then, without warning, the thief turned sharply and darted into a narrow alley. Not wanting to lose him, the three quickened their pace, following him into the alley.
The moment they stepped into the alley, they froze. In front of them stood a group of seven or eight ruffians, armed with wooden sticks and knives. Their tattered clothing made them look less like thugs and more like beggars. The thief stood behind them, grinning maliciously at Will and his companions.
"Did you think you could follow me without consequences?" A voice suddenly called from the shadows of the alley. A figure emerged, wearing an extravagant hat and a dirty, patched-up suit. He carried a black cane, his posture exuding an air of authority.
As he spoke, the ragtag group of ruffians closed in on Will's group, blocking their escape.