Idore had said his final words, and the moment his sentence ended, the display beside him shifted. What had once shown the outlined territory of the Noble Land vanished, replaced instead by a large, glowing timer that immediately began counting down from one hour.
The sight of it alone was enough to freeze the entire stadium.
No one spoke at first. No one moved. The reality of what had just been declared had not yet settled into their minds, and for a brief moment, everyone simply stared at the ticking numbers as if waiting for someone else to explain what was happening.
They had prepared themselves for many possibilities before this meeting.
They had prepared for the disbandment of the Grand Magus.
Some had expected public apologies. Others had expected explanations, excuses, or even promises. A few had believed that the remaining Grand Magus would step down willingly, returning Alterian to a world where countries ruled themselves once again under independent governments and guild alliances.
They had even prepared for negotiations, attempts to preserve the system as it was, simply with fewer Grand Magus at the top.
There were those who had been ready to volunteer their own lands, resources, and influence in hopes of being part of a restructured ruling body, believing that if they were included, they could at least protect their people.
Yet none of them had expected this.
None of them had expected the world to be divided in such a blunt, merciless way.
"This... what does this mean?" someone muttered from the crowd. "Is he saying that once the Noble Land is created, we’re meant to treat it as its own government?"
"Right," another replied, their voice tense. "A government with the strongest guild in the world and two of the strongest mages alive."
"If all of us team up together," a third voice said cautiously, "and form a new alliance, shouldn’t we be able to eliminate them?"
"Are you stupid?" someone snapped back immediately. "That wouldn’t be possible. The Grand Magus were the reason no one fought in the first place."
"If they separate themselves," another added grimly, "then neighboring countries, governments, and guilds will start fighting each other. Everyone who believes no one can stop them will start acting on it."
The conversations grew louder, overlapping as panic slowly began to replace disbelief. With every passing second, more people came to the same terrifying realization.
If they wanted safety...
If they wanted peace...
If they wanted to survive in a world where the strongest beings had just claimed territory...
Then the safest option might be to submit.
As much as it sickened them, many began to believe that joining the Noble Guild, being part of the Noble Land, was the only way forward.
Yet the feeling was deeply conflicted.
Only an hour ago, they had walked into this meeting with resentment and suspicion burning in their chests. They had demanded answers. They had wanted to expose crimes, uncover lies, and force accountability.
They wanted to know how much the Grand Magus had hidden.
How much suffering had been ignored.
How many promises had been broken behind closed doors.
In the broader sense, the Grand Magus had failed them. They had promised protection, balance, and order, yet corruption had thrived beneath their rule, hidden behind power and silence.
And yet... the reason they could even think this way now was because the Grand Magus had held such absolute authority for so long.
They had believed the Grand Magus were untouchable.
Unquestionable.
Above consequence.
Now they were realizing the truth far too late.
None of the Grand Magus had ever truly cared about Alterian itself.
That was why Idore could stand there now, issuing threats instead of explanations, carving the world apart with confidence and certainty.
And hanging over all of it was the countdown.
What exactly would happen when it reached zero?
Inside the apartment, Raze and the others watched the broadcast in silence.
The massive screen displayed the same timer that loomed over the stadium, each second ticking away with an almost unbearable weight.
"Hey... we’re fine, right?" Liam asked at last, breaking the silence. "We’re on the north side of the river. So nothing should happen to us."
"Yes," Raze replied calmly. "We’re fine. But what happens after the hour is the real problem."
This was worse than they had expected.
Originally, they had waited because they had no army left. The Dark Guild was gone. Alen’s allies were scattered or dead. There was no force left to pressure Idore directly.
Raze had hoped the world itself would turn against him.
That governments, guilds, and public outrage would create an opening, something they could exploit to strike at Idore and Trubin together.
Instead, Idore had done the one thing that strengthened him the most.
He had claimed land.
A fortified territory where every person inside would be loyal, protected, and armed with the strongest enchanted items and artifacts the Noble Guild possessed.
A place where every intruder would be an enemy.
"With this setup," Raze said quietly, "reaching Idore won’t be simple anymore."
"It’ll be like walking into a land where everyone wants you dead," B added, her voice thoughtful. "We know where he is right now, and it looks like he plans to stay there for the entire hour."
She glanced toward Raze.
"Do you want to try and get rid of him before the countdown ends?"
"They won’t be alone," Raze replied immediately. "If he’s planning to claim the entire land in an hour, then he’s probably destroying and rebuilding it from the ground up."
"Which means," he continued, "members of the Noble Guild are already spread throughout the south side of Centreal."
They continued watching as officials approached Idore, some pleading, some negotiating, others turning away entirely.
No one attacked.
No one resisted directly.
And then, as the final seconds ticked away, the timer reached zero.
It was time.
***
****
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