The eting ended in tense silence.
Agron Yaegar, Uther Bowman, and Kenton Hastings left the hall one by one, none of them speaking. Needless to say, all three of them were shaken.
Damon's accusation alone hadn't been bad enough. But learning that echum and two other Wardens from the Shadowblades faction were actually dead made it far worse.
Mana Vortex Magi could be considered the true backbone of an ancient and powerful organization such as the Twilight Brotherhood. Losing three of them mysteriously had dealt a severe blow.
This wasn't a misunderstanding, and this certainly wasn't paranoia. This ant sothing real had happened, sothing very serious.
As the three walked their separate ways, the sa thought kept echoing in their minds:
What if Damon is right?
Now that he had gone to secure evidence, they were much more inclined to believe him. Maybe there really was sothing ominous brewing in the shadows of the Brotherhood.
Could the Reforrs and Seekers of Balance factions have made a move? After all, these two were capable of such attacks since they were led by Mana Core Magi.
But it was doubtful. If they wanted to make a move, they would have already done so long ago. Why wait until now?
Besides…
They couldn't stop thinking about Vaelor Vornis.
This new Councilor, this outsider… the timing was all too convenient. He was in the center of the storm that comprised a massive internal leak, a mysterious new enemy group, and five confird deaths.
If Vaelor really was feeding secrets to this unknown group, then he might also be involved in the murders, wouldn't he?
The thought weighed like a mountain in their chests. None of them said it out loud, but all three of them were now looking at the elven councilor very differently.
And for the first ti since he'd joined the Council, they were no longer sure he belonged there at all.
***
anwhile, the Magus in question remained seated inside the council hall long after the rest had left.
He interlocked his fingers and rested his chin on them. His expression was dark, and his eyes flashed with confusion. He had already forgotten about Damon's accusations and his behavior toward him during the council eting.
Now, he was thinking about sothing else.
Vaelor was deeply pondering what Damon had said to him through Mind Whisper.
It was all an act? He wondered with a deep frown.
An act to lure out the real culprit?
That was what Damon had said to him.
The more he thought about Damon's behavior, the less it felt like a genuine loss of control and the more it started to resemble a calculated outburst ant to achieve a specific goal.
He wouldn't have co to this realization had Damon not secretly told him about it. He would have gone on to believe that the man had actually lost control instead of performing this convincing skit. The loss of echum and the rest would further solidify that belief.
But now… Vaelor couldn't help but think otherwise.
Damon was many things, but reckless had never been one of his traits. He was quick to anger, but he was also deeply pragmatic.
For a Mana Core-level Councilor who had survived centuries of political gas, it made no sense for him to erupt like that in front of the entire council unless he had already decided that the consequences were worth it.
And there's also the timing, Vaelor thought.
echum was dead. Two more Wardens and Agents of Damon's faction were also dead. A massive internal leak had just been confird.
If there was truly a traitor within the highest ranks of the Brotherhood, then provoking a dramatic quarrel in front of all the Councilors was one of the fastest ways to force that person into revealing themselves.
Realizing that, Vaelor leaned back in his chair and clenched his fists.
If Damon really wanted to flush out the real traitor, then accusing him specifically made perfect sense. He was the newest mber to join the Council of Dawn, the one with the weakest political roots inside the Brotherhood, and therefore, the easiest person to turn into bait.
The more Vaelor thought about it, the clearer it beca.
…He's using , the elf couldn't help but co to that grim realization.
But strangely enough, that realization made him calr, rather than angrier.
If this really was Damon's play, then the real traitor was already watching very closely, trying to judge whether the accusation was genuine or staged, and deciding what their next move should be.
That ans, out of Yaegar, Bowman, and Hastings… one of them is the real traitor, Vaelor thought.
Out of the three, two of them think I'm the traitor. Whereas the real traitor is silently observing.
I cannot afford to act defensively or be offended now.
Vaelor had to remain exactly as he was. He had to remain calm and composed.
And whether he liked it or not, he had to trust that Damon knew exactly what he was doing.
But why did he ask to et him now?
He wondered.
If Damon's accusation really had been an act, then delaying would only make look evasive and suspicious. An imdiate, voluntary eting, on the other hand, would signal my willingness to cooperate.
Wait a minute…
Vaelor's eyes narrowed as yet another realization dawned on him.
Is Damon not entirely certain that I'm innocent? Is that why he asked to et ? Damn, that old fox!
eting Damon would signal confidence. Moreover, it would also give him a chance to confirm Damon's true intentions and align himself with whatever deeper plan he was clearly setting in motion.
Several minutes later, Vaelor finally ca to a decision.
He was going to secretly rendezvous with Damon and get to the bottom of this conspiracy. He couldn't stop thinking about the murders. Whoever this mysterious new group was, they were powerful enough to kill Brotherhood elites and bold enough to do it openly and even threaten Damon.
And that… terrified him.
If Damon is right about this internal leak, then every Councilor is a potential target, he thought as he rose to his feet and left the chamber.
And now things were even worse. Half the council already suspected him. That ant every movent he made from now onward would be watched, directly or indirectly.
So eting Damon wasn't optional anymore.
It was urgent.
But I have to be careful, he thought with a dark look on his face.
If anyone sees sneaking off to et the very man who accused of treason, it would only confirm their worst suspicions. And if I don't et Damon at all, he'll start suspecting as well.
Damn it all!
And just like that, Vaelor left the city to secretly et Damon, whom he believed to be his savior in this dark conspiracy.
But little did he realize he was walking straight toward his own doom…
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