The final session of the Supre Mage Council ended far faster than anyone expected.
After days of demonstrations, argunts, negotiations, and private etings, there was very little left to discuss. The important decisions had already been made. The agreents had already been signed. Nobody was interested in reopening debates that had effectively been settled the mont the Warhounds crossed impossible terrain and the LEFH artillery turned distant targets into shattered debris.
The acting chairman reviewed the final records before formally closing the council.
"The matters of this assembly have been concluded."
His voice echoed through the chamber.
Imdiately the atmosphere changed.
Representatives stood.
Assistants hurried forward.
Docunts were gathered.
ssages were exchanged.
The summit was over.
The work was just beginning.
Lucien remained seated for a few monts while observing the hall.
The room no longer felt like a battlefield.
For days every conversation had carried hidden anings. Every question had been an attack, a test, or an attempt to uncover information. Now those tensions were gone.
Ironpeak engineers were already discussing machinery requirents.
Mariti League representatives were arguing over harbor designs.
Several Valdris officers had sohow found military maps before even leaving the building.
Aetheris scholars were gathering around Maerath like apprentices chasing an ancient legend.
The future was already moving.
Cassian stretched beside him.
"That feels strangely anticlimactic."
Elena nodded.
"I expected sothing dramatic."
"The dramatic part happened when Lucien started terrifying everyone with artillery."
Cassian grinned.
"Fair."
The Royal Guardian rose from his chair.
"Co."
That was all he said.
Within hours the Asterion delegation was preparing to depart.
Outside, Caelrith remained exactly as it had been before the summit.
rchants filled the streets.
rcenary companies marched between districts.
Caravans entered through the gates.
Guild representatives argued over contracts.
The city did not care that major powers had just reshaped part of the world’s future.
Perhaps that was why Caelrith had endured for so long.
The city existed beyond individual events.
The convoy departed shortly before noon.
Warhounds led the formation.
Heat haze drifted from engine vents as the armored vehicles rolled steadily through the northern gate.
Behind them followed artillery crews, wagons, officials, soldiers, engineers, and mbers of the royal delegation.
Aurethar flew overhead for part of the journey before eventually landing and resuming human form near the convoy.
The massive dragon claid walking was beneath him.
Nobody believed him.
The first day passed peacefully.
For the first ti in weeks, Lucien found himself without imdiate deadlines.
No demonstrations,negotiations or council etings.
Only the road ho.
That lasted approximately three hours.
Then Elena appeared carrying enough docunts to threaten several forests.
"You look busy."
Lucien looked at the stack.
"You stole the council archives."
"I borrowed copies."
"That’s exactly what a thief says."
Elena ignored him and sat down.
Several maps followed.
Then more docunts.
Then another map.
Lucien stared.
"How many are there?"
"Not enough."
Cassian arrived monts later.
"What are we doing?"
"Planning."
The prince imdiately looked concerned.
"The dangerous kind?"
"The expensive kind."
"That’s worse."
Elena spread a large map across the table.
Five circles marked future locations.
Seastar.
Skyforge.
Iron Junction.
Titanworks.
Ironhold.
The Five Pillars.
For several monts nobody spoke.
The scale remained intimidating.
Even after discussing it for weeks.
Even after convincing the council.
The project still looked absurd.
Five new cities.
Railways connecting them.
Factories.
Shipyards.
Airfields.
Military complexes.
Research centers.
Enough infrastructure to transform an entire kingdom.
Cassian leaned forward.
"Which one starts first?"
"Iron Junction."
The answer ca imdiately.
The prince looked surprised.
"I expected Ironhold."
"So did most people."
Lucien pointed toward the map.
"If Ironhold builds weapons but can’t move them, it becos a warehouse."
He shifted his finger.
"If Seastar becos a major port without connections to the interior, trade slows."
Another movent.
"If Titanworks produces machinery but lacks transportation networks, production becos inefficient."
Elena nodded.
Understanding appeared almost instantly.
"The railways connect everything."
"Exactly."
The Royal Guardian had quietly joined the discussion.
"Most people look at factories first."
Lucien smiled slightly.
"They’re wrong."
The old man nodded.
"Logistics wins wars."
Cassian stared at the map.
"Then Iron Junction becos the heart."
"It becos the arteries."
That answer made everyone pause.
Because it was true.
The more they discussed the project, the more important Iron Junction beca.
Factories needed resources.
Cities needed food.
Shipyards needed steel.
Armies needed supplies.
Everything eventually touched logistics.
The discussion continued for hours.
Population estimates.
Construction priorities.
Labor shortages.
Engineering requirents.
Potential risks.
Nobody noticed the passing scenery.
Eventually the conversation shifted.
"What happens if soone attacks during construction?" Elena asked.
The question imdiately changed the atmosphere.
Lucien remained calm.
"It will happen."
Nobody disagreed.
The Royal Guardian folded his arms.
"Demons?"
"Possibly."
"Hostile nobles?"
"Also possible."
Cassian frowned.
"Bandits?"
"They’ll try."
Malen finally spoke.
"The Five Pillars will attract enemies."
Simple,direct.and correct.
Anything important enough to change the world would inevitably create opposition.
The discussion lasted until sunset before everyone finally dispersed.
The following day the convoy stopped near a small trading town.
The reaction was imdiate.
Word had already spread.
rchants recognized the Warhounds.
Children followed the vehicles.
Travelers pointed.
Rumors moved faster than armies.
Lucien quickly discovered that every version of the story was completely inaccurate.
According to one rchant, the Warhounds could outrun dragons.
According to another, the artillery could destroy mountains.
One elderly traveler claid Lucien had challenged three dragons simultaneously.
Aurethar overheard that one.
The dragon looked incredibly offended.
"Only three?"
Cassian nearly choked.
The town remained lively for most of the afternoon.
People gathered around the convoy.
Questions appeared constantly.
Most concerned the Warhounds.
So concerned the summit.
Others focused entirely on Aurethar.
The dragon eventually retreated after being asked if dragons laid golden eggs.
Lucien considered that a strategic withdrawal.
The convoy resud its journey shortly afterward.
Near midday on the third day, they stopped beside a river to rest.
Lucien stepped away from the camp while reviewing manpower estimates.
Then he heard a familiar voice.
"...that formula was idiotic."
He looked up.
Not far away, two elderly mages stood facing each other.
One wore Aetheris robes.
The other wore blue robes Lucien had seen for years.
Maerath.
Gandalf.
They appeared to be arguing.
Seriously arguing.
Lucien approached quietly.
"It worked," Gandalf said.
"It exploded."
"Only twice."
Maerath pointed a finger.
"Twice is still exploding."
"It stopped afterward."
"That does not improve the situation."
Gandalf appeared unconvinced.
Lucien stopped several ters away.
The oldest mage in Aetheris.
The man respected by kings and archmages.
The researcher who had teleported directly into an international negotiation.
Was arguing with Gandalf like an irritated colleague.
Not as a student or a superior.
An equal.
The Royal Guardian appeared beside Lucien.
"You finally noticed."
"Noticed what?"
The old man looked amused.
"You never asked much about Gandalf."
Before Lucien could answer, Maerath noticed him.
"Good."
The ancient mage pointed directly at Gandalf.
"Tell your advisor he’s an idiot."
Gandalf looked offended.
"I am standing right here."
"Excellent."
Maerath looked pleased.
"You can hear clearly."
Lucien pinched the bridge of his nose.
"What happened?"
"What happened?" Maerath repeated.
"This fool vanished."
"I retired."
"You stole three research journals."
"I borrowed them."
"You never returned them."
"I was still using them."
Maerath stared.
Gandalf stared back.
Neither seed willing to surrender.
Lucien slowly turned toward the Royal Guardian.
"...What?"
The old man laughed.
Actually laughed.
Several nearby soldiers looked alard.
The Royal Guardian rarely laughed.
"You thought Gandalf was rely a provincial wizard?"
Lucien didn’t answer.
Because apparently he had.
At least partially.
Maerath folded his arms.
"This fool was one of the most promising researchers Aetheris produced in centuries."
Gandalf looked mildly pleased.
Then Maerath continued.
"Then he disappeared."
Gandalf imdiately looked less pleased.
"I had better things to do."
"You abandoned research."
"I found sothing more important."
"What?"
Gandalf looked toward the north.
Toward Elarion.
For a brief mont his expression changed.
"The people there."
Silence followed.
Maerath’s irritation faded slightly.
The old mage sighed.
"You always were impossible."
"Yet here you are."
"Because your machines are interesting."
That answer sounded more honest than anything else.
Lucien understood imdiately.
Maerath hadn’t followed Elarion.
He had followed curiosity.
The sa curiosity that drove researchers everywhere.
The sa curiosity that had made him teleport into a diplomatic eting.
The ancient mage suddenly looked at Lucien.
"Your hybrid engines."
Lucien already knew where this conversation was heading.
"They’re staying in Elarion."
"Obviously."
Maerath looked offended.
"I ant the research."
Gandalf smirked.
The expression alone suggested he had already won several argunts.
"You want laboratory access."
"I want proper laboratories."
"You want to steal my students."
"I want competent assistants."
The argunt imdiately resud.
Lucien stepped back.
There was no point interfering.
The two mages clearly enjoyed this.
Even if neither would admit it.
The Royal Guardian watched for several monts before speaking quietly.
"Do you know what I find amusing?"
"What?"
"Gandalf spent years hiding in Elarion."
Lucien nodded.
"And now?"
The old man smiled.
"Now the world has found him again."
The journey resud shortly afterward.
The road stretched northward.
Forests gradually beca familiar.
Hills slowly returned.
The air itself felt different.
Ho was close.
Late the following afternoon, Lucien stood atop a ridge overlooking the horizon.
The conversation around him faded.
For a mont he simply looked.
Elarion.
Far in the distance.
His territory.
His responsibility.
His future.
The summit was over.
The negotiations were finished.
The alliances had been secured.
The technology paths had opened.
The Five Pillars awaited construction.
Factories needed to rise.
Railways needed to be laid.
Cities needed to be built.
Enemies would eventually co.
Lucien already knew that.
But for the first ti since leaving Elarion, the destination no longer felt distant.
It was right there.
Waiting.
And this ti he would return with the support of kingdoms, dragons, dwarves, elves, archmages, fleets, and legends.
The real work was finally about to begin.
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