Midway through the luncheon, Margaret excused herself, saying she needed to rest for a mont and attend to her daughter.
Holding Eleanor’s small hand, she left the bustling banquet hall, surrounded by Annabelle and other ladies-in-waiting.
A mont later, an Attendant quietly approached Murphy’s side and whispered sothing to him.
Murphy gave a slight nod, set down his wine glass, and also rose, heading toward a corridor at the side of the banquet hall that led to the inner court.
The corridor was deep and silent. The candlelight on the walls cast a soft halo, stretching their shadows long.
Margaret dismissed her attendants, leaving only Annabelle to wait quietly at the corridor’s entrance.
Eleanor seed truly sleepy. Held in Margaret’s arms, she was already dozing off groggily against her shoulder.
"To the study," Margaret said, then led the way forward. Murphy followed in silence.
The study in Tayr Palace was located in the west wing, spacious and private.
Heavy, dark oak bookshelves reached to the ceiling, filled with all manner of books and scrolls. The air was thick with the distinct sll of paper, ink, and old leather.
A massive desk faced the floor-to-ceiling windows, which overlooked a ticulously manicured garden bathed in the afternoon sun.
Margaret walked behind the desk but didn’t sit down. Instead, she turned to face Murphy, who had followed her in.
"Eleanor..." Murphy began, his voice low.
Margaret took a deep breath. "I’ve already checked. At least within the range of my perception, that stream of light left no malicious imprints or curses. It was like... truly just an overly realistic illusion. Once its Energy was depleted, it dissipated completely."
She paused, her dark eyes locking with Murphy’s. "You must have sensed it too. Otherwise... with your reaction speed and your position at the ti, no matter how bizarre that stream of light was, you wouldn’t have rely sent out a single, probing strike of Sword Qi."
Murphy didn’t deny it. He said slowly, "I still need to check for myself."
Margaret had no objection. She simply laid the drowsy Eleanor on a chaise lounge with thick, soft cushions inside the study and carefully covered her with a light blanket.
Murphy walked to the side of the chaise lounge, leaned down, and extended his right index finger, hovering it about an inch from the space between her eyebrows.
A faint, almost transparent wisp of pale black energy seeped from his fingertip, gently probing toward Eleanor’s forehead.
Margaret stood to the side, her gaze fixed on Murphy’s every move, her fingers unconsciously tightening slightly.
The study was exceptionally quiet, the only sounds being the faint murmur of the garden fountain outside the window and Eleanor’s even, shallow breathing.
After about half a minute, the energy at Murphy’s fingertip silently withdrew.
He straightened up. His brow furrowed almost imperceptibly, then slowly relaxed.
"There are indeed no obvious magical imprints, curses, or corrosion from Exotic Energy," Murphy said in a low voice. "That stream of light must have been an Illusionary Magic. It triggered Eleanor’s own imagination and longing for beautiful sights, thereby projecting and amplifying those lights and shadows. Alonso... It seems he had no intention of causing direct harm, at least not this ti."
Hearing this conclusion, the tension in Margaret’s shoulders eased almost imperceptibly.
"Alonso de la Torre..." she murmured the na, her tone tinged with icy sarcasm. "An Official Wizard crosses national borders and barges into a Duke’s Mansion just to set off a grand fireworks display at a five-year-old’s birthday party and deliver a world-shattering speech?"
Murphy’s gaze shifted from Eleanor to Margaret. "His announcent. What do you make of it?"
"What do I make of it?" Margaret scoffed. "It’s fake. Or at least, it’s nowhere near as simple or as grand as he claims."
She turned, her back to the sunlit window, her face partially cloaked in shadow, making her eyes seem startlingly bright. "Completely activate the Plane Waymark, guide a massive influx of New Realm Wizards, and declare open war on the Truth Church Court and even the existing order of the Kingdoms?"
"If they truly had such confidence and determination, they should be acting like moles burrowing underground, keeping their plans tightly under wraps to deliver a fatal blow at the most critical mont. Why would they show up months in advance to make a grand ’announcent’ like this? Are they afraid others won’t know, that we won’t have ti to prepare?"
She paused, her tone growing sharper. "Besides, if guiding a massive amount of power from the New Realm were as easy as he makes it sound, why would Wizard Organizations have spent the last several centuries hiding in the shadows, maneuvering against the Church Court?"
"The barrier between the New Realm and the Old Realm, the differences in Laws, and the legendary ’Price of Return’ are all enormous obstacles in their way. Alonso’s words sound more like a lure, a smokescreen."
Murphy listened quietly. "And what’s beneath the smokescreen?"
"I don’t know," Margaret answered crisply. "But it can only be one of a few possibilities. One, to divert attention and provide cover for their true objective. Two, to probe the reactions of all parties, especially the bottom line and response speed of the Church Court and the Royal Family. Three, the Plane Waymark in the Iron Ridge Mountain Range itself holds so special purpose for them, one that can only be achieved through public disclosure, like a specific ritual or ancient Magic."
Margaret’s tone shifted, her expression growing solemn. "But no matter what his true objective is, we cannot let our guard down. The announcent may be a lie, but the preparations could be real. The Tower of Secret Silver has been deeply entrenched in Castile for many years; their strength is not to be underestimated."
"If they are truly plotting sothing in the Iron Ridge Mountain Range, whatever it may be, once it triggers turmoil, the flas of war could very well spread. Neither the Southern Territory, where Teris Territory lies, nor the Northern Territory, where Monte Territory is located, can hope to remain uninvolved."
Murphy nodded in agreent.
When the nest is overturned, no egg remains unbroken. He certainly understood this principle.
Margaret went behind the desk, opened a drawer, and took out several differently shaped emblems, placing them on the desktop.
One looked like an abstract eye cast in bronze, another was shaped like a twisted key made of Mithril, and a third was a dark red feather sealed within a small crystal.
She pointed to the tokens. "I will imdiately verify the information through several channels. The ’Listeners’ have spies within the Castile Royal Family and among so of the nobility. The ’Ashen Words’ have connections with several groups of wandering Wizards active on the border. The ’Night Owls’ are skilled at analyzing clues from public information and trade flows."
"And then there’s the ’Eye of the Profound.’ They have a tradition in Rosenia of observing the Energy tides of the New Realm. I will have them verify the specific details and predictions regarding this current Energy tide. By cross-referencing multiple lines of intelligence, we can quickly figure out the Tower of Secret Silver’s recent movents and whether there is any unusual Energy convergence or personnel mobilization near the Iron Ridge Mountain Range."
She lifted her eyes to Murphy. "On your end, the Monte Territory’s strengths are in iron slting and military production, and your intelligence on the Northern Territory’s trade routes is quite good. The attitude of the East Border Peric Clan is especially critical. They control the iron mines, and their lands border the Iron Ridge Mountain Range. Their stance is paramount. Annie Peric is still a guest at your estate. Perhaps this is an opportunity."
"I’ll look into it," Murphy replied in a deep voice.
"Good." Margaret seed to breathe a sigh of relief, but her expression remained stern. "Until we receive more definitive information, we will counter action with inaction. However, security at the borders and important facilities must be heightened imdiately. Both Tayr Palace and Monte Castle must be prepared. And Eleanor..."
Her gaze fell upon her sleeping daughter on the chaise lounge, and her voice softened. "Even though the check showed nothing was wrong, we still need to keep a close eye on her for the ti being."
"I will." Murphy’s gaze also returned to Eleanor.
The afternoon sun slipped quietly through the clean glass window into the study, landing just on the edge of the small chaise lounge, illuminating Eleanor’s peaceful face as she slept.
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