HUNTERS ALLIANCE - CHAPTER 12 CRACKS BENEATH THE CELEBRATION

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Chapter 12: Cracks Beneath the Celebration

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The capital of Rashenghart glittered beneath the evening sky.

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Golden lights illuminated the streets while music drifted through the air.

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Inside one of the grandest halls in the kingdom, nobles, high-ranking officials, wealthy merchants, and influential military figures gathered for a lavish celebration.

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Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling.

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Servants moved through the crowd carrying silver trays filled with expensive food and drinks.

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Laughter echoed across the room.

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Tonight was not a night for worry.

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It was a night for celebration.

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A massive banner hung above the ballroom.

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"Three Hundred Years Under the Barrier."

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One official raised a glass.

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"To the Barrier!"

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The crowd cheered.

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"To the Barrier!"

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Glasses clinked together.

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A musician began playing near the stage while nobles danced.

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Near one of the balconies, several older officials stood together discussing politics.

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One of them, a man with gray hair and a sharp beard, frowned slightly.

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"I still find it strange."

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Another official looked at him.

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"What is?"

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"We have no official ruler."

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The small group fell silent.

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A woman dressed in blue nodded.

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"He has a point."

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The bearded official took a sip from his glass.

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"Every kingdom has a king."

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"Or a queen."

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"Or an emperor."

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"But not us."

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Another man chuckled.

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"Technically we do."

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The others turned toward him.

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He shrugged.

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"The royal bloodline still exists."

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"Then where are they?" the woman asked.

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No one answered immediately.

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The man rubbed his chin.

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"The royal family withdrew from politics generations ago."

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"Which makes no sense."

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"Perhaps they preferred peace."

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"Or perhaps they were pushed out."

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The conversation grew quieter.

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One official glanced around before speaking.

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"Careful."

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"We shouldn't discuss such matters publicly."

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The others nodded.

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The topic changed.

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Yet curiosity remained in their eyes.

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Because everyone knew the same thing.

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Rashenghart had a royal bloodline.

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Yet nobody ruled.

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The kingdom instead operated through councils, bureaus, military departments, and governing committees.

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It worked.

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Mostly.

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But lately...

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More people were beginning to question it.

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Meanwhile, at the center of the ballroom, another group laughed loudly.

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One merchant raised his drink.

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"The Barrier has protected us for centuries!"

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Cheers followed.

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Another noble grinned.

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"At this point I doubt it'll ever fall."

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Several people agreed.

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None of them noticed the worried expressions exchanged by a few military officers standing nearby.

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Not everyone shared their confidence.

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---

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Far from the celebration.

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Deep inside the Alliance Bureau headquarters.

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The atmosphere couldn't have been more different.

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Unlike the Hunters Alliance, the Alliance Bureau focused on administration, records, intelligence gathering, logistics, and national security reports.

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Their job was information.

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And tonight...

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Information had become very dangerous.

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Rows of clerks worked late into the night.

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Stacks of reports covered countless desks.

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In one secure chamber, several analysts gathered around a table.

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A young woman hurried inside carrying a folder.

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"Director!"

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An older man looked up.

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"What is it?"

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She placed the folder on the table.

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"You need to see this."

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The director opened it.

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His eyes narrowed.

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Then widened.

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"What?"

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Several analysts moved closer.

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The room became silent.

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Page after page contained monster activity reports.

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Migration routes.

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Sightings.

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Attack patterns.

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Mana fluctuations.

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Everything appeared normal.

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Until the final pages.

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One analyst frowned.

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"That's impossible."

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Another swallowed.

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"No..."

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The director slowly stood.

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"Check the numbers again."

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"We already did."

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"Then check them again."

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The young analyst nodded nervously.

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Minutes passed.

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No one spoke.

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Eventually she looked up.

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Her face had become pale.

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"The calculations are correct."

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Silence.

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The director's hand tightened around the report.

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"The barrier's outer mana density..."

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His voice lowered.

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"...is decreasing."

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Several people immediately stood.

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"What?"

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"By how much?"

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The director looked at the chart.

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"Not enough to alarm the public."

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"Yet."

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A heavy silence followed.

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"But enough to concern us."

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One analyst shook his head.

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"Could it be natural?"

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"No."

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The director's answer came instantly.

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"The decline pattern is too consistent."

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Another analyst looked nervous.

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"Should we inform the council?"

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The director stared at the report.

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"They already have dozens of warnings."

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"And they keep delaying action."

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The room fell quiet again.

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Everyone understood what that meant.

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If the barrier truly weakened...

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The consequences would be catastrophic.

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And nobody outside this room knew.

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---

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Hundreds of kilometers away.

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Commander Aaron stood atop a watchtower overlooking the northern frontier.

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Cold wind battered his coat.

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Below him, soldiers moved through a small fortified settlement.

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The atmosphere was tense.

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Exhausted hunters returned from patrols.

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Supply wagons sat nearly empty.

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Medical tents overflowed.

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Aaron's jaw clenched.

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A soldier approached carefully.

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"Commander."

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Aaron didn't look away from the horizon.

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"What?"

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"The latest supply request was denied."

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His fists tightened.

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"Denied?"

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"The Hunters Alliance says they're still processing allocations."

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Aaron laughed.

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A cold laugh.

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The kind that contained no humor.

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"Processing."

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The soldier remained silent.

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Aaron turned.

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His sharp eyes were filled with frustration.

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"Do they think monsters wait for paperwork?"

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"No, sir."

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"Do they think injured hunters can eat paperwork?"

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"No, sir."

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Aaron paced across the tower.

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Each step heavier than the last.

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"We requested supplies three weeks ago."

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"Yes, sir."

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"We requested reinforcements two weeks ago."

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"Yes, sir."

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"And now?"

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The soldier lowered his head.

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"No response."

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Aaron slammed his fist against the wooden railing.

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The loud crack startled nearby guards.

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"Damn it!"

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Several birds flew from nearby trees.

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Aaron stared toward the distant wilderness.

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The endless forest stretched across the horizon.

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Dark.

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Silent.

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Dangerous.

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Something felt wrong.

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His instincts screamed it.

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The monster attacks were increasing.

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Patrols reported strange movements.

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Scouting teams vanished more frequently.

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Yet the Hunters Alliance continued moving slowly.

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Too slowly.

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Aaron exhaled heavily.

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"If they won't send help..."

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His voice hardened.

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"We'll survive with what we have."

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The soldier nodded.

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But neither man looked convinced.

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---

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Back at the academy.

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Instructor Reese sat alone in her office.

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The room was dark except for a single lamp.

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Several reports rested on her desk.

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Normally she remained calm.

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Calculated.

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Composed.

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Tonight was different.

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Her fingers tapped the desk repeatedly.

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Tap.

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Tap.

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Tap.

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A rare sign of irritation.

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Earlier that day she had overheard students gossiping.

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At first she ignored it.

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Students created rumors constantly.

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Most weren't worth attention.

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But this rumor refused to disappear.

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Every hallway.

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Every classroom.

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Every training ground.

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The same story.

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Government officials had personally visited Roshan Ryn.

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At first she dismissed it.

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Then more students mentioned it.

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Then more.

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And more.

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Eventually she summoned her assistant.

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The young man stood nervously before her desk.

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"You wanted to see me?"

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"Verify something."

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"Yes, ma'am."

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"The rumors regarding Roshan."

80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcdYzROU5pH

The assistant hesitated.

80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRqwkqeEAMy

Then his expression changed.

80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8PHvcW81WA

And immediately Reese knew.

80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOO7DQI1ucK

"They're true."

80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLGAx62oyQF

The assistant nodded.

80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1W8W8XKGyM

"Unfortunately."

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Silence.

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A dangerous silence.

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"Who authorized it?"

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"We don't know."

80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ98Hy15mBHE

"And nobody informed me?"

80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE1yxHfKFqk

"No, ma'am."

80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvjk1rB4RqK

The assistant wisely remained still.

80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2VuswXIp2o

Reese dismissed him shortly afterward.

80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrq6NbFIc7z

Now she sat alone.

80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5QpUZ1Os57

Thinking.

80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ55fZI0jgbo

Analyzing.

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Calculating.

80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3F7Ohsb1KD

Someone had interfered.

80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4H2tHNQYU4

Someone powerful.

80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqyy2AtmBOE

Powerful enough to bypass academy channels.

80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUOsXYZhFR8

Powerful enough to send government officials directly to a trainee.

80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKEIhLAmnSF

Her eyes narrowed.

80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvggr37wVH5

A few names surfaced in her mind.

80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT3je4lvcEL

Council members.

80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuwzcg6u5h1

Alliance directors.

80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeOCFhTD5DX

Military commanders.

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Political figures.

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One by one she dismissed them.

80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNI1wqPOxBF

No.

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It didn't fit.

80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡApqFd9CHrn

Then another possibility appeared.

80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQQNvtBAY9S

And for the first time...

80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL89SG5L1pU

Reese felt uneasy.

80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqgDNvG78tT

Her chair creaked as she leaned back.

80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3rlZNVMLye

"No..."

80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvKhdc1zEwJ

She whispered.

80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5NZGtInGaS

"Surely not."

80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRgCgXFyLbD

If she was right...

80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWvJcjNdqHF

Then Roshan had attracted attention from someone far more important than she initially thought.

80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwq0gziJLFJ

Someone she couldn't easily manipulate.

80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjikZLMAPsC

Someone capable of disrupting years of planning.

80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpJE3a4RUe7

Her expression darkened.

80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQZ7twJjdTC

Outside the office window, the academy grounds remained peaceful.

80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYMrIqpOUue

Students laughed.

80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb8sVFuznTT

Others prepared for tomorrow's physical assessment.

80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJrZQqk5UEw

Nobody noticed the storm building beneath the surface.

80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ85LIODYgfG

Meanwhile, far beyond the kingdom's borders...

80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaijY16OExj

Far beyond the barrier...

80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6CHypLC6EN

Something enormous opened its eyes.

80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEzQMskcHrm

Deep underground.

80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡivrdWfs1kf

Hidden beneath layers of stone.

80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqr2hzWxW3k

Ancient blue light illuminated a cavern larger than entire cities.

80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhClJd1zrT1

The creature slowly stirred.

80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZUGVDR3nU2

Mana surged through the surrounding walls.

80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlkpdVJ8V4Z

Cracks spread across ancient crystal formations.

80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3MZw160LWm

A low rumble echoed through the darkness.

80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZlrTFmbe2t

Then...

80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ10v3cF8T4o

A single massive claw emerged from the shadows.

80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPjv2q4aalC

And somewhere within the Alliance Bureau, a warning crystal suddenly shattered.

80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ65SulmkmwO

To Be Continued...80Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMVxMCv23lY

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