"Haaah..."
Finally free from that suffocating place, Aisia exhaled deeply. As an alchemist by specialization, she had no desire to deal with these three major powers—but circumstances left her no choice.
The Heavenward Tower. The Pantheon. The Knighthood.
They were the supreme governing bodies for mages, clerics, and Mystic Warriors respectively. Every mage association, temple, and Mystic Warrior guild across the world answered to them. The Heavenward Tower consisted solely of mages; the Knighthood was exclusively Mystic Warriors; while the Pantheon housed both, though their magic and combat techniques always carried hints of "light" and "holiness."
Beyond them stood the Atlas Institute (overseeing alchemists), the Benevolent Society (governing physicians and some potion scholars), and the Free Stone (managing artificers and the like). Though influential, none matched the might of the Three Titans.
Aisia, an alchemist—largely self-taught—naturally belonged to the Atlas Institute’s camp. Since Atlas maintained strained relations with all other organizations, every alchemist walked a delicate line with other factions.
"Um... A-Aisia?"
The mature woman walking beside her—Luna—spoke softly. Though over a dozen years her senior as a stepmother, Luna always tread carefully around Aisia.
"What is it, Mother?"
"Nothing, it’s just..." Luna hesitated before murmuring, "Things have been... rather unsettled lately."
"Cassol has never known peace."
"Well... true. Just... stay cautious. And avoid going out if you can."
"...Understood, Mother."
Aisia offered a faint, knowing smile and nodded.
Just then—
"Ladies."
A gentle voice sounded behind them. Aisia barely flinched, but Luna startled. Turning, they saw a man impeccably dressed: silver-gold hair neatly combed, his black butler’s uniform unwrinkled. Though past sixty, his poised elegance outshone many younger men.
"Ah, Pierce. Where is Father?"
"The master is currently negotiating with three distinguished guests regarding the Great Secret Treasure. The others have already departed," the old steward replied, his calm voice radiating reassurance.
"I see..."
Aisia nodded. No need to guess—the guests were undoubtedly peers of Sanelis’s caliber. The room’s atmosphere was likely tense enough to cut steel. Best avoid it.
"And the other three?"
"They’ve been escorted to temporary guest quarters by other servants. No need for concern, young mistress."
"Hmm..."
*No need for concern?*
*She* wasn’t the one who should be worried.
If anyone in Cassol craved the newly appeared Great Secret Treasure most fiercely, it was her father, the city lord. Now the Three Titans had brazenly sent investigators under the guise of "inquiry"—a direct challenge to his authority.
*(The Great Secret Treasure...)*
At that very moment, inside the room—
"So, Lord Cortis, your cooperation is vital," said Saint Anthony, the Pantheon’s aged knight. His tone was earnest, but Sanelis heard the threat beneath.
"I suppose I can agree with the Pantheon on this," drawled Sako, the Knighthood’s handsome middle-aged representative, twirling a strand of hair. "The Great Secret Treasure belongs to all humanity. It must be safeguarded properly. We of the Knighthood—"
"The Knighthood? What use would *you* have for it? Forge it into crude blades?" interrupted Glori, the Heavenward Tower’s elderly sorceress. Her voice was shrill, dripping with undisguised hostility.
Sako stopped twirling his hair, shooting her a look of disgust. "The Tower prides itself on wisdom and refinement. Clearly, Lady Glori is an exception. What would *you* do with it? Study it? Replicate it? Don’t be absurd. Even the ‘Artisan Sage’ failed his entire life. What makes you think you’ll succeed?"
Glori’s brow furrowed. A terrifying surge of magical pressure erupted from her, shaking the entire Lord’s Mansion. Sako smirked, his hand resting on his longsword’s hilt as an equally potent aura flared around him.
"—Enough!"
Saint Anthony’s roar cut through the tension. The two shot him impatient glances before reluctantly withdrawing their power.
Glori Vesa, though elderly, was infamous for her fiery temper. Sako, one of the youngest Great Battle Spirits, maintained grace in speech—but provocation ignited him instantly. Neither was easily reasoned with. By contrast, Saint Anthony, the eldest, exercised the most restraint.
"Enough empty words," Sanelis said coldly. "Let’s verify ‘that thing’ first. I assume you’ve all brought them? Those items serve as your proof of authority."
"......"
Silence fell. Reluctantly, the three produced their objects.
Glori held a small crystal pendant on a silver chain, trapping a rainbow-hued glow within. Saint Anthony presented a disc etched with intricate, luminous patterns. Sako produced a broken dagger, its hilt sealed with runes.
Though different in form, all three contained the same essence:
A Magic Trace Sample of an ownerless Great Secret Treasure.
All things left traces upon existence. Powerful magical artifacts imprinted "unique magical residues" on places they’d occupied—like fingerprints, impossible to forge. Even mighty spells like Forbidden Spells left such traces wherever cast.
As the pinnacle of all treasures, a Great Secret Treasure’s trace was exceptionally rare. Having existed for centuries, the Three Titans had each secured samples from ownerless Great Secret Treasures they’d encountered. Comparing traces could track or authenticate such treasures—which was why the Titans guarded these samples fiercely.
A flicker of something unreadable passed through Sanelis’s eyes as he saw the samples. Each harbored private thoughts, revealing the items only briefly before tucking them away.
...
The strained negotiation ended near noon. As the four exited the room, servants waiting outside braced themselves—but still trembled under the weight of four overwhelming presences.
"I shall ensure your stay is comfortable," Sanelis said formally. "Your quarters are prepared. Servants will guide you. May your time here be... pleasant."
His face and eyes held no trace of warmth. Neither did the others’. At their level, masking true feelings was pointless. Mutual hostility hung thick in the air.
As for the rooms Sanelis provided? Undoubtedly riddled with surveillance. Yet none of the investigation teams considered staying elsewhere. Outside the Lord’s Mansion, Sanelis’s spies would be just as pervasive.
"And our companions?" Saint Anthony inquired.
"Most were shown to quarters to rest. Some left the mansion—no doubt ‘diligently pursuing their investigations’."
The trio ignored Sanelis’s barb. The Great Secret Treasure hunt mattered more.
They were certain the treasure remained within Cassol’s territory—but its exact location required searching. From now on, it was a race. Whoever found it first would claim victory. Glori, Saint Anthony, and Sako held significant power in their organizations; Sanelis commanded influence across northern Barbra. Open conflict would bring catastrophic consequences. They had to secure the treasure before distrust escalated.
And the threats weren’t limited to each other. Cassol had never seen such chaos. Mercenary companies from across Barbra flooded in. Adventurers swarmed like locusts. Thugs and opportunists lurked everywhere. Even with a Great Sorcerer and a Great Battle Spirit on their side, their chances of success barely exceeded fifty percent.
That was why, upon entering Cassol, each Titan faction had dispatched teams beyond the Lord’s Mansion—to investigate, and to deter scheming rivals.
"......?"
Sako halted mid-stride toward his guest quarters. A chime sounded from the earring—a magical communication device.
"What is it?"
"S-Sako sir! We’ve run into trouble..."
"Hah?"
The voice belonged to a subordinate from the Knighthood’s investigation team. Sako had ordered them to scout Cassol City earlier, expecting locals to avoid knights out of respect. Instead...
"Clashed with some mercenary rabble? Scare them off and be done with it."
"We tried to handle it quietly, but... but..."
"But?"
"Just now—Butcher arrived. He attacked without warning."
"..."
Sako pictured his hulking, scar-faced companion. *All brawn and no brains.* Even as a Great Battle Spirit, Sako avoided him when his bloodlust flared. A formidable fighter, yes—but as a teammate for this mission? An utter liability.
"...Fine. Let the brute have his fun. Leave him be."
