Chapter 144: Chapter137:The Preparation and the royal messenger(REVISED)
It had been a week since the meeting about the Five Pillars Plan had concluded, yet the excitement around it could still be felt throughout Elarion, especially after the plan was revealed to the general populace.
But inside one of the estate’s largest halls, the atmosphere was still grim.
A private meeting regarding the Supreme Mage Council was underway. Only a handful of people were present, but despite that, the hall still felt small because of who attended.
Aurethar alone occupied nearly a third of the hall, basking lazily in the sunlight reflecting off his golden scales.
Around the table sat Lucien, Gandalf, Malen, Lucas, and Ironbreaker the dwarf.
Ironbreaker was already halfway through a mug of ale.
The question of where he kept refilling it from remained unanswered.
Nobody knew.
Nobody asked either.
Lucien was the first to speak.
"So the Royal Guardian expects me to go to the Supreme Mage Council and show them our weapons."
Lucas adjusted his glasses.
"Our concern is not whether you attend the meeting, my lord. The concern is what happens after you attend it."
He glanced around the hall before continuing.
"The Council consists of some of the strongest people in the world. Aurethar might be able to fight one or two of them, but if all of them decide to become hostile, we would have nowhere to run."
"Too many unknowns," Malen muttered. "Too many powerful people. Too many places where things can go wrong."
It was a fair assessment.
Gandalf finally spoke.
"The summit itself is not the danger. The people attending it are."
His fingers tapped lightly against the table.
"The Council includes some of the most powerful mages alive. Some have lived for centuries, while others command armies, institutions, and influence large enough to move kingdoms."
His gaze settled on Lucien.
"And all of them will be interested in Elarion."
Ironbreaker finally broke his silence.
"I think all of you are looking in the wrong direction."
Everyone turned toward the dwarf.
Lucas raised his eyes.
"And what exactly does that mean?"
"It means what I said," Ironbreaker replied. "Everyone keeps talking about weapons, but I don’t think the Royal Guardian wants Lucien to go there just because of weapons."
The room remained silent, waiting for him to continue.
Ironbreaker took another drink from his mug.
"If all the Guardian wanted was to showcase weapons, he could have invited Council members to some hidden testing ground."
He placed the mug down.
"But he did not."
His eyes moved toward Lucien.
"He specifically invited Lucien to go with him."
Aurethar slowly lifted his head and turned toward Lucien.
"I agree with the miniature."
Ironbreaker looked proud for a moment after being praised.
Then his brain caught up.
"Miniature?"
Aurethar ignored him completely.
"The Royal Guardian is not interested only in the machines," the dragon said. "He is interested in the person who created them."
His golden eyes narrowed slightly.
"And so will the Council."
That possibility felt far more dangerous.
Aurethar’s voice remained calm.
"A young noble suddenly appears, begins transforming a struggling territory, and within less than a decade turns it into something nobody understands."
He paused.
"Then, somehow, he convinces a golden dragon to remain in his territory."
Lucien blinked.
"So that is suspicious?"
Aurethar looked offended.
"Extremely suspicious."
He lowered his head slightly.
"And I assure you, from an outsider’s perspective, the entire situation is absurd."
"If I sat among the Council, I would also have questions."
His tone deepened.
"Where did this knowledge come from?"
"How did Elarion develop this quickly?"
"And most importantly, does Elarion represent an opportunity or a threat?"
The hall fell quiet.
Then Aurethar suddenly added, "Of course, the mages are not the biggest problem."
Malen looked at him.
"What do you mean?"
The dragon chuckled.
"There will also be dragons."
"At the summit?" Lucas asked.
"Naturally."
Aurethar sounded mildly offended.
"Did you imagine dragons spend all their time sleeping on mountains?"
Ironbreaker immediately raised a hand.
"Yes."
The dragon stared.
The dwarf stared back.
Several seconds passed.
Then Aurethar sighed.
"You continue to disappoint me."
He continued.
"Several dragon clans maintain relations with the Council. Others attend because they enjoy knowing what everyone else is doing."
His eyes narrowed.
"And some attend because they enjoy interfering in everyone’s business."
Ironbreaker nodded.
"Now that sounds like dragons."
"That sounds like everyone," Aurethar replied.
The dwarf could not argue with that.
The dragon continued.
"The important point is that word has already spread."
Lucien frowned.
"What word?"
Aurethar’s golden eyes gleamed.
"About Elarion. The Warhound. The artillery. The factories. And its young lord who keeps building impossible things."
He paused.
"Several dragons will arrive already knowing your name."
That immediately drew everyone’s attention.
Malen frowned.
"Can that become a problem?"
Aurethar considered the question.
Then laughed.
"A dragon becoming a problem is hardly unusual."
Everyone waited.
Eventually, the dragon continued.
"Most will simply be curious."
"Some will be interested."
"Others will want introductions."
A faint smile touched his draconic face.
"And a few will undoubtedly behave like idiots."
Gandalf smiled.
"Dragons have idiots too?"
Aurethar looked deeply offended.
"We invented idiots."
Even Lucien laughed at that.
The dragon waited patiently for the amusement to pass.
Then his tone became serious again.
"I will send messages."
Lucien looked at him.
"Messages?"
Aurethar nodded.
"I know several dragons who are likely to attend."
His golden eyes narrowed slightly.
"If they hear about you from me first, the situation becomes much easier."
Lucas immediately nodded.
"That would be useful."
Aurethar continued.
"I cannot guarantee outcomes. Dragons rarely agree on anything."
He paused, then spoke with some difficulty.
"Except that red dragons are insufferable."
His voice lowered almost to a murmur.
"And if you see a woman with dark red hair and horns at the Council, pretend I never existed."
The room went silent for a moment.
Lucien looked at him.
"What?"
"Nothing."
Aurethar cleared his throat and continued as if nothing had happened.
"The main point is this. You will go to the Council as the lord of Elarion."
His gaze settled on Lucien.
"And when you return, the world will know about you one way or another."
That brought a moment of seriousness back to the meeting.
The discussion regarding the Supreme Mage Council ended shortly afterward.
Yet Aurethar’s final words lingered.
For the first time, Elarion would be introduced to the wider world.
And that was an unsettling thought.
Over the following days, preparations continued.
Engineers left for survey missions.
Administrators buried themselves beneath mountains of paperwork.
The Five Pillars Project consumed enormous attention and resources.
Lucien spent most of his time moving between planning sessions and reviewing reports.
For a brief period, life almost felt normal.
Then a rider arrived at Elarion.
The banner attached to his horse displayed the personal crest of the Royal Guardian.
That detail alone sent the guards scrambling.
Within minutes, the entire estate knew that an important messenger had arrived.
Both the rider and the horse looked exhausted.
Dust covered the man’s once-pristine cloak.
He had clearly ridden hard.
Lucien received him in the main hall.
The messenger immediately knelt.
"My lord."
Lucien nodded.
"Rise."
The man stood and presented a sealed document. Heavy wax covered the fold, stamped with the Royal Guardian’s seal.
Lucien accepted the letter and began reading.
Lucas frowned.
"Bad news?"
"No," Lucien said. "The summit preparations have begun. The Royal Guardian wants me to reach the capital."
"When?" Lucas asked.
The messenger answered before Lucien could.
"In ten days, a royal convoy will depart from the capital. The Guardian requests Lord Lucien’s presence before departure."
He lowered his head slightly.
"The journey to the summit location will be conducted under royal escort."
Lucien continued reading through the arrangements.
Then one particular line caught his attention.
Lucas noticed.
"Is there an issue?"
"No," Lucien said slowly. "It is just that the Crown Prince will be attending as well."
Lucas nodded.
"That is not surprising."
Lucien’s gaze remained on the letter.
"So is Princess Elena."
Just then, another deep voice entered the conversation.
Aurethar’s head appeared outside one of the massive windows.
His golden eyes fixed on the messenger.
The royal courier immediately froze.
The dragon looked toward Lucien.
"The invitation has arrived?"
"Yes."
Aurethar nodded.
His gaze settled on the letter.
"Who else is attending?"
Lucien listed several names.
Archmages.
Noble houses.
Representatives of magical institutions.
Aurethar listened patiently.
Then he nodded.
"As expected."
The dragon appeared thoughtful.
"Three dragons have already confirmed attendance."
That immediately drew everyone’s attention.
Lucien looked up.
"You have already received replies?"
"Naturally."
Aurethar sounded mildly offended by the question.
"Dragons communicate. Occasionally."
He paused.
"When sufficiently motivated."
Then he continued.
"The silver dragon Valeris will attend."
The golden dragon immediately looked annoyed.
Then he gave Lucien a pitiful look.
"She asks too many questions."
"How many exactly is too many?" Lucien asked.
Aurethar stared at him for several seconds.
Then he delivered the answer.
"All of them."
Lucien said nothing.
Aurethar continued.
"The bronze dragon Tharok will also attend."
This time, his expression improved noticeably.
"A sensible dragon, unlike certain others."
Lucas adjusted his glasses.
"Only those two?"
The question seemed innocent.
Unfortunately for Aurethar, Ironbreaker was present.
The dwarf suddenly grinned.
"Wasn’t there another one?"
Aurethar immediately stiffened.
"No."
Ironbreaker’s grin widened.
"I am pretty sure there was."
"There was not."
"There absolutely was."
"There was not."
"There was."
Everyone in the room gradually became interested.
Lucien leaned back.
Malen smirked.
Even Gandalf looked amused.
Aurethar slowly narrowed his eyes at the dwarf, who looked entirely too pleased with himself.
"What was her name again?" Ironbreaker asked, pretending to think.
"Something red."
Aurethar chose silence.
Ironbreaker continued.
"Something very red."
Aurethar suddenly appeared deeply interested in a distant mountain.
At that point, everyone understood exactly which dragon Ironbreaker was talking about.
Finally, Aurethar sighed, realizing the disaster was unavoidable.
"Lady Pyraxis."
The golden dragon slowly closed his eyes, as if hoping reality itself would disappear.
Lucien looked toward him.
"You never mentioned this."
"There was nothing to mention," Aurethar answered immediately.
Ironbreaker chimed in at once.
"Yes, nothing to mention. Except that they flattened several mountain ranges the last time they met."
He placed a hand over his chest.
"Ah, people in love. My small heart cannot handle this much excitement."
"That was a small misunderstanding," Aurethar said, still trying to escape the conversation.
Ironbreaker grinned.
"You know, the summit just became much more interesting."
Aurethar’s eyes opened slowly.
"I am considering stepping on you."
Ironbreaker raised his mug.
"You would miss me."
"No."
"You would."
"No."
Lucien watched the exchange silently.
For the first time since the letter arrived, the tension in the hall eased.
But only slightly.
Because beneath the humor, one fact remained clear.
The Supreme Mage Council would not merely be a meeting.
It would be Elarion’s entrance onto the world stage.
And once Lucien stepped into that hall, there would be no returning to obscurity.
