Chapter 303 - Meet Dantes Astoria

"Dantes Astoria came here in this kingdom hoping to find the last mage of Shadora. That mage was from Prazia and for some unknown reason, he decided to live in Shadora. Dantes Astoria was hoping that the mage could help him increase his power."

"I thought the last mage of Shadora died a hundred years ago. Zosimo told us that. How old is this Dantes Astoria now if those men are still looking for him? Is he even alive?"

Vaughn shook his head. Zenia's mouth could be so toxic sometimes, and it knew no bounds. He wondered if she was playing dumb or trying to get back at Chief Elder for forcing her to send a portion of her cooked meals.

Chief Elder's face flushed, and Vaughn had no idea if it was due to anger or embarrassment – maybe both? 

"Ehem, Dantes Astoria is not as old as you think, and the last mage is still alive somewhere in the mountains of Shadora. He spread the rumor that he already died a hundred years ago, when in fact he is only 110 years old now. Dantes Astoria is around sixty years old."

'What the… Can't you just say that you're him? Why beat around the bush. Tch, such a drama king!'

Vaughn noticed that Zenia was running out of patience.

"Chief Elder, who is Dantes Astoria?" Vaughn asked calmly.

Zenia looked at her husband in disbelief. She did not expect Vaughn to ask such a question.

Chief Elder stood proudly and announced, "I am him, I am Dantes Astoria."

Vaughn tugged Zenia's sleeve, hinting her to act surprised. She got the message.

"You're Dantes Astoria?! But, you look ol…" Vaughn yanked Zenia's sleeve lightly, "But, you look much younger than sixty."

Chief Elder was pleased with Zenia's comment. Zenia glared at her husband.

'You know I hate liars, and you're making me tell a lie. Do you want me to hate myself?'

'Think of it as showing respect to the elderly.'

Zenia smirked.

'He doesn't even think that he's already old. He does not need it.'

Vaughn shook his head.

'Please? There are things that I still need to ask him.'

Zenia rolled her eyes.

'Fine, just this once.'

Vaughn smiled at her lovingly.

He mouthed the words, 'I love you.'

She mouthed back, 'I know.'

Zenia crossed her arms in front of her and did not say anything anymore – out loud or silently.

Chief Elder was wondering why the husband and wife acted that way in front of him. He had no idea what was going on between the two of them, but he knew that they were communicating.

'I wonder what they talked about…'

Vaughn turned to look at Chief Elder and smiled.

"Chief Elder, who else knows that your name is Dantes Astoria?"

"No one in Shadora knows, except the last mage. I don't want them to know my real name. When the last mage took me in as his apprentice, he gave me the title Chief Elder and introduced me to others using that title."

"No one asked for your real name or even tried to know your real name? What happened to the gossipy Shadorans? I thought the last mage spread the rumor that he died a hundred years ago, how in the world can he introduce you to the others when he's supposed to be already dead?"

Zenia's liar radar had been activated. She knew that Chief Elder was trying to hide something and was not telling the whole truth. Chief Elder's statements were full of loopholes, and her patience continued to run thin.

"The last mage of Shadora is powerful, and he used unfathomable means to make those people believe whatever comes out from his mouth. It's a good thing that I found him quickly when I arrived in Shadora."

Chief Elder stood up and poured himself a glass of water. He drank it quickly, and Zenia noticed that his hand trembled a bit. She became more suspicious.

She interrogated spies before, and they all ended up spilling everything. She was certain that Chief Elder came from Prazia and had a Master named Mardox. She believed that Monsat and Mardox were blood-related brothers.

Zenia tried to put the pieces of the puzzle together and did not bother with Chief Elder anymore. Chief Elder thought he was off the hook and heaved a sigh of relief. He wondered why his magic did not work on Zenia. He was trying to make her forget everything, but he failed. It was a good thing that she had decided to stop on her own volition.

Vaughn noticed that his wife became silent. He smirked. It was the calm before the storm. 

"Where is the last mage now, exactly?"

Chief Elder had wisened up and knew that lying was futile.

"He's in Shadora's Poison Mountain. No one dares to go there because of the numerous poisonous plants and beasts."

"But, that's not really true, isn't it?" 

Vaughn was beginning to see the loopholes that Zenia had discovered. Chief Elder felt like he was a criminal being interrogated. He cursed those brats from Prazia for coming to Shadora and disturbing the newlyweds. If they did not come, he wouldn't be in that situation.

"Yes. The last mage made the people believe that the Poison Mountain is full of danger to deter anyone from coming."

"What happens to those who did not heed the warning and still went there?"

"They were forbidden to ever return to their families. They became the last mage's helpers. It would be impossible for them to escape from the last mage's array."

"Have you met the last mage again after he went to Poison Mountain?"

Chief Elder looked at Vaughn and did not know how to answer. He did meet the last mage time and again, but it was outside the array. It was the last mage who would always tell him to go to a certain meeting place.

Chief Elder answered, "Yes, I did meet him again. But, he was the one who summoned me. I did not go to him on my own. He's the only one who can go out of the array he created. Even I won't be able to do it."

"Why did you let the last mage know who you really are? You were not even sure that he could be trusted back then?"

Zenia heard Vaughn's question and the puzzle that she was trying to solve finally found an answer. She smirked and kept listening.

"I-I somehow felt that I could trust him."

"Is it the same with us? You don't really know us, but you openly told us your other identity."

Chief Elder grinned and thought that the couple would finally stop once he revealed that he already knew their identities.

"Someone who is an enemy of an enemy is my friend, I'm sure that you're familiar with it. The Left Minister of Tissuria was one of those people who harmed my master, and I know that he's your enemy. I'm sure that you won't form an alliance with Prazia. Besides, Princess Odette who is King Odhran's illegitimate first-born child is currently in Prazia."

Vaughn and Zenia looked at each other. They had a hunch that the men of Dark Magic Lord and the soldiers of Prazia were the ones who helped Odette escape that day. They were still investigating it and once they were certain that Odette was indeed in Prazia, they would demand Odette's surrender. She colluded with her grandfather and committed treason.

"Are you sure about this, Chief Elder?"

"I am very sure. But don't be reckless and go there with your army. Even though the soldiers from Tissuria and Ishelon are formidable, we are still not certain about the level of power of Dark Magic faction. I received a report that the Dark Magic Lord has become more powerful than ever. We are still trying to find out how it happened."

"Is the last mage helping you with this?"

Zenia asked out of the blue and surprised Chief Elder.

"As a matter of fact, the last mage is the one who supplies me with information regarding the Dark Magic faction's ever-changing power."

"I'm just curious, why would the last mage concern himself with matters that are related to Prazia? As far as I know, Shadora and Prazia have nothing to do with each other. I'm sure that the last mage treats Shadora as his home. Prazia is nothing more but an old home for him."

"Ah, probably because my teacher knows that I escaped from Prazia and pitied me."

Chief Elder's back was already sweating profusely. He was hoping that Zenia wouldn't notice anything. 

"I don't think so. It's more like he's helping you to help himself. As you said, he also came from Prazia who settled here in Shadora. When did he arrive in Shadora?"

"That, I don't know exactly when. I did not ask him."

"As someone who even knows where we came from, aren't you curious when he arrived here? Unless," Zenia paused for a while and observed Chief Elder's reaction and continued, "You already know beforehand about his plan to settle down in Shadora. You must've met him in Prazia before you came here to Shadora."

Chief Elder was regretting it already. He shouldn't have divulged anything in the first place. He felt a bit excited when the Crown Prince of Tissuria asked for Dantes Astoria. He was elated when he heard someone uttered his real name.

"I don't get what you mean, Madam."

Zenia came closer to where Chief Elder was standing.

"Your teacher should know that keeping a very important piece of information will only bring harm. It could affect the lives of so many people in Maecaea."

"This has nothing to do with the last mage."

Chief Elder tried to hide his anxiousness by pretending to be angry. Zenia grinned. Chief Elder fell into her trap.

"Really? Then what about your Master Mardox?"

Chief Elder turned pale, and Vaughn simply looked at his wife with admiration.