Chapter 304 - Tell Us the Truth (Part 1)

"M-Madam, why did you suddenly include Master Mardox's name in our conversation? He died a long time ago. When Master Monsat ordered his men to come after me, I decided to flee and Shadora was the first destination that came to my mind."

Zenia smirked, "Chief Elder, I'm simply asking about Master Mardox's take on the matter, or are you hiding something else from us? Keep in mind that the Dark Magic Lord and King Odhran must be brewing something evil right at this moment. You said so yourself, the soldiers of Tissuria and Ishelon are formidable. You don't need to worry about how we deal with the Dark Magic Lord's men. We will find a way, and you and your master are going to help us."

Chief Elder's mouth twitched when he heard her mentioned his master again.

"Madam, don't you mean my teacher, the last mage of Shadora."

Zenia smiled sheepishly, "Whether he's the last mage of Shadora or Master Mardox, both identities belong to one person, isn't it?"

Vaughn kept quiet and did not seem to be bothered by Zenia's revelation but deep inside he was overwhelmed by the turn of events. He knew that Zenia was onto something, but he did not expect that Master Mardox was actually alive.

Chief Elder seemed to have forgotten how to breathe. He couldn't believe that his biggest secret would be revealed just like that.

Whoosh!

Vaughn quickly held Zenia within his arms and protected her when he felt that something was coming. He then checked if Zenia did not sustain any injury and turned his back on her to face the unknown guest who suddenly came.

Vaughn already drew out Zenia's dagger, which she strapped around her thigh. Vaughn held the dagger in front of him like he was holding a sword. Chief Elder remained rooted in his spot and did not know how to react.

"Master…"

"Foolish disciple! You are already this old, and you still don't know what to do during a confrontation," the man with a long, grey hair turned to Vaughn and Zenia, "Woman, what do you want to know?"

Zenia did not feel any hostility from the uninvited guest. She touched Vaughn's arm and whispered in his ear to stand down. She held Vaughn's arm, and they walked in front of the guest.

"It's nice to meet you, Master Mardox. I am Zenia Pernell and this is my husband Vaughn Pernell."

"Ah, you must be Ovid Anisen's daughter and Junior Commander of the Ishelon Military Unit. Please, let us take our seats."

"Master, are you just going to let them know about you?"

Master Mardox glared at his disciple, "Dantes, do you think that it is still necessary to hide anything at this point?"

The Chief Elder no longer uttered a word and followed his master behind. Master Mardox beckoned everyone to sit down.

"Now, child, what is it that you want to know? I will be as truthful as I can," Master Mardox smiled at Zenia.

"Is it true that there are other continents out there? Is Maecaea a sort of sealed fortress?"

Master Mardox sighed and knew that he should answer truthfully.

"There are indeed other continents out there apart from Maecaea. I have seen them with my own eyes."

Zenia's eyes sparkled when she confirmed it. Vaughn and the two men did not expect to see such a reaction.

"How did you see them?"

"You already know about the Sphere of Destiny, and my father knew the power that the sphere holds. That sphere has the power to change one's destiny depending on the will and power of the one who holds it. Most importantly, it can also partially break the seal surrounding Maecaea with the help of the Orb. But, it can only create a small portal that allows you to see the different continents."

"You can only see, but you are not allowed to go there, is that what you mean?" Vaughn interrupted.

"Yes! The only one who can break the seal completely is the true heir to the throne and master of the Orb. The former King of Prazia lacked the power to break the seal completely, but he managed to create a portal that's similar to the one that the sphere can create. Monsat, my younger brother, must've heard what we discovered and became obsessed with the riches and wealth of the other continents. He thought that by cultivating dark magic it would be easier for him to achieve his goal."

"So he established the Dark Magic faction, and the Dark Magic Lord became his disciple?"

Master Mardox nodded, "I also got myself a disciple, but he is too soft-hearted. His power is way beyond that of the Dark Magic Lord's. My father had a dream and in his dream, he saw my younger brother being consumed by darkness. Monsat has dark magic deep within his body. My father and I tried to expel that dark magic to prevent him from doing evil deeds. We only cut it down a bit. We prayed that Monsat would not embrace the dark magic."

Chief Elder nearly choked when he heard his master made a comment about him being soft-hearted. 

"Why did your father still give the other half of the sphere to your younger brother?"

"Father and I thought that it would hinder his evil side from revealing itself. We hoped that Monsat would decide to remain good when Father showers him with affection. He gave the other half of the sphere to tell my brother that we hold equal importance in our father's heart. But, we were wrong. He only became greedier as he grows older. It's a good thing that father already died before he sees his son turning into less than human each day. Monsat's disciple is worse than him."

"Do you know about the identity of the boy that your brother had saved that day?"

"I am sure that the boy was Prince Joram's son. I felt the aura of the Third Prince within that boy when I saw him being saved by Monsat on that fateful day in the Kingdom of Herzegova. That boy holds more power than you think. I don't know if Monsat detected it too, but I'm certain that he saved that boy to use him later."

"What were you doing in Herzegova?"

"After I let my disciple spread the news of my death, I went from kingdom to kingdom. I detected Prince Joram's aura in Herzegova and decided to stay there to provide him and his family some level of protection. In the end, I still failed. I was not able to save his children, but I saved Prince Joram and his wife."

Zenia could not clearly remember the things that Duke Gordon told her before about Jorick, but she was certain that he mentioned that Jorick was the son of the Third Prince Joram. The brothers always believed that their parents were somewhere safe and sound.

"Where are Prince Joram and his wife?"

Zenia had yet to put her trust completely on Chief Elder and Master Mardox. In her eyes, they looked like a pair of cunning foxes, although one was not as vicious as the other one. Vaughn had the same opinion.

Zenia wanted to hide the fact that they were keeping Jorick and his brother at Tissuria. It would be great if she could get hold of the information about the couple's whereabouts. Jorick would be thrilled.

Master Mardox had no plan to hide the truth from Zenia, but he really did not know where the couple went.

Master Mardox took a deep breath and explained, "After rescuing them, they insisted that they could fend for themselves. They told me that they still need to reunite with their children. I did not have the heart to tell them that one of their children was rescued by Monsat. We went our separate ways, and I went to Shadora. I loved it here and decided that I should settle here for good."

"You keep saying that your brother rescued the boy, but wasn't Monsat the one who caused the tragedy?"

"No, it was King Odhran who planned it because he learned that Prince Joram was in Herzegova. Monsat must've known at that time that King Odhran will never activate the Orb. His hope was renewed, but his disciple had no plan to take back Prince Joram's heir to Prazia. The Dark Magic Lord had colluded with King Odhran, and Monsat remained oblivious. I have a hunch that it was the Dark Magic Lord who led the attack that day, and Monsat did not know it."

"Is that why the Dark Magic Lord sent his men to look for the half-sphere?"

"It is possible. We are actually living in what the people of the other continents called Gaeia, which comprises of different continents. Each continent has different kingdoms or countries. In my opinion, the seal must remain intact. That way, Maecaea will remain invisible to the rest of Gaeia."

"But, why don't you want the people of Maecaea to meet the people from other continents?"