Chapter 456: The Matter of the Stones

Zarius exchanged a swift, heavy look with Cherion. The faint warmth that had filled the room only moments ago vanished instantly, replaced by that familiar, watchful tension that always accompanied central court business. Cherion straightened his dark coat, smoothing down the high collar with his palms before nodding at Zarius.

"Let’s see what they want," Cherion murmured quietly.

They followed Flio down the grand stone staircase, their footsteps echoing against the high vaulted ceilings of the estate’s inner wing.

In the center of the broad reception hall, three tall figures in dark green robes trimmed with silver stood near the hearth. Archmage Cassius stood right in the middle, a sharp-eyed man with silvering hair pulled tightly back into a neat tail, flanked by two younger mages who looked visibly restless, their hands tucked deep into their wide wool sleeves.

Hearing the heavy tread of boots on the stone steps, Cassius turned, placing a hand over his chest as he bowed deeply. "Your Grace. Lord Cherion."

"Archmage Cassius," Zarius replied, his voice calm, flat, and carrying that natural, effortless weight that commanded the room. He stopped three paces away, resting his right hand casually over his belt. "I was not expecting visitors to my personal quarters on an afternoon like this. What brings you here?"

Cassius straightened his posture, offering a polite smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. "Forgive the sudden intrusion, Your Grace. His Majesty summoned us today regarding the northern reports you submitted. He brought up the issue of the hearth stones and requested that we conduct a formal, technical examination of it."

Zarius’s eyes narrowed just a fraction. "I see. And you came here directly?"

"We did," Cassius said smoothly. "His Majesty wishes for us to run live field trials at the outer perimeter as soon as possible. To ensure our diagnostic scans are completely accurate, we require direct sample stones from the same batch used during your recent subjugation runs. If Your Grace doesn’t mind, we would like to take a few of those samples into our custody."

"Of course," Zarius said without a second of hesitation. He turned his head slightly toward Flio, who was standing near the arched entryway. "Flio, go to the armory vault and retrieve a secure pouch of the sealed hearth stones from the crate."

"Right away, Your Grace," Flio bowed and turned back, his boots clicking away down the side corridor.

While Flio was gone, the room settled into a heavy, watchful silence. Cassius kept his polite posture, but the youngest mage standing to his left kept darting nervous glances between Zarius’s towering frame and Cherion’s quiet, observant figure.

"If I may ask, Your Grace," Cassius spoke up softly, breaking the quiet. "What precisely occurred during the subjugation? The official report was somewhat brief regarding the technical specifics."

Zarius didn’t flinch. "I believe His Majesty already gave you the core details, Archmage. The hearth stones, once activated for basic heat regulation, began emitting an irregular mana frequency. Within twenty minutes, beast populations grew unnaturally aggressive, converging directly on our line. Once we disengaged the stones and sealed them, the agitations subsided."

The younger mage on Cassius’s right cleared his throat, stepping forward a half-pace. "Your Grace... are you entirely certain the beast reaction was caused by the stones themselves? Our initial diagnostic scans on the central stockpiles showed perfectly standard mana flow. Is it possible the beasts were agitated by weather shifts or foreign scent markers?"

Zarius slowly shifted his gaze to the younger mage. The air in the reception hall seemed to drop a degree cold.

"Are you suggesting that my troops can’t distinguish between normal wild animal behavior and an unnatural, magic-induced frenzy?" Zarius asked, his tone dropping into a dangerously low, quiet key. "Or are you questioning the integrity of my report?"

Cassius’s face flickered, and he quickly raised a hand, shooting a sharp, warning glare at the younger mage beside him. "Please, Your Grace, do not speculate like that. He was merely expressing confusion over the discrepancy. We have never seen a hearth stone formula produce such an anomaly before."

"We were quite confused ourselves," Zarius replied smoothly, leaning slightly forward. "Especially when the palace’s own central supply division failed to detect a defect so blatant that it nearly cost my men their lives on the field."

The younger mage flushed deep red, shutting his mouth tight, while Cassius swallowed quietly, forced to absorb the direct strike against his division’s competence.

"Are you implying that someone in the capital deliberately distributed corrupted stones?" Zarius added, his eyes locking dead onto Cassius’s face. "Because if you are suggesting that, Archmage, then we are discussing treason, not simple technical negligence."

"No, no, Your Grace," Cassius said quickly, his practiced composure showing its first real crack. "We are not making any such accusations. We simply want to examine the physical evidence thoroughly before drawing conclusions for the King."

"That would be wise," Cherion spoke up, stepping up right beside Zarius. "Because I was on that subjugation run myself, Archmage Cassius.I saw those beasts tear through everything as though it were nothing. Do you have any idea how terrifying it is to watch a simple thermal stone act like a beacon for monsters in the middle of a dark valley?"

Cassius blinked, looking at Cherion with a mixture of surprise and subtle condescension. "Ah, Lord Cherion... I was aware you accompanied the Duke, but I did not realize you participated directly in the frontline subjugation."

"Is there something surprising about that?" Cherion asked coolly, raising one eyebrow. "Or did you assume I spent the entire journey resting inside a covered carriage while His Grace did all the work?"

"No, of course not, Lord Cherion," Cassius said, offering a hasty, diplomatic bow. "I am merely... amazed by your dedication to the north."

Before the tension in the hall could stretch any further, heavy, rapid footsteps sounded from the side corridor. Flio returned, carrying a medium-sized leather pouch bound tightly with thick canvas straps and secured with a heavy iron seal.

Flio stepped up to Zarius, holding the pouch out. Zarius took it, the iron weights inside clinking with a dull, heavy thud.

Zarius held the pouch out toward Cassius. The archmage reached out, taking the heavy leather bag into both hands, his fingers brushing against the cold iron seal.

"Here are your samples, Archmage," Zarius said, his voice dropping into a flat, unyielding command that made all three mages stiffen. "Take them to your field tests. Run every diagnostic your tower possesses."

Cassius bowed his head deeply, clutching the pouch securely against his chest. "We thank you for your cooperation, Your Grace. We shall deliver our complete findings directly to His Majesty once the trials are concluded."

"See that you do," Zarius murmured, his dark eyes watching the three men with cold, unblinking intensity. "And Archmage..."

Cassius paused, looking back over his shoulder.

"Do not fail to find the truth," Zarius said softly. "The North is watching very closely."