Chapter 1602: Contacting Friends

Lysander looked up when Erend emerged from the portal. A weak smile spread on his tired face.

Despite his exhaustion the sight of his familiar visitor brought a little life back into his expression.

He set aside the equipment in his hands and walked over to greet him. Erend returned his smile with a small nod.

"It’s been a while, Erend," Lysander said as they exchanged a firm handshake. "I wasn’t expecting you to visit today."

"Sorry for dropping by without warning," Erend replied. "I hope I’m not interrupting anything important."

Lysander glanced at the mess surrounding them and let out an embarrassed laugh. "Well, you’ve certainly arrived at an unfortunate time. I’m afraid the place is a disaster right now. I’ve been working on an experiment, and things didn’t go quite as planned."

Erend looked around the room, taking in the scattered materials, strange instruments, and the traces of Magic in the air.

Erend studied the scene for a moment before nodding in understanding. Whatever Lysander was working on, it seemed to require considerable effort.

"What kind of experiment are you working on?" Erend asked.

Lysander hesitated briefly before answering. "I’m developing a potion for a particular purpose. It’s still a work in progress, so I’d rather not go into the details just yet."

"All right," Erend replied without pressing him further.

He kept his expression neutral, but a thought crossed his mind as he looked at Lysander’s exhausted face and the chaotic state of the room.

If Lysander was already this occupied with his own research, and Adrius was equally busy, asking them to investigate the curse might be more troublesome than he expected. But he had come this far and he would not know until he asked.

"By the way, where is Adrius?" Erend asked. "I was hoping to speak with him as well."

"Master Adrius is teaching the new mages at the moment," Lysander explained. "He’s been spending quite a bit of time with them lately."

"I see."

"Come on. Let’s sit down first. I’ll prepare something for you."

Lysander led Erend away from the cluttered workbench and toward a small seating area near the opposite wall.

Lysander quickly prepared tea before bringing them over. He placed the drinks on the table and took a seat across from Erend.

Erend accepted the tea and took a small sip while Lysander settled into his chair.

The young apprentice Archmage leaned back and released a tired sigh, allowing himself a brief moment of rest.

"So, what brings you here?" Lysander finally asked.

Erend’s expression grew serious, and Lysander immediately noticed the change. The relaxed atmosphere between them faded as he set his cup down and gave Erend his full attention.

"You’re right. I came because I need your help," Erend said. "I’ve encountered a serious problem involving a curse that covers an enormous stretch of land. It might even affect an entire city or something on a similar scale. The effects are devastating, and the inhabitants are suffering because of it. I need to find out where the curse came from and whether there’s a way to break it."

Lysander listened without interrupting, his tired expression gradually giving way to concern.

A curse that affected such a vast area was not an ordinary problem. Even experienced mages would struggle to understand its nature without examining it closely.

"That’s quite a serious matter," Lysander said thoughtfully. "Have you managed to identify anything about its origin?"

"Not yet. That’s why I came to you and Adrius. You two are among the most knowledgeable people I know when it comes to Magic, and I believe your expertise could help me find a solution."

Lysander fell silent for a moment as he considered the request. Erend had helped them on numerous occasions and Lysander never forgot what he had done for them. If Erend needed assistance with something this serious, turning him away would be bad.

"We’ll do what we can," Lysander said at last. "You’ve done a great deal for us. I don’t see any reason why we shouldn’t return the favor."

Erend’s expression softened slightly. "I appreciate that."

"I’ll get Master Adrius. He’ll want to hear about this himself, and if we need to investigate the curse, we’ll have to see what we’re dealing with before making any decisions."

Lysander rose from his chair and moved a short distance away from the table.

He raised one hand and opened a portal of his own, then stepping through.

—

A few minutes later, another portal opened in the room, and Lysander returned with Adrius.

The older Archmage emerged, wearing his usual composed expression. His eyes brightened when he spotted Erend waiting at the table. A broad smile spread across his face as he approached him.

"Erend! It’s good to see you again."

"It’s good to see you too."

They exchanged a firm handshake. Adrius gave Erend a friendly pat on the shoulder before taking a seat.

Lysander joined them, settling into his chair. The three of them gathered around the table, and the friendly atmosphere lingered for a moment before Adrius noticed the seriousness in Erend’s expression.

"Now, tell me what brings you here," Adrius said.

Erend nodded and explained the situation from the beginning again. He described the vast region covered by the curse, darkness that plagued the land, and the terrible condition of its inhabitants.

He also explained that the curse affected more than the environment, as it caused severe physical changes in the people who lived there.

He did not tell them about the invasion that he had managed to postpone.

Adrius listened carefully, his expression growing more thoughtful.

When Erend finished, Adrius leaned back slightly and folded his hands on the table.

"This is something we cannot properly assess from just a description," he said. "A curse that affects an entire region and causes such severe changes in living beings could involve several different mechanisms of Magic. Before I can determine what we’re dealing with, I need to examine it myself."

"That’s not a problem," Erend replied. "I can take you there whenever you’re ready."

Adrius nodded. Although he did not yet know whether the curse could be broken, his interest had clearly awakened. "I want to see the curse firsthand before we decide how to approach it. Once we understand its nature, we can begin working toward a solution."

"Thank you. Both of you," Erend said.

Lysander smiled faintly. "You don’t have to thank us yet. We still need to figure out how to deal with the thing."

"That’s true," Erend replied with a small smile. "But at least we’re moving in the right direction."

—

After finishing his discussion with Adrius and Lysander, Erend opened another portal and traveled to Sylmira’s chamber.

The middle-aged Archmage was already waiting for him when he arrived, standing near a table covered with neatly arranged books and instruments.

She looked up as he emerged and greeted him with a warm smile, because she had expected his arrival.

"Erend. It’s been some time since your last visit."

Erend returned her smile and approached her. "It has. I hope I haven’t interrupted anything."

"Not at all. I know that you are approaching, so I decided to wait here rather than make you look for me."

They exchanged greetings and shook hands before settling into a more comfortable conversation.

Sylmira studied Erend for a moment, her expression softening as she remembered the young girl who had once trained under her guidance.

"How is Arty doing?" she asked. "Has she been keeping up with her training?"

"She’s doing fine," Erend replied. "She’s still training and making progress. She hasn’t given up, if that’s what you’re worried about."

Sylmira nodded with a calm smile. "Good. I’m glad to hear that. She has huge potential, and as long as she continues to work hard, she’ll keep improving."

"She’ll be happy to hear that."

After their brief exchange about Arty, Erend moved directly to the reason for his visit.

His expression became serious as he explained the curse that plagued Erebus’s world, describing its widespread effects and the suffering it caused among the inhabitants.

By the time he finished, Sylmira’s warm expression had given way to a thoughtful look.

"I see," she said. "A curse of that scale could be extremely difficult to unravel, particularly if it has affected both the land and the living creatures within it. We’ll need to examine it carefully before deciding what to do."

"That’s what I thought. I’ve already spoken to Adrius and Lysander, and they’re willing to help. Adrius wants to see the curse firsthand before making any conclusions."

"Then it would be best for us to go together," Sylmira said. "Having all of us examine it should give us a better chance of understanding its nature. We can compare our observations and determine which approach might work."

Erend nodded in agreement. He had hoped that Sylmira would join them. Her willingness to help eased his uncertainty.

"I’ll contact you through telepathy when I’m available," Sylmira continued. "Once we’ve settled our preparations, we can coordinate our departure and travel there together."

"That works for me," Erend replied. "I’ll make sure everything is ready on my end."

Sylmira gave him another reassuring smile. "Then we’ll see what we can do."

Erend thanked her before preparing to leave. With Adrius, Lysander, and Sylmira informed and willing to assist, he had finally gathered the people he needed to begin the investigation.

The next step was straightforward. They would travel to Erebus’s world together, examine the curse firsthand, and search for a way.

—