The Beginning

Jack hurriedly walked towards one of the most guarded rooms in the castle, it was located at the deepest level of the castle and filled with various magic appliances that made it nearly impossible for anyone or anything to know what was going on in there. it was very difficult to reach the room if someone didn't know their way through the complicated net of pathways and traps. only a select few individuals were allowed to the way through the complicated maze and Sindy was one of them.

It was tradition for High-nobility to have one soul-bound servant with them from the child's birth. It was done by forming soul soul-bound contract with the help of a priest.

In the case of Jack, this was done when he and Sindy both were three. Sindy was abandoned at the stairs of a Church in a remote village, she was later adopted by the head maid of the castle in a weird stroke of luck. It was later found that she had a high affinity toward water elemental.

It was very rare for someone of common origin to have even a small affinity toward any element, so Jack considered himself to be very lucky to have someone like her always by his side.

When Jack arrived at the entrance of the basement he stopped and looked at the glowing white circle at the center of the black iron gate. Sindy immediately stepped forward and put her hand on the glowing white circle.

click.

The gate opened and both of them resumed their march through the maze but this time it was Sindy who was at the front.

It took Jack a little over fifteen minutes to arrive at the room where the strategic meeting was taking place. And by the time he arrived, the meeting was already in full swing.

Jack had been in this room once before, but the weight of its history and purpose never failed to leave an impression on him. As he entered, he took a moment to study the faces of those gathered around the table.

At the head of the table, his father, Duke Ignis, sat with an aura of quiet authority, his expression concealed behind an emotionless mask. Jack knew that his father was a master of hiding his emotions, a trait that had served him well in his role as the ruler of the duchy.

Behind the Duke stood Albert, the Prime Minister of the Duchy. Albert's presence was an imposing one, and he exuded a sense of unwavering loyalty to the Duke. His eyes, however, betrayed the tension in the room, even as his features remained stoic.

The room was predominantly occupied by high-ranking military officers, each one donned in formidable black metal armor emblazoned with the emblem of the Duchy - a gleaming white sword engulfed in vivid, bright blue flames. These imposing ensembles were not only a testament to their years of unwavering service and dedication but also a symbol of the Duchy's power and legacy. The officers' expressions were etched with a profound seriousness, their eyes reflecting the gravity of the gathering, as they stood as the formidable protectors of the realm.

As he settled in, the dim light of the room created an atmosphere of solemnity, emphasizing the gravity of the moment. Jack could feel the weight of expectation, the history of his family, and the destiny of his people converging in this dimly lit, ancient chamber.

Just as he settled in his seat which was right next to Duke, Albert who was standing behind Duke came forward and whispered something in his ear which left him speechless for a moment.

As it turned out the situation outside the castle had already been brought under control by Duchies forces. All of the preparators of the incident were killed except a few who were left alive for further investigation.

As the officials sat at the table in the dimly lit chamber, the mood was tense, with documents and maps spread out before them. One of them, a stern-faced man, cleared his throat and spoke first.

"I've received reports from our intelligence network. The group that infiltrated our city, causing chaos and destruction, belongs to The Great Human Empire."

He was the head of Duchy's intelligence network, his name was William White

"The Great Human Empire?" The other official Serina Turner, a distinguished-looking woman with a furrowed brow, expressed her confusion. "That doesn't make sense. The Human Empire doesn't even share a border with us. Why would they attack the Ignis Duchy?"

Willam Continues

"That's precisely what troubles me. Our borders are far from The Human Empire's influence. "It's a puzzle we must solve quickly. Why would The Human Empire target our Duchy when there is a temporary truce between our empire"

"Could it be a misunderstanding, perhaps? A rogue faction acting without the empire's consent?"

"It's possible, but the damage has been done, and we can't ignore the threat to our people and our stability. We need answers and a response strategy. We'll need to reach out to The Human Empire for an explanation."

Serina nodded, her thoughtful expression deepening as they delved into the complexities of the situation. Other participants join as well

"There is no need," the Duke's authoritative voice cut through the tension in the room, putting an abrupt halt to their intense discussion. He fixed his gaze on each person present in the meeting, his commanding presence demanding their attention.

Jack noticed how the mood in the room instantly shifted from one of heated debate to one of deference and anticipation. The weight of his father's words hung in the air, and all eyes were now on the Duke, waiting for his next directive. The power and authority of Joshua von Ignis were unmistakably personified in this single moment.

"Kingsley had declared war on us "

That sentence was like thunder on a sunny day for everyone, extremely shocking. Jack looked at his father with his mouth dry. Because he understood the implications of these words better than anyone.

'an unknown group infiltrating the Duchy and Kingsley's declaration of war seemed completely unrelated, furthermore, Ignis was located in the South of the empire so it didn't share its border with Kingsley although they would still need to draft soldiers to help the Empire, but that was not that big of a problem as it didn't threaten the duchy directly and also wars between Crownsworth empire and Kingsley empire was not something new .

Then why did his father mention that piece of news right now, there has to be reason.'

"Count Albert, Remove the map of Dragon Tail City and Spread the whole contents map on the table. Sir Willam White could you elaborate on how you got the information "

Without any hesitation, Jack issued his Commands.

The Duke had gone quiet after saying that one sentence and now his sharp eyes were focused on Jack.

The map of the entire continent was laid on the top table almost instantaneously as Albert had already predicted this situation to occur

The Ignis duchy was part of the Crownsworth Empire which occupied the entirety of the northwest region and the majority of the south-southwest region of the center continent. The empire shared its border with two other empires The Great Human Empire and The Kingsley Empire and one small kingdom named Valeria.

The geography of the whole continent was like this

The Great Human Empire was the biggest empire occupying the central region of the continent.

The Kingsley Empire occupied the northeast and southeast parts of the continent.

The Kingdom of Valeria occupies a small part of the southwest region and shares its boundary with a southeast border of the Kingsley empire.