Chapter 167: Chapter160:The journey back home

The final session of the Supreme Mage Council ended far faster than anyone expected.

After days of demonstrations, arguments, negotiations, and private meetings, there was very little left to discuss. The important decisions had already been made. The agreements had already been signed. Nobody was interested in reopening debates that had effectively been settled the moment the Warhounds crossed impossible terrain and the LEFH artillery turned distant targets into shattered debris.

The acting chairman reviewed the final records before formally closing the council.

"The matters of this assembly have been concluded."

His voice echoed through the chamber.

Immediately the atmosphere changed.

Representatives stood.

Assistants hurried forward.

Documents were gathered.

Messages were exchanged.

The summit was over.

The work was just beginning.

Lucien remained seated for a few moments while observing the hall.

The room no longer felt like a battlefield.

For days every conversation had carried hidden meanings. Every question had been an attack, a test, or an attempt to uncover information. Now those tensions were gone.

Ironpeak engineers were already discussing machinery requirements.

Maritime League representatives were arguing over harbor designs.

Several Valdris officers had somehow found military maps before even leaving the building.

Aetheris scholars were gathering around Maerath like apprentices chasing an ancient legend.

The future was already moving.

Cassian stretched beside him.

"That feels strangely anticlimactic."

Elena nodded.

"I expected something dramatic."

"The dramatic part happened when Lucien started terrifying everyone with artillery."

Cassian grinned.

"Fair."

The Royal Guardian rose from his chair.

"Come."

That was all he said.

Within hours the Asterion delegation was preparing to depart.

Outside, Caelrith remained exactly as it had been before the summit.

Merchants filled the streets.

Mercenary companies marched between districts.

Caravans entered through the gates.

Guild representatives argued over contracts.

The city did not care that major powers had just reshaped part of the world’s future.

Perhaps that was why Caelrith had endured for so long.

The city existed beyond individual events.

The convoy departed shortly before noon.

Warhounds led the formation.

Heat haze drifted from engine vents as the armored vehicles rolled steadily through the northern gate.

Behind them followed artillery crews, wagons, officials, soldiers, engineers, and members of the royal delegation.

Aurethar flew overhead for part of the journey before eventually landing and resuming human form near the convoy.

The massive dragon claimed walking was beneath him.

Nobody believed him.

The first day passed peacefully.

For the first time in weeks, Lucien found himself without immediate deadlines.

No demonstrations,negotiations or council meetings.

Only the road home.

That lasted approximately three hours.

Then Elena appeared carrying enough documents to threaten several forests.

"You look busy."

Lucien looked at the stack.

"You stole the council archives."

"I borrowed copies."

"That’s exactly what a thief says."

Elena ignored him and sat down.

Several maps followed.

Then more documents.

Then another map.

Lucien stared.

"How many are there?"

"Not enough."

Cassian arrived moments later.

"What are we doing?"

"Planning."

The prince immediately looked concerned.

"The dangerous kind?"

"The expensive kind."

"That’s worse."

Elena spread a large map across the table.

Five circles marked future locations.

Seastar.

Skyforge.

Iron Junction.

Titanworks.

Ironhold.

The Five Pillars.

For several moments nobody spoke.

The scale remained intimidating.

Even after discussing it for weeks.

Even after convincing the council.

The project still looked absurd.

Five new cities.

Railways connecting them.

Factories.

Shipyards.

Airfields.

Military complexes.

Research centers.

Enough infrastructure to transform an entire kingdom.

Cassian leaned forward.

"Which one starts first?"

"Iron Junction."

The answer came immediately.

The prince looked surprised.

"I expected Ironhold."

"So did most people."

Lucien pointed toward the map.

"If Ironhold builds weapons but can’t move them, it becomes a warehouse."

He shifted his finger.

"If Seastar becomes a major port without connections to the interior, trade slows."

Another movement.

"If Titanworks produces machinery but lacks transportation networks, production becomes inefficient."

Elena nodded.

Understanding appeared almost instantly.

"The railways connect everything."

"Exactly."

The Royal Guardian had quietly joined the discussion.

"Most people look at factories first."

Lucien smiled slightly.

"They’re wrong."

The old man nodded.

"Logistics wins wars."

Cassian stared at the map.

"Then Iron Junction becomes the heart."

"It becomes the arteries."

That answer made everyone pause.

Because it was true.

The more they discussed the project, the more important Iron Junction became.

Factories needed resources.

Cities needed food.

Shipyards needed steel.

Armies needed supplies.

Everything eventually touched logistics.

The discussion continued for hours.

Population estimates.

Construction priorities.

Labor shortages.

Engineering requirements.

Potential risks.

Nobody noticed the passing scenery.

Eventually the conversation shifted.

"What happens if someone attacks during construction?" Elena asked.

The question immediately changed the atmosphere.

Lucien remained calm.

"It will happen."

Nobody disagreed.

The Royal Guardian folded his arms.

"Demons?"

"Possibly."

"Hostile nobles?"

"Also possible."

Cassian frowned.

"Bandits?"

"They’ll try."

Malen finally spoke.

"The Five Pillars will attract enemies."

Simple,direct.and correct.

Anything important enough to change the world would inevitably create opposition.

The discussion lasted until sunset before everyone finally dispersed.

The following day the convoy stopped near a small trading town.

The reaction was immediate.

Word had already spread.

Merchants recognized the Warhounds.

Children followed the vehicles.

Travelers pointed.

Rumors moved faster than armies.

Lucien quickly discovered that every version of the story was completely inaccurate.

According to one merchant, the Warhounds could outrun dragons.

According to another, the artillery could destroy mountains.

One elderly traveler claimed Lucien had challenged three dragons simultaneously.

Aurethar overheard that one.

The dragon looked incredibly offended.

"Only three?"

Cassian nearly choked.

The town remained lively for most of the afternoon.

People gathered around the convoy.

Questions appeared constantly.

Most concerned the Warhounds.

Some concerned the summit.

Others focused entirely on Aurethar.

The dragon eventually retreated after being asked if dragons laid golden eggs.

Lucien considered that a strategic withdrawal.

The convoy resumed its journey shortly afterward.

Near midday on the third day, they stopped beside a river to rest.

Lucien stepped away from the camp while reviewing manpower estimates.

Then he heard a familiar voice.

"...that formula was idiotic."

He looked up.

Not far away, two elderly mages stood facing each other.

One wore Aetheris robes.

The other wore blue robes Lucien had seen for years.

Maerath.

Gandalf.

They appeared to be arguing.

Seriously arguing.

Lucien approached quietly.

"It worked," Gandalf said.

"It exploded."

"Only twice."

Maerath pointed a finger.

"Twice is still exploding."

"It stopped afterward."

"That does not improve the situation."

Gandalf appeared unconvinced.

Lucien stopped several meters away.

The oldest mage in Aetheris.

The man respected by kings and archmages.

The researcher who had teleported directly into an international negotiation.

Was arguing with Gandalf like an irritated colleague.

Not as a student or a superior.

An equal.

The Royal Guardian appeared beside Lucien.

"You finally noticed."

"Noticed what?"

The old man looked amused.

"You never asked much about Gandalf."

Before Lucien could answer, Maerath noticed him.

"Good."

The ancient mage pointed directly at Gandalf.

"Tell your advisor he’s an idiot."

Gandalf looked offended.

"I am standing right here."

"Excellent."

Maerath looked pleased.

"You can hear me clearly."

Lucien pinched the bridge of his nose.

"What happened?"

"What happened?" Maerath repeated.

"This fool vanished."

"I retired."

"You stole three research journals."

"I borrowed them."

"You never returned them."

"I was still using them."

Maerath stared.

Gandalf stared back.

Neither seemed willing to surrender.

Lucien slowly turned toward the Royal Guardian.

"...What?"

The old man laughed.

Actually laughed.

Several nearby soldiers looked alarmed.

The Royal Guardian rarely laughed.

"You thought Gandalf was merely a provincial wizard?"

Lucien didn’t answer.

Because apparently he had.

At least partially.

Maerath folded his arms.

"This fool was one of the most promising researchers Aetheris produced in centuries."

Gandalf looked mildly pleased.

Then Maerath continued.

"Then he disappeared."

Gandalf immediately looked less pleased.

"I had better things to do."

"You abandoned research."

"I found something more important."

"What?"

Gandalf looked toward the north.

Toward Elarion.

For a brief moment his expression changed.

"The people there."

Silence followed.

Maerath’s irritation faded slightly.

The old mage sighed.

"You always were impossible."

"Yet here you are."

"Because your machines are interesting."

That answer sounded more honest than anything else.

Lucien understood immediately.

Maerath hadn’t followed Elarion.

He had followed curiosity.

The same curiosity that drove researchers everywhere.

The same curiosity that had made him teleport into a diplomatic meeting.

The ancient mage suddenly looked at Lucien.

"Your hybrid engines."

Lucien already knew where this conversation was heading.

"They’re staying in Elarion."

"Obviously."

Maerath looked offended.

"I meant the research."

Gandalf smirked.

The expression alone suggested he had already won several arguments.

"You want laboratory access."

"I want proper laboratories."

"You want to steal my students."

"I want competent assistants."

The argument immediately resumed.

Lucien stepped back.

There was no point interfering.

The two mages clearly enjoyed this.

Even if neither would admit it.

The Royal Guardian watched for several moments before speaking quietly.

"Do you know what I find amusing?"

"What?"

"Gandalf spent years hiding in Elarion."

Lucien nodded.

"And now?"

The old man smiled.

"Now the world has found him again."

The journey resumed shortly afterward.

The road stretched northward.

Forests gradually became familiar.

Hills slowly returned.

The air itself felt different.

Home was close.

Late the following afternoon, Lucien stood atop a ridge overlooking the horizon.

The conversation around him faded.

For a moment he simply looked.

Elarion.

Far in the distance.

His territory.

His responsibility.

His future.

The summit was over.

The negotiations were finished.

The alliances had been secured.

The technology paths had opened.

The Five Pillars awaited construction.

Factories needed to rise.

Railways needed to be laid.

Cities needed to be built.

Enemies would eventually come.

Lucien already knew that.

But for the first time since leaving Elarion, the destination no longer felt distant.

It was right there.

Waiting.

And this time he would return with the support of kingdoms, dragons, dwarves, elves, archmages, fleets, and legends.

The real work was finally about to begin.