The heavy velvet curtains of the Jorailian pavilion were drawn, shutting out the moon and the prying eyes of the Conclave. The master chamber, which had been a war room and a den of debauchery in equal measure, was now a silent, focused hub of intelligence analysis.
Alaric, Ondine, and Priscilla sat around a large, polished table, a map of the valley spread between them. The air was thick with the scent of old parchment and fresh ink as they reviewed the information they had gathered, cross-referencing it with the secrets brutally extracted from the mind of Captain Wei.
The revelations about Qi and the terrifying potential of a Domain had fundamentally shifted Alaric's priorities. The Rimefrost Imperium's technology was a marvel, a long-term goal. But the martial secrets of the east… that was a matter of immediate, existential importance for the women he cared for most.
