He wasn't sure if Hawkin was that powerful with that suit, or he wondered if she was exaggerating.
He took a slow breath, centering himself.
"Surprises indeed," Sarhita murmured, studying him with new intensity.
"But back to the terraspers. The Emperor's deal with them changed everything. They brought their cunning minds and influenced the humans here—not just with technology, but with new ways of thinking and new approaches to old problems."
She stared into the fire, her expression thoughtful. "But here's what amazes me, what made me realize I needed to leave my old life behind: I think the Emperor is more cunning than all of them combined. He's been ruling the Holy Empire for two hundred years, Jorghan. Two hundred years. They say he hasn't aged even a bit, that he looks just like a forty-year-old man in his prime."
"Two hundred years?" Jorghan felt a chill run down his spine.
"That's... even for powerful mages, that's extraordinary."
