"What's the final tally?"

  Akasha's gaze turned vacant for an instant.

  "One hundred and seventeen individuals have been extracted from prison camp seventy-three. One hundred and two with augmented ears, and fifteen who were still held in isolation cells."

  A small frown crept onto Zeke's face at the numbers. Out of more than a hundred people, fewer than twenty were actual prisoners. All the others had been, in one way or another, complicit in running that place.

  Granted, most of the lower-ranked inmates had only played along to escape the horror of solitary confinement. But that still left roughly three dozen guards.

  They had not merely complied. They had actively enforced the cruelty of the system. Even more disturbing was the fact that their combined strength would have been more than enough to overthrow the person who had controlled the prison.

  That meant he could not blame force or coercion for their actions.

  No. These people had turned on their own brothers and sisters willingly, and without remorse. Even now, after the prison had fallen and all of them were under his control, they showed no regret and no desire to reconcile with their people.

  Tap, tap, tap.

  Zeke drummed his index finger against the wooden desk of his study, the steady rhythm helping him focus.

  Nothing had turned out how he had expected.

  His plan had been simple. Overwhelm the prison guards, free the high-level prisoners, and add them to his forces. But reality was entirely different.

  Not only were many of the prisoners far from powerful, but a large number of them had no desire to join him at all. Some would likely even work against him if given the chance.

  Tap, tap, tap.

  The entire excursion could be called a failure, if not for one simple fact.

  Irisen.

  Though she had not formally joined him, it was only a matter of time. Their goals aligned too closely, and she could not hope to achieve them on her own. She was smart enough to recognize that, too.

  Zeke looked up, meeting the patiently waiting projection of his Mind Spirit.

  "What about the prisoners who remained in isolation? What did they decide?"

  "Out of fifteen, nine chose to leave. Six, including Lady Irisen, have remained behind."

  Zeke nodded slowly. That, too, was a bitter pill to swallow. These were the individuals with the strongest wills, and all of them had been Grandmages. To have more than half refuse to join him was a blow, but he had still decided to give them that option.

  Many of them likely had their own reasons for leaving, their own loved ones who needed saving, and Zeke could not afford to chase after every cause. If he did, he would accomplish nothing else.

  But that meant that he had only gained the strength of six Grand Mages. It was far from the boost he had expected. On the upside, the siege, if it could even be called that, had also been far easier than anticipated.

  It was just as they said. No plan survived contact with reality.

  Zeke allowed himself a small sigh and set aside the matter of the prisoners for now.

  "How long until we reach our next destination?"

  Akasha's projection answered without hesitation. "I have selected a route away from the main travel paths. This will cause a delay of no more than fifteen percent. We should arrive at our next stop in approximately twenty-two hours and reach our final objective within fifty-six."

  Zeke nodded, satisfied. Though he had promised Irisen to come to her sister's aid, that did not mean he would abandon his original plan of raiding as many prisons as possible along the way.

  Just because the first attempt had been a disappointment did not mean the plan itself was doomed.

  "What do we know about our next target?"

  "Designation #82. The site is located in the outermost regions of Rukia and was established later than our previous target. It is conceivable that most prisoners are still in isolation at this point."

  That would be a welcome change. He already had more than enough trouble dealing with the prisoners he had. But before Zeke could ask any follow-up questions, Akasha's head snapped toward the door.

  "A visitor has arrived.

  After speaking, she vanished from sight.

  Knock. Knock. Knock.

  "Enter."

  The door opened slowly, revealing none other than his newest Archmage guest. Irisen had changed out of her shabby prison attire into a proper mage gown, making her appear all the more formidable. Even so, there was a new hesitation in her movements.

  Zeke nodded to Zelkara, who had escorted her. On his private floor, no one aside from the Bloodguard was allowed to move without an escort. There were simply too many secrets here that could not be seen.

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  The Pureblood bowed low before backing away, leaving the two of them alone.

  Irisen did not speak immediately, standing just beyond the doorway as if unsure how to proceed.

  Zeke waited patiently. He had a good idea why she was here, but he would not rush her.

  "...You have an impressive ship," she said at last.

  Zeke smiled politely. "You are too kind, Lady Irisen."

  The woman shook her head. "No, I truly mean it. I have not seen its equal in all my years. Tradespire's workshops prove to be every bit as marvelous as the rumors claim."

  Zeke simply nodded. This was not the reason she had come.

  Noticing his silence, Irisen paused for a moment before speaking again. "I've met with... Khaelryn."

  Khaelryn. Not husband. That was definitely a change. But he was curious to know what else had changed. He would not have been surprised to learn that the cowardly elf was no longer among the living after facing his wife.

  "His ears..." she continued, pain clear on her face. "I did not believe it. Not fully. Even after everything you told me, even after you spoke of my sister, a part of me still hoped there was some misunderstanding."

  Zeke remained quiet, listening as the stoic woman poured out her heart.

  "I had hoped..." Her voice faltered. "I do not even know what I hoped for. Just... something."

  Zeke could sense the turmoil in her mind. That alone spoke volumes. The fact that even he, a Grandmage, could feel it meant she was completely unmoored.

  Any halfway competent Mind Mage could have exploited such a moment, planting thoughts and compulsions into her unguarded mind.

  She likely knew that as well.

  The fact that she still allowed herself to show such weakness in front of him was already a sign of trust. Trust that Zeke would not abuse. If there was one thing she needed now, it was someone she could rely on completely. Someone steady. Someone unmoved by temptation.

  Only by being such a person could she begin to move on from her husband's betrayal.

  "...I barely recognized him," she continued. "It was not just his ears. His entire personality has changed. Truly, the power of Mind Magic is far more terrifying than I ever imagined."

  Zeke’s lips twitched, but only for a moment. In the end, he chose not to correct her. Inwardly, though, he knew that Khaelryn’s change had not been caused by Mind Magic at all.

  Akasha had analyzed the prisoners, even delving deep into the minds of those who could not wield Mana.

  From that, he had learned how the Geistreich had manipulated them. The method had been surprisingly simple. In fact, the only Magic involved was a spell that made memories hazy.

  But blurred memories alone could not reshape a person’s nature. You could not force someone to commit cruelty simply by taking away their recollections. Their innate sense of right and wrong remained intact.

  This had been proven by those prisoners who had retained their kindness even after leaving isolation.

  All that had been stripped away was learned behavior, social rules, and the fear of consequences. If anything, the memory spell revealed the truest essence of a person’s character.

  He chose not to say any of that.

  It was easier for her to believe that her husband had been corrupted by an evil Mind Mage than to face the truth that this was who he had always been.

  "...His words were full of hatred, especially toward me," Irisen continued. "He said he had always despised me, always hated that I stole his spotlight, always resented me for ruining our marriage."

  That last part caught Zeke’s attention. "What did he mean by that?"

  Irisen’s expression grew conflicted. "I... did not want to marry Khaelryn at first. We had little in common, and his ambitions were shallow. But when his father came to ask a second time, I eventually agreed. On one condition..."

  Zeke listened in silence. There was clearly more to this story than he had expected.

  "I agreed to the marriage on the condition that I would only truly accept him as my husband once he reached my level."

  "...Once he became an Archmage," Zeke clarified.

  Irisen nodded.

  His expression tightened into a frown. Something was missing. "Khaelryn’s father. Who is he?"

  She shook her head. "It does not matter. I would be surprised if they were still alive."

  That confirmed it. Khaelryn was not just some random nobody. His family clearly held influence in Rukia. That also explained how a man like him had married Irisen, and how he was still alive after betraying her.

  Great. Another problem down the road.

  "How would you like me to handle him?" Zeke asked, keeping his voice gentle.

  "I... I do not know," Irisen admitted. "I should hate him for what he has done, but I cannot. Instead, I despise myself for trusting him."

  Zeke nodded silently, choosing not to press her further. Still, inwardly, he had already decided that her disgraced husband needed to be dealt with as soon as possible. He would wait for the right opportunity. Keeping such an omen of trouble around could only invite disaster.

  "...What are your plans now?" he asked instead.

  "I will assist you," she replied. "At least until we reach my sister."

  Zeke nodded, a faint smile forming. "Then I should bring you up to speed on the current state of the war."

  Irisen’s expression darkened into a frown. "...I have already learned some of it from speaking with the others."

  By "the others," she likely meant the remaining members of the resistance. Still, he doubted she had learned much from them. The so-called resistance was little more than a scattered group of refugees by now. Their information network barely extended beyond what they could see with their own eyes.

  Zeke gestured to the table before her, where a map of Rukia lay spread out.

  At his mental command, Akasha began projecting the latest data directly into their minds.

  Irisen frowned when she felt the touch of Mind Magic, but after a brief hesitation, she allowed it.

  Her eyes widened as hundreds of small annotations appeared across the map. Each one marked a force, city, camp, or reported sighting.

  "I am one of twelve forces deployed by the elven matriarchy to support Rukia," Zeke said, pointing to their marker. "At present, we are heading north toward the sanctuary where your sister is located."

  He indicated another point near the elven border, one of the last areas still entirely marked in green.

  "Two of our human allies are advancing from the east alongside us. Five forces are attacking from the north, arriving directly from the elven homeland. The remaining four are pushing in from the south, likely hailing from the dwarven lands."

  Irisen studied the map in silence, her gaze drifting across the outer regions before moving toward the center of the country. There, the markings grew sparse. Much of the heartland remained unknown.

  Zeke noticed her eyes linger on the capital, though she didn't ask.

  It was for the best. The last reports he had received suggested the capital might have already fallen. If that was indeed the case, there were likely few, if any, survivors.

  Her gaze returned to the Alexandria, following the plotted course.

  "We are not taking the direct route?"

  Zeke shook his head and pointed to a location slightly off the path.

  "This is prison camp #82. It is similar to the place where you were held," he said, giving her a pointed look.

  "...It is almost on the way," Irisen said after a moment. The reluctance in her voice was clear. She would have preferred to rush straight to her sister, but her honor would not allow her to abandon others to that fate. "...We cannot leave these people behind."

  Zeke nodded, pleased. She had reached the conclusion on her own with only a gentle push.

  "Will you assist in the attack?"

  Irisen nodded, her expression firm. "I will do all I can."

  "Then I will be counting on you, Irisen."

  And he truly meant it. In that moment, Zeke felt a childlike excitement at the thought of seeing what the woman bearing the title Flower of the East was capable of.