The conversation between Berger and Anna carried on well into the night.

Although at this point, the gnome no longer harbored any suspicions about Adam's childhood days, he still made sure to be thorough about it. In particular, he scrutinized the time period between the death of Adam's parents and the moment Anna found him.

Those three long years, when Adam had been left entirely on his own, had to be accounted for. Berger had to make sure that there were no gaps or inconsistencies in the timeline. Not that he doubted Anna's words after speaking with her.

But that was the curse of the Forgotten Rune… it sowed a seed of doubt in the hearts of others. Even someone as powerful as Berger, who was so close to Adam, could not help but second-guess himself.

After talking to Anna in extensive detail about the time she had spent with Adam, Berger got to learn a lot about Adam. He learned about things that Adam had never disclosed to him. These things were deeply personal to the youth, but knowing what was at stake, Anna didn't hide anything.

As the sun gradually rose in the east, dyeing the sky in beautiful shades of lilac, the Magi still found themselves seated inside the Copper Bear Tavern. They were still discussing Adam's upbringing.

Kaspar, Ada, and Daryl were utterly stunned. In truth, they were even inspired. To think that someone like Adam, who had risen from such humble beginnings, could go on to accomplish so much and in such little time… it stirred their hearts deeply.

"Mana Foundation at fifteen, Mana Liquefaction at twenty, and Mana Vortex by the age of thirty-five," Kaspar muttered in awe. "The boy, no... that man truly is the greatest genius I've had the fortune to come across. Even in the vast lands of Europa, I doubt there is someone like Adam."

Everyone at the table shared the same sentiments. Blackie let out a lazy yawn, then said matter-of-factly, "The boy is special."

"Indeed." Kaspar couldn't help but agree.

A few moments of silence descended at the table, each lost in their own thoughts. But everyone was thinking about Adam.

Anna turned to the gnome and asked politely, "So what do you think, Lord Berger? Is there anything even remotely suspicious that would suggest Adam was in any way related to the Cult?"

"Well, I never doubted he was a traitor," said the elderly gnome.

But soon, his lips curled into a bitter smile as he shook his head. "No… to be honest, I did. When Marden cast his spell, I couldn't believe my own memories. Even as I held on to Adam and screamed at him to give me answers, I still couldn't believe it."

Soon, his eyes turned cold, and he involuntarily clenched his fists. "That spell is insidious. Very insidious. If even someone like me has doubts, one can imagine how the rest of the surviving Magi of the Battle of Ravenfell must have felt.

"Later that fateful day, I even found out that the soldiers of the Black Legion had surrounded Adam, and then… stabbed him multiple times. I can't even begin to imagine what the boy must have gone through at the time. Perhaps their actions must have hurt him more than the injuries they'd inflicted. But can you even blame them?"

Furious flames danced in the depths of Anna's scarlet eyes. "Those cultists… they will pay for what they did to Adam. I swear it!"

Berger turned to the princess, the coldness in his eyes replaced by relief and warmth. "Adam is lucky to have you," he said gently.

Anna didn't answer. She lowered her head and silently thought to herself:

No… It is I who am fortunate to have him. Without him, I might have already perished. Without him, I might have never known hope… the hope that arcane realms exist beyond the Mana Core, and higher worlds beyond Tron.

Of course, she couldn't say those words out loud because she had promised Adam never to divulge them to anyone.

But little did she know…

Suddenly, she thought of something and turned to the gnome. She then asked in a solemn voice, "Lord Berger, you are close to Adam, so it is only natural that you would find reason and overcome the effects of that insidious spell. But what of the other Mana Core Magi? What about… the rest of the world?"

Berger offered a faint smile to the princess. "One step at a time."

He paused for a moment, his smile deepening. "Besides, I'm not the only Mana Core Magus who sees reason. There are others as well."

Anna's eyes gradually widened. She instinctively wanted to ask about these Mana Core Magui, yet she restrained her curiosity. In the end, she offered a small nod. "I understand. That is… reassuring to hear."

Berger nodded. A few moments later, he spoke in a solemn voice, "I get that you would want to see revenge for what happened to Adam, but you need to understand that this is a very dangerous endeavor. This involves Mana Core Magi, the strongest beings on the planet, and perhaps… even the future of this world."

Future of this world? Anna thought to herself with a frown.

She wanted to know more about it, and so did the other three Magi. However, Berger did not elaborate any further. Some truths were better left in shadows. The gnome deemed that none of them were powerful enough to learn of it. Not yet, anyway.

After a long time, Anna said, "This is why we came to the Southern Federation, you know? For strength."

"How so?" Berger raised an eyebrow.

What could they possibly discover in this region that they wouldn't have in the Acadian Empire, or even in Europa?

Anna then went on to briefly tell the gnome about the Soaring Rivers Secret Plane. Needless to say, Berger was astonished to learn of the secret plane's... well, secret.

"That little brat…" Berger murmured. "He's full of secrets!"

"Hmm!" Blackie nodded in agreement.

The group of Magi finally stepped out of the tavern. Standing upon the cobbled street, Anna looked at the gnome and asked, "Lord Berger, would you care to accompany us to the secret plane? Perhaps… take a look for yourself?"

Berger would be lying if he said he didn't wish to go. There were far too many things about the Soaring Rivers Secret Plane that he was curious about.

But this wasn't the time. There were still many things he had to do… many loose ends he had yet to tie.

"I'm afraid not." Berger shook his head. He then retrieved a small crystal from his storage artifact and passed it to Anna.

The princess glanced at the swirling smoke inside the crystal curiously, then asked, "This is?"

"A way to contact me," said Berger as he gently tucked Blackie into the folds of his robes.

He then turned to Anna and said in a solemn voice, "Go to the secret plane and grow stronger. Become as strong as you can possibly be. All of youse."

Towards the end, his gaze encompassed all the Magi.

His expression gradually darkened, and he added, "A great war is coming... and we'll need every ounce of strength we can muster."

With that said, his feet gradually lifted off the ground, and he rose to the skies. Eventually, he disappeared behind the clouds, leaving the group of Magi on the ground stunned and unsettled by his grim parting words.

High up above the sky, Blackie poked his tiny head out from Berger's robes and asked, "Was it wise to say that to them?"

"It doesn't matter," Berger replied flatly. "The world's already spiraling into chaos. At the very least, those brats will be driven to push themselves harder."

"Hmm, I suppose," Blackie murmured. Then, after a pause, he asked, "Where to now? Are we heading for Acryon?"

"No." Berger's eyes gradually turned cold, and a murderous aura radiated from him.

"We'll first pay a visit to an old friend… at the Clover Academy."

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