The sun was beginning to set, casting its purple shadows on Sigret's walls, which now looked stronger and cleaner than ever before. On the dirt road leading to the main gate, a small group of horses advanced slowly, exhausted from the long journey. At the head of the group was a young girl, her face pale, her eyes holding a look of despair mixed with unwavering determination. This was Lin, the daughter of the slain Noble Leonac.
As the group approached the gate, one of the guards on top of the wall shouted: "Halt! Who are you? And what do you want?"
Lin raised her head, gathering what little strength she had left. "I am the daughter of Noble Leonac! My name is Lin Lionji! We have come from the ruined Lionji! We wish to meet Mayor Javer!"
The guards exchanged glances. They had heard of Lionji's fall and of the missing noble's daughter. The gate quickly opened, and Lin and her guards entered Sigret. Astonishment was evident on their faces. They hadn't expected to see clean streets, faces that didn't bear the marks of hunger, and organized soldiers.
Inside the former Sirot's palace, which had been noticeably cleaned and tidied, Javer was waiting. He had received the news of Lin's arrival and felt an immense responsibility. When Lin entered the hall, she looked like a ghost, exhausted, but she carried the pride of a noble in her eyes.
"Welcome, Princess Lin!" Javer said, advancing towards her, his voice carrying a tone of deep respect. "I am Javer, Mayor of Sigret, appointed by His Lordship Baron Zidan. We have heard of your tragedy. You are safe here."
Javer ordered the servants to prepare all kinds of delicious noble food. Lin hadn't seen such food in many long days. The table was filled with fresh bread, roasted meats, cooked vegetables, and fresh fruits. Javer welcomed Lin warmly, seated her at the head of the table, and asked her about her well-being and what had happened in Lionji.
Lin began to speak, her voice low at first, then gaining strength with each word. "It was a brutal attack, Mr. Mayor. We didn't expect them. They came from the sea, under the cover of darkness. Pirates... led by a man named Pirate Rajin."
Javer tensed. He had heard of Rajin, the pirate known for his brutality and treachery.
"His forces were about 600 men, My Lord," Lin continued, her eyes staring into space as if reliving the moment. "They betrayed Lionji's naval command. They pretended to be merchants, then attacked suddenly. There was no time for resistance. They entered the city, and the massacre began. They killed everyone who stood in their way. Men, women, children... they spared no one."
Lin paused, her body trembling. "I saw my father... I saw him fight bravely, but they were too many. They killed him before my eyes. Then they started stealing everything. Gold, silver, food, everything. They burned the houses and left Lionji a pile of ashes and blood."
At that moment, Lin broke. The tears she had held back for weeks, since her flight began, started to stream down her cheeks, like a rushing river. Lin cried for the first time in years, crying for her father, for her city, for everything she had lost.
"Mr. Mayor..." Lin said, her voice barely a whisper, mixed with sobs. "I ask you... I ask His Lordship Baron Zidan... to bring me justice. To avenge my father, and to rebuild Lionji. My father once brought him justice when he supported him in his time of need. And now, I ask him to return the favor."
Javer stepped forward, sat beside her, and patted her shoulder gently. "Calm down, Princess Lin. Calm down. I understand your pain. I have seen with my own eyes what Baron Zidan has done in Kisor, and what he is doing here in Sigret. He is a just noble who does not tolerate injustice. Justice will come inevitably, Princess. Baron Zidan will not let this pass unpunished. Trust him."
Javer's words carried a promise, a promise that began to plant a glimmer of hope in Lin's broken heart.
In a distant place, very distant, perhaps thousands of kilometers away from the Kingdom of Albido, in another world, a world of hidden magic, the atmosphere was completely different. The sky was lit by strange fireballs, emerging from the hands of teenagers wearing loose robes, throwing them towards wooden targets, exploding with blue and green flames. This was the training of young sorcerers.
An old man with a long white beard, reaching down to his waist, and wise eyes gleaming with a faint light, watched them. This was the sorcerer Maros, one of the most powerful sorcerers in the Magical Sun Empire, which ruled countless worlds and observed the mortal kingdoms from afar.
After the training, Maros returned to his towering palace, built of precious stones that glowed in the dark. He summoned one of his servants, a young guard wearing light armor.
"How are things in the mortal kingdoms, Alex?" Maros asked, his voice deep and calm, as if coming from the depths of time. "Those under the rule of the Magical Sun Empire. Is there anything worth our attention?"
"Nothing too important, My Lord Arch-Sorcerer," Alex replied respectfully. "Some border skirmishes here and there, and some minor rebellions that have been suppressed. Nothing that threatens the Empire's stability."
"And what about the Kingdom of Albido?" Maros asked, his eyes narrowing slightly. "I've felt some disturbance there recently."
"Albido, My Lord?" Alex said, flipping through some records in his mind. "Yes, there are some interesting events. The Baron of Kisor died, replaced by his young son, Zidan. This noble has shown unexpected strength. He crushed a large army led by Baron Sirot and Commander Rick in the Battle of Mount Caver, using strange weapons we haven't seen before, huge fireballs and explosive bombs. Then he seized the town of Sigret and reorganized it amazingly. It has become clean, prosperous, and its people are fiercely loyal to him."
Alex paused for a moment, then continued: "And recently, the city of Lionji fell to pirates, and its Baron Leonac was killed. And there is an internal conflict between the King's sons, Prince Leo and Prince Geral, vying for the throne. Prince Geral sent his forces to invade Lionji, while Royal Duke Elianus sent his forces to besiege Kisor, due to Zidan's refusal to help him in the Battle of Givarri."
Maros was silent for a moment, his eyes staring into space, as if he saw the events unfolding before him. "Chaos... utter chaos. Perhaps they should end this chaos. Perhaps we should intervene."
"My Lord Arch-Sorcerer," Alex said calmly, his voice carrying a wise tone. "Since the Royal Palace in Albido still sends the magic stone from the kingdom's mines, we should not intervene. Whoever the new King is, he will also have to send the magic stone. So, it doesn't matter much who rules. As long as the flow of the magic stone continues, their fate does not concern us."
Maros smiled faintly, his eyes gleaming. "Your thinking is indeed good, Alex. Indeed good. Let them fight. As long as the magic stone reaches us, let whoever wills rule."
The magical world watched, indifferent to the fate of the mortal kingdoms, as long as its interests were preserved. But they did not realize that Zidan, the noble with technology from another world, might change the rules of the game, not only in Albido but in all worlds.