"You figured out how the Grand Scholar died?" Selena asked Lorian, keeping her voice low.
"I have a theory", Lorian's face lightened up, "Think about it. You said the ash pile was right in front of Lady Elana, and it was looking like just a norma pile of ash. It was not glowing. Why? Check your pouch of ash, and I will check mine."
They quickly pulled out their leather pouches. Looking inside, they saw that both of their ash samples were still glowing with a soft, steady light.
A knowing smile crossed Lorian's face. He nodded his head slowly, looking very proud of himself. "Our ash piles are glowing, but hers was not. What changed? Did Elana's blood touch the ash?"
Selena shook her head in negative. As she looked at the glowing dust, the pieces started coming together in her mind as well.
"If I am right," Lorian said in a quick rush, "Lady Elana tried to pour her mana into the pile. That sudden energy brought the assassin back to life. The killer jumped up and killed her right then. But the moment she died, the mana flow stopped, and the killer turned back to dust, for good this time."
"That actually makes sense!" Selena's eyes lit up with pride for her reckless partner. She grinned, "Let's go tell everyone right now!"
"No!" Lorian groaned and grabbed her arm to pull her back, "Why should we fix this right away? Let the suspicion grow. Let them distrust each other and fight among themselves. If they wear each other down, we can take them one by one!"
"What are you even talking about?" Selena rolled her eyes, staring at him in disbelief.
"Well, that has been my plan from day one," Lorian whispered, leaning in closer, "I want to conquer the whole land under one rule. I thought you knew. Don't you approve of my ambition?"
"Tch!" Selena shook her head and crossed her arms. "No! I know your huge ambitions, and I want to be by your side when you take the realm. But this is not the time!"
"This IS the time!" Lorian tightened his grip on her arms, getting excited, "The Empire is about to get dragged into a civil war. They won't have time or resources to stop us. By the time they get a new emperor and heal their wounds, we will own all the city-states and be ready to fight the Empire head-on."
"Really?" Selena looked at him with a mix of disbelief and disappointment, "Sometimes I do not get you at all. Sometimes you act like a genius, and other times you act like a total idiot. Are you sure you are just one person?"
Lorian stared back, completely puzzled and not knowing what to say.
"I guess you have a very sharp mind," Selena said plainly, "But you are also reckless. And Impusive. You make fast moves based on emotion instead of logic. You look too far ahead and right at the present, but you totally miss the near future."
Lorian stood there like a student being schooled, keeping his head down and scratching the back of his neck. The Veridians and Valorians standing nearby watched the Lord of Veridia take his lecture in silence, were trying hard not to smile. This scene was soon going to be a big gossip across both cities.
Lorian looked up with a sheepish look, "Alright, I get it. But tell me what I got wrong."
"Just imagine, okay? If Aethelgard and Azure Port attack Veridia tomorrow, do you really think you survive?" Selena asked sharply, "Yes, I will bring my men to save you. But let's be real. Our forces are weak right now. We won't stand a chance against their full strength. What we need right now is time. We need time and resources to rebuild. We need enough power not just to fight them off, but to crush them completely so we lose as few men as possible. A long war of attrition against each city will leave us with a hollow victory. And even if we beat all five cities, we will be too weak to fight the Empire. Plus, we have Elves in the east and Beastmen and orcs in the south. If any of them attack while we are exhausted, we lose everything."
Lorian rubbed his face with his hands in utter frustration and disappointment, feeling his grand dream slip away. Everything she said made total sense. He hadn't thought it through. He had paid a heavy price for rushing into things in past- in both this life as well as in his past life, and he was about to do it again. He realized he was going to lose everything again, if Selena wasn't here to ground him.
Feeling a sudden wave of emotion and gratitude, he stepped forward and pulled her into a tight hug, forgetting the time and place and the people.
The nearby people blinked in shock and quickly looked away. Selena was caught off-guard as well, her eyes stayed wide for a second. Then she softened, wrapping her arms around him as well and patting his back, "There, there, you idiot."
"Thank you, Selena," Lorian muttered into her shoulder, not letting go yet, "If you weren't here, I would lose it all again."
Selena smiled against his coat, "And if you weren't there, I would lose myself forever." She patted his back again, "Hey, let me go. Everyone is watching, silly!"
Lorian snapped back to reality. He stepped back and looked around. Their people were staring at the sky and the walls, pretending not to see anything. Feeling his face grow hot, he nodded and gave her head a light pat, "Thanks."
A little later, Lorian called a quick meeting in his room with all his people and Selena's. They agreed to hold the public demonstration the next day. Anya Vesper took charge of organizing the crowd and the setup.
Maeve Sterling, the Third Sword of Valoria, frowned with worry, "This sounds good. But what if Lord Lorian's theory is wrong? What if the mages cannot or do not pour enough mana to bring the killer back? I am worried it will humiliate the Lord!"
Everyone, especially the Veridians, found it sweet that a Valorian knight cared so much about the Lord of Veridia's reputation. Lorian shot Selena an amused grin and turned to Maeve with a relaxed, lopsided smile.
"Man, that means a lot," Lorian said. He tapped a fist against his chest, "I really appreciate you looking out for me, Maeve. You're a Valorian through and through. And not just any soldier, but the Third Sword. Yet here you are, stressing over my reputation. That means a lot."
He glanced briefly at Selena, with eye full of admiration and love, "Honestly, since Valoria already holds all my soft spots, I guess looking out for me comes naturally to you as well."
He looked back at Maeve, stepping a bit closer with a smirk, "Anyway, as for the rest of it? I am just going to do my job. If it works out, great. If it bombs, I couldn't care less. I am not out there trying to win a popularity contest. A lion doesn't care if its prey is cheering or booing. Their praise or mockery means nothing." He leaned in closer, his warm breath touched her face, "Because, at the end of the day, they're just going to become his dinner anyway!"
Most of the people in the room, except for Jax and Selena, froze in shock at his bold, dangerous ambition.
Lorian gave her a light nod, "Keep that sharp eye on things tomorrow. Let me handle the noise, and just watch how it plays out."