Chapter 390: Chapter 390 - Taming the Chaos - 3 Kharzan moved toward the window, observing his territory stretching to the horizon. To his eyes, each family crossing represented not just loss of labor, but loss of political power. His already precarious 25% popular support was eroding day by day. "At this rate," he murmured, "I’ll have to risk convincing Yino with a direct offensive before I have the numbers I need." It was exactly the situation he had wanted to avoid. A war with only a quarter of the population on his side would be nearly suicidal, but allowing the situation to continue deteriorating would also be fatal to his power position. A knock at the door interrupted his grim thoughts. "Come in!" A messenger entered, carrying a scroll sealed with Yino’s distinctive white seal. Kharzan opened it immediately, expecting more bad news or demands for explanations. What he read completely changed his expression. "Interesting," he murmured, rereading the message. "Very interesting." His assistant approached cautiously. "Good news, sir?" "Yino wants to accelerate our timeline," Kharzan smiled for the first time in days. "Significantly." The message was concise but revealing: "The discovery of the anti-abyssal parasitic species in border territory represents an enormous future threat and requires immediate action. We have decided to secure the Goldcrest position before the situation expands. Yino will provide complete military support for immediate operations. The abyss bridge will be invaded in 48 hours. Support for our Yano’s ally authorized. Invasion imminent." Kharzan folded the message carefully. "It seems our allies are more concerned about those strange fungi than I expected." "Sir?" "Think about it," Kharzan headed toward his regional map. "Yino has been playing cautiously for months, waiting for us to initiate hostilities so they could act as ’defensive allies.’ Now suddenly they want immediate action." Kharzan traced lines on the map with his finger. "Those specimens they brought from the forest must have genuinely frightened someone very high in their hierarchy." "Is that good for us with such low support?" "It’s perfect for us," Kharzan smiled, but the expression held no warmth. "It means if we play our cards right, we can obtain that majority popular support now. Yino is going to provide us with the military force we need to change many minds quickly." He headed to his desk and began drafting orders. "Send messages to all regional commanders. Complete mobilization in 36 hours. I’m going personally to separate the Blackwoods and Strahlfangs before their private war completely ruins our preparations." "And the border situation?" "It no longer matters," Kharzan sealed the first order forcefully. "In two days, there won’t be borders to defend. The old woman will have to move almost all her soldiers to the bridge." The assistant blinked. "Are we really doing this?" "Yino is going to cross the abyss bridge," Kharzan headed toward his personal wardrobe, where his ceremonial armor waited. "Don’t you understand yet? The invasion of Yano has officially begun." 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢 As he prepared, Kharzan couldn’t help an ironic smile. He had spent months worrying about popular support, about having the right numbers, about the perfect moment. In the end, it had all come down to finding some mysterious fungi and Yino’s fear of something they didn’t completely understand. "Sometimes," he murmured while adjusting his armor straps, "the gods decide to make things easier for their favorite children." But at least this time, unexpected circumstances were working in his favor. The war had begun, and with Yino’s complete backing, he had a real chance of winning. He only hoped to see on time... what kind of surprises Selphira would have waiting. ♢♢♢♢ Selphira observed Ren sleeping in the guest room bed, Lin unconscious in the adjacent bed. The workers who had found them reported that the boy had been carrying the woman before finally collapsing from exhaustion. Ren had advanced far enough out of the forest to call for assistance and send a message via Pegasus before fainting. "How long have they been sleeping?" asked Liora, who had insisted on staying close since learning of Ren’s arrival. "Six hours," the assistant responded, consulting his notes. "The doctor says it’s extreme exhaustion, not serious injuries. They need rest more than treatment." Selphira reread the message Ren had managed to send before collapsing: "Parents need safe crossing. Border situation bad. Neighbors need shelter. Urgent intervention. Will pay with information..." Although Ren and Selphira weren’t that close and interacted more through Lin and Liora... Selphira wouldn’t have asked for payment for the intervention. However, there was still a certain uncomfortable space between them where they couldn’t act in a very familiar manner. ’I need to get closer to avoid another mistake like this... Not bringing his parents to the city by force was truly shortsighted on my part. The border situation...’ All this had been sufficient to activate Selphira’s most aggressive possible response. Troops had been moved to the maximum permitted border limit, risking tensions but ensuring that any workers and Ren’s family who managed to cross would be under immediate protection. "It was risky," Selphira murmured. "Moving so many forces so close to the line." Liora kept staring at Ren with a strange expression. The last few months had brought changes that she herself didn’t completely understand. "Grandmother," she said finally, without taking her eyes off Ren’s sleeping figure. "Why didn’t you bring Ren’s parents to the city before?" Selphira stopped in the middle of sealing another order, the direct question about her own oversight making her much more uncomfortable. "It’s a valid question," she admitted after a moment. "And the answer is... complicated." "Complicated how? Isn’t it easy for you to do it?" Selphira sighed, a rare expression from a woman known for her absolute tranquility. "I’m a bit afraid of Ren. A fear which is relatively unfounded, but not as much as I’d like to admit." Liora looked at her with surprise. "Afraid? But we’re just..." "Children?" Selphira smiled bitterly. "That ’child’ has demonstrated capabilities I don’t completely understand. And every time we think we know him, he surprises us in new ways." She approached her. "It was a mistake to keep his parents in a vulnerable position. A mistake based on... excessive caution." "Caution? I don’t understand... You should know that..." "Yes... Some people tend to think leaders are some kind of perfect, logical machines," Selphira turned to look at her granddaughter. "But in reality, we’re just humans like everyone else. We make mistakes, have irrational fears and sometimes make stupid decisions." Liora looked thoughtful, processing this admission of vulnerability from someone who had always seemed invincible. "I’ve seen enough idiotic leaders during my life," Selphira continued. "There are even some who become dictators but call themselves allies of the people and generate all kinds of ridiculous norms. The difference between a good leader and a terrible one isn’t the absence of mistakes, but the ability to recognize and correct them." Selphira approached Liora, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "You’re right, you’re still young. Maturing is also realizing that we’re not perfect and depend on others. When young, sometimes we’re hyper-focused and think a problem has an obvious solution or is ’easy’ because we see it there, so clearly..." "And it’s not like that?" "When you grow up more, you’ll understand that nothing is ’easy’ or ’simple’. And that you’re going to make mistakes too, probably many times." Selphira smiled with genuine warmth. "But that’s why you must always develop your relationships well. The people you trust are the ones who will help fix things when you make mistakes, and you’ll do the same for them." Liora looked toward Ren, who continued sleeping peacefully. "I think he understands a bit of that," Selphira followed her granddaughter’s gaze. "And I think he has an important mission ahead. Your most important mission might be to develop that relationship well, maybe support or even guide him, if you still wish to do so when you mature." Liora blushed slightly but nodded. Selphira smiled. "My mistake led me to take a big risk that could have altered our enemies..." "But it worked," Liora smiled, taking Ren’s unconscious hand. "Reports indicate that dozens of families managed to cross." The assistant cleared his throat. "Which brings us to the next problem. The refugee flow is larger than we anticipated." It was true. For months, only a few families had crossed each day. But the situation had deteriorated dramatically in recent weeks. The small properties that families had possessed for generations no longer seemed worth the risk of staying. "Julius and Arturo were already working on a solution since the beginning of the relocations," Selphira headed toward the window, where she could see groups of workers establishing temporary camps. "We need more crystals than ever, and the underground mana seems to be increasing lately." "The mines?" asked Liora. "Ren taught you a safer and more efficient method for extracting crystals," Selphira smiled slightly. "So it’s a good time to invest in mining expansion. The refugees will have work, we’ll have the resources we need..." "Julius has already identified three potential sites for creating new operation towns. If young Patinder’s method is as effective as you explained and we use the new Living Tunnels..." A soft knock at the door interrupted the conversation. The assistant approached to open it upon receiving Selphira’s permission, revealing a messenger with a grave expression. "Lady Ashenway," the messenger bowed. "Young Patinder’s parents have arrived safely. They’re being escorted here now." "Excellent," Selphira felt a wave of relief. "Any problems during the group’s crossing?" "None, madam. Professors Wei and Yang were supported by our soldiers, Julius’s people, and even some school assets. The altercation with patrols stopped upon crossing... it seems they don’t have permission to cross their own border either. Although..." the messenger hesitated. "What?" "I also bring an urgent message from our observers at the deep border." Selphira extended her hand, but the messenger shook his head. "It’s a verbal message, madam. Extremely sensitive and urgent." The messenger looked around, seeing the sleeping guests, the assistant and Liora. Selphira’s expression hardened. "They can hear it... Speak." "Yino is preparing to cross the Abyss Bridge," the messenger spoke in a low but clear voice. "Our observers and spies report troops moving toward central territory. The invasion of Yano appears to have officially begun." The silence that followed was dense. Liora rose from the chair beside Ren’s bed, her face pale. "How much time do we have?" "Depends on how fast they move," the assistant was already calculating. "With Yino forces reinforcing Kharzan, they could launch an offensive from both sides in one or two days." Selphira headed toward her desk, her mind already working on multiple contingencies simultaneously. "Connect me immediately with Julius, Victor, Arturo, Sirius, and... my son. I want an immediate and complete mobilization of our troops."