"Wait—you haven't even heard the real bad news yet," came the voice of a man.
"There's worse…" said Clarck.
"Yes, we have an agent who told us that Saba is preparing for a large-scale attack," explained Lisa.
Clément pulled out a chair and sat down, while Clarck remained standing but stepped closer to the table to look at the map laid out on it.
The map was of the known world. It showed the two great kingdoms, shaped somewhat like a yin and yang symbol, though slightly less curved. On the right was the kingdom of Asturies, and on the left, the kingdom of Saba. Asturies had more advanced borders in the north, and inversely, Saba's were more developed in the south. Between the two kingdoms was a zone called the no man's land, which entirely separated them and was wide enough to be clearly depicted on the map. Almost no one lived there — it was the place where battles between the two kingdoms took place. In addition to that, many monsters lived there. In general, the monsters in this region weren't as powerful as those in the world beyond the barrier — meaning anywhere outside Saba, Asturies, and the no man's land. But exceptions were not rare at all… It wasn't uncommon for battalions from either side to be completely wiped out by a single, extremely powerful monster.
Monsters were classified by different levels according to their strength and danger, starting at level 1 and going up to… well, no one really knew how high. There had almost never been reports of monsters at level 100 or higher in the no man's land, but there were legends that said monsters at level 1000 and above existed outside human borders. For comparison, most rank 6 warriors — known as the Leader Warriors and considered rulers of the world — wouldn't be capable of defeating a level 100 monster.
"Saba seems to be preparing an offensive in the south. So far, we haven't noticed much in the no man's land," said Lisa.
"We won't have to face the Northern Guardian, will we?" asked Clément, who seemed worried about the possibility.
"Normally no, but they will most likely mobilize the Southern Guardian," replied Lisa with a grim look.
The Guardians were the equivalent of the Pillars in the kingdom of Saba — rank 6 Leader Warriors.
In Asturies, the Pillars held the military rank of War Generals, but most people had gotten used to simply calling them Pillars. Their uniforms were white and red, embroidered with silver. The Ascendia school was located in the center of the kingdom, and it wasn't directly concerned by the attack.
"Who's in charge of that? At least two Pillars should go south for safety," said Clément.
"No need. I'll go there. I don't need anyone," said the voice of one of the two men who had remained seated in the room. He stood up. He was a giant, around 2.10 meters tall, blond with brown eyes and pale skin.
"I'd prefer if someone accompanied you," replied Clément in a firm tone.
"Who do you think you are? Don't you believe I can handle this? Or worse — do you suspect I might be a traitor?"
"Perhaps, dear Valiant," replied Clément with a wide grin.
After that, the mood in the room shifted. The two Pillars, now facing each other, released powerful auras that cracked the floor and ceiling.
"Cut the crap, both of you!!!" growled Lisa as she stepped in to separate them.
"Valiant will be more than enough," said the last man still seated.
"I think so too," added Lisa.
Satisfied to see that his comrades trusted him, Valiant left the room without a word. He was a man in his late forties with undeniable strength.
"What a pain in the ass," said Clément aloud as soon as Valiant had left. Clarck, who didn't dare intervene between the Pillars — especially not in front of Valiant — stayed silent. For better or worse, Valiant perfectly embodied the mentality of Asturies: extreme pride and a strong focus on strength and hierarchy. Had Clarck tried to step in, Valiant would have seen it as an insult.
"You know very well he'll be enough. Anyway, the other question is, why are they attacking from the south like that?" said Lisa.
"Maybe to create a diversion," suggested Clarck.
"A diversion for what?" asked the last man calmly.
"Maybe they're going to check what caused the fluctuations," replied Clarck.
"Then we'll go as well, to see what's happening," said Clément.
"And your job as headmaster?" asked Lisa.
"Don't worry. I'll go with my students on a school field trip," Clément replied casually.
"…" The two Pillars were visibly against the idea but wore expressions of resignation, knowing Clément's personality too well. They knew there was no convincing him. Unlike Clarck, who began lecturing him.
"Anyway, we'll talk about this later. Lisa, don't forget to come tomorrow to meet the new recruits," said Clément before leaving, with Clarck still trying — and failing — to reason with him.
He likes to play the reckless one," said the Pillar who had remained seated, then, after a brief pause for thought, added, "but in truth, this could be a good experience for the newcomers
"You might be right. Still, I think it's too dangerous… but tensions are rising and the war might intensify. Time's running out — we need combat-ready soldiers," said Lisa.