色戒无删除版

After he woke up, Maius remained in the clinic for two more days before he was allowed to go home. He received the report of that day in the comfort of his home. Maius browsed through it while drinking hot coffee that he prepared himself. After looking through it, he placed the paper on the table beside where he sat.

"How is the leader? And is there a movement from the barbarians?" He asked because he didn't see anything written on the paper regarding his last question.

The man who healed him and was his right-hand man bowed and picked up the paper before he answered. "The leader has been cooped up inside his study after finishing the matters related to the attack. The barbarians haven't made a move ever since that day."

"What was Xenos's reaction after he interrogated that mage that you captured?" Another question that made the mage who was standing behind him frown.

"Nothing in particular. He just walked away and that's it." The right-hand mage answered with a frown on his face because he was confused as to why the commander was asking him that kind of question.

"It seems that I need to visit the leader again." Maius sighed and leaned on his seat. He sighed again before grumbling something incomprehensible. His lips then formed a frown before he raised his right hand to massage his forehead.

"Is there a problem, commander?" The right-hand mage asked when he saw the commander's reaction.

"Nothing major. I just think that I needed to talk with Xenos." Maius shook his head and did not give the man a concrete answer. "You may go. I will inform you of any mission once I have a talk with the leader."

"Why are you so sure that we will be having a mission?" He was confused at the commander's words. He was only meeting the leader and there were no immediate threats to their kingdom yet.

"We'll know soon. Go and instruct the mages to be on stand-by. As long as there are people eyeing Lunaira, threats to our kingdom will not disappear." Maius raised his hand and waved it back and forth.

The right-hand mage had more questions in his mind but because the commander refused to talk about it anymore, there was nothing he could do. He left the commander's house and returned to the camp where the mages were assigned. He immediately relayed the command and refused to answer the question that the mages asked and just told them that the commander would do all the explaining.

The next day Maius left his house and walked to the 'palace' as they called it. It wasn't done yet but it was already considered as such. He navigated the simple gravel path that separates each house in Lumiere. He took his time and anyone who saw him would not fail to give him a greeting.

He returned their gesture with a smile and also answered their questions patiently. It was his goodwill because they had been supportive of them. Maius also genuinely cared for them because he knew how it was to be powerless and how to appreciate those who have the ability to fight for them.

Once he reached the gate of the palace, he was given entry without questions. He looked up at the massive infrastructure in front of him but he felt no awe from looking at it. The high walls of the palace were done but the towers in it were still under construction. The main house behind that wall has its half already done and that's where Xenos's study was.

Maius walked the familiar path and within ten minutes he was already in front of the leader's door. He gave the guards a nod before he knocked. He waited for a few seconds but there was no answer from the inside. With a frown, he knocked again before pushing open the door even without the leader's approval.

The commander could only shake his head when he saw the state of the study. The leader was obviously so focused in his work that he did not even notice the mage's entrance. The windows of the room were closed and there were papers strewn on the floor.

Xenos himself looked a mess. His hair was in disarray and Maius could clearly see the black circles around his friend's eyes. His lips were moving as he kept on mumbling to himself while writing on a piece of paper. His eyes were darting from one document to another nonstop.

Maius silently crossed the room towards the windows and opened it. The cold wind blew inside and filled the room. Xenos raised his head and looked back only to see that his friend was there. He then looked at the door and back at Maius before he sighed.

Xenos abandoned his pen and stretched his body to loosen his muscles that had gone numb from sitting for too long. He inhaled and exhaled before he moved his chair in a position that was facing his friend who finally paid him a visit. He looked at the man from head to toe, before he nodded.

"I'm glad to see that you are doing well." Xenos was the first one to speak after giving his friend a brief inspection.

"Yes, the doctor has been kind enough to remind me to take care of myself because if something happens to me, the leader would be left alone and would be lonely." Maius grinned to lighten the mood but Xenos remained serious.

Instead of the atmosphere lightening, Maius felt that it became even more depressing. The commander sighed before he went and pulled an empty chair towards the window he just opened. He had no idea what was running inside his friend's mind.

"I'm fine. The doctor just said that I needed to rest a bit more to replenish my lost mana. I'm more concerned about you." Maius did not hesitate to speak what was on his mind. "Because right now, you are acting weird. What happened? What's on your mind?"

Xenos was brought out from his daze after those questions. He stared at his long-time friend for a moment before he decided to avoid the commander's gaze. His eyes then landed on the documents he had been working on for the past few days.

"I can't let Lunaira stay as it is now. I can't let the people nor the warriors rely on you, mages, for all the battles we will be facing in the future. I have drafted a plan to strengthen our warriors. I want to train them and enable them to wield their swords without fearing the enemy whether they are a warrior or a mage." Xenos answered because Maius was the only person he would confide in.

"I understand. It is inevitable. Our people needed to know that we mages aren't invincible. We can get wounded and we can die because we too are made up of flesh and blood. I can't keep on protecting them all every time we fight because if something like that previous incident happens again, you might lose all of your mages." Maius did not hold back either. His friend's concern was his concern too.