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"Who is this?" asked Estin, his brow furrowing deeply, eyes scanning the prone figure with a mixture of curiosity and disdain.

"This," replied Von Varen, his voice steady despite the weight of his words, "is Elio Elian. Lucien's protégé and the one responsible for the new combat technique that has our soldiers so impressed."

The elders leaned forward, their eyes gleaming with predatory interest. The air in the room seemed to thicken with tension.

"And why have you brought him here?" inquired Mordred, his voice laden with suspicion, one gnarled hand gripping the edge of the table.

Von Varen took a deep breath before dropping the news: "Because this young man has taken Marcus's cores. And Marcus... Marcus is dead." He finally let out, the words heavy in his mouth.

The silence that followed was so dense it could almost be cut with a knife. Estin, whose face had visibly paled, was the first to break it.

"Marcus?" His voice trembled, a mixture of disbelief, pain, and growing rage. "My grandson?" His gaze fell on Elio, and his eyes narrowed dangerously. "Are you saying that this... this miserable soldier killed my Marcus?"

Von Varen raised his hands in an appeasing gesture, aware of the volatile emotions in the room. "I have no real proof that he killed him directly. But I saw it with my own eyes. This young man, Elio Elian, has a summon. A level one salamander. Although now it seems to have returned to the boy's book."

Mordred and Estin exchanged looks of disbelief and growing anger, the implications of this revelation sinking in.

"Impossible, not even Lucien could have hidden so many cores from us," Mordred murmured, his mind racing. "Unless..."

"Unless he had Marcus's cores," Estin completed, his voice trembling with rage. "And some more. Lucien. It has to be Lucien's doing."

Varen nodded grimly. "That's my conclusion as well. Lucien must have provided the additional cores."

Mordred slammed his fist on the table, causing the objects on it to jump. The sound reverberated through the room, punctuating the gravity of the moment. "Treason! This is treason in its purest form!"

Estin stood up abruptly, his chair falling to the floor with a crash that echoed in the room, his finger pointed to Elio. "I want his head!" he roared, his face contorted with fury. "I want to see this wretch suffer for what he's done!"

Mordred, however, seemed to realize something, his calculating eyes moving between Estin and Elio's unconscious body. "Wait, Estin. Let's not act hastily. There's more at stake here than simple revenge."

Varen nodded, seizing the opportunity. "Mordred is right. Think about it, Estin. This boy is the key to controlling Lucien."

Estin, still trembling with rage, turned to Varen. "What do you mean?" he growled, his fists still clenched.

"Simple," Mordred responded, his voice taking on a calculating tone. "Elio is guilty of stealing Marcus's cores and having an unauthorized summon. It's a capital crime, after all. But instead of executing him immediately, we offer Lucien a deal: Elio's life in exchange for his total cooperation."

Estin, still shaking with rage, turned to Mordred. "What about my revenge, my suffering?"

Kairos added, his voice smooth and persuasive. "My grandfather Mordred is right. Think about it, uncle Estin. There's a much more serious problem at hand."

"Think about it, uncle," Kairos continued, his voice soft but persuasive. "Lucien has invested a lot in this boy. He's his 'favorite soldier', the face of his new strategy. If you have Elio, you have Lucien against the wall."

Varen smiled, pleased to see that his plan of bringing Elio here was being well received. "Exactly. Lucien will be forced to choose between his protégé and his position. Lucien cares too much about the soldiers, he won't abandon him."

Estin, although still visibly furious, seemed to consider the idea under the social pressure. His eyes moved to Elio, a mixture of hatred and cold calculation in his gaze. "And will I have his head someday?"

Mordred nodded slowly, his mind working at full speed. "Indeed. Once we've gotten what we want from Lucien, we can... dispose of this Elio and recover the cores he has stolen."

Estin seemed to calm down a bit at this prospect, though anger still burned in his eyes. "Fine. But I want to be the one who takes care of him when the time comes. I want him to pay for what he did to Marcus."

"Of course," Mordred agreed. "But first, we must ensure that Lucien cooperates. And that won't be easy."

Kairos leaned back in his chair, his face a mask of concern. "Lucien isn't alone. He has the support of Selene and Raelar. Those two are a problem."

Varen nodded. "Selene, the only woman from the families who has become a Summoner. Her 'rudeness' and cunning make her unpredictable. And Raelar... well, his loyalty to Lucien is unshakeable."

"Not to mention the support Lucien has among the wall soldiers," added Mordred. "All of this complicates our plans to avoid reaching the 'Limit of God's City'."

A heavy silence fell over the room at the mention of this topic. The elders exchanged grim looks, aware of the gravity of what they were about to discuss.

Finally, Varen spoke, his voice low but firm. "We know it's necessary. The limit is almost reached. If we don't act soon, the entire city could collapse."

Kairos nodded slowly. "Between 50 thousand and 100 thousand people a year... I would never have imagined the price we must pay to maintain balance if grandpa hadn't shown me that book."

"Lucien will never accept it, he's like his father," said Varen, his face contorted in a grimace of concern. "He and his allies will fight this with everything they have."

Mordred rose slowly, walking to the window. He looked out at the city, his eyes scanning the streets and homes that stretched for almost 8 km to the wall. When he spoke, his voice was laden with grim resignation.

"I'll let him read the book. If he reacts like his father, then... He doesn't have to accept it. We just need him not to interfere. And for that, we'll use this Elio."

He turned to the others, his eyes shining with cold determination. "We'll present this as an inevitable necessity. We'll show Lucien the numbers, make him understand that without these... sacrifices, the entire city will perish. And if he still resists..."

As the elders discussed the details of their plan, Elio lay unconscious on the floor, oblivious to the fate being decided over his head. The young man's chest rose and fell steadily, unaware of the storm brewing around him, a storm that would soon engulf not just him, but the entire city.