The heavy doors of the Southern Council Chamber slowly closed.
The returned explorers had finally departed under escort alongside scholars and attendants carrying the recovered resources toward secured storage vaults beneath the council headquarters.
Yet even after they left—
The atmosphere inside the chamber remained restless.
Golden lanternlight flickered softly across the enormous hall while shadows stretched along black stone walls decorated with southern banners and territorial maps. Outside the tall windows, the growing council district continued operating despite the late hour.
Workers transported crates endlessly through torchlit streets.
Messengers rushed between administrative buildings.
Armed guards doubled patrols around the headquarters.
Because now—
Everything had changed.
The wilderness was no longer merely rumor.
It was proven opportunity.
And opportunity always attracted ambition.
Inside the chamber, silence lingered heavily for several moments after the explorers left.
The nobles remained seated around the enormous circular blackwood table while stacks of expedition reports, copied records, and preliminary resource inventories covered nearly every surface.
Some council members stared toward the sealed crystal archives like starving predators.
Others remained lost in thought.
Then finally—
Duke Altair spoke.
"We underestimated the wilderness."
His calm voice echoed quietly through the chamber.
Several nobles slowly nodded.
No one denied it.
At first—
Most viewed the expedition as risky political theater.
Useful for prestige perhaps.
But unlikely to truly succeed.
Yet now—
Ancient civilizations.
Unknown medicinal knowledge.
Monster resources.
Ancient artifacts.
All of it sat beneath their own headquarters.
The South had just discovered something capable of reshaping its future entirely.
One merchant noble suddenly leaned forward eagerly.
"We must establish resource allocation immediately."
Another interrupted instantly.
"And increase security."
"A lot of security."
The chamber quickly descended into overlapping discussion again.
"Those medicinal theories alone could destabilize northern trade monopolies—"
"If news reaches the capital too early we'll attract interference—"
"We should establish controlled research divisions—"
"And weapon development."
Several military advisors nodded immediately at that suggestion.
Meanwhile—
Duchess Seraphine quietly remained silent.
Her violet eyes calmly observed the growing chaos around the chamber while elegant fingers rested lightly against the armrest of her chair.
They're already thinking about profit first…
The silver-haired duchess slowly glanced toward the sealed archives resting near the chamber wall.
Then toward the expedition reports mentioning Heral repeatedly.
And strangely—
Her attention drifted back toward him again.
Not the treasures.
Not the politics.
The man behind them.
Because everything happening now—
The expedition.
The council structure.
The transportation strategy.
The morale systems.
All carried traces of his thinking.
Meanwhile—
At the opposite side of the chamber—
One elderly military strategist slowly unfolded the wilderness map once more.
His weathered fingers traced the marked expedition routes thoughtfully.
"The rotational return system…"
He quietly muttered.
"…is brilliant."
Several nearby nobles looked toward him.
The old strategist calmly adjusted his glasses.
"Most wilderness expeditions fail from accumulation pressure."
The chamber quieted slightly hearing that.
"Resources become difficult to transport."
"Supplies become unstable."
"Fear spreads."
"Exhaustion increases."
His finger tapped the map softly.
"And eventually…"
A faint pause followed.
"…the entire expedition collapses simultaneously."
Several military-minded council members slowly nodded.
They understood.
The old strategist continued calmly.
"But Heral divided the expedition into adaptable layers."
He pointed toward the transportation routes.
"Small return groups."
"Continuous resource flow."
"Flexible manpower."
The lanternlight reflected softly against the old man's thoughtful eyes.
"He transformed exploration into sustainable operation."
Silence settled briefly afterward.
Because the more they analyzed the strategy—
The more dangerous Heral's intelligence appeared.
One council member quietly frowned.
"…Who exactly is this man?"
No one answered immediately.
Because strangely—
Very little about Heral truly existed officially.
An alchemist.
A strategist.
Landon Veil's attendant.
Yet his influence already reached frightening levels.
Duke Altair slowly folded his arms.
"Whatever he is…"
His sharp eyes narrowed slightly.
"…he understands systems."
Several nobles looked toward him.
The duke calmly continued.
"Most people solve immediate problems."
His gaze moved toward the resource reports.
"But that man…"
A faint pause followed.
"…builds structures capable of solving future problems before they appear."
The chamber fell quiet again.
Because deep down—
Everyone recognized the truth in those words.
Meanwhile—
One merchant noble suddenly leaned forward excitedly.
"If the first batch already brought this much…"
His eyes gleamed greedily.
"…what will the second batch return with?"
That question immediately shifted the atmosphere again.
Excitement spread visibly across the chamber.
Because now—
Everyone began imagining possibilities.
More ruins.
Ancient weapons.
Divine relics.
Unknown magic.
The wilderness itself suddenly resembled an endless treasure vault waiting to be opened.
One scholar nervously adjusted his glasses before speaking.
"The medicinal knowledge alone could revolutionize healing."
Another immediately added—
"And if they discover additional civilizations…"
The chamber slowly descended into speculation again.
But amidst the growing excitement—
One older noble quietly frowned.
"…Or they may discover something worse."
Silence followed instantly.
The noble slowly pointed toward the expedition report mentioning the unknown humanoid tracks near the Black Root region.
"Something followed the returning group."
Several council members visibly stiffened slightly.
"And we still know almost nothing about the deeper wilderness."
The atmosphere cooled noticeably afterward.
Because excitement often blinded people quickly.
Yet the South's wilderness remained ancient.
Hostile.
Unexplored.
Duke Kael, who had remained mostly silent until now, finally spoke from the far side of the chamber.
"You're all thinking too small."
The room turned toward him immediately.
The massive duke rested one arm against his chair while his scarred face remained unreadable beneath flickering lanternlight.
"The real value isn't treasure."
Silence spread again.
Kael's cold eyes slowly moved across the gathered nobles.
"It's information."
Several council members narrowed their eyes thoughtfully.
The duke calmly continued.
"For centuries…"
A faint pause followed.
"…the South feared the wilderness without understanding it."
His fingers tapped the expedition report once.
"Now we finally have people capable of exploring it properly."
The chamber became quieter with every sentence.
Kael's gaze darkened slightly.
"If Heral survives long enough…"
The giant duke slowly leaned backward within his chair.
"…the South may eventually control the wilderness instead of merely fearing it."
Those words settled heavily across the chamber.
Control the wilderness.
The very idea sounded absurd.
Dangerous.
Ambitious beyond reason.
Yet strangely—
After hearing the expedition reports…
No one could dismiss it completely anymore.
Meanwhile—
Duchess Seraphine quietly watched the lantern flames dancing across the chamber while countless thoughts moved behind her violet eyes.
What exactly are you trying to create, Heral…?
Because instinctively—
She knew.
The man exploring the wilderness was not merely searching for ruins.
He was building something far larger than treasure.