"Absolutely not." Crassus's voice was firm and his words plain.
Arran nodded silently. Though his heart sank at the response, he understood that asking for even more help was too much — Crassus had already helped them more than could reasonably be expected.
That he had still dared to ask for help was because he saw few other options, and Crassus's answer was neither unexpected nor unreasonable.
Yet when Crassus saw Arran's dejected face, his expression softened and he sighed deeply.
"It's not that I don't want to help, but I don't dare get entangled with Shadowflame mages." He smiled wryly, then added, "They have some real monsters within their ranks."
Arran blinked in surprise. "They're stronger than you?"
He knew the Shadowflame Society held powerful mages, but he had not expected that they would be as strong as Crassus. From what little Arran had seen, he seemed like a force of nature, capable of shattering mountains with ease.
