"You mean Verna and Rie? Well, they are helping out, but this is the Five Kings of the Underworld we are talking about. You, big ranked Mages, don't see it, but the little soldiers under each Domain are still wary of Magecraft."
Silence blanketed the room as the Headmaster's eyes were as wide as the cookie plate.
"Oh, come on... You don't mean to tell me you don't know about that?"
The Mages in the room shook their heads in unison, which resulted in a heavy sigh from Phanm.
"I'm picturing that Verna and Rie are having a hard time to command those little soldiers..."
"You're not wrong about that, and you aren't right either," chimed a voice as the seat beside Phanm was suddenly occupied.
The poor human jumped out of his seat and landed on the Headmaster's lap, much to the latter's annoyance. Raiyen laughed as Gillian tossed the poor kid to the Angry Man.
"What am I supposed to do with him?!" yelled Baldwin as if he was holding a bomb.
"My brother of Magecraft, you put me down and not toss me like I'm Amazon Prime!" shouted Phanm.
The Dark Mage finally placed the poor human on his original seat while Raiyen tried to calm himself down. After the Time Mage finally regained his sanity, Phanm was the first to break the silence.
"So... What did you mean by I'm right but wrong?"
"Well... You are right about Verna and Rie having difficulty commanding the Five Kings' personnel because most are still cautious about Mages. However, the Five Kings aren't in a mess now because I've already stepped in to help."
"Didn't you say you were tending to the Orphanage? Or was that just a lie again to not eat Mavislin's snacks?" questioned the Angry Man, raising an eyebrow.
"Nope; I did help out at the Orphanage and rushed to the Domains because something significant at Urnsfield had happened. And just the other day, I've fixed about 90% of the issues in Teuton so they should be up and running," elaborated the Time Mage.
"Well, you are called the Time Mage for a reason, and it's one way to abuse your power... Wait, what happened at the Urnsfield Domain? I was just there a few days ago, checking on things there..." asked Phanm, confused.
"Actually, this is what I came back to report on..."
Raiyen sighed as he tossed a piece of parchment with the words 'They're back.' written in blood.
"The residue Elemental Energy is... Corrupted?!" yelled Baldwin as he stepped back in fear.
"You are right... But as of now, and with all the strings that I can pull, the Husks are very small in numbers and no trace of the Corrupted One," explained the Time Mage, arching his back.
The Headmaster narrowed his eyes before looking at Raiyen for additional information.
"No... This time, the Poisoned Pond isn't related to the Husks. Maybe the stars have truly aligned," noted Raiyen.
"Unfortunately for him, we still have to find him for the mission that Mavislin is leading against the Tribe and to find out more about the last Dargon," said Gillian.
"Oi! Don't leave me out of the conversation just yet... Why are you lot talking about?" asked Phanm who was suddenly interested in the affairs of the Mages.
"You haven't heard of the Husks?" asked Gillian.
"I have no clue about those... Are they monsters or Mages?"
"They are not even living beings anymore once they become the Husks. Long ago, a being known as the Corrupted One unleashed his wrath on those who displeased him. Therefore turning the surrounding beings into Husks. A shell of their former selves."
"If you touch them, you become one of them. You'll lose your senses, your powers, and your individuality. Your sole purpose as a Husk is to make more Husks. However, this only applies to low-ranking Mages and humans. If you are as powerful as us or even Tomoe, then..."
The Headmaster stopped dead in his tracks as he figured out something important.
"Then you'll create another Corrupted One. One with sense and ability to control the Corruption Element. Someone as equally dangerous as the Corrupted One himself. Is that what you wanted to say?" asked Raiyen, concerned about Gillian's pause.
"Yes... And that is why we cannot battle with the Corrupted One for too long. Or let Mavislin get Corrupted or else it would be the end of this world."
"But I trust that the Vigilante can keep the Husks under control. Or do you need assistance from the Knights?" questioned The Headmaster.
"Oi! Don't think my Knights are always free! They've got things to do as well!" protested Baldwin.
"Like what? What could be more important than another uprising of those things?" asked the Time Mage.