The meeting room of the organization was brimming with tension. Everyone seated around the round table displayed signs of worry and seriousness on their faces. The atmosphere of the room was more intense and stressed than usual. Everyone with the rank of Silver 1 and above had attended this meeting with a grave sense of responsibility.
Albert appeared noticeably more anxious than the others. His worried expression heightened the intensity of the room's atmosphere. Before the leaders began discussing the Sword of Justice, Stephen, and the Dark Force—the focal points of the meeting—they stood Albert up for questioning, further increasing the tension in the room.
The meeting room fell silent, with everyone's attention fixated on the leaders and Albert. The conversation revolved around the impending great battle and the roles these crucial figures would play. Faces around the room were filled with expressions of uncertainty and concern for the future. This meeting was of critical importance to the organization, and everyone listened intently to the decisions being made.
"In my opinion, we should eliminate Stephen. He poses a significant threat to us."
The male leader's serious tone further heightened the tense atmosphere in the room. While Albert frowned at the leader's suggestion, signs of astonishment appeared on the faces of others. The leader's proposal deeply affected the thoughts and emotions within the room.
"But who will help us if a great war breaks out?"
Albert's outburst made the silence in the room even more pronounced. The other members were in a daze, pondering Albert's words. His statement had sparked a significant debate about the organization's future and security.
Albert then continued to speak with seriousness, saying, "Stephen might be our only hope against the Lord of Darkness." These words intensified the atmosphere in the room and provoked new thoughts in everyone's mind.
The female leader, standing in the center of the room with a serious expression, scanned the anxious faces of the surrounding leaders. "We have very powerful magic users as well," she said, her voice exuding determination.
Standing beside the leader, Albert bravely responded, "Ma'am, you know that none of them are strong enough to fight a danger as great as the Lord of Darkness," his voice rising with conviction and resolve.
The female leader nodded thoughtfully. "But how do we know that the child you trained will help us?" she asked, a hint of doubt appearing in her eyes. "What if he realizes he is even stronger than us and turns against us?"
"Why would he do such a thing? That child is more loyal to the organization than even the employees here. Trust me."
Albert broke the silence of the room with an insinuating smile. His eyes scanned the faces of everyone in the room, clearly intending to draw attention to the recent betrayals within the organization that had not been much addressed. However, Albert's statement made many of the employees uncomfortable, inevitably altering their expressions.
One of the leaders questioned Albert, challenging him. "How can you be so sure of his loyalty?" the leader asked with a worried tone. "All the kingdoms are under our control and we must unite on certain important issues. Most kingdoms are unhappy with this situation. What if Edward is also unhappy and uses his son Stephen against us?"
Albert replied calmly and confidently, "If they had such thoughts, I would definitely know about it," he said, looking into the leader's eyes. "You know how close I am with His Majesty." The tone of his voice reflected deep loyalty and confidence.
The tense silence in the room was filled with the intensity of the debate among the leaders. Uncertainty was evident on each face; important decisions were about to be made, and everyone's attention was focused on this conversation.
Another leader opposed Albert, speaking in a harsh voice, "Do you think the king will share state secrets with you?" he asked, his tone filled with anxiety. "Remember who his father is and don't trust too much."
Albert responded confidently, "You can be sure that His Majesty is completely different from his father," he said, with a tone of sincerity and confidence in his voice. "He is an open and honest man.
Another leader intervened, turning to Albert. "Alright, Mr. Thomas. We will trust you, but we still need to take precautions," he said with a determined expression.
Without a moment of hesitation, Albert responded to the question. "What will you do?" he asked, looking curiously at the leaders.
The leader indicated that he had a plan. "He will no longer operate within the Chosen Ones and you will not oversee his magical training," he said firmly.
Albert accepted the first condition but expressed confusion about the second. "Which training will I halt?" he asked, a bit perplexed.
The tense silence among the leaders made the room's atmosphere quite stressful. The weight of the decisions was felt by everyone, and the outcomes of these decisions would be significant.
A leader spoke decisively to Albert. "Both," he said, with a tone of resolve.
Albert paused for a moment, his eyes wandering among the leaders. "I can stop the special combat training for the Chosen," he replied, a hint of hesitation in his voice, "but I can't interfere with the other special training. His Majesty personally requested that I train him."
Another leader intervened with a worried expression. "Mr. Thomas, are you not aware of the danger?" he asked, his tone urgent. "If a talented and powerful wizard like you trains him, he could become able to use all his powers. We've already seen what can happen if he reaches his full potential. Every place and every living being turned to stone except for the villages of Astera. I don't think I need to explain how large a place Astera is."
Silence once again dominated the room, and it was clear that everyone understood the gravity of this conversation. All eyes were on Albert, awaiting his response, as this decision would determine the course of future events.
As Albert grappled with the leaders' decision, the atmosphere of the room became a bit more melancholic. The expression in his eyes reflected the sorrow he felt at the loss of Stephen. The fact that Stephen was his prized student made it clear how deeply this decision affected Albert.
"Very well. I will try to resolve this with His Majesty today," Albert said with a sigh in his voice. It was evident how difficult this decision was for him.
The leaders expressed their satisfaction with Albert's acceptance of the decision. "Thank you for finally understanding us," they said, a bit relieved.
However, Albert didn't care much for the thanks and focused forward. "So, who will be the leader?" he asked, bringing up a new topic. "Do I need to hold a new leadership election?"
A leader responded, "We are considering Prince Aaron of Ostrium," indicating that he had a plan. "He is already as famous for his magical power as Stephen."
As the leaders discussed the new leadership candidates, Albert's sorrow and concern were still visibly evident on his face. With these decisions being made, the future of the organization and the kingdoms had become uncertain.
Hearing the news about Aaron being brought into the leadership position, Albert's already deteriorated mood worsened. His internal discomfort and anxiety were becoming more apparent through his expression. He had never liked Aaron and had justified reasons for his feelings. The sense of innocence and goodness he felt with Stephen was absent in Aaron, and he couldn't sense Aaron's magical power. Additionally, he disliked Aaron's personality; he found him too authoritarian and did not believe he would manage the Chosen Ones well. However, he couldn't voice his opinion against this decision because he feared jeopardizing his position in the organization. He did not want to lose the career he had meticulously built over the years to become the most successful wizard in the Magical World.
"As you wish," he said, his voice filled with sorrow and acceptance. "Everything will be sorted out by tomorrow."
The turmoil and anxiety within Albert deepened with the decision made. The uncertainty of the future and the impact of the leadership change weighed heavily on everyone in the room.
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Stephen quietly approached the training area for the Chosen Ones. He opened the door and stepped inside, but he didn't see the scene he expected. Normally, they always waited for him before the trainings started. He looked around the room in confusion but felt all eyes were on him. When he turned his head to see Albert's face, he noticed that Albert was also looking at him with a surprised expression. An explanation was needed.
A sudden tension and silence filled the room. As Stephen stood under the vacant stares of the trainers and other members of the Chosen Ones, the atmosphere grew heavy. Albert's silence only increased the gravity of the situation. Stephen carefully scanned everyone in the room, trying to understand what had gone wrong, but got no answers. Faced with this unexpected situation, he didn't know what to do.
Albert broke the tense silence in the room and spoke courageously. "Your Majesty, shall we step outside? There are some matters we need to discuss."
"Of course, we can go out," Stephen replied in confusion. After stepping out of the room, Albert hesitated but eventually began to speak. The moment Aaron noticed they had stepped out, he quietly approached the door and started listening.
"I'm afraid you are no longer a member of the Chosen Ones," Albert said with a serious expression.
Outside, the air seemed heavier. Receiving this news from Albert felt like a blow to Stephen. He had a look of hesitation and confusion on his face because he didn't know how to react to this unforeseen event. Meanwhile, Aaron listened to this sentence with great delight. He was beaming. The words of that mysterious woman were happening one by one. He was filled with pride as his plan was working.
Stephen reacted to Albert's words with shock. "What?" he asked, furrowing his brows in disbelief. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Then, trying to compose himself, he asked, "Why?" attempting to conceal his complex emotions.
Albert hesitated for a moment but then made up his mind. "The organization understands that you've been targeted and has taken this step as a protective measure," he lied with determination in his voice. This explanation seemed absurd to Stephen. As the owner of the Sword of Justice, being targeted felt natural to him. He knew his enemies could find him no matter where he hid. Therefore, he realized Albert was lying to him. However, he decided not to show it. He thought the reason for his dismissal was probably the Dark Force trying to take over him, feeling a mix of sorrow and anxiety.
Stephen's inner world was stormy. Everything had happened so quickly that, while looking at Albert's face with a confused expression, he was trying to process his complex emotions.
Stephen, though seeming to accept the situation for now, still held some hope. "Alright, but do I have a chance to come back?" he asked, accepting the inevitability but still wanting to try his luck.
"We don't know. We'll decide that later," said Albert with an underlying uncertainty.
Stephen wanted to make a request of Albert. "Thank you, but I have one request," he said with a voice filled with plea and seriousness.
"Of course, go ahead," Albert replied, waiting with curiosity to hear Stephen's request.
Stephen continued with a serious expression. "Please do not make Aaron the leader," he said, his voice reflecting a plea and concern. "I'm not saying this out of jealousy. We've already resolved all our issues. I'm saying it for the well-being of my friends there."
"We'll consider it," Albert said with a tone of uncertainty.
Stephen noticed that Albert was giving a vague answer but accepted the situation for now. He planned to restore his reputation in some way and rejoin the Chosen Ones. He wasn't thinking of giving up.
Stephen had a sense of determination and hope within him, even in this challenging period, he had no intention of giving up. Albert's answer was a starting point for him, and he was ready to step onto a path filled with uncertainties about his future.