"You are an Ironhart?"
I nodded.
"Yes."
For several moments Gerald simply stared at me before suddenly leaning back and laughing into the clouds.
"You really are full of surprises, boy."
The old man shook his head while taking another drink.
"First you arrive here as a living human. Then I discover you’ve somehow crossed half the Prime Territory while making enemies of the Eternals. Then I learn you’ve already fought Verilux and survived. Then it turns out you know about my little soul-splitting experiment."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"And now you’re telling me you’re an Ironhart."
The amusement on his face slowly transformed into something more thoughtful.
"I have to admit, life keeps finding ways to entertain me."
I smiled.
"Aren’t I awesome?"
"You are."
Gerald swirled the remaining alcohol inside his glass.
The old man remained quiet for a while as he looked across the countless worlds floating beneath the clouds. Eventually he released a long sigh and placed the glass beside him.
"Fine."
I raised an eyebrow.
He pointed a finger at me.
"I’ll help you."
The answer came so suddenly that I almost thought I had misheard him. Gerald immediately held up his hand before I could say anything.
"Don’t look so grateful. There are conditions."
"Of course there are."
"Everything worth having comes with conditions."
His gaze drifted downward toward the worlds hidden within the settlement.
"You see all of that?"
I followed his gaze.
The countless civilizations continued their lives below us, completely unaware that their creator was currently negotiating their future while sitting on a cloud drinking alcohol.
"Those people have survived because nobody knows where they are."
The old man’s voice lost some of its humor.
"That settlement isn’t merely a refuge. It is one of the largest surviving collections of free souls remaining in the Prime Territory."
I remained silent.
"If I help you, there is a very real possibility that attention eventually turns here."
His eyes returned to me.
"The Eternals aren’t stupid. If you begin moving openly against them, eventually they’ll start tracing where your information comes from and who is helping you."
I understood immediately.
"You want protection."
"I want a promise."
The old man smiled faintly.
"If this settlement ever comes under attack because of your actions, then you protect it."
He wasn’t asking for one of those absurd contracts that always came back to cause trouble later.
He was simply asking me to defend the people living under his care. I thought about it for only a few seconds.
Then nodded.
"Done."
The old man studied me carefully.
"That was quick."
"It isn’t a difficult promise."
The smile returned immediately.
"Good."
He reached for the bottle again.
"Then we have a deal."
Then I finally asked the obvious question.
"How exactly are you planning to help?"
That earned a grin.
"Now we’re getting to the interesting part."
Gerald stretched lazily before continuing.
"Verilux is strong for many reasons, but only one of those reasons truly matters."
"The Soul Sea."
"Exactly."
His finger pointed downward.
"The creature isn’t merely drawing power from the Soul Sea. It is anchored to it. Every scale on its body, every fragment of its soul, every aspect of its existence is tied directly into the ocean itself."
I frowned.
"Meaning?"
"Meaning that unless you can sever that connection, you aren’t fighting a creature."
His smile widened.
"You’re fighting an entire sea."
Gerald continued.
"There is a solution."
I waited.
"A binding seal."
The old man traced a small symbol in the air. Immediately dozens of spatial runes appeared around his finger before vanishing again.
"I can create something capable of temporarily disrupting the connection between Verilux and the Soul Sea."
My attention sharpened immediately.
"Temporarily?"
He nodded.
"Very."
"How long?"
"Depends."
His expression became thoughtful.
"Some minutes."
I stared at him.
"Some minutes?"
"A few minutes is a very long time when you’re fighting something powerful enough to destroy regions."
Unfortunately he wasn’t wrong. I thought about everything I had seen from Verilux.
The regeneration. The endless energy. The overwhelming pressure.
If all of that suddenly disappeared... A few minutes might actually be enough.
"So all I need to do is place this seal on Verilux?"
The old man laughed.
"Listen to yourself."
"What?"
"You say that as though attaching a seal to a seven-headed guardian capable of eating Saints is a minor inconvenience."
I couldn’t argue with that. Compared to every other solution I had heard so far, this one sounded almost reasonable.
"How long will it take?"
Gerald’s expression became serious.
"To create something powerful enough to affect Verilux?"
He leaned back.
"A week."
Then he reconsidered.
"Possibly two."
I sighed.
"That long?"
"I’m trying to cripple one of the strongest creatures in the Prime Territory, not bake bread."
The old man remained quiet for a moment before suddenly looking at me again.
"Actually, speaking of things that are interesting..."
His eyes narrowed.
"You mentioned Ironharts."
I immediately sat straighter.
"What about them?"
A strange smile appeared on Gerald’s face.
"I think you’ll enjoy hearing this. One of the seven contract fragments is currently held by an Ironhart."
For a moment I simply stared at him. Then every other thought vanished.
"What?"
The old man chuckled.
"Exactly the reaction I expected."
I leaned forward.
"An Ironhart has one of the fragments?"
"Not just any Ironhart."
His grin widened.
"One of the most stubborn lunatics I’ve ever met."
That was saying something considering who was speaking.
"Where?"
"Region Five."
The answer immediately captured my full attention.
Gerald continued.
"The Ironharts have managed to maintain a hidden settlement for generations. Nobody knows exactly how they keep finding new ways to survive, but every time the Eternals think they’ve cornered them, the family somehow escapes."
His smile became slightly nostalgic.
"They’re completely insane."
The old man pointed at me.
"You have the same look."
I chose to ignore that.
"What about the fragment?"
"The family obtained it some time ago and has refused to surrender it ever since."
"How?"
Gerald laughed.
"Excellent question."
Apparently he didn’t know either. The old man took another drink before continuing.
"As for the remaining six fragments, those are easier to track. The governing Saints of the regions. Each governing Saint possesses one fragment."
I frowned.
"Six fragments. Six regions."
The old man nodded.
"Because Region Five doesn’t."
My eyes narrowed.
"The Ironharts."
"Exactly."
The smile returned.
"So congratulations."
He raised his glass toward me.
"You’ve accidentally stumbled into a situation where your family possesses one-seventh of the most important contract in the Prime Territory."