The room fell silent after the patriarch finished his story. Zeke also had a grim expression on his face. If those creatures were strong enough to cripple a prominent family in a single night, then what chances did he have?
His thoughts were disrupted when Mohan spoke again. "I can't imagine the Raja family staying still after such an event."
"And you would be right," the patriarch replied with a sigh. "The Exarch descended personally to end this blight."
Mohan's eyes widened. "Don't tell me the king wasn't a match for them either..."
The patriarch chuckled. "How could that be? No, that was not the case. However, when the king entered the mine, none of the creatures could be found anywhere. Furthermore, he didn't discover any other sign of life either. The entire place seemed to be deserted."
"Then?"
"…Unfortunately, the creatures appeared again that night, wreaking havoc. Unable to figure out the cause or to stop it, the king declared the mine and the surrounding region a Danger Zone the next morning."
Mohan remained silent for a while. "That is very unfortunate," he said eventually. "Can I assume the treasure was lost back then?"
The patriarch agreed with a sharp nod. "When my house evacuated, I ordered the thing to be left behind."
Zeke's ears perked up.
"What led you to make such a choice?" Mohan asked, the curiosity evident in his voice. "It was quite a marvelous treasure."
The patriarch sighed. "It was indeed quite marvelous. During those days, visitors would arrive daily to glimpse it."
"Then why?"
His eyes became vacant for the briefest of moments, but he clenched his fists right after — his gaze turning sharp and cold. "That accursed thing took too much from me. How could I bear to—" his voice trailed off without finishing the thought.
Mohan nodded in understanding. "I guess the treasure is lost to us then," he said regretfully.
However, the Gemkar patriarch shook his head. "Not necessarily," he said after a while. The reluctance in his tone was palpable.
Mohan remained silent, waiting for the patriarch to explain.
"…The area might have been declared a gold-ranked Zone, but that's not entirely accurate," he explained. "Even though the creatures are incredibly unnatural and can even hide from the senses of an Exarch, that doesn't mean they don't have any weaknesses."
"What are they?"
"The first one is quite obvious," the patriarch explained. "They seem to be afraid of light. This makes the Zone perfectly safe during the day. They only come out once the sun sets."
Mohan nodded. That indeed seemed to be the case. "Then what about the second one?"
The patriarch hesitated and eyed Mohan suspiciously. "Why do you care so much? Didn't you say your granddaughter was merely interested in the fountain? With what I told you, you should have already realized that retrieving it would be quite possible. Since the Zone was declared a Danger Zone, my family also no longer has any claims to it."
Mohan furrowed his brows, and it seemed as if he was contemplating something. "I lied," he admitted eventually. "The interested party is not my Granddaughter. This person is somebody I must keep anonymous for the moment. But I can tell you that they are interested in the black liquid."
The patriarch's gaze grew sharp. He was exuding a pressure that Zeke could feel even from outside the room. "Does that mean this entire deal was just a pretense?"
Mohan shook his head calmly without a trace of fear on his face. "No, the deal was negotiated in good faith. However, I will admit we picked your family over all the others because of this."
The patriarch eyed Mohan intently for a while longer. However, his gaze softened after he didn't find the slightest crack in the old man's facade. He appeared satisfied as he even smiled slightly. "It seems then that something good came from that tragedy after all. Very well, I will tell you what I know."
He collected his thoughts before chuckling. "It is fortunate that you have come to me with this. I am quite certain that I am the foremost expert on these creatures in the world."
"How come?" Mohan asked in surprise. "After all those years, shouldn't the Guild or the Raja family be more knowledgeable? I am certain they would have led many expeditions inside the Zone."
The patriarch shook his head. "They did not."
Mohan's eyes widened, and even Zeke was surprised. How could that be? It sounded like they didn't try to solve this mystery at all.
Seeing the questioning gaze on Mohan's face, the man explained. "The Guild can't issue extermination missions, as you know. As for investigating the cause… who would accept such a mission after even the king had failed?"
Mohan was confused. "Then, are you saying nobody returned to that place after you guys left?"
"That is correct," the patriarch said. "There is another reason the Raja family has absolutely no interest in hunting those creatures." he paused momentarily, and Mohan leaned forward in his seat.
"…It is not profitable."
"That's all?"
"What did you expect," the patriarch said with a smirk. "The creatures don't have any value as prey. When killed, they just vanish like a puff of smoke without leaving any valuable parts. No bones, blood, or hide can be retrieved — It is entirely useless. Also, they don't actually pose much of a threat as they don't go far from the mine."
Mohan nodded. It was indeed improbable that the Raja family would act under those circumstances, especially when they had little hope of solving the underlying cause.
"We also closed the entrance to the mine after the king left. However, that didn't seem to hinder the creatures in the slightest," the man explained. "I honestly have no clue what could be done about this problem unless a bunch of Earth Mages got together and dismantled the entire mountain."
Mohan nodded thoughtfully. "You spoke of a second weakness earlier?"
The patriarch nodded. "The ranking of the Danger Zone was determined due to our descriptions and the results of our fights. However, the rating is quite an overestimation, in my opinion."
"How so?"
"My father was an Arch Mage, and so were two of the elders who died," he explained. "From this alone, it sounds like the creatures are incredibly powerful. But that is not necessarily the case. They act more like assassins, attacking when their target is unaware. In fact, most of our strongest fighters died in their sleep."
Mohan nodded gratefully. This was indeed valuable information. "What else?"
"The primary reason we fared so poorly against those creatures is that most of my family consists of Metal Mages," the patriarch explained, his face twisting in displeasure. "Our Magic was practically useless against them. However, that isn't necessarily true for every kind of Magic. That is all I can say."
"Thank you for telling me this much," Mohan said sincerely. "I will repay this favor."
The patriarch's sour face slowly morphed into a smile. "I am looking forward to it. After all, you have become quite wealthy from what I hear," he said teasingly.
***
After listening to the recounting of the Gemkar patriarch, Zeke fell into deep thought. The fact that the fountain was probably easy to reach was definitely welcome news, but Zeke wasn't entirely happy.
After all, the liquid metal wasn't a component for the Mana purifying device but acted as a fuel source instead. The Dragon had told him that it was incredibly efficient, but he would still run out at some point. That meant he couldn't completely neglect the vast quantity present in the mine.
Even if he couldn't retrieve it, he should at least get a clear picture of the situation.
Zeke was already making plans while the two family heads still chatted in the other room. This was not a task he should attempt on his own. There were too many variables. But who should he bring?
He first thought about Leo but dismissed him as an option right away. For one, they had gone out of their way to hide their connection. This was not an advantage Zeke was prepared to throw away. Also, Leo was quite happy training and competing in the Rings.
Then there were the three Chimeroi — Ash, Gravitas and Vulcanos. Zeke couldn't possibly bring all three of them, as the Nair family still needed protection. But he could probably take two.
The question was, who should he pick?
After considering what he knew about the shadow creatures, Zeke decided on Gravitas and Vulcanos. Even though Zeke was most familiar with Ash, he was clearly the least suited for this task. His abilities were excellent in one-on-one combat as well as covert operations. However, the two others held the upper hand when it came to monster extermination and large-scale destruction.
By the time Mohan emerged, Zeke already had a plan in mind.
The old man told Zeke everything he had learned as soon as they had returned home. Zeke nodded encouragingly throughout the story and listened to everything for a second time. He didn't want the old man to discover that he had been spying. Also, he didn't have the heart to interrupt when he saw Mohan's enthusiasm. The old man seemed excited at the prospect of paying him back somehow.
After Mohan finished, Zeke pretended to think for a moment before informing Mohan about the plan he had decided on. "I will hire a guide and visit the Danger Zone with Vulcanos and Gravitas. We should be able to make the round trip in about a month. If we leave immediately, I will be back well before the auction starts."
Mohan was surprised by Zeke's decisiveness but nodded after thinking it over. "It is a good choice to bring strong fighters. Even after hearing about their weaknesses, you shouldn't take them lightly. An unseen enemy is always the most dangerous."
Zeke had to agree. It wouldn't be wise to look down on those creatures after learning their capabilities. However, he wasn't overly worried either. After all, from what he knew, their biggest advantages lay in surprise and stealth, two aspects he had an excellent counter for.
With his [Perfect Spatial Awareness] and Akasha, it was virtually impossible to catch him off guard. In fact, Zeke found himself more and more excited about the upcoming trip. Not only because he had an excellent chance of getting his hands on the black liquid, but also because this was the first time he got to lead a combat troupe.
Gravitas and Vulcanos were a formidable force already, and then there was himself. Anybody else in his place would be a burden to the peak Grand Mages. However, Zeke was different. He would be a valuable asset to any party with his incredible senses and telepathic ability.
In fact, he had long since decided on his role in this party. He would be the centerpiece, responsible for scouting, command, and combat support. Usually, those three positions would have to be filled by a member each. However, with Akasha and the Dragon by his side, Zeke was confident in performing all three tasks.
He could hardly wait.
***
The following day, Zeke was sitting on the back of a Sandstrider with three others by his side. The six-legged lizards hadn't been cheap, but Zeke hadn't minded the cost. Every hour they could save was a worthwhile investment.
On the other three lizards' backs sat Gravitas, Vulcanos, and a nervous-looking Chimeroi with grey fur. The fourth member of their party was the guide Zeke had hired. The boy had a pointy face and seemed to be in a constant state of anxiety.
From his appearance, the nervous-looking youth seemed to be quite unreliable, but the agency had assured him that the Chimeroi was their best guide. Having paid ten gold coins for a month of his time, Zeke hoped they were right.
The four of them didn't draw much attention as they made their way through the streets. This was the time most caravans chose to leave the city. They didn't stand out amongst the horde of travelers, and thanks to the token of the Nair family, the four exited the capital without a problem. Once again, Zeke was met with an endless sea of dunes. However, his gaze wandered unerringly to the northeast, where the goal of their journey lay.
"Let's go."