Four days had passed since the decisive conversation between Jonady and Raelia.
Those days flew by in a whirlwind of training and preparation, each one weighing heavily on the kingdom's future.
Jonady had immersed himself in an intensive training program alongside the court mages.
Their magical arts were far from simple to master, but Jonady, with the perseverance that defined him, was quickly progressing in the elemental arts.
The lightning magic, which he had barely touched upon when he arrived, was now a natural extension of his abilities.
His new skills were still far from perfect, but they gave him unshakable confidence.
He felt stronger, more ready yet despite his progress, uncertainty remained.
The enemy, visible on the horizon, always seemed one step ahead.
The counter-espionage plan he had devised with Raelia—drawn from the maskirovka tactics he had studied in his own world—was to sow false information about the military situation at the front among the noble families, in order to identify who among them would betray Ednia by passing information to the enemy.
During the first days, the information manipulation operation yielded no concrete results.
The false reports they scattered among the nobles to detect traitors seemed to have no effect the fake reports continued to spread, but no noble reacted suspiciously.
It was a psychological battle in which every hidden player had to be revealed on a great chessboard.
But despite all their caution maneuvers, none of the nobles seemed to fall into the trap, and no concrete lead had emerged.
But everything changed on the seventh day.
That evening, in a manor set apart from the capital, an event unfolded.
Count Philippe Kiot a short, bald man, stood before an enchanted mirror in his private office.
This mirror was not a mere decorative object; it was an ancient magical artifact capable of reflecting not the image of its user but that of other entities, often supernatural in nature.
That day, the reflection revealed a demon.
A demon with glowing red eyes and black horns, its gaze fixed on the count with a chilling intensity.
— "So, you say they plan to send reinforcements?" asked the demon's deep voice.
Count Kiot nodded, an expression of submission etched on his face.
He seemed fearful like a caring for his safety.
The conversation that followed was spoken in low murmurs, barely audible beyond the mirror's reach.
— "Yes, prepare you and your troops should intercept them. "
The count's voice trembled, either from fear or excitement.
The demon replied with a tone bordering on contempt:
— "Very well Phillip i will contact you later."
Philippe Kiot shivered at those words. He bowed is head" in response.
The call end.
The count turned abruptly to discover his son, Roy Kiot a 27-year-old young man with a refined and aristocratic appearance enter the room.
With his sharp gaze and self-assured marquis air, Roy always looked like a man who knew victory was inevitable no matter what.
He approached his father with a smile, his words sliding like a venomous caress:
— "With demons on our side, Father, we will soon take control of the kingdom and bring down the Ednia family."
Roy's tone was imbued with overconfidence, as if he were already speaking from the vantage point of victory.
The count burst into laughter, a loud sound echoing through the room's walls.
Yet beneath the satisfaction, his laughter betrayed a touch of madness, as if the victory and power he believed assured were only a mirage in the desert of his ambition.
— "Yes, my son, soon all will be ours. The old dynasty will not be able to stop us."
Their laughter mingled, ringing in the walls like a bloody promise.
They believed victory was already theirs, but what they did not know was that everything they said was now being heard.
Outside the room, a figure dressed in black, perfectly concealed in the shadows, watched everything.
From the roof of the manor, he had seen and heard every word exchanged between the count, his son, and their demonic ally.
The individual melted into the night's darkness, as silent as a specter.
Disappearing into the night as quietly as they had appeared, the shadows headed towards the castle with a clear objective: to deliver crucial information that would disrupt Count Philippe's treacherous plans.
At the castle, in a stern and imposing council chamber, the generals, Princess Raelia, and Jonady were gathered.
The room was dimly lit by flickering torches casting ominous shadows on the walls.
It was in this heavy atmosphere that the masked agent from the secret unit entered, carrying a sealed parchment containing the long-awaited report.
After a brief bow, the agent placed the document on the table, and everyone leaned forward, eager to discover its contents.
The report detailed overwhelming evidence of Count Philippe Kiot's betrayal, showing that he and his son had formed an alliance with demons acting as spies, providing intelligence and actively participating in the kingdom's downfall.
The truth struck the room like a thunderclap, sparking an outcry among the generals.
Several, faces filled with anger and indignation, immediately proposed sending troops to capture and execute the traitor.
Others, even more impetuous, suggested striking immediately, leaving no time for the traitor to act further.
But Raelia calmly raised her hand.
With a gesture, she imposed silence and all eyes turned to her.
It was clear the princess knew that an impulsive reaction would be a fatal mistake.
— "So," she said, her voice firm but calm, "Jonady, it seems you were right.
Your intuition was good. So, according to you, what should be our next step?"
She then looked at Jonady, who had remained silent until then, and nodded.
He understood immediately that it was time to speak.
Jonady stood up, his eyes shining with unwavering determination.
He scanned the tense faces around the table before speaking:
— "It's simple. We counter-attack," he said confidently.
Jonady's words echoed in the room, and a heavy silence fell over the assembly.
All the council members, from generals to nobles present, awaited the details of this new phase of the plan.
Holding their breath, they were ready to discover how Jonady intended to use this information to turn the tide in their favor.
A counter-offensive was now underway, and nothing would ever be the same again.
The game of shadows had begun and nothing would ever be the same again.