Infinite Paths: The Raging Phoenix

Having narrowly escaped the fiery chaos in the garden, Rain immediately took action to deal with the pursuing guards. Reacting instinctively, he unleashed a powerful blast of water from his hand, propelling it with tremendous force toward the soldiers. They were caught off guard and sent flying backward, crashing into the nearby building and effectively halting their pursuit.

With the immediate threat neutralized, Rain shifted his focus to making his escape. Using controlled bursts of wind beneath his feet, he began to move as if he were walking on air. This technique granted him remarkable agility and speed, allowing him to quickly put distance between himself and his pursuers.

When Rain returned to where the others were, they were caught off guard by his appearance. They heard the explosions even from a distance, and they also saw the sky brightening.

"... What happened?" Branden asked.

"They were waiting for me, around two hundred heavily armored guards," Rain replied. "The house was completely sealed to stop magic, and there was no one else inside aside from soldiers. I had a really hard time not killing them."

"Their information network is that fast… to think that the target would be able to prepare something like this when we only left yesterday…" Lorene showed a look of surprise in her face. "It seems that he had some informant in the port city, and they heard our first talk."

"... At least we confirmed that the target is highly involved in the incident, but where is he now?" Orcis asked.

Branden provided a more detailed account of Joanis Valera, the target. Shedding light on his background and rise to prominence. Joanis, a noble lord in his forties, had accumulated substantial wealth and influence. Prior to a certain event at the border with the magic people, the Valera family was already a respected and affluent noble lineage.

Tragedy struck when Joanis lost his wife and son during one of the initial clashes with the magic people at the border. Surprisingly, instead of retreating from public life or diminishing in power, the Valera family's fortunes soared. They increased their newfound wealth to expand their influence and ascend the ranks of noble families.

It appeared that the loss of loved ones had only fueled their ambition and determination to climb the social hierarchy.

Through astute maneuvering, Joanis emerged as a cunning and strategic lord, adept at navigating the intricate realms of politics and economy. This reputation marked him as a formidable adversary in the past to the Lonard, not just in terms of riches but also in wielding significant political clout.

Branden's account painted a picture of Joanis Valera as more than just a wealthy noble; he was a figure driven by an unrelenting thirst for power and willing to employ any means to achieve his ambitions. Rain recognized that confronting such a character would require careful consideration and preparation, given Joanis's formidable stature in the world of nobility.

"... During that time, grandfather and our fathers were working on Teria, but while they repelled the magic people, many lives were lost," Branden added. "That was one of the many reasons refused to even talk with Joanis."

"Do you think that they wanted you, your brothers, and your mother in the family to mistreat them?" Rain asked.

"... We considered that we basically would be dancing on the palm of his hands, after all," Branden said.

Considering all that, It wasn't surprising that Joanis had people working for him who possessed anti-magic bombs, as these devices were useful against the magic people, aligning with his desire for revenge. However, what puzzled Rain was the fact that Joanis waited for twenty years before taking any action.

During this time, Joanis maintained an impeccable reputation, with no known wrongdoing. His sudden shift in behavior, including orchestrating a trap and attempting to assassinate Rain and his allies, seemed irrational and raised questions about his true motivations and cunning.

"When was the first time that your people began to disappear again?" Rain asked.

"Thirty years ago," Seadir replied. "The kidnappings only happen once every few years, though… We assumed many times that they only died thanks to accidents or facing the wrong monster… but the number of attacks increased fifteen years ago and some of us managed to escape the ambushers and informed us of what was truly happening."

"That means that he either took over that kind of… action and began to control things under his wings, probably with the help of pirates as well," Orcis said. "But that is too much of an indirect approach to have revenge against the remaining members of the Lonard family."

"We can think about that later… Rhodes, you don't know where he went, do you?" Branden asked.

"There were no signs of talk about the lord leaving the city," Rhodes replied.

"... If his plan worked, he would head to the capital, even if he considered failing, he would have a better chance or staying ahead of us by heading there as well," Branden rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Still, it would take days for that to happen and he would need some other things to use against us…"

When he heard that, Rain considered his sisters or parents, but the port town was too far away and he knew that Jori and the others would be more than capable of dealing with most enemies…

The group began to think of what Joanis could use against them… it was very unlikely that he would escape and leave all of his riches and fame behind that easily.

"I can't think of any physical proof that he can use against us, but he can use the testimony of the informants against me," Branden said.

"Now and then, they receive direct orders from me to investigate something and Joanis can probably use that against me to make us waste time and give the chance for the sea emperor destroy a good part of the country… that failure will make me take a lot of the blame and people will have the chance to ask for my head."