Published at 24th of July 2026 9:56 am

Chapter 1868: Davos Chapter

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As the cradle of mankind and the birthplace of the Human Emperor himself, Myrrandor held immense cultural, historical, and strategic significance.

No other world in the Imperium was more cherished.

Long ago, the Emperor decreed that all interstellar travelers must first arrive on Carina before being permitted to set foot on Myrrandor.

There, they underwent extensive inspections for curses, plagues, hostile entities, foreign influences, and other potential threats.

The system had been established not out of paranoia, but caution. After all, a single dangerous individual could bring disaster to an entire world.

And when that world was the birthplace of humanity, no precaution was considered excessive.

"...Through Carina?" Adam was truly puzzled.

"What do you mean, pass through Carina? I was thrown in the middle of the ocean!"

"The Sea of Storms, eh?" the man asked.

"Yes!" Adam blurted out, anger bubbling inside of me.

"And on a stormy night, no less! I was stranded on an islet there for three months. Then I was captured by pirates and forced to work as a slave for another six! Only after all that did I set foot in Davos."

This anger, of course, was not directed at the man before him.

It was directed at his own wretched luck.

"Are you telling me that I went through all that misery when I was supposed to arrive on Carina instead?!"

The man ignored his burst of anger, then asked, "Which pirates?"

"Stryker Pirates."

The man nodded. He then turned to the wall and stated, "Confirm."

A few minutes of silence ensued, then a voice echoed from beyond the wall.

"Confirmed. The Stryker Pirates were apprehended by the Watch at the harbor roughly three months ago. Following a court hearing, they were convicted on multiple charges, including murder, bribery, and human trafficking. The presiding justiciar sentenced them to life imprisonment in Fortune’s End."

Fortune’s End? Adam thought, recalling the geographical information of the West Coast.

Isn’t that the prison north of Winterdale?

So the pirates were sent there, huh? Good!

"Oh?" The man’s interest was piqued. "Apprehended by the Watch, eh?"

He turned to Adam and curiously asked, "Was that your doing? How did you manage to escape?"

Adam shrugged. "I’m very good at running away."

The man looked deeply at Adam, feeling slightly amused. Then, he glanced at the handwraps and asked, "Who gave that to you?"

"Hannibal. He’s the owner of—"

"I know who he is." The man nodded in understanding.

He paused, then asked, "Tell me how you received the Brand."

Haven’t you asked me this already? Adam resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

He played along, telling them everything about the devil, the invasion of his homeworld, as well as the Cult of Bones. He spoke truthfully. There was no reason to lie to them.

After a long time, the man massaged his temples and sighed. "Aldo Wagner..."

He turned to the wall once again, then asked, "Found anything on this fellow yet?"

"Yes, sir." The reply came instantly. "The records state he was part of a cell in Caladorn. He mysteriously disappeared sometime around three thousand years ago. It checks out."

Caladorn? Adam wondered.

Isn’t that a kingdom in the interior of Centerra?

I believe it was... north of the Shattered Sea.

Or was it east?

"So he established a Chapter of our Brotherhood on your home planet," the man said.

"And then later on became a lich?"

"That’s right." Adam nodded.

He explained how Tron could not produce mana crystals, so the Magi had to wait for the planetary alignment that happened every couple of thousand years. He explained everything in detail.

Of course, everything except the abomination from the Beyond.

That was a mystery he had better solve himself.

"...He was corrupted by the devil, sir," Adam said solemnly. "Rest assured, all of that happened long after the Brotherhood was established. We follow the same ideals that you do here. Well... assuming you do follow the same ideals here."

The man scoffed. "And what would those be?"

"Preserve wisdom. Seek balance," Adam said. "Eliminate tyranny. To fight those who use the gift of mana for evil deeds."

The man nodded.

"Indeed," he said. "Those are our ideals. It gladdens me to know that our beliefs have inspired Magi in the far reaches of the universe, even on a distant world such as yours."

A bitter smile appeared on his face. "That’s more than I can say for ourselves here on Myrrandor."

Adam couldn’t help but frown. "What do you mean? What happened?"

"Time."

He was silent for a long time before continuing.

"There was a time when we were among the most influential organizations of this world. We advised kings, exposed corruption, brokered peace between rival factions, and kept watch over those who believed themselves above the law. Our agents could be found in every major city, every kingdom, and every institution that mattered."

The man let out a long, weary sigh.

"But thousands of years is a very long time. Wars came and went. Brothers died. New generations inherited old responsibilities without the wisdom required to bear them. Different Chapters began interpreting our ideals differently.

"Some believed we should guide rulers. Others believed we should oppose them. Some sought influence so they could better serve people. Others sought influence because they enjoyed having it."

His eyes grew distant, and his shoulders seemed heavy.

"Then came the betrayals, the schisms, and the infighting. Brothers turned against brothers, Chapters against Chapters. No great enemy destroyed us. We... we did that ourselves. Century after century, we fractured until the Brotherhood became little more than scattered cells across Centerra."

He looked at the stunned Adam and flashed a wry smile.

"We survive, as we always have, but the days of a united Brotherhood are long gone."

Adam was truly astonished.

This was not what he had expected when he decided to join the Brotherhood.

He had imagined a supreme network of spies wielding influence not only across Myrrandor but throughout countless worlds.

Instead, he found an organization whose numbers, influence, and even institutional memory had been eroded after thousands of years of conflicts and misfortunes.

The Twilight Brotherhood was still respected.

It was still influential.

But it was no longer the unstoppable force it had once been.

"Anyway," the man changed the subject.

"We have already investigated your background. For the past two months, we have observed your activities. However, verification and trust are not the same thing."

He folded his hands on the table, then said, "You will now undergo a probationary period. Continue as you have thus far, carry out the assignment that I give you, and demonstrate that our confidence in you is warranted. After that, I will decide whether or not to sponsor you."

His lips curled into a faint, expectant smile.

"And once you have earned our trust, I, as your handler, will formally introduce you to the local network and induct you into the Davos Chapter of the Twilight Brotherhood."

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