Royal Meeting

A few days later, inside the royal palace of Holy Land, a long table sat in the middle of the meeting hall while the people around it argued over a Gate that had appeared only a few miles from the capital.

Holy Land was famous for three things above all else, its knights, its magicians and its swordsmanship, so a Gate appearing that close to the capital was not something anyone in that room could treat lightly.

"The report says it formed at dawn and has not changed size since then," the Knight Captain said, one gauntleted hand resting on the table. "No monsters have come out yet, but that means nothing. We need a strike team ready before nightfall."

"Ready is one thing," the Magic Master said, adjusting his robe sleeves with a faint frown, "sending them in blind is another. If the internal mana density is too high, a careless team will walk in and die before they even understand what kind of Gate they entered."

The Swordmaster leaned back in his chair and gave a short snort, "then we don't send a careless team."

The Knight Captain shot him an annoyed look, but the Swordmaster did not seem interested in helping his mood.

"We are not discussing children on their first assignment," the Knight Captain said. "We are discussing who among our forces can enter safely and still clear it fast enough if it turns unstable."

At the head of the table, the king listened in silence while one finger tapped lightly against the arm of his chair.

"Then speak plainly," he said at last. "How strong does the team need to be?"

That quieted the room for a moment, and when nobody answered right away, the Magic Master was the first one to speak.

"No one below four Shards enters first," he said, his tone flat enough that it sounded less like advice and more like a rule. "If the Gate proves weaker than