Verdict

Seeing Osvid pull himself together, the lich Winchester was just about to speak again when he abruptly stopped.

"Someone's coming." As soon as he spoke, a cloud of black smoke enveloped the lich Winchester, and he vanished without a trace.

Osvid did not react to Winchester's disappearance. In fact, this was his mage tower; he had known someone was coming even before Winchester did. About half a minute later, four figures teleported in behind Osvid at once.

"What is going on here?!" The moment he appeared, an elderly mage dressed in refined clothing demanded an explanation. His face was imposing, his graying hair meticulously groomed, and his beard carefully trimmed. At a glance, one could tell he had lived a life of comfort and privilege. His stern, piercing gaze instinctively made others lower their heads before him.

Osvid did not turn around. He merely stared blankly at the burning city and said coldly, "You should ask those councilors! See what exactly they've done!"

The old mage was left speechless by Osvid's retort. He had not meant to question Osvid; it was simply habit. He viewed everyone as his subordinate, so whenever something went wrong, he naturally spoke in an interrogating tone. Unfortunately, Osvid was not his subordinate. In some respects, Osvid's status was even higher than his.

After the old mage was silenced, a somewhat younger mage stepped forward to smooth things over.

"Lord Osvid, Lord Tebir did not mean to offend you. He is merely too anxious."

These were the five legendary mages of the Masked Mage Guild. The younger mage was Tikam, who had only recently become a legendary mage. Calling him young was relative—he looked to be in his fifties—but among a group of old men, he did indeed seem young. Of course, there was still quite