As Pan Long's lecture spread throughout Zion, others were moving in secret.
As the world's most renowned treatment center for Psychic Infection, Zion housed patients and their families from all over the world, along with merchants, messengers... and spies.
Now was the spies' busiest hour.
"This news must be sent back at once."
"Our earlier intelligence was inaccurate."
"This is a huge business opportunity that will involve the entire world!"
"We must issue the highest-level alert."
"We need to consider military action against Zion!"
Intelligence of every kind reached the leaders behind the spies through every available channel.
The first to react was a power in the highland Snowlands, one the world paid little heed to.
In a small courtyard, a young man who had just returned from studying in the United Kingdom read a report written by a trusted subordinate and fell into thought. Once the last surviving scion of a fallen great house, he had made a dazzling turn and now wielded real power in a small Snowlands nation.
"Young master, do you think it's true?" asked another of his trusted men, a burly fellow with horns like a bull's.
"You're all good brothers who've fought and bled beside me. I trust you absolutely," the young man said gently. "A small matter would be one thing, but for something this important, this letter would never have been sent without repeated verification."
He smiled. "The man is reliable, and the letter is reliable. So the news must be reliable too."
Praised by his lord, the burly man broke into a guileless smile. "Then what should we do?"
"This is good news. Our Lineage has risen again, but we're still not strong enough. Zion is our ally—though many there oppose such close ties with us, our ideals align, and our