"The reason I'm worried about it is because there is a difference between magic and magical technology. The difference with technology is it doesn't require effort or life force or people to cast anything. Imagine you can do a fatal high-level damage spell but instead of any cost to the mage, it's as simple as pulling a trigger. You could pull that trigger multiple times before someone could open their mouth to say a spell."

It isn't that Jayce doubts the ability of Thorne. Obviously they just bombed an entire city, he saw it first-hand. He saw the destruction that one giant spell could do. But he also knows what technology can do, and if that sort of magic is combined with it, it's on a scale most mages can't fathom. Thorne and Solvunn's technology is lacking, but Jayce has seen what Free Cities has come up with. It isn't as advanced as his work, but it will be.

Jayce sees now that Heimerdinger was right. He'll never get the chance to tell his own mentor that, but it's probably for the best.

"What I'm saying is that this is the start. We're all about to see something much worse as they escalate this war."

Jayce is worried about everyone. Solvunn seems to be the only safe one, for now, but he doubts it'll stay that way. He really thought he managed to outrun open conflict for now. It was only just beginning in his city, with some violence going on, but Libertas has really messed his head up. He's barely stable at this point, mentally, but he's really trying.

"No. We need to finish the cure and execute it and then he'll need to recover physically for awhile, so. No matter what happens, we need the Free Cities to not only stay thriving, but think well of us."

Thus Viktor's genuine concern they might come to them for weapons or try to use their knowledge in one way or another. That fear is reasonable.