“Thank you, Jared!”
“I’m the same. I’ll cooperate. He’s my father’s enemy.”
“Wahaash isn’t dead, but thank you. Rosa.”
“As I just told you, if Wahaash is involved, I won’t doubt it. You should use my power too.”
“Pfeil, thank you.”
Rasmus expressed his gratitude to each of them, having gained powerful allies, not just Jared.
Meanwhile, the descendants of the Progenitor noticed the women, Olivier and the others, who couldn’t participate in the fight, looking anxious. However, aware that he had drawn them into trouble himself, he couldn’t find the words to say.
To hide his awkwardness, he continued.
“I don’t know why the Progenitor wants to be revived. Does he want to accomplish something he couldn’t in life, or is there another reason? I can speculate, and there are things passed down through generations, but let’s leave those aside. The point is, I don’t wish for the Progenitor’s revival. That’s all.”
“Then who’s trying to revive him? Are there still descendants like you?”
Rasmus nodded at Jared’s question.
“My settlement… though it’s a small one. Among the descendants of the Magician Empire, there are those with strong bloodlines, those who wish for the Magician Empire’s revival, those dissatisfied with the current Wethered Kingdom, and those who have lived unfortunate lives. There are all sorts of people. Among them, there’s one rather troublesome individual.”
“I’m surprised. You have a settlement?”
“It’s not dangerous, Olivier. In fact, if they weren’t gathered together, they might have gone rogue like Lucas. I gathered them because of that risk. The problem is, that individual is currently wishing for me to revive the Magician Empire. However, at the same time, they know it’s impossible.”
“Why do you say it’s impossible? Doesn’t even your father obey you? Then you could easily take over the Wethered Kingdom, even if it meant shedding blood.”
Jared agreed with Rosa’s opinion.
While Rasmus’s power was unknown, if Wahaash acted under his command, Waalthe would become a direct combat force. Of course, Jared and the Court Mages would stand in their way, but they would likely lose. Though Jared was also unsure of the Court Mages’ true strength, he believed they couldn’t defeat Wahaash.
“It’s simple, Rosa. Firstly, I have no intention of doing so. Secondly, everyone here has Wethered Kingdom blood, and many have families. If they truly wished for the Magician Empire’s revival, blood would flow as you say. They might even fear their own families getting caught up in it. In that case, they wouldn’t be able to act.”
“…Ridiculous. So, it’s just talk.”
“Do you know how much effort it took me to get them to the point where it’s only talk? I taught them to build families and to protect them.”
“They’re like your children.”
“Heh heh, you might be right, Jared. To me, they are precious descendants. If I take care of them, they’re like children, aren’t they? That’s why I don’t want my children to be hurt. Isn’t it fine if the Magician Empire is gone and they can be happy in the Wethered Kingdom?”
The group was surprised by Rasmus’s words. A prince of a fallen nation, no less, had just said his homeland was unnecessary.
“Of course, no one would believe me if I said I was a survivor of the Magician Empire.”
“I can imagine. Even if you confessed to being a survivor, I wouldn’t believe you. Or perhaps, I’d be desperate to know your secret to longevity. Either way, reviving the Magician Empire would be difficult.”
“Yes, that’s right. Whether they believe me or not is another matter, but the King of Wethered Kingdom knows of my existence. He’s a reasonable person, so I think he understands that I have no intention of doing anything.”
“…The King knows?”
If he knows and has left him alone, one can’t help but think their King is exceptionally courageous.
“It’s top secret. I’m sure Duke Alway doesn’t know about me. After all, I’m a survivor from when magic was at its peak. If my existence were to be carelessly known, I might be hunted.”
Although he didn’t voice it, Jared agreed with Rasmus. The current state of magic was bleak. Many countries, including the Wethered Kingdom, were eager to enhance their magical abilities. With the declining number of magicians, various attempts were being made to improve their quality. One of these was the reproduction of the past.
They were desperately trying to revive magic by delving into the era when it flourished the most. It was crystal clear what would happen if they learned there was a survivor from the era of the Magician Empire.
If Rasmus were to publicly declare himself a survivor of the Magician Empire, he would be targeted by greedy individuals. He might be able to handle it himself, but if he had people in his settlement whom he considered his own children, they would get caught up in it.
If that were to happen, a blood-soaked war could erupt.
“Even if they were to acknowledge the revival of the Magician Empire, at best it would be a matter of technology transfer and being treated as a subordinate of some country.”
“But that’s not going to happen, is it?”
“No. It won’t. However, I have no such worries regarding the Wethered Kingdom. While I said the King knows about me, I have acquaintances in other countries too. Yet, they leave me be without doing anything.”
“Why is that?”
“Well, partly because they are good people, but a larger factor is that I can manage one of the Progenitor’s seals.”
“The Progenitor’s seal, that’s the one the Progenitor’s children made, right?”
“That’s right. That dragon, whether male or female, said it. This country sealed the Progenitor with the help of dragon power. I was also slightly involved. I may not know that dragon, but I know the Dragon King well.”
Rasmus, who was always gentle with everyone, inexplicably treated Haru harshly. Ignoring the dragon, who puffed out his cheek and said, “How rude!”, Jared posed his biggest question.
“Really, what do you want to do?”
“What do you mean?”
“From what I gather, the Progenitor is sealed. And individuals like Olivier, who could be vessels, are being protected from being used. So, what’s my role?”
“Yes, that’s right. I hadn’t told you. Or rather, I didn’t want to. But it’s something we can’t avoid forever, so I’ll make it clear here and now.”
Rasmus looked into Jared’s eyes and spoke.
“I want you to kill the Duke who desires the Progenitor’s revival.”
A single tear fell from the boy’s eyes.
