Chapter 5: The Letter (Part 2)

"This is because of desire. Once there is desire, even the noble Necromancer Guild falls from grace, becoming as vulnerable as ordinary people. The guild today is no longer the same as before. Almost everyone has forgotten the true purpose of the Necromancer Guild, and it has become an organization where a group of self-righteous mages gather to pursue their own interests. But this is inevitable. As long as people alive, they will have desires. Ultimately, no matter who they are, they are driven by the desires within them. Everything a person does or thinks, when traced to its root, comes down to one word: desire. It is the source of human drive, and also the source of suffering and weakness."

"It seems you are not uncomfortable here. I was worried that you might be suffering from being trapped in this place," the Marquis said, giving the Lich a faint smile.

The Lich's face did not move in the slightest, and a hoarse voice came from her throat. "From the moment a person is born, pain accompanies desire. For me, the concept of pain no longer exists, because I have long since lost all desire."

"Without desire, then what is the purpose of everything you do?"

"Because I believe. I believe in everything I do, and I believe my goals will eventually be realized." The Lich remained motionless like a statue. Her harsh voice seemed to come from the very room itself. "I believe in fate."

"Too bad, you can do nothing now. Do you still believe?"

"I believe. What is destined to happen will happen. What is written in fate will never change." The Lich's ghostly eyes flickered and fell on the Marquis's face. "What about you? What is the purpose of everything you do? You trapped me here, worked hard to become the acting guild leader... I know it's not because of your own desires. Tell me, what are you doing this for?"

The Marquis looked at the Lich. His face, though over forty, was still handsome, with a depth in his eyes capable of captivating any woman. In contrast, the face of Vadenina was withered, and the ghostly flames in her eyes could make anyone with a bit of fear in them unable to look directly. These two contrasting faces and gazes met in silence, but there was an unspoken understanding between them.

After a long pause, the Marquis finally spoke, his voice calm. "The reason I am doing this is to make you understand that everything you believe is wrong."

The lich remained silent for a moment, then let out an unpleasant laugh and said, "Thank so much for your hard work. But do you know what you're doing? You're not stopping me; you're stopping Lord Akibard's prophecy..."

"Too bad. No one but you wants that prophecy to come true. Otherwise, you wouldn't be trapped here."

"It's all in vain. Whatever you do, it's all in vain. I am not worried. In the end, I will win," the Lich said with a laugh that sounded like a pack of dying wolves sobbing.

The Marquis sighed deeply. "Why do you always look to something so distant?"

"Then why do you always look at me?" the Lich retorted.

After a long pause, the Marquis spoke quietly. "Because I am lonely."

When he spoke these words, his voice was no longer the deep, magnetic, and vibrant tone that once held an intoxicating charm. Instead, it was dry, hoarse, and weary, completely mismatched with the identity of a dashing, brilliant scholar who once frequented top level parties and mingled with nobility. Now, it sounded like the sigh of an old farmer who had spent a lifetime toiling in barren land.

" Many times, I truly envy those ordinary, simple people, or those driven by desire. In their eyes, the world always seems so simple, reduced to pure symbols. And simplicity, in their case, means reality; it's a feeling as though everything could be held firmly in their hands. Though in reality, that's impossible, that feeling alone is enough.

But I don't have that feeling. I only feel loneliness... Until I met you. From you, I saw something that could not fit into this world. And you are so beautiful and intelligent, you even make me feel inferior. If I do not look at you, then who else can I look at?"

The Lich answered indifferently, "That's hard on you."

The Marquis smiled bitterly. "But you never looked at me... No, you never looked at anyone or anything. In your eyes, there is only that unreachable dream. Nothing else can fit in."

After a long silence, the Lich replied calmly, "Because I am not as brave as you. Knowing the ugliness and boredom of this world, yet still living in it. Beyond overcoming the ugliness and boredom of this world, I have nothing else to do."

"Once my ideal was to pull you down from the sky, to pull you into my arms. But I failed. By the time I realized, you had flown too high... So now, besides stopping you, I have nothing else to do. Moreover, your dream could be a disaster for the entire continent..."

A laugh, like the sobbing of dying wolves, echoed from the Lich's throat, and the bones and dried veins in her neck trembled from the force of the air passing through them. "A playboy who the world does not recognize, a necromancer who swore an oath under the black star, actually aims to save this world that has long regarded him as a monster? This is the best joke I've ever heard…" The laughter stopped. "But also the least funny. Have you forgotten? As a necromancer, when we swear an oath before the Black Star, we must follow Lord Akibard's will..."

"Everyone interprets Lord Akibard's prophecy differently. As long as the Black Star has not yet risen, every necromancer still has the freedom to act. That's actually the reason why those in the guild oppose you," the Marquis said.

"Those people, already intoxicated by interests and power, think that trapping me here will solve everything? It's useless. What is meant to happen will happen. The gears of fate never stop. Even though I'm here, there are others pushing everything forward for me on the outside."

"You mean your secretly recruited student? Do you know that he is actually..."

"Your son. I've known that all along. Master Shante's skill is impeccable, but I can sense your scent on him. Especially that feeling from practicing the True Meditation. Did you think I wouldn't notice? Sandru naturally wouldn't teach it to him, so you must have stolen it from him. You are quite bold, stealing something I wouldn't dare touch."

The Marquis's face showed a hint of surprise. "So, you took him as your disciple? Aren't you afraid I sent him to learn from you?"

"He who can enter the Dehya Valley and swear before the Black Star is not someone who can be easily manipulated. And if you truly wanted to send him to me to learn, why would you have him practice the True Meditation you stole from Sandru? You probably didn't even know he quietly became my student, did you?"

"No, I had planned for him to be your student from the beginning. But I was careless and let him practice the True Meditation I stole from Master Sandru first. I've been wondering how to cover up this matter. I was busy with other things and forgot to tell him about you. Later, when I found out he had been sneaking in and out of this meditation room without telling the other guild members, I was surprised. I just let things be."

"He is a diligent and talented child. The key is that I can see something in him that neither of us have — desire. So I taught him everything I know and had him help me with some tasks outside. A few days ago, he rushed in to report that he was going to Einfast... hehe, seems like it will be very interesting..."

"You are using him as a pawn?" The Marquis's voice became uneasy. "Do you know who his parents are?"

"It doesn't matter who they are. It's none of my business," the Lich replied calmly. "What's meant to happen will naturally happen."

"I'll tell you again, everything you believe is wrong. Now, I will prove it to you." The Marquis turned and walked toward the passage.

"It doesn't matter. You believe in your things, and I'll believe in mine..." The Lich's hoarse voice echoed in the meditation room, lingering long after he left.

Not far from the meditation room, the Marquis encountered Nopolinot, who was holding a letter — a letter used by necromancers to exchange urgent information.

"The urgent message from Cardinal Jarvis has arrived. It seems he wants us to intervene..." Nopolinot said.

"Oh?" The Marquis was taken aback.

In Einfast, the capital, at the headquarters of the Knights Templar.

Rodhart stared in shock as the mysterious guest, who was supposed to be reporting confidential military information, removed his mask, revealing a familiar face.

"It's you? How did you return to the capital?" Rodhart exclaimed in surprise, jumping up from his seat like a child seeing an old friend.

"Naturally, there's something important," Asa smiled. His innocent expression revealed that his appearance hadn't changed in front of his friend. "I need your help with something very important."

"Of course. Whatever you need, just say it," Rodhart nodded confidently.

Although what he saw now was the innocent side of his friend, Asa was absolutely confident that he could handle this task. He then said, "This matter is not just important to me, but to you and to all of Aenfast as well..."