Chapter 31: Take It Easy (Part 3)

"Actually, if we could explain this matter clearly, we might find a better way to deal with it," said Commander Roland, looking at Asa. "After all, Mr. Sandru is at the Empire's Magic Academy, and we still rely on the support of the Paladin Order. Keeping this secret doesn't benefit our cooperation in any way."

Asa sighed, his gaze sweeping across Commander Roland, Theodorus, and Elaine. He couldn't muster any resentment toward these three; he couldn't blame their motivations or actions. From their perspective, they were beyond reproach. Even he, before knowing the truth, might have thought the same. After all, Sandru indeed seemed like an eccentric old man, oblivious to consequences, tying the safety of the capital and the Empire to his whims. That was something no one could easily accept.

But the truth could not be revealed. Even if he told them, it wouldn't help—whether they believed him or not. It would only bring more trouble and danger.

"Rest assured," Asa said slowly, enunciating each word. "Although I still won't tell you, nor will I convey your intentions to Sandru, I can assure you on his behalf." He paused. "From now on, that thing will never cause any trouble for you, the Empire, or Orford."

"That's all I can say. Whether you want to risk angering Sandru by investigating further is up to you." After saying this, Asa felt a profound sense of powerlessness and solitude. He closed his eyes.

Theodorus and Commander Roland exchanged glances, their expressions strange but silent. Elaine, on the other hand, stared at Asa, her expression even more peculiar.

"Miss Vadenina, the lovely lady, is meditating a mile away," Stephen gestured to a distant direction behind him. "She's trapped within a top-tier sealing magic circle powered by five core magical stones. For others, it might be challenging, but I know you have a way to break it from the outside. If you want to release her, that's your choice. I won't stop you, and I guarantee no one else in this valley will, either." He tilted his head slightly, smiling as he asked clearly, "So, what will it be? Are you going to free her?"

Sandru looked into the distance and remained silent for a while before sighing. "Forget it. I think it's better for her to have some time alone to calm down."

Stephen smiled faintly, as if he had expected this response. "What Aiden and the others did was indeed excessive. But they didn't actually harm her—just sealed her with a spell. The key point is that she does need to reflect on her actions. You know this; what she did was truly over the line. If you were still acting guild leader, would you have stood idly by?"

"I wouldn't," Sandru replied, expressionless.

"Rare, rare indeed. It seems your judgment is starting to return. Do you realize that your once clear and lofty heart began to falter the day you met Vadenina twenty years ago?"

"It's like a crack in a dam—tiny and weak at first, but inevitably leading to collapse. What began as a fleeting disturbance and attraction gradually grew over time. You resigned as acting guild leader, took the treasures together with the True Meditation, and even caused Agrenel to leave the valley in the aftermath. Haven't you noticed? Once this knot in your heart formed, it only grew bigger, rolling and accumulating, until now. Today, you've even let your judgment be clouded by animosity bred from that knot. You thought I teamed up with Master Shante to target you. Fighting us in this valley? Have you lost your mind?"

Sandru didn't reply, his face darkening further.

"But now, since you've regained some clarity, it's not too late. You still have a shred of the charm you had as acting guild leader of Dehya Valley." Stephen raised his teacup in a toast and smiled. "My congratulations."

Sandru remained silent for a moment, then suddenly turned to Stephen with a fierce glare. "Do you know who I've wanted to kill the most over the past few decades, before that rascal started causing me trouble? It was you."

"Do you know why I've wanted to kill you so badly?" Sandru strode up to Stephen and glared as if his gaze could bore holes into his face. After a pause, he sighed. "Because every time you infuriated me to the point of wanting to kill you, you gave me no valid reason to act."

The necromancer sipping tea remained seated, smiling faintly at the furious Sandru. "Care to sit and have a calm cup of tea?"

Sandru glared at him for a while longer before finally sitting down on the stone chair beside him.

"I'm glad to see you haven't entirely lost that clear and lofty heart," Stephen said with a smile, pouring another cup of tea for Sandru. He continued, "Necromancers and the Black Star they guard are one; they're part of this continent's destiny. Whatever fate may bring, we're mere observers, standing above the gears of destiny. This is what it means to have a clear and lofty heart. The moment ambition and desire creep in, corruption begins. Nimbras, Aisri, Aescher, Nopolinot... They lost the heart of a necromancer. Their deaths weren't a loss to Dehya Valley; they were a cleansing."

"Deserved," muttered Shante, curled up in his chair. He coughed before managing to string words together. "I always ignored them. As for Vadenina..." He coughed heavily, as if trying to clear his throat. Then, speaking with difficulty, he said, "Twenty years ago, I vehemently opposed her joining. Becoming a lich may have been a remarkable magical feat, second only to the great Akibard. She had the talent and determination, but I could sense something off in her heart—something incompatible with the Black Star and Akibard's teachings. What happened twenty years ago was because of her, and twenty years later, she remains unrepentant. She's no longer just deviating from necromancer principles—she's actively opposing them. And while her drive isn't ambition or desire, it's a far more dangerous conviction."

"Conviction—faith—is the most terrifying thing. For a necromancer, it's worse than ambition or desire."

"Aiden and the others may be driven by greed and ambition, but their actions here were correct. Vadenina does need to reflect in solitude for a while."

"Finally, some peace in Dehya Valley. We old folks can rest."

"Indeed. Whatever happens, we should remain observers and not get involved. That's the proper stance for necromancers."

Sandru nodded thoughtfully, as if answering Stephen or speaking to himself. "I sense that my strong urge to kill that rascal wasn't just because he provoked me—it's also because of my inner conflict," Stephen's gaze wandered over Sandru's face. "Is that so?"

"It is," Sandru answered woodenly. "I used to simply guard that thing, letting everything unfold naturally around it. Even when improbable coincidences occurred before my eyes, I resisted interfering and allowed events to develop as they would. But these occurrences became increasingly frequent, testing my restraint. I don't even know whether I'm opposing that damned prophecy or merely going along with it."

"It's your heart that's stirred," Shante said simply, coughing briefly. "What must come will come; what must go will go."

Stephen smirked and said with a smile, "If fate exists, then whatever you do is merely part of it. If not, then why worry?"

Sandru said nothing, his frown deepening, his gray eyebrows nearly twisted into knots. Finally, he sighed heavily and looked at the two necromancers. "Damn it. Why do I feel like you've convinced me?"

"It's not us convincing you. No one can persuade anyone else. It's that you've regained some clarity. Maybe because you haven't fully lost that clear and lofty heart—or maybe you're just tired of worrying," Stephen said, patting Sandru on the shoulder with a laugh. "I understand. Worrying over the same matter for twenty years can be exhausting, especially when your efforts seem to yield no results."

"True. I'm tired. Watching these events unfold, one after another, I no longer want to interfere—and probably can't. Perhaps everything truly is fated." Sandru's gaze turned to the distance, murmuring, "If it's not fate... then this is all I can do. Kid, you're on your own now."