Chapter 4540: Wonderful Gift (Part 2)
Chapter 4540: Wonderful Gift (Part 2)
"As your prisoner said, there was a long line of straw men. Lema might be one of them, or maybe have been framed." The King said. "I’m not cutting the line of Lema’s life until I’m certain she’s not just another puppet in a long line."
"If she’s another puppet, then she’s an accomplice anyway." Vastor replied. "If someone inside her own academy framed her, then Lema’s an incompetent fool, which is even worse."
"Still, no definitive measure will be taken until we have solid proof of her crimes and her identity as the ringleader. This is my final word. Is that clear?" Meron’s tone brooked no argument.
"Yes, Your Majesty." The Master said through gritted teeth.
’Fool.’ He actually thought. ’It’s your fault if two innocents almost lost their lives. You shared your plans with Duke’s rivals while keeping him in the dark. You’ve naively set the stage for the murder attempt, yet you refuse to act decisively.
’Lema is not dumb. She must have destroyed the evidence of her crimes right after contacting the Night Phantoms, and even if any incriminating document was left, she sure as hell burned it the moment Duke was notified of the attack.
’Delaying her execution means giving her the time to cover her tracks and find a scapegoat who’ll take the fall for her. If she manages to escape her punishment and Marth’s family lives in fear because of it, it will be on you.’
"Excellent." King Meron nodded, unaware or at least uncaring of the Master’s inner turmoil. "I expect to read your full report as soon as possible, Archmage Vastor. King Meron out."
’You damn imbecile!’ The hologram disappeared, and Vastor’s face twisted in a rictus of rage. ’I would go and kill her anyway, but without an alibi, everyone would know I’m the culprit. Even if I send Tezka while I’m in public, the result might be even worse.
’Best case scenario, I would expose my treachery and put the Royals on guard against me. Worst case scenario, those numbskulls might think Duke hired the killer in revenge and investigate him. We are the only two people with a motive to kill Lema.
’For now. I’ll bide my time and wait for the right opportunity. I won’t let another mediocre paper pusher get in the way of true talent. Dhiral will live, and one day he’ll enjoy the fruits of my research and become an immortal-’
"Uncle Zogar?" Dhiral pulled at the Master’s robe, derailing his train of thought.
"Yes, my boy?" Vastor noticed Dhiral’s, Marth’s, and Ryssa’s worried expressions and how scared everyone else looked.
"Are you alright? You were making a weird face." The young boy asked.
"I’m fine. Thank you." The Master cleared his throat in embarrassment. "More importantly, are you alright?"
"Yes, thanks to you, Uncle!" Dhiral hugged Vastor’s leg. "You are amazing! That was the best magic show I’ve ever seen. Dad, look what Uncle Zogar did!"
Six sprouts emerged from the ground at a wave of Dhiral’s hand, turning into six Rune Stores in the blink of an eye. With their help, the young boy replayed the fight from start to finish with first magic.
Dhiral had no concept of martial prowess or interest in it, so he focused solely on the battle of wits and spells. He used the six elements to recreate the high-tier spells he had witnessed on a scale proportional to his mana.
’Good gods.’ Everyone thought. ’First magic can’t produce tier four and five magic, but Dhiral understood the underlying principles behind it.’
It was merely a light show, but still beyond the magical skills of any two-year-old boy.
"You’re like a fine blade, Zogar." Marth said. "Age and experience only sharpened your edge."
"Yeah, you are one of the best mages on Mogar, Uncle." Dhiral said with a beaming smile.
"You’re too kind." The Master laughed. "You know that your dad is even stronger than me?"
"Yes." Dhiral replied without hesitation.
"By the way, what are those things?" Vastor pointed at the toys floating around the boy.
"I call them Rune Stores." Dhiral said. "They are good for practicing magic and getting a feel for the elements you’re not attuned to. I couldn’t perform complex spells or use darkness, air, and fire magic without them."
"They are pretty amazing, my boy, but not as much as you for creating them." The Master carefully examined the toys, discovering they had no magical properties. "Do you think Frey and Filia might benefit from the Rune Stores?
"They want to become mages, but their talent bloomed late, and they are struggling to keep up with their peers."
"Your children? Sure." Dhiral nodded and created a second set with precise movements of his fingers. "Yet you need to be careful, Uncle Zogar. The Rune Stores can help Filia and Frey, but they can also harm them.
"They are dangerous in the wrong hands. Please, tell your children to be careful and not let anyone else use the Rune Stores."
"I will relay your message, my boy." The Master nodded. "Thank you for the wonderful gift."
’Dhiral is no normal kid. I’d better take his words seriously, especially when magic is involved. Once I get back home, I must examine the Rune Stores thoroughly with the help of my hybrids.’ He thought.
"No, thank you for protecting my child and me, Zogar." Ryssa took his hands and held them tight. "Thank you for putting yourself at risk to protect his innocence."
Not a drop of blood had been spilled during the entire fight, and no corpse remained. Moreover, the Master’s interrogation technique was just a polite talk. The Dryad could only hope Dhiral had focused on the magic and missed the gruesome side of the fight.
"Thank you for protecting my family, Zogar." Marth offered the Master his hand, and Vastor shook it. "I’d give you a raise, but it would come out of the Light Department budget, and then you’d kill me."
Both men chuckled at the joke.
"That bottle of Griffon Tear aged fifty years you always eyed in my study is yours. You earned it."
"Add a box of Carkin cigars, and we’re even." The Master replied.
"Deal." Marth smiled, but the corners of his mouth twitched as he looked at Alkham.
He wanted to interrogate the assassin personally. He wanted to learn every detail of the attempt on his wife and son, and kill everyone involved with his own hands. Yet he could not.
’Dhiral and Ryssa need me.’ He thought. ’Anyone can execute those bastards, whereas only I can reassure my family that no one will try to harm them again.’
***
Paperwork waited for no one, so the Master resumed his duties right after the attack. Rumors of his heroic fight spread like wildfire, leaving the clerks staring in utter disbelief and his assistants with renewed admiration and respect.
They also scared Zinya, Filia, and Frey to death. When Vastor finally returned home, it took him quite some effort to reassure his wife and children that he was fine and nothing bad had happened.
"No, I didn’t fight a Dragon, and there weren’t a hundred assassins waiting for me." He sighed. "I swear, whoever came up with this nonsense is insane."