Chapter 22: For Someone Else
"Ally? What... what do you mean by ally?"
Luthan repeated the word that had just left Rian’s mouth.
At first he was certain he’d misheard it, he was certain it couldn’t have meant what it sounded like, until Rian said it again, much more clearer this time.
"You and me, let’s form the first alliance ever made between the Dark Empire and the Holy Empire."
Luthan stared at him.
An alliance?
Between a Dark Mage and a Holy Mage, from the two Empires that had been at each other’s throats for longer than anyone could remember.
Thalia didn’t interrupt them, she simply stood off to the side, her eye was closed, trying to work out what her Great Master was really planning.
And Thalia would have been lying if she said she understood a single bit of it.
"...Why would you want that? And what in the world makes you think I’d ever accept something so absurd?"
His words might have sounded harsh but Rian could see it, in the flicker of his eyes, the way his pupils shook, and just how badly the man wanted it.
It was as if a door had cracked open in front of him.
’...Better to start things now, at the very beginning of everything.’
In his past life, this chance had come far, far too late. By the time it did, most of the world had already been reduced to rubble.
An alliance, no matter how minute.... It had to form before it’s too late.
Rian extended his left hand toward Luthan.
The Cardinal simply lowered his gaze and stared at it blankly, at the black glove covering Rian’s hand, reaching his arm.
The gloves appeared to be custom made.
Luthan didn’t take the hand.
"...You’re a child," he said quietly even though he knew what this child could possibly do.
"The heir to a Great House, yes. But you are still a child and I am one of thirteen Cardinals, and not the Emperor nor the Saintess. And neither of us decides anything."
It was all a fact.
Luthan raised his golden eyes at him.
He needed to think the truth of what Rian was truly after, or what he said had some weight behind it.
"Two men shaking hands in a forest doesn’t end a war. So tell me plainly what do you actually gain from this?"
It was a fair question and Rian had expected it.
"You’re right, Cardinal Luthan. It changes nothing today, but the thing is, wars don’t end because two empires suddenly decide to love one another. They end because there are enough people on both sides to stop being willing to fight."
He let his hand stay where it was.
"And right now, that number is zero. So... I’d like it to be two. You want the Empires to stop tearing each other apart. You’ve wanted it for years, and you’ve done nothing, because there was no one on the other side to reach for. Well.... I’m on the other side, and I’m reaching."
It was true, every word he spoke was true.
"...And if I refuse?"
Rian shrugged.
"Then you walk out of this forest as if nothing had happened, I will let you escape, and the Emperor’s men at the border kill you and nothing changes."
Luthan let out a breath that was almost a laugh.
The boy had told him he’d let him live, even if Luthan rejected the offer outright.
And that only made him more interested.
Not only could this boy somehow bring forth Holy Mana despite being a Dark Mage, not only did he keep a monster like that maid at his side, but even then, he was still willing to let him walk away?
’...This brat.’
He looked down at the gloved hand once more.
A necromancer’s hand.
The Holy Order had spent centuries teaching him to burn the very hand.
Luthan had too much stuff to take care of at this moment. He had so many unfinished jobs that he wanted to do before dying.
And among them was to make a world where there exists no wars to harm his only family.
She was the only one who is dearest to him, and for her, he would do anything.
The boy said that he would make his loved ones safe.
He thought for a micro second.
If he held this hand, then there might be a starting point, where he could make it possible.
Luthan reached out and gripped it.
"...Fine but understand this, I’m not doing this because of any favour."
Rian’s mouth curved.
"I know you’re doing it for someone else, and so am I."
He shook his hand one and then twice.
And in that very moment, as their hands met, an alliance that no one in either Empire had ever once thought possible had been formed.
It was only the first step.
But that single step would one day shake the very foundations of the world.
As Luthan let go, he ruffled the back of his own head.
"Rian... can I call you that?"
Rian nodded.
Luthan continued.
"You said you’d keep the ones I love unharmed. I want to know exactly what you meant by that."
Rian had known he’d circle back to it. There was no way a man like Luthan would let something like that slide.
Now, Rian couldn’t exactly say outright that he’d been talking about Jeanne. If he did, things would get problematic.
So instead...
"Why? You don’t want to keep them safe?"
"That’s not what I meant." Luthan narrowed his eyes at him. "What makes you so sure I’d need anyone’s help at all?"
It wasn’t that hard to figure it out really, anyone paying attention could have figured it out too.
A man like Luthan, submitting, agreeing to a deal like this, meant he wanted to live. It was possible he wanted it for his own selfish reasons, sure. But Rian knew that wasn’t the case here.
He didn’t bother explaining any further. Instead, he looked up at the sky.
"...It’s getting late." And then he added a warning. "The Dark Empire has definitely caught wind of what happened here, after that Mana Resistance device or whatever its called, that your people set off. They’ll arrive any minute now if you stay much longer."
He was telling the truth.
Having served in the military, and having commanded one himself for years, Rian knew every protocol they followed.
"I know, but I still want to ask—"
"Do you want to die here?"
That made Luthan pause.
"Because my maid would be more than happy to assist you with that." Rian tilted his head. "She’s very good at it."
Luthan’s eye twitched toward the maid named Thalia.
She lifted the hem of her skirt and dipped into a welcoming little curtsy.
"Please, leave everything to me. I’ll make sure it’s painless."
Luthan shivered. He needed to get out of here before it was too late.
Rian pointed toward the forest behind him.
"Go that way and take the water passage. You’ll come out at the mountain range of Jinuo Terrace."
One might wonder how on earth Rian had come by information like that. But at this point, Luthan wasn’t even surprised anymore.
"...How do I make contact with you?" he asked before turning.
Rian smirked.
"You’ll find out soon enough."
"...Alright."
Luthan didn’t like the feeling of admitting submission. Even with the alliance made, some part of him felt a lingering doubt that he’d just made a mistake.
’...Screw it. Let’s just get out of here.’
Jeanne’s face surfaced in his mind for a moment. And beside her, he couldn’t think of anything else that mattered.
Luthan turned to leave.
After he’d taken several steps, Rian called out to him.
"Caelistra... That’s the safest place to be."
Luthan stopped.
’...Caelistr?.’
He knew exactly what that place was.
Turning slightly, he looked back at the boy one last time.
Those blue eyes stared at him as though they already knew everything. They looked far too mighty, far too powerful, far too old, as if they belonged to some great warrior instead of a young boy.
He would never forget what had happened here today.
Once Luthan was out of sight, Rian kept looking at the path he’d taken.
"...Haah. That was so uncertain."
But it was good that he’d met Jeanne’s brother here and good that he’d been able to save the man’s life.
’Consider this a payment, Jeanne. For giving me another chance to live.’
With that, he turned and walked back the way he’d come.
Thalia followed after him, and so did the small girl.
Rian’s hand rested on the Blade of Zelda at his side. He looked down at it.
Today he learned how to manifest Holy Mana, and got his hands on a powerful Holy Weapon on top of it.
’...I’d say that’s not bad at all.’
He’d have to run some experiments with the Holy Mana and the blade.
And...
He glanced back slightly at the small girl walking behind him, the one with the halo floating above her head who calls herself ’Sister’.
’...What a fine specimen.’
[A/N: Hello, sorry for the delays. I am actually moving to my new w*rk location. I think, I will get to stable updates for all my books after 15th of this month,
Thanks for Reading!]