Chapter 821: Trusted Counsel
'Lucielle already knows Adrien is here, since it's quite difficult to miss him, and she knows he is on our side. I guess it's only proper Adrien knows she is here as well...'
"No." Ater interrupted Rey's thoughts with a rather stern response.
"No... to what? I shouldn't tell him about Lucielle?"
Rey's brows were raised a little as he looked at Ater's bothered face. The way he remembered it, Ater was the one who kept nudging him to trust Adrien more and more.
Why did he suddenly have a problem with that trust?
"No, I am not particularly concerned about whether or not you inform him about Lucielle. That matter is largely inconsequential..." The way Ater spoke so dismissively about Lucielle made Rey a little annoyed, but he ignored those feelings.
He was more concerned with where he was going with the point.
"What I was referring to was the rest... Adrien's plan regarding the Storm Dragon Lord. I believe it is wiser to stick with the White Dragon Lord."
"Really? Even after everything I told you about her current position in the Empire?"
"I am well aware of all that, but... I also know what I am talking about here. There's no better horse to bet on than the underdog." Ater smiled slowly.
"Didn't know you were big on betting."
"Only when the end results are guaranteed... but then you wouldn't really call that betting, would you?"
The smugness by which Ater spoke betrayed the respectful nature he was trying to imbibe whenever he addressed Rey.
"How are you so certain of the end results, though?"
"That is largely unnecessary information, but I'll tell you why the White Dragon Lord is a far better option. One is that, whether or not Adrien cooperates with you and introduces you to the Storm Dragon Lord so you'd get access to him, the White Dragon Lord's camp is easier to get into. Also, even though you have a cooperative relationship with Adrien, I wouldn't advise you to put yourself in a situation where he has more control than you do. If you get into the camp of the Storm Dragon via Adrien's recommendation, the pendulum of control rests majorly with him."
Rey understood all of this, which was why he hadn't been totally sold on the Storm Dragon plan yet. But, that didn't explain why the White Dragon Lord's choice was the superior option —especially concerning the plan.
"Whether or not her political power is dwindling or not, the White Dragon Lord remains a Dragon Lord, which means she has access to the Capital. Plus, since her power is waning- contributed considerably by the dwindling number of reliable subordinates she has, the chances are higher that she would be more appreciative of you as a disciple, than the Storm Dragon would."
"That's... true..." Rey muttered.
"Besides, there are a limited number of subordinates that can be brought to the Capital by a Dragon Lord. The Storm Dragon is not lacking in even more capable subordinates-at least, in his own eyes-that he would rather take there than you... even if you are the most exceptional student in the Academy."
Once again, Ater was making complete sense in every word that he uttered.
"Compared to the Storm Dragon Lord, the White Dragon Lord should be more desperate, which means she has the more important positions open. If you really impress her, there's a chance you can be elevated faster than you ever would as a subordinate of the Storm Dragon Lord."
"Hmm... true."
"Besides... the White Dragon Lord has expressed interest in having disciples from the Base Stages, right? That assurance isn't present with the Storm Dragon. Don't forget... Adrien distinguished himself in a literal war against the Elves and fought the champion of humanity in order to get the Storm Dragon Lord's attention. Compared to that, winning an Inter-Class Exchange among a bunch of Dragon Newts in Basic Stages is really nothing." Ater added, causing Rey's eyes to widen slightly.
He never really thought of things that way.
The way Adrien spoke to him about the whole thing made i I seem very feasible, but the more he gave it critical thought, the more the plan seemed to have a lot of holes.
"You should also consider the aftermath of what I'm about to do here, Master. I doubt the Inter-Class Exchange will be canceled, even after everything, but... it certainly won't be the same as it would have been if the Excursion happened without incident."
"A-ahh..."
"Whether it will be for the better or worse, I can't say, but you should really stick to the 'constant' among the variables. The White Dragon Lord has already given her word, and so it doesn't matter how things turn out. As long as you impress her... you're in."
Dragons were creatures of pride, so the White Dragon Lord would have no choice but to make him her disciple. Besides... she was pretty desperate already.
It really was the best option out of everything.
"Bottom line... it makes more sense for the head of an Academy to employ students-even if they are Newts—as disciples, than for a fully fledged Dragon Lord at the height of his power to do the same. Adrien isn't in the Academy because he has anything to really prove to the Storm Dragon Lord there. He's just there to gain the recognition of the other Dragons and integrate himself with the Empire as a whole. It's more a matter of prestige to accompany his special treatment, as well as to turn him into more Dragon than Human by offering him thorough education." Ater concluded, sighing heavily.
"So, yeah... you should go for the White Dragon Lord."
With all of that said, Ater kept a steady gaze on Rey and asked him one simple question.
"What do you say, Master? Do you trust my counsel?"
The query would have sparked some uncomfortable feeling within Rey if it had been asked a few weeks ago when the loyalty of Ater was still unsettled in his mind-but things were
totally different now.
Without question...
"... I trust you, Ater."
And Rey planned to follow his counsel to the letter.
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[A/N]
Thanks for reading!
What do you think about Ater's counsel? Pretty solid, I'd say...