"For some reason, on the day of the wedding, Richard never showed up. It was... embarrassing. Rak’hael stood on the altar for hours and waited, but in the end, the wedding had to be called off, and the relationship between the two worlds became extremely fractured. This is a story only known to very close friends of both Rak’hael and Richard, so I would appreciate it if you kept it to yourself. Anyway, Richard’s actions happened centuries ago, and I doubt there is still any resentment in Rak’hael’s heart. She is an angel, and they are known to be moral creatures who do not hold grudges for long. So she wouldn’t use an event from so long ago to judge a man who wasn’t even alive during that time."
Jason wasn’t so sure about that. Even though Angels were moral creatures, they were still creatures with emotions, and Rak’hael was still a woman. Jason had seen far too much in the Primordial Expanse to believe that any one race was too ’good’ to try and get revenge on someone. And besides, even if there was no hatred in Rak’hael’s heart for what Richard had done, the relationship between the Avarans and the Angels wasn’t good, so there’s a chance that Rak’hael was going against Jason just because of her hatred for the Avarans. Jason let out a calm sigh as he filed away those thoughts for later, and then he asked Farlow another question.
"What about Lamina? Did you hear anything from her?"
Farlow hummed, and he nodded as he said:
"Yes, there was actually a meeting where she showed up. I don’t have all the details because I wasn’t there, but from what I heard, she tried to tender her resignation from the council. I don’t think the council has accepted her resignation just yet since she is an important member, but if she pushes for it, then they would have no choice but to actually accept it. Oh, and I suppose congratulations are in order. I hear you have been blessed with the Blood Oath of the Dead Apostle of Fire."
Jason felt his eyes narrow when he heard about Lamina’s resignation, and Jason decided that he had to speak to Lamina soon. Jason knew that Lamina was resigning from the council because she didn’t see herself as the ruler of Nox anymore, but Jason didn’t want her to leave just yet. Jason still had use for her on that council, and he refused to lose a useful chess piece when it was in such a beneficial position. Jason spoke to Farlow with a rough grunt.
"I don’t know if a congratulation is the right reaction for this. The benefits are plenty, but there are also some pretty glaring disadvantages to being a Vympir."
Jason glanced to the side, where he could see a system tab signalling the amount of blood he would need to consume very soon in order to calm his Vympiric gene, and Jason frowned in annoyance. But Farlow shook his head in mild disappointment. It was obvious that Farlow did not agree with what Jason was saying at all.
"You shouldn’t underestimate the power you wield now, Jason. Disadvantages or not, you are the most powerful member of not one, but two Primordial Domains. Think about the benefits that privilege could bring you and the changes you could make to the world. Honestly, I do not envy you at all. You will be very busy for a long time trying to deal with the fallout of your actions on Machina, as well as your inheritance of the Blood Oath. Due to Rubik’s death, one of the seats on the council is vacant, and in the event that Lamina resigns, then there will be another vacant seat. And there is only one person capable of filling them both. You understand what I’m trying to say to you, do you not?"
For a moment, Jason just stared at Farlow with a look of slight surprise as he thought about what Farlow just said, but then everything suddenly clicked in Jason’s mind, and there was only one reaction Jason could have at that moment.
"Fuck."
Both Camille and Gina turned to Jason in surprise when they heard him curse, and Gina asked Jason if everything was alright. Jason just smiled calmly and said that everything was fine. But on the inside, Jason was spiraling as multiple thoughts ran through his mind rapidly! Jason knew that the council was a place where the strongest members of the strongest worlds of each Primordial Domain came together to make decisions, and the fact that Jason was now the strongest member of a world from two separate Primordial Domains meant that he had the right to both the sixth and eighth seats in the Council! In truth, the fact that Jason was entitled to two seats wasn’t even the most worrying thing right now; instead, it was the fact that Jason had to join the council at all that was bothering him! Jason had already made it clear to Hesbeath during their conversation that he wasn’t interested in taking up extra responsibility in any world other than Earth! Jason didn’t want to be the leader of Nox, and he wasn’t going to take over the world of the Machina! So why the fuck would Jason want to be on the council where he had to rule over an entire fucking domain!?
Jason frowned as he thought about just how much responsibility he would have to accept in the future, and a part of Jason had already made up its mind that he was not going to be joining the council. But Jason decided not to be rash about this decision. Being a part of the council was different from being a ruler over a world, and Farlow was right about the privileges that he could gain with the amount of power he now wielded. Jason needed more information about the council before he made any decisions.
"I need to know what’s really going on with the council. Are they really considering me for a position, or am I going to be branded as a criminal? You said you had an informant who was helping you."
Jason asked Farlow this question discreetly, and Farlow hummed as he said:
"Yes, the informant is another member of the council. If you want, I can set up a meeting in secret later today. The kingdom is planning to hold a festival in honor of Gina’s actions. We can use the distraction to discuss without any disturbances."
Jason finally nodded, and he told Farlow to set up the meeting quickly. Jason was planning to return to Earth as soon as possible, so he needed to know what to expect before he returned. If Jason went back to Earth and the council showed up at his door and told him he was under arrest for anything, then Jason knew he was going to fucking crash out and kill somebody! So if the council wanted something from him, then it was best that they dealt with it before he went home.
"Oh, you’re pregnant! My goodness, how could I have missed something so obvious! My mana is all over the place right now, so I couldn’t sense it! Oh, look at you, you’re so radiant! It’s obvious you’re going to be a mother soon! Congratulations, my dear!"
Queen Camille cried out in pure joy from the bed, and Gina blushed slightly as the Elven queen praised her kindly! Camille touched Gina’s stomach with a wide smile on her face, and Gina laughed as Camille started talking about play dates for their children in the future! Farlow turned to give Jason a look when he heard what his wife said, and Jason clicked his tongue when he saw the slight smirk on Farlow’s face.
"What the fuck is that look for?"