After the Druid left, Zeke remained standing in place, his Heart pounding relentlessly. Never before had it acted like this. The overwhelming sensation of his racing blood was all-consuming, and he felt a wave of agitation wash over him.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, attempting to calm himself. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale.
As he focused solely on his breathing, a sense of tranquility gradually enveloped him. The cool breeze brushed against his face, and he became aware of the sounds around him—the chirping of birds, the rustle of leaves in the wind. With each deliberate breath, his heart began to settle, the frantic beats gradually slowing down.
By the time he returned to his senses, his heart was back to beating in its regular, strong rhythm. He frowned down at his chest. His hand still clenching the amulet that kept the Dragon aura from leaking out.
"This has gone on for too long. We'll have words about this," he whispered.
"…."
"…I know you can hear me, you scaly cunt!"
Nothing but silence greeted him, and Zeke didn't have any more time to waste. He had left the others waiting for too long already. But this affair had turned into something that could not be ignored anymore.
In a light jog, Zeke returned to the gathering at the back of the mansion. He arrived at a scene he had not expected. Odir was laughing uproariously, while Tristan stood next to him. The Bloodsword patriarch was cursing at the druid for some reason.
When he noticed his approach, Tristan stopped. However, he was still glaring silently in Odir's direction. Zeke looked around the small crowd, trying to figure out what had happened. The Druid was still smirking. Randell was quietly sipping his mug, wholly uninterested in the exchange.
Thankfully, Devlin was more helpful. "Odir just informed us that you would be joining his druidic circle," he said. "I guess congratulations are in order?"
Zeke was confused. "Congratulations? I was under the impression that joining the Druids would be more of a nominal appointment than anything else."
"Nominal?" Devlin asked in a disbelieving tone. "You will have to go through the Ritual. Let me tell you, that comes with its fair share of risks. A good portion of Druids doesn't survive the procedure. And that is for Flesh Mages, with our malleable bodies. Who can say what were to happen if a Blood Mage attempted the same? I would highly discourage anyone from trying it."
Zeke took one more glance at Tristan's fuming expression and realized what had happened. Odir must have announced that Zeke would be joining his tribe without clarifying any of the particulars. Now, he was left with no choice but to explain his situation to the three Valorians as well.
"About that…" Zeke said hesitantly. "Actually, I went through the ritual already."
For the second time today, he told an abridged version of his tale. While he talked, he could see Tristan's expression turn from one of anger to one of shock, to one of deep contemplation. Zeke knew exactly what the man was thinking. He was no doubt wondering If Zeke's prowess and strength stemmed from the ritual and if he could use it to strengthen his line.
Before Tristan could even ask, Zeke dashed his hopes. "…Unfortunately, my mentor never revealed anything about the procedure to me. Furthermore, as someone who has gone through the ritual, I am left with no choice but to join the druidic circle. And this is how we ended up here."
After he finished his explanation, nobody spoke for a while. They all seemed to be lost in contemplation. Eventually, however, Devlin's curiosity got the better of him. "So? What monster did you fuse with?"
Zeke had long since prepared for this question. Without a moment's hesitation, he spoke the name he had prepared. "Basilisk."
"What kind?"
"Emberglare Basilisk."
"Ohh? That's quite the menace!" Devlin exclaimed. "But I should have guessed, seeing your golden eyes. It's a shame that you are no Flesh Mage, turning into one of those would make you a real terror on the battlefield."
Zeke saw his chance to finally change the subject. "…Speaking about the war, how did things go at the front?"
Devlin's eyes sharpened. However, they softened again after a brief glare. "Not great, and not terrible. But if you want to know about how the troops are doing, Tristan and Randell would know more. My Formweaver family doesn't fight on the frontline."
Zeke nodded. He was somewhat aware of the roles the three families of Valor each occupied. The Bone mages were the Shield, the Blood Mages the sword and the Flesh Mages were the eyes and ears.
"…However," Devlin added. "I do share your belief that the empire is holding back. Despite knowing that they have been gathering strength for years now, their troop strength has not increased at all. This does not bode well for us…"
Randell snorted. "More come… More die…"
Odir also nodded at those words. "Those empire Mages were frail and soft. They were barely able to scratch my hide. They would not survive a week in the great forest, let me tell you!"
Devlin rolled his eyes. "Who asked you two muscleheads? What do you think, Bloodsword?"
Tristan took a moment to gather his thoughts. "I believe… that they are indeed preparing for something big. I have no doubt that when the empire finally reveals its claws, Equinox and Invocatia will suffer greatly.
"The only question is how much the empire is hiding. If they manage to defeat those two in one push, we might very well be doomed. My hope is that they will hold out until the rest of the alliance gets their heads out of their asses."
"Why aren't they doing more?" Zeke asked. He had been curious about this for a long time. If the empire posed such a danger, then why didn't the other countries band together in earnest? It made absolutely no sense to him.
"Politics, what else?" Devlin responded with a disgusted look on his face. "It is most advantageous for everyone else if Arkanheim, Equinox, and Invocatia remain in a stalemate. Those three are wasting their strength, while the other powers continue to prosper."
"I don't think that is the entire truth either," Tristan interjected. "I think it's more because of the fact that the other nations don't share a border with the empire. It's easy to ignore a problem so far away. I won't attribute to malice what can be explained by incompetence."
"Then why is Valor so active in the war? You are further from the empire than most," Zeke asked.
The reply came from an unexpected source. "Peace makes weak… War makes strong… Peace is boring… War is fun," Randell said.
"…" Zeke was at a loss for words. This couldn't be the real reason, could it? He had heard that the Valorians acted out of a sense of honor. But Randell's words made it sound like they were just playing around. Zeke sent an imploring gaze to the other two.
Tristan was the one to respond. "Well, that's not entirely wrong, but as usual, the bonehead paints a very simplistic picture of a complex situation. But it is true that we Valorians participate in the war to keep our claws sharp. You have no idea just how weak most nations have grown over the centuries. It is not only because they don't want to help, but that they can't."
Zeke glanced at the massive figure of Odir to the side. The Druid didn't seem to be weak in the slightest. Even while just sitting there, his aura was menacing. Zeke wouldn't be surprised to learn that he was the strongest fighter here.
Tristan followed his gaze and smirked. "Irroch is an exception. Their home is so inhospitable to human life that they can be considered to be in a constant fight for survival. It's a place where weakness means death. However, they also do not have a proper form of governance. The Druids are just one of many tribes calling the forest their home."
Zeke nodded. It was no wonder that he had not seen an Irrochian representative at his auction. If they were a fractured nation, then they wouldn't be able to produce a representative.
"What about the other races?" Zeke asked. "The dwarves, Elves, and Demi-humans?"
"Pah!" Devlin exclaimed. "Better forget about them. The Elves and Dwarves are staying cooped up in their corners of the world, as they always have. I wouldn't be surprised if they were hoping that we humans end up exterminating ourselves. As for the Beastpeople, they are in the same boat as Irroch — no proper form of governance. Not that it would change anything if they had…"
The Flesh Mage was especially dismissive when talking about the demi-humans. And this time, Tristan didn't correct him. This was baffling to Zeke, as he had read that they were fearsome warriors and had a culture of warfare.
"Why wouldn't it matter?"
"Do you see any Beastpeople around? In Tradespire, I mean?"
Zeke thought back to the few times he had been to the city. He had seen many races he had never known existed. Humans in all colors, shapes, and sizes. Elves, with their tall stature and perfect faces. Dwarves, with their long beards and wide shoulders. But no matter how long he searched, the only time he had seen a demi-human had been… when the Korroven Diplomat had presented his slaves.
Zeke shook his head. "I haven't come across any of them."
"I wouldn't expect you to," Devlin explained. "They don't do well in civilization. Don't be fooled by their human-like appearance, the Beastpeople are far closer to monsters than us. That is also why their country is a shithole. If any other races had their genetic advantages, they would long have overthrown the world."
"What do you mean?"
"Just think about it. In most countries, the population consists of roughly 1% Mages and 99% common people. Compared to that, the Beastpeople are all born with superior strength. Even the weakest among them can contend with a True Mage by the time they reach adulthood. Can you even imagine how powerful our nations would be if everyone had a core?"
Zeke remained silent. He could indeed imagine something like that. This was what he and Maximilian had been working towards, after all. The question was, would the humans also end up in a constant state of civil war, just as the Demi-humans had?
Zeke had little faith in the ability of humanity to rise above their base instincts and come together as one people. They were already warring with each other now. There really wasn't much difference between them and the so-called 'Beastpeople' in his mind. However, he kept his thoughts to himself and merely nodded at Devlin's explanation.
Fortunately, the rest of their discussion was less heavy, and Zeke got to hear all about their exploits on the front. Especially Odir and Tristan enjoyed bragging about their most heroic accomplishments and the most famous Mages they had faced.
As the day turned to night, the others gradually started to leave. First to go was Devlin, who had to report the new information Zeke had divulged. Next was Randell, the giant merely got up and left without a single word of goodbye. The last was Odir, but before he departed, he made Zeke promise to visit the Irroch. He wanted to introduce Zeke to the other Druids even before the Harmony Eclipse festival.
Zeke had learned that the festival was still over a decade away, and easily agreed to the demand. It would be great to have someone like Odir to show him around if he ever found himself in Irroch. Pleased by the promise, the Druid even handed over a crudely carved flute. According to him, Zeke would be able to alert other druids to his presence with it.
He glanced at the instrument, but the plain piece of wood did not inspire much confidence. However, he thanked the man for the present, and after being almost squeezed to death by a literal bear hug, the Druid left as well. Eventually, the only two who remained were Zeke and Tristan.
"So," the man said, "did you enjoy yourself?" As he spoke, he was glancing meaningfully at the considerable assortment of empty mugs laying behind Zeke.
Zeke blushed a little. He had not meant to drink so much. Initially, he had not dared to drink anything at all for the risk of losing his wits. However, the tantalizing smell of the berry wine won him over in the end. And as the mood continued to relax, so did Zeke's guard against the delicious brew.
Only with the help of his [Perfect Body Control] did he manage to stay somewhat alert even after drinking as much as the two giants Odir and Randell.
"I had a good time, and learned a lot," Zeke said with a content smile.
Despite the rocky start, he was glad to have come. The new Blood Magic spells alone had made the trip worth it. He would have his hands full over the next few weeks implementing them in his style.
"Excellent, excellent," Tristan said with a somewhat slurred speech. Despite being Arch Mages, the beverage seemed not to have any reduced effect on the others. "I honestly didn't mean to ambush you like this… Sorry for that."
"All's well that ends well," Zeke said with a casual wave. "I managed just fine, and even got a trophy out of it."
Zeke showed off the flute Odir had gifted him. Both he and Tristan observed the pitifully carved block of wood for a moment before both burst out laughing.
"You know…" Tristan eventually said after they had calmed down. "Devlin was right… My original aim had been to recruit you for my Bloodsword family. I thought it would be a done deal when I heard that you had to flee the empire."
"…"
"Imagine my surprise when I heard what you had managed in a mere two months. From a penniless beggar to the rising star of Tradespire? Nobody would have even believed such a story."
"To be fair, the rumors are exaggerated," Zeke interjected. "I wasn't exactly penniless when I came here."
"Still, it's not a feat just anyone could manage," Tristan said in a serious tone. "The moment I heard about it, I knew that my hopes were in vain. A man like that has his own ambitions. However, for formalities sake, I will extend the offer nonetheless.
"If you were to join, I would allow you to marry whichever girl you want. My daughter? That girl Mina? Just say the word. I would even agree to more than one… within reason. Also, I would allow you to form a separate family branch, only subordinate to the position of Patriarch. All of my father's Magic research would be at your fingertips. If you are serious about fighting the empire, I can not think of a better position."
"What about the von Hohenheim household?" Zeke asked.
"You would be allowed to retain them as your personal force. They would not be part of the family, but as I understand it, that's not much different from how it is now."
"That's quite the offer," Zeke said. "Is there a special reason for the royal treatment?"
"That's just how much a Perfect affinity is worth," Tristan stated. "I have seven wives but in my two hundred years, I've only ever had four children. I wouldn't mind getting some backup on that front."
Zeke choked on his drink, causing Tristan to chortle. Zeke had not expected him to be this blunt about his intentions. However, a silence descended soon after as Zeke considered the deal. It was a good offer, much better than he had expected. However…
"I'll have to think about it," Zeke said.
With a sigh, Tristan got up. "I recognize a 'No' when I hear one — but that's fine. Remember this: my offer stands for as long as I am still the patriarch of the Bloodsword family. But it is growing late."
He turned around and grabbed something from a servant waiting out of sight. With one step, Tristan appeared in front of Zeke. He held out a colorfully wrapped package.
"That's a reward for the help you provided today. Open it when you get home," Tristan stated. "Now get your ass back into that fancy schmancy airship of yours and piss off."