Without another word, Cassius turned and walked toward the large tree in the middle of the clearing. His wife, the Titan named Rhea, smiled at the group before skipping after him.
"That went better than expected," Khai'Zhar said.
Zeke turned to face the humanoid form of the Dragon, studying his appearance. Until now, he had been too focused on their survival to notice, but something was definitely strange with the Dragon's form. Crimson hair, golden eyes, thin upturned eyebrows, a straight nose, and thin lips…
"Why do you look like that?" Zeke asked while circling the man.
"Am I that handsome?" The Dragon joked nonchalantly, all the while following Zeke with his eyes.
Zeke stopped before him, their faces less than an arm's length apart. "You look exactly like me…"
Seeing them side by side, anybody would notice the similarities. In fact, aside from the horns and ears, the two looked like brothers.
The Dragon seemed taken aback, tracing the outlines of his face like a blind man. When he noticed his red hair, a puzzled look appeared on his face. "That is… strange," he said. "I didn't used to look like this."
"What did you use to look like?" Zeke asked, curious to learn more about the Dragon's past. However, his hopes were dashed when the Dragon's form began to dissolve an instant later. He was so surprised that he didn't even remember to use the absorption spell, resulting in the blood uselessly spattering on the floor.
"I have some things to consider; don't bother me," the Dragon's voice sounded in his mind.
Zeke sighed in dismay as he stared at the remnants of his blood mixing with the dirt. There was no way to salvage it now. He turned to the rest of his companions, who were all staring at him, causing Zeke to frown even harder.
He had not told the Chimeroi much about Khai'Zhar, and they likely assumed Zeke to be a summoner. However, that excuse wouldn't hold up now that they had seen Khai'Zhar's humanoid form and heard Rhea refer to him as a Dragon. He didn't mind telling Ash, Gravitas, and Vulcanos the truth, but Snow was different.
Not only was she not under any contract, but she hadn't even promised to keep his secrets. For all he knew, she could have her father capture him the moment they arrived…
Zeke's eyes hardened for an instant, but his determination faltered when his gaze met hers. She looked at him not with the eyes of a cunning schemer or ruthless backstabber, but with the eyes of a guileless child. There was so much trust in that gaze—as if he was the only thing she could rely on in this cruel world.
Zeke sighed again. He would have to figure something out. For now, it was best not to keep their hosts waiting.
"Let's go," he said, smiling at the Chimeroi. A confident front went a long way to ease their tension at times like these. Besides, Zeke doubted they were still in danger. People like Cassius would not go back on their words. At least, he hoped so.
Zeke set a fast pace in order to catch up to the duo, who were already halfway toward the tree. It seemed their hosts were walking at a deliberately slower rate to give them time to catch up.
As they approached the tree, Zeke began to notice some oddities. For one, the tree was much larger than it had appeared from a distance. While it might not tower over the other trees by much, its trunk was thicker by a significant margin. It resembled a fortress rather than a natural growth.
Wooden windows dotted its surface, carved seamlessly into the bark as if the tree itself had fashioned them. Terraces spiraled up its length, providing an outlook over the surrounding landscape. And there, nestled amidst the branches, was a wooden gate, blending seamlessly with the tree's rugged exterior. It was as if the tree itself had been molded into the form of a grand dwelling.
"Impressive, isn't it?" Rhea called from up ahead.
Zeke nodded, keeping his gaze fixed on the tree. He had never seen anything like it, nor did he think it possible. "I didn't know Nature Magic was capable of such wonders," he admitted honestly.
"It isn't," Cassius replied. Instead of explaining, the man gave him a meaningful look and fell silent.
Zeke fell into deep thought. This was clearly a test. But what was the answer?
Cassius had stated that it wasn't doable with Nature Magic. Did that imply he wasn't the one who had done it? No, that seemed unlikely. Did he use Life Magic instead? That was even more improbable. Life Magic couldn't produce anything like that.
Zeke glanced at Cassius, hoping to glean a clue from the elf's expression. However, the man watched him with an inscrutable expression, leaving Zeke to frown in confusion. This wasn't going to help.
He was thinking about this the wrong way. The solution had to be something Cassius expected a student of Maximilian to be able to figure out.
Maximilian… Cassius…
Suddenly, the pieces began to fall into place. Just as Maximilian had combined Fire and Earth Magic to create explosions, Cassius must have combined his affinities as well…
"A combination of Life and Nature Magic," Zeke murmured, though it had apparently been loud enough for the elf to hear his words.
"just so," Cassius said. "I call it Growth Magic."
"Growth… Magic…" Zeke repeated absentmindedly while staring at the large tree. All of a sudden, the meaning of those words began to sink in. "Does… does that mean you grew that tree on your own?"
Cassius didn't reply, but there was a smug smile on his lips.
His wife, however, was much less reserved. She puffed out her chest in pride as she narrated her husband's heroic feat. "Cas grew that entire thing from but a seed. It couldn't have taken him more than an hour. Even I was impressed."
Zeke glanced between the two, his mind spinning. If Rhea was telling the truth, then her husband was capable of significantly more than any other Nature Mage. While they could control plants and stimulate their growth, it wasn't anything this extraordinary. Rumor had it that it took the elves a decade to raise one of their vaunted trees.
But Cassius? He could do it in an hour. What's more, he could likely grow enough food to sustain thousands of people... a literal army!
Zeke's eyes shone with a greedy light. If he could get this man on his side, he might be able to accelerate his plans.
While he was lost in thought, their group reached the gate, revealing the interior of the tree. What greeted them was a vast, spacious room, fully furnished with everything made from wood, leaves, moss, or other natural materials. Notably, nothing appeared carved or cut; instead, each piece of furniture seemed to have naturally taken its intended form.
"That is… impressive," Zeke praised honestly. "I wasn't aware the fusion between elements could be so potent."
Cassius gave Zeke a weird look. "Is that really something Maximilian's student should say?"
Zeke grimaced. "My mentor… didn't teach me much about the fusion of affinities."
Cassius' gaze turned even stranger. "But… you have three affinities yourself."
Zeke nodded, causing Cassius to shake his head with a sigh. "I don't know what that man is thinking."
"He—" Zeke started, pushing down the lump that was beginning to form in his throat. "He wasn't given the chance to teach me."
Cassius frowned. "Did they force him to take up his old position again? I've heard that a war was brewing, but I didn't think they would go that far…"
Zeke shook his head, looking at Cassius with a sad expression. "My mentor is dead."
The silence that enveloped the room was so thick that Zeke could hear the pounding of his own heart, echoing like the beat of a war drum. Meanwhile, Cassius was staring into thin air, his expression shifting from shock to confusion, then to bitterness, and a myriad of other emotions that Zeke couldn't place.
Eventually, the man's face calmed, causing him to sigh deeply. "It seems I've been away from the world for too long." He pointed at a bunch of chairs that were placed around a table. "Take a seat."
Zeke complied, taking the seat opposite the elf. At his urging, the Chimeroi also found places to sit, while Rhea disappeared into another room that Zeke suspected to be the kitchen, judging by the noises he could hear.
"Will you tell me how it happened?" Cassius asked softly.
Zeke nodded and began to narrate the events that had taken place in the empire. He spoke of their Meditation research and their plans to distribute it widely across the continent. He spoke of Victor Windtänzer's betrayal and the ambush at the docks.
As he remembered those days, old, almost forgotten emotions bubbled to the surface, reigniting his rage once more. By the end of the story, Zeke was gripping the edge of the table so tightly that his knuckles turned white, his jaw set in silent fury.
"…Months later, I learned that he had died in prison." Zeke forced the words out through gritted teeth, the memory of the event burning in his mind as if it had only just happened yesterday.
"I see," Cassius said after a long pause. He shook his head and sighed deeply. "I never expected them to go that far."
After a moment of silence, he gazed at Zeke, taking note of his emotional state. "I assume you intend to take revenge?"
Zeke nodded resolutely. "I do."
Cassius shook his head once more, sighing even more deeply. "Such foolishness..."
Zeke glared at him with rage. "What?! Am I supposed to stick my head in the sand and do nothing? After what they did to him?!"
"Honestly? Yes," Cassius said nonchalantly. "That would be the smartest choice."
"It would be a coward's choice!" Zeke glared at the man across from him, his mind consumed with rage and disappointment.
"I shouldn't have expected anything else!" he spat. "You elves wouldn't even dare to fight with a knife to the throat!"
Zeke realized he had gone too far the moment the words left his mouth. Simultaneously, he heard something clatter to the ground. Turning towards the sound, he saw Rhea standing over a fallen tray, with cups scattered across the floor. The muscular woman had frozen in her tracks, her gaze fixed on Zeke with a rage he had never seen before.
"What… did… you… just say?"
The words came out one at a time, each dripping with incredulity. They sounded like thunder in the tense silence of the room. The woman clenched her fists, and Zeke saw death in her eyes. However, a gentle voice cut through the tension before anything could happen.
"Enough, Rhea," Cassius chided softly, causing his wife to look at him with disbelieving eyes.
"He is a child," he reminded her. "He knows not what he says."
After a long, breathless moment, Rhea unclenched her fists and nodded, accepting her husband's words. Cassius smiled warmly. "Will you make us some more tea?"
Rhea nodded mutely and returned to the kitchen after shooting another glare at Zeke.
Her departure was followed by a moment of awkward silence, broken only when Zeke spoke up. "I am sorry," he said, his head bowed. "I allowed anger to get the better of me."
Cassius waved him off. "Don't mind it, child. I shouldn't have spoken so carelessly, either. The loss of a loved one is not something to be taken lightly…"
Zeke glanced toward the door with a pleading look in his eyes. "Will you tell your wife that?"
Cassius chuckled. "Don't worry. She won't hold a grudge. It is not in her nature."
Zeke nodded mutely, causing another bout of silence to descend upon the room. However, this time, it was far more comfortable. And once again, it was he who spoke first.
"When I learned of your connection to my mentor, I had hoped you might join me in my quest…" Zeke admitted. After so thoroughly embarrassing himself, he decided it was best to be honest about his intentions. It wasn't like he could make things any worse, after all.
Cassius nodded seriously. "I suspected as much."
"You won't help me?" Zeke asked.
Cassius shook his head without a moment's hesitation. "No."
"May I know the reason?"
Cassius fell silent, drumming his fingers on the table in a rhythmic pattern as he stared into empty space. "Because…" he said eventually. "I can see where your path leads." He stared right into Zeke's eyes with a renewed intensity. "…and I don't like what I see at the end of it."