Carrion was introduced by Rasmus to Lenin and Novia, he was stunned and speechless when he was in the presence of the Great Sage. He immediately bowed his head to show his respect, and it was also clear he was afraid that Lenin would tell Garret about him and how he lived his whole life.

“So you’re living with Garret’s younger brother. This is unexpected,” Lenin glanced at Rasmus, realizing there was some kind of scheme that Rasmus had made with Garret. “No wonder Garret knew where you are,” she pointed out.

Rasmus only responded with an empty smile, knowing how sharp Lenin was, and didn’t want to feed her anything.

“Please, Great Sage…” Carrion pointed at his mansion.

They walked to the mansion, and Rasmus kept observing the mysterious person who was walking beside him. He knew that it was a woman based on her body, but he had never seen any women who were as tall as her. He was tall for an average man, but she was taller than him which made him unable to stop observing her.

As soon as they were inside the mansion, Carrion brought them to the parlor. He knew that Lenin wanted to have a private conversation with Rasmus, so he excused himself and went to the brothel house to tell the others about it.

“I see that you have quite used a lot of the funds already,” Lenin stared at the ring on Rasmus’s finger.

Rasmus looked at the ring and he was amazed that she could tell how much money he had in the ring. He wondered if it was because she could see the Mana around the ring or if it was something else.

“I did, I used it on something important,” Rasmus answered as he nodded. “So, who’s the woman, Great Sage?” He asked as he stared at the woman in a robe with her face hidden under the hood.

The woman slowly pushed the hood off her head, and Rasmus’s chest clenched and his whole body shivered when he saw Aris. For a moment he thought she was her mother, but after he looked at her for another second, she was nothing like his mother.

“I didn’t expect her to be an Orthias…” Rasmus said as his eyes met with Aris.

“That’s not the only thing that will surprise you, Count,” Lenin looked at Aris with a serious expression. “Her name was Aristoria, just like your mother,” she revealed and looked at Rasmus.

Rasmus’s eyes flinched and his heart was being squeezed again. It was as if the real Rasmus was still inside him and he was screaming at him and forcing him to remember the day of the execution. He had a headache and it was the first time he felt this way, the trauma that he thought he had controlled came to the surface again and haunted him.

Aris narrowed her eyes when she noticed Rasmus’s behavior, but she didn’t say a word and kept observing him.

“How did you meet her? And what’s going on?” Rasmus glanced at Lenin as he tried to calm himself down.

“That’s why I asked to converse in privacy, Count,” Lenin answered with a serious expression.

Lenin began to explain what happened when she received letters from the Angelis family and the Sancticus family. She explained it in detail when she met Sanya, an Orthias, and the powerful figures in Neva that gathered in the North. She revealed the prophecies that both the Angelis and the Sancticus believed in about the third saint, the False Prophet.

Rasmus listened to the gruesome things that Lenin and the others experienced beyond the Blackcliffs. He didn’t know anything about the Corrupted and the things that were beyond the Blackcliffs. He was intrigued by it to the point his heart was racing the whole time when Lenin told her story.

When Lenin told of their encounter with Aris, Rasmus glanced at her when he found out she killed templars like it was nothing with a single swing of her sword. It was just like her mother, so strong that nobody could stop her. He noticed that Aris never showed any expression, just like his mother that it was a bit unnerving to see an Orthias in front of him.

“So the masked beings, the third saint Ermaine, and the powerful being that controlled them. You were powerless in their presence?” Rasmus looked at Lenin and Novia.

They both nodded and looked a bit ashamed of themselves.

“The powerful being offered us a choice they let us leave without harming us or try to win an impossible fight. They wanted to fight us when they were in their full power. We took that offer and left,” Lenin answered.

“It takes bravery to admit defeat, I understand why you chose that decision,” Rasmus nodded with understanding.

“That’s foolish…” Aris responded as she stared coldly at Rasmus.

“What is?” Rasmus asked and stared back at Aris.

“That you agreed with their decision to retreat,” Aris answered with a cold tone, her voice deep with a hint of anger.

“Just because I understand, that doesn’t make me agree with their choice,” Rasmus responded with his brows raised. “In fact, I think your decision to fight that being head-on was the right thing to do,” he pointed out.

Aris arched her brows and didn’t expect someone to agree with her and believed it was the right thing to do. Nobody believed her, including Sanya which she was still mad about. She then softened her expression and tilted her head slightly as she observed Rasmus once more.

Lenin and Novia observed the interaction between Rasmus and Aris. At that moment, Lenin realized something and it was too late for her to prevent it. She looked at those two just like how she saw Erglade with Aristoria back then. She felt anxious that history would repeat itself.

“(What have I done…)” Lenin closed her eyes as she took a deep breath.

“After you retreat, what happened afterward?” Rasmus looked at Lenin.

Lenin revealed their discussion after they went back safely which was about what they should do about Ermaine and her new religion. Rasmus listened to her explanation and it was a hard thing to decide, at least for those who upheld morality. She also revealed that they were going to discuss this matter in Gratland with the Councils of Neva.

“Count, we need your help…” Lenin said with her pleading eyes. “The magic that you showed me back then in the Magic Tower, if you use it against them, we might be able to stop them,” she frowned as she clenched her fists.

“Great Sage, with all due respect, we have discussed this matter back then,” Rasmus said as he shook his head.

Lenin sighed as she closed her eyes and nodded, knowing what Rasmus meant. They indeed had discussed this about his intentions, she remembered that he had made it clear that he didn’t plan to make the world a better place or destroy it. She understood that he was hurt and betrayed by the world and everyone, and she didn’t have the right to ask him for anything.

“What do you mean, Count?” Novia looked at Rasmus with a confused expression. “Are you saying that you don’t care about this after everything you heard?” She furrowed her brows in disbelief.

“I don’t owe anything to this world,” Rasmus stared coldly at Novia. “But, I’m not planning to join hands with Ermaine as well. I have my own things to do, and if any of them are hindering my plans I’ll get rid of them,” he added.

Novia wanted to argue and protest, but Lenin held her hand as she shook her head. Novia was furious when she realized how heartless Rasmus was.

Aris listened to Rasmus’s words and she could see in his eyes that he didn’t care about humankind, just like her. She could see that he was still an Orthias after all based on how he spoke and wondered how his body worked since there was no history of an Orthias producing an heir with a human before.

“Count, if I’m asking you for a favor in the future, not for the people, not for this world, but a favor from me personally, would you grant me that favor?” Lenin asked in a soft voice.

“Of course, but for every favor you’re asking me, I demand something in return. Whatever it might be, you have to grant me that,” Rasmus answered with a serious expression. “Can you do that, Great Sage?” He asked.

“Yes, I can,” Lenin answered without hesitation.

“Well then, Count…” Lenin stood up. “There’s nothing else that we need to discuss and I have to go back immediately because the meeting will be held in a few days. We will meet again very soon,” she said and looked at Rasmus.

“Good luck, Great Sage,” Rasmus nodded with understanding.

Lenin and Novia walked toward the door, but Aris stayed behind which confused Rasmus.

“You’re not coming with them?” Rasmus looked at Aris.

“Why should I? I don’t care about humans,” Aris answered as she leaned back. “I’m staying here.”

Rasmus didn’t expect that and when he looked at Lenin, she only gave a nod before she left the room, leaving him alone with Aris.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep