ShadowBound: The Need For Power-Chapter 643: I Don’t Want Unecessary Conflict

"Why involve my sister at all... when they could simply handle it for you?"

The question lingered between them, carried quietly by the wind that drifted across the rooftop. For several moments neither of them spoke. Liam remained leaning lightly against the stone barrier, his red eyes still fixed on the distant horizon where the skyline of Grandeur City stretched endlessly into the fading afternoon light.

Eventually, Liam spoke.

"With a mind like yours," he said smoothly, his voice calm and unhurried, "I know you already have an answer to your own question."

Percy did not immediately respond.

Instead, he turned his gaze away from Liam and looked out toward the horizon as well, mirroring the posture Liam had taken earlier. From where they stood, the city below looked distant and peaceful, its activity reduced to quiet movement far beneath the towering height of the academy.

"I probably do," Percy admitted at last.

His tone remained calm, but there was certainty behind his words.

"However," he continued, "I’d prefer to confirm it by hearing it from you directly."

A faint scoff escaped Liam.

"I see," Liam said evenly.

He shifted his weight slightly against the stone barrier before continuing.

"First of all, you are correct about one thing," Liam began. "I do have powerful allies."

His gaze remained forward as he spoke.

"Lady Moonstone is one of them. And yes, if she truly wished to involve herself in my affairs, she would be more than capable of handling most of the problems that could arise."

There was no exaggeration in his voice.

"Whether through brute force or through her... rather terrifying intellect, she possesses more than enough ability to resolve issues on my behalf."

Percy remained silent, listening.

"However..." Liam paused.

For a brief moment, an image surfaced in his mind.

Mystica Moonstone.

That familiar, mischievous smile she wore whenever she was about to do something that no one else would understand until it had already happened.

Liam exhaled softly through his nose.

"I can’t have her stepping in every time something happens," Liam said at last.

His tone carried a faint trace of irritation.

"Because when she does get involved... she becomes just as troublesome as Lady Seraphina."

He stopped there, clearly choosing not to elaborate further.

Percy, however, immediately understood the implication behind those words.

A quiet chuckle escaped him.

"I see," Percy said calmly.

He nodded once.

"I suppose that’s a valid reason."

Liam glanced sideways at him.

"Glad we can agree on that," he replied evenly.

Percy gave a humorless scoff before speaking again.

"Alright then," he said. "That explains Lady Moonstone."

He turned his attention back toward Liam.

"But what about Queen Lucy?"

His eyes sharpened slightly.

"Wouldn’t the same logic apply to her as well?"

Liam remained silent for a few seconds before answering.

"The Tempest Queen allowing me to remain within this academy," Liam said evenly, "is not the same thing as placing herself permanently between me and the Crescent Kingdom."

His tone remained steady and analytical.

"Yes, Queen Lucy has done something that the Tempest Kingdom has historically been known for during the period when Crescent and Solara were working to drive dark mages toward extinction."

Percy did not interrupt.

He already knew the history.

"For decades," Liam continued calmly, "the Tempest Kingdom quietly positioned itself as a sanctuary of sorts."

"A place where dark mages could exist without immediately being hunted down."

Percy’s silence was acknowledgement enough.

The political tensions of that era were well documented. While Crescent and Solara had pursued the extermination of dark mages with aggressive zeal, Tempest had taken a far more complicated stance. They did not openly champion dark mages, but they also refused to participate in Crescent’s crusade.

That alone had created decades of political friction.

"But at the end of the day," Liam continued, "Queen Lucy governs an entire kingdom."

His eyes shifted slightly toward Percy.

"And a queen does not move simply because one individual happens to benefit from it."

Percy’s gaze sharpened faintly.

"If conflict between Crescent and myself were ever to escalate to the point where Queen Lucy needed to intervene directly," Liam said calmly, "then the situation would already be far beyond something personal."

He paused briefly.

"And at that point... the conflict would no longer be about me."

Percy understood immediately.

The implication did not need to be spoken.

It would become a matter between kingdoms.

Political pressure.

Military positioning.

Diplomatic confrontation.

And once something reached that scale, the lives of thousands—perhaps tens of thousands—would become entangled in a conflict that had originally begun with the existence of a single person.

"You’re not wrong," Percy admitted quietly after a moment.

He remained thoughtful for a few seconds before speaking again.

"Then what about Sir Magna?"

The name lingered in the air.

Galen Magna.

The strongest knight in all of Amthar.

A man whose mere presence had shaped the balance of power between the three great kingdoms for over a decade. There were few individuals in the world whose reputation alone could alter the outcome of political negotiations before they even began.

And Galen Magna stood at the top of those few.

Liam’s expression did not change.

"That one," he said calmly, "is even simpler."

Percy waited.

"I refuse to rely on him."

The answer came immediately.

Without hesitation.

Percy glanced sideways at Liam, then allowed a faint smirk to form on his lips.

It was the answer he had expected.

After a moment, he looked back toward the horizon again.

"That’s a rather surprising statement," Percy said calmly.

Liam shrugged faintly.

"Yes, he is my uncle," Liam replied. "And yes, he happens to be the strongest knight on this continent."

His tone carried no pride.

"However," he continued, "power like his is not something that should be used lightly."

His gaze drifted briefly upward toward the sky before settling back on the distant city.

"If Galen were to involve himself in a conflict with Crescent because of me," Liam said quietly, "the consequences would not remain limited to politics or diplomacy."

Percy finished the thought calmly.

"It would escalate immediately."

Liam nodded slightly.

"Because the moment someone like him moves," Percy continued, "kingdoms stop negotiating.They stop talking... and they start preparing for war."

"Yeah," Liam said calmly. "And that is precisely the kind of situation I want to avoid."

Percy studied him more closely now, his attention sharpening as he considered the full implication of what Liam had been explaining. The wind brushed quietly across the rooftop again, tugging faintly at the edges of their clothes as the distant noise of Grandeur City continued far below.

"You’re avoiding escalation," Percy said slowly.

"Yes."

Percy’s gaze lingered on Liam for a moment longer before he continued.

"And you believe involving Sheila prevents that escalation because she represents something none of the others can provide."

He paused briefly.

"Legitimacy."

His tone remained calm, analytical.

"Do I have your thought process correct?"

Liam glanced at him briefly from the side in silent acknowledgment.

"Yeah," he said simply. "You’re correct."

His gaze returned to the distant horizon.

"The princess of the Crescent Kingdom choosing to stand between me and the hatred of her own people carries a completely different meaning than an outside force doing the same thing."

He paused for a moment, organizing the thought.

"If Mystica protects me," Liam continued calmly, "Crescent sees an enemy interfering in their affairs."

"If Queen Lucy protects me, Crescent sees political opposition from another kingdom."

"And if Galen protects me..."

Liam’s voice lowered slightly.

"Then Crescent sees a threat."

Percy’s expression remained neutral.

"But if Sheila protects you," Percy said quietly, "they see one of their own."

"Exactly."

Liam nodded once.

"She becomes a voice they cannot immediately dismiss."

His fingers tapped lightly against the stone surface of the rooftop wall.

"She carries the legitimacy of their bloodline," Liam continued. "She belongs to their culture. Their traditions."

"And more importantly..."

His eyes flicked briefly toward Percy.

"She represents their future leadership."

For a moment, Liam’s red eyes and Percy’s blue ones met in a brief sideways glance before both of them looked away again, returning their attention to the skyline.

"And because of that," Liam continued calmly, "instead of immediately viewing me as a monster that must be exterminated, they will be forced to confront something far more uncomfortable."

He paused.

"One of their own royals will have chosen not to see me that way."

Percy considered that quietly.

"And that would create hesitation," he murmured.

"Yes," Liam said steadily.

"And hesitation," he added calmly, "is often enough to prevent unnecessary conflict."

The wind swept across the rooftop again, stronger this time, carrying with it the faint noise of the distant city. For several seconds neither of them spoke.

Then Percy broke the silence.

"With everything you’ve explained so far," he said quietly, "it’s clear that the praise Lady Seraphina gives you isn’t exaggerated."

Liam glanced at him briefly.

"More than that," Percy continued after a short pause, "I’ve come to realize something else. In terms of analytical thinking... we are somewhat similar."

He spoke the words without arrogance.

"We both tend to look several moves ahead."

Percy paused briefly.

"However," he added, "you appear to do it slightly better."

A faint hint of respect slipped into his voice.

"I commend you for that."

Liam gave him a short sideways glance.

"And for that reason," Percy continued, "I suppose I can be somewhat at ease regarding Sheila."

His gaze drifted toward the horizon again.

"You are free to do as you wish."

Then he smirked faintly.

"Not that I have the right to make decisions for her."

Liam remained silent for a moment before responding.

"Yeah," he said plainly as he pushed himself away from the stone barrier. "You don’t."

He stretched his arms slightly as he straightened.

"But thanks for the permission anyway."

Percy scoffed faintly at that.

Then he spoke again.

"Tell me something."

Liam glanced toward him.

"Let’s say Sheila forgives me," Percy continued. "Let’s say everything between us is properly reconciled."

He paused briefly.

"Are you planning to rely on her care for my opinion regarding dark mages in order to push your plan forward?"

Liam looked at him for a moment.

Then he gave a faint scoff.

"In a way," Liam admitted calmly.

"She has already grown beyond the rigid Crescent ideology she was raised with," Liam continued. "But fully breaking away from something that deeply ingrained still takes time."

His gaze remained steady.

"And in that process... your opinion matters."

Percy watched him carefully.

"If you have also moved beyond that ideology," Liam said, "and she sees that you no longer believe in it either..."

He shrugged faintly.

"It reinforces her decision."

"It confirms that she’s moving in the right direction."

He paused briefly.

"And that makes the role I’m asking of her much easier than it would otherwise be."

Percy slowly turned his head toward Liam.

"So in the end," Percy said calmly, "you are still using her emotional attachment to me as an advantage."

He tilted his head slightly.

"Just like I once did."

Liam did not deny it.

"I guess I am," he replied evenly.

Then he added calmly,

"But we both know something important."

Percy waited.

"If Sheila decides she wants nothing to do with me or with any of my plans..."

Liam shrugged slightly.

"Then none of this matters."

Percy smirked faintly.

"I suppose that’s true."

The smirk lingered for a moment before slowly fading.

Both of them fell silent again.

The wind moved quietly across the rooftop, and the distant city continued its quiet rhythm far below them.

Eventually Percy pushed himself away from the stone barrier as well, turning fully to face Liam now.

"Well," Percy said calmly, "that was quite a conversation."

"You asked for it," Liam replied evenly.

"That I did," Percy admitted.

A faint smile appeared on his face.

"And I’m glad I did."

He studied Liam for a moment.

"It gave me a clearer idea of the kind of person you are."

"Really?" Liam asked.

"Yes," Percy said.

He shrugged slightly.

"Not everything."

"But enough."

He paused briefly.

"Enough for you to earn my respect, at the very least."

Liam simply looked at him calmly.

"If we had been in the same year," Percy continued, "I suspect you would have been an enormous pain to deal with."

He smirked faintly.

"Because then I would have had someone truly capable of rivaling me."

Liam tilted his head slightly.

"Are you saying De’Ain isn’t enough of a rival for you?"

Percy blinked once.

"Interesting," he said.

His smirk returned.

"Funny how you know about him when you weren’t present during the sparring matches after our duel."

Liam shrugged faintly.

"Dylan gave me a summary of yesterday’s matches."

Percy chuckled quietly.

"Of course he did."

He paused for a moment.

Then he glanced briefly toward the sky before speaking again.

"Well," Percy said calmly, "it’s already noon." 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

"I have something I need to attend to."

After a short moment, he removed one hand from his pocket and extended it toward Liam.

"I don’t expect we’ll have another opportunity to talk tomorrow or afterward," Percy said evenly.

"So I suppose I should say this now."

His expression remained calm.

"I appreciate the time we spent speaking today."

"It was... worthwhile."

Liam looked at the offered hand for a moment.

Then he lifted his own hand and accepted the handshake.

Their grips were firm but brief.

"Likewise."