The Kind of Evil-Chapter 489: Absent of Ego.
Everyone gathered in the meeting hall including Rasmus’ people, and it was Aurelia’s request as soon as she woke up even though she still had a fever. They didn’t know why Aurelia wanted to gather everyone immediately even though it hadn’t been a few hours since the war ended.
"I need all of your opinions about the future of Central Neva. When I was asleep, I had a nightmare that this continent was burning in the sea of flames when I was watching the continent from the sky. It looked like hell, and I could hear screams from everywhere. It was terrifying, and the worst part was that they all screamed of my name, begging to be saved," Aurelia said, her eyes and eyelids red from the high fever. "I didn’t see any of you with me, and it scared me..." She muttered, fear etched in her voice.
Isador, Alexander, Monica, and Maximilian were concerned about what Aurelia said. On the other hand, Moriganne, Julius, Lazarus, Lenin, Thalior, Xena, and Arthor, they understood her fear because they were leaders and they had similar nightmares. Before anyone could say anything, Rasmus said something that surprised everyone at the table.
"Good, that’s how a leader should feel, fear," Rasmus said as he stared into Aurelia’s eyes. "Fear means awareness, fear is the projection of consequences, fear means you haven’t yet detached from reality. You fear of your ability to rule, and that’s a good thing," he explained with a straight face, no empathy.
Those figures who had ruled over people nodded in agreement to what Rasmus had said. While the young ones were learning from his words and tried to use this moment to understand the true burden of a leader.
"Fear is not a weakness, Lady Aurelia," Moriganne smiled gently at Aurelia. "Fear is the only true measurement of a leader. See what kind of fear they have, you’ll know immediately if they’re a good or a bad one," she explained.
"That kind of fear cannot be made, cannot be fabricated, cannot be forced into you. That fear will come to you the moment you want nothing but for the goodness of the people, Lady Aurelia," Lazarus spoke in a calm and gentle voice. "You have proven yourself that you’re worthy to lead the people of Central Neva," he added, confidence in his words and his judgment.
Aurelia looked at those powerful figures, the ones who had experience. She could see how they all agreed with Rasmus, but deep down she didn’t know if it was right. She shook her head weakly, not wanting to believe it, not wanting it to be true because it would cloud her ego and judgment.
"No, I don’t think I am..." Aurelia wanted to humble herself, she was afraid of hearing those things.
"Stop humbling yourself, that’s unfit to rule, Aurelia," Rasmus said with a cold gaze toward Aurelia.
Aurelia was so shocked that her mind went blank after Rasmus said those things to her. She felt hurt and in disbelief that Rasmus would say that to him even though he had taught her to not let ego take control of her very being.
"As a leader you need to have an ego, you need to use that ego so you can truly be seen as a leader. I taught you to not let ego control your judgment and life, not to have an absent ego," Rasmus said, his gaze kept staring into Aurelia’s soul. "You can gain respect from using your ego properly, without an ego, you’re nothing, not worth to be looked at, not worth to be called a leader. The people will need a leader with ego that resonate with them, and if you have an absent ego, your people won’t see you as their leader. You need to stand for the people not to shrink in humility," he explained.
All the experienced leaders were utterly shocked by Rasmus’ knowledge and words. Even some of them found it unsettling because they never thought of that but they were naturally did that without them realizing. At that moment, they realized that Rasmus wasn’t just amoral but also had an efficiency, clarity, and necessity way of thinking. Some of them were unsettled with that kind of combination, but some wondered if morality was really necessary or if it was just something good to have.
"Aurelia, get some rest. You’re not supposed to be thinking with that kind of condition. You’re a leader now, you can’t be worried about yourself anymore, but that doesn’t mean you have to put aside your own mind and body," Rasmus said with a calm expression. "Monica, Isador, Alexander, Maximilian, you are the future leaders that will walk beside Aurelia. All of you shouldn’t be listening to these figures because soon all of you will be leading a new world, and that new world is now," he looked at them with a serious expression.
Those youngsters were shocked on how Rasmus dismissed those powerful figures around him, but what shocked them even more, none of them were bothered by his words. Those powerful figures looked at the youngsters and nodded their heads, agreeing with what Rasmus had said. With that being said, all of them left the meeting hall and helped Aurelia back to her chamber.
"You should go with them, Novia," Lenin looked at Novia with a gentle smile on her face. "You’re the Great Sage now. You should be standing alongside them, not with us," she tilted her head at the door.
Novia nodded with understanding and bowed her head at the figures at the table before she left to be with Aurelia and the others. The room went silent but it wasn’t an awkward silent like before, it was rather peaceful.
"Saint Serena, you said something that you have something prepared for us tonight?" Lenin asked with her brows raised.
"Well..." Serena turned her head toward Rasmus. "Should we tell them?" She asked.
Rasmus pulled out a letter from thin air, a letter that had been opened but still had the seal on it. Everyone knew that seal, the seal that belonged to a powerful family from the east, the Asghar family. The letter floated toward Lenin, showing Rasmus’ expertise in controlling Mana.
"Count, how was the battle? I heard you have won and I have done my part," Lenin read the letter out loud so everyone could see the content of the letter. "I’m on my way to the Holy Nation, and as your partner, I believe I will reward everyone with lavish food and expensive drink. Please wait for a little longer," she added.
"Wait, Lady Anastasha is here in Central Neva? And what did she mean by doing her part?" Lenin asked with a confused and shocked expression.
"Anastasha and I have planned this all along, and as you know that we both are helping each other. I let the world know that she’s worthy of being a successor for the seat in the Asghar family. So, we planned that the demons would cause destruction to Central Neva. I would attract the demon’s attention while Anastasha used her wealth and connection to rebuild this continent," he answered.
Everyone was so shocked that Rasmus had planned everything from before he landed in Central Neva and after the war ended. It was unsettling that someone would have planned that far and how they trusted each other without even a single doubt. Before any of them could say a word, someone knocked on the door that echoed throughout the hall. A paladin came and informed everyone that there were thousands of survivors that wanted to enter the holy nation and the shocking part was there were hundreds of carriages with the Asghar banner on them.
"Looks like they’re here earlier than we expected," Rasmus said as he stood up and looked at everyone. "I’ll take my leave now since she’s my guest," he lowered his head before he left the meeting hall with his people.
The moment Rasmus left, everyone in the meeting hall joined him because they wanted to meet Anastasha. When they walked out of the palace, a carriage with the Asghar banner was already there waiting for them. The moment the carriage’s door was opened, they all saw a woman with light tanned skin, wearing an attire that didn’t belong to any continent and holding a folded fan in her right hand. Rasmus was there, standing next to the carriage and offering his hand to Anastasha.
"Glad to see you’re alive and well..." Anastasha smiled as she held Rasmus’ hand and walked down the stairs. "I was anxious that you might lose, but turned out it worked as we had expected," she stood in front of Rasmus, tilting her head and staring at Rasmus, shocked by the drastic changes in Rasmus’ appearance. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺
"I would be lying if I said that I wasn’t anxious as well. But, the result is what matters here," Rasmus answered as he let go of Anastasha’s hand.
"Indeed..." Anastasha glanced at the powerful figures in front of her before she lifted her right hand and unfolded her folding fan, covering the lower half of her face. "To be stared by powerful figures makes me so nervous..." She smiled with her eyes as she chuckled softly.
