The Kind of Evil-Chapter 502: A child.
Rasmus looked at the Black swords lying on his bed, noticing that the swords had grown extremely sharper and sturdier than the first time he had made them. It had been a year since then, and the deaths those swords had caused were more than a thousand. Both swords had become his since Aris didn't need them anymore and because she had Aristoria's sword in her possession.
"Those swords can be a national treasure," Lenin said with her arms crossed, standing in the doorway.
Rasmus glanced at Lenin, noticing the white hair that slowly overwhelmed the black ones. Ever since she stepped down from the Great Sage position, she no longer needed to dye her hair black.
"You're leaving, Count?" Lenin asked as she walked into the room, approaching Rasmus.
"Yes, I have no business here anymore," Rasmus nodded and stored the swords in the spatial ring. "Oh, and I also left my father's journal where it belonged. If you want to read it, you know where to find it," he revealed and looked at Lenin.
Lenin raised her brows, and didn't expect Rasmus to give such information to her. She then realized that Rasmus did it because he respected Lenin's relationship with his father. She smiled gently and nodded, thanking Rasmus for telling her that.
"West Neva... that place is where the Magic Tower isn't welcome. Mages are seen as a disgrace there," Lenin pointed out as she sighed. "That place has so many gifted people, Count. Sorcerers, Beastmasters, Druids, Witches, and Warlocks. Rumors said that the first human that roamed this world originated from the west, believing they're superior than any other humans that aren't from the west," she explained with a smile on her face.
Rasmus had spent his time learning about the west from Alexander and the book he recommended. He found West Neva was nothing compared to any other continent because they seemed to live in a different world. Royalty, nobles, and politics only painted half of the pictures where the other half could be said to be mystical. Neither side dominated the other, and both sides coexisted as one, making it extremely hard for outside factors to disrupt it.
"You're not planning to do the same you did here and in South Neva. You know that won't work anymore, and not to mention that a powerful demon has marked you as a threat, you're forced to use a different approach," Lenin said as she looked at Rasmus, knowing him well enough because she was the only one who knew what kind of a person he was.
"I wonder why you suddenly say something like that," Rasmus said as he walked to the wardrobe to grab his suit.
"Out of curiosity," Lenin answered without hesitation. "I have stripped myself from responsibility since I'm a part of the old system. For once, I just want to understand and to study you like a scholar would, not someone who has the obligation to protect humanity," she explained, her eyes never leaving Rasmus.
Rasmus didn't react to Lenin's confession as he put on his suit and fixed the collars. He then paused to think as he straightened his suit, thinking that Lenin always had those chains that shackled her very existence to the world above her head that even something like lifting a finger would require utmost consideration.
"I don't have any solid plans. How could I plan something before I know what kind of things I'm dealing with. It would be a waste of time," Rasmus answered as he shook his head. "For now, I'm going to join the expedition and see what kind of threat that West Neva is dealing with. Then I'll act accordingly," he revealed.
Lenin had heard about what was happening in the west from Alexander. She also knew enough about other things that were happening there because she was in the Council of Neva, and had a close relationship with the council members from West Neva.
"What kind of world do you live in, Count?" Lenin asked with a serious expression.
"A simple one," Rasmus answered without giving it a single thought. "You can argue with that, but that makes you live in an unnecessarily complicated one," he looked at Lenin with a calm gaze friendly gaze.
Lenin laughed that she had to cover her mouth with the back of her hand. She had forgotten when was the last time she was allowed to laugh freely like that. At that moment, she saw flashes of old memories long before she became a Great Sage. She never had a chance to reminisce about her past, but now it finally came back to her, of who she was, a young lady with such passion to make a village she grew up in prosperous and to put a smile on the villagers' faces.
"My world was simple as well. Just a kid with dreams," Lenin muttered with a soft smile written on her face. "But your simplicity and mine are completely different," she pointed out and stared into Rasmus' eyes.
"I beg to differ. It's the same in my eyes. Morale, power, wealth, influence, they were not necessary. However, it had meaning and that meaning means everything. Don't you think that's the same as how I see the world?" Rasmus said with a calm and relaxed expression.
"I guess you're not wrong, Count," Lenin nodded as she thought about it. "Based on what you said, doesn't that mean your world is the world of a child?" She smiled, curious with what Rasmus would say.
"Is that wrong? Isn't that the adult that has been affected by greed, power, influence, and even righteousness that ruined the world?" Rasmus asked back with his brows raised. "The world is simple, it's just that some people made it complicated."
"Your words carry truth, but you're not a child. That simplicity and that mind of yours, they create chaos," Lenin tilted her head.
"As I said, it has meaning, and that meaning means everything," Rasmus answered as he looked at his wristwatch, realizing that the blimp would leave in an hour.
"How can you sound like an idealist but that ideal is practicality. That's interesting," Lenin hummed as she rubbed her chin. "Well, then. Look at the time. I believe you have to go soon," she said as she looked at her wristwatch.
Rasmus nodded and was ready to leave until suddenly Lenin's hand appeared in front of him with a ring on her palm. He looked a bit confused until he took the ring and stared at it for a moment. He used his draconic eyes and he could see the spatial space that the ring produced. He was surprised to see the stack of money inside, and remembered it had been a while since he had got his share from making wristwatches.
"That includes the share from Lord Garret and the others since they entrusted the money to me," Lenin said with a smile as she walked toward the door. "I always forget that I'm speaking with a young man who's barely reached 26 years old. You're a dangerous young man, Count Blackheart," she muttered to herself as she left the room.
Rasmus looked at the ring before he exhaled deeply and Javi appeared behind him out of nowhere.
"Everyone is ready to leave?" Rasmus asked.
"Yes, all the Blackhands are ready. Lady Aris and the others are also ready to leave, they're all just waiting for you," Javi answered, his eyes sharp and lifeless when he stared into Rasmus' eyes.
"Let's leave then, there's no need to wait anymore. The sooner the better," Rasmus nodded with understanding and then left the room.
When Rasmus and the others arrived at the airfield, Aurelia and the others were there to watch them leave. Not only Rasmus, but Thailor and the people from South Neva had decided to go back as well since they had been away for too long. However, Rasmus noticed there were a few children among them, who were standing near Novia. Rasmus' brows were raised and he didn't expect to see those children again, so he decided to approach them with a smile on his face. His act shocked everyone, wondering who those children might be except for Videl who knew.
"You have grown a lot taller, Abigail..." Rasmus said as he went down to one knee and looked at the girl with a gentle gaze and a smile on his face.
Abigail smiled widely before she charged at Rasmus and wrapped her arms around Rasmus neck. Rasmus gently patted Abigail's head and he couldn't see the shock in everyone's faces, including Lenin. Nobody about Rasmus' past, especially during his hard times ever since he came to Neva inside a weak body. Abigail and the children were the ones that he taught them how to use magic, and he didn't expect them to survive when the whole continent was taken by the demons. He realized that Anastasha might be the reason for their survival since she was the one who moved behind the scenes.
"I miss you... we all miss you..." Abigail muttered. "Everyone from the village is here, and they wanted to meet you but said that you were unavailable..." She said as she pulled away to look Rasmus in the eye.
"I see," Rasmus nodded with understanding. "It's unfortunate that I have to leave without meeting with everyone. How about this, why don't you show me how good you are at controlling Mana? I want to see how far you have progressed. I'll give you a gift in return," he offered.
Abigail's eyes brightened and she immediately moved away from the crowd. She took a deep breath and suddenly a fiery fire appeared around her, but the fire didn't move violently. The fire moved around her, creating rings of fire in such a gentle and stable way. It shocked Lenin and Novia because for a small child to be able to create such magic without formation or incantation could be called a genius. However, Abigail didn't stop there when she suddenly combined all the rings into one massive ring above her head and then reshaped it into a fiery dragon that flew around in the sky until it suddenly dispersed and turned into a water dragon in just a blink of an eye.
"You can turn fire into water in an instant?" Rasmus asked with his brows raised, shocked that a child like Abigail could do that.
"Yes, you taught me. You said that water can feed fire, so I thought if fire needed water, then fire could be reversed and turned into water," Abigail answered simply.
Rasmus did teach Abigail and the other children the science behind oxygen and hydrogen, but he never thought that Abigail could manipulate Mana like that. Even if he did it without his power, he might struggle to do so, but this child could do it so effortlessly even though it was an extremely complicated process.
"Here, take it..." Rasmus tossed the ring that Lenin had given him earlier to Abigail. "Keep it safe and if one day you want something, ask these two. They will give you what you need if you show them the ring," he said as he stood up and pointed his hand at Lenin and Novia.
Lenin was surprised to see Rasmus give away the spatial ring that the money could easily give him dozens of big mansions or even a few castles of his own. However, when Lenin processed what Rasmus said, it appeared that Rasmus wanted her and Novia to take Abigail as an apprentice.
"Those two will take a good care of you," Rasmus looked at Lenin and gave her a nod.
Lenin and Novia nodded their heads, realizing that they had found a genius like Rasmus by coincidence.
"Well then, I might come back to visit you again and meet with others..." Rasmus said with a smile. "Just wait for me. It's time for me to go," he gently patted Abigail's head.
Abigail nodded with understanding and watched Rasmus walk away.
"Take care, Count..." Aurelia said with a worried expression.
"You too, High Regent," Rasmus bowed his head, and then walked toward the blimp with Aris, Rullein, Videl, Serena, Daryus, Javi, Carrion, Erlina, Yur, Aider, and the Blackhands behind him.
