Making his way towards Descartes' estate, Asta wasn't completely sure if he would be able to convince him to give his coin up. In the end, his brother wanted the treasures in the temple, but there weren't any. Not being able to prove that, Descartes might think he was just keeping it for himself.
It was a hairy situation he placed himself in, but he did so because he wanted to give Lucas some time. The next plan they would put in motion would do more harm than good, frankly. Not that he had any better ideas. When Asta first heard about Lucas' plan, he could only think that he was even worse than his father, but it was a good scheme in the end.
Asta didn't really want to go through with it, only choosing to do so if they were able to handle the backlash. In order to achieve that, they needed more time and tools. Arriving at the estate, he was quickly brought before the local ruler.
Seeing Descartes behind his desk, he ordered the guards to leave them alone. "So, you've returned despite a Rank 4 mage failing. You've certainly surprised many of us, me included. I thought you were both dead for weeks."
"I'd appreciate it if you didn't compare us to the average rabble out there," Asta said, almost feeling insulted.
"That man was one of the 13 guards of the Duke, he wasn't average. So, where's my treasure?"
Asta stared right into his eyes, speaking with no fluctuations in his voice, plainly stating, "There weren't any treasures in the temple. I can vow it upon my core if you want me to."
Descartes knew full well there wasn't anything there, but if he let him go so easily, it would go against his orders as well. "Hah! Don't joke around with me. What's a vow going to do if I can never disprove it?"
"Fine, I can take you there and guide you through it. There's nothing there. I digged through its history and all the temple was known for was to repent for what one did wrong. It would make no sense to gather treasures there."
There was a disappointed look on Descartes' face, "That just sounds like a ploy to bring me to an isolated place and kill me. Isn't that the most used tactic for mages?"
"Then how do you want me to prove it to you?", Asta wasn't sure what else could possibly be substantial enough to serve as concrete evidence, letting the judge choose himself.
"Come on Astaroph, already giving up? Weren't you talking about how much you improved in that subspace before? I was still stuck in the past while you were miles ahead? Then explain yourself."
"Descartes, I have improved by leaps and bounds, far beyond what you can imagine. I dare to say that I can stand against a Rank 4 at this point in time. I have the proof you want, but you'll have to wait until Lucas can join me. We have recorded some of the images in that temple, but I can't use them without using Light runes. Besides that, I can bring Yaldor here to vouch for us."
Leaning back on his chair, Descartes held his hand in front of his face, "Why not start by saying that? Why lead with your own testimony?"
"Do my words hold less meaning than Yaldor's?"
"Of course, he was sent out on my command!", hitting the table, Descartes almost couldn't believe his brother was that bad when it came to negotiations. "Why do you even try to get the throne? You never showed any interest in it before."
"My reasoning is not for you to know, brother."
"Has it to do with her?", just by mentioning it, Descartes felt the glare from Asta's eyes instantly. 'Heh, he wasn't kidding about being able to fight against a Rank 4. Just his presence is enough.'
Holding his hands up, Descartes let it go. "Fine, keep your beliefs to yourself. As promised, I'll give you my coin now, but if I learn from Yaldor that all you've been spouting is bullshit, I'll team up with Isale to attack Agatha's county."
Hearing the threat, Asta wasn't worried since he was right. Placing the coin on his desk, Asta grabbed it before inspecting it slightly. "Brother, would you be able to help me out with something?"
Descartes was confused, he already had the coin. His business in the rivalry for the seat was over. There was no point in involving him any further. He had plans to just strengthen his county as much as possible and be left to his devices.
"What do you want?"
"Say a war would happen."
Suddenly, the atmosphere in the room plummeted as Descartes released part of his aura, causing Asta to follow suit. The sharp glint in Descartes' eyes surveyed Asta, who simply stared back. Descartes was certain he had kept all his dealings secret, not even his own father knew about it.
'Does he know? He couldn't possibly know, even if he's smart. This is something that stretches normal boundaries.'
Asta lifted his chin as he suppressed Descartes' aura. "I don't know where this sudden hostility came from, but I'm only talking in a hypothetical."
"A possibility?", with a questioning look, Descartes lightly decreased his pressure.
"Yes, the chances of a war with the Undead Legion in the west are always rising. They even ambushed us at the banquet. This shouldn't be such a surprise to you, no?"
"Ah, yes, the undead, of course," letting the pressure vanish, the room returned to normal.
'If he's in contact with that group, the temple would've been easily cleared as well. I was foolish to even think he knew,' Descartes wanted to punch himself for even thinking of such a possibility.
"Yes, we believe they might start something big. So I wanted to ask something of you. Do you know the weakness of the undead?"
"Of course, you can hit them with pretty much anything as long as it breaks the vessel where the soul is stored in. Light's probably the only one you have to avoid, unless you want to heal up their rotting tissue. I suppose higher-ranked Light spells would work though."
Agreeing with him, Asta laid out the possibility of the future in apparent detail. After he finished his explanation, Descartes had a strange look on his face. 'Well, it doesn't really matter anyway, might as well play along.'
"Hmm, I have been receiving some intel of strange movements, but I wouldn't expect them to pull such a stunt. Still, if such a thing were to come to pass, I can handle plenty of them with the necessary preparations."
"I'm not forcing you to do anything, I was just making some assumptions. It would only benefit you eventually, I think."
Descartes didn't know why Asta was bothering with it, but seeing no harm in it, he promised to train some men and prepare a small army. Asta left right away with the coin, hurrying towards the estate of Agatha.
Left alone, Descartes thought about the value of the intel he just got. As long as it was important enough, he would be able to gain support from them. Risking it, he took out a strange disc. He moved to the back of his office before placing it on the ground. It didn't take long before a portal appeared, letting Descartes through.
Asta tried to think of possible solutions to the problem they were going to cause but found his intelligence when it came to the undead lacking. He knew Lucas had some experience from the academy. Planning on asking him for further details, he rushed to the estate.
Flying over the grounds, he didn't notice anything off. Landing near the estate, the demon guards bowed slightly before opening the gates. He didn't even say anything, but his appearance fit the descriptions they got from Nero.
Finding the renovated estate to be worth looking at, Asta was surprised. The lands around the estate were filled with newly built buildings and farms that were starting to plant their crops. Things were looking up, though it would be nothing compared to any trade center in the county of Protaris.
Entering the place it was clear people lived in it, something unimaginable before. A man approached him carrying a single clipboard with some papers on. "Sir Astaroph, the Starborn came by not too long ago and requested your help with something."
"I'll need his help all the same, so I'm not planning on leaving anytime soon. By the way, why do you call him Starborn?", it was a question Asta had on his mind for a very long time, he just never had the space to ask.
Nero stared at him with a strange look, "Isn't it obvious? His skin reflects the stars and he came from above, it's only natural for him to be a Starborn."
"Wait, came from above? There's no way he learned how to fly so soon, he was terrible at it when I met him after the academy. Where did you come from again?", it wasn't that Asta easily forgot things, but if they held little value, the information rarely stuck.
"In the glorious Empire ruled by his majesty Thurin, the first king to establish peace with the barbarians thanks to the help of the Starborn."
Asta thought about the maps he saw of Aurora, while massive, there wasn't a single country that just had the name Empire, there was always some adjective or name attached to it. Barbarians also didn't ring any bells right away, while populated with plenty of races, none could be simply described as barbarians.
"Lucas helped create peace? That man?"
"Of course, sir, he is our savior, stopping an evil plot orchestrated by the ruler of the barbarians. He even killed another Starborn that was corrupted to the dark side."
"Could you tell me what happened?"
"What happened? Do you mean the final battle between the Starborn, or-?"
"Everything, I'd like to hear everything," what Nero was talking about was wholly new to him. Their skin, now red due to the devices, was originally gray, which only piqued his interest further.
"That will take some time."
Nero brought him to a smaller comfortable room and poured some beverages for them. Asta didn't indulge in them and even conjured his own chair instead of using the ones readily available to him.
Recounting everything that occurred in the Underground, Asta was completely captivated. Just hearing about what happened, Asta was disappointed he couldn't be there as well. Not being content with just learning about what Lucas did, Asta questioned Nero about his hometown, the monsters in the area and more.
At the very end, Asta was satisfied, letting a parched Nero leave to work further on the estate. The conversation was quite fruitful to Asta, he learned how Lucas gained his obscenely powerful body and one of his signature spells.
'A trial that can transport someone to a different space and strengthens the body. Only mages of the highest Rank could create something so powerful. No wonder I fell short when it came to physical strength, he wasn't playing fair.'
Standing up, Asta stared through the nearby window, 'No wonder he created peace, he befriended Thurin, a king.'
Chuckling to himself, Asta shook his head, 'Even now he's doing so much work because I asked him to. Dammit Lucas, why are you the way you are?'
Thurin required help and was constantly threatened by the barbarians, so Lucas created peace through any means necessary. Now, Asta posed a ridiculous request to help him win the seat of the Duke without even knowing why.
As always, Lucas only looked for the most certain route possible. By any means necessary, he would achieve it. The bet they made with Alastor was extremely in his favor, putting Asta and Lucas in a bad spot, yet the only person who made any commotion about it was Asta himself.
Lucas just kept moving forward, unwilling or perhaps simply unable to stop. The plans he made were extreme but provided the most certain results. Back in Aurora, Asta had seen him struggle only once, when the death of the innocent wouldn't fully further his plans, only slightly increasing the impact of his virus, which contributed to his odds of victory.
Yet now, that reservation was completely pulled apart since he couldn't find a better way out. 'If I didn't agree to that bet, he wouldn't have come up with it in the first place. If anyone's to blame in the future, it must be me.'
Seeing Lucas arrive at the gate outside, Asta felt emotions unwilling to settle down. 'How do I even repay him at this point?', feeling his clenched jaw, he tried to relax it in time.
Entering the mansion, Lucas made his way to find Asta, who met him halfway as if he knew he would arrive.
"Your men have done quite a good job redecorating. Even the lands have started to show life," Asta had a light smile on his face as he tried to display his appreciation, but it only gave Lucas a sour look.
"It's not all great, my plans to revitalize the entire county have failed. Only the center is moderately okay, I just came back from adjusting the entire irrigation system so that it hopefully works this time."
"It's already a great step in the right direction."
"I suppose that's true. Anyway, I was wondering if you would be capable of stopping these little things from working," pulling out the Communication Line he received from Agatha, Asta inspected it from afar before putting on a pensive look.
"Perhaps. It's going to be impossible to completely break up the communication from both ends as every receiver is encrypted. What I mean to say is that I might be able to create an array so that a certain user can't send out any messages, but they might receive them."
"Hmm, can you research the opposite? Being able to send messages out but not receiving them?"
Asta didn't even bother to think as he shook his head, "That would require analyzing all other existing communication lines and blocking them individually."
Thinking things through, Lucas nodded, "Okay, then I'll need someone to gather some intel. Do you know where I can go?"
"Don't, I'll gather it for you. What is it you want?"
"I just need to know how many of those communication lines Isale has. Then I'd like to ask you to block her personal one from sending messages out."
"Isolating her further? That would be quite beneficial to our plan. I'll get to it right away."
Suddenly Lucas started to chuckle slightly, "Oh? Has it become our plan now? I thought you hated it from the bottom of your heart," while said somewhat jokingly, Asta felt time slow to crawl as he knew this would be a pivotal moment for himself.
He knew Lucas had been going on the same thorny path as he was, the only difference was Asta had a goal to achieve. While Asta was working on reaching the seat so he could have an impact on the world, Lucas was just wandering in the dark, grasping for anything. They were friends, but never did Asta think about what Lucas wanted.
He recalled when Lucas wanted to be free, but he already had more than enough power to achieve exactly that. It only made Asta wonder more about his true goals.
Striving for power was useless without something to use it for. Lucas was as blind as he once was, that much was clear. It was up to him to show him he wasn't alone.
"No, I was against it, but now I understand that this is the most efficient way to gather all the candidacy coins in time. If push comes to shove, I'll take responsibility for the deaths," placing his fist on his chest, Asta's determination came clearly through.
"Stop it, it'll never get out, I'll make sure of that, and if I somehow make a mistake, you have to pin the blame on me to clean your slate."
"Then what will happen to you?", a small silence followed that. Asta didn't want to push Lucas aside to save his own hide. With plenty of others he would gladly do so, but not with his only friend.
Lucas took a moment to think about it before giving a simple answer, "I'll just go back to Aurora, that princess wanted my help anyway."
'From the frying pan into the fire, if he's forbidden from being here, he'll just go fight in the war back on Aurora. Damn it, Lucas! I'll make sure you get to stay here!'
Asta didn't respond as he just shook his head slightly, making Lucas continue with his own agenda, "Look, Asta, I was going to initiate the first step. Can you check up on Klaro?"
Agreeing with him, Lucas quickly bade him farewel as he left on a dangerous journey, while Asta was kept away from harm. Asta knew this would be better left executed by Lucas, but it still vexed him that it was himself taking the easy route every single time. It frustrated him.
Before Asta left himself, he wanted to check up on Agatha. While Lucas had full faith in the men here, Asta felt different. He believed that there were plenty of dangers lurking behind every corner waiting to pounce on Agatha.
Entering her office, he found Agatha sitting on the chair behind the desk. She was just too small, making only her head and the top of her shoulders peek above the desk. An imposing figure stood next to her explaining what was on the papers.
Hearing Asta enter, the man slowly lifted his head and waited for him to speak. His long locks of black hair were entrancing, combined with his muscular body and handsome face, he was generally attractive to most.
Seeing the slight blush on Agatha's face, Asta almost chuckled to himself.
"How are you, Agatha?"
Spoken in a light tone, she could feel the warmth contained within. Looking at him, the light smile on his face made her blush. He finally looked like an older brother, one she never had.
"I'm doing... okay."
Asta felt relieved for some reason, "That's good to hear. Galen? Thank you for protecting my little sister for all this time. I hope you didn't lose hope in us while we were gone for so long."
Galen laughed a little, "Hahaha, you two failing never even crossed my mind. That bastard is a cockroach, if he dies, the Stars might as well fall."
Understanding where Galen came from, Asta also started to believe that Lucas was quite tough to kill. 'If three Rank 3's can't handle him when he was a Rank lower, it's basically proof he can't be killed by normal means.'
While Asta and Galen were convinced, Agatha didn't understand where they came from. Asta had saved her before from Isale, so she knew Asta was a powerful man, but Lucas? Sure, he released his aura back in the subspace that appeared during the banquet and pushed most back. That's where it ended for her, nothing special compared to the Duke.
"Why do you think so? At the end of the road, he's still just a human. Once his heart stops beating, his life will be over."
Hearing Agatha speak so clearly and audibly to Galen, Asta felt a bit surprised. Galen shook his head with a serious look. "I have seen the Stars plummet from the sky back home. Its impact on the earth shook everyone to their core. My Queen tasked me with investigating the event. All I found was a landscape that was once a lush forest turned into a burning wasteland.
Besides debris, there was nothing except a husk of a human's skin. It was burnt to a crisp, yet the inside was wet. Since only Starborn can cause such destruction, there was only a single person who fit the size of the husk. Like I said, that man is a cockroach. Killing him is an achievement in itself."
Staring at him while he explained, Agatha's big round eyes captured Galen fully. She barely heard what he was talking about since seeing him being invested in a topic was already rare enough.
A slight chuckle came out of Asta's mouth, surprising both Agatha and Galen. "Then I'll leave Agatha in your hands for a bit longer."
Galen nodded before Asta moved on.
Once outside, Asta let out a quiet breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. Thinking back on all his encounters with Lucas, there was a single thing that bound it all together. Lucas always survived, no matter the problems he faced, nothing was able to hold him back.
Even when he was barely Rank 1, they teamed up to defeat a Rank 2, at Rank 2 he defeated a few Rank 3's by himself. Galen wasn't joking about his survivability and Asta knew it.
But standing there, listening to Galen speak so casually about the destruction Lucas most likely caused by making the Stars fall, Asta understood something that no report could capture.
Lucas wasn't surviving untouched. He was paying for it.
And every time he asked Lucas to move forward, to be faster, harsher, more certain, and kept putting him in almost unsolvable situations, Lucas paid a little more of something that would never grow back.
If this ends badly, Asta thought, it won't be because he failed.
It'll be because I let him succeed.