“Now, instead, with your ascension to Supreme Magus the Royals can put a halt to the ambitions of the upper echelons of the army because a merger would give them credit for your achievement. I doubt that it would sit well with you, especially after what Morn did.” Kwart said.
“You can say that.” Lith nodded.
“Also, thanks to you revealing the contribution of Friya Ernas to your opus, you have proven that albeit flawed, the Association works. We are not like the army. We give our members the freedom to do and share what they want.
“Some of them abuse this privilege, but all things considered the good still exceeds the bad. Were Friya Ernas in the army, she would be court-martialled now. Since she was in the Association, instead, she’ll face no repercussion.”
Lith clicked his tongue, nothing Kwart said sounded like good news to him.
“You can go home now.” Orion stepped between the two men. “We’ll call you as soon as we are done with our tests and have practiced Void Magic enough to figure out how far we can learn it on our own.
“Your book explains the basics clearly, but there’s no telling if it’s enough to master Void Magic until we do a few test runs.”
“Would you be interested in giving classes about Void Magic?” Marth asked, quickly followed by the rest of the Headmasters. “It will take us a while to study your book, let alone find the best way to teach its contents to others.
“You, instead, as the inventor could give elective classes and try different approaches in order to find which one works best.”
“I’ll think about it.” Lith replied. “When do you need the blueprints about the Tablets?”
“One thing at a time, Lith.” Orion shook his head. “We Royal Forgemasters will focus on the DoLorean and the Headmasters on Void Magic. Tablets require us both and the supervision of the Royals.
“Before changing Mogar forever, we must make sure it’s for the better. Once this technology is released, there will be no turning back.”
***
Village of Lutia, outside Lith’s house, a few hours later.
Solus and Kamila couldn’t stop talking about what a wonderful morning they had respectively had while taking a stroll in the woods.
Solus had finally taken her first step out of Lith’s shadow and had been recognized for her own talent.
Kamila, instead, had spent a pleasant time knowing her new supervisor and in the company of people who didn’t make her feel like an overgrown baby. Walking with her legs and carrying her own briefcase was a pleasant change.
“You should have seen how proud Orion was when everyone hailed Friya as the new Silverwing.” Solus said.
“You should have also seen how embarrassed Friya was and how she swore that coming clean was the worst mistake of her life. Everyone now expects her to become a Magus and is putting her under an insane amount of pressure.” Lith added.
“Really?” Kamila asked while taking care of keeping Solus between them and using her as a human shield against Lith’s unwanted attention.
“Well, she is an Awakened with seven streaks and one of the makers of the DoLorean. She’s also a member of the noble House Ernas who’s getting trained by House Nyxdra. Do I need to say more?” Lith shrugged.
“Poor Friya.” Kamila nodded.
“Poor Friya my scaly ass.” Lith said. “She always grumbled about being the only Ernas whose talent didn’t get recognition and being stuck as a Mage of the Kingdom. Now that the cat is finally out of the bag, she should be happy.
“Her dream has just come true yet she just keeps whining.”
“Really? Would you feel the same way if I said ‘poor me’? Because I’ve been walking a few miles in Friya’s shoes. Or rather, she’s now walking a mile in mine.” Kamila replied.
“What do you mean?” Lith blinked a few times in confusion.
“Look at me.” She waved at her figure from head to toe. “A bit more than three years ago, I was an army lieutenant with a few friends, a disowned family, and a sister kept prisoner by a monster of a man.
“I had passed the marrying age and had nothing to offer. Back then, I would fall asleep while staring at the ceiling, always afraid that I would die alone. That I would become a captain maybe at retirement and that my sister might die at any moment and her husband go unpunished.
“Now, I have a family, a wonderful, husband, and I’m carrying the most beautiful baby girl on Mogar. Don’t get me started about how happy and safe Zinya is or the marvels of magic you have shared with me.
“I’m supposed to be on cloud nine, as happy as a clam, with all my dreams come true.” She sighed. “Yet it came at a price. People still consider me an oath breaker and my career might never progress because of it.
“I lost all my friends on the job and my colleagues either consider me a pervert or a gold digger.
“Also, based on how the Queen behaved today, I’m pretty sure that I’m the pawn in some scheme that she and Jirni are weaving. Archon Griffon is scared shitless by them and you. Every time I mentioned your name, I could see the blood drain from her face.”
“I’m so sorry, babe. I-“
Kamila raised a hand, asking to let her finish.
“Please, there’s no need to apologize. You didn’t do anything wrong. I’m an adult and I’ve made my own decisions. I’d pay that price ten times over and it would still be cheap compared to the amazing life I got.
“I’m just trying to say that even when a dream does come true, bad stuff still comes with it. Real life is no fairy tale. There’s no perfect happy ending, just a better compromise. So yeah, poor Friya.”
“Poor Kami.” Lith drew her close and give her a sweet kiss.
“Poor is a strong word, but stingy does fit her husband like a glove.” She chuckled.
“About that, how much am I allowed to spend during my travels?” Solus asked.
“Half of what I have is yours.” Lith shrugged, tired of being called a scrooge. “Spend it as you like.”
“Thank you!” Solus joined the embrace. “I’m not going to lie, Kami, it hurt when you left me out of your list.”
“Which one?” Kamila tilted her head in mock focus.
“The amazing life one! If you dare put me on the bad list, I’m going to make you breakfast every day until I leave.” Solus pouted in mock outrage.
“Please, no. I like my teeth as they are.” Kamila giggled and Solus followed suit.
The sudden clearing of a throat that didn’t belong to any of them drew their attention and ruined the moment.
“Can we talk or am I interrupting something?” Crank the Hyperion was looking at the scene with a confused expression.
Lith was surprised to find the Hyperion near his home and even more from his attire. The Divine Beast was in his honey badger form, yet he wore a waistcoat over a doublet and a beret with a single long feather.
