For a moment, Rylan only stared at his grandfather, his mind racing.

…Surrender.

He didn't immediately deny Gael's words, as he understood their weight. Truthfully, it had been on his mind as well. How was Ceotha supposed to win against a much larger force that also housed Ninth Circle Mages in their ranks? Simply put, it wasn't. There was no future where they were able to achieve victory. At the very most, they could only make their defeat affect the least amount of people. This small difference was enough to make Rylan fight.

Even one more life saved, one more city not razed to the ground, makes everything worth it.

At the same time, from a logical point of view, surrendering was the best course of action even when following that logic. There was only one problem with it.

"We don't know what the Empire is going to do if we surrender," Rylan stated while looking into Gael's eyes with a serious expression. "The moment we reveal our willingness to give in, we would be at their mercy. No demands would be too much."

Just like Mar hadn't surrendered until now, despite the Empire's sanctions, it wasn't a matter of only protecting the kingdom's identity and its people against a despotic possible ruler. More intrinsically, expressing the desire to surrender meant bowing their heads to anything the Empire wished to do.

Gael seemingly understood the meaning in Rylan's words as he narrowed his eyes. The three black-robed Mages also turned to look at Rylan. Nathan did the same.

"…An interesting point of view from someone so young," Gael replied after a few seconds of silence. "Yes, you're right. Surrendering would be the same as giving them the power to do whatever they want. However, it's the only real option. Would you rather they invade us and pierce through the towns at the kingdom's edge like a Magic Missile through butter? Cantavega would be one of the first to fall."

Rylan frowned. His grandfather was right, in a way. The problem was, as Rylan had already said, that there was no way to predict what the Empire would choose to do.

"What are you trying to say, Gael? Where are you trying to go with this? You already know that surrendering wouldn't mean safety. They could choose to invade us all the same, even if only to prove a point. This kingdom's alliance with Mar is the single most dangerous factor in its political landscape."

An appreciative glint shone in Gael's eyes.

"True. It's possible. But at the very least, I can guarantee that our losses would be far greater if we kept following the road we're on. Henry is simply too blind to see that."

Rylan stared into his grandfather's eyes, and the man stared back. This continued for a few seconds.

He hasn't answered my question.

Gael's true purpose with this conversation was just about to be revealed. Rylan was sure of it.

"I'm not saying you have to join us," Gael started, making Rylan focus on his words. "But we have the means to ensure the safety of everyone you care about, though not the Royal Magic Academy. This kingdom won't be 'left to burn' as long as you convince Damian and Henry that surrendering is the best move. At the very least, no matter what the Empire does, unless they decide to wipe us out, our losses would still be less than if we tried to fight."

Rylan scoffed. In the end, it was nothing but a recruitment attempt. However, this one wasn't one he could dismiss with ease, especially because he understood where Gael was coming from. It was something he'd wondered himself, in fact.

He's much tougher to deal with than Nathan.

Still, it didn't change his mother's warnings about the Astassier family and what they were capable of. He had no desire to join a noble house that had caused his own mother so much suffering. But that didn't mean that he was unable to see the reason in Gael's words.

The seconds ticked by. Gael only stared at Rylan calmly; there was no triumphant grin, no joy as someone who had been able to present a convincing argument, or even any amount of anticipation. Rylan felt like he was looking at a man overseeing a chessboard. He wasn't fond of this coldness, not after spending a century coming across those types of people.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

The moment Rylan was about to reply, his sharp hearing perceived the sound of hurried footsteps. They were ones he recognized. His head snapped to the side, and he looked at the corridor opposite the one Gael had come from. There, he could see a woman with chestnut hair and hazel eyes running toward the room while aggressively pulling up the skirt of her elaborate dress. She was followed by a middle-aged woman with greying brown hair, who struggled to keep up. Rylan almost unintentionally smiled.

Everyone else followed his gaze. Regis and Lillia almost jumped to their feet, as did Aelfric. Sarah bowed toward Elizabeth's approaching figure, while at the edge of his vision, Rylan could see Gael frown.

"It would be wise of you to think about my words," Gael said in a slightly dissatisfied tone.

Rylan didn't see the need to reply. To begin with, he wasn't here to talk to his grandfather. The real reason behind his presence had now arrived; continuing the conversation would be pointless, regardless of how true Gael's words were.

After a few seconds, Elizabeth almost burst into the room, her concerned gaze first landing upon Rylan, then on his siblings. Happiness mixed with confusion filled her expression. She unhesitatingly ran toward them, her face breaking into a smile. Still, she looked at Rylan with a worried expression.

"Words can't estimate how happy I am to see all of you, but we can talk about that later. What happened?" Elizabeth asked.

Rylan nodded at her, keeping his smile.

"I'll explain everything on the way. Right now, we need to get to the Academy," he replied.

"Alright," she immediately replied. "Let me just get out of this damned dress and we can go."

Beside her, her attendant blinked. Regis and Lillia only belatedly nodded. Aelfric and Sarah smiled at the same time, and Rylan nodded.

"And you," Elizabeth said as she snapped toward Gael and Nathan. "Neither of you needs to be here. Leave. This isn't your business."

Gael looked at her with a calm expression.

"Your son offended someone he shouldn't have," Gael said, making everyone look at him. Rylan frowned almost at the same time as his entire family. "The reason he's here is that your life is in danger. Though he should've known this is the third safest place in the kingdom."

Elizabeth didn't even flinch.

"If he thinks I'll be safer somewhere else, I believe him. Now, we're leaving."

Gael held her stare for a second before looking at Rylan's siblings. Finally, his gaze arrived on Rylan himself.

"It's interesting how nobody questions your decision, not even your older siblings or my daughter," he started. "A type of belief that isn't a result of power alone. Compared to who you were before your eighteenth birthday, it's a stark change. Very curious. I do hope you'll think about what we talked about. Our doors are open to all of you, but time might be running out."

Rylan frowned at his grandfather. The tense atmosphere was marred by the loud sound of silk being ripped apart. He looked at Elizabeth, who had just torn off a large chunk of her dress, seemingly without a second thought. Had she done so to allow her to walk more easily?

"Let's go," she said to Rylan in an almost pleading tone. Naturally, he nodded.

Turning around without saying another word to Gael, Rylan walked toward the exit, which was the hallway he'd gone through under the lead of the black-robed Mages. His family followed him.

"How are you doing, Mom?" he could hear Regis say from behind him in a low tone.

"I'm fine, son," Elizabeth replied tenderly. "But I'll be even better once we get out of here."

"…Are you sure you're okay?" Lillia asked in a worried tone. "I didn't know Grandfather was like that."

Elizabeth sighed deeply.

"We'll talk about it later," she replied.

They went quiet. Rylan only led the way toward the outside.

Until they stepped out of the corridor, he could feel Gael's gaze on his back.

***

In the carriage, Elizabeth took a deep breath and looked at Rylan with a questioning gaze. He nodded slowly.

"Gael was right. We're here because I don't want to risk having imperial Mages target you while you're outside the Academy."

Still, he omitted the second part of his sentence, which was the real reason why he was taking his mother away from the Astassier estate. He already knew that the estate itself was likely one of the safest places in the kingdom, but…

There's no telling what Gael would be willing to do if the Empire made contact with him.

Their previous conversation had proven him to be a calculating, results-oriented man. To him, Elizabeth was nothing but a liability and a source of shame, despite being his daughter. In such a situation, would he be willing to offer her up to the Empire if it meant somehow ensuring the safety of the Astassiers, or even a better position? Especially because he clearly had contacts in the Empire and was willing to jump ship if necessary? Rylan didn't know. He had decided he didn't want to risk it.

"Is your father aware of this?" Elizabeth asked, dragging him out of his thoughts.

Rylan nodded.

"I've sent him a letter. He should be arriving in the Academy soon, but I'll talk to Damian and ask him to lend me one of those magical brooms. Hopefully, I'll meet him on my way back to Cantavega. At the very least, I'd be able to protect him on the journey."

Elizabeth slowly nodded, putting her hand on her chest. She let out a breath.

"…No matter what, I just want all of you to be safe," she said as she looked around the carriage. Regis and Lillia were sitting next to her, while Sarah and Aelfric sat by Rylan's sides.

"Don't worry, Mom," Aelfric said with a grin. "Rylan will protect us. We just need to be careful."

Rylan smiled helplessly, then tapped his younger brother on the shoulder. Elizabeth smiled and looked out the carriage's window.

"…Yeah. I'm just glad we'll be together for some time, until things calm down."

Regis and Lillia smiled, as did Rylan. As expected of his mother.

As the carriage went on, they only talked and caught up on what had been going on in each other's lives.

On the next day, Rylan planned to leave to go get Gerard. After that, it would be time for him to start training in earnest.

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