"What is it? Say what you have to say," stated Axel in mild annoyance to Vyra. But internally, he only chuckled to himself. This bitch would usually glare at him with piercing hatred. If looks could kill, Vyra Vanelis would have killed him over a million tis by now.
So, it was a bit out of the ordinary for this girl to be acting a bit shy around him, though it was sothing he did expect to happen.
Hearing his reprimanding tone, she stated after so hesitation, "Father said the royal family has promised to release Heinz in a few weeks, and... he seed pretty sure that it would happen without a hitch. How did you do it? Or how did you even convince Father??"
Axel chuckled, "No need to think too much, I didn’t do anything for you. I did it for Heinz."
Vyra pursed her lips, "You didn’t answer my question?"
Axel sighed, "It wasn’t sothing too difficult, actually. It’s not that your father is opposed to your relationship with my friend, but it’s just Heinz’s high potential which the royal family is unwilling to let go of."
He continued after a pause, "But when pressured by the two powerful families like the Vanelis and the Greaves family on this matter. The royal family was forced to co to a general consensus. But you have to understand that the royal family won’t actually let go of Heinz completely, because that’s impossible."
Vyra’s expression beca grave as she nodded. She knew for a fact that there was definitely a compromise in between; she had asked her father about it many tis. But the old man seed unwilling to talk, no matter how much she pushed.
Axel explained, "Heinz will take on a military position within the army of Suncrest. Only then will he be allowed so form of freedom, and through Jordan Greaves, I have delivered the news to the royal family that you and Heinz are in a romantic relationship."
"In a way, this is good for their royal family if one of their future generals becos the husband of the next Vanelis family head," revealed Axel, wearing a displeased expression.
Vyra’s expression also beca extrely unsightly, as she gritted her teeth, "The Damn royal family, they see nothing but benefit. Do they see humans as nothing but tradable goods of exchange??"
Axel opened his mouth to say sothing, but in the end decided not to. In Vyra’s eyes, Axel himself was no different than a monster or maybe even worse than that.
Vyra asked him again in confusion, "But my father would not agree to such a thing. As my family must always keep its neutrality."
Axel nodded and explained further that this was only a temporary asure. With the looming war ahead, no one knows what will happen. Because if war does occur, everyone would have to participate, one way or another.
So, for a specific period of ti forward, it won’t make a difference whether Heinz is in the Suncrest army or not. Though this was only a half-baked solution to the problem, there was no other choice. After all, the longer Heinz is left in the hands of the royal family, the more there are chances that they might do sothing extre to control him.
Vyra had already discussed this with Lumina multiple tis, but Lumina did not wield any visible power over the royal family’s politics. She was but a powerless princess.
As for Prince Lucien, he was not yet conferred the title of crown prince, and, more than that, he and his mother, Larissa Suncrest, had been suppressed by the king’s concubine for a very long ti, so they would both need so ti to gain actual political power.
Which was why Axel was her only hope of getting Heinz out of the predicant at this mont.
Axel saw the countless thoughts that were going through the head of Vyra, and cautioned her, "Heinz likely will not concede to the conditions of the royal family; you know his nature, you will have to et with him once and convince him yourself. Lumina should be able to arrange this much for you."
Then he stood up to leave and said one last thing, "And when you go, take with you. I have things to discuss with the prince."
She nodded reluctantly, seeing Axel leave. The mont Axel left, she let out a sigh of relief, as her expression eased considerably. To her, Axel Nomrad felt like a ticking ti bomb. On the one hand, he seed to genuinely care for so people, but in other cases, he was inhumanely ruthless.
Without a single regard for the consequences of what may or may not happen. For those he did not care about, he could slaughter them like dogs—a demon who was unlike a demon. There definitely was so mysterious purpose to which Axel was striving.
She could only grit her teeth and hope that it would not be the thing she was fearing. But what other path did she have? She was already in the sa boat as the devil. No longer in control of her life. Or her own wishes.
***
Axel was back in the Dusker region, in his ho. Until entering his mansion, he did not publicly reveal himself. Keeping his disguise. His father was, of course, greatly relieved when he had co back safely and soundly.
In all honesty, Daniel knew very well that the Duchess would attempt an ambush on his son. But chose to believe in him when Axel was adamant about traveling alone to the Valanir region.
Axel did not waste much ti after coming back, diving straight back into work. Though he had already made a significant quantity of the 1st-tier rune tools, which would have lasted the amount of ti he was absent. But the stock of rune tools had run out much earlier than that.
So, he would now have to again create thousands and thousands more of the rune tools. The amount of bank balance he now possessed alone was mind-boggling to the point he literally stopped counting them. It seed like he might not need any more money in the short term.
But with what’s going to happen soon enough, he had to continue to provide rune tools for the whole of humanity, not just Suncrest.
Even without the prospect of earning wealth, to advance his runecaster aspect, Axel has to continue runecasting and forging either way, so he might as well earn a good chunk along the way.
Ti passed, and for a while, Axel focused only on runecrafting and paid no attention to news from the outside world. During this period, Axel had tasked Vargas with cleaning up the spies who had infiltrated their mansion.
Which he did splendidly, and no news about Axel, who had returned unhard, had reached outside. Livia Dusker, as well as the enraged Vex family, was entirely in the dark.
The Vex family spared no effort on trying to figure out who was the one that murdered their most talented new generation mber.
With Axel’s runic tools gaining popularity among the nobles and the masses, and at this exact ti, for such a thing to happen to the Vex family.
The rune family had lost a lot of face in the High Society. It was more than clear that their future in the longer term did not look good as long as Axel Nomrad existed.
They could still hold on for now, since Axel, till now, was only making 1st and 2nd tier rune tools, but as he got stronger. No one would use Vex families’ overpriced and less efficient rune weapons, which were treated like treasures before.
The Vex family had already lost its market monopoly on the 1st- and 2nd-tier rune tools. So, one can imagine the looming threat they had over their heads.
It wasn’t that they couldn’t survive; they could if they relinquished the position of the greatest runecraft family back at the Nomrad household.
But this was a reality the Vex family would never accept. To take a loss lying down. To beco a secondary force.
From what Axel heard from old man Vargas, it seems the Vex family had already sent multiple threatening letters to Daniel, falsely accusing the Nomrad family of being involved with Talon’s death. Daniel did not reveal those to Axel, hoping not to worry his son.
But Axel did not worry about this in the slightest. Vyra’s father would take care of this issue and put pressure on the Vex family so they couldn’t accuse the Nomrad family without repercussions. Unless they could produce so undeniable proof of the accusation, it was just as useless as a dog barking.
Just when Axel thought everything was going smoothly according to plan, sothing unexpected happened: while the Duchess was drawn into political implications by the Greaves comrce, the Vanelis family was being tied down by the Vex family.
This left only one entity that could do anything openly to him. That was, of course, Duke Allen Dusker.
A notice of the Duke’s direct summoning of Axel Nomrad was delivered right in front of the Nomrad mansion by a haughty servant of the Duskers, as if intentionally provoking Daniel. And this summons cannot be averted in any manner. Axel had to go and et this enigmatic and powerful duke.
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