CHAPTER 5

THE DEAL AND CONCORDIA

From the beginning of the imperial calendar, a place of unknown origin called Concordia had emerged in the sky, hovering above the shared waters of Parv, Grimgar, Utar, and Clandor. It started as a collection of ancient ruins brimming with secrets, attracting only the most daring ones, but eventually evolved into a place of knowledge and learning. Concordia became a neutral ground that welcomed all, regardless of gender or race, with the lofty goal of guiding them on the path of knights and mages.

Rudolf, a proud Concordia alumnus, treasured the institution deeply, as did many renowned individuals throughout the world including his adopted son, Samson. The mere mention of its name held a special place in his heart, causing him to halt any arguments.

Samwell, the king, spoke up once again."The Concordia Node was the first to detect the breach and respond, but unfortunately, several red demons had already infiltrated our borders. Matters escalated rapidly, forcing my father to entrust me with the crown so he could focus on repelling these invaders." He paused to check on Rudolf, choosing his next words carefully because discussing them with him was too sensitive. He took a deep breath and lowered his head as he said,"After the Elven war, ties between humans and Elves became strong."

He hesitated, then continued." It was not anyone's fault. Sam did wrong, and he was made to pay. You know this. You're simply trying to externalise your grief by finding someone to blame."

Rudolf knew the young king was speaking the truth, and he wasn't angry at the elves to begin with. Instead, he was upset with the other human nations who had supported them out of fear of Sam's growing strength. It was the only thing holding him back from attacking Clandor, and he knew it.

Samwell kept his head low, avoiding Rudolf's gaze after delivering his message. He found solace in looking at Sierra, weakened as she was, now felt more comfortable than the behemoth in front. He addressed her directly, mentioning his knowledge of the deal she had with his father, and hoped no one had disturbed her during her stay in this place.

Sierra retorted, "You are here, aren't you?" Her gaze was unwavering, reminding him she was still the same Sierra as she was before. But he had a proposition for her: freedom from her duties as high priestess. He asked if she was willing to step down from the high priestess position of Yudwin Temple. But Sierra wasn't pleased with his interference in the temple of Indu and questioned his motives. "Since when do foreign countries interfere with the temple of Indu?" She taunted.

Samwell smiled instead, explaining that he wanted to set up a special trade route with Grimgar and Indu if she supported his chosen candidate for the high priestess. He was hoping to make this the first step of his reign as king. But Sierra saw right through his ploy, chuckled and asked, "You are not the king yet, right? "

Caught off guard, Samwell struggled to control his expressions, and Sierra confirmed her suspicions that his father had put a condition on his crowning. Samwell's succession depended on his ability to make a new high priestess, and Sierra held the key to his coronation. She asked him to explain why she should agree with the conclave, her amusement apparent in her voice.

Samwell took a deep breath, realising he couldn't fool Sierra. He had to choose his words carefully, knowing that this was a delicate matter. The fate of his reign and the kingdom depended on his ability to sway Sierra to his side. He complimented her, "You are as sharp as ever, high priestess. But, I came prepared."

"So propose your offer Samwell". She asked, a smirk clear on her face.

Samwell nodded understandingly and said, "Well, I recalled my father’s deal with you, about the child….I have made some improvements in that deal for you. An employment contract as dean of mages for you and not to forget sir Rudolf as dean of Knights. This must be tempting, right?"

Sierra interjected, denying the proposal quickly, "It is enticing, but it's worthless to me since I am not leaving this place…"

She wasn't done, yet, and he stopped her in the middle, "You will be part of Concordia, staying away from politics and backstabbing. And my father promised to keep his end of the deal with you, too. No one will be stupid enough to bother you."

Despite any opinions the couple may have had about Norwin, the agreement they made with him allowed them to live in peace up until now. Norwin's reputation as the first-ranked knight in the world carried weight and ensured that no one disturbed their solitude on the Ghost Isles.

However, Norwin taking responsibility for their time in Concordia was not just a formality. If they ignored his words now, it would be an open invitation for others to come to the Ghost Isles. Norwin was the only thing stopping outsiders from reaching them, so his words were an indirect call for them to return to Concordia.

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Although they needed protection, it wasn't for themselves but for Hans. Staying in Concordia, where he would be safe even without Norwin's influence, was the best option.

Samwell presented his offer once again. They could take on the positions of Deans in Concordia and have the child enter as a special admission. Concordia was known for protecting their people, so as long as Hans was with them, he would be safe.

Sierra gave no reaction to Samwell's offer, but it was a new experience for Hans. Overhearing their conversation, he came to the conclusion that these people were there to take them back. He had only seen his grandfather and grandmother before, so seeing others naturally piqued his curiosity.

However, when Samwell mentioned him, the boy's curiosity slammed his fear down, and he stormed out of the room, ignoring Sierra's warning. To Hans, Samwell and his companions looked far docile than beasts his grandmother had warned him about. But when Samwell saw Hans's face, he took a few steps back and fell on his bottom, clearly taken aback. "Is this my brother's child?" he asked Sierra urgently, "I know the truth, my father told me but I still have to ask".

Instead of answering, "What do you think?" Rudolf posed a question to Samwell. Resulting in Samwell looking at the child once again, remembering his father's exact words but no matter how he looked at the child, he found him normal. But his father was not the one known for his jesting. He sighed, realising that Rudolf had not told the child the truth, and pressed him, "You should tell the child the truth. The longer you wait, the more hurt he will be."

Hans couldn't comprehend the direction of their conversation, but he was positive they were discussing him. Sierra was hesitant about revealing the truth that Hans was not human. She finally turned to the last person that came, an elderly priest named Ekdamir, her father figure who had raised her and knew her better than anyone else.

She greeted him with reverence, but the elderly priest just stared blankly at her. In his eyes, the high priestess was a powerful figure who did not yield to anything, but seeing her in this powerless state saddened him. Responding to her imploring gaze, he said, "My poor child, did you have to sacrifice everything for this...thing?" (referring to Hans)

Sierra didn't detect any mockery in his words, only genuine concern for her. She knew that she had almost sacrificed herself in order to revive the dead child she had received after the Elven war. Hans was, in alchemical terms, a perfect flesh golem created from Sam's body, and she had fuelled his life by sacrificing her divine mana through the taboo spell known as EquivalentExchange.

Samwell didn't want Ekdamir to cross the line when his neck was on it, so he stopped him, "Let them tell the boy, Priest Ekdamir." He said while paying no attention to Rudolf's intimidating glares and focused instead on the curious boy in front of him.

Hans was an identical copy of his brother, and if he hadn't known the truth from his father, he might have believed the child to be his nephew. However, there were subtle differences, such as Hans's golden eyes and light brown hair, that set him apart from his brother or Parvian royalty who had black hair and eyes.

Although Hans was not human, it was something that only those with extraordinary perceptions like Ekdamir could see. For any ordinary person, it would be difficult to discern that this was not a human.

Ekdamir also noticed the immense amount of divine mana that Hans contained within him, and he chastised Sierra for risking her life and using the EquivalentExchange spell. He scolded her, saying, "No matter how desperate you were, you should have not done this, Sierra."

Sierra respectfully lowered her gaze and responded, "Don't worry, Elder Priest, my divine mana is slowly returning." But Ekdamir continued to rebuke her, warning her that Hans was now a vessel for divine mana, like an artefact of Yudwin temple and that people would hunt him down because of it. He turned to Hans and spoke directly to him, "Because of you, she will lose her position as the high priestess."

The old priest's voice was heavy with resentment. He had raised Sierra since she was brought to the temple and had watched her work tirelessly to become the High Priestess. Rudolf's arrival nearly ruined it all, but Hans dealt a definite blow to her career. Even if Sierra chose not to resign, it was unlikely that she could maintain her position because she used the taboo spell of creating a life.

Hans cast a withering gaze at the resentful old man who had been berating his beloved grandmother just moments before. He found himself repulsed by the elder's disrespectful tone towards her and decided to speak up. "That position would have meant little to her, as she is not there. But with me" He paused for a moment and then added in a low, menacing tone, far more mature than his age.

"I am more important to her than any high position or title. So, old man, I suggest you watch your tone, No, just shut up."

The old man was taken aback by Hans's boldness, if a glare could kill he would have been dead by now. Showing disrespect to Ekadamir was not what Sierra wanted. She was signalling Hans to stop but Ekdamir forgot his resolve to let the child know the truth through Sierra's mouth and said in anger, "You are not human," he said pointedly. "Just a taboo."

Hans stood his ground, undisturbed by the words. His lack of knowledge regarding the concept of race served as a shield against the hostility of the elder priest. He may not have fully comprehended the discussion, but he knew of human nature through the literature he read when he ran out of the story books. His words cut through the awkward silence like a sharp sword, "What is so good about humans? you all run on greed and envy, dragging others down all your life. I am glad I am not one of you. I am alive and will continue to be so, I'll be better than your inferior race. So shut up?"

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