Supreme Magus

Chapter 3022 Price of Power (Part 4)

3022 Price of Power (Part 4)

”I see.” She sighed in relief, uncaring for the lost power of his core and grateful for the procedureʼs success. ”We can always tell that youʼve undergone a full body cosmetic magic from Hossa.

”The problem is explaining why I didnʼt undergo one as well.” She grunted.

”Easy. Bullshit for bullshit, we can tell people that you didnʼt feel safe for the baby.” Orion shrugged.

”Good idea.” Jirni kept turning his face in her hands, her expression still stern. ”Vastor is right. Grow a full beard and donʼt get out until youʼve mastered your newfound physical prowess.”

”Because you are worried that people might notice the change or because you are jealous?” Orion chuckled.

”I am jealous.” Jirni admitted, making his jaw drop. ”Youʼve always had more suitors than me. Now that I look like your mother, Iʼm afraid to lose you to some pretty girl. And the worst thing is that I couldnʼt blame you for it.

”We are in this situation because of me. Youʼve risked your life because of me. You have every right to step away from this mess.” She sighed, staring at the floor because scared of reading the answer in his eyes.

The stress, the pregnancy, and the nearing of the deadline that Jiza had given Jirni had worn out her willpower. Orionʼs youthful appearance only made things worse.

He was the head of one of the four founding pillars of the Kingdom, a powerful mage, and a man renowned for his wisdom and good heart. That along with his tall and powerful built physique made many noble dames disregard the fact that he was married.

As for Jirni, her reputation preceded her as well. No matter how beautiful, a shark was still treated as a shark. Especially when she had no qualms about maiming and tearing apart whoever dared swim near her.

”Donʼt be silly.” He chuckled, opening his arms to embrace her just to remember how dangerous it was for her and the baby.

Orion froze halfway, keeping his arms wide and beckoning her to do the rest.

”Iʼm not going anywhere.” She hugged him while Orion stood still. ”Everything Iʼve done, I did it for us. You, me, and our children.”

”Our children canʼt afford to lose both their parents.” Jirni pulled away just enough to look him in the eyes. ”Thatʼs why I didnʼt want you to Awaken anymore. I wrote you a letter instead of calling you so that you could be certain of my intentions.

”That I meant every word I wrote and there was no manipulation attempt or hidden agenda.” Orion had almost divorced Jirni after she had faked Quyllaʼs death and broken her vow not to lie to him.

They had made up, but she knew Orion still had trust issues. A holographic call would have allowed her to convey infinite nuances via the tone of her voice, her body language, and her eyes.

The letter took her power of deception away.

”So why did you do it?”

”Because I canʼt stand the thought of relieving the events that preceded Phloriaʼs death.” Orion replied. ”I wonʼt stand on the sidelines again, watching others risk their lives to protect those I hold dear while all I can do is pray.

”I did it because I couldnʼt live with the regret of not doing everything I could just to save my skin. Iʼd rather die on my feet in a few months than die of old age on my knees. Iʼve already lost Phloria. Iʼm not losing you, no matter the cost.”

”Idiot.” Jirni said while hugging him again and burying her face on his chest.

”By the way, thereʼs something you should know.” Orion told her about the true nature of Vastorʼs so-called nephews and nieces and then gave her a brief explanation of how their abilities had allowed him to survive the Awakening.

ʼThe fact that Vastor didnʼt use Orionʼs prisoners doesnʼt mean he didnʼt sacrifice human lives. He had probably prepared everything he needed in advance.ʼ Jirni immediately spotted the flaw in the Masterʼs lie.

ʼYet I donʼt care. He gave me my husband back and in one piece. If Iʼm wrong, Vastor has become almost as good as Manohar. If Iʼm wrong, he lied to save Orionʼs soul. Either way Vastor is the kind of ally I need.ʼ She thought.

”So I was thinking, why not ask Zogar and his Divine Beasts to side with us?” Orion asked. ”With their help, standing against the Myrok would be much easier. Jiza might even give up without a fight since even if she wins, the Myrok would end up decimated.”

”Sure, but why should Zogar and his Divine Beasts help us?” Jirni asked back. ”One thing is a business deal. Taking part in a private war in another entirely. The Myrok are part of the Council whereas Iʼm pretty certain that Zogar and his allies are not.

”Heʼs the only one who Iʼve ever seen using Spirit Magic. Zoreth taught us true magic, but she never gave me a demonstration about Spirit Magic. She only gave me theorical lessons.”

”Thatʼs true.” Orion pondered, remembering how Kigan too had never given Orion a practical demonstration during their lessons.

”Also, if we win against the Myrok, things end there. If Zogar wins against the Myrok, the Council is going after him next. I canʼt just ask him to side with us, we need to give him either plausible deniability or a justification to take part in the conflict.”

”Let me guess. You are already working on both and waiting to see which one hits harder.” Orion said.

”You know me well, my love.” Jirni took his face between her hands, giving Orion that predator smile he had learned to love and fear.

***

Jiera Continent, Gorgon Empireʼs outpost.

”I canʼt believe this is our last flight together.” Kelia sighed while turning to Amyla Farg who sat on the passenger seat of the DoLorean. ”Iʼm going to miss you a lot.”

”Are you talking to me or to the car?” Farg didnʼt miss that the young girl was caressing the control panel on the dashboard.

”The car.” Kelia scoffed. ”You are an annoying spoilsport who does nothing but nag and treat me like a thief.”

Fargʼs eyes were lit with Life Vision to make sure that her guest from the Empire didnʼt use her breathing technique to steal the secrets of the DoLoreanʼs power core. Kelia was the only Awakened in the Empireʼs colonization expedition while Farg played the same role for the Kingdom.

With Lith gone, it was her duty to ensure that Kelia didnʼt try anything funny with the Wayfinder or the DoLoreans.

”I treat you like a thief because thatʼs what you are. I bet that the Empress ordered you to spy on Magus Verhenʼs legacy. Do you deny it?” Farg asked and Kelia remained silent, not trusting her skills as a liar.

”And I donʼt nag. I try to advice you because despite your talent, you are still a rookie. Real life is nothing like the academy. There are no life-saving arrays out here. One mistake is all it takes to send even the best of us to the grave.”