Chapter 95: The Albans’ Power (Luke’s POV)
Will I collapse if I channel my magic into this many magic stones?
I hesitated a little. But, what will be solved if I collapse? If I can’t do this then there is no point in the Four Marquises visiting Wester. I have enough power, and I have trained enough.
I reached for the magic stone.
“Hey, Luke,” Gill’s Otou-sama called out to me worriedly. It’s okay. I lifted my face, which said, “You should be worried about Gill,” and Gill’s Otou-sama gulped and said, “No, nothing. You really are Dean’s son.”
I wondered what he was talking about, so I asked Gill about it later, and it seemed that I was smiling. My courage is quite something he had said.
I reached for the magic stone again, and it was quite heavy in my palm. I slowly channelled my magic into the magic stone which had been empty for a long time. The magic stone swallowed my magic just like dry sponge sucking in water. I channelled at a constant, slow flow so that I wouldn’t lose to the magic stone.
After an unknown amount of time, I suddenly felt it repel. I quietly put the magic stone back into the box and looked next to me. Gill was sweating a little and struggling with the magic stone. But, he also put the magic stone back at the same time as me. Gill’s Otou-sama sighed in relief.
“So, how was it?”
“Well…”
Otou-sama asked quietly, and I checked the amount of magic left in me.
“I guess I can barely fill three of them.”
“Hmm, that’s an exceptional amount of magic for someone at the age of 11. I feel like you can still do more. How about you, Gill?”
“Well, I feel like I was going to collapse in the middle of the third one.”
“Good judgement. Gill has an accurate grasp on his magic,” Otou-sama whispered in satisfaction. Then, he went to another shelf and brought a small box down from it. Is that a small barrier box? When I looked at Otou-sama’s hand, he opened the box and showed it to us. There were three magic stones in the box. They were about the same size as the one in barrier box from before, and they didn’t have any magic in them.
“Is that also a barrier box?”
“Haha, no, this isn’t. These are just spare magic stones and a box to keep them in.”
“You said they were spares so nonchalantly, but I’ve never seen magic stones this big,” Gill’s Otou-sama said in shock. Otou-sama grinned. Though, it might look like he was only lifting his lips a little bit to those who aren’t close to him.
“Bring this with you. This is, in short, a reward to Wester for finding Lei.”
“That’s too much! Do you know how much this is worth!?” This time, Gill’s Otou-sama shouted.
“Shut up, you.”
“But…”
“No buts. It’s a useless treasure if you give these to royalty who can’t even fill three magic stones.”
“Then all the more so.”
“Gill and Luke.” Otou-sama ignored Gill’s Otou-sama, who was saying a lot of things and turned towards us.
““Yes.””
“Listen, fill these empty magic stones in front of the Wester royal family. I think only Luke has to do this. It’s more effective if the younger one does it. Those who don’t have that much power can probably understand how hard it is to maintain a barrier box with this. If they can’t….”
Otou-sama closed the box with the magic stones with a click.
“The Wester royal family will forever be slaves to the barrier box.”
He gave the box to Gill.
“The first time is free for each magic stone. But, after that, it’s impossible to fill them for free. How do they expect to summon us each time? Whichever way this matter ends, it’s no concern of the Albans.”
In short, Otou-sama was saying that we didn’t mind giving them the magic stones and filling it once as thanks. But, after that, they have to pay.
“Frontier should be functioning well until now. There’s no reason to support those who want to become slaves to the barrier. Don’t hold back, Luke and Gill.”
I felt a little sorry for Wester. The events in the magic tools room confirmed that Otou-sama hadn’t forgiven Wester for trying to use Lei.
But, Gill seemed bothered by something. He thought a little before he slowly spoke to Otou-sama, “We’ll definitely bring Lei back, so that won’t be a problem. But, father’s brother, in short, my uncle apparently escaped from Kingdom into Frontier. So, I don’t think he wants to come back.”
“I heard about that.”
“Father said I don’t have to force him to come back. But, what if an 11-year-old kid has as much magic power as us?” Gill looked serious.
“Then wouldn’t he be used by Wester? I don’t know if the rule to wait until 18 in Kingdom is respected in Frontier. But, when I think about him being completely tied to Wester when he turns 18…”
I didn’t know that he was that considerate towards a relative he hadn’t met yet. But, my close friend Gill is generous, so it might be natural for him to worry about his relative, who is a child.
But, I was worried about that person for a more selfish reason.
“It’s a difficult situation for me because I wonder what I should do if that person is indispensable to Lei,” I spoke my feelings honestly.
“They took her in at a difficult time and stayed with her. And it’s been six months since then. If Lei says that she doesn’t want to part with them…”
Both Gill and I looked down. The exchange between Wester’s royal family will work out, but it’s challenging to know what to do about people’s feelings.
“You can do as you like.” That was Otou-sama’s answer. I wonder if it’s naïve to think of that answer as a little cold.
“If you’re worried and don’t want to leave him in Wester, then you can drag him back. You can bring him along if Lei doesn’t want to separate from him. And if he wants to become a slave to Wester, then let him,” Otou-sama’s answer is straightforward.
“The point is you have to come back home safely with Lei.”
“You’re a really selfish guy, Dean.” Gill’s Otou-sama shrugged his shoulders in amazement and looked at Gill gently.
“Gill, he maybe 11, but he’s the same age as Luke. And think about what you were like when you were 11. Did you do what others told you to?”
“I didn’t.”
“Right? We’re like that.”
Gill’s Otou-sama laughed strangely.
“Luke should continue to cherish Lei, and Gill, you can behave as you like. I’m sure that even that Lisburn child will act as he pleases.”
“That’s all there is to it.”
“Hey, don’t steal the best part!”
Yes, it’s no use worrying. I don’t have to hold back. Gill brightened up and looked at me. We bumped our fists together. We’ll do what we want.