Chapter 405: Hope and Desperation.
Rasmus drank the luke warm beer in a rundown pub where townspeople gathered after a long day of labor. He changed his appearance that made him look like an ordinary person with Aider and Rullein at the table. They listened to the people’s conversation, especially rumors about what was happening around Central Neva.
"We are doomed," a regular said as he slammed his jug on the table. "The future of humankind is doomed. The Holy Nation is a fake! The Magic Tower is taking a side with a fake Saint! War is happening everywhere! And soon we will be drafted to become a militia because of a damn war that’s about to happen here!" He shouted, his cheeks were red, drunk from drinking too much.
"Don’t you hear about the missing thousands of soldiers from the three nations that tried to take over the Refenus Kingdom? More than ten thousand armies disappeared in a single day! The demons are already making a move, and people are still fighting each other rather than standing together to fight them?! What the fuck is this bullshit! We are going to get drafted and die in a pointless war?!" His friend added, slamming his fist against the table.
"Should we just move away? We all should move to the Sun Empire and take refuge there. We won’t get drafted, and the Sun Empire faction is the strongest. We will be safe there," the other friend suggested.
"With what? Do you have enough money to bring your whole family to the Sun Empire? Are you crazy? We don’t even have the money to even live there on our own because everything is expensive there. There’s no hope for people like us!" The drunkard said and gulped the luke warm beer like it was water.
"Then let’s just move to the Cerdentis Kingdom, they’re taking refugee right? For the believers?" The other friend asked, looking at his friends.
They all looked at each other for a moment before the drunkard shook his head and waved his hand, dismissing the idea.
"Fuck that, I don’t believe in any religion anymore. Those guys are deceivers, using the fear and panic of the people to make them strong. If former Saint Astrea could heal the wounded and reveal that she was fake, what made you think those people over there weren’t the same as the Angelis family? I’m not going to take my risk, and they’re shady, I just now deep in my gut that they’re no different, or perhaps worse. My gut is always right, so I’m not going, you guys can just go without me," the drunkard answered as he emptied the jug.
The friends looked at each other, seemingly believing in the drunkard’s words.
"So, we are doomed?" The friend asked as he rubbed his face. "The big war is coming, and we don’t have anywhere to go..."
"We are commoners, what do you think will happen to us? We are just cogs in the wheels, replacable and not even worthy ten gold for our heads," the drunkard scoffed and watched the waitress bring his new jug of luke warm beer. "Well, whatever happen, I just want to spend the time I have left with my family, my kids, and my wife," he sighed and decided to focus on drinking his last beer.
Suddenly a man entered the pub, panting as he held a piece of paper in his hand. Everyone in the pub looked at him with a confused look, then looked at the paper in his hand.
"The Holy Nation is welcoming refugees! Lady Aurelia is promising us a place to stay, food, and money for work!" The man said as he put the paper on the counter.
The pub owner took the paper, looking at it for himself first before he grabbed a nail and a hammer. He then nailed the paper to the wooden wall so everyone could see it. Everyone gathered around the counter to look at the message that Aurelia herself had written.
"This is... we should be able to avoid getting drafted, right? I don’t care about the Holy Nation’s rotten truth! The Magic Tower is supporting Lady Aurelia, and there’s no safest place than the Holy Nation right now," a man said as he kept reading the message.
"I agree, the Magic Tower is the only one we can trust right now. They have been neutral for hundreds of years and the Great Sage is the embodiment of peace and righteous, but seeing that they support Lady Aurelia and the Holy Nation, we can trust them, right?" The other guy asked as he narrowed his eyes.
Everyone murmured, considering this chance to run away from being drafted into countless of wars with zero chance of survival. At a time like this, to be given a place, food, and safety from someone that embodied justice, righteousness, and peace, the people would take that risk.
One by one they left the pub to inform their families and their neighbors, knowing that they all had the same chance of survival. Rasmus, Aider, and Rullein had been listening to their conversations, and the turn of events was unexpected.
"That was quick," Aider giggled mischievously. "They cursed at religions, the Holy Nation, and the other nations, but the moment a single hope appeared, they licked their own spits without hesitation," he laughed quietly, covering his mouth and suppressing his laughter from attracting attention from the remaining people in the pub.
"That’s the power of hope and desperation, combined together, nothing can stop them, not even their own consciousness," Rasmus answered, taking a sip of his beer. "I’m more surprised that Aurelia knew how to use this strategy, I guess my teaching isn’t really a waste," he smirked.
"Teaching? Lady Aurelia the Saint?" Aider arched his brows. "What do you mean by that, Count?" He asked.
"Aurelia was my student at the Gratlan Academy. Aurelia Angelis, Monica Sancticus, Alexander Ravenshroud, Isador Suncrown, Maximillian Wyverncrest, and Valari Ashenvale. They were my students," Rasmus answered and took a sip of his beer.
Aider blinked repeatedly, trying to digest what Rasmus had just revealed. He slowly snorted and slammed his hand against the table, laughing in disbelief.
"Oh, the world is doomed..." Aider laughed as he covered his face in disbelief.
Aider’s laugh attracted everyone’s attention, looking at him with a weird look. He immediately suppressed his laughter, turned into a chuckle before he completely took a deep breath and exhaled deeply. He was shocked, utterly shocked when he found out the most prominents figures, the people that held big roles in the future were Rasmus’ students. He didn’t know what was more disturbing, the fact that they were Rasmus’ students or the fact that everything seemed to revolve around him and connect to him.
"If you said that she used your teaching, what’s the point of her doing this? You’re someone who doesn’t use kindness as is, you’re someone who do it for a reason, not out of kindness," Aider asked as he looked at Rasmus.
"There are many things that she gains from this. Influence, recognition, putting herself and the Holy Nation into a new light, regaining its status as a nation rather than an empty and abandoned nation that other nations can take over with force. With that, it will make other nations rethink of marching their armies toward her nation. She’ll rebuild the nation, befitting it to what she believes and use the truth as its foundation, creating the power to unify the continent. Those who are still against her, that will make them look like the bad people," Rasmus explained as he put down the jug and looked at Aider. "There are a lot more, but I think these are what important to her right now," he added.
Aider narrowed his eyes, finding that explanation as nothing but a chessboard.
"So even hope... even kindness... are just weapons to her? Is that what you thought to all your students?" Aider asked, crossing his arms as he leaned back and stared at Rasmus.
"Weapon? I would call them tools rather than weapons. I taught them how to wield the tools, and the outcome is them to decide. So, no, even if hope and kindness are tools to her, she means it because I also taught them not to use lies and deceptions," Rasmus answered as he shook his head.
Rullein yawned as she rested her head on her fist, staring at both of them. She was bored, completely bored by this idle conversation that she didn’t care about.
"Are we done here? Are we going to do something like this for the next few days?" Rullein asked as she looked at Rasmus.
"No, not at all. We are here just for a small break because we are going to do something big soon, and you’ll going to love it," Rasmus said and emptied his jug. "Until then, bear with it," he smiled at Rullein.