229 A-about what? (1/2)

With his arrival, the two walked out of the manor, already expecting that it was him.

Without doing the pleasantries, Ozul walked inside the manor, making his way directly to a private room.

Alver and Raymond smiled wryly at each other but nodded their heads and followed after him. Their nephew was eccentric; they should start getting used to his behavior by now.

Alver closed the door when they entered the room and both brothers stared at Ozul with confused faces.

”I have some questions,” Ozul said.

Alver just took a seat as well, but Raymond, after hearing his words, started to sweat.

”A-about what?” Raymond asked while stuttering. His guilty conscience made him unable to realize that his nephew could be there to ask questions about something else and not about him and his secretary.

”About Emperor Luthien,” Ozul raised his brow and replied. He had completely forgotten about that incident, so he was just as confused as Alver because of Raymond's stuttering.

”H-haha. Yes, of course. Ask anything...” Raymond tried to laugh it off, though Alver still gave him a suspicious side glance.

Ozul ignored his behavior and spoke, ”About Emperor Luthien. Has he arrived here?”

”No. Like other Rank-9 Mages, he would take his sweet time and only arrive on the day of the battles,” Alver said while shaking his head.

He and Raymond were worried about what had gotten into their nephew's mind that he had been asking so many questions about Emperor Luthien.

”Also, I wanted to ask about the formations. Are there strong enough formations that can hold Mages at even Rank-9?” Ozul was curious about this one.

Although he had heard from Irvin that all who have tried to infiltrate the Royal Palace of Silverbird Kingdom have failed, it didn't include any Mage of Rank-9.

Since the Ashin family was centuries older than the Silverbird Kingdom, they would surely have better formations and more knowledge.

”Yes, nephew. In fact, if we do so, not a single Rank-9 Mage can ever enter this estate without our permission,” Alver stated while puffing up his chest in pride.

There weren't many times he could boast around his nephew about their family's greatness. Having found his chance, he continued, ”Heck, even if all of them attacked together, they wouldn't get through.”

Alver and Raymond both showed a haughty smirk while Ozul was truly surprised.

He felt dense Mana all around this estate, but he didn't know that the Ashin family would have formations so powerful.

”Okay... what is the downside?” Ozul couldn't believe that defenses so strong would come without a price.

Alver and Raymond's smiles froze at his words. Why did their nephew have to be so technical all the time?

Thousands of those stones which contained Mana — that alone was enough for them to only use them in desperate times.

Though Alver said 'nothing much', his strained smile was proof that those hundreds of artifacts that he talked about were probably something that even the Ashin family had only a limited amount of.

”What about the Royal Palace of the Silverbird Kingdom? Do you think there are formations that are a threat to even Rank-9 Mages?” Ozul hadn't told anyone that he was not a Mage, but still used the ranks of Mages as a scale to roughly explain his strength.

When Raymond and Alver heard his question, like Irvin, they could already guess that Ozul might be trying to infiltrate the Royal Palace.

”Don't underestimate the Silverbird Kingdom, nephew. We can say for a fact that they would also have defenses that can prove to be fatal to Rank-9 Mages,” Raymond answered him this time.

However, before Ozul said something else, he added, ”Nephew, I know that you wouldn't involve us in this, but know that the Ashin family is capable enough to start a war whenever.”

To his side, Alver solemnly nodded his head. In their opinion, it would surely consume tons of resources, but if they wouldn't use their wealth to protect the family, then what use was it all?

Ozul noticed their determined expressions and for a moment, he even considered getting their help.

In the end, however, he shook his head and said, ”I think I can deal with it for now... Maybe if war really broke out, I would need your help.”

Just these words were enough to make Raymond and Alver smile in delight.